Find The Right Bible Study Method For You
Studying the Bible, God’s written word is one of the ways to deepen your faith and understanding of who God is. Whether you’re a new Christian or have been a Christian for a while, getting into the habit of studying and understanding the Bible may be challenging if you haven’t learned the most effective Bible study methods. A Bible study method is like a Bible reading plan that aids and broadens overall understanding and knowledge of the Bible.
Why study the Scripture when you have pastors to teach it? The Scripture was not created only for pastors to teach from; rather, the entire Bible is a collection of instructions for every Christian to follow. According to 1 Timothy 3:16–17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,” the Scriptures were written to help every believer develop our faith, prayer life and to equip us for our mission here on earth. If you think that listening to the pastor’s sermon every Sunday will be enough to help you grow in your understanding of Jesus Christ, you’re probably wrong. Every bible verse we open in the Scriptures is an invitation to know God better and for God to reveal himself to us. When we think of it like this and approach Bible study this way, we no longer regard it as a “duty” we must do as Christians, but rather as a divine conduit through which we may connect with our Lord and Savior, gaining a deeper understanding of both Jesus Christ and who we are in him.
This is the right place if you’re interested in discovering fresh and innovative approaches to delve more deeply into faith through the study of the Bible. Although there are many methods to studying the Bible like book background method, word study method, book survey method, book synthesis method, inductive Bible study, and soap Bible study method, we’re going to cover three important and effective Bible study methods in this article. We would suggest giving each of them a go to see which one is most suited to your learning style. It can also be helpful to try a different Bible study method every once and a while to change your study of the Bible, whether individually or within a group.
Bible Study Methods
#1 Deductive Bible Study Method
This method of Bible study is also called the Topical Bible Study method. The process is picking a subject, a widely held belief, or a topic study and then researching the relevant passages of scripture to gain insight and understanding and to either support or refute the general statement before moving on to the application. Consider the following statement as an example of how deductive Bible study starts, “Sin leads to death.” Instead of just accepting that the person or group of people can then go to Scripture to find passages that support or go against that statement, he might cite some Bible verses like Romans 5:12 and Ezekiel 18:20. If he discovers that the Bible does support this assumption that sin leads to death, then he will be able to accept it and put it into practice. The application is not waiting to die in sin. The application would be acknowledging that Jesus Christ’s salvation is the only thing that can save us from the consequences of sin. Romans 6:23; “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
When using this type of Bible study method, you need to be mindful not to further confuse yourself and not to read the word you want to see instead of knowing the truth from the scriptures. While a topical Bible study method is similar to a word study, you are also looking for cross-references and context for each Bible verse you look into. A lot of people can justify that drinking alcohol is not wrong by citing some biblical references that are not even for that purpose. When conducting personal research and listening to sermons, this is something that should be kept in mind. If you want your deductive method of Bible study to be genuinely fruitful, you need to begin with a universal fact contained within the word of God, and then work your way back into the specifics of that truth.
#2 Devotional Bible Study Method
Most of us are familiar with the devotional method of Bible study but we often don’t take it seriously as we should. The Devotional Method of Bible Study involves devoting a specific time for prayer, study, and meditation on any Bible passage until the Holy Spirit directs you to an application of the passage into your life in a manner that is personal, practical, feasible, and quantifiable. Meditate on that particular passage continuously until the Holy Spirit gives you an interpretation. Note that we said meditation; this is not merely reading and moving on. Devotional Bible study should involve active prayer and even Bible journaling. This involves focusing one’s attention thoughtfully and intentionally on a certain verse or chapter to get the perspective that God will desire one to have for the sake of one’s spiritual development.
#3 Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Method
Not everyone can read five chapters in a day and do a chapter summary a few hours later. When studying the Bible no matter the different translations, reading one verse at a time can be helpful. A verse-by-verse method is much easier to digest and remember! This method of studying the Bible focuses on a very small number of verses from within the scripture which will help you not to have many Bible reading challenges. It is suitable for times when you don’t have time to do an in-depth study like background study, survey, and analysis. It’s useful when you don’t have time to do a thorough investigation, such as thorough background research, survey, or analysis. This strategy is beneficial because it enables you to study a chapter or even a whole book at your own pace, spread out over many days or weeks. You can make your way through the Old Testament and New Testament over a period of time and eventually cover the whole Bible. When you want to use the Verse-by-Verse Method of Bible study you will select a particular Bible passage or verses of the Bible and examine it, identifying cross-references, and paraphrasing each at the end that you get the intent of God for you in that verse.
Regardless of the method you choose to follow, be it and the Bible study tools you use, involve God. Your Bible study should be personal and tuned to yourself. Maybe you prefer to add Bible journaling into your Bible reading plan or mix up a different Bible study method with another. Involve prayer and the Holy Spirit in your study to find the best way for you to learn from God’s Word. The Bible isn’t just a novel or a storybook. It is a spiritual book for every Christian, and the only way the mystery behind it can be revealed to you is if you involve God.