You can understand the Bible. God wants you to know Him better through His Word. The 4 R Bible study method – read, record, reflect, and respond – is a basic, but solid way to dig a little deeper into any biblical passage. This “inductive” method uses careful observation to discover what the passage says. That’s our first goal – to accurately interpret God’s meaning.
Every Bible passage has just ONE meaning – God’s original and only meaning.
Personal application is our last step and end goal. You don’t need extra resources. All you need is your Bible, a pen, a notebook or journal, and a humble, teachable attitude. The “R” repetition makes it memorable! You can take it anywhere!
Video Teaching on the 4 R Bible Study Method
For a written explanation of the 4 R Bible study method see “The 4 R Bible Study Method for Everyday Use.“ But, if you have 30 minutes, here’s a more thorough video teaching! (Look below for links to helpful handouts you may want to refer to during the video.) One more thing – I recorded this teaching for a specific Facebook study group, so ignore the references to the group! Unless you’d like to join! (Deep Rooted Bible Study Group)
Here are some helpful handouts & additional links:
- What you need to know about Bible translations
- Where does each translation fall on the spectrum. Check out this translation chart!
- How the literary genre of the Bible book impacts our understanding.
- Things to look for when you “observe” a Bible passage.
- How context impacts our understanding of the passage.
- Ongoing “Reading the Bible Together” Facebook study group
What insights or questions do you have?
How long approximately is a Bible study?
That will depend on how long a passage you choose to study and what type of literature it is. Plus, you can go choose just how deep you want to go! This method is very flexible!
Mummy Kathy, what is the best version of Bible to use for easy comprehension?
For devotional reading I really like the New Living Translation. It’s not the best for study since it isn’t a more literal translation like the ESV or NASB, but it is a solid translation and much easier to understand.