Three Effective Methods to Study the Bible

Bible study was a mysterious activity for me for a long time. It is essential for spiritual growth so I found some effective methods to study. I’ve labeled them: good, better and best.

I will get to them in a minute but first we must cover some foundational concepts.

Your Bible

What version or translation are you reading? Nearly all translations are written from the original language. The Bible was originally composed in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Translators use the most ancient and reliable manuscripts available.

There are primarily two different philosophies when translating.

One is what is called dynamic equivalence which is a thought for thought translation. It updates ancient idioms into easily understood contemporary language. For example, in the New Testament, the word brothers is often used in the ancient Greek language to refer to both men and women in a congregation. That would be translated as brothers and sisters using this approach. The New International Version is the most popular version that uses dynamic equivalence when translating.

The other philosophy used is a word for word approach. This is just what is sounds like. The New American Standard Bible and the English Standard Version are the most popular versions using this approach.

There are also paraphrases available out there. While most versions use a committee of scholars to translate, paraphrases are often written by one author using the English version of their choice as a starting point.

These Bibles are very understandable and entertaining but it is easy to lose the intention of the original text. The Living Bible by Kenneth Taylor and The Message by Eugene Peterson are the two most well known paraphrases.

I prefer to use a word for word translation for my personal Bible study. Currently I use the English Standard Version (ESV).

Context

Before I get to the three methods, it’s important to understand context.

Context frames each passage of scripture. Taken out of context, words can mean something radically different. It is true in life and it is true in the Bible. There are three levels of context.

First is the immediate context. There is a verse that is often taken out of its immediate context:

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

I’ve seen this verse used as a motto for all sorts of things, even for high school football teams! However, if you read the whole passage, you understand that Paul is not talking about the everyday life, or even his goals and aspirations but with dealing with a life of suffering and deprivation! After all he wrote the book from prison, which takes us to the second area of context.

Second is the context of the entire book. The book of Jeremiah was written in a time of huge upheaval. The Babylonian empire was expanding into Judah and eventually overran the country. Many of the people were exiled. A portion of the book includes a letter written to the exiles. They were far from home and desperately wanted to return home.

God directed Jeremiah to write this letter to them. In it he told them to be content where they were. They weren’t coming home so they might as well settle down and establish their lives where they were. In that letter we find these words: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) This is not a verse to use if you think it means God gives us every good thing as we perceive it. The context clearly tells us that even if you are called to continue in the ‘miserable’ state you are in, God is faithful.

The third level of context is the entire Bible. Reading the Bible repeatedly helps you understand this greater context. There is a divine continuity within the Word of God that you can only begin to capture as you read the Bible over and over.

Where to Start

Bible study could be something you do immediately when you become interested but I would advise that you not study the Bible until you have read the Bible! What I mean is you should have read the book you want to study more than once or twice.

If you have read the New Testament but not the whole Bible, start your study in Matthew and work your way through to Revelation. While studying, make sure you keep reading – maybe starting with Genesis. More on your study, reading balance a little later.

Once you have studied the New Testament you might want to work through the Psalms or Isaiah, as long as you have read those books and are somewhat familiar with their content.

Three Ways to Study (as promised)

All your Bible reading and study must be accompanied by prayer. This is God’s Word to you so ask him to help you understand it and apply it to your life. Here are the good, better and best ways I have discovered to study God’s word. I use them all!

Good. Purchase a study Bible and read the commentary notes as you read the passage. This will help you understand difficult passages. It also makes you rely on the author of the notes. The best study Bibles are again written by a committee so you see many different viewpoints as you read and study.

Better. If you want to go deeper, and you should, read entire commentaries along with the Bible. Reading a commentary along with the text gives you study notes on every passage of scripture helping you learn meaning and application.

This is a more expensive options since commentaries would have to be obtained but see if you can find someone who is getting rid of an old set. I have been able to pass commentaries to several people over the years.

Best. As I’ve already said, I use the good and better means of study from time to time (I’m almost a Study Bible junkie!). But the best way to study is to allow the Spirit of God to illuminate his word directly into your mind and heart. To do this you must slow down. The first two ways are pretty simple. This one is more demanding.

Four steps:

Read the passage – take time to read the passage. I generally study an entire book to help set the context. Then, I study one chapter at a time. I read the chapter, to understand its content and context.

Reread the passage – this time more slowly taking time to stop repeatedly for the next two steps.

Ask questions – understanding the passage often requires asking and answering questions. Here are some questions you might ask:

Who wrote this?

When was it written?

What were the conditions that existed?

What does it mean?

How does it apply (what does it mean to me)?

What is it: prayer, promise, command, example, warning, course of action?

Is there something new here, something I’ve never seen before?

Normally, you wouldn’t ask all these questions about every word or every verse but it is a very helpful exercise to help you understand God’s Word.

Write it down – take the time to write your answers to the questions you asked. In so doing, the Spirit of God will help you understand better his word and his plan for you. And you get to write your own commentary!

Balance

Because it takes time and attention to go deep like this, you might wonder when you could possible read your Bible simply for content.

I encourage you to have balance as you read. I take an equal amount of time to study and to read. Right now, I spend about 30 minutes a day in Bible study and about 30 minutes in Bible reading. Take the time you need to but if you will read and study you will understand the Bible in a new and exciting way!

So, go for it! And feel free to let me know how it goes and if you have different, even better, ways to study your Bible!