• Keep a Firm Grip on the Word of God
    United in Worship of the Only True God

    • Our Personal Bible Reading

      7, 8. (a) What should we individually be doing with the Bible? (b) What do we need in addition to personal Bible reading, and how does the Bible itself show this? (c) How have you personally gained an understanding of Jehovah’s purposes?

      7 In addition to helping others to believe the Bible, we ourselves need to take time to read it regularly. Are you doing that? Of all the books ever produced, this one is the most important. Of course, that does not mean that if we read it we need nothing else. The Scriptures warn against isolating ourselves, thinking that we can figure out everything with independent research. Both personal study and regular meeting attendance are needed if we are to be balanced Christians.​—Prov. 18:1; Heb. 10:24, 25.

      8 For our benefit the Bible tells about an Ethiopian official to whom an angel directed the Christian evangelizer Philip when the official was reading from the prophecy of Isaiah. Philip asked the man: “Do you actually know what you are reading?” Humbly the Ethiopian replied: “Really, how could I ever do so, unless someone guided me?” He urged Philip to explain the passage of Scripture. Now, Philip was not merely an independent Bible reader who there gave his opinion on the Scriptures. No; the record shows that he had maintained close contact with the apostles in the congregation at Jerusalem and was a member of Jehovah’s visible organization. So he could help the Ethiopian to benefit from the instruction that Jehovah was making available through that organization. (Acts 6:5, 6; 8:5, 14, 15, 26-35) Similarly today, who of us arrived at a clear and correct understanding of Jehovah’s purposes on his own? On the contrary, we needed, and we continue to need, the aid that Jehovah lovingly provides through his visible organization.

      9. What programs of Bible reading can benefit all of us?

      9 To help us to use and understand the Bible, Jehovah’s organization supplies excellent Scriptural material in The Watchtower and related publications. In addition, a regular schedule of Bible reading is set out for us in connection with the Theocratic Ministry School in the congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Some of Jehovah’s Witnesses do consecutive Bible reading in addition to this. Great benefit can come from time spent in examining the Holy Scriptures. (Ps. 1:1-3; 19:7, 8) Have you personally read the entire Bible? If not, make a special effort to do so. Even though you do not fully understand everything, your having an overall view of it will be of great value. If you were to read only four or five pages a day, you would complete the Bible in about a year.

      10. (a) When do you do your Bible reading? (b) Why is regularity important?

      10 When can you personally arrange to do this Bible reading? If you are able to set aside even 10 or 15 minutes a day, how beneficial that will be! If not, at least schedule regular times for it each week, and then hold to that schedule. Bible reading should be a lifelong habit, like eating food. As you know, if a person’s eating habits become poor, his health will suffer. So, too, with our spirituality. Our life depends on our being regularly nourished by “every utterance coming forth through Jehovah’s mouth.”​—Matt. 4:4.

      11. What should be our objective in reading the Bible?

      11 What should be our objective in reading the Bible? It would be a mistake if our goal were simply to cover a quota of pages or even solely to gain eternal life. To benefit lastingly, we must have higher motives​—love for God, a desire to know him better, to understand his will and to worship him acceptably. (John 5:39-42) Our attitude should be like that of the Bible writer who said: “Make me know your own ways, O Jehovah; teach me your own paths.”​—Ps. 25:4.

      12. (a) Why is gaining “accurate knowledge” necessary, and what effort when reading may be needed in order to get it? (b) As shown on page 27, from what viewpoints might we beneficially analyze what we read in the Bible? (c) Illustrate these five points, one at a time, by answering the questions provided at the end of this paragraph. Be sure to use your Bible.

      12 As we receive that teaching, it should be our desire to gain “accurate knowledge.” Without it, how could we apply God’s Word properly in our own lives or explain it correctly to others? (Col. 3:10; 2 Tim. 2:15) Gaining accurate knowledge requires that we read carefully, and if a portion is deep we may need to read it more than once in order to grasp the sense of it. We will also be benefited if we take time to meditate on the material, thinking about it from various standpoints. Five valuable avenues of thought to explore are highlighted on page 27 of this book. Many portions of Scripture can beneficially be analyzed by using one or more of these. As you answer the questions on the following pages you will see how that is so.

      (1) Frequently the portion of Scripture that you are reading gives some indication as to the kind of person Jehovah is.

      When we meditate appreciatively on what the Bible tells us about Jehovah’s works of creation, how does that affect our attitude toward him? (Ps. 139:13, 14; from Job chapters 38-42 note especially Job 38:1, 2 and Job 40:2, 8, then Job 42:1-6.)

      In view of what Jesus said at John 14:9, 10, what can we conclude about Jehovah from incidents such as the one recorded at Luke 5:12, 13?

      (2) Consider how the account contributes to development of the Bible’s theme, namely, the vindication of Jehovah’s name by the Kingdom under Jesus Christ the Promised Seed.

      How are the plagues on Egypt related to this theme? (See Exodus 5:2; 9:16; 12:12.)

      What about the heartwarming account concerning Ruth the Moabitess? (Ruth 4:13-17; Matt. 1:1, 5)

      How does Gabriel’s announcement to Mary of the coming birth of Jesus fit in? (Luke 1:26-33)

      Why is the anointing of Jesus’ disciples with holy spirit at Pentecost significant? (Acts 2:1-4; 1 Pet. 2:4, 5, 9; 2 Pet. 1:10, 11)

      (3) Context has a bearing on the meaning of specific verses.

      To whom are the statements at Romans 5:1 and Ro 8:16 addressed? (See Romans 1:7.)

      Does the context indicate that 1 Corinthians 2:9 is commenting about life on earth in God’s New Order? As shown in 1 Co 2 verses 6-8, whose eyes and ears were not comprehending the things about which Paul was writing?

      (4) Ask yourself how you can make personal application of what you are reading.

      Is the record about Cain’s killing Abel merely of historical interest or is there counsel in it for us? (Gen. 4:3-12; 1 John 3:10-15; Heb. 11:4)

      When we read (in Exodus through Deuteronomy) about Israel’s experiences in the wilderness, what personal application should we make? (1 Cor. 10:6-11)

      Does counsel on conduct written to anointed Christians apply to persons who have hope of eternal life on earth? (Compare Numbers 15:16; John 10:16.)

      Even though we are in good standing with the Christian congregation, is there need to consider ways that we could more fully apply Bible counsel that we already know? (2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Thess. 4:1)

      (5) Give thought to how you might use what you are reading to aid others.

      Who might be helped with the account of the resurrection of the daughter of Jairus? (Luke 8:41, 42, 49-56)

      13. What results can we expect from a continuing program of Bible reading and study with Jehovah’s organization?

      13 How richly rewarding Bible reading becomes when done in this manner! To be sure, reading the Bible is a challenge​—a project that we can beneficially work at for a lifetime. But as we do it we will grow spiritually stronger. It will draw us closer to our loving Father, Jehovah, and to our Christian brothers. It will help us to heed the counsel to keep “a tight grip on the word of life.”​—Phil. 2:16.