Loading...

How to Study the Bible

You are invited to walk with me as we figure out how to read better this amazing book we call “the Bible.” Perhaps you have tried reading the Bible before and the experience wasn’t that great. I am here to help.
Number of lessons: 19
Total length: 4 hours 40 minutes
Format: Video and Audio
Attend this Class

About This Class


Join me on a journey to embrace the powerful, life-giving words of God. Regular Bible reading has been shown to be the top predictor of spiritual health across cultures for decades. If we are called to live for God and His glory, then Scripture is our guide. By grounding our lives in the Word, we align with His mission. Let’s explore how to read the Bible better and live it out fully. Whether you're experienced or struggling with Bible reading, I’m here to help you grow in your walk with God through His Word.

About the Professor

George Guthrie

Dr. George Guthrie is the Professor of New Testament at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. In How to Study your Bible, he gives you a vision for the value of reading, understanding and applying the Bible to your life and the tools you can use to do it effectively. In his class on Hebrews, Dr. Guthrie points out how Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy by being superior to the angels, superior to Moses and superior to the Old Testament sacrifices. His lifetime of study, teaching and translation work combined with his love for the Bible and his students has resulted in a style of instruction that will inform you and motivate you to read the Bible for yourself and become a different person in the process.

(more)
George Guthrie

Lessons


  • Dive into this lesson to gain a deep understanding of how to read the Bible better, focusing on hearing scripture accurately, personal transformation, the grand story, and reading in community, while fostering a sense of joy and wonder in your journey.
  • (Audio only) Dr. Guthrie uses a journey metaphor to describe reading the Bible, discussing challenges of understanding different cultures, places, and times.
  • (Audio only) In this lesson, Dr. Guthrie discusses the motivation for reading the Bible. He explains the importance of consistent Bible reading and study, addresses common struggles, and examines scriptures highlighting its significance. Finally, he offers five practical tips to stay motivated.
  • Discover the power of words, their impact on our lives, and how God's words and communication in the Bible provide guidance, shaping us to live with purpose and spiritual growth.
  • Being receptive to what God is saying to you in the Bible is an important part of reading the Bible better. The parable of the sower gives you a word picture of obstacles you face in attempting to cultivate a receptive heart.
  • By embracing receptivity, you can overcome barriers and enhance your understanding of the Bible, ultimately leading to personal growth, stronger relationships, and deepened faith.
  • By entering the story when reading the Bible, you enrich your understanding, connect with biblical characters, and foster personal spiritual growth, Bible study, and teaching skills.
  • (Audio only) This lesson introduces tools for understanding the Bible. Dr. Guthrie emphasizes the importance of using study Bibles, Bible dictionaries, maps, and concordances for interpretation. He explains their purpose, features, and examples, and discusses two major Bible translation approaches.
  • (Audio only) This lesson discusses personal commitments, emphasizing reliance on the Holy Spirit and obedience to God's word, noting the importance of preparation for sharing with our community. Dr. Guthrie also covers background studies to enhance understanding and cautions against fallacies.
  • In this lesson, you learn about literary context's importance in interpreting the Bible, identifying literary genres and structures, and applying context for accurate exegesis and application.
  • (Audio only) In this lesson, Dr. Guthrie emphasizes the importance of literary context in understanding text meaning. He explores immediate, book, and canonical contexts and reviews tools to navigate these layers. He also discusses approaches to different Biblical genres and provides examples of applying literary context in Bible study.
  • By understanding historical context, you can better interpret the Bible, considering cultural, social, and geographical backgrounds. Study Bibles, Bible dictionaries and commentaries can provide you with helpful information.
  • Dr. Guthrie will teach you how to identify and interpret various biblical genres. This will enhance your understanding of the Bible and help you apply its teachings more effectively in your life.
  • (Audio only) Dr. Guthrie emphasizes careful observation in Bible study: “You cannot interpret, and therefore apply, what you never see.” He explains observation mechanics, the text's backbone and support material, and examines Psalm 1.
  • (Audio only) Gain an understanding of word studies, including their definition, purpose, and limitations, the methods and tools used for conducting word studies, guidelines for conducting word studies, and examples of word studies in the New Testament.
  • This lesson provides you with knowledge on the importance of Bible translations, their types, and the criteria for selecting the most suitable one for your needs while also offering insights into their historical development.
  • When you read your Bible, read rhythmically and meditatively, use the tools you need to understand the background and apply the Scripture to your life in specific ways.
  • (Audio only) Dr. Guthrie teaches how to apply the Bible to everyday life, emphasizing the effort needed to understand and apply its teachings, guiding us through study and interpretation. He advises summarizing the text, extracting principles, and applying them.
  • (Audio only) Dr. Guthrie guides a Bible study on Colossians 2:6-15, starting with heart preparation. He reviews the steps: observations, word studies, general principles, and application. He ends with gratitude for the class's faithfulness and engagement with God's word.
Scroll Down

Class Resources

Recommended Books

A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better

A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better

The number one predictor of a person's spiritual health is the regular practice of personal Bible reading. ÂBut this is precisely the point where many Christians...

A Short Guide to Reading the Bible Better
Read the Bible for Life: Your Guide to Understanding and Living God's Word

Read the Bible for Life: Your Guide to Understanding and Living God's Word

The Bible may be the most-purchased book in the world, but it is often the least read and least applied due to a basic lack of understanding and motivation on the part of...

Read the Bible for Life: Your Guide to Understanding and Living God's Word
Read the Bible for Life - Workbook: Listen. Understand. Respond

Read the Bible for Life - Workbook: Listen. Understand. Respond

Read the Bible for Life - Workbook by George Guthrieis a participant's guide to a whole-church approach to greater biblical literacy. This study equips individuals and...

Read the Bible for Life - Workbook: Listen. Understand. Respond

About BiblicalTraining.org

BiblicalTraining.org wants every Christian to experience a deep and loving relationship with Jesus by understanding the life-changing truths of Scripture. To that end, we provide a high-quality Bible education at three academic levels taught by a wide range of distinguished professors, pastors, authors, and ministry leaders that moves from content to spiritual growth, all at no charge. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit funded by gifts from our users. We currently have over 180 classes and seminars, 2,300 hours of instruction, registered users from every country in the world, and in the last two years 1.4 million people watched 257 terabytes of videos (11 million lectures).

Our goal is to provide a comprehensive biblical education governed by our Statement of Faith that leads people toward spiritual growth.

Learn More