It is one thing to read from book to book and another to study the Bible effectively.
As a Believer in Christ or a person of interest, you may be asking, How do I study the Bible effectively? Hold on.
The Bible is not a storybook you just read, smile at, and move on. It is an instructive material that requires diligence for understanding to be received.
This article on How To Study The Bible For Beginners will not only help people who want to start looking at the Bible intentionally. It will also enhance the involvement of those who like to read the scriptures.
Meanwhile, have you had a chance to check out the message, A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing? You should give it a read!
What Does Bible Study Mean?
Bible study is different from Bible reading and peeking. It is a devotion of time and attention to the scriptures.
In Bible study, you read, observe, interpret, and apply. That, my friend, requires a level of studiousness. It requires diligence and commitment to the course.
In reading, you pay attention (that is, you observe what is written). That leads to an interpretation of what is written with an understanding of what it implies and how it applies to you even today.
Assuming you are in school to study a discipline for four years, in those years, you will have to take different subjects and topics, each of which requires time and commitment to enable you to understand the concept.
One thing is sure: most of your attention will be given to that discipline, as you do not want to come out ignorant and with a failed result.
The same effort you put into studying that discipline is required in Bible study because it is a study of the scriptures, and in the study, different subjects, topics, and concepts will require interest, openness, and commitment to understanding.
Therefore, Bible study is diligence and commitment on one’s end to know the truth of God’s word in the scriptures.
Why Study The Bible?
Brother Paul in his admonition to Brother Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 WEB said, “Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth.”
Some people poke their noses into the Bible and begin to make noises over things they do not agree with or understand. Some buy those noises and store them in their minds without considering whether or not, they are healthy or hazardous to their overall well-being.
Paul’s message to Timothy shows us why studying the Bible is very important. Firstly, the intent should be God’s approval while the study should make us able to properly teach, explain, or handle the Word of Truth.
The KJV of 2 Timothy 2:15 puts it this way: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
So the study is to God’s approval, which is prominent in how we teach, explain, interpret, or handle the scriptures to arrive at the truth.
However, not everyone embarks on the study of the Bible with the intention of God’s approval or being able to teach the scriptures in truth. Some study for personal issues, to make a case or an argument, and even for deceptive reasons.
That boils down to how to study the Bible, but before we look into that, I want to highlight two things about the Bible.
- The Bible centers around the person of Christ Jesus.
- The main theme of the Bible is salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
“From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.”
In verses 16 and 17, he said:
“Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The above is more of the usefulness of the scripture and the end product of handling the writings aright. In addition to that is, why we should study the Bible.
Like I often tell the brethren, if there is a rightly dividing, there will be a wrongly dividing. Here is why.
Before Paul told Timothy to study in 2 Timothy 2:15, he already indicated an underlying issue. It seemed to be a doctrinal problem. Hold on.
Paul wrote about dedication to service and the faithfulness of God, then instructed Timothy in verse 14, saying:
“Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they don’t argue about words, to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear.”
After that came the instruction to study, then, something else followed to bring clarity to the pretext. He said:
“But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness,
and those words will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
men who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and overthrowing the faith of some.” 2 Timothy 2:16–18 WEB.
The controversy (or argument) there was that the resurrection, or what people call rapture today, had already taken place in the past. And that was problematic for the faith of those who looked forward to it as a future event.
I learned that even today, there are people who propagate such teaching, while others hope to experience it in the future. But Brother Paul would say to Timothy, instead of joining them in their trends, commit yourself to God, take on the laborer’s role, and come out productive with the truth of God from the scriptures.
The main reason why we should study the Bible is to know the truth of God embedded in the scriptures and be able to communicate it correctly with others.
By doing so, we will help both ourselves and those who listen to us to avoid the deceit of influential personalities who misinterpret and misuse the scriptures for selfish interests.
How To Study The Bible For Beginners
Are you a Bible beginner looking for how to study the Bible for beginners? Do not feel left out, because we are learning together.
The golden rule for Bible study is to start from the beginning, which could be the Genesis of the Bible or the genesis of the book of the Bible you intend to study.
The best way to study the Bible is in context. If you are considering a verse-by-verse Bible study, you should always consider the previous verses and post-verses to understand the meaning (and the intent of the writer) of the verse.
To effectively study the Bible as a beginner or a Bible student, here are some steps you should take:
1. Make It A Date
Just like every other study, the Bible study must be deliberate and exclusive. Therefore, you will need to make time daily, weekly, or monthly to stay with the Bible for minutes or hours.
You need to make your time with the scriptures a priority in order to give your attention and profit from what is written.
Choose what time of the day is best for you, what day of the week, and how often in a month you will sit down for how long to search the scriptures intentionally.
2. Get Your Bible And Writing Materials Ready
You cannot study the Bible if you do not have a copy of it. Instead of borrowing one, you should own it. You could get a copy for free or purchase one yourself.
If you own a copy of the Bible, you should also get a notebook and a pen. You will need them in your study.
Do you know you could also go digital? Here is how I do it: I download a Bible from the Google Play Store, get an e-notebook, and I am good to go.
Whether you want to do it electronically or with hardcopies, the important thing is to make sure that your attention is not divided from the study.
Another thing is to consider which translation you want to use in your Bible study. Is it a group Bible study? Then, you would have to agree on which translation everyone would use.
Otherwise, having one English Bible translation like the KJV or NASB is okay. But for verse-to-verse Bible study, I would recommend considering other English translations such as the ESV, WEB, NLT, and others.
Considering different English translations in Bible study could help you understand the original statement or implication of the writings in the original language.
3. Decide On What To Study
Assuming you have already chosen a time and have your Bible study materials in place, the next thing is to decide what you want to study from the Bible.
Assuming you were in a Sunday school class or heard a preacher say something striking, concerning, or exciting about the scriptures, you could decide to make it a subject matter and look it up in the scriptures.
You could also choose to start with Genesis and study the account of creation in the Bible, the covenant God made to Abraham, or even theological concepts like Soteriology, Christology, Trinity, and others.
The key is to decide what to study in the Bible before starting the study. You should not just open the Bible and start reading from anywhere in the name of Bible study.
4. Start With A Prayer
Prayer is a key in Bible study. When you are ready for a class, you invite your teacher in; prayer is one way you commit to God about what you want to study.
You can begin by thanking God for the privilege of studying the scriptures and asking for the ability to understand the scriptures in modern times.
I believe that in the place of Bible study, praying first will help you clear your mind from other things and set you up for what matters at the moment.
5. Use The Inductive Bible Study Method
Inductive Bible study is like the SOAP method of studying the Bible. The SOAP here means Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer.
While talking about Bible study itself, you should know that praying before you begin the study is vital, and you can also pray while studying.
Inductive Bible study requires that you observe what you read to understand what the writer is saying, and while you do that, you should be able to identify who is speaking, what they are saying, to whom they are referring, and how what they are saying applies to you.
In the process, something happens to the portion of scripture in which you are studying. That is, the interpretation of the passage is found within what you study. And that is one thing you would not achieve from glancing or just reading through.
6. Take Notes
Remember that you have a notebook with you. Therefore, you should jot things down.
It could be a short note on what you noticed while you studied, a statement or phrase that was made, or even a verse where key information was shared.
Some people like myself may have sat down to study things in the Bible, but because we did not take note of what we learned and the specific places we noticed things, we got to start the journey over again.
So, it is important to take notes while studying the Bible. It makes the study more effective, as you can refer to the notes in further studies.
7. Ask and Answer Questions
What makes studying the Bible more interesting is not always the fact that you can spend some time with the scriptures, but that you can ask and answer questions along the line.
AAQ is very important in any study, including that of the Bible, because it makes the study an interactive one. If you were studying with a buddy, you could ask and have the other person answer within the scriptures.
Otherwise, you could ask questions from the scriptures and answer them while you study. Interested? Of course!
However, when you come across something you seem not to understand, you should take note and ask an elder or teacher of the scriptures who can help with further explanations.
In studying the Bible, everything goes down to personality and preference, but the intent should be pure. Aim to know the truth, understand the message, and live by the truth of God in the scriptures.
Remember, it is not about what you want the scriptures to say. Instead, it is about finding out what the scriptures are saying.
