How to Enjoy Bible Study 如何享受圣经学

How to Enjoy Bible Study 如何享受圣经学习

by John MacArthur 约翰·麦克·阿瑟

There's nothing I enjoy more than studying the Bible. Yet it has not always been that way. My real passion for studying Scripture began when as a college student, I made a commitment to explore the Bible in earnest. I found that the more I studied, the more my hunger for Scripture grew. Here are three simple guidelines that have helped me to make the most of my study time. 我最喜欢的就是学习圣经。 但并非总是这样。 当我还是一名大学生时，我对学习圣经的真正热情就开始了，我承诺要热切地探索圣经。 我发现我学习的越多，我对圣经的渴望就越大。 以下是三个简单的指导方针，帮助我充分利用我的学习时间。

Read the Bible 读圣经

First, I begin with reading the Bible. That seems obvious, but quite frankly, it's where many people fail. Too many Christians are content with a second-hand knowledge of Scripture. They read books about the Bible instead of studying the Bible for themselves. Books are good, but collateral reading can never replace the Bible itself. 首先，我从读圣经开始。 这似乎很明显，但坦率地说，这是许多人失败的地方。 太多的基督徒满足于对圣经的二手知识。 他们读关于圣经的书 ，而不是自己学习圣经。 书籍是好的，但附带阅读永远不能取代圣经本身。

There are many good Bible reading plans available, but here is one I've found most helpful. I read through the Old Testament at least once a year. As I read, I note in the margins any truths I particularly want to remember, and I write down separately anything I don't immediately understand. Often I find that as I read, my questions are answered by the text itself. The questions to which I can't find answers become the starting points for more in-depth study using commentaries or other reference tools. 有许多好的圣经阅读计划，但这是我发现最有帮助的。 我每年至少读一遍旧约。 正如我所读到的，我在空白处记下了我所说的任何很想记住的真理，我把我不明白的东西单独写下来。 我经常发现，当我阅读时，我的问题是由文本本身回答的。 我不能找到答案的问题成为使用注释或其他参考工具进行更深入研究的起点。

I follow a different plan for reading the New Testament. I read one book at a time repetitiously for a month or more. I began doing this when I was in seminary, because I wanted to retain what was in the New Testament and not always have to depend on a concordance to find things. 我遵循一个不同的计划来阅读新约。 我用一个月或更长时间重复读一卷书。 我在神学院的时候就开始这样做了，因为我想保留在新约里面的东西 ，并不总是依赖于圣经词汇索引才能找到东西。

If you want to try this, begin with a short book, such as 1 John, and read it through in one sitting every day for 30 days. At the end of that time, you will know what's in that book. Write out on index cards the major theme of each chapter. By referring to the cards as you do your daily reading, you'll begin to remember the content of each chapter. In fact, you'll develop a visual perception of the book in your mind. 如果你想试一试，从简短的一卷书开始，比如约翰一书，每天坐着读30天。 在那个时候结束时，你会知道那本书里有什么。 在索引卡上写上每一章的主题。 通过在日常阅读中参考卡片，你将开始记住每一章的内容。 事实上，你会在脑子里形成对这卷书的一种视觉感知。

Divide longer books into short sections and read each section daily for thirty days. For example, the gospel of John contains 21 chapters. Divide it into 3 sections of 7 chapters. At the end of 90 days, you'll finish John. For variety, alternate short and long books and in less than 3 years you will have finished the entire New Testament—and you'll really know it! 把较长的书分成短的部分，每天阅读一部分，为期三十天。 例如，约翰福音包含21章。 每7章为一部分，分为3部分。 90天后，你会完成约翰福音。 为了多样性，交替着读短和长的书，在不到3年的时间里，你将完成整个新约-你将真的知道它！

Interpret the Bible 解读圣经

As I read Scripture, I always keep in mind one simple question: "What does this mean?" It's not enough to read the text and jump directly to the application; we must first determine what it means, otherwise the application may be incorrect. 当我读圣经时，我总是带着一个简单的问题：“这是什么意思？” 仅仅阅读文本并直接跳转到应用是不够的；我们必须首先确定它的含义，否则，应用可能是不正确的。

Gaps to Bridge 桥上的缺口

The first step in interpreting the Bible is to recognize the four gaps we have to bridge: language, culture, geography, and history. 解读圣经的第一步是认识到我们必须弥合的四个差距：语言、文化、地理和历史。

Language The Bible was originally written in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. Often, understanding the meaning of a word or phrase in the original language can be the key to correctly interpreting a passage of Scripture. Two books that will help you close the language gap are An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, by W. E. Vine, and Nelson's Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament, by Merrill F. Unger and William White, Jr. You don't need to know Greek or Hebrew to use those books effectively. 圣经最初是用希腊语、希伯来语和亚兰文写成的。 通常，理解一个词或短语在原文中的意义可以是正确解释一段圣经的关键。 两本能帮助你缩小语言差距的书是《新约词汇释义词典》，由W.E.Vine著，和纳尔逊的《旧约释义词典》，由Mer著。 你不需要懂希腊语或希伯来语就能有效地使用这些书。

Culture 文化

The culture gap can be tricky. Some people try to use cultural differences to explain away the more difficult biblical commands. Don't fall into that trap, but realize that we must first view Scripture in the context of the culture in which it was written. Without an understanding of first-century Jewish culture, it is difficult to understand the gospels. Acts and the epistles must be read in light of the Greek and Roman cultures. The following books will help you understand the cultural background of the Bible: The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, by Alfred Edersheim, Sketches of Jewish Social Life, also by Edersheim, and The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times, by Ralph Gower. 文化文化的差距可能是棘手的。 有些人试图用文化差异来解释更难的圣经诫命。 不要掉进那个陷阱，但要意识到我们必须首先看到圣经是在一定文化背景下写的。 没有对一世纪犹太文化的理解，就很难理解福音书。必须在希腊和罗马文化的背景下读使徒行传和书信。 下面的书将帮助你理解圣经的文化背景：《耶稣弥赛亚的生活和时代》，由阿尔弗雷德·埃德斯海姆，《犹太人社会生活速写》，也是埃德斯海姆写的，还有拉尔夫·高尔写的《圣经时代的新礼仪和习俗》。

Geography 地理

A third gap that needs to be closed is the geography gap. Biblical geography makes the Bible come alive. A good Bible atlas is an invaluable reference tool that can help you comprehend the geography of the Holy Land. Of course, nothing helps like seeing the land first-hand on a tour. 第三个需要弥补的差距是地理差距。 圣经的地理使圣经活了起来。 一本好的圣经地图册是一个宝贵的参考工具，可以帮助你理解圣地的地理。 当然，没有什么比亲眼看到陆地更有帮助的了。

History 历史.

We must also bridge the history gap. Unlike the Scriptures of most other world religions, the Bible contains the records of actual historical persons and events. An understanding of Bible history will help us place the people and events in it in their proper historical perspective. A good Bible dictionary or Bible encyclopedia is useful here, as are basic historical studies. 我们也必须弥合历史鸿沟。 与大多数其他世界宗教的圣经不同，圣经包含了实际历史人物和事件的记录。 对圣经的理解 保守党将帮助我们把人民和事件放在他们适当的历史视角中。 一本好的圣经字典或圣经百科全书在这里是有用的，基础历史研究也是有用的。

Principles to Understand Four principles should guide us as we interpret the Bible: literal, historical, grammatical, and synthesis. 理解四个原则应该指导我们解释圣经：字面，历史，语法和综合。

The Literal Principle Scripture should be understood in its literal, normal, and natural sense. While the Bible does contain figures of speech and symbols, they were intended to convey literal truth. In general, however, the Bible speaks in literal terms, and we must allow it to speak for itself. 字面原则经文应该从字面、正常和自然的意义上理解。 虽然圣经确实包含了言语和符号的数字，但它们是为了传达字面上的真理。 然而，一般来说，圣经是用字面来表达的，我们必须允许它为自己说话。

The Historical Principle This means that we interpret Scripture in its historical context. We must ask what the text meant to the people to whom it was first written. In this way we can develop a proper contextual understanding of the original intent of Scripture. 历史原则这意味着我们在其历史背景下解释圣经。 我们必须问这篇文章对最初写的人意味着什么。 这样我们就可以发展一个专业人士 根据上下文理解圣经的原意。

The Grammatical Principle This requires that we understand the basic grammatical structure of each sentence in the original language. To whom do the pronouns refer? What is the tense of the main verb? You'll find that when you ask some simple questions like those, the meaning of the text immediately becomes clearer. 语法原则.这就要求我们理解原文中每个句子的基本语法结构。 代词指谁？ 主动词的时态是什么 ？ 你会发现，当你问一些像这些简单的问题时，文本的意义就会立即变得更清楚。

The Synthesis Principle This is what the Reformers called the analogia scriptura. It means that the Bible doesn't contradict itself. If we arrive at an interpretation of a passage that contradicts a truth taught elsewhere in the Scriptures, our interpretation cannot be correct. Scripture must be compared with Scripture to discover its full meaning. 综合原则这就是改革者所说的类比原则。 这意味着圣经没有自相矛盾。 如果我们对一段经文的解释与圣经中其他地方教导的真理相悖，意味着我们的解释是不正确的。 经文必须与经文相比较，才能发现它的全部意义。

Apply the Bible 应用圣经

Having read and interpreted the Bible, you should have a basic understanding of what the Bible says, and what it means by what it says. But my Bible study doesn't stop there. I never study God's Word just to get a sermon. My ultimate goal is to let it speak to me and enable me to grow spiritually. That requires personal application. 在阅读和解释了圣经之后，你应该对圣经所说的以及它所说的意思有一个基本的理解。 但我的圣经学习并不止于此。 我从不仅仅为了准备讲道而学习圣经。 我的最终目标是让它对我说话，使我能够在灵命上成长。 这需要个人应用。

Bible study is not complete until we ask ourselves, "What does it mean for my life and how can I practically apply it?" We must take the knowledge we've gained from our reading and interpretation and draw out the practical principles that apply to our personal lives. 在我们扪心自问之前，圣经的学习是不完整的，“它对我的生活意味着什么，我如何实际应用它？” 我们必须掌握我们从阅读和解释中获得的知识 找出适用于我们个人生活的实际原则。

If there is a command to be obeyed, we obey it. If there is a promise to be embraced, we claim it. If there is a warning to be followed, we heed it. This is the ultimate step: we submit to Scripture and let it transform our lives. If you skip this step, you will never enjoy your Bible study and the Bible will never change your life. 如果有诫命要顺服，我们就顺服它。 如果有一个承诺被接受，我们声称。 如果有警告需要遵守，我们就会注意。 这是最终的步骤：我们服从圣经 让它改变我们的生活。 如果你跳过这一步，你永远不会享受你的圣经学习，圣经也永远不会改变你的生活。

Bible study is not optional in the Christian life. It is both the obligation and the privilege of all believers. If you are not involved in regular, systematic Bible study, you are missing one of the primary means God uses to bring us to maturity (1 Peter 2:2). 在基督教生活中，学习圣经不是可选的。 它既是所有信徒的义务，也是他们的特权。 如果你没有参与定期的、系统的圣经学习，你就错过了上帝用来使我们成熟的主要手段之一。彼得前书2：2