Methods of Topic Bible Study by Rev. R. A. Torrey

TOPICAL BIBLE

STUDY METHOD

The topical method of Bible study is most straightforward, most fascinating and yields most significant immediate results.

Topical Bible Study Methods
By Rev. R. A. Torrey

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1. MAKE UP YOUR MIND THAT YOU WILL PUT SOME TIME IN EVERY DAY INTO THE STUDY OF THE WORD OF GOD.

That is an easy resolution to make, and not a very difficult one to keep; if the one who makes it is in earnest. It is one of the most fruitful resolutions that any Christian ever made. The forming of that resolution and the holding faithfully to it, has been the turning point in many a life. Many a life that has been barren and unsatisfactory has become productive and useful through the introduction into it of regular, persevering daily study of the Bible. This study may not be very interesting at first, the results may not be very encouraging; but, if one will keep pegging away, it will soon begin to count as nothing else has ever scored in the development of character, and in the enrichment of the whole life. Nothing short of absolute physical inability should be allowed to interfere with this daily study.

It is impossible to make a rule that will apply to everyone as to the amount of time that shall be given each day to the study of the Word. I know many busy people, including not a few laboring men and women, who provide an hour a day to Bible study, but if one cannot give more than fifteen minutes a great deal can be accomplished. Wherever it is possible the time set apart for the work should be in the daylight hours. The very best time is in the early morning hours. If possible lock yourself in with God alone.

2. MAKE UP YOUR MIND TO STUDY THE BIBLE.

It is astounding how much heedless reading of the Bible is done. Men seem to think that there is some magic power in the book, and that, if they will but open its pages and skim over its words, they will get good out of it. The Bible is right only because of the truth that is in it and to see this truth demands close attention. A verse must be read and re-read and read again before the wondrous message of love and power that God has put into it begins to appear. Words must be turned over and over in the mind before their full force and beauty takes possession of us. One must look a long time at the great masterpieces of art to appreciate their beauty and understand their meaning, and so one, must look a long time at the great verses of the Bible to understand their beauty and understand their meaning.
When you read a verse in the Bible ask yourself...
What does it mean for me?
When that is answered ask yourself again: Is that all it means?
And don't leave it until you are quite sure that is all it means for the present.

You may come back at some future time and find it means yet a great deal more. If there are any important words in the verse weigh them, look up other passages where they are used, and try to get their full significance. God pronounces that man blessed who "meditates" on the Word of God "day and night.." (Psalms 1: 2, 3). An indolent skimming over a few verses or many chapters in the Bible is not meditation, and there is not much blessing in it. Jeremiah said: "Thy words were found and I did eat them." (Jeremiah 15:16). Nothing is more critical in eating than chewing. If one doesn't correctly chew his food, he is quite as likely to get indigestion as nourishment. Don't let anyone chew your spiritual food for you. Insist on doing it for yourself. Anyone can be a student who makes up their mind to. It is hard at first, but it soon becomes natural. I have seen very dull minds grow keen by holding them right down to the grindstone.

3. STUDY THE BIBLE TOPICALLY.

Take up the various subjects treated in the Bible, one by one, and go through the Bible and find what it has to say on these subjects. It may be important to know what the great men have to say on essential subjects; it is far more important to know what God has to say on these subjects. It is important also to understand all that God has to say. A great many people see a part of what God has to say--and usually, a very small part and so their ideas are very imperfect and one-sided. If they only knew all God had to say on the subject, it would be far better for them and their friends. The only way to understand all God has to say on any subject is to go through the Bible on that subject. To do this, it is not necessary to read every verse in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It would be slow work if we had to do that on every subject we took up. This would be necessary were it not for Topical Textbooks and Concordances. But in these, we have the results of the hard work of many minds. Here we have the various passages that bear on any subject brought together and classified for use so that now we can do in a few hours what would otherwise take months or years.

The topical method of Bible study is most straightforward, most fascinating and yields the most significant immediate results. It is not the only method of Bible study, and the one who pursues it exclusively will miss much of the blessing God has for them in Bible study. But it is an exciting and fruitful method of study. It is Mr. Moody's favorite method. It fills one's mind very full on any subject studied. Mr. Moody once gave several days to the study of "Grace." When he had finished, he was so full of the subject that he rushed out on the street and going up to the first man he met he said: "Do you know anything about Grace?" "Grace who," the man asked. "The Grace of God that bringeth salvation." And then Mr. Moody poured out upon that man the rich treasures he had dug out of the Word of God.

That is the way to master any subject and to get full of it. Go through the Bible and see what it has to say on this subject. This is easily done, use a Topical textbook like Torrey's New Topical Textbook read online here or download the PDF to your device here and turn to the subject. Suppose the subject you desire to study is "Prayer." You will be finding a long list of the various passages of Scripture that bear on this subject. Look them up one after another and study them carefully and see just what their teaching is. When you have gone through them you will know far more about prayer than you ever knew before, and far more than you could learn by reading any books that men have written about prayer, profitable as many of these books are.

Sometimes it will be necessary to look up other subjects that are closely related to the one in hand. For example, you wish to study what the teaching of God's Word is regarding the atonement. In this case, you will not only look under the heading "Atonement", but also under the heading "Blood", and under the heading "Death of Christ." To do this work, a concordance is not necessary, but it is often very benefical. For example, if you are studying the subject "Prayer," you can look up from the concordance the passages that contain the words "pray," "prayer," "cry," "ask," "call," "supplication," "intercession," etc. But the Topical Textbook will give most of the passages on any subject regardless of what the words used in the passage may be. You may want to download Torrey's New Topical Textbook zip file to your device here. (Instructions on opening zip files here.)

FOUR SUGGESTIONS TO TOPICAL STUDY OF THE BIBLE.

1. Be systematic.

Do not take up subjects for study at random. Have a carefully prepared list of the subjects you wish to know about and need to know about and take them up one by one, in order. If you do not do this, the probability is that you will have a few pet topics and will be studying these over and over until you get to be a crank about them, and possibly a nuisance. You will know much about these subjects, but about many other subjects equally important you will know nothing. You will be a one-sided Christian.

2. Be thorough.

When you take up a subject, do not be content to study a few passages on this subject, but find just as far as possible every passage in the Bible on this subject. If you see this is incomplete make additions of your own to it, with Bible helps here.

3. Be exact.

Find the exact meaning of every passage given in the Torrey's New Topical Textbook on any subject. The way to do this is simple. In the first place note the exact words used. In the next place get the precise meaning of the words used. This is done by finding how the word is used in the Bible. The Bible usage of the word is not always the common use of today. For example, the Bible use of the words "sanctification" and "justification" is not the same as the common use. Then notice what goes before and what comes after the verse. This will often settle the meaning of a verse when it appears doubtful. Finally, see if there are any parallel passages. The meaning of many of the most challenging passages in the Bible is made perfectly understandable by some other passages that throw light upon them. Then parallel passages are given in the margin of a good reference Bible, to buy a good study Bible go here.

4. Arrange the results of your topical study in an orderly way and write them down.

One should continuously use pen and paper in Bible study. When one has gone through a Topical Textbook on any subject, you will have a large amount of material, but you will want to get it into usable shape. The various passages given on any topic in the Torrey's New Topical Textbook are classified, but the classification is not always just the one best adapted to our individual use. Take for example the subject "Prayer." The classification of texts in the topic is very suggestive, but a better one for some purposes would be:

The passages given in a Topical Textbook would come under these headings. It is well to make a trial division of the subject before taking up the individual passages given and to arrange each passage as we take it up under the appropriate heading. We may have to add to the divisions with which we began as we find new passages. The best classification of passages for any individual is the one he makes for himself, although he will get helpful suggestions from others.

Below is a list of subjects that every Christian should study and study as soon as possible at
Torrey's New Topical Textbook here.

List of suggested Topics every Christian should know. Click on each subject to go to the Topical Textbook.

Find the exact meaning of every passage given in the Torrey's New Topical Textbook on any subject. You may want to download Torrey's New Topical Textbook zip file to your device here. (Instructions on opening zip files here.)

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