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Line 1: − '''Bible study''', also known as a devotional, is a study of the [[Bible]] with a focus on the meaning behind it.+ + + + − One highly effective approach to Bible study is to read the [[Proverbs|Proverb]] for the same day of the month. For example, on July 19 review Proverbs 19, and reflect on it. Memorize parts of Proverbs and [[Psalms]], if possible.+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
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Bible Study is the process of learning from the Holy Bible. 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.
==Principle Types of Study==
<b>Verse or Passage</b>. 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.
<b>Topical</b>. In this type of study, a specific scriptural topic is studied, which
typically requires comparing multiple passages on that topic. The idea is to gain
a cohesive understanding of that topic from a scriptural perspective.
<b>Word</b>. 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==
<b>Exegetical</b>. 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.
<b>Devotional</b>. The purpose of this approach is to apply teachings of scripture
to one's life, generally in an uplifting or encouraging manner.
<b>Educational</b>. 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).
<b>Personal</b>. 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==
<b>Bible Translations.</b> 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 Bibles which are oriented to children.
<b>Bible Paraphrases.</b> 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.
<b>Interlinear Bibles.</b> These works contain the original lanaguge (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.
<b>Concordances.</b> 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.
<b>Commentaries.</b> 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.
<b>Lexicons.</b> These essentially dictionaries of original language (Greek and Hebrew) words.
Examples of lexicons include Thayer's, Abbott-Smith, and Strong's.
<b>Encyclopedias.</b> Sometimes called "dictionaries", these are works which contain
articles on various Bible topics. Examples include the International Standard Bible
Encyclopedia (ISBE), McClintock & Strong, and Smith's Bible Dictionary.
<b>Doctrinal.</b> 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.
<b>Apologetics.</b> Works that defend the Scriptures and the faith. For instance, "Evidence
That Demands a Verdict".
<b>Atlases.</b> Works that include maps and descriptions of the geography of the Holy Land.
<b>Devotionals.</b> 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.
<b>Other.</b> 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. Some are limited to browsers accessing web sites,
while others have programs running on one or more hardware platforms: Windows, Mac,
Linux, iOS, and Android. The following is a partial list of the available software:
<table>
<tr><th>Program</th><th>Publisher</th><th>Free version?</th><th>Additional content available?</th><th>Platforms</th></tr>
<tr><td>Accordance</td><td>Accordance</td><td>Yes (trial)</td><td>Yes</td><td>Win, Mac</td></tr>
<tr><td>BibleHub</td><td>BibleHub</td><td>Yes</td><td>No</td><td>Online browser</td></tr>
<tr><td>e-Sword</td><td>Rick Meyers</td><td>Yes</td><td>No</td><td>Win, Mac, Android, IOS</td></tr>
<tr><td>erasmus Bible App</td><td>Conroy & Conroy</td><td>Yes</td><td>No</td><td>Win, Mac, Android</td></tr>
<tr><td>Logos Bible Study App</td><td>Logos</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Win, Mac, mobile</td></tr>
<tr><td>Olive Tree Bible App</td><td>Olive Tree</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Win, Mac, Android, IOS</td></tr>
<tr><td>PC Study Bible</td><td>Biblesoft</td><td>Yes</td><td>Yes</td><td>Win</td></tr>
<tr><td>Xiphos</td><td>Xiphos</td><td>Yes</td><td>No</td><td>Win, Linux, Unix</td></tr>
</table>
==See also==
==See also==