How to Study the Bible – Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the question of Is Studying the Bible Worth My Time? If you have not read that yet I highly encourage you to do so. Understanding the WHY to study God’s Word is important before you even consider the HOW.

Let me first explain that there is a difference between reading the Bible and studying it. Studying includes reading (reading is actually part of the first step) but studying goes so much deeper. Studying is required for a full understanding of the passage, but that does not discredit simple reading of God’s Word.

David uses the analogy of snorkeling and scuba diving to describe the difference. You can see beautiful and wonderous things when you snorkel. There is definitely enjoyment in snorkeling. But scuba diving opens up a whole new world that can’t be seen from the surface or shallow depths of snorkeling. Scuba diving provides an opportunity for discovery of so much more! Scuba diving takes more time, planning and supplies… but it is so worth the investment!

When you go scuba diving and see incredible sea life, you can try to describe that beauty to someone else who has never been to those depths. You might even take a picture with an underwater camera to show them. But experiencing it for yourself is a whole different level of enjoyment and appreciation. Words and even pictures are no match to the personal experience.

Reading the Bible is like snorkeling. You definitely get something of value out of it, but diving in with the full gear to go to deeper depths (studying the Bible) is so much better!

The Three Steps of Bible Study

Bible study should be methodical. Left-brained people (like me) will like that. For the artistic and creative free-flowing right-brained set of you, following a pre-determined order of study might feel restrictive. But there is a reason why the steps are in the order they are, and if done out of order can lead to misinterpretation of scripture. More on that as we look at each step below.

There are three basic steps to bible study but many elements involved in each one. In this article, we are going to look at the big picture of the three steps using the analogy of a jigsaw puzzle. We will dive more deeply into each step in subsequent articles.

The three steps of bible study are Observation, Interpretation, and Application. We are starting with Observation as step one, but in reality, prayer should always be the first step in every undertaking, including (and especially) studying God’s Word. It is the true first step and also should be interwoven continually throughout each of the steps described below.

Step 1 – Observation

Observation begins by reading the passage. Not just casually reading the passage, but reading while intentionally looking for the answers to specific questions.

The first step in working a jigsaw puzzle is opening the box (the Bible), taking all the pieces out, and turning them face up to reveal what you have to work with (uncover details from the passage). After that is done, you have what you need to start putting the picture together. The puzzle will never be worked until you take that first step and open the box. The spiritual revelation that God has waiting for you will not be discovered until you take that first step and open His Word.

You want to make sure you have all the pieces of the puzzle. There is nothing more frustrating than spending hours on a puzzle to find out at the end that one piece is missing. All the pieces are needed to complete the picture, not just some of them. You might have a decent looking picture with pieces missing but the end result is so much better with all the pieces in place.

How much effort you spend in observation will determine how complete and accurate your interpretation of scripture (the next step). Some bible study is better than none, but the more thorough information you uncover, the more pieces you have to work with to complete the entire picture.

In bible study, you need to know what to look for to gather all the pieces of information. We will cover that in detail next week.

Step 2 – Interpretation

Interpretation can only be done after the observation is complete. After you have asked the right questions then you can begin the quest to understand what the answers mean. This step takes the pieces of the puzzle that were revealed in step one and starts to put them together to expose the big picture.

I was taught to work puzzles by first sorting the pieces. All of the outside edges are placed together and all similar colors (or pieces that are obviously related to each other) are grouped as well. Looking at the picture on the outside of the box is extremely helpful in sorting the pieces and getting an idea of where each might go. Similarly, in the second step of bible study, the information gathered previously is evaluated as to how it all fits together and resources outside of the passage under study are consulted. Other passages in the Bible, other versions, and even various resources external to the Bible are used.

After the pieces are sorted, the first pieces I put together are the outside edges. This gives you a framework for the rest of the picture. Interpretation acts as the framework in bible study. At this point, you have an understanding of what the picture looks like and generally where the pieces might go but you don’t want to stop there.

There are key steps to interpreting scripture which we will look at in-depth later in this series. The important thing to know for now is that interpretation has to come as the second step after observation. You cannot hope to have a valid interpretation of scripture if you have not first spent time in observation and gathering the pieces of the puzzle. If you try to put a puzzle together without first having all the pieces, there will be “holes” in the result.

Once the framework is put together and all the collected information has been evaluated, then you can move on to the last step of bible study (application).

Step 3 – Application

Finally, once you have completed the observation and used that information to allow God to reveal by the Holy Spirit the correct interpretation, you are ready to apply what you have learned. The goal of bible study is not just to have information but to be transformed by it. There is little value in just being smarter on a topic, there is great value in spiritual growth.

You can’t apply what God is revealing to you in His Word if you haven’t first correctly interpreted it. If the interpretation is wrong, the application will be wrong. Do you see why the order of the steps is important?

Application takes the previous preparation and framework and completes the puzzle revealing the entire picture. This step is determining where all the pieces belong. It is taking action on what was learned from the previous steps. You could stop at just putting the frame together (understanding the interpretation of scripture) but you aren’t finished yet. To get the complete fulfillment and appreciation for the puzzle you need to complete it, installing the last and final piece. Applying what you have learned completes the picture, it finishes the task.

Application is determining, “how does this piece fit in my life?” What is God showing me personally in this scripture and what action does He want me to take? Sometimes you have to search for a while to find a missing piece. Sometimes you try one that looks like it might fit but then discover it wasn’t a perfect match. That’s okay! That’s how we learn and fine-tune sorting of the pieces to finally complete the picture.

When we look at this step in more detail we will provide a guide on what to look for in regards to application and steps on how to apply God’s Word to your life for transformation of yourself, and others (you’ll want to share the joy of that beautiful picture once it is complete!).

Summary

PRAY to God before you even open the first book, begin to formulate the first question and dive into seeking the first answer. The FIRST step is ALWAYS to pray and seek God’s direction and guidance.

To recap the three steps and analogy of working a puzzle:

Step 1, Observation – Observation is opening the box, gathering all the pieces of the puzzle and turning them face up so we can see what they are (reading the passage and determining the answers to important questions). After that is done we have what we need to start putting the picture together. For details on this step, read The First Step – Observation.

Step 2, Interpretation – Interpretation is sorting all the pieces of the puzzle (correlating information learned in the previous step), and putting the outside framework together (consulting additional resources until the picture is understood). For details on this step, see The Second Step – Interpretation.

Step 3, Application – Application is completing the picture (applying what you learned from the previous steps) by taking action to put in the final pieces (acting on the truth of God’s Word). You’ll find details on this step in The Final Step – Application.

What do you do when you are done with a puzzle? Open another box and begin again! The Bible puzzle box is full of beautiful pictures waiting for you to put the pieces together!

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15

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