Grace-Filled Discipleship is supported by our readers. When you make a purchase through a link on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s why you can trust our recommendations.
Do you ever wonder what the real purpose of Bible study is?
Keep reading to find out why we need focused, consistent time in God’s word and how having organized, engaged, and directed focus in your Bible study can help you dive deeper in your faith.
What Is Bible Study?
Bible study is the systematic, focused analysis of the Bible.
That sounds really technical, doesn’t it?
Another way to say it would be that we take the Bible and in an organized (systematic), engaged (focused), and directed (focused) way, we interpret and investigate what it means.
Interpretation and investigation can take a lot of different forms, depending on what your goal is. Some people study the Bible as literature, some people study the Bible devotionally, or as a sacred text, or even as an instruction manual.
Why do we study the Bible?
As Christians, we study the Bible so we can know God.
The Bible is how God has revealed himself to us. It’s our primary source of information about who God is and how God works in the world and through humans. To know God, we have to know the Bible, and understand what it means.(That’s the basic meaning of the word theology. To dig deeper into what it means to study the Bible more formally, check out this post!)
We study the Bible so we can talk about God faithfully – so we can know God and speak faithfully about God to others so that they will also want to know God.
If we don’t study the Bible in an organized, informed way, then our theology can get skewed, and we can make God into something that He isn’t – which can be very dangerous!
The Bible is our primary source of information who God is and how God works in the world and through humans.
We study the Bible so that our relationship with God can mature.
We have layers of knowledge that we bring with us to the text – and as we grow in faith, we come to know God better – revealing new layers of relationship and understanding about who God is. Think about your parents. As a kid, you had certain ideas about who your parents were, and those ideas were probably correct, but they weren’t the full picture – our views of adults as kids are pretty limited. When we first come to faith, our view of God is similar.
Then, as we grow into teenagers and young adults, our view of our parents starts to shift – we start to question them, and see new facets of their personalities.
The same is true for our relationship with God.
As we grow in faith and maturity, we start to question some of our initial ideas about God. This is the time when it’s really important for us to dig in deep and analyze our theology and the Bible – so we can discover the truth of God’s goodness and the nuances and layers of His character. If our relationship with our parents is healthy, as we become adults, we start to see our parents in even different ways – they become more like mentors. As our faith matures and deepens, we find the Bible becomes like a mentor to us – guiding us into new and deeper understandings of God, so we can continue to grow and develop in our relationship with Him.
What does a good Bible study need?
- Space to ask questions and hear multiple viewpoints
- Accountability for the conclusions we come to about the Bible in our studies
- Accountability for how we come to our conclusions
- Organized, directed, and engaged instruction on interpretive methods
- Time to investigate the biblical text in community
How does studying the Bible this way help me?
Taking the time to dive into God’s word in an organized, directed, and engaged fashion helps us to make our faith our own.
It exposes us to new ideas about God & faith
It challenges our biases.
It encourages us to really understand our beliefs.
When we are exposed to multiple viewpoints and understand how to identify and deal with bias (it’s not all bad!), we are able to not just rely on what others tell us about faith, but to establish our own understanding of what we believe and why we believe it.
As a result, we gain:
Faithful Interpretations of Scripture
- We know our interpretation is faithful because we have a consistent method for analyzing scripture
- We know we can teach others what scripture says because we are basing our information on what is in the text, not on what we want the text to say
Resources
- We learn the tools to use to engage Scripture within its context
- We have “guardrails” to help us avoid misinterpretation
Empowerment
- Equipped to find applications that preserve the message of the text across cultures and contexts
- Able to ask the questions that matter and know how to find the answers in the text
Taking time to pursue intentional Bible study means we are devoting time and effort to
- Know God
- Know Scripture
- Understand how to faithfully disciple and lead others
In a world that is increasingly divided and hostile to dissenting opinions and ideas, studying the Bible in an organized, directed, and engaged way prepares us to be faithful followers of God, ambassadors of the Gospel who are always ready to give a reason for the hope that we have in Christ.
So what is the goal of Bible study?
The goal is to show up, dive in, and dwell in God’s presence – seeking to know Him better through an organized, directed and engaged study of His word that draws us deeper into relationship with Him so we can share His love with the world He created.
Want to learn more? Snag a free printable here to help get you started on diving deeper in your Bible study!
By accessing a free printable, you are also consenting to receive our weekly community newsletter, with exclusive content. You can unsubscribe at any time.
This is a fabulous resource for digging into each individual book of the Bible in bite-size chunks! Great discussion questions, historical & cultural background info, as well as literary elements to be aware of as you read. All important elements for understanding and applying God’s word more faithfully and holistically.
