My Method of Simple Study

When it comes to reading and studying the Scriptures, your theology, philosophy, and worldview inevitably affect how you interpret and understand what you read. Because of that, I want to be clear about my own Method of Simple Study—the grid I consciously use when I open the Bible.

I approach the Scriptures very simply. If someone handed me a book and said, “This book is true,” then I would approach that book on its own terms until I had clear reason to believe otherwise.

In the same way, I take the Scriptures as they present themselves: the words of God, given by inspiration to the men of God, who wrote them down—as men to the rest of mankind—and faithfully preserved by God for all humanity.

My Method

I may be considered a little unorthodox in my methods, but there is a method to the madness. I do what I do for reasons, and those reasons are principles I try to adhere to.

Each principle answers a very simple question: If this really is God speaking, how should I read what He said?

1. Keep it within the given narrative.

The Scriptures are presented as a true narrative of reality. I do not start with a “systematic theology” grid and then force the text to fit that system; I take my theology from the narrative in which it is actually presented in the text.

The Scriptures I hold are the translated Word of God, narrated to man by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost. It is a story in that it is His story, but it cannot be allegorized away as nothing but mere stories. It is God's narrative of reality, which He teaches us through historical events, parables, poetry, and prophecies.

All of those point to one Truth—the Truth—Jesus Christ. To understand God's Word as He gave it, we must accept it exactly as He gave it, inside the flow of the story He is telling.

"God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."
— Romans 3:4

This is why I care so much about context. If God is true—even when every man disagrees—then I want my assumptions, systems, and traditions to bow to the narrative He actually gave, not the one I wish He had given.

2. Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Yes, I hold very stubbornly to the K.I.S.S. principle.

"The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."
— Psalm 119:130

If a simple person cannot grasp the plain sense of a message, then whatever that message is, it is not the way God normally speaks to His people. There will always be those who refuse to understand and those who reject what they do understand—but the simple can understand the words that God gives.

The entrance of God's words brings light and gives understanding to the simple. Those who wax eloquent on the “deep mysteries of the secret things” often end up flattering their own illusion of depth (Proverbs 26:12; Proverbs 28:11). God's Truth works at a level that confounds the “wise” of this world and makes the simple wise.

"Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness."
— 1 Corinthians 3:18–19

"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."
— Psalm 19:7

If an alleged “truth” can only survive in complicated explanations, technical loopholes, and theological gymnastics, I do not treat it as the Truth of God. The natural man cannot receive spiritual things, but the simple man can understand the words of God. Those are not the same thing.

My aim is: if a doctrine is really from God, it ought to be explainable in clear words, traceable in plain texts, and graspable by an honest, humble reader without a seminary degree.

3. Keep it grammatical.

The Scriptures are a narrative, and I read them like a narrative. I want to understand each thought as it is actually given, not as I have been trained to skip, slice, or rearrange it.

So in practice, I try to:

• Ignore chapter and verse numbering in interpretation; they were added later for reference and do not define narrative context.
• Follow the author’s thoughts and natural flow as written.
• Read each complete sentence as a unit of thought, even across numbered verses or chapters.
• At times, put each natural pause or clause on a new line to help with reading comprehension.
• Carefully identify pronoun references so I know who is doing what to whom.
• (Personal preference) Capitalize all pronoun references to the Godhead, and treat Hell and Heaven as proper places, to emphasize their literal existence.

This is not about being clever; it is about slowing down enough to let the grammar tell me what God is actually saying before I rush to what I think He must be saying.

4. Keep it Christ-centered.

I believe the Scriptures are about Jesus Christ from start to finish (Luke 24:27). I am often tempted—like everyone else—to read the Bible as if I am the main character and the text is primarily about my story, my needs, and my questions.

But the Scriptures are Christ-centered, not me-centered. If I start with the wrong focal point, I will end up with distorted conclusions, even if my intentions are good.

So when I study, I try to ask:

• What does this reveal about Christ—His person, His work, His kingdom?
• How does this fit into God’s larger redemptive story, not just my private devotional moment?

Keeping Christ at the center is not a slogan; it is a guardrail that keeps my interpretations from drifting into “nice ideas” that no longer match the storyline God actually wrote.

My Goal

My ultimate goal is to pursue and obtain truth. That is why I study the way I do.

The Scriptures command:

"Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding."
— Proverbs 23:23

This proverb exposes several realities that shape my approach:

• Truth will cost you.
  Seeking out, obtaining, and believing Truth will always cost something. Everyone wants to be “right,” but not everyone actually wants Truth. In my own life, real conviction has cost me pride and sometimes relationships, comfort, and opportunities. If Truth is really from God, it is worth that price—but I still have to decide to pay it.

• Truth can be given up.
  Being offered Truth does not mean I accept it; possessing Truth does not mean I cannot later reject it. I am capable of selling out the Truth for a convenient lie, a comfortable status quo, or a cherished tradition. So I have to guard against that. When the cost of Truth rises, I have to ask: Am I about to trade it away?

• The same applies to wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
  Wisdom, instruction, and understanding are not decorations; they are things I must “buy” and then refuse to “sell.” How I handle Scripture—what I do with what I see—is part of that price.

Because of this, I am not interested in building my faith on theories, conspiracies, traditions, or assumptions. I want to pursue Truth. I want to possess Truth. And, by God’s grace, no matter the cost, I want to “buy” it rather than sell it.

The Spirit of God is the One who leads into all truth (John 16:13), and it is upon Him that I rely. To have Truth is to have Jesus Christ, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and the only way to the Father is through Him. My method is simple on purpose, because the point is not to showcase how clever I can be with the text, but to hear—clearly and honestly—what God has actually said.