Bible Knowledge

[Brother John]

Have you ever listened too or talked with someone who has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Bible verses? Someone who can remember every verse and chapter through out the Bible that deals with a topic? How is this knowledge accumulated? Is it simply reading till your eyes give out or memorizing like crazy? Are there systems or approaches that someone could use to study the Bible and retain the knowledge as if you were taking an exam on it? This might sound dumb but I read my Bible and find that it is hard for me to remember anything more than principles or paraphrases when I get into discussion or I need them for everyday life. Is this something that comes with time in the Word or do you need to be more direct in your approach of study?

Thanks

 

[christiana]

I have a similar friend and she just seems to respond to conversation with scripture verses so appropriate and applicable and I would so love to do the same. However, I must remember she has attended reformed churches for 25yrs and homeschooled her children and then her grandchildren and continues to approach and challenge their worldly interest with scripture. They have no resentment but love her and sometimes respond but not always. Its the depth of involvement and constant use of scripture that makes it become part of your conversation. That and a fairly decent memory!

 

[Brother John]

Nancy that is what I am referring to. I know that without spending time in the Word there is no way to store up the Word in you, I just wonder if there are more efficient ways than others to accomplish it.

 

[TimV]

My old Pastor RJ Rushdoony's grandpa had his eyes gouged out by the Turks for being a Christian Pastor, but he kept on ministering until he died of old age since he had such huge amounts of the Bible memorised. On your law I meditate both day and night, Lord.

 

[TexanRose]

My dad is like that. To my knowledge, he doesn't sit down and say "I'm going to memorize this passage now," yet he knows the Bible inside and out (and in the original languages too.) Comes from years (thirty-five years or so) of studying and reading and meditating on the word of God. Plus he's also probably gifted with an exceptional memory.

I think the key is probably regularity--regular family worship, church attendance, and private reading/meditation; all with an attentive heart. I'm working on that attentiveness part, also on reviewing what I've read and heard.

 

[Brother John]

Do yall think it is better to read one book of the Bible at a time or to spend the same time reading out of several different books?

I have the Bible on MP3 and enjoy listening to it when I am driving. Does anyone else do this?

 

[schwarzeneggerchia]

Don't think about... hahahas.. I know, when you try not to think about it, you'd just think about it but seriously it really a lot about reading, articulating and experiencing. the more you think about the more and critic yourself and experiences in the light of the word, and articulate it, without realising, you are able to develop that ability if you call it that. Because to have Bible knowledge is as it is, God knew ('Yada') intimately His people and the children were taught from young to know ('yada') God. Likewise, we are to know God intimately through His word, when we know God as such and you can articulate your relationship with God through your knowing Him in the word and whatever you tell others is what you are so passionate about, and everything comes very naturally.

 

[JennyG]

God gave young children in general retentive memories - some are blessed in this way more than others perhaps, but most people find that the younger they are, the better they retain things in their memories. Why else did he make us like that, if not so that we could grow up imbibing his Word at the optimum time, and then seal knowledge with deepening understanding and wisdom for the rest of our lives...
But I don't believe it's ever too late to start making up for a wasted youth in that regard (or even for a wasted middle age!)
Nancy knows a great Bible-reading programme, Prof. Grant Horner's method. I'm now doing it too and it truly is as good as she said!

 

[Bern]

I think the main factor that contributed to the Puritans' ability to use scripture to interpret scripture, and to always recall the right scripture for the right time was simply the amount they read their bibles. They didn't have many of the distractions we have now, specifically TV and the internet! I read somewhere (no idea where) that the average Puritan read at least 15 chapters in one sitting. If thats true, no wonder the knew their bibles well.

I'll give Grant Horners system a go..... but not with a Scofield bible lol

 

[JennyG]

The more you read the Bible, the more you want to go on reading it, at least that's what I've found. Its wonders start to unfold in your mind, and if ever it was a daily duty to slog through a certain amount, that ceases to be how it feels! I don't know either why anyone would prize other writers over the book of Samuel, say.
I've often prayed to have "the mind that was in Jesus",... finally the penny dropped that the way to have it is to soak yourself in scripture

 

[baron]

Did not John MacArthur suggest that you read the same portion of scripture for thirty days straight. Example start with 1 John and read it in one sitting for thirty day's, using the same bible. You will remember a lot more this way. For larger books divide them into sections that you can read through in one sitting.

It's just repetition + time.

No I'am not one of those people who has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Bible. I do not have a very good memory but I try.

 

[SemperEruditio]

MacArthur recommended his system only for the NT.

Make it a habit of memorizing intentionally. One thing I began this week is to study a topic and memorize the verses in the chain. I bought a Thompson Chain Reference Bible and my goal is to know topics throughout. The biggest thing to do is once you think you've learned something, anything, share that with someone else. That will let you know whether you know it or not. If you think or say "I can't put it into words but I know what I'm trying to say..." then you really don't and you need to work through it. One thing that is helping me with scripture is talking to my wife about them on our way home. Any frustration indicates my failure to grasp the material and be able to explain it effectively.

Not sure if any of this helps but the bottom of the people who I know that have an encyclopedic understanding and recall of the Bible is because they spend more time with God in word and prayer than others.

 

[christiana]

I was so thrilled to read that some are beginning with Dr. Horner's bible reading system. Today was my 45th day and I realized I had read 450 chapters of scripture in the last 45 days! It so encourages my heart to use this system and to ponder the value of the Word and to feel immersed in God's thoughts and ways! It is this intensity of intake that causes one to have an increased awareness of the whole bible. I'm loving it and have so enjoyed sharing it with others at church and wherever I am that someone will accept a copy to read over. The plan has been so well thought out!! Thanks Jenny for adding the site!

 

[Brother John]

Thanks for all the great input. I have also dabbled with Dr Horners system. I even have the ten bookmarks laminated and in place in my Bible. I may start it back up and stay committed to it this time. Does anyone feel like they retain less only reading one chapter a day but in ten different books at a time? Maybe I will pick one book a month to loop on my iPod when I listen to the Bible.

 

[JennyG]

Does anyone feel like they retain less only reading one chapter a day but in ten different books at a time?

I really don't. I think the greatest need is just for more and more exposure to the word. That way more and more sticks in your mind, which is what you were wanting and you can still do in-depth study of shorter passages alongside.
One of the great things about the system is that you can do it all sorts of ways, according to which books you feel you need most. . Next time round I think I'm going to modify list 10 from simply Acts, to Acts and Romans.
(I'm ten days behind Nancy - her day 45 was my 35)

 

[TaylorOtwell]

Horner's system looks interesting. I may give it a shot!

 

[InSlaveryToChrist]

I think it's remarkable what John Piper said about Bible memorization in his article, "Thy Word I Have Treasured in My Heart",

You Can Do It

You may doubt that you can do this (he's refering to daily Bible memorization), especially if you are older. But ask yourself this question, If I offered you $1,000 for every verse you memorized in the next week, how many do you think you could memorize? Yet God says of his word in Psalm 19:10-11, "They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward." The real value of the word is far greater than $1,000 a verse. The question is, Do you believe this? Believing this will be the crucial motivation you need.
Nor is the task beneath you and only for children. The Lord Jesus memorized Scripture verbatim. We know he did, because when he was fasting in the wilderness there were no libraries or books, and with every temptation of the devil he quoted a passage of Scripture to defeat the devil (Matthew 4:4,7,10). This is why we are calling the 52 passages prepared for all of us this year (one a week) "fighter verses." Jesus defeated the devil's temptations with the use of a memorized passage of Scripture. And in Ephesians 4:17, Paul called the word of God "the sword of the Spirit." We cannot successfully overcome sin and Satan without the present treasure of precious words of God—"fighter verses."
You can do this. When Dawson Trotman, the founder of the Navigators, became a Christian in 1926, he was driving a truck for a lumberyard in Los Angeles. While driving, he would work on memorizing a verse a day. During the first three years of his Christian life he memorized his first thousand verses. If he can do that you can do 52 in a year.

I highly recommend reading the whole article, for it reveals to us a precious way of arming ourselves against sinful thoughts, and from sinning against God.
Here's the link to this great article:
Thy Word I Have Treasured in My Heart - Desiring God

 

[CharlieJ]

Regarding Bible memory, I usually memorize in chunks ranging from a chapter to a whole book. For example, when I memorized Philippians, I read the whole book at least once every day. I read the chapter I was working on 3 times per day (morning, middle, night). After a few days, you can pretty much put together the outline of the book, even if you don't get all the words right. Then you can do spot-work to clean up hard passages.

It's been years since I memorized Philippians, but I can still tell you the major themes and flow of thought through the book, and in the long run, that's probably more important than retaining every single word.