Writing Scripture

We’re in a blog series called Consuming Scripture, where we explore a different Bible study method each week. This week, I want to look at the idea of "writing Scripture."

"Write" Scripture?

I realize this week's post has an eyebrow-raising title. So let me calm your concerns. I am not telling you to "write" Scripture like God wrote it through Paul, David, Moses, and the other 37 authors.

Rather, this week's Bible study method involves grabbing a journal and writing out by hand, word-for-word, the text of your English Bible.

"But how is that 'studying' the Bible?" you might ask. Let me explain...

#1. Writing slows your thinking processes.

In our age of high-speed internet, microwave meals, and AI assistants, we are used to getting things right away. We have increasingly become an impatient people.

For example, if a website does not load within three seconds, 53% of users will abandon the webpage. Our minds are constantly moving, and if the information we are looking for doesn't come immediately, we get impatient.

This same rush-rush mentality can slip into a person's Bible reading. He or she might jump into the Text and want to get something out of it NOW. But sometimes, in order to truly gain a deep appreciation of what was read, you have to... s l o w d o w n.

That's what this week's method provides. The slowness of writing sometimes allows you to see things you might have missed had you just read the Text at your normal pace.

#2. Writing brings focus.

I know of a pastor who used to type out the Text he was going to preach on Sunday as the starting point to his week's study. One week though, while on a personal retreat, he had forgotten his computer, so he decided to simply write out the Text by hand.

He said something happened in that moment. He saw things in the Text he had never seen before. He hadn't had an experience like that when he typed the Text. But when he wrote it out by hand, he began to see things in new ways. (He claims he's been "writing Scripture" ever since.)

So this week's method isn't merely about copying the Text. (If it were, typing would be a legitimate study method.) Rather, Bible study should be about connecting with God through His Word. Studies indicate your brain is more focused when your hand is actively writing versus when your hands are actively typing.

So don't put your fingers on the keyboard, put them on a pen. Allow the process of writing the Text by hand to bring focus to the words in a new way.

#3. Writing helps with memorization.

Ephesians 6:17 teaches us that the one offensive weapon God gives us in the Armor of God is the "sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." What better way to slay anxiety, fight lust, build your faith, or encourage a friend than by wielding a verse from the recesses of your mind? But this ability requires memorization!

Disciplining yourself to write out the Text by hand helps the truths of Scripture stick in your heart and brain a little more than if you had simply read the verse. So if you'd like to increase your ability to recall Bible verses, take some time to write out the Word.

Write this down...

If you are like me, you are not much of a journaler. But I encourage you this week, as we continue working through 1 Corinthians, to take a few moments to write out one of the passages or even just a portion of a passage and see if it helps you retain more or see more. And if it doesn't help much, then join us next week as we look at the next study method!