One of the most important Bible study skills is also one of the easiest to overlook:

Comprehension.

Before we ask, “What does this mean?” we need to be able to answer, “What does this say?”

That may sound almost too simple.

We read the words, so surely we know what they say.

But it is possible to move our eyes across a passage without truly noticing its details.

We may miss:

• Who is speaking

• Who is being addressed

• What happened immediately before the passage

• What problem is being answered

• A repeated word

• A change in tone

• A contrast between two people or ideas

• A command followed by a reason

• A promise that belongs to a specific situation

Comprehension asks us to slow down and observe before we begin explaining.

Imagine arriving halfway through a conversation between two people and immediately offering your

opinion. You heard three sentences. You have no idea what was said before you entered the room. You do not know what caused the disagreement. You are not even completely sure which person is being discussed.

But you are ready with advice.

We sometimes approach Scripture in much the same way.

We open to a verse, read a few lines, and immediately decide what God is saying to us personally.

But faithful Bible study begins by listening carefully.

Try asking:

• Who wrote this?

• Who was the original audience?

• What is happening?

• What is the main point of this section?

• What details seem important?

• What questions does the passage raise?

• What can I say with certainty from the words on the page?

You are not trying to make the passage say something profound.

God’s Word is already profound.

Your job is to pay attention.

Try This Today

Read a short passage three times.

During the first reading, notice the people.

During the second, notice actions and repeated words.

During the third, notice questions, commands, comparisons, or cause-and-effect statements.

Then summarize the passage in one or two sentences without adding your opinion.

Flourish Together

What did you notice on the third reading that you missed on the first?

POST 3: Before We Ask What It Means