HOW TO READ THE BIBLE — a short course from Dardanelle Missionary Baptist Church • Pastor Chuck Trusty • Lesson 1 of 12 • a new lesson every two weeks
The Verse
"There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." — John 3:1-2
The Question
How do we start reading a Bible verse? Not with a commentary. Not with an expert. We start the way a good news reporter starts — by asking five simple questions: WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? And around those five runs a fence called CONTEXT — the story the verse lives inside.
Let us try the questions on the verse above. Watch something wonderful: this verse answers every one of them in its own words.
The Tool — walked together
WHO? The verse tells us three times over: a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. We did not have to guess one letter of it.
WHAT? He came to Jesus and spoke to Him. Stated plainly.
WHEN? By night. Two words, right in the verse.
WHERE? To Jesus — wherever Jesus was staying in Jerusalem. (The chapter before tells us He was there for the passover.)
WHY? Nicodemus answers this one with his own mouth: "we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." He came because the miracles convinced him this Teacher was from God.
Five questions. Five answers. All of them sitting right on the surface of the text. That is how most of the Bible works — the Book wants to be understood.
Now, one small bonus, to show where the questions can lead. Look again at WHEN: by night. A ruler of the Jews — a member of the religious council — coming to Jesus in the dark, when nobody would see him. The verse never says the word "afraid" or "careful." But the question WHEN just introduced us to a man who was curious about Jesus — and cautious about being seen. The questions do not just gather facts. Sometimes they open a window into a man's heart.
And one rule to carry through this whole course: if a question box ever stays empty, that is not failure. That is the Book inviting us to read further. The empty box is the shovel — it shows us where to dig.
ONE WORD
Look at what Nicodemus called Jesus: RABBI. That word means teacher — a title of honor, the word students used for a master of the Scriptures. Now feel the weight of the verse: Nicodemus was himself a ruler and a teacher in Israel — Jesus says so later, in verse 10: "art thou a master of Israel?" So here is a teacher of teachers, coming at night, and calling a carpenter's son from Nazareth "my teacher." One word — and the verse grows a whole size larger.
Try It This Week
Here is your verse. It is one sentence, and it will answer the questions almost by itself:
"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." — Mark 1:35
Ask your five questions. WHO is "he"? (Read verse 34, one verse back — the fence called context will tell you.) WHAT did He do? WHEN — the verse says it twice; look for both. WHERE? And WHY — this box may stay partly empty. Good. Read on from verse 35 to verse 39 and see what the quiet morning prayer was getting Him ready for.
Next lesson, in two weeks: reading the WHOLE verse — and the half of a famous verse most folks never quote.
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