Rules for Bible Study

11) Consider keywords.

      In many English translations of the Holy Bible it's easy to find many differences in wording from one version to the next. One of the greatest tools available to help uncover the intended meaning of the Scriptures is to study the "keywords" found throughout the text. Since the Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek, the easiest way to find keyword definitions in the original language is to consult scholarly works that have been produced for this specific purpose.
      These works are generally known by different types, such as the concordance, lexicon, inter- linear, or word dictionary. By far the most popular resource in this line of study help is Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. It is an excellent resource for quickly looking up keywords from the Old and New Testaments as well as a great place to start for the novice.
      There are numerous other works to study from, such as: Vines Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words, Hebrew and English Lexicon by Brown-Driver-Briggs, Thayer's Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testa- ment by Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich, and The Interlinear Bible: Hebrew-Greek-English by J. P. Green. Many other titles of good quality exist and can be found through any Bible book distributor.

     Why are keywords studies so important? One previous example from Rule 9 stressed the value of considering chronology in routine Bible studies. In that example Paul was shown teaching converted believers about the Christian Passover, while never mentioning Easter as an alternative. In an attempt to ignore Paul's instruction, some will respond by citing one place in the King James Version where the word "Easter" can be found at Acts 12:4. Simply doing a keyword search using Strong's Exhaustive Concordance into this "Easter" reveals that the original Greek never meant anything related to a fertility cult as some claim. It is a mistranslation.
      This error of "Easter" wording occurs only once in the NT at Acts 12:4, and is supposed to represent the Greek word "pascha" (Strong's #3957). The correct translation in the English is "Passover", and oddly enough the same KJV translators properly translate it as such the other twenty-eight other times it comes up in the NT. Notice: Matt. 26:2, 17, 18, 19; Mark 14:1, 12-twice, 14, 16; Luke 2:41; 22:1, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15; John 2:13, 23; 6:4; 11:55-twice; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14; 1Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:28.
      At this point the obvious question to ask is why the KJV translators rendered pascha for "Easter" only once, while consistently translating it "Passover" the other twenty-eight times in the NT. Maybe they thought by slipping it in they could legitimize the fertility cult in the eyes of their flocks by having at least one passage with the word Easter in it? One that could be talked about when they celebrated with their eggs and bunnies each year? For whatever reason, the early 17th century KJV translators from the church of England (whose organization was anti-Passover) incorrectly translated "Easter" for "pascha" at Acts 12:4.
      Regardless of the facts, certain teachers can be found on television and the internet working at length to defend the use of "Easter" at Acts 12:4 as a correct translation. It is a big mistake to overlook the work of Strong's and many others which clearly show that pascha exclusively means Passover.
      To follow the broad path of Easter means we would have to completely disregard Jesus and Paul's example of keeping and teaching the NT Passover. We must avoid stumbling onto that wrong path and live the better way by following the example of the Lamb of God who was crucified for our sins on the Passover. The best and more consistent path to follow is the teaching Paul got directly from Jesus concerning the Christian Passover (Gal. 1:11-12; 1Cor. 11:23-25). Paul said, "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us" (1Cor. 5:7b). He never said, 'For even Christ our Easter is sacrificed for us'. That would have been blasphemy!
      Learning to do simple keyword studies can be of great benefit when studying God's written word. They should be carefully qualified by all other Bible study rules, and ought not to be solely relied upon without considering supporting evidence from other resources.

12) Study with multiple translations.
      In the mid 1990's a controversial debate heated up when certain fundamentalists proclaimed the King James Version to be the only truly inspired translation of the Holy Bible. This position generally held that all other translations were to be rejected as corrupted text, not worthy of consideration.
      For many reasons the "KJV-Only" concept is widely held as a mistaken theory. Nevertheless, the KJV can be easily defended as the best translation to begin to study from. One reason for preferring to consult it before others is because the vast majority of Bible scholars have referenced their works around that text; i.e.-in concordances, lexicons, critical commentaries, and etc. This alone makes it the most reasonable translation to start with.
      The greatest weakness of the KJV is its age. It was translated from a late 16th to early 17th century perspective which often makes it difficult to read for most people today. Due to its primitive words and odd phraseology the majority will all too quickly lay it down right after picking it up, thinking that only a college trained mind can begin to understand what it's trying to say. This proves the need for keeping other translations close by so a quick comparison can be made, which usually helps to clarify indistinct statements.
      A good example where the KJV renders a potentially confusing language comes from Isaiah 35:8. Notice, "And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it [shall be] for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err [therein]." Some might read it to say 'fools shall not err while they travel down the road of righteousness' which makes little sense as Scripture usually speaks of fools in a lesser light (Ecc. 10:3).
      A comparable translation from the New International Version (c. 1970's) reads: "And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it." This seems much easier to read with less confusion. The New Living Translation (c. 1996) also reads much more easily by saying: "And a main road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-hearted people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God's ways; fools will never walk there." Both of these versions helped to clarify what the KJV didn't make clear.
      At this point the student still shouldn't be too quick to conclude what Isaiah 35:8 fully means merely because two seemingly clearer versions have been heard. No, we must always apply all known rules of Bible study and take the time needed to carefully consider the entire passage in its context. Comparing multiple translations is only a small step in helping to discover truth and shouldn't be used by itself as a fix-all to Scriptural understanding.
      Lastly, even though it has certain weaknesses, the KJV is arguably the best overall translation available to the English speaking world today. Regretfully, space here does not permit a worthy defense of its many strengths. Through experience most Bible students will learn to cherish the KJV as the most reliable translation on their shelf.
      Below is a short list of some of our more favored translations to study from: American Standard Version, Amplified Bible, Good News Translation (aka-Today's English Version), Holy Bible in Modern English (Ferrar Fenton), King James Version, Modern Language Bible (aka-New Berkeley Version), New American Bible, New American Standard Bible, New English Bible, New International Version, New King James Version, Revised Standard Version, & Young's Literal Translation.

13) Consider how modern Bibles are formatted.
      Many new students are unfamiliar with how most modern Bibles are formatted. Learning about these characteristics and how to take advantage of them will prove to be of great assistance when analyzing the Scriptures.
      Turning back to Isaiah 35:8 which was discussed in the last rule, it is evident that part of the difficulty of the KJV there is its punctuation. The student needs to factor in that the original Bible languages did not provide punctuation as the English language does today. This means that the punctuation found in modern Bibles is almost always the work of the translators. If the translator places a single comma in the wrong place, then a totally different meaning can be concluded when the translation is read. In like manner, if the student relies too heartily on the same ill conceived comma placement, then a continuation of misunderstanding is perpetuated.
      How can the student know when the punctuation has been ideally translated? It's not always easy. The commentaries are full of scholars who debate Bible punctuation, and they don't always agree. (Welcome to the world of Bible study!) Nevertheless, consistently studying under a rigid set of Bible study rules will help prove how a passage should be read.
      Another difficulty with the text from Isaiah 35:8 in the KJV is related to the two bracketed areas which read, "shall be", and "therein." These were bracketed to indicate that the KJV has them in italics. Why is this significant? It's noteworthy because the italicized words signify certain parts of the text which have been added by the translators; i.e.-they are not a part of the original text. This is mostly done to help the translation read more fluidly and also to produce a wording that best states what the translator thinks the original text meant to say.
      It's extremely easy for meaning to be lost in translation from one language to the next, and the need for added words exists. However, if the translator has misinterpreted the original meaning, then the added words they insert into their translation will inevitably lead to confusion. In most cases the italicized words are beneficial in helping present what the original text intended to say. However, the student needs to be aware of these added words and how to consider them as they study.
      Another formatting characteristic to consider is the chapter and verse numbering systems in modern Bibles; aka-versification. The KJV mostly follows a numbering system introduced by earlier translators (c. 16th century), and continues to be the accepted standard in most English Bibles today. (This section may be easily related to the discussion in Rule 3 about studying according to context.) The reason for addressing Bible versification is to make it known that the KJV's numbering system is not consistent in dividing its chapters/verses according to when a new thought begins and a new one ends.
      An example of this can be seen by using a passage from an earlier discussion in Rule 10 where Paul taught Christians to continue observing the NT Passover at 1Cor. 5:7-8. The discussion there didn't actually begin in the first verse of 1Cor. 5. If read in context the immediate discussion starts several verses earlier towards the end of Chapter 4. Close inspection shows that it would have been better for 1Cor. 4 to have ended at verse 17, and 1Cor. 5 to have begun with what is now 1Cor. 4:18. The student shouldn't rely on a publishing company's numbering system to define where a particular thought begins or ends.
      Another way some versions try to stress where one thought ends and another begins is by their use of the typographical character called the "pilcrow". It's the funny little symbol that looks like a backward "P" (as in, ¶ ). These can sometimes be seen multiple times in a single chapter when the subject never shifts.
      A good example of where most KJV's improperly divide what should have been seen as a single discussion can be found at Matt. 7:13-14. They correctly begin a new thought at v. 13, but instead of ending the thought at v. 14 with a new pilcrow at v. 15 as in most KJV's, the break shouldn't have come until the end of Jesus' statement at v. 27! If read this way the "narrow" and "wide" paths from vv. 13-14 speak of two distinct groups of religious people, and is not a comparison of "non-religious, worldly people" versus "Church people" as some teach.
      The wide path represents religious people being led by false prophets (v.15), and are seen as lawless, disobedient souls who thought they knew Jesus when He says He didn't know them (vv. 21-23), and whose homes were destroyed as a result of their wrong actions and choices (vv. 26-27). The narrow path represents those who followed the heed of Jesus Christ by avoiding the false prophets, and did the will of the Father, being obedient to the law, and who faithfully built their homes on the Rock of Jesus. (The "iniquity" at v.23 means: "law breaking" or "lawless"; Strong's #458.) If properly read in this light, Jesus' sermon (presented to a live audience on the side of a hill) makes much more sense. It's not reasonable to suppose He spoke of different subjects in the short 15 verses of Matt. 7:13-27 as He concluded the Sermon on the Mount. The context speaks for itself.
      Space here does not permit an address of all of the formatting issues that may be found in the many Bible versions which are available on the market today. Most follow closely in the patterns listed above, but numerous exceptions still exist. To help, the student should search for any instructions which might be provided by the publisher (usually found in the front of the book) to learn how to most effectively use a particular Bible version. Becoming familiar with, and adapting to these many characteristics can be of great help in routine Bible study.