Bible Study Checklist
—Do it right, do it well
The basis of any Christian sermon is Bible study. This checklist helps you to address a passage of scripture in an intelligent and effective manner. It ensures that your Bible study is thorough, fruitful, and empowering. Some of the points on this checklist are covered in detail in other lessons in this series.
Prayer —Have I prayed for help to understand the passage?
Reading —Have I read the passage in at least two versions?
Rightly dividing —What is the Bible division or literary type?
Context —What are the surrounding passages about?
Background —Against what background was the passage written?
Authorship —Do I know all I can about the author?
Key words —Have I identified the key words and phrases?
Main points —Have I outlined the main points?
Theme —Have I found the theme that ties the main points together?
Paraphrase —Have I tried to put the passage into my own words?
Questions —What important questions arise from this passage?
Cross references —What other scriptures relate to this passage?
Trope/metaphor —Do I recognize any figurative language?
Error —Do I know of any common misuse of this passage?
Jesus —Do I know what this passage reveals about Christ?
Application —Have I looked for application to myself?
Difficulty —Is this passage within my present ability to understand?