This post is all about Bible study methods for anyone who is new to Bible study or is looking to refresh their daily quiet time.
Anyone looking to grow in their faith and know God better should have a daily Bible study and reading plan. This is because the Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and is useful for teaching and instruction (2 Timothy 3:16-17). However, the only way the Bible can have an impact on our lives is if we open it and seek to understand what it is saying.
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Although simply reading the Bible is a great place to start for any believer, it may (and should) leave you with questions as you grapple with the text. Part of the reason for these questions is that the Bible was written to a different culture using a different language than we speak today. So naturally, some things get lost in translation.
Related Post: 7 Ways To Have A Successful Daily Bible Study
This is why implementing different Bible study methods can be a valuable tool for any Christian. Bible study methods are frameworks that help you understand the culture, language, and context of the passage you are reading. When you understand the original meaning, you can then faithfully apply the scripture to your life.
Here are some of my favorite Bible study methods, with brief descriptions to help you choose the one that’s best for you.
Beginners Bible study: Methods to help you engage with God’s word
If you are new to Bible study, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with all of the different methods. Don’t let the overwhelm stop you. Just pick one or two methods and give them a try for a couple of week. If they aren’t working, evaluate why not and see if there is a different method that suits your learning style better.
Choosing a method
Any of these Bible study methods can be used for a beginner, although I would personally recommend one that looks at the bigger picture of the Bible instead of diving deep into the meaning of one verse. This is because I believe it is important to have a good understanding of Biblical foundations and the narrative story of the Bible.
If you already have a good foundation of the Bible and are looking to go deeper in studying single verses or passages, consider doing one of the verse-by-verse methods, such as verse mapping. These have you look into the original context as well as the Greek or Hebrew behind single words.
Fly-over Bible study methods
The fly-over Bible study methods are by far my favorite way to study the Bible. When you read and study the Bible as a whole, you can see so many themes appear that may get lost in the verse-by-verse methods.
Related post: 43 Essential Bible Study Materials to Grow Your Faith
Bible in a year
This may be the most popular Bible study method out there – and for good reason! Reading through the Bible in a year allows you to see the overarching theme of redemption and God’s love for His people. There are so many great reading plans available, and most take 15-20 minutes per day. So this is a very achievable way to study the Bible for everyone.
Here are three different types of Bible in a year reading plans
- The Story of Redemption | This Daily Grace reading plan guides you through the entire Bible by focusing on the overarching story of redemption, giving a short devotional with the daily reading. Daily Grace also offers other reading plans and shorter devotionals.
- The Bible Recap | This plan follows the Chronological timeline of the Bible and explains each day’s passage in an easy-to-explain way.
- The One Year Bible | This plan divides up the scripture each day so you are reading a section from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs so that you don’t get hung up in one book.
Bible in four months
If you are able to commit an hour a day to Reading through your Bible, I would highly suggest reading through it in four months. This advanced timeline will help you see the big picture more clearly while gaining a deeper understanding of the Bible as a whole.
If you are interested in learning more about reading through the Bible in a short timeframe, check out Rapid Bible Read Through by Keith Ferrin.
In-depth verse by verse Bible study methods
If you have already done a full Bible read through, or are just looking for ways to study individual verses or passages in-depth, these Bible study methods are a good place to start.
Verse mapping
Verse mapping is a great way to fully understand any verse in the Bible. This Bible study method can be particularly helpful if there is a verse that stands out to you during your daily Bible reading that you want to know more about.
When verse mapping, you will create a guide map of the verse that includes all pertinent information to help you understand the context and meaning of the verse. To do this, you will first look at the surrounding context of the verse, identifying the message of the whole passage. Then you will highlight any words that stick out to you and research them using different tools. You can see my whole guide to Bible verse mapping here.
Word study
A Bible word study is a great way to look at the original Hebrew or Greek word in any verse that you are reading. You can then cross-reference it with any other occurrences of that word to give you a deeper understanding of what the concept means. When doing a Word study, it is important to understand the word in context, and there are many great resources to help you accomplish this goal. If you are interested in learning more about how to do a Bible Word study, you can learn more here.
Acronym Bible Study methods
There are many different Bible study methods that use acronyms to help you easily remember the steps. Here are just a few of the more popular ones to give you an idea of how they work.
SOAP method
The SOAP method stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. Scripture includes reading a passage a few times and writing it out to slow down and understand it better. Observation occurs when you notice concepts and ask questions about the text. Application takes place when you know the original context and see how it can apply to your life. And prayer occurs when you thank God for His word and what He has revealed to you.
TEXT method
The TEXT method stands for Talk, Encounter, eXamine, and Talk. In this method, you will begin with prayer, Talking to God, and asking Him to reveal Himself through His word. You will then Encounter God and Humanity in scripture as you ask yourself: what does this passage say about God and His creation? Then you will eXamine your heart to see if there is anything within you that does not align with what you have learned, before you Talk to God again.
REAP method
The REAP Method stands for Read, Examine, Apply, and Pray. This method is very similar to the SOAP method, with just a couple of differences. You will want to begin by Reading the passage and contemplating what it says. Here, you want to consider what the key points of the passage are and note any person, place, or thing mentioned. You will then Examine the verse and dive into any of the questions you had from reading it. You will follow it up by applying the passage to your life and praying to God, just as you do in the SOAP method.
ACTS method
The ACTS method stands for Ask, Chapter, Think, and Scripture. To follow this method, you will first Ask God what He wants you to understand from your Bible study. Then, you will read a full Chapter slowly and carefully as you Think about its meaning, original context, and how it applies to your life. You will finish this Bible study by writing down one or two verses in the Scripture tat stood out to you.
Over-all picture Bible Study methods
If you are looking to study a specific topic or character rather than reading through the Bible or going in-depth with different verses, these methods are for you.
Character study
When doing a Character study, you will look at one individual mentioned in the Bible and follow their life. During this type of study, you can see examples of what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ, while also learning that even the most righteous followers make mistakes. Popular Character studies include ones that look at Abraham, king David, or Paul, as well as ones that follow the 5 women in the genealogy of Jesus or Women of the Old Testament.
Topical Study
A topical Bible study is a great method when you have a question about a topic or theme in the Bible. For instance, if you would like to know more about “salvation” you would read 10-20 verses on that topic and draw observations from connecting the main points. One great way to do a topical Bible study is through Bible Gateway, as you can search for any word or topic.
Inductive Method
The inductive Bible study method could also be called the intuitive method because it consists of reading the passage and making observations about it. In order to make observations, you will want to look to answer the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, why, and How) of the passage.
If you are looking for even more Bible study methods, Rick Warren goes over 12 in His book Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods.
Reflect on which Bible Study methods are right for you
There are so many different types of Bible study methods, and it can be overwhelming to know where to start. So many of these methods use the same steps and principles, just applied slightly differently. So, let this post encourage you that there is no wrong way to study your Bible as long as you are doing so with an open heart willing to be transformed by the Word of God.
Are you ready to grow in your faith and make Bible study a daily habit? Pick one or two of these study methods and commit to trying them for the next week. Set aside a specific time each day, and get ready to meet with God through His word! Don’t worry about doing it perfectly—just start, and let the Holy Spirit guide your learning.
Which method will you try first? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This post was all about the best Bible study methods for every believer.
