Today, let me explain what’s involved in doing a biographical study of someone in the Bible. Human interest always stimulates concentration and captures the imagination. We perk up when we see or hear how someone else manages in a given situation. This is especially true when the circumstances are similar to what we might be facing at the time. The more we can learn from others the less we need to learn through the hard knocks of experience.
A biographical study helps us learn from the experience of Bible characters. You take three simple steps when doing a biographical study: collect information from references in the Bible referring or relating to the character you want to study. A concordance will be necessary for studying many characters.
Then correlate the material into either a character analysis or an historical portrait. An historical portrait emphasizes events in the person’s life while a character analysis emphasizes the qualities of an individual.
When you’ve done this, crystallize what you learn into applications you can make to your own life.
One of my favorite Bible Characters is Barnabas. You will find things about Barnabas in the following references. Acts chapters 4; 9; and 11 through 15; 1st Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2; Colossians 4:10. Read and reflect on what you find on Barnabas in these portions of the Bible and write down your observations about his life. We’ll continue this study in our next visit.
