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Creative Bible Study
THE METHOD EXPLAINED
STEP ONE: SELECT THE PERSON TO BE STUDIED:
You may choose a personality that is of special interest to you. You might want to choose a person from the list in Hebrews ll, Galatians 3:7 or Luke 4:27. You might study an important person in the Bible book which you are presently reading or studying. Remember that the greatest biographical study of all is the life of Jesus Christ.
Be careful not to confuse names. For example, there are some 30 Zachariahs in the Bible, 20 Nathans, 15 Jonathans, 8 Judases, 7 Marys, 5 James, and 5 Johns. Be sure the verses you study are about the person you have selected and not another individual with the same name.
Also be alert for people who have more than one name. For example, Jacob's name was changed to Israel, Abram's name was changed to Abraham, and Saul's name was changed to the Apostle Paul.
STEP TWO: GATHER THE INFORMATION:
Gather all the information in the Bible on the person you select. If you have a concordance available, look up the name of the person and find a list of all references to him/her in the Bible. If you do not have a concordance, gather the references directly from the Bible. Most of the references concerning a selected Bible personality are found within one book or a series of consecutive books. List all the Bible references about the person you are studying, then look each one up in your Bible and read it.
STEP THREE: ANALYZE THE INFORMATION:
The following list identifies some of the information you should gather and analyze in a biographical study. The Bible may not give information on all of these items in every biography, but try to include everything it does reveal about the person you are studying.
Use the chart found at the conclusion of the "For Further Study" section of this chapter to record and analyze the information you gather.
Biographical information to obtain includes:
Name and meaning of name. Relatives: Parents, brothers and sisters, ancestors, children. Birth: Location, importance of birth, unusual events surrounding birth. Childhood and early training. Geographical setting: Where does the story of this person's life occur? Friends and associates, personal relationships.