How to Study the Bible for Beginners: A 5-Step Guide

You read a chapter, close the Bible, and struggle to explain what you just read. A method gives you something concrete to do with the passage.

Try this study with Mark 1:16-20. A Bible and a notebook are enough. If you need to choose a first book, start with the seven-day reading guide.

Step 1: Choose a passage and read its setting

Begin with a short prayer asking God to help you understand and respond honestly. Read Mark 1:14-20, including the few verses before the scene you are studying.

Jesus announces God's kingdom and calls people to repent and believe. That gives the call to follow him its setting. Read a whole scene rather than opening to an isolated sentence.

The Mark study guide explains how the scene fits the book.

Step 2: Observe what the passage actually says

Keep three kinds of note separate

1. 1.Observe

   Jesus calls fishermen, and they leave their nets.

2. 2.Explain

   The scene shows people responding to Jesus' call to follow him.

3. 3.Respond

   Read the next scene to learn more about the one calling them.

Read Mark 1:16-20 again. Ask who is present, what happens, and which actions repeat.

Jesus approaches two pairs of brothers at work. He calls them, and they leave their nets. Write an observation you can check against a verse: "Jesus takes the initiative, and the fishermen respond."

"I need to change careers" is already an application. Keep that for later, after you understand the scene.

Step 3: Ask what the author is showing you

Interpretation means explaining a passage in its setting. Ask what the scene shows about Jesus and how it connects to the announcement before it.

A starting answer is: Jesus calls these fishermen to follow him and share in his mission. His call changes their priorities. The fishing language connects their familiar work to the work he will teach them.

Record a question too: "What does following Jesus look like later in Mark?" Let the rest of the book develop your answer.

Step 4: Check what you do not understand

Read the surrounding verses first. Then check the Mark commentary or use a Bible dictionary for an unfamiliar person, place, or term.

Be careful about turning these disciples' departure into a command that every Christian must leave their job or family. Jesus gives these men a particular call. Read the wider teaching of Scripture before applying their circumstances to yours.

You can leave a question open while you keep reading. Check a commentary's explanation against the passage rather than copying it as your observation.

Step 5: Respond in prayer and action

Choose a response connected to the meaning you found. Your note might read:

Jesus calls people to follow him. Tomorrow I will read the next scene in Mark and write down what I learn about him.

Your prayer could be: "Jesus, help me listen to your call and follow what you teach. Show me where my priorities need to change."

You have completed a short study: read the setting, observed, explained, checked a question, and chosen a response.

Use this Bible study worksheet on your next passage

Open the printable worksheet. Print it or save it as a PDF through your browser's print menu. You can also copy these prompts into a notebook:

1. 1

   Passage and setting

   What am I reading, and what happens around it?

2. 2

   Observation

   What people, actions, repeated words, or contrasts do I notice?

3. 3

   Meaning

   What is the main point in this passage's setting? Which verse supports my answer?

4. 4

   Question

   What do I need to check in the surrounding text, commentary, or dictionary?

5. 5

   Response

   What should I believe, do, or pray because of what I learned?

Start your next study

Use Mark 1:21-28. Write one observation before opening any study notes. Around ten minutes is a practical starting point; take longer when a question needs it.

You can study on your own and discuss questions with a trusted Christian or church leader. If you want another format, compare five Bible study methods. For a school-day routine, use the teen guide.

If looking up the background keeps interrupting your reading, Protos puts introductions, commentary, and verse notes beside the Bible. The same five steps still guide your study.