Thank you for question on a teaching material, “What is ‘Help Me Understand the Bible’ about?” This a book written by Clarence Whetstone.
I did a quick search on the title of this book by the author and wasn’t able to see the table of content. Thus, I can’t give a review of it. However, by looking at the title of the book, it is a how to study the Bible. I am assuming that it will share steps to understanding the Bible.
There are many books online. Each author writes from a certain theological perspective, including myself. Caution must be taken in reading or buying books.
There are several steps in reading or studying Scripture:
A. Read the biblical text.
Here I would suggest reading the text slowly two times, if not more. It is asking the Spirit of God to open your eyes and heart to understand the text. As one read the Bible chapter or text, one has to observe the text.
B. Observation on the biblical text.
As one is reading the chapter of the Bible, ask oneself, “How does the author unfold the context of the passage. It’s asking, “Who, What, where, When, How, and How Come?” It’s seeking to find the main subject and verb of the sentences, the main topic for each section of the chapter. This may involve circling key words/phrases, words that is unclear to you, try to summarize the chapter in your own words in one sentence.
C. Interpretation of the biblical text.
With the questions that you have noted, it’s time to do interpretation. It is seeking to understand the text. This comes about by looking more closely at the preceding and following verses that may give insight as to what the author is writing about. It’s looking at the context and the content of the passage.
For example, in John 3:16 when the text says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Some of the interpretation question, may be like this, “When Jesus says, God, who is he referring to or what is this God like in the Bible? The interpretative question can be, “What is love and what kind of love does God has? What does it say about his attribute and how he feels about the world? The words, the world, needs interpreting. Is God saying that he loves the physical, material world, the living creatures of the earth, the people of the world or the Universe?
There are a lot more questions that one can ask, so I am just giving a taste of it. It’s looking at each word carefully, trying to understand the structure of the sentence and then asking what does it mean?
D. Application of the biblical text.
The most critical step in reading or Bible study is the application of the biblical text. By application, one is asking, “So what?” What does this have to do with me?” As one ponders Jhon 3:16, God says that he loves the world, does that include me? What is his desire for me? That I do not perish but have eternal life. How do I avoid “perishing” and receiving “eternal” life? It is received by faith. Does it mean the absence of good works or working my way to heaven? Do I believe God’s offer of salvation, or do I don’t believe God’s offer of salvation? A further question may be, “What is my part in letting other people know about God’s love for them, if I believe it? Don’t forget the Big Question of So What.
Are there authors that I can recommend? I suggest Go to a Christian Bookstore if there is one near you and look under Bible Study Tools. Christian Book Distributor is a publishing house that one can see the various authors. Again, my caution is reviewing several authors, read about the author’s background or the organization that he represents, his theological and biblical teachings on the Bible. Be careful and that includes me.
Summary: In regard to the writer, Clarence Whetstone’s book, I am unfamiliar with his writings. As a general principle, Bible study methods includes Reading, Observation, Interpretation, and Application. Don’t forget to look at the Context and the Content of the passage in detail. Confirm one’s conclusion by reading other writers to see where there is agreement or disagreement. It takes meditation on the passage. I hope my answer helps you in desire to know about the Bible.
-Kingston