Reading The Bible
After the death of Moses, God exhorted Joshua:
“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” – Joshua 1:8
Topical Study: Spiritually Rewarding Work
When you embark on a study of what the New Testament teaches on a particular topic, it can be quite the task. The topic may be so broad that it involves more than one word family. And each word family may have multiple cognates that have to be investigated. In addition, each cognate may have a numerous number of verses to look up to see how the Holy Spirit inspired men used that word. Indeed, a proper topical study may take multiple months of work – but the spiritual reward is worth it. Let me share an example of what might be involved in a topical study.
I Peter
When Christianity began, it grew up under the shadow of Judaism which was, for the most part, protected by the state. Rome’s policy was generally one of tolerance unless the religion conflicted with Rome. In the sixth decade, the situation changed. Being monotheistic, serving a resurrected Savior, eating the Lord’s Supper, and such like contributed to Christianity standing out as different from Judaism in inciting suspicion of them.
James
The epistle of James is a practical guide to living out one’s faith. Written not long after the church (the people of God governed by the New Testament) was built by Jesus (Acts 2), it was written for the purpose of providing specific exhortation regarding Christianity in practice. The early church, facing persecution that resulted in a scattering among various regions, needed practical instruction on how to face trials, tests, and temptations, the value of all people, the relationship of faith and works, the importance of teaching truth, the warning to avoid strife amongst one another, and the power of prayer. This letter addresses all these things and more.