The Bible’s answer
The Bible itself provides many of the keys to
understanding it. Regardless of your background, God’s
message in the Bible “is not too difficult for you, nor is
it far away.”— Deuteronomy 30:11 .
Keys to understanding the Bible
1. Have the right attitude. Accept the Bible as God’s
Word. Be humble, since God opposes the proud.
( 1 Thessalonians 2:13; James 4:6 ) However, avoid
blind faith—God wants you to use your “power of
reason.”— Romans 12:1, 2.
2. Pray for wisdom. “Do not lean upon your own
understanding,” the Bible says at Proverbs 3:5.
Instead, “keep on asking God” for wisdom in
understanding the Bible.— James 1:5 .
3. Be consistent. You will benefit much more from
Bible study if you do it regularly rather than
sporadically.— Joshua 1:8 .
4. Study by topic. A topical study, in which you
analyze what the Bible says about a particular
topic or subject, is an effective way to learn what
the Scriptures teach. Start with “the beginning
lessons,” as it were, and then “go forward to more
mature (advanced) teaching.” ( Hebrews 6:1, 2,
Easy-to -Read Version) You’ll find that you can
compare scripture with scripture and learn that
various parts of the Bible explain each other, even
the parts that are “hard to understand.”— 2 Peter
3:16.
5. Get help from others. The Bible encourages us to
accept help from others who understand the Bible.
(Acts 8:30, 31 ) Jehovah’s Witnesses offer a free
Bible study program. Like the early Christians, they
use Scriptural references to help others discern
what the Bible really teaches.— Acts 17:2, 3.
Things you don’t need
1. High intellect or education. Jesus’ 12 apostles
understood the Scriptures and taught them to
others, even though the apostles were considered
by some to be “unlettered and ordinary.”— Acts
4:13 .
2. Money. You can learn what the Bible teaches
without cost. Jesus told his disciples: “You
received free, give free.”— Matthew 10:8 .