Welcome to The Baptist Commentary
Many proclaim to have the truth. A fewer number proclaim that the truth is a priority, and of these, nearly all proclaim that the scriptures are the accurate word of God. They rightly teach that the Holy Spirit is the ultimate author of every word in the scriptures. Yet, despite this, they willingly mishandle the word of God. They add meaning to some passages, and take meaning away from others, and then shrug their shoulders when obvious contradictions are made manifest.
I would prefer not to teach anyone what any particular passage means, but rather provide the person with several scriptures that teach the same thing, and allow the person to see the meaning for themselves. Sadly, only a handful of Bible students take the time to do this. Sadly, they have been taught of men for too long and hold too tightly to those improper meanings, which prevent them from being persuaded by the scriptures themselves. I too, have had to deal with such myself. It was not until recently that I looked back and was astonished at just how much the errant teachings of men had influenced my understanding, leading me from the truth.
Topical studies are, in my opinion, the most important. For instance, search the scriptures for all references to the Holy Spirit/Ghost. Gather these scriptures into one study and allow them to teach all they can. From these scriptures, the person can find other topics that pertain to the Holy Spirit.
Take for instance Ephesians 1:13 and 14, which reveals that the Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. If our inheritance is Eternal Life, then the Holy Spirit must also be Eternal Life. Other topical studies will reveal that, at conversion, the person recieves not only the Holy Spirit, but also Life.
But there is yet one more very important study habit that the Bible student must master. I learned it in the military. Simply stated, "Pay attention to detail". So many, who study the word of God, just skim over passages, without giving them proper consideration. I too, in the beginning, was guilty of this. Have you ever read a passage many times, and then one day, it grabs your attention like never before, and you see something revealed, that you had never taken notice of before? This is the result of details, within the passage, being exposed. If you will "Pay attention to detail", this will begin to occur even more often and less unexpectedly.
Take for instance Romans 7:1-4, where Paul uses a very simple, yet revealing word picture. The truth is found within the details. He allegorizes his audience with that of a woman who progresses from a married woman, to a widowed woman, and finally to a woman who should be remarried to yet a second husband. If you find this to be as revealing as I did, I encourage you to also take note of the details in Galatians 4:1-5, Hebrews 12:5-11, and Genesis 3
