Guest Post | Knowable Word

3 Questions for Bible Reading and Reflection

April 11, 2025 By Peter Krol

This is a guest post by Micah Colbert, who trains African pastors as an international theological educator with ABWE. He also serves as the discipleship and outreach pastor at Community of Grace Church in Buffalo, NY. Micah has written two evangelistic books designed to help Christians lead evangelistic inductive Bible studies with unbelievers. You can find him on Facebook.

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Do you ever pine for that perfect Instagram Bible study moment? You’ve seen the pics plenty of times before. Steam rises off the fresh cup of coffee. Highlighters form a perfect splash of color to augment the mauve leather cover of your prayer journal. And every inspiring devotional thought ends with exclamation points and heart emojis.

a man writing on the notebook — Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

The reality of Bible study, however, takes a lot more time and thought. Below are a few questions to help you think deeply and reflect faithfully on the meaning and implication of God’s word to everyday life.

What does this passage reveal about God’s glory?

This may be the most neglected, yet vital question we should be asking ourselves every time we read God’s word. The Bible is not primarily an instructional manual or “how to” book, but it is God’s revelation of himself, graciously given so we would know him and the majestic depths of his character and work. 2 Corinthians 3:18 reminds us that spiritual growth happens as we behold in awe the glory of the Lord revealed in the Scriptures.

Every time we open our Bibles, we should come with a prayerful eagerness to discover, ponder, and rejoice in the glory of God. As John Piper notes, “When we seek to enjoy communion with the Lord, we read the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s words and God’s deeds reveal God himself for our knowledge and our enjoyment.”

How does this passage relate to the gospel?

The gospel is the main message of the Bible. In this good news, we discover all that God has done, is doing, and will do for his people through his Son Jesus Christ. Everything in the scriptures 1) shows us our need of the gospel, 2) reveals God’s work for us in the gospel, 3) encourages us to respond to the gospel in repentance and faith, or 4) unpacks the implications of the gospel for the Christian life. We simply cannot understand the Bible if we do not read it through the lens of God’s saving work through Christ!

Jared C. Wilson states, “Everything the Bible teaches, whether theological or practical, and everywhere it teaches, whether historical or poetical or applicational or prophetic, is meant to draw us closer to Christ, seeing him with more clarity and loving him with more of our affections.” Whether we’re reading Leviticus or Luke, we should ask ourselves how the truths of the text point to our need for the person and work of Jesus Christ.

How should I respond to what I have just read?

The Bible is a book to be not only admired, but actually applied to the nitty gritty of daily life. As you read God’s word, prayerfully consider how the gospel-shaped, God-exalting truths you are discovering influence your worldview, values, priorities, activities, and responses to life’s circumstances. Think about what your life would look like today if you lived in the reality of what you’ve just read.

I have found the following categories (and corresponding questions) helpful as I consider the application of God’s word to daily living:

Thinking: How do the truths of this text shape the way I view God, myself, the world, and my present circumstances?
Feeling: How do the truths of this text inspire greater gratitude, humility, and/or joy in Christ?
Living: What attitudes and actions need to change because of the truths I’ve studied from this passage? Practically, what steps need to be taken to live in the light of the truths of this text?
Praying: How should I respond to this passage in prayer (or worship, repentance, petition, etc.)?

Conclusion

Ultimately, the purpose of reading the Bible is to deepen our relationship with the Lord. As you read the Scriptures, look for the glory of God revealed in the text. Ponder how the passage deepens your understanding and appreciation of the gospel. Carefully consider how the eternal truths you have just read transform your thoughts, actions, and attitudes today. As you do so, you will find your time spent in the Scriptures greatly enriching and rewarding!

Originally posted on Rooted Thinking on Sept. 19, 2018.

How I Interpret the Bible

August 30, 2013 By Peter Krol

This is a guest post by Chuck McKnight. Chuck blogs at Being Filled, where this post first appeared. Although Chuck doesn’t use the terminology of OIA (observe, interpret, apply), his approach is very similar. So I’m delighted to offer it to you for further reflection.

People who believe in the Bible have very different beliefs about what the Bible teaches. So I’m going to try to briefly explain how I interpret the Bible.

I believe, in accordance with 2 Timothy 3:16–17, that the Bible is “inspired” or breathed out by God. And according to 2 Peter 1:20–21, the Bible consists of written prophecies that came from God. (A prophecy simply means a word from God; it does not necessarily predict the future.)

This does not mean that every word of the Bible was simply dictated to men who then wrote it down. If that were true, we would not see the incredible diversity of style and form contained in the Bible. But it does mean that God was directly involved in the whole process.

The best way I know to describe my view of inspiration is by comparing it to a publishing house that commissions an author to write a specific book. The publisher selects the author, provides him with the information he is to present, and guides the editorial process to ensure that the book matches the publisher’s standards. In this way, the book was truly written by the author, but it is just as much a product of the publishing house.

In similar fashion, I believe that God chose certain men to write for him. He gave them the messages they were to write through prophecy. In some cases, this included portions that were directly dictated, but for the most part, the human authors wrote the prophecy down in their own words. Yet God guided the whole process, ensuring that everything they wrote is accurate. In this way, the Bible truly was written by human authors, but it is just as much the word of God.

Since the Bible comes from God, and since God does not lie or make mistakes, I believe that the Bible is 100% true, reliable, and authoritative. The Bible is therefore my absolute standard by which I evaluate the truthfulness of all other claims.

But the Bible can’t just be read; it must be interpreted.

The first step in interpreting the Bible should be prayer. We should always ask God to help us understand his word.

Next, we must examine the context. So much bad theology is the result of ignoring context. We have to understand the genre of literature, who is speaking, when it was being spoken, who is being addressed, what the culture of that day was like, and a number of other factors. In many cases, it is helpful to consult good commentaries and dictionaries at this stage.

We must also interpret Scripture with Scripture. Very often, a confusing passage from the Bible becomes understandable when compared to a clearer passage on the same topic. Also, the Bible references itself a lot, and we need to be aware of these cross-references and examine the context in both portions.

It is also important to follow standard rules of language and grammar. We need to understand when the biblical author is speaking literally and when he is using figurative language. (The Bible contains a lot of both.)

I have also been convinced more recently of the need to interpret the Bible in community. We need others to check our interpretations and push us in the right direction.

In all of this, we must be sure to seek the originally intended meaning. We must never take a preconceived idea and try to prove it from the Bible. Rather, we must always come to the Bible with a sincere desire to learn what it actually states.

Finally, the whole point of reading the Bible is to apply it to your life. It does no good at all to learn the meaning of a passage if that understanding does not change you. During the whole time we study, we should be asking God, “How should I change as a result of what I’m learning?” Then ask him to help you do that.