The Bible has been a source of comfort, joy and even confusion for many readers. If spiritual interest, general curiosity or another reason has led you to read the the Bible then you may find that using study materials will increase your understanding. For, many readers a good study Bible will be enough to guide you through you study of the Bible. But, you may also consider buying a Bible concordance or atlas to help familiarize yourself with the topics and locations discussed in the Bible.
A Book of Books
As you study, remember that the Bible is a book of books. There are 66 books in the Bible. And each one can be studied as a separate entity. But, in your studies don't forget that each book has a specific reason for its inclusion in the Bible. Take time to consider how the particular book you are studying adds to the overall message of the Bible.
Book Introductions
Many study Bibles provide introductions for each book of the Bible. If your Bible does not then use a Bible Hand Book to learn more about the historical information surrounding the book of the Bible you are studying. you can also learn more about the author and any bias that he or she might have had while writing the book. Historical and author information will help you see the underlying events and mindset that were present as the book came into being.
Chapter Headings
As you study the Bible, pay attention to the chapter and section headings. Many editions of the Bible divide a book up into headings to help you easily recognize a central theme or logical flow of events. These headings will cover entire chapters or may be just a few verses in length. By looking out for the heading you may catch on to the main topics more clearly.
Margin References
A good study Bible, such as the Scofield Study Bible, will offer reference verses in the margins. These verses will offer further insight in to the current passage of the Bible that you are studying. Make sure that you take note of these references and look them up after your initial reading of the passage. Read the passage again and apply what you learned in the reference verses to make more sense out of the concepts found in the passage.
The Concordance
Use the concordance in the back of your study Bible to research verses with similar concepts. Seeing how often a particular idea or word is used in the Bible will help you understand its importance in the Bible.
The Bible Atlas
Refer to a Bible atlas or to the historical maps in your study Bible to get a better idea of where events are taking place. Try to associate the location with a current day site to help visualize where things are happening and how long it took individuals to travel these distances.
