Methods of Bible Study

Definition and Meaning

Methods of Bible study are the various approaches and procedures used to read the biblical text, understand its meaning, and apply it to life. They fall into two broad categories: personal study undertaken alone and group study in Bible study meetings. Representative methods include the following:

• Inductive Bible study, which examines a passage through observation, interpretation, and application, in that order
• Quiet time, in which one meditates daily on a short passage
• Reading through the Bible, in which the entire Bible is read within a set period
• Topical study, which gathers and examines verses related to a single subject
• Lectio divina (sacred reading), in which one reads a short passage slowly and repeatedly while praying

Biblical and Historical Background

Nehemiah 8:8 records that in the time of Ezra the book of the law was read aloud and its meaning explained so that the people understood it. Acts 17:11 records that the Bereans "searched the scriptures daily," that is, examined them closely. After the sixteenth-century Reformation, Protestants translated the Bible into vernacular languages and encouraged all believers to read it for themselves. This development is closely connected to the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, inductive study methods and devotional materials spread widely through British and American mission organizations and student movements.

Practice in the Korean Church

The early Korean church placed great emphasis on the sagyeonghoe (Bible study conference), a gathering held over several days to examine and learn the Scriptures. This practice is linked to the Bible-centered principles of the Nevius Mission Plan. The Great Pyongyang Revival of 1907 is also said to have broken out during a Bible study conference at Jangdaehyeon Church in Pyongyang.

Today, quiet time is widely practiced across denominational lines. Devotional publications such as Daily Bible (Maeil Seonggyeong) from Scripture Union Korea and Living Life (Saengmyeong-ui Sam) from Duranno are commonly used. In the late twentieth century, small-group inductive study spread through mission organizations such as Korea Campus Crusade for Christ, The Navigators, and University Bible Fellowship, as well as through the discipleship training movement.

Emphases also vary by denomination:

• Some Presbyterian churches pair Bible study with doctrinal instruction based on the Westminster Confession of Faith or the catechisms.
• Methodists continue John Wesley's class meeting tradition by studying and discussing the Bible together in small-group meetings.
• The Anglican Church of Korea and some other denominations follow a lectionary, a list of readings appointed according to the church year.
• Full Gospel churches often study together from prepared materials in cell group worship.