VI. Study Persons Mentioned–Biography Study
As you study a Bible person, write out the information you find that answers the following:
A. Pre-natal influences
1. Take note who the person’s parents are.
It is both interesting and instructive to notice whether the parents were good or bad, and whether the parents were a good or bad influence on the person being studied.
2. Note family and social background.
3. What does the person’s name mean, as well as the person’s parents’ names?
B. Childhood experiences
C. Outline the crises in the person’s life.
D. What did the person say about himself or herself?
E. What did other persons say about the person?
F. If the person had children, list them, and give the meaning of their names.
G. With whom is the person contemporary:
1. Other Bible characters
2. Secular history
H. What major lessons and applications can we find for today from this person’s life and experience?
Make an exhaustive study of all references to this person found in the Bible during these studies.
To do this study, make use of study tools as needed. Sometimes a concordance, or a study Bible, or a dictionary of Bible names, a source of complete cross references, will prove helpful.
Many years ago I purchased a little book at John’s Bible and Bookstore in Detroit. I have only more recently begun to read the book. Now that I began reading it, I have discovered it is a careful study of families in the Bible, and the impact of parents upon their children recorded in Scripture. The book is titled To the Parents of My Grandchildren by a Grandfather. The book was published in Hongkong, was available at the Christian Book Room in Singapore, and at one time was available from Bible Truth Publishers in Oak Park, Illinois.
This is a very suitable subject for home school Bible study. I have used this outline when teaching high school English classes. One of my students was only interested in reading or studying material related to the Bible. I kept her profitably occupied the entire year by preparing materials in the form of reading selections and written assignments that met her interests.
hello jerry i appreciate you encouraging biographical bible study. there is alot the lord can teach us by following a biblical character’s life in the bible. for example when i read about abraham in gen 11 and 12 i can ask key questions about him. in gen 12/1-9 is there example for me to follow? in gen 12/ 7 i notice something very interesting about him. “there he builded an altar unto the lord who appeared to him, and again in vs 8 “he builded an altar unto the lord, and called upon the name of the lord.” abraham was a true worshipper of the lord! jn 4/23 ” but the hour cometh, and now is,when the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth: for the father seeketh such to worship him. thus i am challenged to worship the lord in my daily like abraham did. but abraham had a weakness an area of sin he struggled with to. he sometimes didnt tell the truth! when i continue my reading in chapter gen 12/13. he had his wife lie about she being his sister. it caught up with him when in vs 18 and 19 the pharoah rebuked him for lieing to him about his wife. lev 19/11 says,”ye shall not steal,neither deal falsely,neither lie one to another”. the lord takes lieing very seriously! 1 cor 10/6″ now these things[the old testament] were our examples.” by a biographical study of abrahams life i see the importance of speaking the truth and having a altar in my daily worship of the lord. the bible is exciting to mine its treasures!