If you ask evangelical seminary professors how to prepare to study the Bible, most will say, “Study Hebrew and Greek”; “Learn as many facts as you can about the Bible”; “Look up sound methods of interpretation.” Of course, preparing this way is valuable. There’s no substitute for learning facts about the Bible, and we should do our best to learn the principles of biblical interpretation. But focusing exclusively on this kind of preparation overlooks some of the most important ways we should get ourselves ready for interpreting the Bible.

Unlike most ancient books, the Bible is the living Word of God. So, in addition to having the right tools for interpretation, we also need to do our best to get rid of anything that gets in the way of our communion with God.

First, we need to do our best to make sure all our concepts or beliefs align with God’s true Word. Believing false things about God, humanity, and the world, creates obstacles to communion with God. So, in addition to focusing on this relatively narrow set of academic concepts, we should also long for all our thoughts to conform to the mind of God.

We also have to conform our behavior to God’s Word. In the Scriptures, doing things that are contrary to God’s will is one of the greatest barriers to experiencing the presence of God. Preparing to interpret the Bible requires our repentance over our failures and a sincere desire to behave in ways that please God.

In addition, we must prepare our emotions — from passing passions to our enduring feelings about God, human beings, and the rest of creation. The Scriptures frequently warn against pride, hatred, and hardness of heart. These and similar emotions are obstacles to entering God’s special presence. But humility, love, tenderness of heart, and things like that open the way for communion with God.

We see the idea of preparing for God’s presence in this way in James 4:8 where James wrote: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

Of course, God is everywhere, and he can make himself known in dramatic ways anytime he wishes. But James’ words reflect the biblical emphasis on human responsibility. As we prepare to interpret Scripture, we must draw near to God. And God will reciprocate by drawing near to us.