Studying the Bible

Studying the Bible doesn't have to feel insurmountable - it's for everyone. In my opinion, one of the most underrated tools for studying the Bible is something everyone can cultivate: curiosity.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

Curiosity is not often discussed, but I believe it is a large part of how God brought me to a new place of study and grew in me a hunger to know Him more. These days, I find it hard to stop investigating!

If you want to know God more, so do I! Here are some ideas to get you started.

I. TOOLS FOR STUDYING THE BIBLE

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List of Tools for Study:

1. The Bible
2. Paper
3. Pen or Pencil
4. Humility and Curiosity
5. Other Resources

1.) THE BIBLE
Basically, you want a copy of at least the passage you will be studying in a translation you can understand. This can be printed or digital, in a bible or not. Sometimes I like to print a double-spaced copy of the chapter or book for me to write on. Translations are almost always well-researched and translated from the original Greek or Hebrew. The NIV is a great choice - it’s probably the most common translation, and for good reason. ESV, NLT, NKJV, and CSB are also great. There are many others, but just avoid the Passion (TPT) since it is NOT a scholarly translation. The Message (MSG) is a paraphrase, so it’s not great for study, but it’s not bad for reading or listening.

2.) PAPER
Anything where you will have lots of room for your questions. This can be a notebook or loose paper, or large margins on your page, double spaced text etc. Yes, this can be digital if you know the best way for you to take notes is digitally. The key is having lots of room and freedom to write and highlight and jot down questions.

3.) PEN or PENCIL
Pretty straight-forward! You can also use highlighters or colored pens, etc. Just don’t feel the need to overcomplicate it.

4.) HUMILITY & CURIOSITY
Jesus is our humble teacher. Jesus told us, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:9

5.) ADDITIONAL (OPTIONAL) RESOURCES

• Bible Dictionary (don’t worry, there are some online, and you don’t need it the whole time)
• Study Bible (optional but can help - I especially love my Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
• Commentaries (like having someone explain their understanding of the passage after you read it)
• Map (this adds a surprising amount of understanding for me especially in a narrative book)

Pro tip: ALL Four of the above resources can be accessed for free via the Logos Bible software. This is what I use daily now. They have a free mobile app, free desktop software, and a mobile site that all sync your notes.

II. BEFORE YOU BEGIN: CULTURAL SETTING

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Whatever method you use, before you begin you will want to understand the cultural setting of the book you are reading. You can do this by asking and answering five questions:

1. Who Wrote it?
2. When was it written?
3. To whom was it written?
4. In what style* was it written?
5. Why was it written?

The answers to these are sometimes at the beginning of the book you are reading if you have a Study Bible, or they can be found online. Here is one resource: ESV Study Bible Online.

*Styles include: Historical Narrative, Poetry, Prophecy, Law, Wisdom Literature, and Letter/Epistle. Books can, of course, be a combination of several styles or Genres.

III. GETTING STARTED: A BASIC BIBLE STUDY METHOD

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There are many methods for studying the bible, but I notice many of them fall into a similar pattern. Perhaps the most common method is Inductive Bible Study. The method consists of 3-5 steps, but these are the basics:

INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY: OIA

1. Observation - What does it say?
2. Interpretation - What does it mean?
3. Application - How should it change me?

OIA Explained: Credit to TrueNorth Church, SC
Introduction: Pray and prepare yourself!

Exegesis (“Out of”) vs. Eisegesis (“Into”). We always want to interpret what the TEXT is saying (Exegesis) - only that and no more. We do not want to put our own biases or thoughts into the interpretation (that would be Eisegesis).

1. Observation: What does it say?

• Read the text carefully. Read the context of the passage.
• Write down Who/What/When/Where Questions
• Make other observations/Ask other questions about:
• Word definitions: What does the word mean?
• Reasoning: Why was something written?
• Word Repetition: Are there words repeated?
• Cause and effect: Did one action or statement cause another?
• Thematic elements: What are the main themes of the passage?
• Context: How does this theme fit into the context of the passage?
• Compare/Contrast: Does the author compare/contrast words/ideas/actions/etc.?
• Tone: What is the “feeling” of the passage? (depressed, joyful, hopeful, etc.)

2. Interpretation: What does it mean?

• Answer the relevant observation questions to determine the meaning of the passage; just be careful to:
• Let scripture interpret scripture. Use cross references to help your understanding of a passage/theme.
• Use the context to help determine meaning.
• Use resources to help you get through difficulties:
• Biblical Commentaries
• Study Bibles
• Bible Dictionary
• Prayer
• Summarize the theme of the passage.
• Break down the passage into teachable principles (for example, for John 3:16 you might write “Belief is necessary in order to have eternal life”).

3. Application: How should it change me? How should I respond?
(Be careful not to jump to application before you understand what it means in the original context, you may draw incorrect conclusions)

• Three questions from a God-centered Perspective: (Jen Wilkin's Questions)
1. What does this passage teach me about God?
2. How does this aspect of God's character change my view of self?
3. What should I do in response?
• OR Carefully apply the passage, looking for any of the following:
• Command to obey
• Example to follow
• Challenge to heed
• Sin to avoid
• Acton to take
• Something to pray about
• Something to focus on in worship
• Promise to claim
• Difficulty to explore
• Portion to memorize
• Be careful that your application:
• Is true to your interpretation.
• Does not contradict the rest of scripture.
• Be obedient: Do what it says!

The basic acronym is OIA. Observation, Interpretation, Application. For other methods, scroll to the bottom of the page.


And that’s it! My prayer is that God surprises you with how much you are able to learn and grow through your personal Bible study! We know that Jesus is a patient and trustworthy teacher. I leave you with His own words, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” - Matthew 11:29

Thank you, Jesus. Amen.



















For a visual summary of the above guide, see this infographic.

ADDITIONAL METHODS:
Here are some similar versions to Inductive OIA Study:

OICA

1. Observation
2. Interpretation
3. Cross-References (read other Bible passages that discuss the same topic or event)
4. Application

SOAP

1. Scripture (select and read passage)
2. Observation
3. Application (this method does not separate the interpretation so it’s mixed into O and A)
4. Prayer

HEAR

1. Highlight (Similar to Observe)
2. Explain (Similar to Interpret)
3. Apply (Application)
4. Respond (Including Prayer)

Some other methods of study:

Jen Wilkin’s 5 P’s:

1. Purpose
2. Perspective
3. Patience
4. Process (she outlines one similar to OICA)
5. Prayer

See my infographic for this method: Jen Wilkin's 5 P's Study Method

Priscilla Shirer’s 5 P’s:

1. Position yourself to hear from God
2. Pore over the passage and Paraphrase the main points
3. Pull out the spiritual principles
4. Pose the question (I believe this means ask application questions)
5. Plan obedience and Pin down a date