We have been talking a lot in the last two weeks about Bible study, and we have a question

today about how to read scripture on a specific theme.

Rosemary in Kentucky asks this, Hi Pastor John, lately, a friend and I have been discussing

a specific topic that is prevalent throughout the New Testament.

I have not done much personal study on the topic, and my first thought was, I'll just

search for some articles about the topic on DesiringGod.org or the Gospel Coalition,

and find out what the Bible says about it that way.

Though I have tremendous respect for both organizations, thank you, and many others that

teach sound doctrine, I feel like I am taking the easy way out in reading the conclusions

other people have come to after studying the scriptures themselves.

So my question is this, how should I go about studying a topic in scripture in a comprehensive

way that would allow me to have a firm grasp on what the Bible has to say about a topic

without relying solely on the study and teaching others to establish my own understanding.

But to do this, where do I begin?

I love this question, because I think many people sell themselves short when it comes to

what they are able to glean from the scriptures for their own spiritual enrichment and depth

and for their life in a complicated, morally complex world.

I think most of us doubt our capacities to find answers for ourselves, and others of

us are lazy, this is to be honest, and we want somebody else to do the work for us, and

so we try to get a quick answer from somebody else rather than do it ourselves with rigorous

study.

I mean, it is remarkable, I think, that the Bible, by and large, says it's not going to give

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