hamp lee iii - spiritual combatants · all scripture quotations are taken from the king james...

H A M P L E E I I I

Copyright © 2017 by Hamp Lee III.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at [email protected].

DISCLAIMER: The material in this book is intended for educational purposes only, to assist readers in studying the bible more effectively. While the author has made every attempt to verify that the information provided in this book is correct and up to date, the author assumes no responsibility for any error, inaccuracy, or outcome from the application of this material.

All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Bible.

The Bible Study Blueprint: An Essential Guide for Studying God’s Word / Hamp Lee III. 1st ed.

ISBN: 9781940042442

CONTENTS

Introduction! 5

Overview of the Bible! 7

Bible Study Essentials! 11

Passage Study! 19

Word Study! 29

Outline Study! 35

Personal Profile Study! 49

Glossary! 57

INTRODUCTION

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.1

The bible is the most important book ever written. It describes the beautiful creation of our world and everything contained therein. The pages of the bible reveal the beauty and depravity of humans, and the gracious love and mercy of our Creator. And through God’s love and mercy, we find salvation and eternal life through His son.

Because of the importance of the bible, it is critical for us to understand its message. I wrote The Bible Study Blueprint: An Essential Guide for Studying God’s Word to help you study the bible. This book will provide four specific methods for studying passages of scripture. You will learn how to find a scripture’s

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1 2 Timothy 3:16–17.

historical and personal context, conduct in-depth word searches, develop detailed outlines, and build personal profiles. And through these methods, I pray you will gain a greater understanding of the bible.

May God will bless you as you use this resource to study His word. May He show you the path of life.

6 THE BIBLE STUDY BLUEPRINT

OVERVIEW OF THE BIBLE

The bible is a collection of 66 separate books divided into the Old and New Testament. The Old Testament encompasses 39 books and the New Testament 27 books. Each book shares a perspective of God’s message, purpose, and will. Some books are only historical references, while others are for all people to follow and obey. The following pages highlight the contents of the Old and New Testament:2

Old Testament

The Pentateuch—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Pentateuch, which means five vessels or containers, are the first five books of the bible. They describe the creation of the

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2 “Books of the Bible :: Study the Divisions of the Books of the Bible.” About.com Christianity. Web. 19 May, 2014. http:// christianity. about.com/od/booksofthebible/tp/Books-Of-The-Bible. htm.

earth and man, the nation of Israel, and Israel’s covenant and laws.

Historical Books—Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. The historical books describe the history of the people of Israel. They detail Israel’s entry into their promised land and how they split into two kingdoms. They also testify of the Israelites’ captivity and later return to their homeland.

Psalms and Wisdom Books—Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. The psalms and wisdom books describe praise, worship, poetry, instruction, songs, and intimacy. They show how love, intimacy, and wisdom can help people live a joyous and righteous life before God.

The Prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The prophets describe the later years of the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah. They speak of their period of captivity and later return to Israel.

New Testament

The Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The Gospels describe the birth, life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.


Acts. The book of Acts follows the history of the early church after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It also describes the spread of Christianity throughout the known world.

The Epistles—Romans; 1 and 2 Corinthians; Galatians; Ephesians; Philippians; Colossians; 1 and 2 Thessalonians; 1 and 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon; Hebrews; James; 1 and 2 Peter; 1, 2, and 3 John; and Jude. The epistles are letters written to many of the early churches and believers. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ and a former persecutor of the early church, wrote many of the epistles.3

Revelation. The book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ.4 It contains prophetic messages written to describe the last days before the destruction of the earth, the punishment of the devil and his angels, and the final placement of those who are (and are not) listed in the Book of Life. It is the conclusion of God’s message to His people and a message of hope for those who overcome sin and the world.

OVERVIEW OF THE BIBLE 9

3 Acts 9:1–31. 4 Revelation 1:1.

BIBLE STUDY ESSENTIALS

There are thousands of biblical resources to enhance your bible studies. This chapter will provide a sample of some of those resources.

Bible

As I stated in the Introduction, the bible is the most important book ever written. Because of the importance of the bible, you should look for a bible translation (or version) that helps you understand, apply, and communicate God’s message.

There are many different bible translations in today’s marketplace.5 Some translations are word-for-word or thought-for-thought translations, while others are paraphrases. Consider using a bible translation that is

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5 The translations derive from the original languages of Hebrew and Aramaic (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament).

endorsed or used by your church, provides greater readability, or one God instructs you to use.

Bible Dictionary and Encyclopedia

Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias provide definitions and descriptions of biblical topics.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary. Dr. Matthew George Easton (1823–1894) authored Easton’s Bible Dictionary. It contains almost 4,000 entries relating to the bible.6

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. James Orr (1844–1913) was the general editor of the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. The encyclopedia contains articles from almost 200 scholars. The articles cover archaeological discoveries, the language and literature of bible lands, and the historical and religious environments of bible people.7

Bible Concordance

A bible concordance is an index of biblical words, often listed in alphabetical order.


6 “Easton’s Bible Dictionary,” Wikipedia, Accessed June 22, 2014, http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easton’s_Bible_Dictionary.7 “International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,” Wikipedia, Accessed June 22, 2014, http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ International_Standard_Bible_Encyclopedia.

Nave’s Topical Bible. Orville James Nave (1841–1917), a chaplain in the United States Army, wrote Nave’s Topical Bible. Nave’s Topical Bible is a concordance with more than 20,000 biblical topics. It also includes more than 10,000 scripture quotations indexed according to topic.8

Strong’s Concordance. Dr. James Strong (1822–1894) published Strong’s Concordance in 1890. Strong’s Concordance defines every Hebrew and Greek word in the King James Bible.9 Strong’s Concordance provides an independent cross-check when using or comparing bible translations. It offers the opportunity for an accurate understanding of the biblical text.10

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides more than 500,000 biblical cross-references.11 The cross-references are an

BIBLE STUDY ESSENTIALS 13

8 “Nave’s Topical Bible,” Wikipedia, Accessed June 22, 2014, http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nave%E2%80%99s_Topical_Bible.9 Dr. Strong treated Hebrew and Aramaic as one language.10 “Strong’s Concordance,” Wikipedia, Accessed June 22, 2014, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strong%27s_Concordance.11 “Treasury of Scripture Knowledge,” Bible Study Tools, Accessed December 1, 2016, http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/treasury-of-scripture-knowledge/.

index of thoughts and ideas, not exact matches.12 It also includes book summaries, chapter outlines, and alternative readings.13

Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible. Robert Young (1822–1888) published Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible in 1879. This concordance is suited for word studies. It analyzes English words and lists scriptures containing each corresponding Hebrew or Greek word.14

Bible Commentary

Bible commentaries are a form of biblical exegesis (or explanation). They provide explanations of biblical passages and books of the bible.

Matthew Henry’s Complete Bible Commentary. This concordance provides an exhaustive verse-by-verse study of the bible.15


12 “TSK Help Tutorial,” Blue Letter Bible, Accessed December 1, 2016, https://www.blueletterbible.org/help/tsk.cfm.13 “The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: Expanded with 800,000 Cross-References,” SwordSearcher, Accessed December 1, 2016, http://www.swordsearcher.com/bible- study-library/treasury-of-scripture-knowledge.html.14 “Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible,” Wikipedia, Accessed December 8, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young’s_Analytical_Concordance_to_the_Bible.15 “Matthew Henry,” Wikipedia, Accessed June 22, 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Henry.

Bible Software and Websites

Bible software and websites provide libraries of biblical resources. They offer several ways to understand, apply, and communicate God’s word.

YouVersion. YouVersion is the ministry of Life.Church. YouVersion’s purpose is to provide a free bible for every phone, tablet, and computer in the world.16 Through its website, Bible.com, and application, YouVersion provides over 1,400 bible translations supporting 1,071 languages.17

e-Sword. e-Sword is a bible study application and computer program created by Rick Meyers in 2000. e-Sword provides bible translations, a reference library, audio sermons, and much more.18

Bible Gateway. Nick Hengeveld created Bible Gateway in 1993. Bible Gateway provides a website


16 “Resources & Applications for Churches | Life.Church,” Life.Church, Accessed January 25, 2017, http:// www.life.church/churches/?utm_ source=life.church.17 “YouVersion” YouVersion, Accessed January 25, 2017, https://www.youversion.com.18 “Features,” e-Sword, Accessed November 29, 2016, http://www.e-sword.net/index.html#features.

http://www.life.church/churches/?utm_source=life.church




and application with over 50 bible translations, advanced search tools, and other biblical resources.19

Bible Hub. Bible Hub began as an online platform in 2004 through the Online Parallel Bible Project. Bible Hub has a three-purpose mission:

1. increase the visibility and accessibility of the scriptures online,

2. provide free access to bible study tools in many languages,

3. promote the Gospel through the learning, study, and application of God’s word.20

Blue Letter Bible. The Blue Letter Bible Project is an initiative of Sowing Circle Ministries. Blue Letter Bible provides three ongoing initiatives:

1. CDs for missionaries, pastors, and students,

2. a website for online bible studies,

3. an institute for structured biblical studies.21


19 “BibleGateway.com,” Wikipedia, Accessed November 29, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BibleGateway.com.20 “About Us,” Bible Hub, Accessed November 29, 2016, http://biblehub.com/about.htm.21 “Blue Letter Bible,” Wikipedia, Accessed November 29, 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Letter_Bible.

OpenBible.info. OpenBible.info provides several biblical resources, such as a topical bible, bible maps, and cross-references of the bible. OpenBible.info also provides a lab with small experiments using biblical data.


http://openbible.info/






PASSAGE STUDY

The passage study is one of the most common bible studies many Christians will conduct. A passage study reviews biblical passages to understand its historical and personal context.

Historical Context

Historical context identifies a source scripture’s intended message to its original audience.22 As the bible describes events occurring thousands of years ago, properly understanding the historical context will keep us from misinterpreting the scriptures we read.

To identify a source scripture’s historical context, it will be important to answer six basic questions: who, what, where, why, when, and how. The primary method I will use to answer these questions is through a radius.

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22 A source scripture is the subject of a particular bible study.

Radius

A radius is a review of the scriptures surrounding a source scripture. Without conducting a radius, a source scripture’s intended message might be misinterpreted. As an example, let’s use Matthew 6:8 as a source scripture:

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Now, there are three radiuses you can conduct. The first is the local radius. This radius reviews scriptures before and after a source scripture in the same chapter.

For Matthew 6:8, I will start my local radius at Matthew 6:1. Reading Matthew 6:1–7, I found that verses 1–4 address giving and verses 5–7 address prayer:

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for


they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.23

Applying the local radius after Matthew 6:8, I found a continued discussion on prayer through verse 13:

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.24

Because Matthew 6:5–13 speaks of prayer, my local radius of the source scripture helped me understand the context Matthew 6:8 was placed in. But to learn more about the context of the source scripture, I will expand my radius further.

City Radius

The second radius is the city radius. This radius reviews chapters surrounding a source scripture. A city radius can provide a greater understanding and perspective of the source scripture as well as larger topics and discussions within a book of the bible.

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23 Matthew 6:5–7.

24 Matthew 6:9–13.

To begin a city radius, I will read one chapter before and one chapter after the source scripture. I will expand to read more chapters as necessary to either capture a fuller context of the source scripture or learn more about other subjects mentioned in the book. You can grow your radius as large as you would like to meet your bible study goals.

Beginning at Matthew 5:1, I found that the source scripture is a part of Jesus’ teaching to His disciples and the multitudes. Now, I can read Matthew 4 to find out what Jesus was doing before this, but I want to learn more about Jesus’ teaching mentioned in Matthew 5:1 and where it concludes. After reading Matthew 6–7, I discovered that His teaching concluded at Matthew 7:28.

Bird’s Eye View Radius

The third radius is the bird’s-eye view radius. This radius includes the use of bible study resources. These resources can provide an even deeper insight into the context of a source scripture. To begin the bird’s-eye view radius, I will use the mnemonic ICE: Introduction, Cross-References and Concordances, and Explanation.

Introduction

The Introduction represents a discovery of the source scripture’s background, as well as themes and


purposes of the book the source scripture is written in. As with the local and city radiuses, you can accomplish smaller and larger reviews of biblical information throughout your ICE research to help you further develop your historical and personal context.

In a local search, use study references that only highlight Matthew 6. One of the bible references that use a chapter-by-chapter review is the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. In the entry for Matthew 6:1, the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge states: “Christ continues his sermon on the mount, exhorting not to be careful for worldly things.”25

Conducting a wider, city search of Matthew 5:1 and 7:28 (the beginning and end of Jesus’ teaching), the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge’s entry for Matthew 5:1 reads, “Christ’s sermon on the mount.”26 The entry for Matthew 7:28 reads, “Christ ends his sermon, and the people are astonished.”27

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25 “Matthew 6:1,” Bible Study Tools, Accessed January 4, 2018, https://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/ treasury-of-scripture-knowledge/matthew-6-1.html.26 “Matthew 5:1,” Bible Study Tools, Accessed December 6, 2016, http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/treasury- of-scripture-knowledge/matthew-5-1.html.27 “Matthew 7:28,” Bible Study Tools, Accessed January 29, 2016, http://www.biblestudytools.com/concordances/treasury- of-scripture-knowledge/matthew-7-29.html.

I can also use my ICE research to review information about the book of Matthew. Through this review, I can learn about the purpose for the book being written, when it was written, and to whom.

Using Easton’s Bible Dictionary, one of the things I learned about the book of Matthew was that it was written to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah, and that in Him the ancient prophecies had their fulfillment. I also learned about the probable times the book was written as well as other major themes.

To learn more about the Sermon on the Mount from our city radius, I reviewed entries in Easton’s Bible Dictionary and the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. I also discovered Galilee was a possible location for Jesus’ sermon.28

Lastly, in my introduction review, I found that Luke 6:20–49 is a possible parallel reference to Matthew 5–7. Though there are similarities between Matthew 5–


28 “New Testament Holy Land—Matthew,” Blue Letter Bible, Accessed December 6, 2016, https://www.blueletterbible.org/ assets/images/bibleMedia/rosepub/maps_nt.png.

7 and Luke 6:20–49, there is no mention of the source scripture in Luke 6.29

Cross-References and Concordances

Cross-references and concordances provide views of corresponding words and scriptures relating to (or within) the source scripture. Returning to the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, there are several corresponding scriptures listed under your in Matthew 6:8:30

Psalm 38:9—Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.

Psalm 69:17–19—And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily. Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies. Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.

PASSAGE STUDY 25

29 The bible is not a complete historical record of every event since the creation of the world. God inspired each author to provide a specific aspect or perspective of His story (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21). Trying to make scriptures fit together might negatively impact the results of your study. Do not assume or add specific information where it might not be clearly identified. Gather as many facts as you can to gain a greater understanding of the writer’s original message.30 “Treasury of Scripture Knowledge,” Bible Study Tools, Accessed December 1, 2016, http://www.biblestudytools.com/ concordances/treasury-of-scripture-knowledge.

Matthew 6:32—(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Luke 12:30—For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

John 16:23–27—And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

Philippians 4:6—Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

I would also like to review cross-references from OpenBible.info:31


31 “Matthew 6:8 Cross References,” OpenBible.info, Accessed December 6, 2016, https://www.openbible.info/labs/cross- references/search?q=Matthew+6%3A8.



Psalm 17:14—From men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

Psalm 103:13—Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

Matthew 5:46–47—For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Matthew 6:32—(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

Matthew 20:25–26—But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

Luke 11:11–13—If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your

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children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Luke 12:30—For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

Ephesians 4:17—This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

1 Thessalonians 4:5—Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

Concordances

As stated in the previous chapter, a concordance is an index of biblical words, often listed in alphabetical order. Within a concordance review, I typically use Strong’s Concordance. Using the Bible Hub website, I typed Matthew 6:8 in the main search bar. I clicked on the Greek button at the top of the page to view Strong’s Concordance. Using e-Sword, I downloaded the King James Bible with Strong’s Concordance. After going to Matthew 6:8, I selected the KJV+ bible to review entries for Strong’s Concordance. As an example, I learned more about two Greek words in Matthew 6:8 from e-Sword:

Need—From the base of G5530 or G5534; employment, that is, an affair; also (by implication)


occasion, demand, requirement or destitution: - business, lack, necessary (-ity), need (-ful), use, want.

Knowest—A primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent, G3700 and G3708; properly to see (literally or figuratively); by implication (in the perfect only) to know: - be aware, behold, X can (+ not tell), consider, (have) known (-ledge), look (on), perceive, see, be sure, tell, understand, wist, wot. Compare G3700.

Explanation

The explanation represents the use of specific dictionaries and/or commentaries to learn additional information about the source scripture or other local or city views.

Using the Blue Letter Bible website, I selected Text Commentaries under the Study heading. Once on the page, there are several commentaries to choose from, but I selected Jamieson, Fausett & Brown. Within their commentary for Matthew 6, the entry for Matthew 6:8 states:

8. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask him—and so needs not to be informed of our wants, any more than to be roused to attend to them by our incessant speaking. What a view of God is here given,

PASSAGE STUDY 29

in sharp contrast with the gods of the heathen! But let it be carefully noted that it is not as the general Father of mankind that our Lord says, “Your Father” knoweth what ye need before ye ask it; for it is not men, as such, that He is addressing in this discourse, but His own disciples—the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, hungry and thirsty souls, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, who allow themselves to have all manner of evil said against them for the Son of man’s sake—in short, the new-born children of God, who, making their Father’s interests their own, are here assured that their Father, in return, makes their interests His, and needs neither to be told nor to be reminded of their wants. Yet He will have His children pray to Him, and links all His promised supplies to their petitions for them; thus encouraging us to draw near and keep near to Him, to talk and walk with Him, to open our every case to Him, and assure ourselves that thus asking we shall receive—thus seeking we shall find—thus knocking it shall be opened to us.32

Historical Context (Answers)

The local, city, and bird’s eye view radiuses helped me gain a greater understanding of the source scripture’s historical context. While moving through each radius


32 Source: “Commentary on Matthew 6 by Jamieson, Fausett & Brown,” Blue Letter Bible, Accessed December 17, 2017, https:// www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/jfb/Mat/Mat_006.cfm.

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/jfb/Mat/Mat_006.cfm




and ICE research, I recorded my findings of the Who, What, Where, Why, When, and How as referenced below:

Who

Jesus is talking to His disciples and the multitudes who followed Him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.33

What

Jesus was speaking about prayer. He said you should not be like the heathens, who use vain repetitions. They believe they will be heard because of their many words. However, your Father already knows what you need before you ask Him.34

Where

The one fact we have is that Jesus went up into a mountain. Jesus was in Galilee before and after His sermon. His teaching most likely occurred in Galilee, but the scriptures do not specifically identify the location.

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33 Matthew 4:23–25.34 Matthew 6:7.

Why

Jesus’ sermon was a continuation of His preaching and teaching throughout Galilee from Matthew 4:23–25.

When

According to the Bible Hub website, the approximate date for the Sermon on the Mount was 27 A.D.35

How

Jesus went up into the mountain and sat down to teach His disciples and the multitude.36

Personal Context

Personal context represents life lessons developed from the historical context. There might be times when you will not have a personal context to apply to your life. Some information, conditions, or promises are meant for a specific person or group of people and not everyone.

From the historical context of Matthew 6:8, I learned there are two things that can be applied in a personal context. First, I should not pray like the heathens,


35 “Bible Timeline,” Bible Hub, Accessed December 6, 2016, http://biblehub.com/timeline/new.htm.36 Matthew 5:1–2.

who use vain repetitions. Second, my Father knows what I need even before I ask Him.

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WORD STUDY

When you want to research a subject, topic, or person in the bible, conduct a word study. Word studies can be as simple as looking up words in a bible dictionary or cover a more in-depth examination.

Word Search

A word search reviews a specific word in the bible for greater understanding or clarity. For an example of a word search, I will start with Job 42:6:

Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

I want to learn what abhor means. Though I can look up abhor in a dictionary, I want to get as close as possible to the description Job used. I could also use a bible dictionary, encyclopedia, or even another bible translation. However, concordances such as Strong’s Concordance or Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible, can also provide biblical definitions.

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To use Strong’s Concordance, go to Job 42:6 on the Bible Hub website. Select the Hebrew button. The following page will display each Hebrew word in Strong’s Concordance.37 Looking at abhor, the reference number is 3988 for the Hebrew root word ‘em-’as, which means despise.

If you use Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible, abhor has eleven Hebrew references from the Old Testament. The entry for Job 42:6 describes abhor as despise, reject, or loathe.38

Topic Search

When you want to know more about a specific subject or topic in the bible, use a topic search. You can conduct your search through an internal or external topic search.


37 Strong’s Concordance is also available in bookstores and other biblical websites.38 “Analytical concordance to the Holy Bible: containing about 311,000 references, subdivided under the Hebrew and Greek original with the literal meaning and pronunciation of each; also index lexicons to the Old and New Testaments, being a guide to parallel passages; and a complete list of scripture proper names,” Internet Archive, Accessed December 7, 2016, https://archive.org/details/analyticalconcor00younuoft

Internal Topic Search

An internal topic search occurs without help of a pre-populated biblical reference, such as a concordance or dictionary. As an example, I will conduct an internal topic search on the subject of grace in the New Testament. On the Bible Gateway website, a keyword search of grace produces 122 references in the King James Bible.39 After conducting a local and city radius for each reference, I outlined five provisions of grace:

1. Unmerited favor (John 3:16; Romans 5:8, 12–15; Titus 3:4–7).40

2. Redemption (Romans 3:24–25; Ephesians 2:8).

3. Teaching and instruction (Titus 2:11–14).

4. A place of mercy and help (Hebrews 4:15–16).

5. Power and sufficiency (2 Corinthians 9:8, 12:9–10).

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39 “Bible Gateway: grace,” Bible Gateway, Accessed December 6, 2016, https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=grace &q s_version=KJV.40 John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 were added as references for your personal edification. They were not found in the Bible Gateway keyword search.

External Topic Search

An external topic search uses pre-populated biblical references. Using Nave’s Topical Bible for the external topic search on grace, I found one entry on the Grace of God as follows:41

General references

Gen 15:6; Gen 20:6; Deu 7:6–9; Deu 9:4–6; Job 10:12; Job 22:2–3; Psa 94:17–19; Psa 138:3; Psa 143:11; Dan 9:18; Dan 10:18–19; Joh 6:44–45; Joh 17:11–12; Joh 17:15; Act 4:29–30; Act 26:22; Rom 3:22–24; Rom 4:4; Rom 4:16; Rom 5:2; Rom 5:6–8; Rom 5:15–21; Rom 9:10–16; Rom 11:5–6; 1Co 1:4–8; 1Co 10:13; 1Co 15:10; 2Co 1:12; Gal 1:15–16; Eph 1:5–9; Eph 1:11–12; Eph 2:8–9; Eph 3:16; Eph 4:7; Eph 6:10; Php 1:19; Php 2:13; 1Th 1:1; 1Th 5:28; 2Pe 1:2; 1Ti 1:14; 2Ti 1:1; 2Ti 1:9; Tit 3:7; 1Pe 1:5; 1Pe 4:10; 1Pe 5:10; Jud 1:1; Jud 1:21; Jud 1:24–25; Rev 3:10

Growth in

Psa 84:7; Pro 4:18; Php 1:6; Php 1:9–11; Php 3:12–15; Col 1:10–11; Col 2:19; 1Th 3:10; 1Th 3:12–13; 2Th 1:3; Heb 6:1–3; 1Pe 2:1–3; 2Pe 3:18


41 e-Sword Bible Program, Accessed December 12, 2016, http://www.e-sword.net.

OUTLINE STUDY

Outlines provide summary overviews of scriptures and books of the bible. They identify key scriptural information in a condensed format. There are many outline references available, such as The Outline Bible by Harold L. Wilmington, Matthew Henry’s Complete Bible Commentary, and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

I will use Psalm 1 as an example for the outline study:

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

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4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Here are outlines of Psalm 1 from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and The Outline Bible:

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:42

Overview—Psalms 1

1 The happiness of the godly.

4 The unhappiness of the ungodly.

The Outline Bible:43

Section Outline One (Psalm 1)


42 “Treasury of Scripture Knowledge,” Bible Study Tools, Accessed December 1, 2016, http://www.biblestudytools.com/ concordances/treasury-of-scripture- knowledge.43 Harold L. Wilmington, The Outline Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1999), 221.

The psalmist compares and contrasts the godly and the wicked and notes the eventual end of each.

I. The godly (1:1–3)

A. The contrast (1:1–2)

1. What they do not do (1:1)

a. Follow the advice of the wicked.

b. Stand around with sinners.

c. Join in with scoffers.

2. What they do (1:2): they delight in the law of the Lord.

B. The comparison (1:3): they are like fruitful, well-watered trees.

II. The godless (1:4–6): The Lord protects the godly, but the wicked are worthless chaff who will one day be condemned and destroyed.

Do you notice the difference in the details with these references? Having too much or too little information in an outline is neither right nor wrong. What is important is having an accurate summary of the source scripture.

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Despite these references, you might want to develop your own outline. To do this, take a moment to consider the following three outlines:

Simple Outline

A simple outline provides main ideas from a source scripture in a concise format. There are two points to consider when building a simple outline:

1. Meditate. When building an outline, it is important first to meditate on the source scripture. The bible translates meditate in Psalm 1:2 from the original Hebrew language as:

ponder—think about (something) carefully, especially before making a decision or reaching a conclusion

imagine—form a mental image or concept of

speak—say something in order to convey information, an opinion, or a feeling

study—the devotion of time and attention to acquiring knowledge on an academic subject, especially by means of books; a detailed investigation and analysis of a subject or situation

talk—speak in order to give information or express ideas or feelings; converse or communicate by spoken words


Meditation is a daily experience of thoughts, time, and communications. And as such, it will be important to spend each day pondering, imagining, speaking, studying, and talking about the source scripture.

2. Identify main ideas. Determine what stories, subjects, or messages the source scripture is describing. Search for specific words that point out main ideas.

After reading Psalm 1, I identified four main ideas: blessed, ungodly, sinner, and righteous. Then, I structured my outline in the following manner:

(1:1–3)—The life of a blessed man.

(1:4)—The life of the ungodly.

(1:5)—Where the ungodly and sinners cannot stand.

(1:6)—The way of the righteous and ungodly.

My outline is different from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and The Outline Bible, but still faithful to the content in Psalm 1. Again, no one way is right or wrong as long as you provide an accurate summary of the source scripture.

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Detailed Outline

A detailed outline adds supporting information to a simple outline. In developing my detailed outline for Psalm 1, I will take my four main ideas and ask, who, what, where, why, when, and how. I will list my answers under my main idea in a bullet format:

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.44

How does Psalm 1:1–2 describe the life of a blessed man?

(1:1–2)—The life of a blessed man:

A blessed man does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

A blessed man does not stand in the way of sinners.

A blessed man does not sit in the seat of the scornful.

A blessed man’s delight is in the law of the Lord.


44 Psalm 1:1–2.

A blessed man meditates on the law of the Lord day and night.

When developing a detailed outline, add as many details as you desire. Remember to provide an accurate summary of your source scripture. Also be consistent in developing your supporting information. Following is my complete detailed outline for Psalm 1:

(1:1–3)—The life of a blessed man:

A blessed man does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

A blessed man does not stand in the way of sinners.

A blessed man does not sit in the seat of the scornful.

A blessed man’s delight is in the law of the Lord.

A blessed man meditates on the law of the Lord day and night.

Through this (see 1:1–2):

He will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season.

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His leaf will not wither.

Whatever he does will prosper.

(1:4)—The life of the ungodly:

The ungodly are not like the blessed.

The ungodly are like the chaff that the wind blows away.

(1:5)—Where the ungodly and sinners cannot stand:

Because of this (see 1:4):

The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment.

Sinners shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous.

(1:6)—The way of the righteous and ungodly:

The reason for 1:5:

The Lord knows the way of the righteous.

The way of the ungodly shall perish.


Point Outline

Point outlines identify specific attributes or points from a source scripture. Using the detailed outline, I will begin with Psalm 1:1–2, The life of a blessed man, to build a new point outline heading:

1. A blessed man does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

2. A blessed man does not stand in the way of sinners.

3. A blessed man does not sit in the seat of the scornful.

4. A blessed man’s delight is in the law of the Lord.

5. A blessed man meditates on the law of the Lord day and night.

Using this information, I will create a heading to reflect these attributes:

Five Attributes of a Blessed Man

Following is my complete point outline for Psalm 1:

Five Attributes of a Blessed Man

1. He does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly.

2. He does not stand in the way of sinners.

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3. He does not sit in the seat of the scornful.

4. His delight is in the law of the Lord.

5. He meditates on the law of the Lord day and night.

Three Benefits of a Blessed Man

1. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season.

2. His leaf will not wither.

3. Whatever he does will prosper.

Two Outcomes of the Ungodly and One for the Sinner

1. The ungodly are like the chaff, which the wind blows away.

2. The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment.

3. Sinners shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous.

Two Ways the Lord Knows

1. The Lord knows the way of the righteous.

2. The way of the ungodly shall perish.


PERSONAL PROFILE STUDY

Personal profile studies are like biographies. These studies highlight specific individuals from selected source scriptures. They often provide historical background information or identify specific life lessons or principles. The following pages identify three criteria to consider when building a personal profile study.

Purpose

Your purpose will guide every aspect of the information you study and the presentation of your findings. Within this setting, I would like to conduct a personal profile study on the man of God from 1 Kings 13. My purpose is to describe the importance of remaining committed to the message God speaks to you.

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Information Collection

Once you determine your purpose, conduct a passage, word, or outline study. Considering my purpose, I will use a city radius of 1 Kings 11–13.

Presentation

After determining your purpose and collecting your information, begin with the presentation. If you gather a large quantity of information, do not feel obligated to add every detail. Some details might detract from your purpose, but remain scripturally accurate. Following is my presentation:

After obtaining 700 wives and 300 concubines, King Solomon’s wives turned his heart after other gods. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, and his heart turned away from the Lord twice. The Lord then told Solomon He would tear all but one of the twelve tribes of Israel from his son when he became king.45

The Lord also raised up adversaries against Solomon. One adversary in particular, Jeroboam, received a prophecy that he would become king of ten of the tribes of Israel. Though Solomon sought to kill him, Jeroboam fled to Egypt until Solomon died.


45 This excluded the tribe of Levi, who were priests and ministers before the tabernacle unto God and Israel (Numbers 1:50–53, 3:6–51, 18:1–32; Deuteronomy 10:9, 18:1–8).

After Solomon’s death, Israel appointed his son, Rehoboam, as king. Jeroboam returned to Israel, and he and all the people of Israel came before the king. They asked if he would lighten the yoke his father had laid on the people. Rehoboam asked for three days to provide a response. Instead of listening to the old men who stood before his father, he accepted the counsel of those he grew up with.

On the third day, Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam. Rehoboam said he would add to their yoke. He would discipline them with scorpions rather than with the whips his father used. When the people heard this, they returned to their tents. They made Jeroboam king over the ten tribes of Israel.

However, Jeroboam had a concern for the people he ruled. He thought they might return to Rehoboam if they went up to offer sacrifices in Jerusalem. (Jerusalem was a city within the tribe of Judah where Rehoboam was king). He took counsel and made two golden calves (as gods) to which the people could offer sacrifices. This led the people into sin. Jeroboam also made temples on the high places and appointed priests there that were not of the sons of Levi.

Jeroboam also devised a feast from his own heart. He appointed a feast for the people of Israel (like the feast in Judah) on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. On this day, he went up to Bethel and sacrificed to

PERSONAL PROFILE STUDY 51

the calves he made and went to the altar to burn incense.

As Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense, a man of God came from Judah. He came by the word of the Lord to cry out against the altar Jeroboam had made. He said, “O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.” The man of God also provided a sign, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.”

When Jeroboam heard the man of God, he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Lay hold on him.” However, Jeroboam’s hand dried up, and he was not able to draw it back to himself. Then the altar was rent, and the ashes poured out as the man of God described.

Jeroboam asked the man of God to entreat the favor of the Lord and pray for the Lord to restore his hand. The man of God entreated the Lord, and the Lord restored Jeroboam’s hand. Jeroboam asked the man of God to come home with him so he could refresh himself and receive a reward. The man of God said that even if he received half of Jeroboam’s house, he


would not go into his home with him. The man of God also stated he would not eat nor drink water in Bethel. The Lord commanded him that he neither eat bread or drink water nor return by the way he came. So the man of God departed and did not return by the same way he came.

Now, there was an old prophet who lived in Bethel. His sons told him everything the man of God had done in the city and the words he spoke to Jeroboam. After learning the direction the man of God traveled, the old prophet went after him. Finding the man of God under an oak, he invited him to his house to eat bread. The man of God then repeated the same words he said to Jeroboam. The old prophet told the man of God that he too was a prophet. But he lied and said an angel spoke to him. He said the angel told him the man of God should return to his house and eat bread and drink water with him. Upon hearing this, the man of God went back with him, ate bread, and drank water.

As they sat at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet. He cried to the man of God saying, “Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the


Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.”

After departing the old prophet’s house, a lion killed the man of God. When the old prophet found out what happened, he said it was the man of God who disobeyed the word of the Lord. He went out and found the man of God’s body thrown in the road with his donkey and the lion standing next to his body. The lion did not eat the man of God’s body or tear the donkey. The old prophet placed the man of God’s body on his donkey and returned to the city to mourn and bury him. He buried the man of God in his own grave by the word of the Lord spoken through the old prophet.

Life Lesson

Remain committed to the message God speaks to you. If someone speaks conflicting information, first receive a personal confirmation from the Lord. You must be sure of any change or deviation because you will account for your own actions of obedience or disobedience.

As an additional reference, consider the actions of those listed from the city radius:


1. Solomon’s disobedience brought adversaries against him and caused his son to lose almost the entire kingdom of Israel.

2. Jeroboam’s fear caused him to create false gods and a religious system that led the ten tribes of Israel into sin.

3. The old prophet’s lie led a man into sin and disobedience, causing his death.

4. The man of God’s disobedience caused him to lose his own life.


GLOSSARY

Passage Study

Bird’s-eye View RadiusA study method that includes the use of bible study resources through the mnemonic ICE: Introduction, C r o s s - R e f e r e n c e s a n d C o n c o r d a n c e s , a n d Explanation.

City RadiusA study method that reviews chapters surrounding a source scripture.

Corresponding ScriptureA scripture of a similar topic or event.

Historical ContextIdentifies a source scripture’s intended message to the original audience.

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InspectionSummarizes the information found in the radius. The inspection formats this information through six basic questions: who, what, where, why, when, and how.

Local RadiusA review of verses before and after a source scripture in the same chapter.

Passage StudyA study that reviews biblical passages to understand its historical and personal context.

Personal ContextDerived from the historical context, personal context represents life lessons for personal edification.

RadiusA review of scriptures surrounding a source scripture. There are three types of radiuses: local, city, and bird’s-eye view.

Source ScriptureA scripture identified as the subject of a particular bible study.

Word Study

External Topic Search A topic search that uses pre-populated biblical references.


Internal Topic SearchA topic search that occurs without help of a pre-populated biblical reference, such as a concordance or dictionary.

Topic Search A study method that researches a specific subject or topic in the bible. There are two types of topic searches: internal and external.

Word SearchResearch of a specific word in the bible for greater understanding or clarity.

Outline Study

Detailed OutlineAn outline that adds supporting information to a simple outline.

Point Outline An outline that identifies specific attributes or points from a source scripture.

Simple OutlineAn outline that provides main ideas from a source scripture in a concise format.

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Personal Profile Study

Personal Profile StudyA study that highlights specific individuals from selected source scriptures. They often provide historical background information or identify specific life lessons or principles.


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GLOSSARY 61

hamp lee iii - spiritual combatants · all scripture quotations are taken from the king james...

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