How to Do a Bible Manuscript Study

Manuscript simply means an original document or piece of writing. In this case a manuscript will refer to books or passages from the bible. A manuscript study is an engaging, challenging, and fun way to learn and understand the bible. It is an interactive way to read and study the various passages within the bible.

A manuscript should be typed, double spaced with wide margins, have no paragraphs, and must be single sided. The more white space on a page the better as this allows optimal space for writing notes, questions, and other thoughts or ideas about the reading. There are no headings, and usually no chapters or verses marked. Verses may or may not be marked, but I find it more useful to erase all other distractions and have a clean page of text.

Where can I get a Manuscript Guide?

Manuscripts are available for free on the internet or from various software programs. Free ones tend to be hard to find and most sites only have a few select books. You can purchase them from the Intervarsity Store, but I highly recommend creating your own, which can be done in just a few minutes.

I have found the easiest way to create your own manuscript is to go to biblegateway.com. There you can select your book, passages, and even the version of the bible you want to use. It is as easy as copying and pasting the book into a word document and then printing it off. It took me five minutes to copy, paste and then print the book of Jonah. It took me slightly longer, because I took the time to remove the chapter and verse numbers. If you do not mind the numbering you can simply use the print button and get any book of the bible in your hands in one click of the mouse.

How to Start a Manuscript Study Session

Whether you are trying to understand the bible alone, plan to go to a group bible study, or are looking to teach a bible study in the hopes of helping others understand the bible better; a manuscript is the perfect way to study the bible and really engage in the passages.

Bible studies are a great way to bring people from every background and experience level together. Using manuscripts allows a leader to engage everyone within small and large groups and encourage participation from all members. In order to provide a successful study session I suggest following these three ideas to start your study off on the right foot.

• Create an inviting atmosphere and be sure to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable
• Provide snacks and drinks if appropriate and have all supplies needed laid out and ready for everyone
• Always start and end your session with prayer and continually turn to the Lord for guidance throughout the entire reading and draw strength, encouragement, and truth from His written word.

Easiest Books to Start a Study

Choosing a book that is short (no more than 5 chapters) or that is easy to understand and has stories or parables is the best for individuals or groups that are just starting out. You want to make sure the content is not only easy to read but relatable as well. If your group can relate to the passage it will make the session all that more heartfelt and meaningful. The list below are my favorite beginning books.

• Genesis: Everyone knows the story of Adam & Eve. How much do we really understand of the creation story and what God is saying through out the rest of Genesis? I thoroughly enjoyed my studies through Genesis. Genesis 1-9 has some really thought provoking ideas and makes for a very interesting study.
• 1 Samuel: I love the story contained within 1 Samuel 1-4. This is where we first are introduced to Samuel and Hannah’s unfaultering faith. Hannah’s story is relatable on so many levels which makes it more appealing for beginners.
• Colossians: A short book with practical scripture on how we can keep Christ in every day living.
• 1 John: What is love? This is the thought provoking question that John answers in this short yet life changing book.
• 1 Corinthians: This book is a little long at 16 chapters, but I think it holds so many important messages. Paul’s words and teachings are tailored to a city where they are facing the same problems that we all face in the modern world. He addresses the issues that no one else wants to face and he does so head on and with real life advice that we can use in today’s ever changing world. If needed, it can be split into 3 sessions with each session containing 5/6 chapters. I recommended splitting the chapters in order to get the most of the book. The chapters actually break up nicely if you do 1-5, 6-10, and finally 11-16.

Below I have created a four step process to help make creating your guide as easy as possible.

Step 1: Select Your Passage

The best way to select a passage is to find a book of the bible you are interested in learning about. Once you have a book selected, you can take it chapter by chapter, several chapters at a time if they are smaller, or the entire book if you are choosing a short one.

Doing a manuscript study to pull all the information out of a book, will greatly increase your understanding and knowledge of what you are reading. The easiest books to start with if you have never done a manuscript study are those that are full of stories and parables or that are short, straightforward, and easy to understand. If you do not know where to start I highly suggest starting with one of the books I noted above or with the gospel of Mark as this is the shortest gospel and holds information that most people would already have some knowledge about. I also like to read the passage aloud as a group before breaking away and starting the study.

Once you have selected your book simply follow the outline below to break up your passage into managable pieces.

• Start by reading through the entire selected chapters.
• Next reread the passage and divide the whole reading into manageable parts by identifying natural breaks throughout the reading (for example a change in topic or scene).
• Finally title each section so you can see an outline of the chapter and where the passage is heading.

After you have the passage broken up, work on finding connections throughout the entire piece. This is where different colored pens/pencils/highlighters will come in handy. Draw different shapes with different colors to indicate at a quick glance which shape/color combination matches each connection. Open space at the top or bottom of the page is a great place to put a color/shape key. Below you will find some ideas on what types of observations one can and should be making throughout the reading.

• Similarities
• Keywords/main ideas
• Repeating words/concepts
• Attitudes/emotions
• People
• Cause to effect or effect to cause relationships

Step 2: Study the Passage Thoroughly

Spend time praying and talking to God throughout the session. This will help you draw on His word and pull all the information out of the passage. Write down any questions as you read that you want answered or explored. Wide margins help keep questions next to the text you have questions about, but you can also use the back or a sheet of notebook paper. Observe and read the passage multiple times, interpret what you are reading the best you can. Spend 15 to 20 minutes individually (adjusting the time frame based on how much time you have available) gathering as much information as you can.

After reading the passage spend some time finding the Who, What, When, Where and Why. Color code each finding with a different color. Being able to observe the W’s within the chapter will allow you to interpret the reading.

Now that you have the reading broken up into different sections and have found the five W’s of the text, look for connections and write down anything you consider to be significant.

Bring the group back together and encourage everyone to share their observations and questions, as well as to compare findings. Make sure to keep conclusions, observations, and answers to questions directly from the text. You want to make sure that everyone in the group can find what is being discussed and that the discussion is staying true to the word of God.

Step 3: Define the Central Meaning

I love doing this by finding a summary and climax verse. Every book has a central topic and this is a great way to find what is at the heart of the pasage you are reading. Once found, mark it in a way that you will remember this is the message of the reading. Find a way to take the main topic and use it in your every day life. The reason I love manuscript studies so much is because I can find the main topic and other central ideas quickly. It’s also a great way to find supporting ideas and it helps when trying to understand the characters. All of this knowledge is very useful when trying to fully understand scripture.

Step 4: Apply What You Learned

God’s word and spirit changes people’s lives on a daily basis. Take what you have learned from your studies and apply it to your everyday life. Everything you learned about Jesus, the Holy Spirit, God, and yourself can all be used to further change your life.

In small and large group studies have everyone come together and talk about how the text applies to them personally. It’s important as the leader to summarize the main message and key points.

Tips for Manuscript Leaders

• Know the passage well enough to answer questions and effectively guide the group. Your knowledge will help create a smooth flowing study.
• Remember the word of God is the authority. Let scripture do the teaching. Trust in God that He will work through His word and show you the truth within the pages.
• Create a list of guiding discussion points to encourage conversation and thought provoking questions
• Consider doing a group real life application for the scripture that was studied. This will create a sense of community and has the potential to be more powerful than simply reading the text.
• Be prepared to share personal stories from your life on how the passage has affected you. Being able to provide this kind of insight shows how God works in the real world.
• Do not forget to pray! Pray for yourself, for your group, and for the word of God to speak truth to and through you.

This guide is meant to help you understand how a manuscript study works and how you can get the most knowledge out of each and every reading of the bible. Manuscript study’s can be time consuming and hard at first, but after you get the hang of it, they can be fun and incredibly powerful. You will come out of each study with a multitude of new information, as well as a deeper and more accurate understanding of the scripture.