Questions to Ask in a Bible Study: A Three-Faith Comparative Guide

In Jewish tradition, questioning scripture isn't just permitted — it's practically required. The Talmudic method, developed by sages like Rabbi Akiva (c. 50–135 CE), is built entirely around asking layered questions of a text. A good Bible study in the Jewish context might open with: What does this passage mean in its original Hebrew context? or What do the rabbis disagree about here? This spirit of inquiry is rooted in Deuteronomy's expectation that children will ask their parents about God's commands Deuteronomy 6:20.

Isaiah's rhetorical questions model another approach — challenging the learner to examine what they already know and whether they've truly internalized it Isaiah 40:21. Questions like What does this reveal about God's character? or How does this passage connect to the broader Torah narrative? are standard in a Jewish chevruta (paired study) session. Jeremiah's sharp exchange about the 'burden of the LORD' also illustrates that questions can expose shallow or self-serving interpretations Jeremiah 23:33.

It's worth noting that Jewish scholars like Nehama Leibowitz (1905–1997) emphasized asking what problem the text is solving — a question-type that's distinctly analytical and deeply embedded in the Jewish study tradition. Disagreement among commentators (machloket) is itself seen as productive, not threatening.

Christian Bible study has a rich tradition of structured questioning going back to the early church fathers. Jesus himself modeled the practice — he frequently answered questions with questions, as seen when he asked the scribes what they were debating among themselves Mark 9:16, and when he turned the tables on the Pharisees by posing his own question Matthew 22:41. Good questions to ask in a Christian Bible study often include: What is the main point of this passage?, What does this teach us about Jesus?, and How does this apply to my life today?

Jesus also checked for comprehension directly, asking his disciples, 'Have ye understood all these things?' Matthew 13:51. This suggests that a Bible study should never assume understanding — asking What confuses you about this passage? is entirely in the spirit of how Jesus taught. Theologian Howard Hendricks (1924–2013) popularized the Observation-Interpretation-Application method, which maps almost perfectly onto asking: What does it say? What does it mean? What do I do?

The Sermon on the Mount's instruction to 'seek first the kingdom of God' Matthew 6:33 implies that questions in Bible study should ultimately be oriented toward spiritual priority — not merely intellectual satisfaction. Evangelical, Catholic, and mainline Protestant traditions differ on whether the Church's magisterium or the individual believer's conscience has final interpretive authority, but the centrality of questioning the text is broadly shared.

Islam's relationship to the Bible (Tawrat and Injil) is complex — Muslims regard the original revelations as authentic but believe the current texts have been altered over time. That said, Islamic scholarly tradition places enormous value on diligent inquiry into sacred texts generally, and the Quran repeatedly urges believers to reflect and question. The principle of ijtihad (independent reasoning) and tafsir (Quranic exegesis) both depend on asking rigorous questions of a text. The Deuteronomic command to 'enquire, and make search, and ask diligently' Deuteronomy 13:14 resonates with Islamic epistemology, even if applied to a different corpus.

Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir (1301–1373 CE) and Al-Tabari (839–923 CE) modeled a question-driven approach to scripture: What is the occasion of revelation?, What do the chains of transmission tell us?, and How do other verses illuminate this one? are all standard questions in Islamic tafsir circles. When Muslims engage with the Bible in interfaith study, they're likely to ask: Does this passage align with what the Quran says about the same figure or event?

John 18:21 — where Jesus directs questioners to those who heard him directly John 18:21 — is actually cited by some Muslim apologists as evidence that Jesus pointed away from himself toward a broader community of witnesses, which they connect to the Islamic concept of transmitted knowledge (isnad). It's a minority reading, but it illustrates how questions about the same text can lead to very different conclusions depending on one's theological framework.