Iterative Bible Study: How to Slowly Understand a Text

I am convinced many people have the wrong view of Bible study. They think Bible study is simply a matter of sitting down, looking at a text, and understanding it almost immediately. This mentality works for certain texts that are clear in interpretation and application. But when confronted with more difficult texts, an “understand this text in the first read through” mentality can become very discouraging. The solution? Something I like to call “Iterative Bible Study.”

How I came up with this concept

What is an “iteration”?

There are three sources I used to come up with this concept: my engineering background, the Feynman technique, and a quote I read on non-fiction writing. I am personally surprised the word “iteration” is not used more often in Christian circles. It is a word used all the time in STEM fields, and it is a helpful concept to apply to other aspects of life. What does the word “iteration” mean?

Iteration is the repetition of a process in order to generate an outcome. The sequence will approach some end point or end value. Each repetition of the process is a single iteration, and the outcome of each iteration is then the starting point of the next iteration.

“Iteration”, Wikipedia

This concept is used in mathematics and computer programming all the time. But once you take this definition and apply it to Bible study, it becomes a powerful tool to understand a difficult text of Scripture. Iteration is a sort of incremental action you repeat until you reach the goal. Each time you repeat, you learn a little more.

Feynman’s method for learning

Where the idea of Iterative Bible Study really started formulating in my mind, however, came after reading about Richard Feynman. Feynman was an incredibly interesting person, but what stuck out to me was his method for learning new things. He learned by following a simple cycle (or you could call it, an iterative process).

Essentially, Feynman would start with a topic and try to explain it at a child’s level. Why a child’s level? Because if you can’t explain something clearly and briefly without resorting to too many complicated words, you probably don’t understand the concept that well yourself. After trying to explain a concept or topic at a child’s level, Feynman would make a note of where his knowledge was lacking. Then, Feynman would go to try to acquire the knowledge he lacked.

This process was then repeated until he could clearly articulate a complex concept clearly. Now, Feynman used this technique as a physicist. But as I read about his method, I couldn’t help but think this is a perfect way of approaching Bible study. The best part of this technique is helps you clearly see what you know and what you don’t know. Once you see what you don’t know, you have the starting point for the next round of study. Feynman used an iterative process to learn and it is a powerful tool that needs to be applied to Bible study.

A quote on non-fiction writing which also helped me

A final source which helped me formulate this idea of “iterative bible study” is a quote found in the book Tools of Titans (I don’t particularly recommend this book. Some parts were helpful but on the whole I would suggest Christians not spend their time reading through this volume.”

You don’t have writer’s block when writing non-fiction. It is you not having enough research to write with power and knowledge on that topic.

Tools of Titans

The quote comes from an interview with a non-fiction writer. Essentially, anytime you start struggling to write something in non-fiction, that is evidence you need to cycle back and do more research. Not being able to communicate a concept indicates you yourself do not understand it fully. That sounds almost exactly like what Feynman said.

How does this quote apply to Bible study? Gaps in communication are caused by gaps in understanding. As you work through a Bible passage, if you cannot clearly communicate what a part of that Bible passage says, you likely have more study to do. Iterative Bible Study is about cycling back through to fill those gaps in understanding.

You don’t need to have all the answers write away when studying Scripture. But you do need to note those places where you don’t understand a text. Then, you need to cycle through to answer those questions.

A Visual Aid

Before actually going through a step by step walk through of Iterative Bible Study, I want to provide an easy visual reference. Seeing the concept is easier than reading it described.

What is “Iterative Bible Study?”

Now I will walk through each step one by one. It is important to note there is a number of ways you can use the concept of “iterations” in your personal Bible study. I have designed this tool to mainly focus on studying the text from the get go. In other words, these steps are for when you just start looking at a text of Scripture.

Step 1: Read through the text

This is an obvious first step but a necessary one to state. Whether you are studying a verse or a longer passage, the first step is to read through the text. Start noting any clues you find that the author has left for you. Particularly focus on the flow and structure of the passage. What are the repeated phrases? Where are the changes in tone?

I personally find it helpful to underline and circle any key components of the passage as I go. I draw arrows in between connections and note any important textual features directly in my Bible. If you prefer not to write in your Bible, I recommend using a notebook or computer to write out the important things you see as you go through.

Step 2: Write out a rough outline

Now that you have some initial insight into what the passage says, it is time to start writing an outline. I give an example of how to do this later on in this post. Essentially, you are looking at the passage and organizing the pieces of it under heading. Oftentimes, an outline takes the following form:

1. Main point 1
   1. Sub-point 1a
   2. Sub-point 1b
2. Main point 2
   1. Sub-point 2a
   2. Sub-point 2b
3. Etc.

Let the structure of the text determine the structure of your outline. Don’t stress too much about getting everything right immediately. This is only a rough outline. You have to see what you know before you can see what you don’t know.

Step 3: Write questions you want answered into the rough outline

This is truly where Iterative Bible Study begins. Now that you have your rough outline, you start injecting questions you have into the outline itself. If you don’t understand a certain part of a passage or the passage brings out a question you have, write that underneath the corresponding heading. It will look something like this:

1. Main point 1
   1. Sub-point 1a
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
      2. Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
   2. Sub-point 1b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
2. Main point 2
   1. Question 1 about Main point 2
   2. Sub-point 2a
   3. Sub-point 2b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
3. Etc.

As you can see, you can have questions about main points, and sub-points. You can have several questions about one point or no questions about a point. Putting your questions in bold is probably a good idea so you can distinguish between what is from the text and what is a question you have.

It is also important to note, you don’t just have to put questions into the outline. You can also note key terms you need to define, metaphors you need to study to understand, or other passages you think are relevant to the text at hand.

This is the most crucial part of Iterative Bible Study. If you don’t figure out what questions you have or what the gaps are in your understanding of a passage, you will not make progress.

A good rule of thumb is if you cannot explain a certain point of a Bible passage to a 1st grader, you probably have some gaps in your understanding of that point.

Step 4: Go back to the text and other Scripture to answer those questions

Now you get back to work. By writing the questions and knowledge gaps you have, you have revealed the next steps you must take for your Bible study. Go back to the text you are studying or search other parts of the Bible to answer the questions you have. If you singled out terms you need to define, using a software such as Blue Letter Bible is helpful.

You might have noticed you are now approaching the text a second time. This is your first iteration. You are using your first look at the text as a way to see what else you need to study to understand God’s Word. As you work to answer the questions you wrote out in Step 3, I find it helpful to put the answers right back into the outline.

1. Main point 1
   1. Sub-point 1a
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
         1. Answer 1
         2. Answer 2
      2. Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
         1. Answer
   2. Sub-point 1b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
         1. Answer
2. Main point 2
   1. Question 1 about Main point 2
      1. Answer 1
      2. Answer 2
   2. Sub-point 2a
   3. Sub-point 2b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
         1. Answer
3. Etc.

You can see that your outline is now filling up. Even in a single iteration, you should have a much better understanding of the passage you started studying. Simply by identifying questions you have and gaps in your knowledge of a passage, you were able to direct your Bible study. Iterative Bible Study is all about making little steps forward in your understanding of a text.

Step 5: Repeat Steps 3-4 until satisfied with your study

Now, the reality is your further study could have revealed more questions you have. That is perfectly fine. The whole point of Iterative Bible Study is to keep asking questions and getting them answered. If after your first round of study you still have questions, repeat Steps 3-4 until you are satisfied. If you go this route, your outline might start looking like this:

1. Main point 1
   1. Sub-point 1a
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
         1. Answer 1
            1. Follow-up question for Answer 1
         2. Answer 2
      2. Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
         1. Answer
   2. Sub-point 1b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
         1. Answer
      2. New Question about Sub-point 1b
2. Main point 2
   1. Question 1 about Main point 2
      1. Answer 1
      2. Answer 2
         1. Follow-up question for Answer 2
   2. Sub-point 2a
   3. Sub-point 2b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
         1. Answer
3. Etc.

The hope is that in your second round of going through Steps 3-4 you have less questions and gaps in your knowledge. You can repeat this process until you are out of time to study, until you understand the passage, or until you are satisfied with the current depth of your Bible study.

Why is Iterative Bible Study helpful?

Now that you have seen how to do Iterative Bible Study, the question remains of why you would choose to approach a text this way. Certainly this method of Bible Study is one of many. I believe, however, that Iterative Bible Study is one of the best tools you can have in your toolbox when seeking to understand a text. Three benefits come to mind of adopting this method:

You don’t have to get everything completely right the first time

I have met many Christians who freeze at certain passages of Scripture. Whether because the passage is long and difficult or they are afraid of misinterpreting a text, I believe a lot of Bible Study is quenched because of fear. And somewhat rightfully so: God’s word is powerful and must be interpreted properly.

However, I think such a fear also comes from not knowing how to start. Even more than this, a lot of Bible Study doesn’t happen because people don’t know where and how to start.

Iterative Bible Study helps because there is not a pressure to get the passage completely right the first time. The whole point of starting your study is to see what parts of a passage you understand and which parts you do not understand. This method gives you a clear, easy way to start studying a text. And from there, it gives you a path forward to progressively seeing what God’s word is saying.

Helps you distinguish between what you know and what you don’t know

Clear thinking is important for Bible Study. And nothing helps you think clearer than distinguishing between what you know and what you don’t know. Iterative Bible Study gives you a powerful method to seeing what things you know and what parts of a passage you need to work at further to understand.

If you don’t know what is missing from your understanding, you won’t know where to look. By putting questions directly into your outline, you not only see what you need to answer, you also see what parts of the passage are causing you the most difficulty. Simply putting questions into a rough outline helps you think more clearly.

Gives you more questions to answer with each iteration

A lot of Bible Study is simply asking the right questions of a text. Not all your questions will be relevant, not all your questions will get answered in the ways you expect. Iterative Bible Study forces you to constantly ask questions of the text and then seek for answers from Scripture. This process allows Scripture to interpret Scripture because you are seeking answers to your questions by going to the Bible.

The more questions you have, the more Bible you will read. The more Bible you read, the more it shapes your thinking. That process is built into Iterative Bible Study and once you get in the habit of asking good questions of Scripture, the more rich your study will become.

An example of Iterative Bible Study

Before closing this post, I think a brief example of this method is helpful. I am actually currently using this method to prepare a sermon on Romans 1:11-12.

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Romans 1:11-12, ESV

So after reading the text, the first step is to create a rough outline.

1. Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
   1. Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
2. Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
3. The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith

The outline pretty basic, but it breaks down the two verses a bit. Now, I start adding the main questions I have into the outline.

1. Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
   1. Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
      1. What is the definition of “strengthen”?
      2. What is the definition of “spiritual gift?”
      3. Why is encouragement called a “spiritual gift?”
      4. How does mutual encouragement of faith strengthen a Church?
2. Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
   1. Why is mutual encouragement important to Paul?
   2. What do Paul and the Church in Rome have in common?
3. The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
   1. How can someone’s faith be an encouragement?
   2. What is the definition of “encouragement”?

You see that even from a short outline, questions cause the study to build outward. Some of the questions are a little redundant, but that is okay at this stage. This outline is not the outline for the sermon yet, it is simply a tool to aid my Bible Study.

The next step is answering these questions by studying Romans 1:11-12, other passages of Scripture, and using a tool to help me define the words I need defined. I would then start adding those answers to the outline.

1. Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
   1. Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
      1. What is the definition of “strengthen”?
      2. What is the definition of “spiritual gift?”
         1. “Charisma” -“a divine gift” points to the origin of the gift
      3. Why is encouragement called a “spiritual gift?”
         1. The encouragement of other believers is a gift from God
      4. How does mutual encouragement of faith strengthen a Church?
         1. Strong faith sets an example (Abraham)
         2. Strong faith points us back to God (Hebrews 11)
         3. Seeing faith in action in someone’s life encourages us to stay the course
2. Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
   1. Why is mutual encouragement important to Paul?
      1. Paul’s letters are full of encouragement to local Churches (1 Thess 5:11, Phil 2:1, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
      2. Scripture contains a number of “tools” to help Christians grow…one of those is encouragement
      3. Church in Rome was a minority, persecution was coming
   2. What do Paul and the Church in Rome have in common?
      1. Same fundamental need
      2. Need righteousness from Christ
      3. Same ethical implications from Gospel
3. The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
   1. How can someone’s faith be an encouragement?
      1. Strong faith sets an example (Abraham)
      2. Strong faith points us back to God (Hebrews 11)
      3. Seeing faith in action in someone’s life encourages us to stay the course
   2. What is the definition of “encouragement”?

I didn’t bother answering all the questions for this example, but you get the point. Now I could go back through and ask further questions of the text. With each iteration, my outline fills out and my understanding grows. But you see that even after one iteration, the depth of my understanding of Romans 1:11-12 has grown by leaps and bounds.

In conclusion, Iterative Bible Study is a powerful tool to add to your personal Bible study. It gives you a place to start even when studying the most difficult of texts. You can slowing understand a text and then move on to meditating on how it applies to your life.

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