Making Sense of the Bible
Truly one of the greatest gifts God has given us today is the Scriptures. As we grow in other areas, we also need to grow in our ability to understand the Bible. There are three basic questions to keep in mind when reading the Scriptures.

What's Happening?
Every book of the Bible was written by a human author in a particular historical situation. Though under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21), each author had a particular occasion for writing his book. For instance, Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to address some problems and questions regarding the church in Corinth.

The place to begin a study of any book is to examine what it says about the occasion in which it was written. This can be gleaned from incidental remarks as well as specific things that may be mentioned by the author. While this is easier for some books (the epistles, for instance) than for others, it is the beginning point in the study of any book.

What's The Point?
After seeing the occasion of a specific book, we must see what the author is saying about it. Since he is writing for a specific occasion, we would expect everything in his book to relate to that occasion. For instance, 1 Corinthians 13 isn't a stand- alone definition of love but rather an instruction to the Corinthians showing them their lack of love for one another in dealing with their various issues.

Some practical hints here:

1. Read the whole book in one sitting, just like any letter you would receive. Get the big picture.
2. Discard your preconceptions about what the book says. Read what the author wrote, not what you think he wrote!
3. Keep asking questions of the text: How does this relate to the main idea? Why did he say this? Why did he say it the way he said it? It's a good idea to jot all of these things down as you study, either in the margin of your Bible or on a separate sheet of paper. These notes will come in handy when you go to apply a Scripture to your life today.

Conclusion
By asking "What's Happening?" "What's the Point?" and "What's the Connection?" we can open up new horizons in our own personal Bible study and be able to discern God's will for us today. In this way we can "correctly handle the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

Consider the questions about the book of Titus:

1. What are the facts? Who is the author? Who is the recipient? Who are the other people mentioned in the book? What places are mentioned in the book? In what situation do the recipients seem to be? What other facts are pertinent?
2. What is the main topic of the letter? What are some sub-topics of the letter? (Note- each sub-topic must relate to the main topic.)
3. What’s the Connection- What situations today do we face that are like the situations the author is addressing?