Bible study techniques
I. Pre- reading and reading
1. Preview the chapter- Look over a chapter and see what’s in it. If your Bible has subtitles, look over the sections and subtitles.
2. After previewing, read the chapter.
3. Next go back and look at each section, and comb out the details.
Now get a notebook and pen and try out these tools:
II. Bible study toolbox: 5 W’s and H.
Ask questions of the text and get answers straight from the passage you're reading.
WHAT – What is this section about? What happened?
WHEN -When did it happen? Mark all references to time
WHERE - Where did it happen? Mark all references to location
WHO - Who was involved?
HOW - How did it happen? How did they respond?
WHY - Why did it happen?
III. Other helpful tools
Key words- watch for repeated words and phrases
Conjunctions – “and”, “or” and “but” mean a lot in the Scripture
Make lists - Comparisons/Contrasts
Chapter recalls- As you read through a gospel, go back and recall what happened in previous chapters.
These “tools” help us to see what the text is saying (and not saying). They help us to see the structure of the text. When we have a good understanding of what the text says, then we can best understand the Author’s message.