6 Great Ways To Dive Deeper Into Bible Study
Want to dive a bit deeper into your study of the Bible? These are all techniques that I use!
Journal What Stands Out
First, start simple! Jot down anything that jumps off the page at you.
Don’t overlook the Holy Spirit’s power to reveal new and exciting things in scripture each time you read. It’s amazing how I can be so familiar with a section of the Bible, but learn new things every time I read it!
Pro Tip: Take a minute to pray before you start reading your Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you new and fresh insight into God’s character and the section of scripture you’re reading. God wants to be known! He will be faithful to reveal Himself to you when you desire to dig deeper into Bible study in an effort to know Him more.
To see all of these Bible study tips live, watch our YouTube series below!
Is anything surprising to you? Any “plot twists” that you’ve noticed? What makes you excited? Write down things that are confusing. Jot down what you have questions about.
Does something not seem to line up with the rest of scripture, or your current knowledge of the Bible? Write it down! Studying the Bible takes some effort and detective work to understand at times. The more I study the Bible, the more complicated and deep I realize that it is!
Read Multiple Bible Translations
Next, for a more complete picture of what you’re meant to take away from this section of scripture, read multiple translations. The Bible was originally written in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, and every translation we have is interpreted from those languages. You’d be so surprised at what just reading 2-3 different translations can do for your understanding of the passage!
Let me give you an example with one of my favorite verses: Philippians 4:5.
KJV: “Let your moderation be known unto all men.”
ASV: “Let your forbearance be known unto all men.”
AMP: “Let your gentle spirit [your graciousness, unselfishness, mercy, tolerance, and patience] be known to all people.”
CSB: “Let your graciousness be known to everyone.”
ESV: “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.”
NLT: “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.”
Are you convinced yet?
See what I mean?! Didn’t you grasp such a better understanding of what Paul was trying to tell the church at Philippi after reading multiple versions of this text? Reading multiple translations of the Bible is one of my favorite tips to dive deeper into Bible study.
Write Down Repeated Words and Ideas
Now, take a moment and re-read the text, taking special consideration to note any repeated words, phrases, or ideas. If things are repeated, it means they’re important! Step 2 of this process is deducing why the author repeated certain words or phrases. Odds are, the audience they were speaking or writing to may have been dealing with a specific situation and needed to make sure they didn’t miss what the writer was saying. For Jesus, He often repeated words or phrases in His teaching alluding to who He was as God’s Son and the Messiah. He also often repeated key teachings about the kingdom of heaven.
When it comes down to it, we forget things easily. We need as many reminders as we can about what’s important! God made us, He knows this, and He’s generous enough to repeat Himself often so we can catch what He’s trying to reveal to us through His Word. Take note of what’s repeated as you dig deeper into your Bible study time.
Use Commentaries For Deeper Bible Study
Next, consider using commentaries to dig deeper as you study the Bible! I used to skim by the parts of scripture that didn’t make sense to me or caused confusion. I either wrote them off as unimportant because I knew the “big things” that mattered in Christianity, or I came up with my own idea about what the author meant. Here’s a better way: Use a commentary!
This may sound intimidating to you if you’ve never used commentaries to help you study the Bible before. Don’t worry, you can do this! I have learned sooo much from using commentaries to supplement my Bible reading over the last few years. It truly has just made me more in awe of who God is and what He’s done for us.
The goal isn’t to accumulate knowledge, it’s to know and love God more.
Here are a few resources to consider:
1. The Bible Recap: This is probably the least intimidating commentary that I know of! It’s 5 minutes on a section of scripture via audio commentary. All of these are FREE on YouTube. You can search YouTube for the section of scripture you want + Bible Recap. Or simply google it!
2. Study Bibles: Study Bibles are a great addition to add to your Bible Study toolbox. I LOVE my Holman CSB Study Bible. It has added so much to my Bible study and I have learned so much! I would also recommend the ESV Study Bible as well. I think I may grab the She Reads Truth CSB Study Bible next. My plan is to pass on a Bible of mine to each of my kiddos someday. Full of all my notes, underlines, highlights, you name it!
3. Blue Letter Bible Commentary: The Blue Letter Bible website has some amazing Bible study tools, but the one I’ve used most often is their access to commentaries. David Guzik’s commentary is so accessible and easy to read. If you’re really into the Puritans and don’t mind a bit of Old English, Matthew Henry is interesting but a bit more difficult to read. Just google, “Blue Letter Bible Commentary and the passage of scripture that you’re studying.” Piece of cake!
The other thing I’ve used is their interlinear search feature. This will show you where a word is used in other places in scripture, the original language, and the definition of the word in the original language. Super helpful for understanding what the author meant and digging a bit deeper as you study the Bible.
Journal Themes That You’ve Seen Other Places In Scripture
Now, identify themes you’ve seen in other parts of scripture. Nothing sparks misinterpretation of the Bible more than cherry-picking verses. This is how the Bible ends up being used for what we want it to say, and not what God intended it to mean. Use all of scripture to help you make sense of the passage you’re reading.
It’s exciting when you can pick up common themes throughout the Bible! This is something that happens more and more as you make your way through the entire Bible. There are so many amazing nuggets that God has placed in scripture to help us know Him more and know who we are in light of what He has done! Looking at all of scripture is key to an accurate understanding and interpretation of the Bible. Don’t skip this step in your Bible reading!
Summarize What You’ve Read
Lastly, journal and summarize what you’ve read so you’re able to apply what you’ve learned to your life. Not to mention, this will decrease your chances of forgetting what you just read 5 minutes after you walk away from your Bible. (Although if you’re a Mama of young kiddos, this may happen anyway!!)
What are your takeaways from your reading? What are the big ideas about God? Write down a few key statements to summarize this passage.
For Further Reading…
Make sure you check out our articles on How to Start A Women’s Bible Study and a few of our Favorite Bible Outlines. Don’t miss our YouTube series on studying the Bible with others, too!
I also 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!
Thankful to have you here as part of the SIE community! Would love to hear your thoughts with a comment below, or shoot me an email at jen@sheisemboldened.com!
