The Clean, Easy Way
to Study the Bible
The Big Idea: The S.O.A.P. method of Bible study is a very easy way to remember how to study the Bible, in a basic inductive manner.
Have you ever found an easy way to remember something like a
name, or the order of the planets? It is often a method of word or letter
association like K.I.S.S. "Keep it Simple, Silly!"
If you want to dig into the Bible on your own on a regular
basis, this acronym, S.O.A.P., is very useful. This formula will get you into
the word, simply. It will keep your mind on task and let you apply it to your
life. And you will remember it day to day, even without a cheat sheet! If you
want something to help you get started, you can use my downloadable worksheet
here.
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| Free downloadable S.O.A.P. worksheet |
So let's go over the basics.
- Scripture
- Observation
- Application
- Prayer
Gather your
Essentials
It is helpful to have several items to begin your time of
study. This is a very low budget method.
- A Bible (can be a book that is a Bible, or you can use an electronic version).
- A notebook or binder for regular note taking. Paper in the notebook, or printouts like this.
- A pen or a pencil.
- A quiet place to think and pray, and a few minutes to yourself.
Put your text at the top of the page, and the date as well.
It will be interesting as you study God's Word to go back and look at what you
have learned over time.
Pray Before you Begin
Prayer is listed at the end, but prayer should be our first
and our last work. We pray and invite the Lord to bless our time in His Word.
We examine our self for any barrier of sinfulness that might poison our time
with the Lord. We pray for an open heart. We ask for the Holy Spirit to guide
and reveal to us what He has for us in the Bible text.
Scripture
Rather than choosing random passages or verses, it is often
good to begin at the start with a book of the Bible. If you are completely new to Bible study I
would recommend the Gospel of John, or a shorter epistle of the New Testament
such as Philippians.
Whenever you start a new book, on the first day, you may
want to look at an introduction of that book. Many Study Bibles have an
introduction. If you use www.youversion.com, you will find the NIV Bible and
the Good News Bible there have an introduction at the start of each book.
It is
good to note who was the author, when was it written, who was the intended audience, check for an outline, key
verse and theme. It might be good to read the book in the entirety the first
time to get a sense of the book before you study it in greater detail.
After that, you may wish to start lessons by chapter or by 1-2 paragraphs at a time.
Observation
The interrogative questions are always a good place to
begin. Who? What? When? Where? Why, and How?
Observe if there are any names mentioned. Check for locations such as
towns and countries. Is there a time reference? Is there a phrase or a word
that is repeated or said in a fresh way a second time? Is there an unusual word
you want to look up in the dictionary? Often an English dictionary is a useful
tool for this. You may want to summarize what is being talked about in a
sentence. By looking at these various facets of the verses you will find
yourself reading the passage more than once. You will slow down and notice
things you have not noticed before. This is a good and useful habit to acquire.
Application
This is the "so what" phase. It is beyond what
does it mean to what does it matter for my life today? Is there a promise of
God to embrace? Is there a warning about sin or bad habits? Is there an
admonition or encouragement that will help us live the Christian life? Is there
a good example to follow? What might you learn about human nature? About
yourself? What about God? What do you
see about God in this passage? And how is this beneficial for your today? Is
there something for you to let go? Is there something you should do or an
attitude adjustment that needs to be made based on this Bible passage?
Prayer
So finally, talk to God as your friend. Tell him what you
have learned in His Word and ask for His help to renew your mind. Ask Him to
help you do what you need to do. In all of this you will draw closer to Him and He will draw closer to you and give you strength for this day.
End Note
It is always good to share what you have learned with
someone else. Talking about it will help to reinforce what you are learning in
your study of the Bible.
In inductive Bible study, a valuable part is
interpretation. There are steps to follow to discern this. They include another
set of questions, consulting with parallel passages, Biblical themes, word
studies, using other Bible tools, and so on. Some of this you will find yourself doing using S.O.A.P, in the observation and application phases. There is a place for interpretation and we
will cover it in more detail in another blog soon. However, this simple method using S.O.A.P.
gets you into the Word on a regular basis, even if some days your time is
limited. It is a very satisfying process. Just as soap is what we use to keep
our bodies clean, the S.O.A.P. method gets us into the Word to keep our mind
and our soul clean and fit.
Up Next: Bible Observation
