Memorizing Bible Passages

There are hundreds of techniques for memorizing Bible verses. But what if you want to go beyond that, and memorize whole passages of Scripture?

The benefits of whole-passage-memorization are clear. You’ll know the surrounding context for each verse, which means you’ll be more likely to understand it. You’ll know the author’s progression of thought, which means you’ll be more likely to apply Scripture the way it was intended.

I’ve cobbled together a passage-memorization method that borrows bits and pieces from many different sources I’ve seen over the years. Maybe it will work for you too.

  1. Type out the passage yourself. Don’t copy it mindlessly, and don’t even think about copying and pasting it from Biblegateway. Every time you interact with the words, they will be cemented a little more into your heart. Some people need to write out the passage by hand.
  2. Outline the passage by breaking it into thought-chunks. Thought-chunks may or may not coincide with verse divisions. Use main thoughts as division headings, and sub-thoughts as bullet points. If you want to get really technical and do 3 or 4 levels of sub-points, go for it. I usually try to keep it as simple as possible.
  3. Make important words bold. Which ones are important? That’s up to you. Some people highlight all the verbs. I just highlight words that stick out to me as I’m reading it.
  4. Print it out, and read the whole passage out loud three times. Out loud is important. You’re engaging multiple senses as you see the words and hear yourself say them.
  5. Fold the paper between the main-thought divisions, hide everything else but the first division, and read it three times out loud. After reading it, look away and see if you can say it from memory. When you’re stuck, glance back quickly to look for highlighted words that will spur your memory.
  6. Unfold the next division. Read the two divisions together, then work until you can say them from memory together.
  7. Continue unfolding divisions until you reach the end. It will take some time before you can complete it. That’s OK. Remind yourself – you can remember all your fantasy-football team’s stats (or all of Brangelina’s kids’ names and birthdays, if that’s your thing), so you can remember this too.

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Here’s how I outlined Ephesians 2:1-10:

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked,

  • following the course of this world,
  • following the prince of the power of the air,
  • the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience

among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh,

  • carrying out the desires of the body and the mind,
  • and were by nature children of wrath,
  • like the rest of mankind.

But God, being rich in mercy,

  • because of the great love with which he loved us,
  • even when we were dead in our trespasses,
  • made us alive together with Christ
    • by grace you have been saved
  • and raised us up with him
  • and seated us with him
    • in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

so that in the coming ages he might show

  • the immeasurable riches of his grace
  • in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith.

  • And this is not your own doing,
  • it is the gift of God, not a result of works,
  • so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship,

  • created in Christ Jesus for good works,
  • which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.