How To Study The Bible Guide

[Prince Aboubakar]

Nomatter where you are in your bible study journey, whether you are just starting out or wanting to get back to basics, I hope you will find this guide on how to study the bible helpful and encouraging!

The Bible is a story of God and His people. These are real men and women, just like us, living out their faith and facing challenges. We witness their strengths and weaknesses. And when we study their histories, we see that God can do amazing things in and through ordinary people.

The Bible is a living and dynamic text. Opening in prayer reminds us that God continues to teach and connect with us through His Word. Prepare your heart by asking the Holy Spirit to guide and inspire your study and interpretations.

Most study Bibles have introductions written by the editors to help you understand the author, audience, date, context, and major themes of each book. This sets the stage for what comes after and can give you a better perspective on your reading.

This is where we get to have some fun interacting with the text. There are different methods we can use to open up our reading. Choose what feels right for you. When you study this passage another time, try a different approach and see how that changes your understanding. Explore my top 3 bible study methods in the following section.

Begin by reading a short passage out loud. Our Bible was meant to be heard. These stories originated in the oral tradition, passed down from generation to generation. I sincerely believe that reading our Bible aloud helps us become more active participants in the story.

ii. Use the cross-references list. These cross-reference notes are often found alongside the biblical text. They direct our attention to another place in the Bible where we can find a similar theme. Many topics are repeated in the Bible. Using the cross-reference allows us to explore these topics as a whole. How does comparing your passage with other passages change your interpretation?

Let the passage speak for itself: We often think the bible is something mysterious and spend a lot of time looking for hidden meanings! Trust in the message the Spirit is telling you. Interpret symbolic language in its historical context as the author intended its use. And although it can be difficult, try not to read your own opinions into the text.

The last step in the Inductive Bible Study method is to apply our interpretations to our everyday life. How can you put the message you have received into action? How does this revelation change your attitudes and opinions? What have you learned about your relationship with God and other people?

The concordance at the back of your study Bible is a great place to start. A concordance is an alphabetized list of words found in the Bible and the main scriptural passages they can be found. You can also look topics up online. Check out this list of online concordances from biblestudytools.com, just remember, a concordance is translation specific so be sure to pick the one that matches your Bible. Some Bibles also include cross-reference notes in the margins next to each passage. Another interesting study can be comparing the same verses in different Bible translations!

Now take some time to explore each of your passages in context. Read the verses that come before and after. Ask questions about who the author is, who they were speaking to, and their purpose in writing.

Summarize the main points in each passage. Reflect on your notes and consider the relationship between these verses and their meaning as a whole. What is God telling you about this subject? Note what is the same and what is different! These differences can give you a more nuanced understanding.

As mentioned above, a Bible Concordance is a reference tool that lists in alphabetical order words found in the Bible and their Biblical references. For instance, if you wanted to learn more about doves in the Bible, your concordance would lead you to passages like Matthew 3:16 and Genesis 8:8. Most study Bibles have a condensed concordance in the pages at the back. This is a great resource! For more intensive topical Bible Studies, a separate and fuller Bible Concordance can help you explore less common topics. Again, just remember that concordances are specific to your Bible translation and purchase one to match.

A Bible Dictionary can be another helpful reference tool in your Bible Study Basket. You can use your dictionary to understand more about the people, customs, events, and words you come across in your reading. They will often include not only a concise definition of the word but articles that go deeper to help us fully understand related topics, Hebrew or Greek origins, and pronunciation guides.

Get a new perspective by adding a devotional or stand-alone guide to your bible study. You may want to explore an in-depth study of a Bible book like in the Ecclesiastes: Wisdom For Living Well Guide by Courtney Joseph, or follow a devotional with reflection questions and a daily reading plan like The Bible in 52 Weeks: A Yearlong Bible Study for Women by Dr. Kimberley Moore, or be inspired by biblical figures in studies like Elijah: Faith and Fire by Priscilla Shirer. The possibilities are endless! Just do a search for Bible study guides on Amazon or ChristianBook.com for some ideas.

When it comes to studying your Bible you want to read with a pen in hand so that you can take notes. You want to be able to keep track of what you are learning, questions that you have, and things you want to study more in-depth.

Thought-for-thought translations aim to stick close to the overall meaning of each sentence/paragraph in Hebrew/Greek. These are usually easier to read/understand than word-for-word translations. Some popular thought-for-thought translations are New International Version (NIV) and New Living Translation (NLT).

Paraphrase translations focus on getting the jist of the sentence/passage and conveying it in a way that is easy to understand. This is by far the easiest type of bible to read and understand but may not be the most accurate. A popular paraphrase bible is The Message.

Is there something you just want to learn more about? I have done this many times. Just last year, I wanted to learn all I could about prayer. I wanted to know what God said about prayer and what was the right way to pray. I looked up every verse that I could find on the topic of prayer.

The OT is a great place to start because it tells the beginning of the gospel story. The accounts and biblical principles found in Genesis are key to your faith. Taking the time to dig into the first few books of the bible will give you a great foundation for further study. I would start with Genesis and Exodus then maybe Joshua. If you are new to the bible save Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy for after you build up some confidence in your study skills.

You will read the same account (in different books) several times studying this way and have to do a lot of jumping around in the old testament. But having that big-picture view of biblical history is well worth the extra effort.

Verse mapping was one of the first methods I tried when I decided to study without a guide or videos. It was pretty simple to understand and get started. Basically, you take a verse and look up each word. Then you take those definitions and plug them back into the verse.

Instead of skipping over what you missed, simply pick up where you left off. If you left off in your 7-week study on week 3, and this study is over, then just start where you left off and work forward.

LaToya Edwards is the host of the Peace-Filled Mind podcast and an Emotional Resilience coach. She works with highly sensitive and introverted Christian women who want to find peace during hard times to build emotional resilience and deepen their relationship with God.

It has taken me a while to figure out a Bible study method I really love. My method is still ever-changing. However, I will share it with you in case you wanted to take it and modify it to suit your Bible study needs.

Next, I dive right in and read through the passage first without highlighting or taking notes. I want to get an overview of what the passage is saying before I try to look for details. As I am reading, I do make a mental note of anything that stands out so I can come back to it later.

After this, I take a look at the historical context surrounding the passage. What was going on when it was written? Who was it written to? When was it written? Where was it written? You can discover some of the historical context right in the passage itself but there are also historical resources you can use to get a deeper understanding of the social/political/economic climate the passage was written in.

I study one book at a time, instead of skipping around. This helps me to fully grasp the meaning of the book overall and how each chapter relates its message. I am currently studying the New Testament and have been doing so for about a year. I go in the canonical order and finish one book before going to another.

I love this.

The bible is full of unimaginable mystery that can only be uncovered during bible study. I am currently challenging myself to read the whole bible in three months and I tell you the youversion app came handy

Am actually a newborn in Christ Jesus,my prayer life now is a miracle but want to know more about my Jesus by reading His word but dont know where to start from ,l think am going to try this method of yours .so help me God to be a lover of your word.

Hi Emily! There are many good places to start. You could choose a book of the Bible and begin there, or you can begin in the New Testament with Matthew. You can even start in Genesis! Best wishes as you embark on this journey.

Thank you for the advice. Am reading the Bible through in a year on New Vision app. My problem is the Journaling am not consistent in doing it. I am not one to write things down when I know it will help me become better at getting a better understanding.

3a8082e126