Reading and studying the Bible are important disciplines for all Christians. But the concept of Bible study can be more elusive. In Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods, Warren starts out by saying;
I have discovered that most Christians sincerely want to study their Bibles on their own, but they just don’t know how.”
If you’re unsure of where to get started, we have several titles that will help.
Learning How
Take a look at How to Read the Bible Book by Book and How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart as good introductory resources.
Learn To Study The Bible by Andy Deane, and Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul are also helpful for picking up good Bible study tools and habits.
Study Bibles, like the NIV Study Bible Notes can provide notes, cross references and other insights into the text to help you. However, don’t get too bogged down with study books and miss out on the truths you can glean from digging into the text on your own.
Here are some things to keep in mind.
Context, Context, Context
Start by looking for the historical context: the author, style of writing, time period, audience and the historical background that surrounds the text. Then focus on the biblical context. Read the previous and subsequent chapters to get a full picture of the passage. Finally, look for how the passage is applicable to your life.
Absorb It
Read the passage through three times. Write down repeated words or phrases, metaphors, similes, exclamations or anything that stands out. If anything reminds you of another passage, look it up and compare. Pick out a couple of the repeated words and phrases for a quick word study, looking for other places those words are used in Scripture using a Strong’s Bible.
Retain It
Re-write the passage of Scripture in your own words, taking into account all of the work you’ve done up to this point. Then, summarize your study in three sentences or less. If you have a difficult time memorizing Scripture, you might find that re-writing the passage in your own words will help you to recall the verse, even if it isn’t exact.
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