THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER
"Search the scriptures: for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. " (John 5:39)

VOLUME 2, NUMBER 13, APRIL 28, 2002

SPECIAL MEETINGS  

            On Sunday, May 5, Wayne Goff will be with us from Missouri to begin a week’s worth of special meetings.  Why is he coming?  For that matter, why are we having a “gospel meeting”?  Why have we expended so much energy in preparation for it?  Why do the elders even plan something like this?  Why does a preacher like Wayne disrupt his family life for a week and interrupt the work that he is doing at home to come here?  There are a host of reasons and I will mention just a few.  

            (1)        To Glorify God.  1 Peter 4:11, says, “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him to it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”  

            When the gospel is preached, all the glory goes to God.  Wayne , along with all the song leaders, those who lead in prayer and make announcements, are merely servants.  All the glory belongs to God.  

            (2)        To Exalt Jesus.  In 1 Corinthians 2:1 & 2, Paul wrote, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.”

            That is exactly what Wayne will be doing.   Jesus Christ and Him crucified is what we will hear.  That doesn’t mean that the crucifixion is all that Wayne will speak about, but salvation through the blood of Christ and our need to obey the gospel will be proclaimed and that exalts the Lord.  

(3)               To Honor God’s Word.  Faithful men “preach the

Word”.  They are “instant in season and out of season”.  They “reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2).  Just like Philip, they will go to the “scriptures” and preach unto us Jesus” (Acts 8:35 ).  

Daylight Saving Time is here, so it will still be light when the evening services are over.  We can all be there to participate in this good work. 

                                                Greg Litmer

A QUESTION  

            “What is the best and most effective way to study the Bible?”

I was asked this question and thought that I would answer it in the bulletin.  Perhaps others have wondered the same thing. 

            It is obviously a subjective question, so all I can do is give some suggestions based upon my own experience and that which has been most effective for me.

The first thing that I would suggest is to read the book, and by that I mean the entire Bible.  This is a significant task which requires discipline, but you won’t find a more rewarding one.  Once a person  has familiarized himself with both the Old and New Testaments, then he can settle down to more specific areas of study.

The scriptures can be studied by category, if you so choose.  For instance, you might want to study the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible).  Follow that with the books of history (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther).  Once that has been completed, the wisdom literature is a fascinating study.  It consists of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon.  The next section of the Old Testament is the major prophets, consisting of Isaiah,  Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, and Daniel.  You can wrap up your categorical study of the Old Testament by examining the minor prophets (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi).  Take care to learn where each prophet fit in historically; who he was writing to and what the circumstances were.  Knowing that makes the study of the prophets so much more interesting.

The New Testament quite naturally lends itself to a categorical study as well.  One can begin with the gospels and come to know the wonderful story of the life of Jesus.  Follow that with the book of Acts, and see the history of the early church as the “Good News” spread across the Roman Empire .  The epistles help us to understand our responsibilities as Christians and supply what the Lord would have us to know.  I advocate leaving the book of Revelation until the end of your study, when you have the foundation to understand it.

There are many Bible study aids available to the student.   However, it is vital to remember that there is only one infallible book, and that is the Bible.  All other works must be read with the understanding that they are simply the words of men.  The more you study, the more apparent it will be that many commentators write about the scriptures with the veil of previously held doctrines obscuring their view.  Be careful.  The only infallible interpreter of scripture is scripture.

Bible study is a wonderful journey.  Come to know the lands of the Bible, the customs of the people who lived in them during Bible times, and the laws by which they were governed.  Grow to be as comfortable with the characters of God’s Word as you would be with old friends.

One more suggestion – when seeking to understand a passage, always keep it in its context.  Passages are often made to say something that is not even close to what was actually under consideration because they have been wrenched out of context.  Don’t do that, and “study to show thyself approved.”

                                                Greg Litmer