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Five Day a Week Bible Study

This year my Bible study has focused on the New Testament, using the “work week” plan. The work week plan focuses on the New Testament and is used each work day (five days a week). By reading just five chapters a week you can read the entire New Testament in one year. Reading five days a week is relatively easy, and provides two days a week for other study or just to catch up. This plan can be used on a lunch hour or at other breaks in the work day.

My Bible study process is simple. I open Logos, and then open my Daily Bible Study Workspace. This includes several commentaries, the ESV Bible, and the Bible Readers’ Companion. I look over the Bible Readers’ Companion to get some idea of the general sense of the chapter, what I need to be looking for, and where this fits in the biblical context. Then I read the text. Sometimes Bible study slips off into reading about the Bible, but that isn’t the same as reading and studying the Bible. Often I read the text again in another translation. As I’m reading I note verses I don’t understand or ideas that I need to further research.

Upon completion of the text I begin looking at some commentaries, encyclopedias or other resources to clarify meanings. I try not to get too involved in heavy language work, but I will consult the ESV Reverse Interlinear and other language works if necessary. At this point I’m breaking into serious Bible study mode. For me, that begins with first understanding what the text means. I can’t go any further or do anything else until I understand the meaning of the verses before me. I want the basic facts of the Scriptures - the who, what, where, when and why kind of thing. What is a Philistine? Where is Athens? What does Jesus mean by “take up your cross?” Bible study begins by getting basic understanding. Logos makes it very easy to answer these kinds of questions with only a few clicks.

After I have some grasp of what the text is saying I then began to ask “What was the meaning of this to the original readers?” What did Paul want the Corinthians to gain from this? When Moses wrote down Exodus for future generations of Israelites what point did he want them to get from it? Bible study moves to a higher level when we begin to think about meaning. What did this mean to its original audience?

Then, and only then, I ask the critical question all Bible study must lead to: what does God want me to know from this? What application should I be making from this to my life? How am I changed by this? How is my walk with God enhanced by what I’ve read?

So Bible study begins with the facts and an understanding of them. It progresses to an examination of meaning in its original setting. However, it is never completed until there is application of the Scripture to my own life. Bible study using this method is easy to do on a lunch hour, or on break, five days each week. By working through these three levels Bible reading can become Bible living – the real goal for Bible study.

Submitted by Mark Roberts