Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Bible Study 101: Verse Mapping Part 1

I often get questions regarding what Bible I use and how I go about studying the Bible. 
I decided to do a couple of blog posts regarding this topic so 
when someone asks, I can easily reference this list and send them a link.

Previous posts on the topic are listed below: 

Today I am sharing one method I use for Bible study- verse mapping.
Verse mapping is simply taking a verse (or two) and 
breaking it down and researching the verse. 
I love verse mapping because it's a way to dig into a scripture pretty quickly. 
I always learn tons when I verse map and just love the process!

There are tons of ways to go about doing verse mapping but I typically do the following:

Read and Write it:
  • Read the verse in context. I typically read the whole chapter and sometimes several chapters.
  • Read the verse in several different translations. I use Bible Gateway for this. 
  • Write the verse down on a sheet of paper. I use graph paper but any paper will do!
Map it: 
  • Research the background of the verse and write down what I discover (who wrote it, when, where, who was the audience, etc.)
  • Circle words to define. Define words using a dictionary-both using a regular dictionary and a Greek/Hebrew dictionary. I use Blue Letter Bible for this.
  • Box important phrases
  • Read what several commentaries say about the verse. I use Blue Letter Bible or Study Light verse-by-verse commentary for this. Highlight the part of the verse the commentary talks about and make notes highlighted in the same color.
  • Write other related scriptures using a concordance
Summarize it:
  • Summarize what I've learned about the verse in a few sentence. 
  • Ask questions: What can I learn from this verse? Are there any promises/commands/warnings in this verse?
Apply it:

  • Pray to God about this verse and ask him to help me apply the lessons I learned from this process. 

Below are a few examples of my verse mappings. 
Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this. 
Do what works best for you!




If you want to learn more, you can find some great videos HERE and HERE
I also shared an Instagram story showing the process and it's saved in my highlights.