If a man does not have the indwelling spirit, he can't know anything about God.

Oh, I may think he knows some things, may try to figure some things out, but he can't really

truly know, not in the sense of knowing and living out that truth in life.

Welcome to Grace to You with John MacArthur. I'm your host, Phil Johnson. You'd never want to

discourage a person from reading the Bible, especially a non-Christian. Still, the Holy Spirit must open your

eyes. You need to be saved to understand scripture and to apply its truth to your

life. Even then, there are some things you need to know if you want to get all you can from God's

Word. Today, John MacArthur is going to show you the skills you need to cultivate to study

scripture effectively. And if you're already a serious Bible student, this series can help you

become even more proficient

and propel you to greater growth in the word. So follow along as John shows you how to study the Bible.

Who can study the Bible? You say, well, you've got to go to seminary, do you? What are the requirements?

Well, you've got to have a lot of books to do it. Well, I'm too new. I don't know.

Well, I've tried to figure it out, but boy, all those words are so tough. I don't understand it.

Well, my wife's good at it, but I'm lousy. Who can understand it? Lots of people purport to understand it.

They come and knock on your door and tell you they'll explain it to you. Who can understand the Bible? What are the requirements? Number one, who is able to understand the Bible only believers, only believers?

First of all, you have to be a Christian, a true Christian, a believer, born again, regenerated.

Say, well, you mean if you're not a Christian, you can't understand the Bible, that's right.

Let me show you that. First Corinthians chapter 2, verse 14. I want to work up to it a little bit,

so let me start in verse 10. This is a tremendous, tremendous insight. But God, now watch this,

hath revealed them unto us by His spirit. Now, them refers to God's truths, God's principles,

or God's revelation, or God's word. Who receives it? God hath revealed it unto us by His spirit.

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