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As we come to the final part of this How to Study the Bible series, there is one more important question to consider: who teaches us to understand Scripture? Some Christians place almost complete dependence upon pastors, teachers, commentaries and other people. Others go to the opposite extreme and say that they need no human teacher because the Holy Spirit alone will teach them. Scripture gives us a more balanced picture. We should learn from faithful men and women who handle the Word carefully, but we must also depend upon the Holy Spirit for understanding and continually test what we hear against Scripture itself.
Paul told Timothy to take the things he had learned and “commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2). He later reminded Timothy to continue in what he had learned, remembering both the Scriptures and those from whom he had learned them. At the same time, 1 John 2:27 speaks of the anointing believers have received and the way that anointing teaches them, while Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would teach them and bring His words to remembrance. Second Peter also reminds us that the Scriptures themselves did not originate merely from human will, but that holy men spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. We therefore do not need to choose between faithful teachers and the Spirit of God. Scripture presents both, working under the authority of God’s revealed Word.
That also means we should never surrender our responsibility to check what we are being taught. Whether we are sitting in church, watching a video, listening to a podcast or reading a commentary, the Bible should remain open in front of us. Is the passage being quoted accurately? What is its context? Does the interpretation agree with the surrounding verses and with the wider teaching of Scripture? Even trusted teachers can make mistakes. Discernment does not mean becoming suspicious of everyone; it means valuing God’s Word enough to test what we hear rather than simply accepting it because a respected person said it.
The second half of this study returns to John 1 and demonstrates that process again through cross-references. John tells us that all things were made through Christ, and Colossians 1 expands on that truth, stating that all things were created through Him and for Him. John calls Jesus the Light, and other passages show Christ as the Light of the world and then call His people to shine because His light is now at work through them. John tells us that Christ came to His own, that those who received Him were given the right to become children of God, and finally reaches the magnificent declaration of John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Following these references reminds us that the Bible is not ultimately centred upon us. Scripture reveals Christ – who He is, what He has done, and how sinners can be reconciled to God through Him.
That is a fitting place to finish the series. Good Bible study involves careful reading, context, cross-references, useful study tools and faithful teachers, but none of those things replaces our need for God Himself. Come to Scripture prayerfully. Ask the Lord for wisdom. Ask the Holy Spirit to give understanding. Be willing to learn from faithful people, but test their teaching against the Word. Above all, keep Christ at the centre. The aim is not simply to know more about the Bible, but to know the Lord more truly, to understand His Word more faithfully, and to increasingly allow that truth to shape the way we live.
