Originally published Monday, 02 September 2019.
www.insideoutwithcourtnaye.org
Looks like you're interested in studying the letters of the Bible. I love it! I believe if you embarked upon a study of the letters of the Bible, you will not only experience a greater knowledge of God’s Word, but you’ll also gain greater insight on how we are to live and stand for the Gospel. You’ll understand even more what it means to be chosen, and why it’s so important that you walk in the Spirit, live by faith, be fruitful, stay pure, remain in Jesus, and do good works, especially in these last days.
When you and I take time to read and study the letters of the Bible in depth, we really begin to see that these epistles were God-inspired writings not just for the early church, but for us as well.
So, if you were to dig into one of the epistles (also known as letters or messages), which one would you read first? There are several letters…
The Pauline Letters – Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, and 1 & 2 Thessalonians
Paul’s Prison Letters – Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon
Paul’s Pastoral Letters – 1 & 2 Timothy (which we can relate to as well), and Titus
The General Letters – Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, also 1, 2, & 3 John, and Jude
Out of this list of letters, again, which one or set would you start studying first? Do you feel more drawn to one more than another in this season? If so, don’t neglect the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I believe it’s not by chance that you're reading this post right now. I believe God wants you to go deeper in His Word. This is where maturity takes place. This is where you can grow in your knowledge, faith, and life in Christ, sis.
With that being said, I also want to give you a few practical tips on how to study the letters of the Bible. My first suggestion would be to pray about which one to begin with and then schedule a day to settle down for some devoted time towards it.
The next step would be to get a study notebook or journal. You can type up what you learn or write it out as well (I do both). Also, you can create a folder for it. That way you can easily find it in your files for later reference.
Thirdly, I would break out the highlighters, a good pen, or color pencils for good notetaking purposes. And don’t forget the index cards for memory verses that you want to hide in your heart. It’s also a good idea to purchase color tabs to remember certain places in your Bible to reference later, too.
Lastly, I would suggest having a commentary, dictionary, bible dictionary, and concordance handy while you study. You can watch videos from YouTube on the letters of the Bible to gain even better understanding of them as well. However, use CAUTION when you search for articles, videos, and even some blogs regarding scriptural truth, because unfortunately some scholars and Bible teachers can either misinterpret Scripture or twist it based on their own beliefs, so be careful.
To avoid deception, pray and ask the Lord to lead you to the right ones, while using good judgment. You always want to pray for discernment when taking in knowledge from others, because you want accurate teaching and you want to understand it within the proper context. People are human and are prone to making mistakes, some are unintentional and some intentional. So study with caution, especially in today’s day and hour where deception is growing even stronger.
In closing, I hope and pray that you have a great study time. I pray the letters of the Bible that you read become real, personal, and life-changing for you. God knows exactly what He’ll want to reveal to you through them. Just go in with an open mind and heart ready to receive His love, encouragement, instruction, correction, grace, knowledge, and wisdom. It's study time, sis. Let's know and grow!
“I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word.”
~Psalm 119:15-16
“Study to shew yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
~2 Timothy 2:15
“Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.”
~Psalm 119:18
Remember, Jesus is coming back soon! And those who endure unto the end shall be saved. So let’s be ready from the Inside Out!
~Courtnaye
QUESTION: Have you ever studied a book of the Bible before? If so, which one and how did it go? If you've never really done this before in depth, which book would you study now? Let me know. Also, if you need prayer, you can email me directly and I will pray for you @ insideoutwithcourtnaye@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you and praying for you.
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