Hebrew Bible Study Methodology: Understanding the Scriptures as They Were Written

It is the goal, or it should be the goal, of every serious Christian to learn to effectively study the Bible. Effective Bible study can be defined as the ability to do independent research in the Bible without the aid of commentaries. Hebrew is the foundation stone on which the Old Testament revelation was given to man. This was the linguistic vehicle that God chose to reveal Himself and His plan, for not only the Jew, but also for all of mankind. It is an accepted fact that a person cannot study the Old Testament in depth without a working understanding of the language of Hebrew. The same could and should be said about the New Testament because of certain facts that remain constant. Every single writer of the New Testament, with the possible exception of Luke, was a native speaker of a Semitic language. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is a Jewish manuscript. It is a book written by Jews, to Jews, not only pointing the way for a Jewish Messiah, but also showing how Jesus fulfilled the role as the Jewish Messiah. It is impossible to separate the way a person thinks from what he writes. It can be said then that the New Testament is Hebraic thought that has been clothed in Greek garments. In order to effectively see these thought patterns, a person must have at least some ability to handle Hebrew to unlock the rich storehouse of knowledge that is available to us as we study the New Testament.