3 Simple Bible Outlines That Anyone Can Do

Learning how to read the Bible by using these 3 simple outlines has been essential for growing my knowledge of scripture. It keeps my mind from wandering and helps me get more out of the text than I would have without a reading plan!

My heart is that anyone would be able to pick up the Bible, read it, and understand it. It’s all about having the right approach, tools, and resources. That’s what I’m going to share today.

Make sure you grab this free printable that has outlines for each of these Bible study methods!

Don’t miss our other article on How To Start Your Own Bible Study here, too. It’s a firsthand look into how I’ve been studying the Bible with other women over the last few years!

Here are the 3 simple Bible Study outlines I’ve used over the years and still do today:

The Swedish Method Of Bible Study

What I love about this method:

Out of the 3 simple Bible Study outlines that we’ll cover today, this is a GREAT one to start with. The Swedish Method Bible Study outline was originally designed for college students and for people with various faith backgrounds. It was meant for anyone from someone who’s never been in church, to someone who grew up in church to be able to participate in studying and discussing the Bible. This is a GREAT beginner’s outline to help break down a section of text. It’s easy to get lost in some of the more dense sections of scripture, so this method is fantastic for helping to organize your thoughts!

Here are some other benefits:

• Requires no preparation
• No cost
• Repeatable
• Works for small or large groups
• It allows the word of God to speak for itself
• Facilitates critical thinking
• Teaches inductive Bible Study
• Emphasizes personal application to the reader

Areas of caution:

This method is best done in group settings and followed up by using commentaries, study Bibles, and additional resources to answer questions or check your interpretation of the scripture. If someone is not familiar with foundational Biblical concepts, there is a fair amount of room for misinterpretation. (Although, technically you could argue that

Here’s what the Swedish Method looks like:

A Light Bulb

Write down something that “shines” or stands out from the passage. What impacts you or draws the most attention?

A Question Mark

Write down anything that is difficult to understand. Is there a question that you would ask the writer or God?

An Arrow

Write down a personal application for your life.

S.O.A.P Method Of Bible Study

Each of the 3 simple Bible Study outlines that I mention will build a little bit on the one before it. The S.O.A.P method of Bible study is a common one used in churches and adds a bit more than the Swedish Method.

What I like about this method:

• My favorite thing about this method is the practice of writing out the scripture. This is HUGE for slowing down and processing what we’re actually reading!

• This is a great method for personal Bible Study
• Focusing on one or two verses at a time allows you to go deeper in your study of scripture
• It facilitates applying the Bible to your own life
• I love that praying through scripture is part of this outline
• You can take as long as you’d like to study! Take as little as 10 minutes or longer if you need to.

Areas of caution:

• Make sure you know the context of the book of the Bible you’re reading and the surrounding verses. If you only focus on 1 or 2 verses without processing them through the context in which they are written, you may tend to interpret them based on what you’d like them to mean and not what the author intended.

Here’s what the S.O.A.P method of Bible study looks like:

SCRIPTURE:

Write out 1 or 2 verses that jump out at you. That’s right, make sure you write them out completely!

OBSERVATION:

What is the context of these verses? Who was this written to and why? Are there any repeated words or themes? What stands out the most to you?

APPLICATION:

How can I apply what I’ve read to my life? How can my life change today because of what I’ve read?

PRAYER:

Pray through the scripture. I included the ACTS method in this FREE Printable Bible Study Outline.

How Our DNA Group Outlines Our Bible Reading

Here is the outline that our DNA group uses to study the Bible together. We based this off of Jen Wilkin’s method, but have made it our own as well. Read Women of the Word for Jen’s full recommendation of how to read the Bible. Out of the 3 simple Bible Study outlines, this one dives the deepest (in my opinion).

Why we like this method:

• Promotes critical thinking and inductive Bible Study
• Encourages the reader to dig deeper in their knowledge of scripture and the larger Biblical narrative
• Includes the use of commentaries to clarify the meaning of scripture. This decreases the chance of misinterpretation of the Bible.
• Includes reading multiple versions of the Bible to grasp a better understanding of the intended meaning of the scripture
• Encourages personal application of scripture
• Includes praying through scripture

Areas of caution:

• This method can be time-consuming. Consider studying smaller sections of scripture at a time to make this more manageable.
• Using Bible commentaries is a skill that needs to be learned. If you are new to studying the Bible, grab someone who is comfortable using commentaries who can show you how to incorporate them into your Bible reading.
• It can be hard to emphasize personal application because there is so much to discuss in the first two sections of this outline.

Here is what it looks like:

SUMMARIZE:

Read at least 2 different versions of the Bible. If you’re reading with a group, have each of you different versions to read and compare notes! I typically read the English Standard Version (ESV), Christian Standard Bible (CSB), and the New International Version (NIV). Check out Bible Gateway for an easy way to compare different translations of the Bible quickly!

• What stands out?
• Repeated themes/words
• What is confusing?

RESEARCH:

Read commentaries to answer any questions you may have and gain additional insight into the scripture. Put the ideas and concepts you learn into your own words.

Here are a few of our favorite resources:

• David Guzik’s Commentary: This is by far the easiest commentary to read and has been incredibly beneficial to us! He also includes other commentators like Charles Spurgeon frequently in this resource.
• The Bible Recap: You can listen via podcast or YouTube, but Tara Leigh Cobble does an AMAZING job providing an insightful and accessible Bible commentary. We love her heart for people to read and understand the Bible. I’ve heard her talk about how people all over the world have come to know Jesus through using their Bible reading plan and listening to The Bible Recap. Each episode is just a few minutes long, so it’s an easy listen that won’t take much of your time.
• Holman Christian Standard Study Bible: This Bible was a gift my husband got me when we were dating, and I love it so much! The commentary at the bottom of each page is so helpful, and I really enjoy this translation.
• ESV Study Bible: Another excellent study Bible choice in the ESV translation!

APPLICATION:

Here are some questions to ask after reading the passage:

• How does this tie into themes of the Bible?
• How does this tie into the bigger picture of the gospel?
• How can I personally apply this to my life today?
• What’s one thing I can do differently after reading this passage?
• What’s one thing I want to continue to do after reading this passage?

PRAYER:

Pray through the scripture. Thank God for who He is, what He has done, and what He is still doing. Confess any sin that God has revealed through His Word. Ask Him to help you obey His Word and apply it to your life.

Closing thoughts about this method:

Reading multiple translations of the Bible adds so much to studying scripture!

Different translations bring additional insight and perspectives to the text. Remember, the Bible was originally written in Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew, so any translation is at least one step away from the original writings.

Utilizing commentaries is a game-changer

Learning how to use commentaries as an adjunct to your Bible reading is a great way to dig deeper into the context and meaning of scripture. Just make sure you read the scripture yourself first and form your own thoughts before reading a commentary.

The Holy Spirit reveals things to us in scripture all of the time! Don’t neglect the value of simply studying the scripture prayerfully and allowing the Holy Spirit to give you insight into God’s Word. Commentaries are a great way to check if your interpretation of scripture is accurate. Unfortunately, our human nature is to make the Bible say what we’d like it to, not accept and obey God’s Word even when it bumps up against our preferences and desires.

Happy Reading!

I hope this resource helps you be able to dig into your Bible in a fresh way. Remember, the purpose of studying the Bible isn’t accumulating knowledge for the sake of being able to rattle off facts. The purpose of studying the Bible is to know God better, love God more, and become a person who loves and lives like Jesus did.

The best way to read the Bible is with other people! Make sure you check out our other post about how to start your own bible study here.

Don’t Miss The Free Stuff!

I put together this GREAT Bible Study outline printable for you. It’s also got an outline for prayer and praying through scripture. Don’t miss getting this FREE resource!