William W. Klein - Handbook for Personal Bible Study

Theres nothing more exciting than seeing a person become interested really interested in the Bible for the first time. But getting started in a relationship with God through his Word can easily become frustrating and overwhelming. In Handbook for Personal Bible Study, William Klein gives us a concise, relatable field guide to the foundational purpose and practice of Bible study. Every pastor, disciplemaker, and new Christian will benefit from having this book on their shelf.

REV. NICOLE UNICE, pastor, host of How to Study the Bible podcast, and author of Help! My Bible Is Alive!

The Bible was written for us, but it wasnt written to us. Though we readily understand were not Israelites living thousands of years ago, we commonly forget this important fact... and because of it, studying the Scriptures can feel daunting and confusing. Thankfully, books like the Handbook for Personal Bible Study give us tools to dive in without our eyes glazing over and our heads spinning. From understanding why various versions are translated (and for what purpose) to learning to delve into the ever-important historical and cultural background surrounding a passage, Klein gives us insight and methods to live a life of wisdom that isnt spoon-fed to us from others but given straight from the Bible itself.

TERESA SWANSTROM ANDERSON, author of the Get Wisdom Bible Study series

NavPress is the publishing ministry of The Navigators, an international Christian organization and leader in personal spiritual development. NavPress is committed to helping people grow spiritually and enjoy lives of meaning and hope through personal and group resources that are biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical.

For more information, visit NavPress.com.

Handbook for Personal Bible Study

First edition 2008 by Dr. William W. Klein. Revised edition 2021 by William W. Klein. All rights reserved.

A NavPress resource published in alliance with Tyndale House Publishers.

NavPress and the NavPress logo are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO. Tyndale is a registered trademark of Tyndale House Ministries. Absence of in connection with marks of NavPress or other parties does not indicate an absence of registration of those marks.

The Team: David Zimmerman, Acquisitions Editor; Deborah Howell, Copy Editor; Olivia Eldredge, Operations Manager; Julie Chen, Designer

Unless otherwise noted, cover images are from Adobe Stock and the property of their respective copyright holders, and all rights are reserved. Book icon Graficriver; compass icon Vector Icons; magnifier icon vectorchef; marker swoosh by Julie Chen Tyndale House Ministries; coffee stains KsushaArt/Shutterstock; paper texture Zeppelin Graphic/Design Cuts; grunge texture Kim Klaassen/Design Cuts.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked CEB are taken from the Common English Bible, copyright 2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked CSB are taken from the Christian Standard Bible, copyright 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible and CSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the (NASB) New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Excerpts from Discipleship Journal are used by permission of The Navigators. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from The Navigator Bible Studies Handbook 1974, 1979, 1994 by The Navigators are used by permission of NavPress, represented by Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Some of the anecdotal illustrations in this book are true to life and are included with the permission of the persons involved. All other illustrations are composites of real situations, and any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Tyndale House Publishers at , or call 1-855-277-9400.

ISBN 978-1-64158-268-1

For more information, visit NavPress.com.

ISBN 978-1-64158-270-4 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-64158-271-1 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-64158-269-8 (Apple)

Build: 2021-06-29 09:43:12 EPUB 3.0

I dedicate this book to a mentor of many years, a servant of God whose life blessed many hundreds if not thousands of men and women over the course of his long life, Dr. Vernon C. Grounds.

I first heard Dr. Grounds give a lecture at Wheaton College when I was an undergraduate, and he was one of the reasons I chose to attend Denver Seminary as a student. Over the course of several years, when I needed to make key decisions in discerning my vocation, Vernon supplied a willing ear and wise counsel. What a delight to have him welcome me to the Denver Seminary faculty, where we served together until his death in 2010. He was one of my prized mentors over the course of many years. I know of no more convincing evidence of the power of Gods Word in a human life than Vernon Grounds. The Scriptures were part of the very makeup of his life. Through his preaching, teaching, counseling, and leading, Vernon Grounds exemplified a life committed to God and Gods Word.

T HE B IBLE HAS ALWAYS occupied a central place in my life. When I was growing up, my parents were members of churches that preached and taught the Bible. At the early age of seven, I decided to follow Jesus myself with the encouragement of a childrens Bible teacher. My mother was an outstanding lay Bible scholar, effectively teaching children and adults throughout her life in the days when conservative churches didnt always encourage women to be teachers.