Bible study

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The Bible is the best-selling book of all time.[1]

Between 5 to 7 billion Bibles have been published.

Bible Study is the process of learning from the Holy Bible. Studying the Bible is vital because it helps one learn about God and understand how to live a life that is faithful and pleasing to God.

This is more than merely reading the Bible - it requires intent to learn more about it.

The purpose of Bible study is to: 1) Understand the Bible 2) Internalize the teaching by applying it to oneself, and 3) Gain an appreciation of God, and trust more in Him.

Importance of Bible study

Bible study with others

Principle Types of Study

Collection of several editions of the Thompson Chain Reference Bible, 1934-2022

There are a number of ways to study the Bible and each one focuses on a different purpose or purposes (Study of a particular Bible book or chapter, topical Bible study, word study, biographical study, etc.)

Methods of Bible study:

Specific types of Bible study

Verse or Passage. In this type of study, one or several consecutive verses are considered together. This can be broken into smaller pieces for more detailed study, such as taking the chapters of a book in turn.

Topical Bible study. In the topical Bible study type of Bible study, a specific scriptural topic is studied, which typically requires comparing multiple passages on that topic. The idea is to gaina cohesive understanding of that topic from a scriptural perspective.

Word study. In this type of study, a given word is studied. If a modern word is studied, the study involves understanding the original language word(s) that are translated into the English (or some other modern language), and the context(s) in which they are used. When studying an original language word, the study involves learning where the word is used, how it is used, and how it is translated into other languages. This can also involve studying how the word was used in other contexts contemporary with the Scripture where it is used. For instance, how the Greek word "logos" was used in Greek culture at the time.

There is obvious potential overlap between these types, but most studies of the Bible will primarily focus on only one.

Approaches to Study

Exegetical. This is the typical approach used in sermons and commentaries. The intention is for someone with education and/or insight into the Bible to teach others what it says.

Devotional. The purpose of this approach is to apply teachings of scripture to one's life, generally in an uplifting or encouraging manner.

Educational. The purpose of this approach is to teach the Bible in a more structured manner. For instance, the students may be given a passage and a set of questions about the passage to answer. The idea is to get the student to consider the meaning of the passage, to reiterate it in his own words, and to think about aspects of the passage that he may not have previously considered. An example of this kind of study is the approach used by Bible Study Fellowship (BSF).

Personal. This approach is to study the Bible on one's own. Such a study nearly always makes use of reference materials such as commentaries, lexicons, Bible dictionaries, and so forth. There are many structured approaches to personal study that have been developed. For instance, an Inductive Bible Study (IBS) follows an outline of general questions that the student can follow to consider various aspects of Bible passages. This differs from the Educational approach in that the questions for an educational study are crafted to each passage and are designed for the student to learn specific things, whereas an Inductive study asks questions that apply to any passage of the Bible. There are countless Inductive studies, most of which have no specific name, though some do (such as Seven Arrows).

Reference Works

There are many useful resources that can be used in Bible study. Some are in the public domain and some are modern. They vary in size and depth, some being intended for the masses while others are oriented to scholars. An exhaustive list would be prohibitive, but most fall into one of the following general categories.

Bible Translations. It can be helpful to read a passage in several different Bible versions. Slightly different translations of the original text can help reveal a more nuanced understanding, or could indicate where an interlinear Bible would be useful. There are also specialty Bibles, which include commentary or colorize verses by topic, parallel Bibles (which show several versions side by side for comparison), and polyglot Bibles (which shows different languages side by side - such as Greek, Latin, and English).

Bible Paraphrases. Not technically translations, these are versions of the Bible that are restated in (typically) modern idioms. They can help in gaining a better understanding of the Bible, but also run the risk of reinterpreting it through the paraphraser's viewpoint. Examples include the Living Bible, The Message, and Bibles oriented to children.

Interlinear Bibles. These works contain the original language (Greek or Hebrew) with the corresponding English words above or below the original words. In conjunction with a lexicon, this can provide greater insight into the meaning. These are specific to given Bible translations, in terms of the English words and phrases that are used.

Concordances. These are essentially indexes into the Bible. They are specific to a given translation. They can help you find all instances of a word used in the Bible. An example of this is Strong's Concordance. Some concordances are topical in nature - they help you find all references to a topic in a Bible. An example of this is Nave's Bible Dictionary.

Commentaries. These are organized by Book, chapter, and verse. They can range from extended footnotes for a verse (or words in a verse), or they can provide extensive exegesis. They often include cultural context and cross-references to related material. One of the most famous commentaries was written by Matthew Henry. But there are numerous others written by other scholars, including Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, Fausset, James, Brown, Luther, etc.

Lexicons. These are essentially dictionaries of original language (Greek and Hebrew) words. Examples of lexicons include Thayer's, Abbott-Smith, and Strong's.

Bible dictionary: Contains brief articles on biblical terms, people, places, and events. Bible dictionaries are generally more concise, frequently published as single volumes. Examples include: Smith's Bible Dictionary, Unger's Bible Dictionary.

Bible encyclopedia: Bible encyclopedia provides longer, more in-depth articles on a wider range of related subjects, often including topics not explicitly in the Bible. Encyclopedias are typically more comprehensive, often multi-volume works. Examples: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE) and Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia (Two volume set).

Doctrinal. This includes systematic theologies, books that teach or overview specific doctrinal topics, mass appeal books on popular topics from a Biblical perspective, etc. Examples include Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion and Protestant Bible Interpretation by Dr. Bernard Ramm.

Christian apologetics. Works that defend the Scriptures and the faith. For instance, "Evidence That Demands a Verdict".

Bible atlases. Works that include maps and descriptions of the geography of the Holy Land.

Devotionals. Works that are intended to be read on a regular basis and contain short devotional messages. For instance, "Morning and Evening" by Charles Spurgeon, which has devotions for the evening and morning for each day of the year. Or "Sparkling Gems in the Greek" which has daily devotions in which a Greek word is examined.

Other. There are several works which don't quite fit in the above categories, such as the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, which is primarily an exhaustive list of related verses, or books of quotes related to the Bible that can be used in sermons. There are also collections of sermons given by famous preachers, books that provide cultural context, and books which are a combination of some (or all) of the above.

Software Tools

There are many software tools that can be of help. Some provide advanced search features such as Greek Morphological searches. Most include multiple versions of the Bible, plus various other reference works, as described above. Some are free while others are commercial products. Most commercial products also have a free version that includes a handful of reference works with the option of purchasing additional ones.

Web sites vs Apps

Study apps can be divided into two general categories: online and downloadable apps. Reliable online sites provide a large library of works, and they may completely meet one's needs. But web sites typically don't provide a means of saving your preferences or allowing you to save user-created content. Apps, on the other hand, allow you to customize your experience much more. Apps also provide a higher level of integration between the different reference works and the feature set of the software. Web sites provide the broadest possible access, typically being usable no matter what hardware is being used to access them. However Apps tend to provide a better interface and many operate even when an internet connection is not available.

App target audiences

Among apps, there are two basic target audiences: scholarly and general. Apps such as provided by Logos and Accordance are oriented toward seminary students, researchers, professors, and so forth - although they have features that also appeal to lay people. Other Apps are oriented toward lay people, teachers, and pastors - although they may offer some scholarly features as well. The primary difference between a scholarly audience and the general population is the reference works that are included with the software (primarily related to Latin and the original Greek/Hebrew). Scholarly audiences are also offered advanced searching abilities in the form of Morphological search.

There are also some specialty apps such as memorization tools and prayer journals that don't qualify as Bible study apps. Some Bible study apps provide these features as well.

Differences between apps

There are two aspects to all Bible apps: 1) the features of the software and 2) the library of reference works. There are many features that are common to most or all apps. Among these, there are often slight differences in how they work, how easy they are to use, and how useful they are. Other features may be unique to one or two apps. A comparison of all the apps would be impossible to do fairly, or to keep up to date as new versions are released. Apps may vary significantly in terms of usability, visual appeal, performance, and reliability. Further, what appeals to one person may not appeal to another. The best way to determine which app is best for you is to try the free version of each and then pick the one that provides you with the features and reference works that you want. Until you purchase a full version or buy reference works for a specific app, you won't be locked into one. If you have sufficient storage space, you may wish to have more than one app.

Likewise, the library of reference material provided by most Bible apps varies considerably. Some reference works are found in all of them (such as the King James Version of the Bible), while others may be exclusively found in only one app. Each app comes with some "free" works, with the commercial apps offering additional works for a price. The price is almost always less than what you would pay for a print copy, so apps can allow you to build a quite extensive theological library for a fraction of the cost of a printed version. However it should be noted that the reference works that come with many apps are stripped down versions, lacking prefatory material, appendices, and sometimes footnotes, maps, and/or images. Free apps provide many free reference works, including those that commercial apps require you to pay for. Some apps have huge libraries of works available, whether for free or for purchase. But, just as with features, not all reference works are equal in value. So a straight comparison of available reference works can be just as misleading as a feature comparison.

There are essentially two kinds of reference works available: public domain and copyright-protected. Most copyright-protected material is licensed by the companies that provide Bible study software, which requires a royalty payment. Therefore you will have to pay for those works, even with a free app. Public domain material (those published before 1930) may be provided for free or they may cost money, depending upon the company/app/work.

Partial list of the available software

ProgramPublisherFree version?Additional content available?PlatformsNotes
AccordanceAccordanceYes (trial)YesWin, Mac, Android, IOS
Alkitab Bible StudyKiyutYesNoWin, Linux
Bible AppYou VersionYesYesWin, Mac, Android, IOS, Online Browser
Bible-DiscoveryBible-DiscoveryYesYesWin, Mac, Android, IOS, Linux
Bible Gateway PlusBible GatewayYes (trial)NoAndroid, IOS
BibleHubBibleHubYesNoOnline browser
Bible Hub AppBibleHubYesNoAndroid, IOSInternet connection required
BibleworksBibleworksNoNoWinNo longer sold since 2018, but still supported
Blue Letter BibleBlue Letter BibleYesNoAndroid, IOS
BPBibleBPBibleYesNoWin
eBibleeBibleYesNoAndroid, IOS
e-SwordRick MeyersYesNoWin, Mac, Android, IOS
erasmus Bible AppConroy & ConroyYesYesWin, Mac, Android, IOS
FireBibleFireBibleYesNoOnline Browser (Firefox)
Logos Bible Study AppLogosYesYesWin, Mac, mobile
Olive Tree Bible AppOlive TreeYesYesWin, Mac, Android, IOS
PC Study BibleBiblesoftYesYesWin, MSDOSNo longer in business?
Verbum Study AppFaithlifeYesYes (subscription)Win, Mac, Android, IOSCatholic-oriented
XiphosXiphosYesNoWin, Linux, Unix

Videos:

Total immersion method of learning the Bible

See also: Total immersion method of learning the Bible

The total immersion method of learning is learning by extreme saturation.[2]

"The total immersion method for learning the Bible, like learning a foreign language, involves becoming fully surrounded by the text and its context. This means actively engaging with the Bible in various ways, making it a regular part of daily life. It's about more than just reading; it's about listening, thinking, writing, and applying the Word to your life." - Total immersion method of learning the Bible

Tyndale House Publishers published The Life Application Study Bible which is designed to take readers beyond knowing the Bible to living it out.[3] There are a number of life application Bibles that have been published.

Book

  • Bible Immersion: A Life-Changing Way to Encounter the Word of God by Patricia D Nordstrom. WestBow Press. Publication date: ‎July 6, 2018

Free Bible courses

Videos:

See also

External links

Videos:

References

  1. ↑ The Bible is the best selling book of all time, Guinness Book of Word Record
  2. ↑ Total Immersion Method
  3. ↑ The Life Application Study Bible
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