Bible Study methods?

What are your bible study methods? If you write notes in the margins, how do you make sure these don't distract from the text? What do you like writing notes on?

Clean Bible, dirty Christian . . .
Dirty Bible, clean Christian (lots of notes)

Usually just the outline of messages are good unless the preacher makes a really good point, such as 'seven days without Bible and prayer makes a Christian weak.' or 'this Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Bible.'

Webster's dictionary, Hebrew dictionary, Greek dictionary, pencil and paper and hot coffee.
Do not disturb sign on door.

NEED & USE

The principle matter is that you just STUDY.

Next, I would focus study topics and study techniques around NEED and USE.
Study what you most NEED to study, and develop notes in ways you'll best be able to USE them.

If you're going to USE all your notes from a phone or tablet, then put your notes into that format.
If you're going to to USE your notes in a paper bible, in the margins, then put them into that format.

Think about NEED and USE... and just build around that.


(Personally, I use a lot of different study resources, then type all my notes into document files, and add cross references to make them easier to find later. I only do things digitally. But that's what I need. That suits my need and use. You may be different, and that's ok.)



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I read the Bible with footnotes that explain things, in the original languages. I underline both the text and the footnotes, if the explanation says something that answers a question I have had for a long time. I'm using NET right now, for the exegetical notes.

I also use commentaries, lexicons, and Greek tools, like Linguistic and Exegetical helps. I generally type my findings on my computer as I go. It also helps me remember things.

I think you need to decide what you are looking for. Sometimes, I put a mark in the margin besides verses that I have learned as songs or choruses, somewhere along the line. Sometimes I look for other things, from the start to finish of the Bible, as I read through in a year. The glory of God might be one thing. Another could be the cross of Christ. Of course, there would be less in the OT of the second topic, but what you do find are real gems!

Mostly, I think it is important to have your mind open to what the Bible is telling you, rather than looking for passages to echo back what you already believe. There would be really no point to reading the Bible if it was just to justify your current doctrines. I have changed my thoughts many times, about side issues as I study and read the Bible. Of course, essentials MUST stay the same. God is Trinity, Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and how we are to believe and be saved.

Studying the Bible is one of the best things a Christian can do. Let us know how your studying goes!

may this "bible directory" be of help to you
https://christianchat.com/bible-dis...he-bible-starting-with-new-testaments.178021/
^come check it out

Thank you. I like to highlight verses but not with bright colors because my eyes can feel sensitive to certain colors at times. I have thought about adding some cross references in my ESV bible... I don't know exactly how I should do that. It might be good for me to study trusting God and similar topics around that. My goal though is to read it all the way through. I don't mind if I am using mulitiple versions to do that.

I don't write in me bibles - I make notes in a notebook. I've seen the mess some of my friends made with notes.

I agree that reading all the way through should always be the goal. My thought and my practice is that you make notes about your chosen topic - trusting God - as you are reading through the Bible. So, you might find Scriptures in the narratives that discuss trusting God. Same for the Prophets, major and minor. The Psalms and Proverbs are particularly rich in verses about trusting God. You might want to include whole passages where God's people did not trust him and things went wrong, or God's people did trust him, and they were blessed and rewarded. The stories are very valuable in communicating God's truth.

Then, as you read the NT, the stories about Jesus, by Jesus, and how people did or did not trust him. A particularly important story is when Peter promised he would follow Jesus to the cross. And yet, before the cock crowed three times, he had denied him. Not the model of trusting God. But then, look at the way Jesus restores Peter, and commissions him to spread the gospel and be a leader in the church. What encouragement for us all! No matter how we fail God, he is for us, and he will use us for his glory!

You might want to consider a notebook, or typing it up. You can go to Biblegateway.com and copy and paste from the ESV, or other versions that you found had a different nuance, or translation that shed different light on it.

And specifically on the topic of trusting God, I have spent years meditating on Prov. 3:5-6. I just sit comfortably and say the passage, and listen to what God is telling me. God taught me to trust him irrevocably through that passage.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Prov. 3:5-6

(I translated this from the Hebrew, when I found out that 6b had a lot of ways of translating and also it helped me understand why it was a difficult part to translate. But you can just compare translations, and don't worry about the original languages, till you have read many versions all the way through, and God calls you to learn the languages. Most people he never calls! And that is ok, too!)

1. Do not study what you do not need to study. Time is limited. For example, are you planning divorce? Study this, not some eschatological prophecy or creationism.

2. You cannot study the bible without working with/in Greek. You study only interpretations, without it. Get at least some basics.

3. Have an open mind, be a free thinker, but know basic boundaries of ancient Church creeds.

4. its useful to know as much theologies and views as possible. It will help you see the verse in various possible models and interpretations. It will also help you with open mind.

5. Context. Context. Context. Literary genre, the purpose of the book (song, prophecy, letter to church, history...). Be careful with literary instruments (metaphors, anthropomorphisms).

6. Do not study just the text of the Bible. Study also about the Bible.

OCD much?

I suppose it is a good thing in this case?

Notes can be distracting or they can help build as comparing the spiritual word, as a understanding to another, or faith (the unseen eternal ) to faith.

My two cents...

The Holy Spirit who lovingly commands us to study in order to seek the approval of him not seen provides various what I would call 20 /20 prescriptions as part of his ministry to give spiritual understanding to the blind and ears to hear to those spiritually deaf . The blind see the deaf hear and are able to seek after him who has no form

Isaiah 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

Again to give us the hidden understanding as the proper hermeneutics . He has not left us a orphans with no way to understand Him not seen. One description that comes to mind is in lieu of our teacher Christ.

Mark 4:11And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:

Parables, the poetic or signified language of God

And again how do we know when a parable is in view? Seeing some to include my own self espouse that a parable can be historically true and still provide the unseen spiritual understanding .I believe he gives us another prescription to help focus in on the parables..

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.2 Corinthians 4:18

Other prescriptions that Christ the doctor of our souls freely gives us are used to protect the integrity of His word. like the warning in Deuteronomy 4..... do not add new meaning to a word (singular) Seeing it the new meaning could change or diminish the authors intent. Or another at the end of His book of prophecy do not add or substract from the whole or perfect .

Context, context, context--
WHO is speaking?
WHO are they talking to?
WHY are they speaking?
WHAT are they talking about?
WHEN--past, present, future?

And maybe the most important---
Be willing to allow the Scripture to change your mind.

Make sure you have a few Bible study tools on hand or online. Use Bible Hub.

I would add looking at the use of the word as, as hermeneutical defining key. As can be used like in the phrase as it is written to indicate the finger of God.

like in the parable in the garden a beautiful picture of the gospel . The promise of Isaiah 53, the father and Son working together in perfect harmony and submissiveness to one another as a living sacrifice of two, to bring us the peace of God that surpasses all human understanding as that which draws us to do His desires. God striking the Son of man with the letter of the law, the Son crying to our to father, the father working to strengthen Son as the work of one Faith, one God, one baptism the baptism of the Holy Spirit not seen .


Luke 22:42-44 King James Version (KJV)Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground

As it were drops of blood as denotes a parable is in view. Using the things seen to represent the unseen and therefore receiving the unseen spiritual understanding . As it were drops of blood represent the sweat to show he was working pouring out his unseen Spirit according to the promise of Joel (pour out his spirit), literal blood represents the unseen spirit just a water is used in the same way

Although as we are informed that the life of the flesh is in the blood that life is not literal blood without the essence of spirit life..

No such thing as the flesh of eternal life

Many espouse it was literal blood and water as the object that could bring new life. Not seeing that as a parable

When I study I will pray for understanding, then I study every word from either the Hebrew or Greek and above all considerations other than prayer is context.....I have a wide margin Cambridge King Jimmy black letter edition in Berkshire leather....I write all word studies in the margins and or scriptural references that go with any given text........

How do you do the scriptural references in the margins? I thought about adding some cross references in my bible and make it easy to follow.

The story of the garden was not a parable. The drops of blood from Jesus brow was not a parable. You are a liar. Your intent is to deny the truth of the Bible. Not to present it.

Quantrill

Can’t the interpretation of the Holy Spirit be your dictionary??

It is good to not only rely on your interpretation of the bible but also to get input from others who may know the bible even better. There is nothing wrong with coming up with your own understanding of Scripture but it is not good to be so confident in your interpretation that you don't listen to others. I am not really sure though how to use a Hebrew or Greek dictionary for the bible... I would rather hear what others say about a passage or verse and share my view as to what I think of with the passage or verse.