One of the sure signs of true devotion to God is a true devotion to the Scriptures.  Any genuine disciple recognizes the fact that he or she cannot be content only with the messages presented on Sundays, no matter how good those might be.  A deep desire for truth tends to motivate a believer to further study, but all too often one is unaware of the methods, means, and resources available to help in this quest.  Many believe that if they are not seminary trained, they are somehow unqualified to take on deeper study without purchasing prepared notes or study guides.  Another roadblock is the idea that detailed study is only necessary for those with a sermon to prepare or a class to teach.

            Nothing can replace personal exploration of Scripture; and not all Bible study needs to be done with the idea in mind that it must then be presented elsewhere as a teaching or sermon.  Therefore, I offer an assessment of the various levels that any serious student may attain in the cognitive (primarily mental) aspect of his or her quest for deeper Biblical revelation.  In order to help us understand the levels of this cognitive domain, let us turn to educator Benjamin Bloom, who developed a standard taxonomy for this purpose so that fellow educators could understand how to effectively develop objectives for their students.  His assessment, progressing from the simplest to the most complex, is as follows:

   Level 1 - Knowledge
   Level 2 - Comprehension
   Level 3 - Application
   Level 4 - Analysis
   Level 5 - Synthesis
   Level 6 - Evaluation
   Citation:  Benjamin S. Bloom, Taxonomy of educational objectives  (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1984)

            There are several possible ways to adapt this outline to Bible study; and several possible ways it can be used improperly as well.  It is hoped that the reader will apply the appropriate common sense and begin at a level suitable to his or her level of spiritual experience and prior knowledge and study.  You may find yourself on several levels at one time, as some more familiar passages lend themselves to deeper analysis while less familiar sections need to be started from the beginning.

Level 1 – Knowledge

            This is the level that deals first with the ability to master specific facts, terms, major ideas, and events.  But beyond simple memorization of items, though, we also must be able to recall the ways and means of dealing with these specifics, such as sequences, categories, criteria for evaluation, methods, and basic conventions that concern principles or widely held agreements.  Finally, our knowledge must continue into more complex abstractions such as structures or generalizations.  Tedious as this may seem, the ability to have a good mental grasp of the facts and how they are ordered gives the Holy Spirit something to work with when you enter deeper levels of familiarity.

Level 2 – Comprehension

            After we know a thing, we then must understand it.  This involves developing the intellectual skill to grasp the meaning and work with information by such abilities as to distinguish between characteristics, properly translating an idea into our own words, or extrapolating beyond the data in order to see extended meaning.

Level 3 – Application

            Once we understand the information, we proceed to the use of it in concrete situations.  This is the problem-solving level, and is often considered the goal of Bible study.  And as necessary and spiritual as this is, there remains more to be done once we begin to move into the accumulation of larger segments of Biblical knowledge.

Level 4 – Analysis

            If there is a greater amount of items or ideas in a broad category, the next skill is the analyzing of this large unit into smaller units.  This comes through the ability to break it down into manageable parts, organize them competently, and see and illuminate the relationships between them.  Once smaller components have been identified within a large set of knowledge, more meanings or patterns may then be discovered which had previously been difficult to perceive.

Level 5 – Synthesis

            The synthesizing of disparate elements into a unique and integral whole is an exercise that must be handled with great care.  Whenever a broad generalization is reached or a relationship is derived from a very general set of facts or ideas, the body of knowledge used should be comprehensive enough to take into account any possibly relevant bit of information which might affect the outcome or direction of the resulting concept.  A good synthesis, however, is quite useful in preparing a plan of action, or in the understanding of abstract relations between two or more ideas.

Level 6 – Evaluation

            The evaluating of anything involves the comparison of it to another idea or to a set of predetermined standards.  Criteria used may be internal evidence, or an external model, whichever is appropriate in each case.  The goal here is usually to discriminate between two concepts with a view to assessing one’s value or subjectivity as contrasted with another, or to lead to an informed choice concerning the relative value of an idea or theory.  If several things are evaluated together, the end result may be to create some system of measurement or a ranking in order of preference.

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