In this article, the process of doing a Bible character study will be outlined and described.
A character Study takes ALOT of time. It will take you on a journey that will transform you.
Let’s jump in.
H2 What is a character Study?
A character Study is a Bible study method that focuses on one individual in Scripture. It examines the details of the character’s life as presented in the Bible.
Why do a character Study?
Studying a character of the Bible is not about the character themselves. It is primarily about God. The primary purpose is to learn about God through the story of the character.
The Bible is one long story. But it’s God’s story. Therefore the character plays one small part in the grand story orchestrated by God.
So when we study a Bible character, we are looking for how God reveals himself. The lives of real human beings with real problems is where God shows up.
Through the rawness of the human experience God leads a trail to Himself.
We learn about what pleases and displeases God, how He demonstrates His love towards us, how he leads, guides, delivers.
In short, we get to meet God and understand His character. By getting to know God we understand how He wants us to live.
Steps in the Bible character study process
These steps are based on the inductive approach to Bible Study which has three simple steps: (1) Observation, (2) Interpretation and (3) Application.
Applied to the character Bible study method, here are 6 steps to follow.
- Choose a character
- Find all relevant verses
- Read the verses in context
- Conduct a thorough observation of the character’s life in three areas:
- Textual background
- Contextual background
- Biographical characteristics
- Interpretation
- Application
I will now detail each of these steps.
How to do a character Study
Step 1 – Choose a character
How do you decide what character to study?
Inspiration can come from several places. here are a few ideas:
#1. You can extend a study going on at church. Whether a sermonic funeral or weekly Bible study, supplement those sessions with your personal study.
#2. If you’re following a Bible reading plan and come across a character you’re curious about, definitely pursue a study.
#3. Sometimes devotionals use Bible characters to teach a lesson. Don’t stop learning from that days devotional. Carry on with a deeper study.
#4. Listen to God’s prompting. He often leads us to study topics in certain seasons. Listen and follow. God will be speaking to you.
Find all relevant Bible verses about the character, both references and cross references.
You have some options:
- you can use the search feature on Blue Letter Bible or check out the online King James Bible Dictionary.
Step 3 – Read and annotate
Next, read the verses in context. To read the verses in context, read the whole chapter or several chapters before the story.
As you read, annotate and take notes. Write down your first impressions.
Prepare to revisit the text several more times as you study. One reading will not be enough. Take your time.
Step 4 – Do a thorough observation
Observation is the longest, most detailed part of Bible study. But it’s also quite rewarding.
You may need to do this over several days to do these steps. Take them.
4.1 Observe the background of the text.
Answer the following questions:
- Who is the author of the passage? Who is telling the story?
- Who is the audience? Who is listening to these story about the character
- What is the aim of the book? Based on the aim, what could be the purpose of telling the story of this character? Why was it written?
On BLB, go to the STUDY tab and select Introduction to the Bible. I like the ESV Global Study Bible introductions. Here you will find answers to questions in whole or in part.
4.2 Observe for Contextual background
Context has to do with all the other things going on all around the character (put this explanation in the ebook)
This requires asking several questions about different aspects of the passage.
4.2.1 What is the likely date of the character’s story?
The Bible is one very long story spanning hundreds of years. The story has been divided into different historical time periods.
Finding the date of the character’s story helps to establish where in the timeline of Scripture this character appears.
The date gives the bigger picture of the story of the Bible and gives a context of the smaller story of the character.
Use Bible Hub to help with this.
4.2.2 What is the geographical location?
Pay attention to the names of the places in the character’s story and locate them on a Bible map.
The book introductions on BLB in the ESV Global Study Bible usually has maps.
Just scroll down to the bottom of the page.
4.2.3 What were the cultural, social, political, and religious issues impacting the life of the character?
You can use a Bible Encyclopedia or Bible Commentary to do research. Answer questions like:
- What were the customs of the time? What are the rules or laws about the way people lived, worked, worshiped, did business, and interacted with each other? How did these rules affect the character and their life?
- Who is the leader in the character’s story? What is the interaction like between the leader and the character? What does the interaction reveal about both?
- What religious beliefs and practices are popular? How does it impact the character?
4.3 Observe for the biographical characteristics of the character
4.3.1 Observe names
What is the character’s name and what does it mean? Did their name change? How and why? What is the meaning of the new name?
A Bible dictionary will be useful for this.
4.3.2 Observe the events of their life
What are the events of this person’s life? Of all that happened, which would be major events? How do these events affect and shape the character’s personality, character and faith?
I recommend you read through the story of the character and create a story plot or a story map. It helps you slow down and pay attention to the details.
Here are some story plot templates to try.
4.3.3 Observe their occupation
What is the character’s occupation? What does the character do for a living? How does this impact the character’s life?
Use a Bible Encyclopedia to look up their occupation and see what was involved in this kind of work back then. This will give a picture of the character’s life.
4.3.4 Observe for the physical characteristics
What details or clues are there about the physical appearance of the character? Why is this detail important?
4.3.5 Observe their family connections
What family connections does this character have: parents, siblings, tribe, lineage? Who are they related to? How are these relationships significant? How do these relationships impact the character?
To find these details, carefully read the story looking at the connections among the characters. For characters with longer stories containing more characters you may need some help to quickly make those connections. This website should be helpful with the genealogy of several Bible characters.
4.3.6 Observe their Relationships and Interactions
Who are their friends? Who are their enemies? How does the character interact with and treat other people, both those inside and outside their family? What do these interactions reveal about the character?
4.3.7 Observe their personal character traits
What words are used to describe the character? What do these words mean?
Based on the character’s behavior, how would you describe them? What evidence in the passage would you use to justify your description?
What positive and negative character traits does the character demonstrate? What character strengths and weaknesses do they show?
Does the character change over time or do they remain the same?
4.3.8 Observe their faith
Do they believe in God? How do you know? How is their belief demonstrated in their story?
What is God doing in their story? How does God’s actions impact their life and story?
How do they respond to God? What does their response reveal about their faith?
STEP #5 – Interpretation
Now that you have thoroughly observed the details of the character and their lives,
the next step will be interpretation.
After doing detailed observation the next important question to ask is: So what? What does all of this mean?
To answer this question first acknowledge that the story of the Bible character was written by specific someone for a specific audience with a specific purpose.
So the first interpretation question to ask is:
What would the story about this character have meant to the people who heard it first?
You might need to go back to the textual background and look at the audience and purpose to work out the answer for this question.
Next, answer questions that take in the wider scope of the character’s story.
- What was the main point of the story?
- What are general principles and lessons that emerge from the character’s story?
Keep the context in mind as you answer these questions.
Step #6 – Application
The observation and interpretation steps are for you to go below the surface and pay closer attention to the details in the story.
The goal is to get a thorough understanding of the character, their real lives, and the meaning of their story to those who heard it first.
In the application step, the study gets personal. The main question is:
What does all this have to do with me and my life, and my relationship with God?
Ideally, you should rely on the interpretation of the character’s story to arrive at application.
Ask and answer questions like:
- What traits and qualities did the character demonstrate that I should either avoid or imitate?
- Why should we avoid or imitate these qualities? What does the Bible say about these traits and qualities?
- How does the life of this character and their story impact what you believe about God, His character, and His thoughts about you?
In this step, be very specific about the thoughts, attitudes and behaviors you need to change.
Be truly honest about how your beliefs about God need to shift or go deeper.
Final words on how to study a character in the Bible
Contrary to popular belief, the Bible is not always easy to understand.
But, studying the life of a real person from Scripture is often easier than other types of Bible study methods.
The best gift you can give to yourself is to slow down and really study, even if it means dealing with one character over several weeks or months.
God isn’t concerned about you completing a study. He’s most concerned with getting opportunities to get close to you and into your heart. And Bible Study is one such opportunity. Give Him that chance regularly. I promise, you will never be the same.
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