- Have a plan. People often chose random chapters to read when they open the Bible. This approach is confusing and doesn’t allow the authors points to be seen, nor does it allow the characters stories to develop. Having a plan means that you’re going to start at the beginning of a book (like Mark, Acts, Genesis, etc.) and read that book through, completely without jumping around to other books. This approach gives you the chance to hear what the author of that book intended you to hear. You have the benefit of seeing the story unfold, the characters develop, and the lessons to be seen in full context. This approach makes your time in the Word more productive.
- Start with prayer. I start by praying Psalm 119:18. This is a prayer that asks the Holy Spirit for help in discerning God’s spiritual Word as I read it. It’s a prayer that acknowledges that I need his help to make sense of what I’m about to read, so that my time in the Word is more fruitful. Approach the Word with a teachable spirit.
- Study the Word. Don’t just read it, take it slow and ask questions. Come with paper and pen ready for notes and ask questions when you read. Here’s a few examples of how to look deeper into the text.
- Is there something to praise God for?
- Is there a sin to confess?
- Is there a promise to claim?
- Is there a command to keep, or an action step to take?
- Is there a doctrine that I need to trust?
- Is there a verse I need to memorize?
- Know the basics. Every passage of scripture has one assertion – the author’s point. But, each passage can have endless applications. So, within each passage ask yourself three fundamental Bible study questions…
Obervation – What did the author say?
Interpretation – What did the author mean?
Application – How does this apply to me?
- Interpret Scripture with Scripture. Famous preacher R.C. Sproul writes, “We must not set one passage of Scripture against another passage. Each text must be understood not only in light of its immediate context, but also in light of the context of the whole of Scripture.” When we look at Scripture as one big story, all inspired by God, we start to see it more clearly. For instance, if you’re reading Matthew and you want to know what the word “servant” means, see how Matthew uses the word servant in other places in Matthew. Beyond that, see how it’s used in other books within that same testament, in Matthew’s case it’s the New Testament. Lastly, see how servant is used in Old Testament books.
- Meditate on the Word. Biblical meditation isn’t about emptying your mind, like some forms of meditation teach. Biblical meditation actually means to wrestle with the Word, to think and contemplate about what it means and how it applies. There are many ways one can meditate on the Word; write it down, pray through it, memorize it, sing it, write about it, etc.
- Seek wisdom from others. It’s important to have people in your life that are ahead of you spiritually, that you can learn from, ask questions from, etc. For example, God has called some to be pastors who preach. These individuals are regular students of the Word that likely have had more time in the Word and a deeper understanding. Chaplains, pastors, spiritual mentors and counselors are important to take good questions to, and to be challenged by.
Originally the Bible didn’t have chapters and verses. In the thirteenth century the Bible was divided into chapters, 1189 chapters in all. Later, in the sixteenth century, chapters were divided into verses. The chapter and verse system are a practical way for readers to navigate the Bible. An easy way to study the Bible is by using the chapter summary method. This method offers a more organized approach then just randomly picking a portion of the Bible to read. The chapter summary method is easy to learn, doesn’t take much time, and doesn’t require any outside tools like reference books or the internet. This method is meant to give you a general understanding of any Bible chapter. Below is a summary of this method as provided by Pastor Rick Warren.
Things you’ll need – Bible, pen, paper.
Before starting – Pray for discernment, using Psalm 119:18, “Open my eyes, that I may behold the wonderful things from Your law.”
Reading – Read through the chapter several times before doing anything. This gets you more acquainted with the chapter and you’ll be amazed at what you notice with each additional reading. The more times you read it, the better. Additionally, it’s best to read from a Bible without any notes or highlighting from prior studies. Older notations tend to redirect our thinking and hinder us from a fresh perspective. As you read through the chapter several times, don’t stop to take any notes, just read. Time for questions and notations will come. Let the chapter flow as it was intended to flow, as though the original author was reading it aloud to his audience. You might also try reading it from more than one version if you have multiple versions available. Doing so broadens your insight as to what the author might be trying to say, and when you read a chapter several times, different versions keep you from reading ahead of yourself in your mind as you start to anticipate what is going to be said next.
Note Taking – Below are ten things that will become the body of your chapter summary, broken up into ten easy steps.
Caption – This is a short descriptive title for the chapter. The fewer words the better. This is something that helps you job your memory about what this chapter is about. Try using a key word from the chapter as part of your title.
Contents – This is noting the major points of the chapter. Depending on your own personal writing style you might choose to make a list, an outline, or provide a short descriptive summary. Here, you’re not trying to interpret the chapter, you’re just make observations about what it says.
Chief People – List the most important people and make simply notations as to who they are, why they are included, and what’s significant about them. If the chapter you’re reading happens to be in the middle of a story, and the people in your chapter are simply referred to as he/she/they/them, then you’ll have to flip back a chapter or two to get their specific names. And if the chapter you’re studying happens to contain a genealogy, just give a summary of what the genealogy is (example – “David’s family” or “Israel’s army”).
Choice Verse – Pick the verse that best summarizes the whole chapter, or one that grabs you personally.
Crucial Word(s) – Note the key word or words. Maybe the most critical word is one that is used the most, other times it’s used only once but it still carries the most importance.
Challenges – List any difficulties you may have with the passage. Are there any statements you don’t understand? Is there any problem or question you would like to study further? Often while doing a chapter summary you will get ideas for other types of studies you may want to do in the future. A question about a doctrinal matter might motivate you to do a topical study on that particular teaching.
Cross-References – Using the cross-references in your study Bible, look up other verses that help clarify what the chapter is talking about and list them on your form. Ask the question, what else in the Bible helps me understand this chapter? Cross-references are important because they are helpful tools in interpreting the meaning of a chapter; they enable you to see what the Bible as a whole has to say on any given teaching.
Christ Seen – The entire Bible is a revelation of the person of Jesus Christ. As you study each chapter, be alert for statements that tell you something about Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, or God the Father. Ask yourself, what can I learn about the nature of Jesus from this chapter? What attributes of God in Christ are illustrated here?
Central Lesson – Write down the major principles, insights, and lessons you learn from this chapter. Ask yourself, why does God want this passage in the Bible? What does he want to teach me from this chapter? What is the central thought the writer is trying to develop?
Conclusion – This is the application portion of your study. How do these truths apply to me personally? What specifically am I going to do about them?