Seeds of Bible Study: How NOT to Study the Bible

Seeds of Bible Study is a book on how to study the Bible. It uses basic common sense and reading comprehension rules to help people through pitfalls of Biblical interpretation. The writer loves her Bible and wants others to love it too. As a writer and a lover of literature, she includes Bible studies on certain passages to illustrate her point. This frank, honest manual that will help you understand the Bible in depth and help you create Bible studies for yourself or your church. TABLE OF CONTENTS The Basic Rules of Bible Interpretation Basics in Bible Study When Reading the Bible, Use Common Sense Don't Assume that tiny Bible Stories contain no Spiritual lessons Use the Bible to Interpret the Bible Be Honest If You Don't Know the Meaning of a Passage, Withhold Judgment Don't use your denomination to interpret the Bible Read the Bible in a Translation You Understand Do not Build Entire Worlds upon a Scarcity of Material Read Biblical Passages in Context Questions to Ask Yourself When Reading a Bible Study Some Meditations on the Stories Character Studies Word Studies Bible Study Format Types of Bible Studies Pitfalls of Bible Interpretation Don't Mistake the Bible's Depiction of an Ugly Situation as a Biblical Endorsement or Mandate. Don't Assume You Know Everything about Bible Culture Understand that Thematic Threads Resonate Throughout the Bible Don't Use Your Denomination to Interpret the Bible. Don't Turn Bible Characters into Sacred Cows or Scapegoats Have a Sense of Humor. Don't be too Quick to Think that the Bible is Contradicting Itself Beware of assumptions, man-made traditions, and second-hand interpretations Don't Assume that People from Another Time were Not as Smart as we Don't Let Your Discomfort with Sexual Issues Affect Your Interpretation Be Aware Your Own Agenda Will Cause Misinterpretation Know the Difference Between a Symbol and Something Literal Understand what images are signs, symbols and types and which aren’t Don't Try to Take the Supernatural Out of a Story Private Interpretations or Ba