The Discovery Bible Study Method helps you to read, discover, and apply the Good News (truths) hidden in the stories in the Bible. This method is born out of the fact that approximately 70% of the entire Bible is made up of stories, parables included.
Moreover, stories are easier to remember and retell. Therefore, you will be able to remember the truths contained in the Bible stories easily. And you will be able to personalize them, and readily and accurately share the same with others.
Therefore, the Discovery method is appropriate for 70% of the Bible which is made up of narratives. Jesus, our example, also used stories and parables in His ministry that were highly impactful (Matthew 13:34-35).
The Discovery Bible Study Method
The process of discovering Bible truths is demanding. This is because there is intentional involvement in discovering the hidden truths (Matthew 13:10-11). But God promises that those who seek the truth will find it (Matthew 7:7-8).
Consequently, this Bible study method is divided into three (3) steps. These steps can easily be memorized and recalled using the acronym FCD.
- Familiarisation (Know the story)
- Comprehension (Understand the meaning of the story)
- Discovery (Discover the truths hidden in the story)
Familiarisation
You have to be first familiar with the text (story) you have selected and you achieve this by reading the text. Familiarisation is, therefore, a function of reading the text you have selected.
Normally, stories possess three (3) common qualities or features. These qualities are the characters, actions, and details of the story and they’re what we need to know about the story under study. And to know these things we have to read the Bible story in question.
The more you read a story, the more familiar you become with it. Therefore, the more you read the story you will have selected, the more you will be familiar with its qualities.
Comprehension
To understand the meaning of a particular story, you’ll have to focus on the different perspectives of each character. In other words, you’ll have to “step into the shoes” of each character. This will enable you to find out their emotions and choices, and the motives behind the same.
Remember, life is a function of choices. Therefore, the choices of the characters of the story in question will be significant in your quest to understand it.
Discovery
Ultimately, God created man to relate with Him and his fellow men. And Jesus taught that all Scripture can be summarised into two (2) commands. That is, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40).
In addition, in 1 Timothy 3:16-17, Paul reveals that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Meaning that the truths we discover in the Bible stories will teach, rebuke, correct, and train us to love God and fellow men.
Therefore, every Bible story can teach us the right thoughts and actions that will enable us to love God and our fellow men better. For after discovering the truths in a Bible story, we have to apply them in our lives (James 1:22-25). As you do so, take note that rebuke is past-oriented, correction is present-oriented, and training is future-oriented.
Resources for Practice
Finally, the following two (2) resources should help you to practice the Discovery Bible Study Method.
- The Prodigal Son Bible Study
- Luke 19:1-10
