You can use many different bible study methods to dive deeper and learn more about God’s Word. The Word of God is chock full of characters on which you can do a Character Bible Study.
Some of them are called “righteous,” such as Abraham. Some of them were people “after God’s own heart,” like David. And some were evil and known for their horrible actions – like Jezebel or Judas Iscariot, for example. In a Character Analysis Bible Study, you learn more about the Bible’s characters that you read about every single day.
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What is the character method of studying the Bible?
The character method of studying the Bible involves examining the qualities, actions, and teachings of different characters within the text to gain insights and lessons for personal growth and understanding of biblical principles.
What is the format of the Bible character study?
There is no fixed format for a Bible character study as it can vary based on individual preferences and goals. However, a common approach includes gathering information about the character from relevant Bible passages, studying their background, personality, actions, and relationships, and analyzing the lessons or teachings derived from their life.
What is the character quality study method?
The character quality study method is a technique used to examine and develop desirable character traits. It involves studying specific qualities like honesty, integrity, perseverance, and empathy to improve personal character.
How to do a character study?
A character study involves analyzing and examining the traits, behaviors, motivations, and development of a fictional character in a story or play. It aims to gain a deep understanding of the character’s personality, thoughts, emotions, and relationships within the narrative. Through careful observation and analysis of the character’s actions, dialogue, and interactions with others, a character study helps to create a comprehensive picture of the character’s role and significance in the story.
In performing a character Bible study in Scripture, you can find several applicable life lessons for yourself:
- What to do
- What NOT to do
- What brings blessing
- What brings consequences
- What pleases God
- What happens when God is displeased
The Scriptures provide many lessons that record the life and choices of people who lived as Scripture was being recorded for the first time.
What To Look At And Questions To Ask when Doing Bible Character Studies
- People of the Bible: Is there a person in the Bible that sticks out to you?
- Character Traits: Are there Bible characters that possess a specific trait you are currently studying, such as humility or faith?
- Character’s Life: You can study a Bible character’s life and the trials and triumphs they experienced.
- God’s plan: How did God’s plan play out in a Bible character’s life? Was it easy? How long did it take?
Be sure to look at the kind of person this character was and how that affected His walk with God.
Character Bible Studies Can Be Used In Several Different Settings
- Personal Study Time: Learning from the characters in the Bible is helpful in growing spiritually. This is also an easy way to get into the God’s Word and learn more about God.
- Sunday School Teacher: Studying the character of the Bible taught in the weekly sermon helps believers learn more about the context of the scripture passages taught in the weekly sermon.
- Small Group Leader: Preparing for a character Bible study can be as simple as sitting down and studying them yourself and then getting together with others where you can gather insight from one another.
A Step-by-Step Biblical Character Analysis Study Guide
- Purpose
- Get a good understanding of this character.
- First step
- Establish the Big Picture: What helpful lessons can you learn from this character?
- List the key events in this person’s life.
- Second Step
- Identify a Key Verse to memorize.
- Third Step
- Identify the leading lesson. The goal of a leading lesson is to foster understanding, promote discussion, encourage reflection, and ultimately help you grow spiritually.
- Fourth Step
- What are some key points?
- Identify the life application portion of this study.
- What will be your next step of action?
- Finally Some Questions To Think About
- What was God’s plan for this character?
- Did this character experience God’s forgiveness?
- List God’s attributes found in this study.
- Identify God’s redemptive plan for this character.
- Where was the grace of God revealed?
- How is this story connected to the lineage of Christ?
- How can you apply these lessons to your own life?
Study Bibles And Biblical Resources For Further Study
While not every lesson can be personally applied to your own life, you can still learn from the examples recorded in Scripture and find the story of God’s Redemption throughout.
There are a variety of character Bible studies available in print, but it is not always necessary to purchase a study to learn about any particular person in Scripture. However, here are a few resources to check out:
- LifeGuide Bible Studies (They have a huge list of studies and some on characters in the Bible.)
- Great Characters of the Bible: 52 Lessons on How God Used Ordinary People to Accomplish Extraordinary Tasks (Bible Study Guide for Small Group or Individual Use)
- New International Encyclopedia of Bible Characters
- Old Testament Characters: 12 Studies for Individuals or Groups, With Notes for Leaders
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A good study Bible (like the Life Application Study Bible) offers much in the way of built-in commentary, cross-references, and notes about concurrent traditions, rituals, etc., to make a character study using just a Bible and notebook quite possible.
However, using good textual references when doing a character Bible Study is ALWAYS a good idea. It can be very enlightening when studying a particular person or people group.
- A Good study Bible (with commentary, notes, and concordance or dictionary included)
- A Bible Dictionary (for looking up unfamiliar terms)
- A Bible Handbook (especially one that references customs, rituals, and notes on culture and society at the time)
- A spiral notebook, pen, and highlighter
- Ask yourself the Who, What, Where, When, and Why when studying a character in the Bible.
You may access these resources at your church or even your local library. And with websites like Bible Gateway online, you can often find information from reliable sources at your fingertips.
Looking to the strengths and weaknesses of Biblical characters—echoes from the history of our Christian faith—can provide insight into daily living, even these several thousands of years later.
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