How do I go about studying the Bible?

Ok, let’s learn something about studying the Bible .  

In the beginning of your Bible you will find an index with the page number where each of the 66 books of the Bible begins . You can purchase tabs that adhere to these introduction pages for each book . In some study Bibles, these intro . pages give an overview of each book .

Question: What if someone you don’t know or trust told you that grace with regards to salvation means _________ and you wanted to confirm it in the Bible to see if their explanation lines up with the Word of G-d. Since you are a new believer and don’t have the whole Bible memorized yet (just kidding), where would you go to confirm their statement?

There are books called topical bibles that have the Bible broken down by topics . There are also concordances . The difference is that a concordance only helps you if you know the exact words that are in a particular Scripture that you are looking up . Whereas a topical Bible helps you if you just know the concept or topic and maybe the words .  

First let’s learn how to use a concordance. Abbreviated concordances can be found in the back of some study Bibles. There are also stand alone books such as the Strongs Exhaustive Concordance. I personally use http://bible.crosswalk.com on the Internet. In a nutshell this is how it works. In this example we are going to look u p t he word “grace” in the concordance. I will do this on the Internet so that I can simply copy and paste what I find there onto this page. Nice huh!

I simply type in the word “grace”, choose which translation I want to use, and click Find. This is what it looks like:

Now remember that I am looking for grace as it relates to salvation, or being atoned, so I scroll down and read the context until I find one that seems to apply. This is a small sampling of what it looks like:

2Co 1:12 - Show Context 

We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have been honest and sincere in all our dealings. We have depended on G-d's grace, not on our own earthly wisdom. That is how we have acted toward everyone, and especially toward you. 

2Co 4:15 - Show Context 

All of these things are for your benefit. And as G-d's grace brings more and more people to Messiah,there will be great thanksgiving, and G-d will receive more and more glory. 

2Co 9:14 - Show Context 

And they will pray for you with deep affection because of the wonderful grace of G-d shown through you.

Notice that the second one which is 2 Corinthians 4:15 seems to apply. But we also want to make sure that we are not just pulling something out of context and “forcing” it to fit, right? So we click on the Show Context link to see what is being spoken of here. This is what we then see:

2 Corinthians 4:8-18 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed and broken. We are perplexed, but we don't give up and quit. 9 We are hunted down, but G-d never abandons us. We get knocked down, but we get up again and keep going. 10 Through suffering, these bodies of ours constantly share in the death of Yeshua so that the life of Yeshua may also be seen in our bodies. 11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua will be obvious in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but it has resulted in eternal life for you. 13 But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, "I believed in G-d, and so I speak."14 We know that the same G-d who raised our Lord Yeshua will also raise us with Yeshua and present us to Himself along with you. 15 All of these things are for your benefit. And as G-d's grace brings more and more people to Messiah, there will be great 

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