Studying the Bible by topic is like hiring a mountain guide to show you the path to a particular peak. You can be sure, as long as your guide is good, that you will take the best path to your chosen destination. On the other hand, studying the Bible by chapter is like hiring a tourist guide to show you spectacular and interesting locations. You never know where you will end up, but you know that you will enjoy your day and get good pictures!
Studying the Bible in the order a particular passage was written can be a very beneficial way to gain a more complete and solid foundation in the Scriptures. You don’t determine what you will learn; you simply follow the Word as it goes along. You may not get immediate results, as with studying by topic, but the results surely come in time.
The first step in studying the Bible by chapter is planning your study. Select the chapters to study. It is best to do whole books at a time, but don’t start with Genesis necessarily. Choose your favorite. The Gospel of John can be a good place to start.
Next, determine how much you are going to read each day. It is strongly recommended to take a chapter at a time. If you can dedicate at least 30 minutes per day, you can make great progress. It will take you only a few days to get through a chapter.
For every chapter, your first and most obvious step is to read it. Read your chapter no less than 5 times; just read without writing anything down. Read it at least once aloud and definitely in several different versions. Each new reading will bring out some new point. After you are sure that you have the gist of the chapter, you can begin the study.
As you read in different versions, you may have noticed important differences between older and newer versions. Make a note of these differences. Remember, it is very important to not only read the chapter in a modern version like the NIV. Other, more literal translations can help greatly in understanding a particular passage. Add these differences to your margin notes so that you will remember them in the future.
Now you need to divide the chapter. Don’t just rely on the divisions provided in your version; find the natural divisions that seem to fall into place. Give titles to the divisions based on their content.
Example Chapter Division for 1st John 5
| 1. Our Noble Parentage (1-3) | 6. Our Unquestioning Confidence (14-15) |
| 2. Our Glorious Victory (4-5) | 7. Our Great Power and Responsibility (16-17) |
| 3. Our Sure Ground of Faith (6-10) | 8. Our Perfect Security (18-19) |
| 4. Our Priceless Possession (11-12) | 9. Our Precious Knowledge (20) |
| 5. Our Blessed Assurance (13) | 10. Our Constant Duty (21) |
After creating your own divisions, review the chapter and then name it. Call it something that will help you remember the contents.
Now the real note-taking begins. First, note the leading facts and characters of the chapter. What do you know about each one? This list will help you get a more thorough understanding of what is going on in the chapter.
Example List of Facts and Characters from Acts 16
| 1. Timothy | 12. The household of Lydia |
| 2. Timothy’s mother | 13. A slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination |
| 3. Timothy’s father | 14. The owners of this slave girl |
| 4. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium | 15. Silas |
| 5. Paul | 16. The magistrates of Philippi |
| 6. The Jews of Lystra and Iconium | 17. The Philippian mob |
| 7. The apostles and elders at Jerusalem | 18. The jailor of Philippi |
| 8. A man of Macedonia | 19. The prisoners in the Philippian jail |
| 9. Luke | 20. The household of the jailor |
| 10. Some women of Philippi | 21. The officers of Philippi |
| 11. Lydia | 22. The brothers in Philippi |
Now that you have the chapter name, divisions, facts and characters, it is time to search for truth. Note the principal lessons of the chapter. It would be well to classify these: Lessons about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and so forth. Note the central truth of the chapter. What is the writer trying to say?
Note the Most Important Verses. Which is the most important verse for you right now? Memorize it! Mark any verses that may be useful for a future lesson or Bible discussion.
This is where the meat of your Bible study is. Everything up to this point was leading to your search for the truths of the passage. And not only the general truths, but the truths that God is showing you, right now.
Spend as much time as you need to review and meditate on the lessons you have learned. The more time you spend thinking about these truths, the more likely they will transfer into your long-term memory and you will hold onto them for your entire life. Studies show that every time you access a memory, you strengthen it. So, make sure to review the important truths you are learning several days in a row.
Finally, take notes for further study. Keep your list of future topics updated as you study chapters. If you have a question on something that doesn’t impact your current study, write down the word or topic for later study.
