Updated: This Bible study post to help you research the passage was originally published on May 22, 2020.
Now that we have talked about the tools, prayerfully reading the passage, working through the passage using the Bible study worksheet, and cross-referencing the verses, it is time for step 4: research the passage. This step might take you several days. It depends on the length of the passage you are studying and the number of resources available on those verses.
The Setup
When I start this step, I want to make sure I keep all of the notes from each verse together in one place. I write the number corresponding to each verse down the left margin of my page, leaving enough room in between to take notes for each verse from several sources.
I add any cross-referenced verses I want to include next to the verse number (see Step 3: Cross-Reference the Passage). Even though you have already cross-referenced the verses, when you walk through this step, you may find more verses to add to your list.
Study Bible Notes
Once my note page is ready to go, I research the passage by looking at the notes in my study Bibles. If you don’t have a study Bible, don’t worry, there are plenty of resources available to you. I jot down anything I think adds to my understanding of the verses, including those things I understood myself in the previous work.
Feel free to take this step as deep as you want to take it. Many times, I will come across a concept referenced in the notes that leads me on a trail of discovery through other passages of Scripture. It can be a fun ride! These are things you should journal and come back to.
Apps and Online Resources
Once I have exhausted the notes in the study Bibles, I turn to some apps and online resources. I have accumulated several apps over this journey, but I started with the Blue Letter Bible app. This resource has a learning curve, so I will point out a place to start.
Once you have opened the Blue Letter Bible app and have found the passage, tap on a verse number and select “text commentaries.” On a side note, notice the study tools available in the top part of that menu. You can come back to those and learn how to use them.
Find a commentary that you can understand, and start reading what it says about your passage. Take notes as you read, keeping your notes organized by verse. When I research the passage, I always look for a commentary by David Guzik. He is easy to understand, and he includes notes from many of the other commentators in his commentary of the passages.
Repeat this step as many times as you want with as many commentaries as you’d like.
A Word of Caution
You need to do the steps of Bible study in order. Once you have spent personal time with the passage, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you in your study, and you have worked through the passage on your own and with cross-references, only then are you in a position to see what others say about the passage.
You will not agree with everything you read as you will find that many of the commentators contradict each other. Remember that the Word of God is inspired, but the notes of men are not. Yes, they have a lot of training and education, but on occasion, I have found a lone voice with whom I agreed about a passage.
Just because it is the popular belief does not mean it is the correct one.
And now, your page of notes should be a mess! Remember when I told you not to buy a fancy notebook? You’re welcome! Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way.
I urge you NOT to stop on this step. Although this series is set up for you to be able to start at step 1 and only go as far as you want to go, you have now reached a point where you should go to the next step: Apply the passage. You’ve done all of the hard work, and now it is time to implement.
Tasks
Using our passage of Proverbs 3:5-8, start your research. Don’t feel like you have to study every source at your disposal. Just pick a study Bible and a commentary with which to begin.
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