Pleasure & Profit in Bible Study Part 7

Dean Stanley used to read a book through three separate times: first for the story, second for the thought, and third for the literary style. It is a good thing to take one whole book at a time.

How could you expect to understand a story or a scientific text-book if you read one chapter here and another there?

Dr. A. T. Pierson says: Let the introduction cover five P's; place where written; person by whom written; people to whom written; purpose for which written; period at which written.

Here it is well to grasp the leading points in the chapters. The method is ill.u.s.trated by the following plan by which I tried to interest the students at Mt. Hermon school and the Northfield Seminary. It provides a way of committing Scripture to memory, so that one can call up a pa.s.sage to meet the demand whenever it arises. I said to the students one morning at wors.h.i.+p: "To-morrow morning when I come I will not read a portion of Scripture, but we will take the first chapter of the Gospel of John and you shall tell me from memory what you find in that chapter and each learn the verse in it that is most precious to you." We went through the Whole book that way and committed a verse or two to memory-out of each one.

I will give the main headings we found in the chapters.

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, BY CHAPTERS.

Chapter 1. The call of the first five disciples.

It was about four o'clock in the afternoon that John stood and said, "Behold, the Lamb of G.o.d." Two of John's disciples then followed Jesus, and one of them, Andrew, went out and brought his brother Simon. Then Jesus found Philip, as he was starting for Galilee, and Philip found Nathaniel, the skeptical man. When he got sight of Christ his skeptical ideas were all gone. Commit to memory verses 11 and 12: "He came unto his own and his own received him not, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of G.o.d, even to them that believe on his name." Key word, Receiving.

Chapter 2. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it." We had a good time in this chapter on Obedience, which is the key word.

Chapter 3. This is a chapter on Regeneration. It took us more than one day to get through this one. This gives you a respectable sinner, and how Jesus dealt with him. Commit verse 16: "G.o.d so loved the world, that He gave His Only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Key word, Believing.

Chapter 4. A disreputable sinner, and how Jesus dealt with her. If we had been dealing with her, we would have told her what Jesus told Nicodemus, but He took her on her own ground. She came for a water-pot of water, and, thank G.o.d, she got a whole well full. Key word, Wors.h.i.+pping. Memorize verse 24: "G.o.d is a Spirit; and they that wors.h.i.+p him must wors.h.i.+p him in spirit and in truth."

Chapter 5. Divinity of Christ. Commit verse 24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is pa.s.sed from death unto life." Key word, Healing.

Chapter 6. We called that the _bread_ chapter. If you want a good loaf of bread, get into this sixth chapter. You feed upon that bread and you will live forever. Key verse: Christ the bread of life. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Key word, Eating.

Chapter 7 is the _water_ chapter. "If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink." You have here living water and Christ's invitation to every thirsty soul to come to drink. Key word, Drinking.

Chapter 8. The _Light_ chapter. "I am the light of the world." Key, Walking in the light. But what is the use of having light if you have no eyes to see with, so we go on to

Chapter 9. The Sight chapter. There was a man born blind and Christ made him to see. Key word, Testifying. Memory verse: "I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh when no man can work."

Chapter 10. Here you find the Good Shepherd. Commit to memory verse 11: "I am the Good Shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." Key word, Safety.

Chapter 11. The Lazarus chapter. Memorize verse 25: "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." Key word, Resurrection.

Chapter 12. Verse 32: "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me."

Here Christ closes up his ministry to the Jewish nation. Key word, Salvation for all.

Chapter 13. The Humility chapter. Christ was.h.i.+ng the feet of his disciples. Learn verse 34: "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another." Key word, Teaching.

Chapter 14. The Mansion chapter. Commit to memory verse 6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me."

Key words, Peace and comfort.

Chapter 15. The Fruit chapter. The vine can only bear fruit through the branches. Verse 5: "I am the vine; ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing." Key word, Joy.

Chapter 16. The promise of the Holy Ghost. Here you find the secret of Power, which is the key word.

Chapter 17. This chapter contains what is properly the "Lord's prayer."

Learn verse 15: "I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil." Key word, Separation.

Chapter 18. Christ is arrested.

Chapter 19. Christ is crucified.

Chapter 20. Christ rises from the dead.

Chapter 21. Christ spends some time with his disciples again, and invites them to dine with him.

CHAPTER XI.

Study of Types--Types of Christ--Leprosy a Type of Sin--Bible Characters--Meaning of Names.

ANOTHER way of studying is to take five great divisions--History, Type, Prophecy, Miracle, Parable.

It is a very interesting thing to study the types of the Bible. Get a good book on the subject and you will be surprised to find out how interested you will become. The Bible is full of patterns and types of ourselves. That is a popular objection against the Bible--that it tells about the failings of men. We should, however, remember that the object of the Bible is not to tell how good men are, but how bad men can become good. But more especially the Bible is full of types of Christ. Types are foreshadowings, and wherever there is a shadow there must be substance. As John McNeill says, "If I see the shadow of a dog, I know there's a dog around." G.o.d seems to have chosen this means of teaching the Israelites of the promised Messiah. All the laws, ceremonies and inst.i.tutions of the Mosaic dispensation point to Christ and His dispensation. The enlightened eyes see Christ in all. For instance, the tabernacle was a type of the incarnation of Jesus; John 1:14, "and the word was made flesh, and _tabernacled_ amongst us." The laver typified sanctification or purity: Ephesians 5:26, "that he might sanctify and cleanse the Church with the was.h.i.+ng of water by the word." The candlesticks typified Christ as the Light of the world. The shewbread typified Christ as the Bread of Life. The High Priest was always a type of Christ. Christ was called of G.o.d, as was Aaron; He ever liveth to make intercession; He was consecrated with an oath, and so on. The Pa.s.sover, the Day of Atonement, the Smitten Rock, the sacrifices, the City of Refuge, the Brazen Serpent--all point to Christ's atoning work.

Adam was a beautiful type. Think of the two Adams. One introduced sin and ruin into the world, and the other abolished it. So Cain stands as the representative natural man, and Abel as the spiritual man. Abel as a shepherd is a type of Christ the heavenly Shepherd. There is no more beautiful type of Christ in the Bible than Joseph. He was hated of his brethren; he was stripped of his coat; he was sold; he was imprisoned; he gained favor; he had a gold chain about his neck; every knee bowed before him. A comparison of the lives of Joseph and Jesus shows a startling similarity in their experience.

The disease of leprosy is a type of sin. It is incurable by man; it works baneful results; it is insidious in its nature, and from a small beginning works complete ruin; it separates its victims from their fellow-men, just as sin separates a man from G.o.d; and as Christ had power to cleanse the leper, so by the grace of G.o.d His blood cleanseth us from all iniquity.

Adam represents man's innate sinfulness.

Abel represents Atonement.

Enoch represents communion.

Noah represents Regeneration.

Abraham represents Faith.

Isaac represents Sons.h.i.+p.

Jacob represents Discipline and Service.

Joseph represents Glory through suffering.

BIBLE CHARACTERS.

Another good way is to study Bible characters--take them right from the cradle to the grave. You find that skeptics often take one particular part of a man's life--say, of the life of Jacob or of David--and judge the whole by that. They say these men were queer saints; and yet G.o.d did not punish them. If you go right through these men's lives you will find that G.o.d did punish them, according to the sins they committed.

A lady once said to me that she had trouble in reading the Bible, that she seemed to not feel the interest she ought. If you don't keep up your interest in one way, try another. Never think you have to read the Bible by courses.

PROPER NAMES.

Another interesting study is the meaning of proper names. I need hardly remark that every name in the Bible, especially Hebrew names, has a meaning of its own. Notice the difference between Abram (a high father), and Abraham (father of a mult.i.tude), and you have a key to his life.

Another example is Jacob (supplanter), and Israel (Prince of G.o.d). The names of Job's three daughters were Jemima (a dove), Kezia (ca.s.sia), and Keren-happuch (horn of paint). These names signify beauty; so that Job's leprosy left no taint.