Getting More Out of Your Bible Study

If you feel you are still stuck at the starting gate of reading and studying your Bible, or perhaps you are ready to take another step towards biblical maturity, the answer may be in disciplining your approach to studying it.

Because of things like literary forms, cultural contexts, metaphors, and poetic structures, it can create challenges to understanding the Bible even in newer translations. The more quality time you spend with your Bible, the more these unfamiliar things will seem familiar.

We have a Bible resource rich environment. To name a small selection, we have devotional books, blogs, Bible apps, sermons, Bible classes, commentaries, and podcasts ready to thoroughly explain biblical passages to you.. The problem is, if we do not apply some discipline, these resources might keep us from properly engaging. The danger and the outcome of being spoon-fed information is that we do not retain it very well, and, more importantly, we never give the Holy Spirit space to work. I think of it like using my GPS. There are places I have been to half a dozen times I might struggle to find because I used my GPS to get there. Why would I pay attention to landmarks, signs, and turns if I don't have to think about navigation?

What is needed is a disciplined approach so that we slow down our pace, engage with the Bible and the Holy Spirit more, and use Bible study aids more sparingly.

This post is NOT meant to replace a study method you may be using or trying. It can be used as is or adapted to fit. It will not work well with Bible reading plans that encourage new passages each day. It may help you do those more effectively in the future.

Journaling is key for Bible study

Journaling is essential. A dedicated journal for your Bible study will serve as a record of your journey, your thoughts, questions, insights, and the Holy Spirit's promptings. It allows you to track your progress, revisit past studies, and observe your growth in understanding God's Word over time.

Breaking it into four passes

This discipline is broken down into four distinct passes. While the First Pass encourages dedicated, unhurried meditation, the second, third, and fourth Passes can often be done in a short time.

You do not need to go through each pass. The goal is to get just the help you need. They are divided in a way to add just enough puzzle pieces to help you see the big picture.

First pass: you and the Holy Spirit with the Words

This initial pass is about intimate, undistracted engagement with the text, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through the Word.

1. Choose a passage and use a non-paraphrased Bible (e.g., from the English Standard Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, etc.). We have nothing against paraphrased Bibles, but since they have commentary built into the text, we need to avoid them for this purpose.

2. Pray over the passage. Ask the Holy Spirit for understanding, insight, and revelation. Resist the urge to form immediate conclusions.

3. Give yourself and the Holy Spirit time together with the text. Sit with it. Read it multiple times. Read it aloud. Let the words resonate. It might also be helpful to write the passage or listen to an audio version of it.

4. Focus only on the words that are there. What does the text actually say? What is explicitly stated?

5. Make some notes in your journal:

   1. What words, phrases, or ideas stand out to you?

   2. What questions do you have about the text? Write down every question that comes to mind, no matter how simple.

6. I strongly suggest meditating on this passage for at least one full day. Keep praying over it and thinking about it throughout your day.

7. Expect the Holy Spirit to help you. Pay attention, because sometimes answers come from someone you encounter, a song, sermon, or somewhere else. They may also come through continued, quiet reflection. Do not try to force results. Allow insights to surface organically. One of my answers came from meeting a new neighbor while walking my dog. He invited me to the church he pastors and then mentioned his current sermon series. It was about my question.

8. Review the questions in your journal and provide any answers you have been given or insights that have emerged.

Second pass: adding context to your Bible study

Once you've thoroughly engaged with the passage on its own and allowed for divine insights, this pass allows you to build on that foundation by incorporating broader biblical context from within Scripture itself. The goal is to let Scripture interpret Scripture, answering as many of your initial questions as possible without external help.

1. Immediate context: Read the surrounding text: Read as much as makes sense before and after your passage. In some books, your passage is part of a larger, unfolding narrative or argument. In others, like Proverbs, a single verse may stand more independently. Understand its immediate literary environment.

2. Cross-references: Look at the cross-references provided in your Bible (usually in the margins or footnotes). These are other verses that relate to the words or themes in your passage.

3. Other translations: It might be helpful to review your verse or passage in other non-paraphrased versions of the Bible. Sometimes different uses of words or sentence structure can be helpful.

4. After each step, make notes in your journal of any questions that are answered, additional insights, or new questions.

   
   

Third pass: strategic use of external aids

It is not a failure to need additional help. Ephesians 4:11-12 shows us that God gives us people to help us mature. I don't see how it matters if someone helps us directly or indirectly by creating content for us to use.

This pass is reserved for consulting external resources, and only when absolutely necessary, to clarify remaining questions after thorough biblical investigation in the previous passes. The discipline here is to use the least amount of external help required.

1. Review your remaining unanswered questions in your journal. For each question, ask yourself: "What is the least amount of help I might need to clear this up?"

2. Look over your questions and determine which resource might help clear up the question. Here are some options with how they are usually used:

   1. Concordance: Used to find verses that contain a specific word, helping to track themes or understand how a word is used throughout the Bible. This is particularly useful for studying a word's meaning in its various biblical contexts.

   2. Bible dictionary/encyclopedia: Provides definitions of biblical words, names, places, and concepts. It offers historical, cultural, and theological background for understanding specific elements within Scripture. For example, you might look up "Pharisees" to understand their beliefs and practices.

   3. Bible Atlas: Contains maps of biblical lands, illustrating geographical features, journeys, and historical events. Used to visualize the settings of biblical stories, understand travel routes, and grasp the significance of locations mentioned in Scripture. For instance, seeing a map of Paul's missionary journeys can illuminate his travels.

   4. Interlinear Bible: Presents the original Hebrew and Greek text of the Bible alongside an English translation, word by word. This allows someone with little or no knowledge of the original languages to see the underlying words and their grammatical structure, aiding in deeper word studies.

   5. Lexicon: A dictionary of biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek words, providing their definitions, grammatical information, and often their etymology and various shades of meaning. Used for in-depth word studies, helping to understand the precise meaning of words in their original context.

   6. Topical Bible: This resource organizes biblical verses and passages by specific themes, ideas, or subjects rather than by specific words (like a concordance) or book order. It helps users understand what the Bible as a whole says about a particular topic, such as "love," "faith," "forgiveness," "marriage," "money," or "humility." It's used to conduct comprehensive studies on a subject, tracing its development and nuances throughout Scripture. Good examples include Nave's Topical Bible and The MacArthur Topical Bible.

3. After each step, make notes in your journal of any questions that are answered, additional insights, or new questions.

Getting started, you will probably just need a Bible dictionary/encyclopedia, a concordance, an atlas, and a topical Bible. It will not take you much time to know which resource to use and when. Instead of filling shelves, many of these resources are available online (Biblegateway.com) or in electronic versions like Kindle.

Fourth pass: unanswered questions or confirmation

Sometimes you need a full explanation to deal with the remaining questions or confirm that your process has led you to the same place as others you trust. While it is better to hold off on this level of help, it will not be beneficial to have a journal overwhelmingly full of questions. If you think more time will help, take it. If not, make sure you use this step to your full advantage.

1. Use a commentary or a trusted spiritual leader. Either should provide the scriptural basis for their conclusions, often by referencing other verses, highlighting word meanings, or explaining the historical and cultural context directly from the text. When you're consulting these resources, actively follow along with every passage they cite. This active engagement allows you to either agree with their interpretation because their arguments are well-supported by the text in context, or to respectfully disagree if you find the scriptural evidence points to a different understanding.

2. If you find yourself disagreeing with a particular interpretation, or simply want to explore other perspectives, it's highly beneficial to consult additional commentaries or seek wisdom from other trusted spiritual leaders for comparison. This diligent process helps you "think with" the resource rather than letting it "think for you," ultimately deepening your understanding and fostering a more mature grasp of God's Word.

3. In addition, watch the methodology that is used in how they researched it and see if you can use it to fine tune your approach.

4. Try not to use this step for confirmation too often.

5. Lastly, do not forget to journal what you have learned, apply it to your life, and thank God for His Word and His Help understanding it.

The fifth pass?

After you spend time with the first four passes, I want you to consider this fifth pass. This pass is for you to prepare to teach what you have learned to someone else. It does not mean you will teach it to someone, it just means you prepare like you will.

What this accomplishes:

1. You will reevaluate and make sure you clear up anything you do not know well enough to explain. This turns simply taking in information into truly owning it.

2. Your retention of it is higher. There's a big difference between just reading something and being prepared to explain it. This includes organizing your thoughts, figuring out how to illustrate what you know with different words or examples, and anticipating the kinds of questions someone might ask. This active process of preparing to communicate creates deeper connections in your mind, ensuring you remember it for much longer.

3. It changes you. As you think about how to share the truth of the passage with someone else, you will consider what it might mean for them. This will naturally make you think about with it means for you. It's not just about knowing facts; it's about letting God's Word shape who you are and how you live. This ultimately helps you grow spiritually and become better at sharing faith with others.

4. It makes you available and vocal. Do not be surprised when you prepare to teach something that God intermittently puts someone in your path to learn from you. Also, as you build your confidence, you can begin sharing the exciting things you learn with your friends. One of my favorite questions to ask someone is, "What has God been teaching you lately?" Once I get an answer, then I can summarize what He has been teaching me.

The Wrap-Up

Our culture is all about instant-gratification and easy answers, but if you treat Bible study that way, you will never get out of the shallow end of the pool. If you want studying the Bible to get easier in the future, you will need to slow down and discipline yourself now. I know this post seems long, and it is, but the discipline is short and it becomes second nature. It is the one that I have naturally used for years.