Teach Students How to Use the Bible
1 “When you received God’s word, which you heard from us, you accepted it, not as the word of men, but, just as it truthfully is, as the word of God.” (1 Thess. 2:13) As true Christians, we are concerned about letting the Bible speak. Therefore, when conducting a Bible study, help your student to appreciate that he is learning Jehovah’s thoughts, not man’s thoughts. By teaching students to use the Bible well, you can build in them confidence in the Scriptures, a solid foundation for faith, and the ability to defend their beliefs from the Bible.—2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 1 Pet. 3:15.
2 When do you start teaching the student to use his Bible? How do you teach him the order of the books of the Bible and how to locate scriptures? What can the student personally do to learn certain key scriptures, and how can you help him? There are various methods that can be used successfully.
USE THE BIBLE
3 From the start, show the student the page in the Bible that lists all the Bible books and show him how he can find each one. Many scriptures are quoted in the Society’s publications, and others are cited but not quoted. At first, it may be advisable to look up and read all of them from the Bible, thus emphasizing that it is a Bible study. This will take some extra time, but it will help the student to become familiar with his Bible. It will also develop his confidence that what is stated in the publications is Bible-based.
4 When the student asks questions, help him find the answers in the Bible by looking up appropriate scriptures. In this way he will know he is getting God’s answers to his questions. (John 17:17) Help the student to reason on the scriptures and to appreciate fully the Bible’s answer. At the end of a study, you may want to review two or three key scriptures by having the student look them up and explain them in his own words. This will enable him to defend his faith from the Bible. Also, by using the Bible, he will learn to speak with authority and conviction when sharing what he has learned with others.—Acts 17:1-3.
5 Encourage the student to look up and reason on scripture citations as he prepares the lesson for his personal study, the Watchtower Study, and other meetings. Thus, he will be prepared to make good use of his Bible during the meetings and to give Scripturally based comments on the study material. Also, show him the list of “Bible Words Indexed” in the back of the New World Translation. This index will assist him in finding scriptures on many different subjects as well as answers to questions. When scriptures are personally read and examined, the impression of the truths being taught is considerably deepened.
6 Teaching students how to use the Bible will have lasting benefits. The student will recognize that the teaching he receives comes from God. Yes, “the word of God is alive” and powerful. (Heb. 4:12) We want to help others to become skillful in “handling the word of the truth aright.”—2 Tim. 2:15.