The Word of God is chock full of characters on which you can do a 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 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.
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.
I have found that 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.
The best tools for your Bible Study are:
- 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 characters of Scripture – echoes from the history of our Christian faith – can provide insight into daily living, even these several thousands of years later.
Disclosure: Some affiliate links have been used within this post.