Many people study the Bible and take classes on the Bible. Others study theology. In some cases, they study both. Although there are similarities, theology and Bible study are two different classes and bring you different perspectives. Here are some ways the two are different but complement each other.

1. Historical Data

In theology, students learn about the history of an era whether that history relates to the Bible or not. They get an overall picture of what happened in that time and how it relates to religion or religious concepts, but they don’t get a sense of what the Bible says about that era. When people study the Bible, their historical data are limited to what is mentioned in the Bible. For example, in the Bible, five empires were named in a dream even though so many empires have existed throughout history. It is important to understand those empires in theology, but they are not important to the person studying the Bible, according to Kevin Madison, author of From Sinner to Saint Metamorphosis series of books.

2. Interpretation

When you take theology, you encounter the doctrines of God, human redemption and other major doctrines in scripture. You get a broader perspective on things happening in the world, in religion, and in scripture. You can investigate the foundational value of Jesus’ life and His establishment of the church. However, when you study the Bible, you develop tools to interpret the Bible and how to analyze what is said in the Word of God. You also learn how the Bible complements your faith. You learn to understand why lighting a candle is important.

3. Arts and Culture

Sometimes, looking at art is difficult to understand the artist’s vision. However, when you study theology, you can look at the art through your understanding of world cultures, religion and church perspectives. That could help you understand what the artist is trying to say. You don’t get this broader view of music or creative works from Bible study. What you get is a better understanding of how the Bible relates to everyday life, such as the message on programs on the radio you hear.

4. Communicating the Gospel 

Bible study allows people to talk about what God is telling people back then and now. Being able to communicate God’s message is not done well without a thorough understanding of the Bible. While theology gives you a broad view to market Christianity, it does not help you when people ask you direct questions relating to the Bible or their understanding of it. Bible studies do that. You can answer their questions based on what God tells His disciples.

5. Importance of Other Texts

To become a biblical scholar, students should also read the Septuagint, the Masoretic Text, the Mishna, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Samaritan Pentateuch, the Talmud, the Apocrypha, the Pseudepigrapha, the Targums and other relevant texts. They would want to engage with the biblical texts themselves through textual criticism by analyzing the forms, sources, redactions and literary techniques of the writers. These books become the recipe for success in knowing the Bible. And, while these texts are important to understanding theology, they are not as significant to becoming a doctor of theology. However, theologians do study other books necessary for understanding the broader view that are different from these biblical books.

Usman Raza is a CEO and the co-founder of Faith-Based Advertising Company and a content marketing specialist at Assassin Angelic Book, Church Marketing Agency, The Glory Candle, and a Christian Store Orthodox Wooden Cross. He is devoted to helping small businesses
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