Character Study

Character and topical studies involve a lot of work to interpret the passage within the whole context of Scripture. Many people have come to erroneous conclusions for what the Bible says on particular topics when only isolated passages have been studied.

Tips for Character Studies:

Gather all the biographical information on the person that you can find. (It will help if you look up his or her name in a concordance or Bible dictionary.) Carefully record all the Scripture references.

Make notes on information such as:

His (or her) birth, the meaning of his name
His ancestry and family life - parents, siblings, spouse, and children
When and where he lived
Any training he may have had and his occupation
Any character strengths or flaws
The effects that his life had on others, good or bad
His relationship with God - especially in the New Testament, take note of his conversion
Characteristics of his spiritual life, good and bad
If the Bible tells us, the way he died and any effects that his death had on others and perhaps even in history.
See if there is any information outside of the Bible that maybe available on the individual.

Compile your notes into a brief biographical sketch of the individual, highlighting any important facts and character traits

Apply what you learn from the individual to your own life. It’s one thing to know a lot of facts about people in the Bible — BUT, the purpose of Scripture is to deepen our relationship with God and to change us more into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Anchoring Deeper
Character Study Worksheet