Method Three - The Character Quality Method of Bible Study
In the Character Quality Method we begin to use tools other than the Bible itself in order to discover what the Bible has to say of specific personal characteristics. A major emphasis of this study method is on personal application of the lessons you will be learning into your own life. The main goal of this Method is to learn God’s view of personal characteristics.
3.1 - Tools
3.1.1 - Bible
3.1.2 - English dictionary
3.1.3 - Bible dictionary
3.1.4 - Lexicon
3.1.5 - Cross references
3.1.6 - Exhaustive concordance
3.1.7 - Topical Bible or topical listings
3.2 - Hints
3.2.1 - Select a character quality that is of interest to you or that you wish to develop or have victory over in your own life.
3.2.2 - This study may take some time, be sure to allocate enough time to complete the study adequately.
3.3 - Method
Step 1 - Select the character quality you wish to study, look it up in an English dictionary and make note of the definition
Step 2 - Name and define the opposite quality, again using the English dictionary
Step 3 - Do a simple word study of the character quality first using the Bible dictionary to define the quality from a Biblical perspective. Use the concordance to find other verses containing the same word(s), remembering that often many different English words can be used to translate the same Hebrew or Greek original and vice versa. Then use the lexicon determine the usage by the author(s) of the word(s) defining this quality.
Step 4 - Find some cross references using either the verse listings within your Bible or a dedicated book of cross references such as "The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge." The concordance and topical Bible (such as "Nave’s Topical Bible") will also be of benefit in this step.
Step 5 - Do a brief biographical study of at least one person who exhibits the character quality you are studying. Describe in brief the quality and the Bible references to it in this person’s life. Use the following questions to help you along:
3.3.5.1 - What shows this quality in this person’s life?
3.3.5.2 - How did this quality affect this person’s life?
3.3.5.3 - Did this quality help or hinder this person’s growth to maturity, spiritual or otherwise? How?
3.3.5.4 - What are the results of this quality in this person’s life?
Step 6 - Memorize at least one verse from your study that seems to stand out and which will help you as you apply the lessons you are learning into your own life.
Step 7 - Select a situation or a relationship in which to work on this character quality. Remember that we wish to minimize the negative qualities in our lives and emphasize or enhance the positive qualities. Jonah’s stubbornness helps us to see our own in light of its impact on our ability to do the will of God in our lives, whereas Moses’ humility before God in spite of his being able to meet God face to face can shed new light on how we are to treat special characteristics of our own lives.
Step 8 - Think of practical methods by which you may apply the positive aspects of your study into your life. If you are studying the quality of encouragement you might wish to go out of your way to encourage Christian behaviour in you fellow believers.
Step 9 - Make note of progress as you apply these lessons into your life. This will allow you to evaluate your development in the area you have studied.
A List of Positive Character Qualities to Find
A Servant Agreeableness Balance Boldness Bravery Calmness Carefulness Cautiousness Characterized by the Beatitudes Chasteness Cheerfulness Cleanliness Compassionate Confidence Consideration Contentedness Courageousness |
Courteousness Creativity Dedication Deference Dependability Determinate Diligence Discernment Discipline Discreetness Durableness Earnestness Energy Enthusiasm Fairness Faithfulness Flexibleness Forgiveness |
Generosity Gentleness Good Stewardship Gratefulness Honesty Humbleness Independence Industry Integrity Kindness Lovingness Loyalty Man of Faith Meekness Mercifulness Moderateness Modesty |
Obedience Observer Optimism Orderliness Patience Peacemaking Perspective Positiveness Pureness Quietness Resourcefulness Respectfulness Reverence Righteousness Sacrifice Self-control Self-denying Self-giving |
Sense of Humor Sensitivity Sincerity Stableness Submissiveness Sympathy Thankfulness Thriftiness Tolerance Trustworthiness Uncomplaining Uncompromising Wholeheartedness Wisdom Zealousness |
A List of Negative Character Qualities to Find
A Busybody A Cop-out A Doubter A Drunkard A Liar A Sluggard A Worrier Adulterous Angry Without Cause Annoying Apathetic Apostate Argumentative Arrogant Ashamed of Christ Backbiter Bigoted Bitter Blasphemous Boastful Callous Careless |
Coarse Complaining Compromising Conceited Covetous Cowardly Crafty/Sly Cruel Deceitful bDishonest Disobedient Disrespectful Doctrinally Off Dogmatic Double-minded Envious Fearful Fears Men Fickle Flatterer Foolish Forgetful Forgets God Fornicator |
Friend of the World Gluttonous Gossiper Greedy Grudging Halfhearted Harsh Headstrong Humorless Hypocritical Idle Idolatrous Immodest Immoral Impolite Impulsive Independent Spirit Indifferent Inhuman Insensitive Insulting Irritating |
Jealous Lazy Legalistic Libelous Loves Men's Praise Lukewarm Lusts for Power Malicious Manipulative Murmurer Negligent Prejudiced Presumptuous Procrastinator Profane Proud Rebellious Rejoices in Evil Reprobate Rude/Gross Sarcastic Scornful Self-righteous |
Selfish Sensual Shallow Shortsighted Slanderer Stingy Stubborn Talkative Tyrannical Unclean Undisciplined Unfair Unfaithful Unforgiving Ungrateful Unkind Unreliable Unsociable Vain Violent Wasteful Wavering Worldly |
