Knowable Word - Bible study help

Seis Razones Por Qué No Estudiamos la Biblia

March 10, 2026 By Peter Krol

This is a Spanish translation of a post from our archive. For the original post in English, please click the “Publicación original” link at the top of the post. For further explanation of why we’re posting articles in Spanish for a season, see this announcement.

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Publicación original de Peter Krol, traducida por Sarah Oiler

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En su libro electrónico excelente (y gratis!) sobre los estudios bíblicos, Denis Haack hace una lista de seis razones por qué mucha gente nunca aprende a estudiar la Biblia:

No sé cómo.
Los estudios bíblicos son aburridos.
Prefiero usar guías de estudios bíblicos.
No soy bastante inteligente. Nunca fui buen estudiante.
Puedo volverme una persona con discernimiento por leer libros.
No tengo tiempo.

¡Por favor, no permitas que estas razones sean excusas que te impidan recibir la Palabra Conocible de Dios!

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3 Poor Reasons to Read the Bible

March 9, 2026 By Ryan Higginbottom

On this side of our glorified bodies, Christians have two natures that wrestle within. Our “old man” persists until we see the Lord, and as a result, even our good behavior can be laced with sin.

We rejoice at the opportunity to help our neighbor, but we recognize the pride of self-congratulation on the walk back home. We try to give money generously, but we catch ourselves scheming how to work our latest donation into a dinner conversation. Our hearts have graduate degrees in dusting sour, selfish powder on the wholesome bread of obedience and love.

Bad Reasons for Bible Reading

Reading the Bible is no exception. We can exploit even this act of devotion for selfish gain.

I’ve seen this in my life. The reasons I have for sitting down with God’s word are often mixed. The more we can identify and repent of our bad impulses, the better.

Read the Bible to Have a Great Day

Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of encouragement to exercise in the morning. I’m told this active start to the day will make me feel amazing and will set me up for success in every other area of my life.

Some people advocate Bible reading in the same manner. Fifteen minutes in the Psalms will give you the spiritual equivalent of endorphins. If you start your day with God, what could possibly bring you down?

This approach to the Bible is stained with the prosperity gospel. Yes, obedience to God brings blessing, but “blessing” does not mean a smooth path and a fat wallet. We must not tie our ease and comfort to God’s favor or our obedience.

Those who push the Bible as a vaccination against trouble also speak a lot about how “inspiring” the Scriptures are. Call me a downer, but we need this sobering truth: The Bible is not always inspiring. It isn’t supposed to be.

In the Bible we find the self-revelation of the holy God of the universe, and this revelation is not always intended to make us feel good. God has designed something much better.

Read the Bible so Others Know You’re Holy

Social media has multiplied our opportunities to broadcast our spiritual practices. And the dopamine hits from likes and shares can transform a posture of humble worship to one of gold-nugget hunting.

But Instagram did not create this temptation. From my earliest days as a Christian I have wanted others to praise me for my piety. I would read God’s word with an eye toward sharing my devotional discoveries with my friends.

Most people want others to think well of them, and in the church, this can take the insidious form of spoiling genuine time with God by an obsession with one’s reputation. Time set apart to think about and worship God becomes more time to focus on me.

Read the Bible to Earn God’s Love

Christians need to hear the gospel of grace over and over and over. The news is so stunningly good, we have trouble believing and remembering it.

We doubt that God’s love is as deep and steady and present as he says. We know the devotion God desires, and we think his love for us must be proportional to our obedience. We pick up the Bible either in the fear that we have sinned too much or in the hope that God might, finally, be pleased with our latest offering of worship.

This thinking is pervasive, but it is nowhere in the Bible itself. For Christians, God is a good father whose love cannot be improved. Our accounts are at maximum capacity. Whether we read the Bible, or how well we read the Bible, does not change God’s affections toward us.

One Good Reason to Read

These poor reasons to read the Bible are focused on self. A great reason to read the Bible is to focus on God.

In the Bible, God shows us himself. He shows us his holiness and his law and his mercy. We see the background and setting for the life of Jesus, the central act of history. We hear the cosmos-rocking implications of his death, resurrection, and ascension.

We read the Bible because God commands we love him with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. But the transformed people of God long to worship their loving father and hear from him.

This was originally posted in 2019.

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The Illusion of Sexual Freedom

March 6, 2026 By Peter Krol

Sex is a polarizing concept. It began beautifully when husband and wife were naked and unashamed (Gen 2:25), but it went downhill when they decided to love themselves more than God or each other (Gen 3:5, 7, 12, 22). Ever since, we’ve been terribly confused.

We need much wisdom to navigate between the proud lewdness of our culture and the traditional prudishness of Christians. Both sides represent a foolish oversimplification of what God intends sexuality to be, and the simple can get caught in the middle. And confusion multiplies when culture is prudish and Christians are lewd. Or when prudish Christians speak about sex as lewdly as the culture does. Or lewd Christians feign prudishness to fit in. How can the simple find their way?

In chapter 5 of Proverbs—which we’ll examine over the next few weeks—Solomon provides wisdom in the sexual realm. He suggests that not all is as it seems (Prov 5:1-6) and that the wrong choices have dire consequences (Prov 5:7-14). Utter unselfishness in the context of marital love is surprisingly intoxicating (Prov 5:15-20), and those who think they know satisfaction better than God does have sprung their own trap (Prov 5:21-23).

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

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The Beatitudes as Invitations

March 4, 2026 By Peter Krol

I bet you’ll really enjoy Joshua Greever’s study of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-12. He shows how the literary context and the allusions to the Old Testament shape the way we ought to read these famous verses. And when read properly, they are not universal promises to all sorts of good or nice people; they aim to shape us into mature Christ-followers.

We need to identify what the Beatitudes are in order to discern how they function. We must see them as Jesus’s invitations shaped by the Old Testament, directed to the empty, and intended to produce faith in Christ. When we read them rightly, we see them as Jesus’s good and gracious gift pointing us to the blessed life.

Check it out!

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Por qué el método OIA es el mejor para estudiar la Biblia

March 3, 2026 By Peter Krol

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Publicación original de Peter Krol, traducida por Sarah Oiler

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Hace unos días, resumí el método de estudios bíblicos que seguimos: el método OIA. En resumidas cuentas, OIA significa Observación, Interpretación, y Aplicación.

Ya he hecho una declaración audaz: que todos tienen un método para estudiar la Biblia. Hoy, quiero hacer otra declaración audaz: que OIA es el mejor método que alguien puede usar para estudiar la Biblia. Déjame apoyar esta declaración con tres razones.

1. Lo funciona para cualquier persona en cualquier lugar de cualquier edad

El método OIA se puede enseñar a gente que tiene su doctorado y otros “profesionales” y ser muy complejo y profundo. Se puede enseñar a unos niños de 3 años que acaban de aprender a hablar. Cualquier persona puede usar y beneficiarse de este método muchísimo. Se puede entender las ideas claves de lo que Dios ha comunicado y transformarse más en Cristo como resultado.

2. Dios diseñó que toda la comunicación funciona de esta forma

El método OIA no es algo nuevo ni innovador. Simplemente es un intento de resumir los pasos a través de los cuales cualquier ser humano se comunica con otro ser humano (observar lo que se comunicó, interpretar el significado, y responder de manera apropiada). Dios diseñó que toda la comunicación funciona así, entonces por supuesto la Biblia funciona de la misma manera.

Déjame ilustrar. Si yo te encontrara en la calle, es posible que me observaras acercarme, sonreír, y ofrecerte mi mano. Tú interpretarías que no te quiero hacer daño y simplemente quiero saludarte. Tú aplicarías el gesto por ofrecerme la mano, tomarla en la mía, y decir “hola” o alguna expresión similar. Se ha ocurrido la comunicación.

Digamos que te hago una pregunta. Puede que observes que mi inflexión sube al final de la oración (el signo de interrogación), hay un silencio resultante, y levanto las cejas. Tú interpretarías que estas señales indican que quiero que contestes la pregunta. Tú aplicarías la interacción por contestar la pregunta, fruncir el ceño mientras piensas, levantar la mano para solicitar una repetición de la pregunta, o huir en terror.

Simplemente no podemos escapar del método OIA. Lo usamos todo el tiempo. Deberíamos utilizarlo cuando estudiamos la Palabra Conocible de Dios.

3. Es la manera de que Jesús interpretó la Biblia

Jesús es el Señor (Filipenses 2:11) y el autor de la Escritura (1 Pedro 1:11). Deberíamos aprender de él cómo leer la Escritura.

Mira Mateo 21:42-44 como ejemplo. Date cuenta de que Jesús observa el texto del Antiguo Testamento en versículo 42, lo interpreta en versículo 44, y lo aplica en versículo 43 (insinuando que sus oyentes deberían creer la verdad y hacer algunos cambios en sus vidas).

Jesús se refiere a la Escritura con mucha frecuencia. Esto nos da una ventana a su entendimiento de la Escritura, pero rara vez él es tan claro como en Mateo 21:42-44. Usualmente, Jesús supone o insinúa la Interpretación y dice la Observación y la Aplicación explícitamente (por ejemplo, ve Mateo 13:10-17 o Marcos 12:35-37). Un lugar en lo que él Observa e Interpreta pero no Aplica explícitamente es Lucas 4:17-21.

Al sugerir que el método OIA es lo mejor para usar, no digo que haya una manera fácil de tratar cada texto igual por embutirlo en el mismo molde. Simplemente estoy diciendo que tenemos una manera valiosa y clara a través de la cual podemos entender lo que Dios está comunicándose en su Palabra. Nuestro estudio de la Biblia no es arbitrario.

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Change, Part 3: Wisdom Comes Out the Fingertips

February 27, 2026 By Peter Krol

Wisdom comes in the ears, through the heart, and out the fingertips. This week, we explore the last step in the chain.

Put away from you crooked speech,
And put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward,
And your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet;
Then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
Turn your foot away from evil (Prov. 4:24-27).

The last step in the formula takes place when wisdom moves from the heart and out through our fingertips. These verses speak of “speech,” “talk” (Prov. 4:24), “eyes,” “forward,” “gaze” (Prov. 4:25), “ponder,” “path,” “feet,” “ways” (Prov. 4:26), “right,” “left,” and “foot” (Prov. 4:27). Solomon clearly has in mind everything we do, so I’ll use the image of “fingertips,”out of which seep our everyday choices.

Once wisdom changes who we are, it inevitably affects everything we do. As we listen to wisdom and seek it out, we must consider both how it can sink in more deeply (the heart) and how it can shape us more broadly (the fingertips). What would it look like for you to request help with your money, marriage, singleness, career path, parenting, cooking, hospitality, leadership potential, education, job performance, spiritual life, outreach, eating habits, hobbies, Bible study skills, love life, communication, decision-making process, and vision for life? In which other areas would you like to grow in wisdom? Where are you stuck in difficult situations or bad patterns? Remember: Wisdom has to come in the ears, through the heart, and out the fingertips.

It doesn’t matter what candidates for change you have in mind. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new skill to develop or an old habit to break. It doesn’t matter if there’s exquisite joy or agonizing pain. It doesn’t matter if your history is one of failure or of success.

What matters is that God wants you to change for the better, and he’s throwing the full weight of his resources behind the change movement. Jesus rose from the grave so he could make all things new. If you fear the Lord, you have much reason to hope for the best.

One of my children often used to say “I give up” when something was too hard. I say to you what I often said to that child: “That’s the one thing you must never do. Jesus didn’t give up on you. Let’s trust him, and see what he can do next.”

SNEAK PEEK:

We often struggle with the greatest shame and defeat in the realm of sexual sin. Many people feel stuck there, so in Proverbs 5, 6, and 7, Solomon provides a mini-series on wise sexuality. We’ll begin the series next week by applying some Bible dynamite to calcified cultural stereotypes about sexuality.

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

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What Does it Mean to “Keep” the Book of Revelation?

February 25, 2026 By Peter Krol

Revelation 1:3 declares:

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

Justin Dillehay looks to the rest of the book to speak for itself about what it means to “keep” this magnificent book, and he lands on three key applications: hear it being read, keep God’s commandments, and keep your eyes fixed on who Jesus is. Here is a taste:

Can you imagine a group of Christians sitting and listening to the entire book of Revelation read aloud in one sitting? I can, because I’ve been a part of such a reading several times. And John is right; it’s a “blessed” experience! You should try it. Gather a group of friends and carve out about ninety minutes to just sit and read together. It won’t remove all the book’s difficulties. But prepare to be amazed at the connections and the patterns you’ll notice when you hear it all at once, the way the original hearers likely would have.

Don’t become a prophecy fanatic who obsesses over Revelation while neglecting the rest of the Bible. But please, for your own sake, don’t stop reading this book. It’s the only book in the New Testament that explicitly pronounces a blessing for the one who reads it. So, keep reading it.

Check it out!

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Un Resumen del Método OIA

February 24, 2026 By Peter Krol

Publicación original de Peter Krol, traducida por Sarah Oiler

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He discutido que todos tienen un método para estudiar la Biblia, sin importar si es consciente o no. Entonces, aquí está lo mío.

El acrónimo OIA resume el método:

Observación – ¿qué dice?
Interpretación – ¿qué significa?
Aplicación – ¿cómo necesito cambiar?

Puedes replantear estos tres pasos así: qué, por qué y ahora qué? O de nuevo así: qué dijo el autor original? ¿Qué significó para el público original? Y qué significa en nuestro contexto?

Knowable Word no inventó este método. Es un método viejísimo. Los Seminarios lo llaman “el método gramático-histórico de la interpretación bíblica,” pero ese título puede ser intenso y dar miedo a mucha gente. Otros tratamientos populares lo llaman “el método inductivo de estudio bíblico,” pero yo pienso que eso es un uso erróneo desafortunado del término maravilloso de “inductivo” del campo de la lógica. Entonces, yo prefiero llamarlo simplemente “OIA.”

Lo maravilloso del método OIA es que permite al texto hablar a nosotros, en vez de nosotros leyendo nuestros propios significados en el texto. Lo bonito del método OIA es que se puede enseñar en el seminario y ser súper profundo, o se puede enseñar a los niños más chiquitos y les permite conocer al Señor por su palabra también.

He explicado el método con más detalle en otras publicaciones, pero para este resumen, nota lo que pasa si perdemos cualquier parte del método.

Si desatendemos buena observación de lo que dice el texto, no tenemos un fundamento verdadero desde lo que podemos conocer a Cristo. Tenemos intenciones buenísimas, pero en todas las direcciones incorrectas. Somos la gente que no puede observar qué fin de semana fue el cambio del horario de verano, y llegamos a la iglesia una hora después de todos los demás. Un ejemplo de pobre observación de la Escritura se encuentra en Lucas 24:25-27.

Si desatendemos buena interpretación de lo que significa el texto, es posible que no sepamos si lo que creemos o hacemos es bíblico o no. Es posible que estemos honrando al Señor o no. No sabremos con certeza hasta que conozcamos a él cara a cara. Un ejemplo de pobre interpretación de la Escritura se encuentra en Marcos 12:24.

Si desatendemos buena aplicación de cómo debemos cambiar, somos como los constructores tontos que construyen sus casa sobre la arena. Somos digno de lástima. Hablamos con la boca pequeña con Cristo, pero nuestros corazones están lejos de él (Mateo 15:8-9). Dios quiere hacernos más como Jesús (Romanos 8:29), y no descansará hasta que su Palabra logre este deber (Isaías 55:10-11).

Para ver mucho más detalle del método OIA, lee mi serie de publicaciones se llama Cómo Estudiar la Biblia.

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5 False Authorities in Small Group Bible Study

February 23, 2026 By Ryan Higginbottom

Who’s in charge here? In government, family, and church, this question has sparked controversy aplenty throughout history.

In small group Bible studies, we have a similar question before us every time we gather. What’s our authority? What quotes do we share? To whom do we appeal? How do we handle disagreements?

For both leaders and small group members, our answers reveal our allegiances. And misplaced allegiances may short-circuit our learning or stunt our growth as Christians.

False Authorities

When small group members differ on a matter of interpretation, how is the question settled? To what authority do you and your friends appeal?

Our conviction here at Knowable Word is that God is the absolute and perfect authority, and he has revealed himself and declared his will through the Bible. The Bible speaks as an authority, and all humanity is called to submit their thoughts, plans, and interpretations of reality to God’s Word.

Despite the absolute authority of God’s word, we often rely on other helpful people and resources more than the Bible. Let’s examine five false authorities that emerge in small group studies.

A Respected Preacher or Pastor

There may be an author or preacher who has well-known thoughts on the topic your group is discussing. (This may be your own pastor!) A member of your small group may invoke this leader’s opinion on the matter when making their appeal.

Like much in life, quotations vary in their helpfulness. As a small group leader, I may share a quote when I find someone has a more powerful or elegant way of making my point. But if a quotation is not rooted in the biblical text, the appeal may be to eloquence or reputation instead of to the Bible.

The Small Group Leader

In an ideal small group Bible study, the leader does not function as an authority or expert. Rather, the small group leader guides the group in understanding and applying the Bible.

Attempting to answer every question is a dangerous approach to small group leadership. Small groups thrive when each member is grappling with the text, sharing observations, discussing interpretations, and praying together about applications.

Church Tradition

The historical tradition of a church or denomination can help us interpret Scripture. But tradition should never replace studying the Bible itself. The best sort of church tradition leads us back to the text, not away from it.

Group Consensus

Healthy small groups leave room for questions, further explanations, and repetition. No one should feel bad for having difficulty understanding the Bible, and no one should feel small for asking questions.

Many of the best discussions in my small groups have occurred when most of the group seemed ready to move on. But one person had a question they couldn’t shake. This forced us to examine a standard or easy interpretation of a passage.

Good leaders welcome questions that point back to the text, no matter when they arise.

Commentaries and Study Bibles

It’s happened more times than I can count. In response to a question in Sunday school or small group, someone notices an entry in their study Bible that addresses the issue head-on.

They read the entry and the discussion is over. After all, who would question a study Bible? Some people feel as though they’re questioning the Bible itself!

Small group leaders can make the same error when appealing to a commentary. It’s a discussion killer, and it often leads to no further insight or skill for those involved.

Again, I’m not against quoting other sources. But quotations which help with interpretations should make their arguments from the text of the Bible.

(As an aside, if you have a problem with study-Bible-answers in your small group, you might consider using ESV Scripture Journals for your next study and banning all other Bibles. Seriously.)

True Authority

God has given us other Christians—past and present—as a gift. As we learn about God from these other saints, we receive God’s gift with thanksgiving.

But we honor God most when we view these gifts in their proper place. Our leaders, resources, and traditions should all be used in service of the authority of God in his word. The more we demonstrate that the Bible has the answers we need, the more we remind each other that God’s word is knowable.

This was originally posted in 2019.

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Change, Part 2: Wisdom Comes Through the Heart

February 20, 2026 By Peter Krol

Wisdom comes in the ears, through the heart, and out the fingertips. This week, we explore the second step in the chain.

Let them not escape from your sight;
Keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
And healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
For from it flow the springs of life (Prov. 4:21-23).

We find the second part of the formula in verses 21-23. When we plug in to God’s wisdom, and it enters our lives through the ears, we need to connect it to the motherboard. If we bypass the processor and run everything right off RAM, it has no longevity. The moment we power the computer down, we lose our data. We must keep the words within our hearts (Prov. 4:21) and keep our hearts with all vigilance (Prov. 4:23).

For the non-technical folk out there, what I just wrote means that when we hear wisdom, it won’t produce change in us until it affects who we are. “The heart” is one of the chief biblical images for our inner selves: thoughts, beliefs, emotions, character, desires, dreams, fears, and conscience.[1] “Heart” in the Old Testament might be what you got if you combined all the following modern-day terms: mind, will, heart, and conscience.

The Bible says that the heart is the command center from which we manage our lives. When we keep the wise words of life in our hearts (Prov. 4:21), they get passed on to the rest of the flesh (Prov. 4:22) because from the heart flow the springs of life (Prov. 4:23).

Any attempt to change that does not pass through the heart is therefore shallow and temporary. I can learn skills by rote, but I haven’t really changed if they haven’t changed who I am.

For example, if I study for a test, pass it, and quickly forget the material, I haven’t really learned it (it hasn’t hit my heart). If a child wrongs another child, is forced by an adult to apologize and does so sarcastically, we wouldn’t label it remorse. When a man tells his wife he loves her, but covertly keeps a mistress, we have reason to question whether his love is true. If a needy person requests charity from a church, the leaders are right to help relieve the immediate burden while also exploring whether the person could make different choices to avoid having the same need again.

The main point is that wisdom gets us unstuck and changes us by changing who we are.

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

[1] The other common image is “kidneys” as in Job 16:13, Psalm 139:13, Rev 2:23, etc.

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