HOW TO DO A WORD STUDY in your Bible study & Bible journaling notes
Summary
TLDRIn this video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of word studies in understanding the Bible's depth, particularly in Greek and Hebrew. They address concerns about potential misuse of word studies leading to heresy but argue for the necessity of learning how to do them correctly. The speaker provides practical tips, using Ephesians 2:19 as an example to demonstrate how to select meaningful words for study, such as 'strangers,' 'aliens,' 'citizens,' 'Saints,' and 'members,' and how to use resources like Bible dictionaries and online tools like Bible Hub for in-depth analysis. The goal is to enrich one's spiritual understanding and avoid taking biblical terms out of context.
Takeaways
- 😀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of studying the original Greek and Hebrew in biblical texts to gain a deeper understanding of scripture.
- 📚 They recommend using resources like Bible Hub and Bible dictionaries to conduct word studies and understand the context of biblical words.
- 🚫 The speaker acknowledges the criticism from some church leaders who worry that improper word studies could lead to heresy.
- 📈 They introduce the concept of 'exegetical fallacies' and how to avoid common misconceptions in biblical interpretation.
- 🛠️ The speaker provides practical tips on how to do word studies effectively, focusing on words with theological significance rather than simple grammatical constructs.
- 🌐 They discuss the importance of context in understanding words, suggesting that words should be studied intentionally within their biblical argument.
- 🔍 The speaker illustrates how to use Bible Hub to look up the original Greek words and their usage in the New Testament.
- 📖 They explain the difference between studying words that are descriptive and have theological weight versus those that are more functional in nature.
- 🔗 The speaker highlights the value of comparing different translations of the Bible to identify words that carry significant theological meaning.
- 💡 They provide a detailed example of a word study on the phrase 'fellow citizens with the Saints and members of the household of God' from Ephesians 2:19, explaining the significance of each word.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of studying the Greek and Hebrew in biblical studies?
-The main purpose is to gain a deeper understanding of the original languages of the Bible, which can provide a more accurate interpretation of the text and its theological significance.
Why does the speaker hesitate to make videos about word studies on YouTube?
-The speaker hesitates because they receive comments from pastors and church leaders who are concerned that people might do word studies incorrectly and lead themselves into heresy.
What is the speaker's intention in teaching word studies?
-The speaker's intention is to equip viewers with the tools to do word studies correctly, so they can better understand the Bible and avoid misinterpretations.
What is the significance of studying words that have theological significance?
-Studying words with theological significance helps to understand the deeper meaning and context of the scripture, enriching one's spiritual understanding and connection to the text.
Why does the speaker suggest not studying words like 'and', 'but', or 'therefore'?
-These words often have grammatical functions rather than theological significance, and studying them does not contribute to a deeper understanding of the scripture's meaning.
What is the importance of context when doing word studies?
-Context is crucial because it helps to understand how words are used in a specific passage, preventing the words from being taken out of context or misused.
Why does the speaker recommend using Bible dictionaries in word studies?
-Bible dictionaries provide biblical frameworks for understanding terms, which are often based on the original Greek and Hebrew words, making them a valuable resource for word studies.
What is the benefit of using a tool like Bible Hub for word studies?
-Bible Hub allows users to directly access the original Greek and Hebrew words along with their Strong's numbers, making it easier to study the original languages without needing additional resources.
Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of understanding the difference between a word's definition and its usage?
-Understanding the difference helps to avoid misinterpretations and ensures that the word is understood in its proper context within the scripture.
How does the speaker suggest approaching the study of rare or unique words in the Bible?
-For rare or unique words, the speaker suggests relying on scholars' commentaries and other resources since there may not be multiple instances of the word in the text to study.
Outlines
📖 Introduction to Word Studies in Biblical Texts
The speaker begins by addressing the importance of studying the original Greek and Hebrew languages in biblical texts. They acknowledge the hesitation to create videos on this topic due to concerns from pastors and church leaders about the potential for misuse of word studies leading to heresy. However, the speaker emphasizes the necessity of understanding how to perform word studies correctly. They introduce the concept of studying words with theological significance, such as terms related to being 'born again' or 'made new,' rather than common phrases without deeper meaning. The speaker also recommends using resources like Bible dictionaries and online tools like Bible Hub for in-depth study, and they reference 'Carson's Exegetical Fallacies' as a guide for avoiding common mistakes in word studies.
🔍 Delving into the Meaning of 'Aliens' and 'Citizens' in Ephesians
In this section, the speaker focuses on the words 'aliens' and 'citizens' as used in Ephesians 2:19, exploring their meanings in the context of the New Testament. They discuss the metaphorical use of 'aliens' to describe non-citizens or temporary guests with certain rights and limitations, and how Christians are no longer considered 'aliens' but have become part of God's household through Christ's work. The speaker also examines the term 'citizens' in relation to belonging and shared privileges and responsibilities. They highlight the importance of using Bible dictionaries for understanding nouns related to persons, places, and things, and then proceed to study the original Greek words using online resources like Bible Hub to gain a deeper understanding of the text.
📚 The Significance of 'Fellow Citizens' and 'Members of the Household of God'
The speaker continues their word study by examining the terms 'fellow citizens' and 'members of the household of God' from Ephesians 2:19. They note that 'fellow citizens' is a rare word in the New Testament, used only once, and thus require reliance on scholarly commentaries for interpretation. The term signifies equality and shared membership within the household of faith. The speaker also discusses the word 'members,' which is used to convey a sense of being part of a close-knit, caring family within the church. They emphasize the importance of context in understanding these terms and caution against taking words out of context or misinterpreting their meanings, which could lead to theological errors.
🌟 Reflecting on the Transformative Power of Word Studies in Ephesians
In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on the transformative impact of word studies on their understanding of Ephesians 2:19. They describe how the verse has come alive through the examination of the original Greek words and their meanings, emphasizing the inclusive and familial nature of being part of the church. The speaker concludes by encouraging viewers to appreciate the richness of scripture and the active role it plays in the lives of believers. They also invite viewers to explore a video that provides a realistic look at their daily Bible study routine, suggesting that even without extensive word studies, the Bible's message remains powerful and relevant.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Word Studies
💡Bible Hub
💡Strong's Concordance
💡Ephesians 2:19
💡Theological Significance
💡Contextual Understanding
💡Biblical Education
💡Exegetical Fallacies
💡Bible Dictionary
💡Greek and Hebrew Languages
Highlights
The importance of studying the Greek and Hebrew in Bible studies for a deeper understanding.
Recommendation of using Bible Hub for word studies in ancient languages.
Addressing concerns from Biblical educators about the potential misuse of word studies leading to heresy.
Emphasizing the necessity to learn how to do word studies correctly.
The messiness of word studies due to the complexity of ancient languages.
The value of studying words with theological significance rather than common words.
The example of not studying words like 'and', 'but', or 'therefore' due to their lack of theological significance.
The strategy of choosing words intentionally for word studies to avoid taking them out of context.
Using Bible dictionaries to understand words with theological significance.
The preference for studying words that have different translations to understand the original meaning.
Ephesians 2:9 as an example of a verse with multiple words suitable for word studies.
The theological significance of the words 'strangers', 'aliens', 'citizens', 'saints', and 'members' in Ephesians 2:19.
Using Bible Hub to look up the original Greek words and their definitions.
The importance of context in understanding the meaning of words in the Bible.
The rarity of certain words in the New Testament and the reliance on scholarly commentaries for understanding.
The concept of being 'fellow citizens' with the saints as a powerful description of unity in Christ.
The practical application of word studies to enrich one's understanding of scripture.
The reminder that the Bible is alive and active, working on believers regardless of the depth of word studies.
Transcripts
I often talk about studying the Greek
and the Hebrew in our Bible studies and
I tell you guys to use Bible Hub but
Faith what does that actually mean today
let's do some word studies together and
I'll show you what word studies
typically look like for me let's
[Music]
begin all right guys I do have to admit
one of the reasons why I often hesitate
to make these videos here on YouTube is
because I do get a lot of comments from
pastors church leaders anybody with
Biblical educations they often don't
like me talking about studying the Greek
and the Hebrew and that is because
they're like you're just going to show
people how to do it and then they're
going to do it wrong and lead into
heresy and and obviously that is not my
intention but I do think we can't talk
about how not to do a word study without
talking about how to do a word study
word studies are just messy you're
studying an old ancient Greek or Hebrew
word of an old ancient dead language but
to be honest I would rather show you how
to do it than never show you at all in
fact you guys sorry wobbly camera I have
shared with you guys where is it right
here day Carson's exegetical fallacies
before this is a book written to pastors
and soon to be pastors about how not to
do word studies and he looks at common
misconceptions because you see pastors
do bad word studies all the time too so
really my passion here is to equip you
with the tools on how to do it so that
then we can talk about how not to do it
and I primarily do that in my course
Bible study boot camp so I say all of
that not to scare you I want to teach
you some tips and tools on how to do
them well today let's start with looking
at a verse that like gives us multiple
words to describe our spiritual estate
or describes like the work of Jesus
something that we can be intentional
about you know a great word studies to
do are like when we study the phrase
that we're made new or we're born again
those are great words to study I'm not
going to waste my time studying phrases
like stood up when the Bible says Peter
stood up to preach at Pentecost I'm not
going to look up that phrase stood up
because it's not purposeful like there's
no point to studing that word I'll often
times get emails from people that say
that they were trying to do a word study
on and or but or therefore and those
words have a point especially in English
grammar especially in US understanding
what goes next but they aren't words to
do a word study on because they don't
really serve any purpose Peter stood up
at Pentecost because he was going to go
preach but the stood up doesn't have any
theological significance there's really
no point to dig there let me put it to
you this way when we plant a tree we
don't dig a million holes all over the
yard to decide where we want to plant
that tree instead we look over the area
we assess the light wrting and the needs
of the land the Aesthetics whatever and
then we intentionally dig one hole in
the place we want to put that tree word
studies are like that you want to look
at the context you want to look at the
argument of the passage and look up
words intentionally not the ANS and the
butts or even the stood ups but
intentional descriptive words that have
theological significance and then you're
way less likely to take them out of
context or misuse them and bonus tip one
place I really like to do word studies
is when different translations translate
one word differently so let's say John
3:16 Says for God so loved the world
that he gave his only son and let's say
like another translation says that God
so liked the world now I'm just making
this up but you get the point okay loved
or liked let's do a word study on that
original Greek word to find out what he
really felt towards us now obviously we
know it's love and praise the Lord for
that but hopefully you get the point so
like I said I like to do word studies
that are intentional that tell me
something about our spiritual estate or
the work God's done for us on the cross
Etc so let's see for example I'm in
Galatians here's Ephesians okay I'm in
Ephesians chapters 1 and 2 and chapter 2
verse 9 here we go chapter 2:9 so then
you are no longer strangers and Aliens
but you are fellow citizens with the
Saints and members of the household of
God this is a section talking all about
our spiritual estate with God that we
are one in Christ as the bride or the
Church of Christ and it's describing our
spiritual estate these are really
important chosen words for the whole
argument or arch of the book of
Ephesians I would not probably do a word
study on the word fellow here in this
verse I would however totally do a word
study on Strangers aliens citizens
Saints members in fact I would even look
up aliens or citizens in a Bible
dictionary so let's look that up really
quick you guys know I have two here that
I often use in my office the Tindale and
the new angers both are just fine and
I'll have them linked Down Below in the
description ion box so the Tindale here
says foreigners were non citizens aliens
temporary guests they had certain rights
but also certain limitations and in the
New Testament it's often used
metaphorically on the one hand the work
of Christ allowed all foreigners to
become members of God's household
referencing our verse today on the other
hand Christians should consider them
foreigners in this world referencing
Hebrews 11 so really cool there aliens
foreigners we have a better richer idea
and we could even go through a long rout
trail of looking at the Old Testament
but I'm not sure that it applies to our
city today so I'm not going to do that
but we also mentioned citizens it says
citizenship in the New Testament usage
is designated to belonging to a city or
city state sharing Privileges and
responsibilities actually maybe even the
opposite of being an alien which is kind
of cool and that's just one of my Bible
dictionaries I could use my other one as
well and see if they say anything
different but I would probably skip the
Bible dictionary for the rest of the
words and just jump straight to Greek
word studies because the Bible
dictionary is unlikely to have entries
on those words now if they were names to
certain people people groups or places
that would be another story if it said
now you were no longer Babylonians
Persians but Romans yeah I would
definitely go to a Bible dictionary and
probably not look at the Greek word that
would be a perfect study for a Bible
dictionary but phrases like members or
Saints are really contextualized here
and really theological and so we do need
to do a word study rather than just a
Bible dictionary for a general rule rule
of thumb use a Bible dictionary on
Persons places and things nouns but that
doesn't mean that a Bible dictionary
isn't a vital and very important part of
doing a word study and that's why I
always say buy the Bible dictionary
first it's probably more important than
commentaries or anything else that you
could buy to support your Bible studies
they really just give great biblical
Frameworks for understanding a term this
is what this noun was so don't skip over
their value now we can look at these
words on Bible Hub and look specifically
at the original Greek words I know I've
said this multiple times but you just
plug in Ephesians 219 Bible Hub into
Google search and it will pull up the
page that looks like this so as you see
on the top of the page we're on the page
Ephesians 2:19 and we have all of the
different Bible translations over here I
really pay attention to the top like 10
NIV ESV KJV nkjv CSV RSV nasv don't
super pay attention to like the weird
ones that you've never heard of just
skip over those just be in real with you
guys cross references can totally be
helpful if you're looking for other
passages of the Bible that talk about
similar things I definitely use that
often but if you scroll all the way down
on the page there's commentaries right
here free commentaries which are usually
like okay they can be helpful if you
don't have any commentaries though like
especially for free they're definitely
can be helpful and look I already see a
bunch of cross references so that's good
but here you see what we call an
Interlinear Bible and what that means is
there is English here and then there's
Greek in the blue with this strongs
number now strongs is a reference number
to the concordance strongs exhaustive
concordance which is a printed thing
you've see at my bookshelves and stuff
like that so if you click on this strong
number you can click over here to the
concordance and this is a concordance
entry for this Greek word we're in the
New Testament so this is Greek Old
Testament Hebrew you can see all of this
is all the other usage of this word this
is confusing because it's a participle
but you get the point so here we're
doing word studies on like strangers
right here so xenoy strongs 3581 going
to click on the concordance the
definition is a foreigner a foreign
guest but it can be used as alien guest
stranger Foreigner this is what I
classify as a word study looking at the
original Greek or Hebrew and looking at
the definition and the ways that it was
used and that's why I would say like
just looking at a Bible dictionary what
we did previously can also be
technically a word study because that's
often times what they base their
definitions on is those various Greek
and Hebrew words that were translated
into that English word that you're
looking up now it can get faulty and get
messy but if you're a beginner Bible
dictionaries are very very very very
helpful if you do want to look at the
original Greek and the original Hebrew I
suggest something like Bible Hub that
links these original strongs numbers for
you so that cuts out the middl man
because the problem is is like okay
we're on number 3581 and this is the
Greek 3581 but there's also probably a
Hebrew 3581 or sometimes there is and
that gets really confusing and then also
just understanding the use usage and the
definition and the context based on the
context that a word is in in the Greek
and the Hebrew can determine the way
that it's translated and especially in
Hebrew like Hebrew is like absurd for
the way that like one word can mean so
many different things based on the
context that it's used in and so I think
doing stuff like this just makes you a
little bit stronger to not misuse the
original languages but all that to say
here looking at this word we see that it
can mean Foreigner guest stranger
Foreigner and then we get to see over
here on this right column all the other
ways that it was used in the New
Testament twice in Acts 17 once in
Romans and then the only other time that
it was used here in Ephesians so in the
Bible it had said remember that you were
at one time separated from Christ
alienated from the Commonwealth of
Israel and strangers to the Covenant of
promise and then here in today's verse
it says you are no longer strangers and
Aliens so it repeats that exact same
word to bring to mind what they were
versus what they are now because of the
work of Christ that's really telling for
this definition or this description of
what we are in Christ really telling for
how we view ourselves this life in
Christ and what we' believe to be true
about the work of Christ bought for us
on the cross beautiful stuff and again
we just noticed that because well
context is really important so we should
have read that verse previously but then
also because here it lists the previous
verse is the only other time this word
is used in Ephesians then we can also
look at the whole host of the rest of
scripture and see where else in the New
Testament this word was used which just
gives us a better idea of how this word
was used and how they conceptualize this
word around the truths of the faith so
that's strangers now let's look at the
word foreigners this ISS 3941 we're
going again click on concordance and
here we see peros peros it's been such a
long time since I have like pronounced
Greek words on like in in person with
another person in my Greek classes
they'd put you on the spot and you'd
have to like read a whole paragraph or
verse or whatever on the spot in front
of all your classmates and everybody
would make fun of you and I'm sure all
my classmates probably thought I was a
fry short of Happy Meal because I just
struggle bust but how much more even
more so on camera with you guys it's
always fun trying to stay fresh because
it's so easy to lose this stuff but
anyway pero Co dwelling near foreign
alien Foreigner Sojourner so very
similar idea but tied to maybe traveling
and it's used only here in Ephesians but
also used in Axe and then once in First
Peter 2 so kind of a rare word to be
used in First Peter 2 it's also used
used with this word strangers it's
descriptive of let me just double check
acts 7 okay wait this is a rabbit Trail
but so many times people are like I only
want the Bible translation that's word
for word this is literally as literally
as it gets a example of what it would
look like if you translated word for
word from the Greek fled then Moses at
the remark this and became exiled in
land of Midian where he beget Sons too
that's word for word from the Greek that
makes no sense that would be so easy to
misuse that would be so easy to go into
heresy because it's not like Grimmer
tized into English right it's just word
for word translated into English so
that's why it's such like a thing to not
just be like I want word for word
because there's no such thing as word
for word then you've missed the whole
message of the Bible because all the
words are scrambled that's the problem
with translating between two languages
but that's another story for another day
here in Acts 7 it's used I think about
Abraham's descendants right no Moses and
his descendants so the Israelite people
being aliens and foreigners in the land
so this word would trigger the memory of
Israel and the heritage of the Israelite
people being foreigners in the land even
maybe even possibly Exile I think of
Abraham being called out of his land to
you know from being a moon worshipper to
following God I think of Ruth leaving
behind her people I I think of Rahab
leaving behind Jericho I mean there's so
many stories of God calling his people
out from where they once were and to
follow him and that's us now let's get
back to our original verse Ephesians 2
therefore you are no longer strangers
and foreigners we did both of those
words but fellow citizens okay this is
probably the most important verse that I
would pick out of this like if I could
only word study one word out of this
verse I would probably pick this one
fellow citizens of the Saints and
members of the household of God this
word is not the popular word that's used
in the New Testament for Citizens this
is a rare word Strong's 4847 yep look
it's only used one it's this is the one
time it's used in the New Testament so
that's the problem with doing word
studies sometimes you're like oh I
really want to study this word it's
really really weird word and it's only
used this one time so then you are left
to really rely heavily on Scholars
commentaries and or at least that's how
I do it I rely on what other people say
then about this word because I literally
have nothing to work off of but here it
just says a fellow citizens for its
definition so we are fellow citizens
equal members of the household of faith
and that's really the argument going on
throughout Ephesians it's the church
letter it's written so highly about the
church praising the church for being
God's bride by with a price and and
equal members one family not divided
Jews and Gentiles but but Christ's bride
and so fellow citizens is just so
powerful of a language fellow citizens
you're not some people are more valuable
citizens some people are foreigners not
some people are the wealthy some people
are poor you are all one in Christ and
that's literally the title of this
section at least in my Bible for
Ephesians 2 it's one in Christ but
fellow citizens of the Saints and
members of the household so let's do
quick word studies on those other two
words Saints is Strong's au0 haos very
famous word it's used like a lot in the
Bible yeah look at all these references
I mean this was like week one vocab list
in my Greek beginner class but it means
sacred set aart holy set apart even Bor
God is the usage here always make a
difference like mentally between the
definition and the usage because that's
important but it's used as set apart for
God often in the Bible even though the
definition may just mean holy so we are
fellow citizens equal in the household
of faith set apart for God and members
of God's household strongs 3607 gonna
again click on the concordance we see
it's not often used in the New Testament
this is another weird word oros oros
yeah oros definition to have seen or
perceived to know and then usage of
one's family domestic intimate notice
the difference here between definition
and usage this is where you can get in
problems with word studies a beginner
word studier might want to say oh wow
see this words means intimate and they
would go back to our Bible verse and
they would say we're fellow citizens of
the Saints and
intimate no that's not what this verse
is saying it's saying we're members of
the household of faith and there might
be an intimate aspect to that but we
aren't intimate among each other but
someone could do that someone could
misuse that they could twist it and say
but see this is this can be used this
way no we want to understand it in
context now family like a domestic
close-knit family like if I was like a a
pastor preaching on this passage I might
like kind of mention that that this word
can be used in that vein in that way
that we should be close we are intimate
we are a family but I wouldn't take that
too far and I definitely wouldn't take
that to shape my understanding of like
the whole passage as a whole because
this is again a rare weird word let's
actually look at the other places where
it's used Galatians 610 which is
important so then as occasion we should
work good towards all especially now
towards those in the household of faith
So it's talking about being in one in
unison and the household of faith then
we have it it used here in Ephesians
2:19 and then in 1 Timothy 58 if now
anyone the own and okay this is the
problem with reading word for word okay
it's used here for household but 1
Timothy 5 that's giving advice on Church
leadership yeah instructions for the
church okay so 1 Timothy 5 but if anyone
does not provide for his relatives and
especially for members of his household
that's that word right there oron yeah
oron he has denied the faith and worse
than any unbeliever so this word is
every single time it's used in the New
Testament used for caring for one
another being in this intimate close
caring relationship with the church
super interesting super cool so now that
we have a rich full understanding of all
the meanings Behind these words now
let's reread this verse one more time so
then you are no longer strangers and
Aliens but you are fellow citizens with
the Saints and members of the household
of God this verse at least for me has
come alive I am not a foreigner someone
from a away I am brought in I'm a part
of a family and we take care of each
other we love each other we are members
I mean this this is just so rich and
then of course there's the rest of the
verses around this verse and that's why
I think it's so cool to do word studies
and really that's what you're doing
whenever you verse map as you end up
doing a bunch of word studies is to just
look closely at the richness of
scripture but remember the Bible is
alive and active it's not us digging to
find this richness and discovering it or
because we dug it could work on us the
Bible is always working on us so even if
you don't have time to look up every
single word or do a perfect word study
every single time the Bible's working on
us it's alive and active and it's sharp
cutting us to the core and so all that
to say we've looked at the Greek and now
we have all this Rich application for
our lives but if you guys want to have
more of a realistic look at my Bible
studies and what they look like on the
dayto day check out this video here it's
a realistic week of Bible studies in my
life I'll see you guys there bye guys
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