Getting Started: Chose Your Pathway
Easy-To-Follow Bible Study Guides
Where To Start? Choosing A Bible Study Path
There are essentially three starting points. If you have some background and context regarding the Bible and different study methodolgies we recommend diving right into our Bible Studies. If, however, you are unsure or don’t have prior experiences we offer two options to start your journey.
Walkthrough The Bible
If Christianity, and the Bible, are relatively new concepts we recommend starting with our Walkthrough the Bible series. We help set the tone, lay the foundation, and provide historical context to help orient oneself before jumping into our Bible Study series.
Breaking Down Our Bible Study Guide Method
If you have some background with the Bible, or feel comfortable enough to get started with the study guide, we encourage you to take a moment to understand our process. We will break down the different types of narratives, epistles, and poetry as well as how we study each section, verse by verse.
Dive Into Our Bible Studies
Jump straight into our Bible study guide and articles!
How We Approach Our Study Guides
1. We Start With A Passage
The passages are divided into units of thought. These may be paragraphs, multiple paragraphs, entire chapters, or occasionally a couple of chapters in some narrative books. It is very important that the unit of thought is just that: a complete thought.
2. We Break It Down Together
Some passages apply directly to us today without much generalizing. However, many passages need to be generalized to bridge the gap between the ancient world and our world today. This is how we would determine the theology and, from there, how to apply it to our lives.
3. A Study Guide You Can Use
You are welcome to use this site for your own study guide purposes. Additionally for those using this in a group setting, feel free to print and share the study guide as needed.
It is very important to recognize that people cannot learn the process simply by hearing the process explained. They must practice the process over and over again. Do not try to take short-cuts. The process will only be effective if you invest the time and energy to practice and learn over and over again.
The characteristics of each genre must be emphasized in the observation process. Make sure the support for the explanation reflects the unique characteristic of the genre and not statements like, “I just felt this was what the writer was trying to say…” It quickly becomes obvious when ideas are presented with no real textual support.
A standard for success is recognizing that verses cannot be interpreted apart from the historical context, the author’s intent, and awareness of the specific genre under study. Full success is when you feel equipped to rightly divide the Word of Truth for a lifetime.
This process we use is called Exegesis. Here is an explanation from Wikipedia. Exegesis (/ˌɛksɪˈdʒiːsɪs/ EK-sih-JEE-sis; from the Greek ἐξήγησις, from ἐξηγεῖσθαι, “to lead out”) is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. In modern usage, exegesis can involve critical interpretations of virtually any text, including not just religious texts but also philosophy, literature, or virtually any other genre of writing. The phrase Biblical exegesis can be used to distinguish studies of the Bible from other critical textual explanations.
Textual criticism investigates the history and origins of the text, but exegesis may include the study of the historical and cultural backgrounds of the author, text, and original audience. Other analyses include classification of the type of literary genres presented in the text and analysis of grammatical and syntactical features in the text itself.
“all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” II Timothy 3:16