4 Skills to Help You Actually Study the Bible

5 Mins

So, you want to study God’s word? I can’t think of a better endeavor. As believers, we aim to learn about God and live in response to him. This means we need to read and understand His word—the Bible. But it’s beautifully complex, often filled with difficult words and phrases that can feel like mazes. Amen? Let’s navigate some of these complexities together by introducing four basic skills: see it, get it, support it, and live it.

Let’s begin by looking at the text of scripture. Sounds simple? It’s not. Look at the words “I” and “you” in John 14:3. Who do these pronouns refer to? You may reason that the words in 14:3 sound like something Jesus would say, and the words are in red; thus, the “I” is Jesus! Wrong. Now look at the “you” in v3. You might say that since the “I” is Jesus, and He’s speaking, obviously, the “you,” the listeners, are his disciples. Nope. We don’t know who’s speaking or listening just by reading verse three. What’s the point? To see the text, we must ask questions about it without bringing in our assumptions or preconceived ideas. Just be in three. So, how do we clarify the “I” and “you?” Great question!

Once we’ve seen it, we must seek to understand what John intends to say. This part is truly a process. Here are two simple guidelines: context is king, and grammar rules.

Let’s clarify “I” and “you” using context and grammar.

First, scroll to John 13:38. The author names the speaker—Jesus—as the subject, a singular noun. Now look at the “I” in 14:3. It’s also a singular subject. Both Jesus and “I” are singular. Cool. Pronouns must agree in number with the nouns they refer to. But the “I” in 14:3 could still be someone else. Let’s look at the context. John 14:1-2 gives us clues. The speaker uses familiar phrases like “believe in God, believe in me, and My Father.” In other passages (e.g., John 3:14-18, John 5:17-18, John 7:37-38, and John 11:25-26), Jesus is clearly speaking about believing in the Father and Him. Thus, context and grammar show the “I” in John 14:3 is Jesus.

Next, check the “you” in John 14:3. It’s a Texas “you”—y’all—plural. Again, plural pronouns must agree with plural subjects. Look at John 13:22. See the word disciples? It’s a plural noun. Since all uses of the plural “you” between John 13:22 and John 14:3 refer to Jesus’ disciples, the “you” in John 14:3 is Jesus’ disciples. Context is king, and grammar rules!

Once we’ve clarified the text, we ask, “What does verse 3 mean?” Let’s use both skills simultaneously. In John 14:3, Jesus promises to come again for His disciples. Ready for a twist? This promise to the disciples extends to all believers, perhaps you and me. Here’s why. Go back to 14:3. See the word “again?” It’s an adverb. It modifies the future tense verb “will come.” Jesus promises to come again for his disciples, which implies He’s going somewhere. But where? Context is key.

Jesus says in John 14:2 that He’s going to His Father’s house to prepare a place for his disciples, and then in verse three, he’ll come again to take His disciples there. But where’s the place and the Father’s house? I know what you’re thinking. Heaven! Yes, but again, just see it. Let’s get a larger context from the book of John.

Notice there’s a clue about where Jesus is going in John 13:36. Keep reading! You’ll find more in John 13:33, John 8:21-23, and John 7:33-34. Each of these verses shows that Jesus is going to a place where the Father is—it’s an exclusive place. This “place” is clarified in John 6:32-3438, where we read that the Father sent Jesus from heaven as the true bread of life. By claiming to be the bread of life from heaven, Jesus is alluding to the manna (food) that God sent from heaven to His starving people, Israel. Thus, the Father, who is in heaven, sends Jesus from heaven to earth.

Now, let’s synthesize our work. We discovered that Jesus says He’ll go to the Father’s house—heaven—to prepare a place there for his disciples. Jesus will then return to earth to take His disciples. Let’s go back to the twist. Jesus didn’t return for his disciples before they died. Yes, 11, maybe 12, of them are in heaven—the place. That’s what happens when believers die, until His completed return. Jesus’ promised return for the “you” of John 14:3 hasn’t happened yet, which means He may return for you, me, and the disciples. Disciples? We’ll come back to them. For now, let’s validate our conclusion using the next step—support it.

A primary purpose for this skill is to support and clarify your conclusion about Jesus’ return for believers in John 14:3. Consider using a book or Kindle book on systematic theology, such as Charles Ryrie’s Basic Theology. Resources like these will list key passages about Jesus’ return, while explaining that His return is generally understood as one event in two stages: the Rapture of the church and His Second Coming.

Let’s focus on the Rapture. This event has at least four key truths. First, Jesus returns for all believers and then brings them to heaven (John 14:3, 1 Corinthians 15:51-55, and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Second, Jesus’ return transforms both alive and dead believers to their imperishable bodies, including the disciples (1 Corinthians 15:51-55, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, and 1 John 3:2-3). Third, Jesus’ return is imminent—it could happen at any moment (Romans 13:12, 1 Corinthians 15:52). Fourth, His imminent return should ready believers to purity (1 John 2:28–3:3). But the place for believers doesn’t remain in heaven for eternity. According to John, the final eternal place is the new earth (Revelation 21:1).

Let’s talk about the final skill and how to live it. This skill involves at least two parts: introspection and discipline. Introspection comes first, as it allows us to process these truths and to take them to God in prayer. Prayer will enable God to empower us through His Spirit to be disciplined and live out His truths.

Here’s my prayer: Father, thank you for showing me that you love me by allowing Your Son to prepare a place in heaven for me and all believers. Thank you for Jesus’ promise to return for us at any moment. Please allow your Spirit to guide me to purity as I await his return. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Living out God’s truths takes discipline when everything in your thoughts and feelings seduces you in the opposite direction; our spiritual life partners with the Father, Son, and Spirit. Pray to apply God’s truths by the power of the Holy Spirit. Be disciplined and connected to your church, where He has gifted men and women to spur us on to good works.

Applying these four skills will help you understand some of those beautiful mazes of God’s word more accurately.

Scripture References

3.And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

38.Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!

1. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God 14:1 Or Believe in God ; believe also in me. 2.My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?

14.Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,3:14 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted. 15.that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”3:15 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.16.For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17.For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18.Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

17.In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18.For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

37.On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38.Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”7:37,38 Or me. And let anyone drink 38 who believes in me.” As Scripture has said, “Out of him (or them) will flow rivers of living water.”

25.Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26.and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

22.His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant.

36.Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.”

33. “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

21.Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”22.This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”23.But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

33.Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34.You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”

32.Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33.For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”34.“Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

51.Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52.in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53.For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54.When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”15:54 Isaiah 25:855.“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”15:55 Hosea 13:14

13.Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14.For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15.According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16.For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17.After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

2.Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,3:2 Or when it is made known we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3.All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

12.The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

52.in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

28.And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.29.If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

1.See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2.Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,3:2 Or when it is made known we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3.All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

1.Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”21:1 Isaiah 65:17 for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

Dr. Mike Balbier

Dean of Distance Education at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) and an adjunct professor of New Testament Greek and Bible. He holds a BA from Calvary University, a Master of Theology in Bible Exposition and Christian Education, and a PhD in Bible Exposition, all from DTS. Originally from Grand Junction, CO, Mike now resides in Van Alstyne, TX, with his wife Amber and their two daughters, Emily and Ashley.