Bible Study Methods : Twelve Ways You Can Unlock God's Word

by Rick Warren

• ISBN13: 9780310273004
• ISBN10: 0310273005
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-04-01
• Publisher: Zondervan

Summary

"The Spirit of God uses the Word of God to make us like the Son of God."-Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven® Life You were created to become like Christ. This is one of the five God-ordained purposes for your life described in The Purpose Driven® Lifeby Rick Warren, and it's why studying the Bible is so important. The Bible's truths will transform you, aligning you with the character and ways of Jesus as you encounter him in the Scriptures. This easy-to-understand book shows you how to study the Bible Rick Warren's way. It gives you not just one, but twelve methods for exploring the riches of God's Word. At least one of them is exactly what you're looking for-an approach that's right for you, right where you're at. Simple step-by-step instructions guide you through the how-tos of the following methods: - Devotional - Chapter Summary - Character Quality - Thematic - Biographical - Topical - Word Study - Book Background - Book Survey - Chapter Analysis - Book Synthesis - Verse Analysis Thousands of individuals, small groups, churches, and seminary classes have used this practical manual to unlock the wonderful truths of Scripture. You can too. Written by America's pastor, Rick Warren, Rick Warren's Bible Study Methodswill help you develop a customized approach to studying, understanding, and applying the Bible.

Table of Contents

Preface	9	(6)
Introduction: How to Study the Bible	15	(15)
Preview of the 12 Bible Study Methods	30	(3)
The Devotional Method of Bible Study	33	(16)
The Chapter Summary Method of Bible Study	49	(12)
The Character Quality Method of Bible Study	61	(18)
The Thematic Method of Bible Study	79	(18)
The Biographical Method of Bible Study	97	(18)
The Topical Method of Bible Study	115	(18)
The Word Study Method of Bible Study	133	(18)
The Book Background Method of Bible Study	151	(18)
The Book Survey Method of Bible Study	169	(20)
The Chapter Analysis Method of Bible Study	189	(18)
The Book Synthesis Method of Bible Study	207	(14)
The Verse-by-Verse Analysis Method of Bible Study	221	(50)
Appendices
A. How to Have a Meaningful Quiet Time	231	(24)
B. General Questions for a Biographical Study	255	(4)
C. A List of Positive and Negative Character Qualities	259	(3)
D. A Partial List of Biblical People	262	(2)
E. A Suggested List of Key Words for Study	264	(1)
F. What to Look for in a Chapter Analysis Study	265	(2)
G. A Plan for Studying the Bible Systematically	267	(4)
For Further Reading	271

Excerpts

Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods
Copyright © 1981, 2006 by Rick Warren
Formerly published under the title Personal Bible Study Methods
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Warren, Richard.
Rick Warren’s Bible study methods : Twelve ways you can unlock God’s Word / Rick Warren.
p. cm.
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-27300-4
ISBN-10: 0-310-27300-5
1. Bible — Study and teaching. I. Title.
BS600.3.W37 2006
220.071 – dc22
2005037198
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®.
NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights
reserved.
KJV indicates Scripture quotations from the King James Version.
The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource. These websites are not intended
in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of Zondervan, nor do we vouch for their content for the life
of this book.
All rights reserved. Some forms are designated in the text as being suitable for reproduction. No other part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic,
mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior
permission of the publisher.
Interior design by Mark Sheeres
Printed in the United States of America
06 07 08 09 10 11 12 • 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

As we have already seen in the introduction, the ultimate goal of all Bible study
is application, not interpretation. Since God wants to change our lives through his
Word, it is important to learn how to apply Scripture to our lives before learning
any other methods of Bible study. In fact, the techniques you learn in this chapter
will be used in each of the following study methods. Regardless of the method you
choose to use, at the end of each study you will need to make practical steps of
application concerning the things the Lord shows you. (In this book, every time we
talk about application, refer back to this method for an explanation.)
When you use these techniques by themselves (and not with another method),
it is called “The Devotional Method of Bible Study.” This is the type of simple study
that you can use in your quiet time.
Definition
The Devotional Method of Bible Study involves taking a passage of the Bible, large
or small, and prayerfully meditating on it until the Holy Spirit shows you a way to
apply its truth to your own life in a way that is personal, practical, possible, and
provable. The goal is for you to take seriously the Word of God and “do what it
says” (James 1:22).
Why Application Is Important
The Bible was given to us to show us how we can have a relationship with Almighty
God and how we are to live our lives his way in this world. It was given to change
our lives to become more like that of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul declared that
it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training the believer in righteous
living (2 Tim. 3:16).
The Bible is a practical book, for it is concerned with practical godly living.
Bible study without personal application can be just an academic exercise with no
spiritual value. The Bible was written to be applied to our lives. In his succinct way
Howard Hendricks has said, “Interpretation without application is abortion!” We
want to note here that application is necessary for our Christian
lives, that it is hard
work, and that good applications are possible if we follow some basic principles.
Application Is Necessary for Our Lives
Study of the Word of God should lead to its application in our lives, with the result
that the Scriptures change us to conform more with the will of God.
Step One — Pray for Insight on How to Apply the Passage
Step Two — Meditate on the Verse's) You Have Chosen to Study
Step Three — Write Out an Application
Step Four — Memorize a Key Verse from Your Study
1. You can’t really get to know the Word of God unless you apply it to your life.
During his ministry Jesus had a number of encounters with the religious leaders of
his time. These were primarily the Pharisees, the acknowledged scholars of the day;
the scribes, legal and religious experts in Jewish law; and the Sadducees, the liberalizing
element in Jewish society at that time. On one occasion the Sadducees, who
did not believe in the resurrection from the dead, asked Jesus a trick question.
Jesus’ answer is indeed interesting. He said to them, “You are in error because
you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matt. 22:29). The Sadducees
had an intellectual knowledge of the facts of the Jewish Scriptures (our Old Testament),
but they did not apply these principles in a personal way.
You can be a walking Bible encyclopedia, with your head crammed full of biblical
knowledge, but it won’t do you any good if you don’t apply it practically in daily
living. If you study the Word of God without applying it to your life, you are no better
off than the Pharisees and Sadducees of Jesus’ day. You really don’t know the
Scriptures until you put them into practice.
2. Studying the Word of God can be dangerous if you merely study it without
applying it. Bible study without application can be dangerous because knowledge
puffs up. The apostle Paul stated, “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Cur.
8:1). The Greek word translated “puffs up” contains the idea of being inflated with
pride that in turn leads to arrogance. The Bible tells us that the devil knows the
Word intellectually (see his temptation of Jesus — Matt. 4:1 – 11), and we also
know that he is puffed up with pride and is arrogant. When you correctly apply the
Word of God to your life, you eliminate the danger of being puffed up with pride.
Bible study without application can be dangerous because knowledge requires
action. What a man knows should find expression in what he does. James declared,
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says”
(James 1:22). God’s commands are not optional. He doesn’t say, “Please won’t you
consider doing this?” He commands, “Do it!” And he expects us to obey.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus compared an obedient disciple to a wise
man: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice [action] is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matt. 7:24).
When the trials of life came along, the wise man’s life stood firm while the foolish
man’s — the one who did not practice what he knew — came crashing down (Matt.
7:25 – 27). Also, King David was known as a man after God’s own heart because
he applied the Word to his life and practiced what he knew. The psalmist wrote, “I
have considered my ways and have turned my steps to your statutes. I will hasten
and not delay to obey your commands”

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Excerpted from Bible Study Methods: Twelve Ways You Can Unlock God's Word by Rick Warren, Richard Warren
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