Acts 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
The Ethiopian eunuch under Candace, was reading his Bible, but he was having difficulty understanding what he was reading. So, The Holy Ghost came upon the scene through the agency of Phillip, to grant the sincere seeker for truth the correct interpretation. The rest is history, because after his understanding was opened through study, he immediately sought to obey that which he was studying. That attitude is a key component of the prerequisites needed when approaching a study of the Bible.
In addition, the student of the scripture would have to be willing to surrender any preconceived ideas to the contrary, because the word of God should never be tailormade to suit one’s fancy, even if the truth may rub a person the wrong way. This will call for humility, with the seeker for truth being willing to be led by God in his or her research. God is a Spirit, and thus, the ways and means which are employed in secular study will never work when it comes to the study of the Bible.
There were experts of the scriptures in Christ’s day, who would ask of Him questions, and Jesus would be amazed at their ignorance and their utter lack of understanding, even though several certificates and doctoral achievements could be found, hanging in their offices. That is because, in many instances they only sought for a theoretical knowledge of the truth, without an intention to obey, and thus, they became pregnant with information but barren with interpretation and that is why Jesus was moved on one such occasion, to answer them, the way that He did.
Matthew 22:43 He saith unto them Why then does David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44 The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45 If David then calls him Lord, how is he his son? 46 And no man was able to answer him a word, neither did any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!