We could spend a considerable amount of time talking about studying the Bible, but I want to break it down in a few blogs in a way that will outline a step by step guide geared to set you up for productive and joyful Bible study. Remember, you can study your Bible! I know that you’re life is crazy busy, but don’t substitute your busy calendar with the joy and growth that comes with scripture study! It’s our most important life practice! I’m here to help along the way so email or call me and I can counsel, clarify, and answer questions and concerns. Let’s start studying God’s glorious Word to grow in Christ-likeness and become a greater and greater asset for the Kingdom!
Step 1) Read through the entire Bible without studying it.
Wait a second, isn’t this a study guide? Yes it is, but in order to answer the questions you have concerning any particular part of the Bible you need to have a working knowledge of the Bible as a whole. In other words, you understand a verse by understanding the paragraph. You understand the paragraph by understanding the chapter. You understand the chapter by understanding the book. You understand the book by understanding the Testament. You understand the testament by understanding the entire Bible. Scripture always interprets scripture. Start reading through the Bible (From front to back or Genesis to Revelation or if you like from Matthew to Revelation and then the Old Testament) and write down questions you have, but don’t study a particular portion, just read it. By the time you’re finished and begin reading again, you will have answered most of those questions because of the knowledge you gain from the other portions of Scripture. Scripture as a whole will answer questions regarding any individual part.
Start reading 3-5 chapters a day without detailed studying, then choose a book to study (John,1 John, and Ephesians are good books to start) and study 1 chapter until you can understand, remember, and explain the content and theme of the chapter. Work on only 1 chapter until you understand it. Don’t rush through your study time for the sake of getting chapters under your belt. The Bible is meant to be understood, not read to gain spiritual brownie points!
Step 2) Invest in a good Study Bible.
There are many quality Study Bibles available that hugely aid your study time. A good Study Bible is usually thick because each page has a commentary portion on the bottom where the author has commented on each verse or a number of the verses that he has studied. Study Bibles also have many other helps such as concordances, maps, dictionaries, topic teachings, etc. The NASB MacArthur Study Bible is excellent and happens to be the one I use.
Step 3) Purchase “30 Days To Understanding The Bible” by Max Anders to help you clarify and comprehensibly navigate your way through the scriptures.
If you are having trouble understanding the Bible, this is a great tool to help clear away the cobwebs. I remember having a hard time understanding until I read through this helpful tool that outlines the basic structure and layout of the Bible. Reading this book is likened to taking an airplane ride over the Bible to help you grow accustomed to the major geographic features (or the main and plain things) so you can navigate the Bible in more detail.
Don’t wait until tomorrow! Start reading and studying today! Coming Soon: How To Study Your Bible Part 2. I wanted to give you only a few doable steps to accomplish before you move on to the next.
Let me know how it’s going!
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