Let us illustrate “how to study the Bible” in one more way, by using one of the letters of the New Testament for our illustration: 2 Corinthians.
#1 – What is the historical context? I want to focus, in this study, on doing word studies so I’m going to be more brief in the other points. Paul wrote as many as four letters (potentially) to the church in Corinth, two of which are preserved for us. The city of Corinth was located on the gulf of the Aegean Sea and was a major city of commerce. I suspect there were many personalities in the church at Corinth and perhaps different nationalities. Of course, 1 Corinthians shows us there were several doctrinal aberrations among the Christians in Corinth, which Paul sought to correct. One, which finds its correction in 2 Corinthians, was the belief that Paul was not on the same level of apostleship as the other apostles and/or did not have the authority to command Christians what to do. Sound familiar?
#2 – Decide on the limits of your chosen passage. I have randomly selected 8:16-24 as my paragraph for illustrative purposes. The delineation of this paragraph has more to do with the subject than pure grammatical considerations. That is, Paul is talking about Titus and some brethren traveling to Corinth to collect their donations. Titus is mentioned in verses 16 and 23 along with two unnamed “brothers.”
#3 – Become thoroughly acquainted with the paragraph. It seems to me that the key idea, the primary thought or sentence, in this paragraph is that found in verse 19: “he [Titus] has also been appointed by the churches to travel with us in this gracious work, which is being administered by us for the glory of the Lord Himself, and to show our readiness [20] taking precaution so that no one will discredit us in our administration of this generous gift.” That is not the end of the sentence, but verse 21 tells why Paul wants to be “pre-cautious.” The whole paragraph deals with sending Titus and these brothers to Corinth.
#4 – Analyze the sentence structure and the flow of the passage. The flow of the passage relates to the paragraph as a whole. We communicate in sentences, through paragraphs. So, what is the main idea of the paragraph and how does each sentence of the paragraph, as a whole, contribute to that main idea? Verse 16 – Titus had an earnestness in his heart for the Corinthians. Verse 17 – Titus was not coerced to go to the Corinthians. Verse 18 – Another brother accompanied Titus. Verse 19 – Our key idea, through verse 21: Other churches also chose Titus to travel, to collect the contribution. Paul wants everything to be done “above board” and in complete agreement with participating churches. Verse 22 – A third, diligent brother will accompany Titus. Verse 23 – Paul’s view of Titus. Verse 24 – Paul draws this paragraph to a conclusion with the word “Therefore.” Paul calls on the church at Corinth to give, to “show the proof of their love” and proof of Paul’s reason for boasting about them.
#5 – Analyze the grammar. Let us break down that primary sentence to get at its core message. Titus was appointed by the churches. Notice that it was not Paul who chose Titus and these men. They were selected by the churches, someone in whom they had confidence and he, in them. There is an element of “republicanism” among the churches of Christ, that is, self-rule or “popular sovereignty.” Secondly, we point out that Paul refers to the collection as “this gracious work.” This is a term he has used before in the text: vss 6 & 7. This will be a term worth considering under #6. Paul also says this gracious work is “administered by us” (Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy? – 1:19) for the glory of the Lord Himself. Our contribution is ultimately not for the church but for the Lord (see also vs 21), for His glory.
#6 – Analyze significant words. I invite you to go to biblegateway.com and use the “Mounce Reverse-Interlinear New Testament” translation. He will give you the Greek words that correspond to the English words and allow you to do some word studies. When you type in the text (2 Corinthians 8:16-24), you will see the Greek words, transliterated, under the English words. For example, note that the word “request” (NASV) translates the word paraklesis. This word and its cognates are used frequently in the NT. Click on the word paraklesis.
On the right side of your screen, the Greek word and its transliteration comes up. Underneath are two numbers, Strong’s number (G3874) and the GK number (G4155). This word has been “tagged” with these numbers so you can do further word studies in Greek sources without knowing the Greek alphabet or words. Strong’s is an older system; GK is newer. Underneath that, you will see various translations of this word paraklesis with corresponding Bible verses. But this is not comprehensive.
Instead, click on “See everywhere paraklesis appears in the New Testament via teknia.com.” Click on that and you will be taken to William Mounce’s website and the page for that particular Greek word. Here, you will find the form of the word as it appears in Greek dictionaries and its transliteration. Particularly helpful is the “frequency in the NT.” This word is used 29 times in the NT! Clearly, it is an important word. The “Gloss” gives a brief idea of the meaning and then he’ll give further definitions of the word and corresponding references.
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But under that, Mounce gives all twenty-nine Bible references that use the Greek word paraklesis. He gives a translation but you can easily use your own personal translation to see what each text says and how your translation will interpret and use that word.
#7 – Research the historical – cultural background. There isn’t anything in this paragraph that would suggest we need more knowledge of Greco-Roman culture. Yet, knowing how pagan religions dealt with contributions and how they handled funds could provide a sharp contrast with Paul’s instructions here.
#8 – What are the broad theological themes presented? The contribution is obviously a big part of the theme of this paragraph. We also have the relationship between a congregation of the church and a traveling missionary. But, more than anything, we get an idea of how important it is to handle the church’s money, given for the glory of the Lord, in a way that is as upfront, honest, above board, and beyond reproach as we possibly can. If the apostle Paul’s behavior is prescriptive for us today (Phil. 4:9), then it seems that we ought to be very careful with how we handle the Lord’s money.
#9 – Consult commentaries.
#10 – What is the message for the original audience? Certainly there is more historical information in this specific passage than doctrinal teaching. Yet, Paul wants the Corinthians, motivated out of their love for others and, particularly, their love and respect for Titus, to give generously (8:20) to the good work of benevolence (8:24).
#11 – What is the lesson for ourselves today? Give. Giving is to the Lord, not just to the church. Give to show your love for others. If you are entrusted with the task of counting the contribution or using the contribution, be sure that you are using it, “in the sight of the Lord” (8:21), in every way above reproach. Missionaries, in particular, ought to be very conscious about reporting how they have used the money given to them for their ministry.
I hope these last three Daily Droplets have encouraged you to study the Bible more deeply. “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). I also hope I have give you some practical suggestions on how you can learn more about God’s word and be fruitful in your studies.
–Paul Holland
