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Starting
to Study the Bible
How
to Study a Book, a Chapter or a Verse
A series that explains
a variety of approaches to Studying the Bible
Introduction
This
page helps you with big stuff as you might view a Book, scaling down
to a single verse.
If
you are serious in your study of the Bible you will go for each of these
approaches. Have a look below and see what you think!
A.
How to Study a Book of the Bible (a fairly
advanced form of study) 
•
Read it several times in different versions
•
Seek to find a structure, catch a sense of each chapter first
•
Find out the background – use other resources
•
Consider why it was written – the aim of the book
•
Check other people’s outlines for further light
•
Note secondary themes for further study
•
If a large book, divide into sections with themes
•
List words & phrases you need to look up
•
Note differences between versions
•
Write down lessons in the book for you
NB.
Studying a book is easy stuff for small books, but big books are for
serious students! When you do eventually get to big books, start
with books that are mostly narrative, e.g. Gospels, Acts of the
Apostles, Genesis etc., and only move on to prophetic books, e.g.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, when you have time and plenty of experience!
Having
said this, here is an overall breakdown of
Genesis:
1:1-
3:24 Creation and Fall
4:1-
11:32 From a family, to nations,
to a family
12:1-25:11
Abraham
25:12-36:43
Isaac, Jacob & Esau
37:1-
50:26 Joseph
Overall:
History from Adam and Eve through to Joseph and Israel established in
Egypt
The
following is a Breakdown of Exodus:
1:1-
18:27 The Exodus
1:1-7:3
Preparation
7:14-11:10
Plagues
12:1-13:16
Passover
13:17-18:27
Passage
19:1-40:38 At
Sinai
19:1-24:18
Laws
25:1-31:18
Tabernacle Worship
32:1-33:6
Apostasy
33:7-40:38
Resumption and Relationship
Overall:
History of God's conflict with Pharaoh, delivering Israel from Egypt
and establishing them as a nation at Mount Sinai.
For
a smaller book in the Old Testament, the following is a breakdown of
Ruth:
1:1-22
Naomi and Ruth
2:1-23
Ruth meets Boaz
3:1-10
Ruth & Boaz at the threshing Floor
4:1-12
Ruth marries Boaz
4:13-22
The Genealogy of David
Overall:
Naomi leaves Israel, Ruth becomes her daughter in law, is widowed, returns
with Naomi to Israel, encounters and marries Boaz, and together they
become part of King David's family tree.
B.
How to Study a Chapter 
•
Read it several times to get the main thoughts and breakdown
•
Are there key verses on which the rest hinge?
•
Apply the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY questions
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List commands or promises or lessons learnt
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Note repetitive words, phrases etc.
•
Ask why things are included that appear irrelevant
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Check sense in context of previous and following chapters
Some
chapters to study:
For
beginners – Psa 1/ Psa 23 / Psa 90 / Mk 10 / Lk 15 / Jn 11
For
mature Christians – Gen 3 / Gen 22 / Exo 12 / Mt 5 / Jn 17 / Rom
6
An
example of a Chapter study is shown below:
Romans,
chapter 2:
| v
.1-4 |
Guilty
Judges |
| v.1
|
Judge
others, judge yourself |
| v.2
|
God
judges on truth |
| v.3
|
Your
failure won’t escape judgement |
| v.4
|
Are
you contemptuous of his kindness |
| v.4-16
|
CRITERIA
FOR JUDGING |
| v.5
|
Stubbornness
will get its judgement |
| v.6
|
Each
person gets what they deserve |
| v.7
|
Reward
for the righteous |
| v.8
|
Punishment
for the self-seeker |
| v.9
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Trouble
for ALL who do wrong |
| v.10
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Blessing
for ALL who do good |
| v.11
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No
favourites with God |
| v.12
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The
law doesn’t affect this |
| v.13
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Doers
not hearers are declared righteous |
| v.14,15
|
Gentiles'
consciences are their arbiter |
| v.16
|
This
will be made clear on judgement day |
| v.17-24
|
Jewish
Failure |
| v.17-20
|
The
claims of the Jew |
| v.21-23
|
The
failures of the Jew |
| v.24
|
The
testimony of Scripture |
| v.25-29
|
CIRCUMCISION
NO EXCUSE |
| v.25
|
Law
breaking annuls circumcision |
| v.26
|
Gentile
law-keepers are like circumcised Jews |
| v.27
|
Gentile
law-keeper condemns disobedient circumcised Jew |
| v.28
|
Being
a Jew isn’t about outward things |
| v.29
|
Being
a Jew is a heart thing |
All
we have done in the above study is go through the chapter putting each
verse into our own short summary and then suggesting a breakdown that
seems to make sense.
Overall:
In chapter 1 the apostle Paul has explained the basic need for the Gospel.
In chapter 2, he realises that his own people, the Jews, might feel
they were a superior people and so shows to them their particular need.
Reading this chapter in a modern paraphrase will help you catch its
meaning.
The
following is a further simple example of a Chapter Breakdown:
Jeremiah
12:
•
Jeremiah’s Complaint v.1-4
v.1
|
Why
are you allowing the wicked to prosper? |
v.2
|
You
are far from their hearts. |
v.3
|
Why
don’t you deal with them? |
v.4
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How
long will you let this go on? |
v.4
|
They
say that God won’t see our sin |
•
God’s Answer (1) v.5,6 – Look to yourself
v.5
|
If
you can’t handle minor things, how can you deal with them? |
v.6
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Your
own family are against you, watch out! |
•
God’s Answer (2) v.7-13 – I’m going to deal with them
v.7
|
I’m
going to give them over to the enemy |
v.8
|
My
people have turned against me |
v.9
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My
people have become weak, a prey for others |
v.10
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Other
leaders will come in and spoil this “field” |
v.11
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They
will devastate this land because no one cares |
v.12
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Enemies
will come in as the sword of the Lord |
v.13
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My
people intend one future but I’m bringing another |
•
God’s Answer (3) v.14-17 – I’ll deal with the enemy
| v.14
|
Those
who come in and uproot Israel, I will uproot |
| v.15
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But
afterwards I will restore these people |
| v.16
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I
will turn them back to me |
| v.17
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Those
who refuse to listen, I will destroy. |
Overall:
Jeremiah is feeling bad about his situation and so complains to the
Lord. The Lord replies with a gentle chide about looking to Himself
but then goes on to say that He's going to deal with Israel by using
another nation but He'll also deal with that other nation's bad attitude
as well.
C.
How to Study a Verse 
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Read it several times
•
Read it in the context of the paragraph and chapter
•
Apply the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHY questions etc.
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Focus on words, get their meaning
•
Cross reference the verse with others
For
examples of verse studies, see the earlier pages in this series.
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