Bible Study Procedure
Wondering how to put all the tools and pieces of Bible study together so that you can tackle a specific passage of Scripture? Here’s the overall procedure.
July 2025 Reflections: 2 Corinthians Kick-Off
Why didn’t Paul visit Corinth? Find out in season 26 of the Wednesday in the Word podcast. Plus news and free guides.
03 Why Paul Refused to Change to Win More Converts (2 Corinthians 2:5-17)
Paul’s ministry didn’t look successful. He was often rejected, beaten, and misunderstood. But in 2 Corinthians 2:5–17, Paul reminds us that the gospel doesn’t need to be repackaged to be effective.
Bible Study Convictions
How do you know if you’ve successfully understood a passage of Scripture? Start by understanding and embracing these basic interpretative convictions.
02 Why Paul Didn’t Visit Corinth and What That Means for Us (2 Corinthians 1:1-2:4)
When Paul didn’t return to Corinth as expected, some accused him of being unreliable. In 2 Corinthians 1:12–2:4, Paul explains his decision did not result from selfish motives but from pastoral care. His example gives us a window into how mature faith navigates conflict, disappointment, and the hard work of loving others well.
Bible Study 101: Interpretation
After you’ve done your observation, word studies, outlining and answered the questions you generated, it’s time to start putting it all together. In this step, you want to collect, refine and organize all those details you observed into a coherent meaning.
glory, doxa, G1391
Tools and resources you need to do a word study on the Greek word for glory, doxa, G1391
01 Suffering, Comfort & Prayer: What Paul Teaches about Ministry (2 Corinthians 1:1-11)
Suffering Comfort & Prayer in 2 Corinthians: Learn why they matter in the Christian life and what they teach about trusting God.
Bible Study 101: Observation
The first step in Bible study is observation. The goal is to slow down your reading and generate a list of questions that must be answered to understand the passage. I tend to break observation into the following 4 steps which generally correspond to my first few readings through the passage.
What if I don’t listen to podcasts
Curious about our Bible studies but don’t listen to podcasts? There are several ways to engage without ever hitting play.
Founding the Church in Corinth (Acts 18)
Corinth was one of the most influential and morally corrupt cities in the Roman Empire. Yet it became home to a growing church. In this episode, we study Acts 18 to explain how and why Paul founded a church in Corinth, what made Corinth strategic, and how God used unexpected partnerships to advance the gospel.
5 C’s of Bible Study
You may have heard the “rule” in Bible Study that a text always means what the author intended it to mean. But how do you evaluate whether a particular interpretation hits the mark of authorial intent? You can test any interpretation with the five C’s.
About the Author
Krisan Marotta is a Bible teacher and host of Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.