The work of any artisan depends on the ability to use the tools of their trade, knowing which tools to use on which projects, and being skillful at using them. The same goes for Bible study. Depending on the aim of the Bible study, a Bible student must use different methods to achieve the desired goal. It takes time and experience to become good at Bible study. The following five methods are easy to use by any newbie to Bible study and can lead to deeper, more thorough studies in the future.
1. Inductive Bible Study
With Inductive Bible study, the student begins by examining a single verse or passage and gradually working their way to a broader context to understand its meaning. This kind of study involves three steps: observation, interpretation, and application. In the observation phase, the student determines the who, what, where, when, and why of the text under investigation. During the interpretation phase, the reader attempts to make sense of the text within its historical, cultural, and literary context to determine what the author wanted to convey to his original audience. Finally, the reader considers the contemporary application of the truths or principles conveyed in the section under investigation.
The advantage of inductive Bible study is that it is text-driven. It minimizes the influence of bias or preconceived ideas and guides the reader to biblically founded conclusions. The final step, application, also ensures that the student understands the relevance of the text in a modern context.
Inductive Bible studies can be time-consuming, depending on the number of external sources used to inform the reader about the context and culture relevant to the text under investigation. With inductive Bible study, students may need to use a Bible commentary and concordance to explain the meaning and implications of words encountered in the target passage. An advantage is that readers can determine which verse(s) or passage they want to study and understand more deeply without having to consider the entire chapter or book. They may lose some of the broader context by limiting the study, but it is less likely to be too intimidating to pursue.
Many scholars make use of the inductive method when they do exegesis and exposition of passages. It is a very effective method of studying to expose erroneous teaching or interpretations that do not align with the context or teaching of the passage.
2. Book Study
A book study focuses on the message and content of a single book. With this method, it is vital to understand the background and context of the target audience. It often provides insight into why the author addresses the topics discussed in the book. This kind of background is useful when studying the letters of Paul or the general epistles of the New Testament. Each letter addresses a specific group of people or an individual who faces unique challenges.
The types of literature that a book contains and how the author or editor compiled it influence the analysis of the book. In a book like Psalms, each psalm has its own context that the Bible student must consider. Since books differ greatly in length, content, and theological complexity, a new Bible student should study a shorter book. Sometimes, even short books in the Bible require knowledge about practices and beliefs from ancient times. Philemon requires knowledge about the practice of slavery in the 1st-century Roman context. Jude, a short book, mentions topics that require knowledge about biblical and extrabiblical literature to interpret it properly.
One benefit of a book study is the holistic picture it creates, revealing the issues and controversies a person or community faces. This method enables the student to understand the culture and time of the audience. It informs the reader of the local context but may not apply equally to other communities.
The drawback of a book study is that it does not provide comprehensive teaching on any subject that is also addressed elsewhere in scripture. To do a book study properly can be a time-consuming endeavor. A Bible student can break a long book into more manageable portions, reflecting on each portion to gain deeper insight into the message.
3. Topical Study
A topical study is an excellent way to learn everything the Bible teaches on a specific topic. The relevant verses sometimes appear across several Bible books in the Old and New Testaments. With these studies, a Bible concordance that indicates in which verses words appear in the Bible is handy. Today, Bible apps and online Bibles with search functionality usually make these studies much easier.
The primary benefit of a topical study is the comprehensive result it provides on a single subject if the student is diligent in including every relevant verse. It is ideal to teach new believers the doctrines of faith in a balanced and well-contextualized way.
In some instances, modern translations render the same word in the original language differently in English. One example is the way the King James Version renders the Hebrew sheol and Greek hades as “grave” or “hell,” two significantly different places. Other translations often do not translate these words, instead transcribing them. This kind of study involves considering the context of several books to ensure the proper interpretation of the text.
A topical study on who is taken and who is left when Jesus returns will reveal a surprising result when considering Matthew 24:37-41, Luke 17:34-37, Genesis 7:23, and Matthew 13:30, 38-43. Similarly, the Biblical narrative proves many popular contemporary views impossible regarding what happens when “the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10, 12)
4. Character Study
A character study is an excellent way to gain insight into a significant person in the Bible. It helps students gain insight into the actions of Bible characters and changes to their character over time, making them more relatable. This type of study demands researching the verses that mention the character and the context of each reference. It tends to bring the characters to life in a vivid way when their personalities enrich the narrative.
This study method gives depth to the reader’s understanding of the dynamics between Biblical characters. One interesting and prominent New Testament character is Simon Peter. A character study of his life and ministry reveals much about his journey of self-discovery. His interactions with Jesus in Luke 22:31-62 and John 21:15-25, read together, reveal much about his development as a follower of Christ. No single gospel reveals as much about Peter as an inter-gospel character study on this noteworthy apostle.
Bible students must be aware that several characters in the Bible share the same name, and the Bible sometimes mentions more about a character who lived during the Old Testament era in the New Testament. Enoch is an example, and Melchizedek is another. Other characters undergo a name change, like Jacob, whom God renamed Israel.
5. Verse-by-verse Study
Verse-by-verse Bible studies can be even more intense than inductive study. It is a time-consuming method, but the basic approach can teach a diligent and disciplined Christian how to dig deeper into the text than most casual Bible readers do. Scholars and theologians use this method to study passages in depth. This approach is highly systematic, breaking down each verse to explore its key words, phrases, and theological implications. The use of commentaries and other cultural and historical sources is imperative to draw as much from the text as possible. This method often involves comparing the use of words in the text to that of extrabiblical sources to verify their contemporary meaning.
Bible students can determine how deep a dive they want to do into the text. They can end the study once they are satisfied with the results. The drawback of this method is the time it takes to do the associated analysis relative to the return on the time invested. In-depth verse-by-verse study generally requires access to scholarly resources and, in some instances, knowledge of the original languages.
The primary benefit of verse-by-verse study is its depth, offering a thorough understanding of each verse’s meaning within its immediate context. This method is ideal for analysis and exposition of complex theological passages. It will pick up on nuances in the text that many other methods may miss. It is not a method I would recommend to beginners, but it will take a diligent student to the next level.
A verse-by-verse study is ideal to gain deeper insight into the New Testament teaching on the Law in Romans and Galatians. It will show the Bible student why Christians are no longer “under the law” while it remains “holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). It could also reveal what exactly the Law of Christ is (Galatians 6:2).
There are many Bible study methods a student can choose from. Each has its benefits and drawbacks. A Bible student should not limit themselves to one method but rather become proficient in all. That way, the student can use the most appropriate method for the goal at hand.
