UPWARD DISCIPLINE

SCRIPTURE

STUDY

The practice of reading Scripture for thorough comprehension and application.

IDEAS FOR PRACTICE

• Scripture Study differs from Scripture Reading and Scripture Meditation in that the purpose is to thoroughly explore context, meaning, interpretation, and intentionally apply the truth of Scripture to our lives.

• Choose a passage you want to study. Pick a section that is not too long, but enough to sink your teeth into. Break longer chapters into shorter chunks.

• Consider using this simple inductive study method:

  • Observation / What Does it Say? Spend a few minutes simply making note of anything you notice in the passage. Do not jump ahead to interpretation or application. Just look and observe.

  • Interpretation / What Does it Mean? Do your best to understand the meaning of the passage as it was intended to its hearers. You will need to reference some additional resources to do this well. For example:

    • Invest in a good Bible commentary (ask us for recommendations) - arranged like a Bible so you can look up book/chapter/verse and read helpful background info and interpretation that will illuminate your understanding.

    • The Bible Project has excellent videos on broad Biblical themes, as well as introductions to each book of the Bible, as well as many other helpful resources for reading and understanding Scripture.

  • Application / What Does it Mean to Me? Based on your understanding of the original meaning and intent of the passage, you can now begin to apply the truth of Scripture to your life.

• Invest in a good devotional guide (ask us for recommendations) that will take you through a study of a particular book of the Bible or biblical theme.

• Get together with friends to study Scripture together. Often, other voices make the experience of Scripture study much more rich.