Some Methods of Bible Study

There are different ways of identifying different ways of studying the Bible. Usually, I think of there being three main approaches. The first is the text study. In a text study, a portion of scripture is examined (for example, the book of Acts or Romans 14). The second type of study is a topical study. In a topical study you look at a specific subject (for example, the apostle Paul or baptism). The third type of study is the word study, where a specific word is looked up and studied to see what the Biblical meaning is (examples may include love or edification). Each of these can have value if done correctly. We will look at each of these types of study, using the book of III John to explain and better understand each method.

The Text Study
The text-based study is one that is most commonly done in Bible classes, but should be done regularly by all Christians (both with other Christians and alone). It is important when studying a passage to remember the context it is found in. If possible, it should be established who wrote it, who it was written to, and what the dominant theme(s) is/are. Depending on the text, it can be useful to look at parallel accounts (such as the gospels) or other books which give a fuller setting and context (examining the appropriate passages in the books of Kings and Chronicles to better understand the minor prophets, for example). To use our example of III John, we find that the apostle John wrote it. He wrote it to Gaius (v. 1). And he wrote it largely to commend Gaius (vv. 5-8) and to condemn Diotrephes (vv. 9-11).

At this point, one would begin at the beginning and study through to the end. Two methods are commonly used in this endeavor. The most common is to exhaust one verse before moving on to the next. This has the advantages of arranging it in easy to handle sizes and of allowing the reader to make connections to other passages that may shed light on the verse at hand. For example, the first verse of III John would give opportunity to examine the respect due to one's elders and also the bond of love between Christian brethren.

The other method of studying from the beginning to the end is to look not so much at individual verses, but rather at sentences or paragraphs. For example, instead of looking at verse 5 by itself, you would look at verses 5-7 at the same time. This has the advantages of keeping the greater context in mind throughout the study, as well as not hitting the same points several times in a row (as the same sentence may continue for several verses).

Some questions to find answers to during a text study include:
1.Who wrote this book? Did he write anything else? What did he do?
2.Who is this book written to? And why was it written to them?
3.How can this passage apply to me?
4.How does this passage fit into the context of the rest of the Bible? Does my understanding contradict something else?

The Topical Study
The topical study will often be done in order to answer a question that is asked. For example, “what does the Bible say about reputation?” For this, you will often begin with a concordance looking up “reputation” (which will likely yield few results, by the way), and then at other associated phrases (such as “good name” or “good testimony”), each time seeing what the Bible has to say about it. This search may easily lead you to III John 12, where John commends Demetrius and the good reputation that he has. One would note that the good repor Demetrius has comes from other Christians, but also that his reputation is justified in that “the truth itself” speaks well of him. This is a good piece of information in understanding what reputation a Christian is supposed to have.

When looking at passages in a topical study, it is important not only to see the verse that mentions what is under study, but the context as well. In the study of Christian reputation, it would be worth looking at the preceding verses and seeing Diotrephes' desire to be “first,” and what that desire for making a name for himself has done to his relationship with Christ and other Christians. Once the pertinent information has been studied, one would then move on to another passage dealing with the topic in order to gain further insight. A topical Bible may be of value in a topical study.

Some questions to find answers to during a topical study include:
1.Have I found all the information on this subject that the Bible has? Are there other verses that pertain to the subject that I have not seen?
2.Have I exhausted this verse in regard to the subject being studied? Is there information I have not gleaned yet?
3.How does the conclusion I reach fit with the rest of scripture? Is it compatible or contradictory?
4.Have I looked at both commands/statements regarding it (“thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots”) and examples of men/women/places?

The Word Study
The word study is, on the one hand, one of the easiest to do. It is also, perhaps, the hardest to do well. A word study is often done to clear up confusion from a word that is immediately understood. Considering the view that many take regarding truth (that it is indefinite and variable), it may be worth examining the word “truth.” A common and easy place to start is with a lexicon or Hebrew/Greek-English dictionary. For example, one may look up “truth” in a Vine's Expository Dictionary and be directed to the entry for “True” which gives the variants on the original Greek word, including “truth.” There will be a definition provided, as well as passages that the word appears in. At this point the student will have a basic understanding of the word.

From here, it is simple to use a concordance (a Strong's, following the same numbered word, or a Young's by section) to look up each place that the word appears in scripture. In this way, you can see the word in context (for example, in III John 4, 8, and 12) each time it is used, and gain a more full understanding of what the word actually means. By the end of the study on truth, I think you would find that truth is not variable or changing based on perspective or perception. Instead, it is a rock-steady reality that is Divine in origin. Instead of truth changing to fit the person, it is Biblically clear that man must change to fit the truth.

Some questions to find answers to during a word study include:
1.Is there a parallel word in Greek to this Hebrew (or the other way around) word? Would this give me more information to better reach a conclusion?
2.Am I remaining with the same Greek/Hebrew word? Or am I following a different original word that is translated the same way into English?
3.What is the usage of this word in context? Am I trying to fit my understanding into the passage, or am I understanding the word because of the passage?
2.How can I apply this word and its meaning to my life in a way that will be best pleasing to God?