How does Bible study work?
Have you ever asked that question?
Bible study differs from Bible reading because you don’t just read the words on the page, you slow down in an effort to understand them.
There are many different ways to study the Bible. You can do an inductive Bible study through a book of the Bible. A word study in the Bible. You can do a topical study or an in depth study of a specific passage. Or you can use a Bible study method to help you study.
Bible Study Methods
Bible study methods include (but aren’t limited to)
- S.O.A.P
- A.P.P.L.E.
- I.D.E.A.
- E.A.S.Y.
- T.E.N.D.
And so on. I already mentioned inductive (it’s one of my favorites).
How Does Bible Study Work?
While studying the Bible, you might just read and contemplate. You might use a companion Bible so you can check different study notes. You may use a Bible commentary or a study guide. I personally love to highlight and make notes in my Bible, but that’s not required.
Some people choose to study the Bible in small or large groups, others prefer to study on their own. Still others do both. When studying on your own, you can move at your own pace, while when studying with a group there is a set speed so everyone stays together. There may or may not be work for you to do outside the group.
The current Bible study I am doing meets once a week. There is a companion book we can read if we want to take our study deeper, but it’s not required. We will be doing the same type of study after the new year and I plan on adding a personal inductive study to supplement it and take it even deeper.
There’s no one way to study the Bible. All that’s really required is the Bible and you, everything else is gravy.
Don’t Make This Bible Study Mistake
However, Bible study isn’t about you. It’s about getting to know our God better. That’s probably the biggest mistake someone can make when studying the Bible.
When studying the Bible, it’s important to know what it means for you and your life, but it’s more important to know what it means in the grand scheme of Scripture. We can’t grow in our walk with Christ if we never look to Christ. If it’s all about us, then it’s self-help, not Bible study.
Join the Conversation
How do you study the Bible? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
