One of the noblest pursuits a child of God can embark upon is to get to know and understand God better. The best way we can accomplish this is to look carefully at the book He has written, the Bible, which communicates who He is and His plan for mankind. There are many ways we can study the Bible, but one of the most influential and simple approaches to reading and understanding God’s Word involves three simple steps:
Step 1: Observation—What does the passage say?
Step 2: Interpretation—What does the passage mean?
Step 3: Application—What will I do about what the passage says and means?
Let's dive into each step of studying the Bible.
Step 1 of Bible Study: Observation
Observation is the first and most crucial step in how to study the Bible. As you read the Bible text, you must look carefully at what is said and how it is said. Look for:
Terms, not words. Words can have many meanings, but terms are words used in a specific way in a specific context. (For instance, the word trunk could apply to a tree, a car, or a storage box. However, when you read, “That tree has a very large trunk,” you know exactly what the word means, which makes it a term.)
Structure. If you look at your Bible, you will see that the text has units called paragraphs (indented or marked ¶). A paragraph is a complete unit of thought. You can discover the content of the author’s message by noting and understanding each paragraph unit.
Emphasis. The amount of space or the number of chapters or verses devoted to a specific topic will reveal the importance of that topic (for example, note the emphasis of Romans 9 and Psalms 119).
Repetition. This is another way an author demonstrates that something is important. One reading of 1 Corinthians 13, where the author uses the word “love” nine times in only 13 verses, communicates to us that love is the focal point of these 13 verses.
Relationships between ideas. Pay close attention, for example, to certain relationships that appear in the text:
—Cause-and-effect: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things” (Matthew 25:21).
—Ifs and thens: “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
—Questions and answers: “Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty” (Psalms 24:8).
Comparisons and contrasts. For example, “You have heard that it was said…but I say to you…” (Matthew 5:21).
Literary form. The Bible is literature, and the three main types of literature in the Bible are discourse (the epistles), prose (Old Testament history), and poetry (the Psalms). Considering the type of literature makes a great deal of difference when you read and interpret the Scriptures.
Atmosphere. The author had a particular reason or burden for writing each passage, chapter, and book. Be sure you notice the mood or tone or urgency of the writing.
After considering these things, you are ready to ask the “Wh” questions.
Who? What? Where? When?
Who are the people in this passage? What is happening in this passage? Where is this story taking place? When is it in time (of day, year, history)?
Asking these four “Wh” questions can help you notice terms and identify the atmosphere. The answers will also enable you to use your imagination to recreate the scene you’re reading about.
As you answer the “Wh” questions and imagine the event, you’ll probably come up with some questions of your own.
Asking those additional questions for understanding will help to build a bridge between observation (the first step) and interpretation (the second step) of the Bible study process.
Step 2 of Bible Study: Interpretation
Interpretation is discovering the meaning of a passage, the author’s main thought or idea. Answering the questions that arise during observation will help you in the process of interpretation. Five clues (called “the five C’s”) can help you determine the author’s main point(s):
Context. You can answer 75 percent of your questions about a passage when you read the text. Reading the text involves looking at the near context (the verse immediately before and after) as well as the far context (the paragraph or the chapter that precedes and/or follows the passage you’re studying).
Cross-references. Let Scripture interpret Scripture. Let other passages in the Bible shed light on the passage you are looking at. At the same time, be careful not to assume that the same word or phrase in two different passages means the same thing.
Culture. The Bible was written long ago, so we need to understand it from the writers’ cultural context when we interpret it.
Conclusion. Having answered your questions for understanding using context, cross-reference, and culture, you can make a preliminary statement of the passage’s meaning. Remember that if your passage consists of more than one paragraph, the author may present more than one thought or idea.
Consultation. Reading books known as commentaries, which are written by Bible scholars, can help you interpret Scripture.
Step 3 of Bible Study: Application
Application is why we study the Bible. We want our lives to change, be obedient to God, and grow more like Jesus Christ. After we have observed a passage and interpreted or understood it to the best of our ability, we must apply its truth to our lives.
- You’ll want to ask the following questions about every passage of Scripture you study:
- How does the truth revealed affect my relationship with God?
- How does this truth affect my relationship with others?
- How does this truth affect me?
- How does this truth affect my response to the enemy, Satan?
The application step is not completed by simply answering these questions; the key is putting into practice what God has taught you in your study. Although you cannot consciously apply everything you’re learning in Bible study at any given moment, you can intentionally apply something. And when you work on applying a truth to your life, God will bless your efforts by, as noted earlier, conforming you to the image of Jesus Christ.
What's the Best Way to Study the Bible?
Read a transcript of this video below:
Well, lots of people say, if you're a new believer and you're asking, where do I start reading my Bible? Most people will say the gospel of John. And I understand why that's true. The gospel of John represents a historical account of the life of Jesus. Jesus is the most important person in the Bible. Jesus is the most important person in life. But it's not necessary that you start at the gospel of John. For example, if you went down to a bookstore in the mall and bought a book, and you said to the owner, "Where should I start reading this book?" He wouldn't say chapter 28, he'd say chapter one. I don't see any reason why we shouldn't start right in Genesis, chapter one, and read right through the Bible. Now, admittedly, there are some portions of the Bible, more difficult to read, more difficult to understand than others.
But the great thing is the spirit of God helps us understand even those difficult passages. I've been studying God's word, speaking from God's word, teaching God's word for a lot of years. And there are things I still don't understand, things I probably never will understand, but I think the best way for a new person to God's word, to really understand and read God's word is three things. And they're a little bit corny. So forgive me.
Number one, you need a book and here it is right here the Bible. Number two, you need a look. You need to actually open that Bible and read it. Most people don't know what God says because they've never read the Bible. And three, you need a nook. You need a place to go to, you need a desk, or you need a place that you will go to on a consistent basis.
One of the reasons why people have difficulty reading the Bible is they don't do it consistently. They do it today, they do it a week later and we know that it is the consistency of getting into God's word that changes the way we live our lives. So three little things, make sure you have a Bible that you can read and that you can understand. And they're just lots of them out there today. Make sure that you pick a time and you actually open the word of God and read it. This book can be read in less than 72 hours. I don't recommend it all in one sitting, but you can read half the books of this Bible in less than 30 minutes, 26 of them in less than 15 minutes. So it's not an insurmountable task. It just takes a place. It takes the desire to do it. And it takes you doing it consistently.
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