Different Ways of Studying the Bible

READ: 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17

I just started a Bible-reading plan that encouraged me—encouraged me—to skim through the chapters that I was going to be reading. This plan lists so many chapters to read per day that it suggests you simply fly through them, get the main idea of the passage, and then move on. That is very different from the way I usually read my Bible—and the way I’ve heard I “should” read it.

But, as I’ve been following this Bible-reading plan over the course of recent months, I have found a greater appreciation for all that Scripture contains. I have found joy in reading through it and getting “the whole story.” I can see the benefits of skimming. If you would like to get the basic message of a passage and a general idea of its contents, you can read it quickly and maybe skip over some passages that are filled with lists of hard-to-pronounce names.

There is no one right way to study the Bible, but it’s important for us to be in the Bible regularly. There is so much to be gained by reading God’s message to us! We can see the beauty of the gospel—how God pursues His people over and over, culminating in Jesus’s death and resurrection. All of Scripture points to Jesus, and how He made the way for us to be with Him forever.

Whether you move slowly through a passage, highlighting the parts that stand out to you, or you hurry through multiple chapters, you can see the ways that God works and the love that He has for you. There are many ways to study this amazing book, and we can each find the way that works for us in each season of our lives. • Emily Acker

• What is your favorite way to study the Bible? Are there any tools that you have found helpful?

• Have you ever tried skimming a large passage of the Bible to get the big picture? Did you discover anything you hadn’t noticed before?

• What are some benefits of skimming large passages of the Bible? What are some benefits of studying each passage slowly and carefully?

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4 (NIV)