Don’t Just Read the Bible, Study It

Studying the Bible is an important part of a Christian’s life. It is an account of the history of the ups and downs of God’s people and how God has been there through it all. It was written by many people through the inspiration of God. Second Peter 1:21 says, “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”. So, what is the purpose of the Bible, how do we study it, and what resources are available to help? Keep reading to find out!

Scripture tells us what its own purpose is in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” That is why it is so important to be in God’s word. It also better equips us to notice and fight against false teachings. The Bible keeps us on the path of purity if we follow the instructions laid out in it (Psalm 119:9). It is not just an ancient text that has no relevance for today. “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12). “We should read and study the Bible because God does not change and because mankind’s nature does not change; it is as relevant for us as it was when it was written” (Got Questions, para. 2).

Although this is true for reading the Bible, you will also have a richer understanding by going further and actually studying the Bible. There is a difference between merely reading the Bible and studying it. “When we read the Bible, we move through a text at a natural reading pace. But when we study the Bible, we slow down, and we think things through. We ask questions, and we search out meaning. We consider implications” (Hunter, para. 4). This gives us a deeper understanding of the passages and draws us closer to God as we work to understand better what he is saying to us.

There are many ways that someone can study the Bible and many books that outline tried-and-true ways of studying the Bible. One of the books that we have in The Study Room on this topic is Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods which gives twelve methods of studying the bible; I am going to highlight three of these methods. In each chapter it tells you what the method is, why it works, why it’s important, and the steps to take to use this method in your own studying of the Bible.

The first method is what Warren calls the Book Survey Method. This method gives you an overview of one particular book, and at the end of it you will have a better understanding of what the author was trying to say, along with a written outline of the book and a personal application. You’ll first read through the book, taking notes as you go and writing down any questions you have. When you get to the end of the book, you will look over your notes and do some background research on the author, purpose, when it was written, and also try to find answers to your questions. Once you have all this information, you can rearrange your notes in an easy-for-you-to-understand way.

Library The second method, which is a little more detailed, is the Chapter Summary Method. In this method you just pick one chapter to study at a time as apposed to a whole book (although you can work through a book, chapter-by-chapter). In this method Warren tells you to read through the chapter five times. The first couple times you are to just read it, then you can start taking notes as you read through the chapter more. Then, using your notes and reading through it one final time, you will write out these 10 “C”s: a caption, the contents, chief people, crucial words, challenges, cross-references, where Christ was seen, central lessons, and a conclusion. Once you have finished this, you will be left with a detailed view of the chapter.

The third study method (and the one I am most looking forward to using) is the Character Quality Method. In this method you pick one character quality; it is very practical if you pick one that you want to work on. You then want to find every occurrence of this quality in the Bible. The best tool for this method is a concordance, which lists the Bible references for different words. You can look up other related words and people in the Bible who were a great example of the quality. You then have to apply all you have learned to your own life. Pick one of the verses to memorize and a specific area of your life you need to work on in regard to this character quality.

Warren goes into much more depth about these study methods in his book along with the other nine. No matter what method you use for studying the Bible, you should keep in mind the reason you are studying the Bible. “Our goal in studying is to come closer and closer to the meaning God intends us to receive, and ultimately closer to him” (Thom, para. 3). When we have our minds focused on God, no matter what method we apply or what resources we use, we will be getting something out of our study.

The Study Room has a lot of other resources beside Warren’s book that can help you with studying your Bible. The first type of books is information books. These are located in the “Christian Living” section, under “Bible”. The information books can help motivate you to study the Bible and give you other tips and tricks on how to go about it. They also contain different methods from Warren’s for studying the Bible. Studying the Bible isn’t necessarily an automatic skill you acquire when you become a Christian. It is something you must learn and practice. These books are helpful in this learning process.

The next great resource to help in your studying are the Bible study books. They are a kind of guide that you can use to help you in studying the Bible. Most consist of chapters that contain a Bible passage, commentary or explanation, and some questions to think about. Some of the Bible studies that we have here at The Study Room also come with a DVD or CD of recorded commentary.

When you are studying the Bible, you can have a lot of questions, so commentaries and reference books are a great resource to help you answer the questions that pop up. Commentaries go passage by passage, and the author explains what they think this passage means giving you some more context for the Bible passage. Other reference books include Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, and concordances, which list every occurrence of certain words in the Bible. There are many other resources that can help anyone in his or her Bible studying efforts, so stop by The Study Room to check them out.

Even with all these resources, it can still be so hard to study the Bible, to understand it, and to commit yourself to regular quiet times. However, this is a habit that is so critical for Christians. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (Psalm 119:9). Studying the Bible is a vital part of a Christian’s life and growth in Christ.

Book Suggestions:

Read the Bible For Life by George Guthrie
How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It by Skip Heitzig
Knowing Scripture by R. C. Sproul
Teach Yourself The Bible by Terry W. Whalin

References

Hunter, D. (2018, October 21). 10 things you should know about studying the Bible. Crossway. LINK

Thom, A. (2018, December 6). 6 reasons to study the Bible and 7 excuses we make. The Gospel Coalition. LINK

Warren, R. (2006). Rick Warren’s Bible study methods. Zondervan.

Got Questions (2023, January 24). Why should we read the Bible / study the Bible? LINK

*All scripture quoted from the ESV Bible.

A blog post by Lindsay Brunt

Jan 29, 2025.