How I Study the Bible
How I study the Bible has changed over the years and I hope it will continue to change as the Word grows me into deeper maturity. However, I wanted to share my current study process in hopes that others may profit from it. As you study God’s Word remember that we are not saved according to our own righteousness, but we live on Christ’s righteousness alone. “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7). This knowledge should free you to begin every study session with prayers of love, gratitude, and joy.
That being said, let me also caution you– Do not only study the Bible when you feel like it. In fact, the times when you don’t feel like studying are probably the times you need to study the most. Do not follow your feelings. Your flesh and the Spirit within you are constantly at war (Galatians 5:17). A woman once told me she only did what was right when she felt like it because she didn’t want to be deceptive. She didn’t want to be doing good out of wrong motives, so she didn’t do the good at all. Oh, Believer, whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin (James 4:17). If you do not feel like doing what you know is right, then repent to God for your sin (He already knows your heart so don’t try to hide it from Him) and then do the thing you know to be right. Lead your wrong feelings with right actions.
In order to do this, I find it helpful to have a specific time in which I do my study every day. Pick a time when you are fresh and then structure your day around making it happen. Currently, my Bible study is the first thing I do in the mornings, but at other stages of life my Bible study time has been in the afternoons or in the evenings. There was even one stage when my study time was whenever my daughter took her first nap of the day. The point is, make it a consistent habit of your life.
I have referred a lot to my “study time” and before I talk about my study process let me remind you that as believers, we live our entire lives for the Lord and with the Lord. Don’t do a Bible study once a day and then be done until tomorrow. Return to Scripture regularly throughout your day. Listen to the Bible while you get ready and while you drive to work. Do a Bible class with your kids as part of their school. Review your memory verse. Have a family worship time in the evenings. Read books, watch sermon’s, listen to Christian music; always checking that these are lining up with the truths of Scripture (you cannot recognize lies if you haven’t first studied and learned truth for yourself). So, you need to set aside a specific time to study the Word of God every day, and you also need to saturate the rest of your day in the living Word of God.
That was a rather long introduction to my study process, but here it is:
I like to study one book at a time. I am not a fan of topical studies (though they do have their place) because I find that in topical studies I easily mis-interpret verses. However, when I study an entire book the context of the book itself keeps me accountable to a proper handling of the Word. I use my Bible, assorted pens, a notebook and I like a variation of the inductive study method.
First, I read the entire book to get context. I like to read it three times, once silently in my head, once aloud to myself, and once listening as it is read aloud to me (like through a Bible app). I absorb information differently when I read and when I listen, so reading a book in all three of these ways helps me absorb the most information possible.
Next, I ask questions and look for answers. To do this, I read the book again asking the 5W’s and an H; that is, I ask “Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.” For example, if the book is a letter I would ask, “Who wrote this book? Why did they write it? Where were they when they wrote it? Who did they write it to? What was happening in the life of the recipients at that time? How did the author expect the book to change the recipients’ lives or behaviors?” Be inquisitive. Ask questions and look for answers. Often you will find the answers to questions before you even think to ask the question. Write down what you learn and always use the words of Scripture. When you write using the words of scripture, rather than putting it into your own words, you will decrease errors in handling the Word of God.
Next, I look for key words and people. These may be words that are repeated over and over or people mentioned again and again. Or they may be words used only once, but that express a key truth of the book. Examples of key words are “suffering” in 2 Timothy, “kingdom of Heaven” in Matthew, and “know” in 1 John. I read through the book marking each of the key words in a distinctive way or color so I can easily identify them later and then I write a list of everything I learned about that word or person. For example, I always list in my notebook everything I learn about the character of God. You might find it helpful in this step to look up the Hebrew or Greek definitions of the key words. Greek especially is such a rich language that often the English tongue simply cannot translate it with any justice. There are many word study books and apps that will help you with these word definitions.
Next, I break the text down into sections and segments. Chapter and verse divisions were not in the original scripture text, they were added later. So, when studying scripture I like to ignore verse divisions and find the natural breaks in the flow of the text. Usually I do this by writing titles beside paragraphs in the margin of my Bible and by making larger segment titles. Some Bibles do this for you but I highly recommend buying a Bible like the “New Inductive Study Bible” that doesn’t add any of these titles and leaves you to observe them for yourself. Write your titles using the words of the text. You will remember the truths of Scripture so much better when you use the words of Scripture
Next, I look and see what verses I still don’t understand, and I look for answers in scripture by cross referencing. It is so easy to pick up my phone and quickly see what a reliable pastor says about the passage, or text message my parents (both amazing Bible teachers) and see how they explain it, but how do I know if any of these answers are true unless I have first looked for the answers in scripture for myself? Afterall, Scripture is the Only reliable interpreter of Scripture.
Next, I pick a key sentence or paragraph of the book to memorize. Through seasons of suffering I have learned the importance of this step. Hiding His word in your heart is critical. How can you meditate on, how can you obey, how can you live by what you do not know by heart?
Next, I fix my eyes on what I have learned (Psalm 119:6). Psalm frequently calls us to meditate on scripture day and night (psalm 1 for example). I feel the phrase “set your minds on” used in Colossians describes the action of what we are doing. “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:2-4).
Finally, I act accordingly. Or, I should say, I try to act accordingly (Romans 7:15-20). Consider your ways and turn your steps to His statutes (Psalm 119:59). Put to death that which is earthly in you, put them away because you no longer walk in them. Put off the old self with its practices and put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator. (Colossians3:5-10) Cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires (Romans 13:12-14). As you set your mind on Christ it is Christ who works these changes in you (Philippians 2:13). As you abide in Him, He produces the fruit (John 15:1-11). That is why throughout the entire process of studying, memorizing, setting your mind on, and acting on, you should also be praying, because apart from Him you can do nothing (John 15:5). He is the one who teaches us His statues (Psalm 119).
May the Lord bless your study of the Word.
*All Bible quotations are taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted.
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