Bible is not just a religious book that tells historical stories, not only about the Christians but also for Jews and Samaritans. It’s full of words of wisdom that are focused on the historical events, that share important messages – for those who know how to understand them. The Christian Bible has an Old Testament, that covers the important events from Adam and Eve until Christ was born. The birth of Jesus Christ is the beginning of the New Testament. But, a lot of other books and hymns are a part of it, and different religions learn from different books. Also, there are some differences in how Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants are studying the Bible, especially the Old Testament. But, when it comes to the New Testament, almost all Christians study it similarly, especially the Four Gospels, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. That’s the basic version of the Bible, but it also contains Acts of the Apostles, and other chapters, that only the people who are really deep into their religion can study all.
Anyway, everyone can use the Bible for their spiritual growth. There are a lot of methods on how to study it, and you can choose the best for you. There is no such thing as the best way how to study it. As long as you are really interested to discover the wisdom hidden there. Keep in mind that you need to dedicate a lot of time if you want to recognize its worth, and the artistic approach of telling beautiful stories. As you can see on kenboa.org, it can really help you in your personal growth, but only if you know how to do it.
In this article, we will give you a few suggestions on how to study the Bible, and get most of the knowledge and wisdom:
1. Study it by chapters
There are over 1,000 chapters in the complete version of the Bible. In the beginning, you can take some of the short versions, and read at least one chapter every day. As you read, start writing a diary. What it’s the chapter about? What was the most important thing you learned? Write down the title, and then make an outline with the most important points from the chapter. You can even get some beautiful quotes, that you will later study once again. Take notes, and identify the problems in the chapter. Most of them cover different issues, and a simple way on how to make it easy, no matter if that problem is practical or theological. In order to understand the Bible, you have to open your mind and recognize the everyday problems in the writings.
2. Read it by paragraphs
Every paragraph, even if it’s only a few sentences, contains deep wisdom, that you can recognize if you give a rethink after you read it. Sometimes, some paragraphs can stick to your heart, and you can understand them immediately, without giving them a second thought. Once again, you can write down the most important messages it shares with the reader, and focus on them every time you come back to that piece.
3. Ask questions
Write down three questions you want the answers to, and then try to find the answer in the verses. You may find more than one answer as you read it, so leave enough space so you can re-write the quotes, or just cite the verse by its number. You can choose simple questions, like: “What was the most important point in this chapter?”, “What the Bible is teaching me?”, or “What I want to learn from the Bible?” so you can recognize the purpose, and of course, the wise answers this huge book has for all of us.
4. Avoid using highlighters and other tools
The Bible is a holy book, and you shouldn’t use highlighters, charts, or other tools you use to study something. The art of successfully studying the Bible is by re-reading, and coming back again to the important, but also favorite parts. You can even simplify the message if you want to share it with your children, so they can easily understand it.
5. Recognize the characters
There are a lot of people mentioned in the Bible. You can use the character approach so you can identify their perks, behavior, and habits, and recognize how and why are they important. It’s not just Joseph, Mary, and Jesus you have to learn about. There are so many important characters, starting from Adam and Eve, Moses, David, Abraham, Solomon… There are plenty of them, and they all share some important message or even a lesson. They are all different, but they all have a unique relationship with God, so you can still write a journal about their behavior, and what they’ve learned after they were tempted to make a wrong decision. Identify their treats, the way they cope with the pain, and try to learn an important lesson from that.
6. Choose your favorite verses or quotes
If you already recognize the depth of the words written in the Bible, and you know the characters pretty well, it’s also nice to write down your favorite verses, and stick to them, without going any deeper with characters and their behavior. If this is your favorite way to study it, then go for it. Take a journal and fill it up with the favorite verses. Write down the most important messages from them, and recognize the important life lesson in the words.
To wrap the whole thing up
You can’t really study it at the first reading. It’s a book about religions, and you will probably have to re-read it a few times in your life. Sometimes, we aren’t adults or experienced enough to understand the verses completely. Give it another chance in a few months or years. You will be surprised how you see it in a completely different way. It will always be here to share the wisdom, and it’s on you to find the right approach and get most of it.
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