Bible Study for Beginners

Bible study for beginners

So, you want to read the Bible but you don’t know where to start?  Learning to study the Bible can be a bit daunting or overwhelming.  But don’t be intimidated! Here’s my Beginners’ Guide to Bible Study which will give you some tips for how to read the Bible effectively.

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Why do we study the Bible?

The Bible is God’s word to us, a treasure trove of instruction, teaching, and encouragement which helps us to know God and Jesus and to discern his will. Let’s look at just three verses that tell us about God’s Word:

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Tim 3:16-17

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” – Colossians 3:16

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”- Hebrews 4:12

What is Bible Study?

Bible Study involves reading Scripture on a regular basis in order to gain understanding about God’s Word and to grow Spiritually. It can be done as part of a group or individually.

Being part of a group Bible Study is great for sharing knowledge and insight, fellowship and accountability. If you are not able to join a group at your church or in your community there are some online Bible Study groups you could participate in. Check out the online Bible Study Groups for Women at: Bible Cafe, Hello Mornings, Lifeway Women, and Proverbs 31 Ministries.

But, for this Beginners’ Guide to Bible Study we are looking at individual, or personal, Bible study.

How to get started with a personal Bible Study

There are no set rules as to how to conduct your Bible Study, it should be a personal time between you and God. However, it is helpful to have a routine. Here are some guidelines to help you set up your Bible Study time.

• Choose a time and place that is convenient for you. Many people like to start their day in God’s Word, but another time of day may suit you better – especially if you have young children to look after!
• Pray before you begin. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and reveal things to you. Get some ideas from this post on Bible verses to pray before reading the Bible.
• Read a little each day. Take your time and read it slowly, reflecting on what you have read. It is better to focus on quantity over quality.  Don’t feel that you have to read a certain amount, or for a certain time.
• Use resources to help you interpret the passage.  Don’t stress that these will go over your head, they are designed to help you understand the meaning of the text. As you gain confidence and become a more seasoned Bible Reader you can refer to more in-depth commentaries as and when you wish. Let’s look at some resources or tools in more details.

Bible Study Tools

Study Bibles

The best place to start when choosing a Bible Study tool is a Study Bible. As well as the biblical texts Study Bibles also contain other information to help you understand the Scriptures. These include introductions to each book of the Bible, footnotes, cross-references and maybe some maps or application points. Here are four to choose from, using four different translations of the Bible. You can find out more in my post Best Study Bibles for Women.

Bible Studies for Women

If you are really wanting to learn from the Bible and grow closer to God then you can’t go past a written Bible Study! I’ve chosen four, written by women for women, that are all available at Amazon. Three are based on books (or parts of books) of the Bible and one (Seemless: Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story) is designed to help people learn about the Bible as they study. If you are looking for a Bible Study for beginners this might be ideal.

On-Line Bibles, Bible Studies and Apps

The internet has a great collection of free tools you can use for your Bible Study.  Some on-line Bibles I use are biblegateway.com, biblehub.com and blueletterbible.org These are great for looking up verses in various translations and linking to sermons or commentaries with more information.

There are also some great websites and apps to help you with your Bible Study. These provide Bibles, reading plans, Verse of the Day, and more.

Here are some of my favourite websites to get printable Bible Studies for Women:

• Jen Wilkins
• Living by Design
• Katie Orr

Some of my favourite apps include Youversion, First5, and SheReadsTruth. Here you will find verses for the day, reading plans Bible Studies and devotionals.

Find out more in my post Best Free Bible Study Apps for Women,

Guides for Studying the Bible

If you are looking for more tips on how to study the Bible then the following books would be most helpful.

Tips for Success in Bible Study

Choose a Bible Version that is easy to understand

There are many different translations of the Bible in English, so when you are beginning to study the Bible you want to start with a version that is easy to understand.

The Bible was originally written in Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament). Some translations, like the English Standard Version (ESV), have a more literal, word for word translation from the original languages. Others, like the New Living Translation (NLT), aim to interpret the meaning of the text in more modern language.  The New International Version (NIV) is somewhere in between.

If you are new to Bible Study then the NLT or NIV might suit you. Since I am familiar with the NIV translation I often like to look at other versions to get a new perspective. This is one of the great benefits of on-line Bibles!

As I noted about, make sure it is a Study Bible which has additional information to help you.

Further Reading: Which Bible Translation is Best?

Be Systematic

Use a Bible Study or Reading Plan

If you just pick up your Bible and read from a different place each day you will limit your understanding of the text and how it all fits together. That’s why it is better to use a Bible Study (like the ones mentioned above), or a Reading Plan.

A Reading Plan, or Scripture Plan, is slightly different from a ‘Bible Study’ in that it just lists the verses to be read each day.

I have a number of Bible Reading Plans which you can choose from. Some take you through a book of the Bible (and have accompanying study guides) and some are based on themes. Here are a few to choose from:

Use a Bible Study Method

There are a number of methods you can use to help you get more out of your Bible Study:

• Verse Mapping
• Word Study
• My 5L Bible Study Method – this is my version of the Inductive Bible Study Method. My free email series ‘New Beginnings’ guides you through the 5L Bible Study Method in nine days, looking at a variety of new beginnings in the Scriptures. Use the form below to sign up for this series, which includes a workbook. This would be a great Bible Study for Beginners!

For more information and resources on Bible Study Methods check out the course by Arabah Joy – Bible Study Methods: 7 Ways in 7 Days.

Write it Down

Writing things down is one of the best things you can do to help you remember things and be more intentional about what you are reading. Instead of just skimming over the text you will need to look deeper and come up with answers and reflections to write.

You could also use a worksheet to help focus your study, like the ones I created for doing a word study or using the 5L Bible Study Method.

Bible Journaling is also a great way to engage with the text.

Here are some resources you could use to help with your Bible Study.

Where do I start?

 Once you have found a good Study Bible that you find easy to read and understand, just get reading! Pick a book of the Bible and work your way through it. Here is a recommended order from Brittany at equippinggodlywomen.com

•  John
• Matthew – Luke
• Acts
• Romans – Jude
• Genesis and Exodus
• Psalms – Proverbs
• Joshua – Job, Isaiah – Malachi
• Leviticus – Deuteronomy
• Revelation

 If you would like someone to guide you through learning how to study the bible then check out Katie Orr’s 5 Days to Better Bible Study eCourse.

Some final thoughts on Bible Study for beginners

•  Bible Study is about relationship with God, not being a Biblical scholar. You don’t have to know everything – you never will! One of my favourite things about studying, and teaching, the Bible is that every time you come to it you learn something new about God or yourself.
• Schedule a regular time for your Bible Study and stick to it! Once you have chosen what plan or study you are going to follow, don’t give up on it. But, don’t just make Bible Study another thing on your to-do list! This should be a time you look forward to, where you spend time with God.

 I hope you have found this Bible Study for Beginners guide helpful. If you have any tips or resources to share I would love you to comment below.