Indenting as an Aid for Bible Study

Step Two: Indent each line to fall beneath the line it adds to.

When we say ” adds to”, we mean: what it modifies, — what it describes, i.e. what it’s about. It will become more apparent as we go along, let’s get started …

Lets look at the first few lines of our list. The first line, Paul, will be our base; it will remain fixed. We need to consider where to indent the next line: a bond-servant.Ask questions like:
  • Who does a bond-servant describe?
  • Who is a bond-servant about?
  • What does a bond-servant modify?


Paul
a bond-servant
of Christ Jesus,
called
as an apostle,
set apart
for the gospel
of God,
which
.
.
.

The answer to these questions is the first line, Paul; so, we need to indent a bond-servant to align with the end of the first line, Paul.
Paul,
a bond-servant
of Christ Jesus,
called
as an apostle,
set apart
for the gospel
of God,
which
.
.
.
The next line is, of Christ Jesus. We now have a few choices about where to indent this line.
  • Does of Christ Jesus describe Paul?
  • Does of Christ Jesus describe a bond-servant?
  • Is it Paul that’s of Christ Jesus or is it a bond-servant that’s of Christ Jesus?
Paul,
a bond-servant
of Christ Jesus,
called
as an apostle,
set apart
for the gospel
of God,
which
.
.
.
At first, it may seem like of Jesus Christ could be describing Paul. But is it really Paul that’s of Jesus Christ? No, not really … The phrase, of Jesus Christ, really tells what kind of bond-servant we are talking about. I.e. What kind of a bond servant are we talking about? One that’s of Jesus Christ! We need to indent this line to align with the end of a bond-servant.
Paul,
a bond-servant
of Christ Jesus
called
as an apostle,
set apart
for the gospel
of God,
which
.
.
.
Next, we consider the word called. Who is the phrase called about?
  • Is of Christ Jesus called?
  • Is a bond-servant called?
  • Is Paul called?


Paul,
a bond-servant
of Christ Jesus,
called
as an apostle,
set apart
for the gospel
of God,
which
.
.
.
We can see that it’s Paul who is called. So, we need to indent called just past the word Paul from line one.


Paul,
a bond-servant
of Christ Jesus,
called
as an apostle,
set apart
for the gospel
of God,
which
.
.
.

Next, we consider the phrase as an apostle.
  • What does as an apostle modify?
  • What does as an apostle add to?
  • What does as an apostle describe?


Paul,
a bond-servant
of Christ Jesus,
called
as an apostle,
set apart
for the gospel
of God,
which
.
.
.
The phrase as an apostle adds more detail to called. It tells us how Paul was called. He was called as an apostle. Indent it to align with the end of “called”.


Paul,
a bond-servant
of Christ Jesus,
called
as an apostle,
set apart
for the gospel
of God,
which
.
.
.

By now, I’m sure you’re starting to catch on to what we’re doing; hopefully, you’re also understanding the value of this study aid. Can see how we’re slowing ourselves down to understand what is being said? If we are not taking our time when reading the Word of God in some way or another, (this method being one example), then we are not really able to follow along with what is being said in the paragraph, — we are not able to follow the flow-of-thought. At best, we are probably latching on to the meaning of a single scripture at a time — this is dangerous as the meaning of a single scripture without being placed into the context can lead us to a wrong beliefs.

This exercise has more advantages as well. I would like to demonstrate another on the next page.

Pages: 1 2 3

6 Replies to “Indenting as an Aid for Bible Study”

  1. Sharon
    Reply

    I was introduced to this method several years ago, but never really grasped the concept of doing it. Thanks a lot for the step-by-step illustration, making it really easy to understand 🙂

  3. Danelle
    Reply

    Hi Richard!

    Thanks so much for taking the time to flesh this out. I found it very helpful and intend to use this technique as much as possible. I was introduced to a concept much like this one by a missionary whom encouraged scripture memory. 

    His version was not as detailed yet still effective:

    And He gave some, Apostles;
    And some, prophets;
    And some, evangelists;
    And some, pastors and teachers;
    For the perfecting of the saints,
    For the work of the ministry,
    For the edifying of the body of Christ:
    — KJV, Ephesians 4:11–12

    Great reminders:
    “It is not an ordinary book … it is not to be studied like an ordinary book. It is living and powerful, it discerns the intents of our heart … it declares God to us.”

    “Christianity is a matter of the heart, not a matter of intellect, or a collection of knowledge. This method does help a seeking heart to have a richer experience in reading the Bible, but ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that guides our minds in spiritual understanding.” 

    Very well said! Thank you for your dedication to Him.
    Philippians 1:9

    • richard
      Reply

      Thanks Danelle! Your comment just made my day! Few even look at my site. This was one of my favorite posts. I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. Btw, the indentation you applied in your comment came through in the email notification … although it was lost in the html formatting on the website — so I see how you applied this same technique to that example from the one that taught you. 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *