Some simple steps that transformed my Bible study and preaching. 

Hendricks taught at Dallas Theological Seminary for more than sixty years. Many of the pastors and teachers we admire today were trained by him. I believe he was one of the greatest teachers of Bible study in our lifetime. 

His book Living by the Book has shaped my approach to Scripture more than any other practical resource. When I was in seminary, there were Hermeneutics classes and books, but this one helped me slow down, ask better questions, and see the text the way the original audience would have seen it.
Hendricks reminds readers that the Bible was written in real places, to real people, in real situations. When we understand that world, the meaning of the text becomes clearer and richer.

One of his most famous lines changed the way I handle Scripture: “A text without a context is a pretext.”
A pretext is a false idea, a wrong conclusion, or an invented meaning that we read into the Bible instead of receiving what God actually said. I am afraid there is so much of this going on in churches today. 

In other words, if we pull a passage out of where it lives, we can make it say almost anything. When we read the Bible the way it was meant to be read, the message becomes powerful and we understand the message God intended for us in it.

If you want to grow in your understanding of Scripture, it is a great book to read. It is simple and practical, and it will help you study the Bible with confidence. You can find it through any major bookseller by searching the title and his name and I will list a link from Amazon at the end. 

It's a 400-page book, so there's much more, but here are the basic steps Hendricks taught. These are simple, and they can change your Bible reading tomorrow morning if you will apply them. 

Simple Steps for Better Bible Reading

1. Observe the text

Ask: What do I see?
• Read the passage several times.
• Look for key words.
• Notice repeated ideas.
• Mark verbs.
• Identify contrasts.
• Watch for cause and effect.
• Note anything that surprises you.
• Track the flow of the argument.

The more you see, the more you will understand.

2. Understand the context

Ask: What is happening here?
• Identify the writer.
• Identify the audience.
• Learn about their setting. Learn about the place they were.
• See how the passage fits the chapters around it.
• Understand the purpose of the book.
• Ask how the paragraph supports that purpose.

This one step can change the way you read Scripture.

3. Interpret the meaning

Ask: What did this mean to them
• Identify the author’s main point.
• Connect the paragraph to the book’s theme.
• Look for clear statements.
• Compare Scripture with Scripture.
• Identify the timeless truth being taught.
• What does the passage emphasize about God’s character?
• What does the author show about God’s actions?
• What truth about God anchors the meaning of this text?

When you understand what it meant to them, you can understand what it means for us.

4. Apply the truth

Ask: What do I do with this?
• Identify what needs to change in your thinking.
• Identify what needs to change in your choices.
• Look for a clear step of obedience.
• Consider how this forms your character and habits.
• Put the truth into practice today.

Application becomes clearer and more accurate when we let the text speak for itself first.

Try it today! 

You do not need to be a scholar to grow. You do not need to know Greek or Hebrew to read with confidence. You only need to slow down, ask good questions, and respect the context.

These four steps can transform your Bible reading right now.
If you want to go deeper, Living by the Book is a great tool! 

My prayer is that you will see Scripture more clearly, love Jesus more deeply, and walk with Him more closely as you study His Word.