SKILLS
FOR BIBLICAL LITERACY
These overall skills are helpful in studying and are necessary to master the
art of learning scripture.
1.
The ability to establish the purpose for reading.
o
Are you reading for recreation?
o
Are you reading for getting to know God more?
o
Are you reading for getting to know God’s truth better?
o
Are you studying topically?
o
Are you studying one book?
o
Are you searching the scriptures for answer to a personal concern?
o
Are you reading for doctrine?
o
Are you reading to learn to teach someone else?
2.
Adjusting reading speed according to the purpose of studying
o
Are you skimming the passage?
o
Are you reading for content?
o
Are you scanning for specific details?
3.
Spotting context clues in the passage.
o
Recognizing vocabulary
o
Being able to use words and phrases to understand unknown words or concepts.
o
Identifying specialized terms from common terms.
o
Identifying figurative language from literal meanings?
4.
Using critical thinking skills are a part of studying scripture.
o
Recognizing patterns (such as order, sequence, contrast/comparisons,
cause/effect relationships, prediction skills).
o
Finding personal interests in scriptures to learn self-motivation to study.
o
Self-monitoring skills (How well am I comprehending? Am I reading too fast or
too slow? Etc.)
o
Ability to adjust one’s energy level to the event of learning.
o
Adjust listening according to the situation (i.e. during preaching, a
discussion class, listening to a fellow Christian to give support).
o
Rise above the expectations of others.
5.
Self-questioning skills are necessary to pull the meaning from the passage.
o
Who, what, where, how, why questions are the starting points
·
Who is the main character?
·
Who is the author of the book being studied?
·
What is the main point the author is pointing out?
·
What is the supporting material that backs up the main point?
·
Where does it take place (geographical, where in the book, where in the Bible,
etc)?
·
How is the passage constructed?
·
Why is the passage placed where it is?
o
Advanced questioning skills
§
Knowledge based questions (Recalling facts, figures, numbers, persons,
names, places, things, words, etc).
§
Comprehension based questions (Placing the content in your own words,
etc)
§
Application based questions (Use the facts, names, places, simple
concepts in various other situations—i.e. How can faith in God
affect my relationships?)
§
Analysis based questions (The ability to break apart a whole into
smaller parts to identify them—i.e. Identify the 5 different ways to use
scripture mentioned within 2 Timothy 3:16,17 and how each one is used in
various ministries.).
§
Synthesis based questions (The ability to bring other passages to the
current passage being studied that support, enhance or illustrate the concepts
being reviewed—i.e. How does Ephesians 2:8-10 and Romans 12:1,2 provide a
picture of purpose in Christian service).
§
Evaluation based questions (The ability to compare the concepts gleaned
from a passage to established standards—i.e. Explain how being God’s
workmanship created to do good works {Ephesians 2:8-10}
fulfills the teaching of loving your neighbor as yourself.)
*Advanced
questioning skills adapted from The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives
by Benjamin S. Bloom.
