Let’s have a conversation about practical tools for Bible study! I didn’t create the method I’m sharing with you here. I first learned it from David Helm’s book, One-to-One Bible Reading, and from other teachings on the COMA Method online, but I did slightly put my own spin on it and adapt it for my time with God.
For foundational tips on establishing a consistent time in God’s Word and how to approach God’s Word with the right attitude, read my blog How to Get Better at Reading the Bible. For a simplified version of this you can use in your daily devotional time, read How to Read the Bible in Your Quiet Time. To learn how to meditate on and pray Scripture, read my blog How to Pray the Bible.
How to Read The Bible Well
COMA stands for Context, Observation, Meaning, Application. It’s an inductive Bible study method meant to help you draw out the intended meaning of a biblical passage (exegesis) instead of reading your own ideas into Scripture (eisegesis) or taking verses out of context. The Bible is God’s eternal Word, it’s the final authority on truth and right belief and practice for all Christians, and God intended it to be available to us to instruct us in all times throughout history (1 Peter 1:24-25; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). But God spoke His eternal Word to and through a specific people and historical-cultural time and context. The Bible was written for us but not directly to us.
This is why the Context, Observation and Meaning steps are especially important. In order to interpret and apply Scripture accurately we have to understand what it meant to the original author and audience first and what God was intending to communicate through that. Then from there we can consider how to apply it to our lives.
The COMA method is a slightly more in-depth method of Bible study than you might be used to and it will require some effort from you–which is a good thing–but it can work great for more devotional Bible reading too. Even though there are several questions you can ask at each step, it doesn’t have to take a long time to do. You can use this tool whether have 20 minutes to spend time in Scripture or two hours, and it’s fun!
As you read a passage of Scripture, keep the questions below in mind. Or, if you want to take notes (which I suggest), you can either jot notes down as bullet points or, like me, just write a 1-2 sentence summary of the answers for each section. Remember: Holy Spirit doesn’t leave the room because you’re using good interpretive skills. So, be prayerful and connect with God throughout this process. Expect Him to speak to you and teach you.
The COMA Bible Study Method
CONTEXT (Background)
- Who is writing (author) and who are they writing to (audience)? Why are they writing (purpose)–what circumstances is the author/audience facing, what problems or questions are being addressed, etc.)? What type of writing (literary genre) is this? What’s happened so far in the preceding chapters and verses?
You can gather most of the information just from reading the biblical text itself, before you go to any outside study resources. Look for this information in the opening sentences of the first chapter of a book and keep an eye out for more clues as you read the following chapters. The book introduction in a good study Bible will also help you understand the context.
OBSERVATION (Content)
- What’s happening in the passage? (main events, locations, characters, topics discussed) Are there any key words or themes? Does anything stand out to you from the passage?
MEANING (Interpretation)
- What is the main message of the passage? (Sum up the author’s main point(s) to his original audience in your own words in a sentence or two.)
- What is God speaking to me personally today through this passage? How can I apply what I just read to my life? (Be specific, personal, and practical.) How can I pray for myself or others based on this passage? (Read my blog How to Pray the Bible for tips on turning the Bible into conversation with God.)
If you need more specific questions, I use the categories: Does this passage teach us something about God’s Nature (God’s character, emotions, or actions), a Truth To Believe (teachings/doctrines on a topic or promises from God), or How to Live (commands to obey, sins to avoid, examples to follow or not follow)?
Or, if it’s easier to remember you could use the SPECK tool. In this passage, is there a: Sin to avoid/confess, a Promise/Truth to believe, Example to follow/not follow, Command to Obey, Knowledge about God I can trust in or worship Him for?
Again, these are great truths to turn into prayer as well. You won’t find all of these in every Bible passage you read (and that’s not necessarily the point anyway), but this tool will give you prompts that help you know what to look for and give you specific questions to ask the Holy Spirit so He can highlight things to you from Scripture.
Tips on Application:
(1) As you find principles in the passage and think about personal application, keep in mind any significant cultural or situational similarities and differences between you and the original hearers of the passage. This will help you identify the principles in the passage that are eternal and universally relevant to both the biblical audience and to us today. More on finding theological principles here and in the books below.
(2) Keep in mind that application can look a variety of ways in different situations. In Read The Bible for Life, George Guthries says: “Application can take the form of tangible action (like avoiding/confessing sin or obeying a command), worship (praising and trusting God for His attributes), meditation (slow, repetitive, thoughtful reflection), or adjusting our theology (changing our beliefs to align with Scripture’s teaching on a topic).” *Parenthetical comments are my own.
Let this quote remind you that you don’t have to have a practical action type of application every time you read. Spending time in a response of worship, prayer, or reflection, learning something new, or adjusting your theology and beliefs to match Scripture count as application too. And when you do have a practical change or response to implement into your life, try to focus on one application from that day’s Bible reading at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed trying to implement too many things into your life at once. You can always jot down other applications and come back to them later as God leads.
Questions & Further Study
- It might help to make a list of topics or unanswered questions that came up as you read the passage so you can follow up on them or study more at another time, either in Scripture itself or other Bible study resources.
- You can check your interpretation and conclusions from your devotion and study time against notes in a good study Bible and in conversation with mature believers and leaders in your life to make sure they are aligned with sound doctrine and the rest of Scripture’s teaching. You can also dive deeper into your unanswered questions that way. This is especially helpful as you are first learning to study God’s Word.
Here are a few study Bibles I like: Filament Bible App, New Spirit-Filled Life Study Bible, Life Application Study Bible, NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Warren Wiersbe Study Bible. You can access these and other great resources online at Bible Gateway. In this video, Pastor Bret Ricley shares how you can know your interpretation of the passage is correct. (I time-stamped this section for you, but the whole video is worth a watch.)
Have fun meeting with God in His Word!
My favorite books on studying the Bible:
Start with these:
- One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm
- A Short Guide To Reading The Bible Better by George Guthrie
- Read The Bible For Life by George Guthrie
- Journey Into God’s Word by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays
Go deeper:
- Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods
- How To Read The Bible For All It’s Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglass Stuart
Let’s Talk: What did you learn in this blog post that will help you read the Bible better? Discuss this post in the comments below.
