How to Make Effective Notes and Highlights in Your Bible

1. God’s method of Bible study is to compare scripture with scripture.
   1. 1Co 2:13 – Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
   2. Isa 28:9 – Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
   3. Isa 28:10 – For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
2. A good method of doing this is to make notes in your Bible of verse cross references.
   1. Jer 23:18 – For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
3. Here are my recommendations based on what has worked best for me.
   1. Get a high quality wide margin KJV Bible.
   2. I recommend the Cambridge Wide Margin Goat Skin leather edition.
   3. Get a Bible case to protect it and store your highlighters and pen in.
   4. Get a good fine-tipped pen and good highlighters which don’t bleed through.

1. I recommend the Micron 005 (0.20 mm) felt-tipped pen.
2. These can be found at crafts stores like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, or online.

• I recommend Zebra Zebrite Bible highlighters.

1. These can be found at Christian bookstores or online.

1. 1. Get a small plastic ruler.
   2. When you find good cross reference verses, write the verse reference neatly next to the corresponding verse (ex: Rom 2:28-29 c/w Phi 3:3).

1. As you listen to sermons and hear good comparison verses, make notes on a sheet of paper and then neatly put them in your Bible later.
2. It’s helpful to make a very short note next to the verse and underline it with the ruler and then put the verse reference next to it.

• Example: Next to Rom 2:28, I have a note underlined which says “True Jews” and then Phi 3:3 and a bunch of other verses next to it.

1. If there are multiple things covered in the verse, you can make more than one note next to it with verses next to them so that you know which verses apply to which part of the verse.
2. Use little arrows to point to the verse or word if you run out of space.
3. Make a vertical line with brackets next to a group of verses which cover a topic.

1. 1. Find proof texts for each important doctrine and then write down several verse references next to it.

1. Then next to the supporting verses, you only need to write the proof text verse next to them to save space and time.
2. Example: I have a note about Unconverted Elect next to Rom 11:28-29 with a bunch of cross reference verses.

• This way you only need to remember one proof text for each major point to doctrine and then you can find a bunch more by going to it.

1. 1. Use different colored highlighters for different topics/doctrine in the Bible.

1. Come up with a plan ahead of time before you begin.
2. I use Yellow for general use to highlight significant verses.

• I use Blue for sovereign grace verses.

1. I use Green for OT references in the NT, and I highlight both the verse in the OT and the verse where it is quoted in the NT.
2. I use Pink for special cases such as verses that are the lyrics to hymns, and the sins of the five churches in Revelation.

1. The Bibles, pens, highlighters, and other Bible study accessories mentioned in this outline can be found here: https://pastorwagner.com/bibles/