The Steps
Step One choose a chapter or
book of the Bible to study. If you are just learning how to do a chapter
study, one of the Psalms or any of the first 8 chapters of Proverbs
would be a great place to start. For this example, I'm going to use
Psalm 37.
Step Two read through the psalm
several times. I highly encourage you to read through the psalm daily for
about a week. Memorizing two or three verses that stand out to you
will also be good for engraving these words on your heart. Think about the passage as you're driving, doing dishes or lying in
bed. Don't rush it. It may seem like you're not doing much studying,
but it's amazing how much we can glean from the Word when simply read
it multiple times.
Step Three pick out the theme(s)
of the passage. In your reading, you've probably started to notice
certain themes. However, if the theme still feels fuzzy, go through
the passage one verse at a time and make a short summary of what it
says in your own words. In Psalm 37 the entire Psalm is a contrast
between the wicked and the righteous and the differing awards each
receives from the Lord.
Fret
not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the
workers of iniquity.
(Psalms
37:1)
The righteous man is told not to fret
because of those who do evil.
For they shall soon be cut down like
the grass, and wither as the green herb.
(verse 2)
Why is the righteous not to fret?
Because the wicked are going to be cut down like grass under a lawn
mower.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so
shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
(verse 3)
Instead of fretting, the godly is to
trust in the Lord and do good. As a reward of his trust he is
promised he will dwell in the land and be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and
he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
(verse 4)
Along with trusting and doing good, the
godly is also to delight himself in the Lord.
And so the theme continues throughout
the passage. As you can see Psalm 37 also has some minor themes woven
through it. Trusting in the Lord is mentioned 3 times, waiting 3
times and what the Lord gives the righteous to inherit 6 times. While
you may or may not choose to study these minor themes, it is helpful
to note them as being part of the context for your major theme.
Step Four search for
cross-references in other books of the Bible. A cross-reference is a
verse that also is about the theme of your passage. So if we wanted
to find cross-references for Psalm 37, we would look for other verses
that contrast the wicked and the godly. That is a pretty board search
though, so lets narrow that down to how the godly should respond to
the wicked. Such passages would be Psalm 94:15-17, (looking to God
as our Deliverer) 1 Peter 3:10-27 (how the godly should answer
persecutors) and Matthew 5:44 (returning good for evil). Doing a word study with key words ( i.e. upright, evildoer, trust, peace and wait
are key words in Psalm 37) is a great way to find cross-references.
Consulting a topical Bible or the back of a Thompson Chain-Reference
Bible can also be helpful in finding cross-references.
Step Five take to heart what you
have learned. As with every study, ask Jesus to show you how you can
conform to His word. Don't leave the study without it convicting you
or changing your attitude and actions. Be a doer and not a mere
hearer.
You now know how to do three different
kinds of Bible studies. Theses studies take us right into the heart of
Scripture and lets it comment on itself. I hope these studies open the
door for you to grow more in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, but
most of all I pray you will truly be transformed by God's word.
Please don't do these studies just to gain more bloated head
knowledge. Let them transform your heart and mind to the image of
Christ.
Have you ever done a chapter study before? If so, I'd love to hear what you studied and what your favorite thing is about chapter studies!
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