Bible Study Methods

Updated 8/17/25

In the last post, we emphasized the importance of reading our Bible regularly and often.

Now - let’s talk about different study methods for when we do take the time to read God’s Word. The purpose of using one of these methods is to help us break down and analyze the verses of Scripture we are reading. Hopefully - after doing that - we can obtain a little more insight into those same verses.

There are many ways to do what I’m about to describe, so keep in mind that you are more than welcome to modify and adapt everything we get into. Having said that, let’s focus on three different ways to approach studying Bible passages.

The S.P.E.C.K. Method

With this method, it is usually best for studying shorter passages of scripture.

You’ll end up asking:

• Is there a Sin to avoid?

• Is there a Promise to claim?

• Is there an Example to follow or avoid?

• Is there a Command to obey?

• Is there Knowledge about God to receive?

As you read your verses in the Bible, you will answer each question in the way you think is most appropriate. If you don’t have an answer for one of the questions, you can just leave it blank or potentially elaborate on something that you think is related to the original question.

I’ll include a button below for downloading a PDF version of this method if you are interested. The PDF even has space to write your answers after each question. It’s free and you can use it however you want!

The A.E.I.O.U. Method

This method may be more suited for larger chunks of scripture. You’ll end up using the following outline:

• Ask questions: Use who, what, where, when, and why to ask different questions (2-4) about what you just read and then answer them.

• Emphasize key words and/or phrases: What stands out or is repeated?

• In your own words: Rewrite the verse(s) in your own words. You get bonus points if you want to take it a step further and insert personal pronouns (i.e. - I, me, my) to really make things applicable to your life.

• Other related scripture: Find cross references or other places in the Bible that refer to similar topics. Don’t stop at just listing the verses but also explain how they relate.

• Use what you’ve read: Make an application for yourself! How do these verses apply to your life?

Just like before, there is a PDF of this study method below if you are interested in downloading it.

The Old School Method

• Read your Bible …

• Then - write out your thoughts in a journal. Or - if there’s something weird or confusing in what you just read, you can write out your question and then mark it for further investigation later. Or - maybe you just really like a particular verse and want to commit it to memory. Perfect! Write it out and start practicing.
  

As we wrap up our conversation on study methods, it’s important to remember that you can mix and match pieces from each of these into your own custom version. Also, it’s never a bad idea to pray before and after your study time in the Bible.

Praying before you study can help quiet your mind so that your reading is more productive. Praying after you study can help reinforce what you just read as well as give you a chance to ask God for any clarity/prompting to help apply His Word.

When I first heard about these methods, I really liked the S.P.E.C.K. method because it was quick, simple, and to the point. Then as time went on, I liked the A.E.I.O.U. method more because I really enjoyed the E.I.O. part of it - so eventually - I skipped the A part all together and focused on the rest (I found the “A” part of it to be too cumbersome for my own taste). And then eventually - as I began to read more regularly in my Bible, I discovered a need to organize my thoughts as I came across topics that I either didn’t understand or just wanted to remember for later - and that’s when my journal earned its permanent place in my studies. Sometimes when I journal, I’m just writing out my own paraphrase of the text to help myself process the information. It doesn’t have to be fancy!

Whatever you decide to use - do your best to be consistent and regular about reading your Bible!

A final thought: In the beginning of this post I mentioned there are many different ways or methods to help guide our personal study time. I recently read a nice little summary of this idea in chapter 15 of Dr. Michael Heiser’s book, Brief Insights on Mastering Bible Study. He mentions the verse-by verse method, the topical Bible study, and character sketches (aka biographical Bible study).

The verse-by-verse method is essentially what we demonstrated with the S.P.E.C.K. and A.E.I.O.U methods.

The topical Bible study method is exactly how it sounds. Pick a topic, and then take advantage of resources like Bible dictionaries, concordances, cross-reference tools, etc. - the point being to really dig deep on your topic of choice. For example, if I did a study on “love”, I would potentially get into the different kinds of love. That would require me to research the different Greek variations of the word (aka - Eros, Philia, Agape, and more …) and what they mean.

The character sketch - or biographical Bible study method - focuses on a person, similar to how we focused on a topic with the prior example. But - something to also keep in mind is you might need to recognize when the person you are studying is mentioned in the Bible via simple pronouns instead of just their normal name. That means you’ll have to do some extra detective work on recognizing the complete context of certain passages which can be extremely rewarding.

So, as you can see - there are plenty of options to help us move beyond just reading the Bible and work toward studying what it says to help apply its teachings.

Again - it’s okay to mix and match methods! If you don’t like the options I’ve mentioned - that’s okay too! Keep looking for other ways to help deepen your personal time reading God’s Word.

If you have another study method that works for you, feel free to share it in the comments section so others can try it as well.

A quick shoutout: I want to add a special thanks to Aimee and Pastor Rick from my old church, back in the day. Their work on building a discipleship program in our church had an influence on the chosen methods for this post. Thank you for all the work you did in helping to get that program going! Its effects are still being felt.

References:

Heiser, M. (2018). Brief insights on mastering Bible study: 80 expert insights, explained in a single minute. Zondervan.