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In studying the words of the Bible, the preacher must be aware of how those words are being used. Sometimes, the Bible uses  “figures of speech”. These are different expressions that bring life and vitality to language. However, the Bible should always be taken literally unless the Bible itself makes it clear the passage in question is to be taken figuratively.

Among the figures of speech used in the Bible are the following.

• Simile - A simile is an imaginative comparison. It is usually signaled using words such as like, as or so.  “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:”, Matt. 13:24.
• Metaphor - A metaphor is like a simile, but it is an implied likeness. In other words, the comparison is made, but words such as like, as and so are not used. “Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.”, Matt. 5:13-14.
• Paradox - A paradox is defined as a “statement which appears contradictory, or is opposed to common sense, and yet, it is still true.” Jesus used many paradoxical statements in His teachings. He made statements so shocking to His hearers the truth was driven home in a unique way.  “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”, Matt. 16:25.
• Hyperbole - This is the use of an exaggeration to emphasize a truth. This is seen in the words of Jesus also, when He said, “And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”, Matt. 19:24.

We must also be aware of grammar. How do the words of any given passage relate one to another? Learn how to study verb tenses and know the difference between a conjunction and a pronoun. 

The preacher must also study the context of the passage. No Bible passage is isolated from any other. When studying any passage of Scripture, the preacher must see how it fits into its immediate context as well as how it fits into the whole of the biblical revelation. When the context is ignored, false doctrine is always the result.

We must never be guilty of lifting a paragraph, a verse, or even a single word out of its natural context.

Every verse in the Bible must be seen in its relationship to the whole Bible. One way to learn to study the Bible in its context is by becoming very familiar with the whole Bible. To help in this endeavor, a good Bible handbook, or survey, that explains the contents of the book and its place in the Bible is indispensable.

 Along those same lines, the interpreter must know what kind of literature he is dealing with as well. There are five basic kinds of literature found in the Bible. They are:

• Prose - This is the kind of language used in everyday speech. It is the kind of language that is used to describe events and in general conversation.
• Poetry - One-third of the Old Testament is poetry! While Hebrew poetry does not rhyme, there is a parallelism of thou

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The podcast is a ministry of Dr. Alan Carr and The Sermon Notebook (http://www.sermonnotebook.org)