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Seven Arrows: The Basics of Bible Study

Take the Mystery out of Bible Study

Curated from a video series by Matt Rogers & Donny Mathis
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Course Introduction

About the Course

This course is designed for developing Bible readers, for students who’ve grown up in church or for new believers who are trying to study the Bible for themselves for the first time. This introductory section will provide a flyover of the Seven Arrows, its origin, and related resources. The following sections will begin with an introduction to each arrow, additional resources, and three example passages excerpted from the Seven Arrows Bible.

About Matt Rogers

Matt Rogers lives in Greenville, SC and serves as the pastor of The Church at Cherrydale. Matt is a graduate of Furman University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and received his PhD from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Matt writes for a number of evangelical organizations and speaks around the nation about the need for disciple-making and leadership development in the local church. This all pales in comparison to the joy Matt finds in being the husband of Sarah and the father of Corrie, Avery, Hudson, and Willa. Find Matt online at mattrogers.bio or follow him @mattrogers_

About Donny Mathis

Donny lives in Greenville, South Carolina with his wife, Amber, their son, Trace, and daughter, Hallie. He is an Associate Professor of Christian Studies at North Greenville University in Tigerville, SC, where has taught for nine years, and is also a lay elder at The Church at Cherrydale in Greenville, SC. Donny is a graduate of the University of Kentucky (BS in Mechanical Engineering) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv in Higher Education and PhD in New Testament, Language, Literature, and Theology). Donny wrote his doctoral dissertation on Abraham and the Exile in Galatians 3:1–14. You can follow Donny on Twitter @dmathisii


How to Study Your Bible with Seven Arrows

Matt Rogers provides an overview of the Seven Arrows and how they help people study Scripture.

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The Origin of the Seven Arrows

In this video, Matt Rogers explains where the Seven Arrows came from and how they’ve become valuable for discipleship in his church plant.

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Does It Ever Seem Like Understanding and Applying the Bible Is a “Magic Trick” That Only Pastors Can Perform?

Matt Rogers explains the frustration of feeling unable to understand and apply the Bible in comparison to the preaching and teaching we hear in our churches and online. Matt explains how the Seven Arrows help provide the skills for every Christian to do the work of understanding and applying God’s Word for themselves.

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Why Should I Study the Bible?

Before talking about a Bible study method, it’s important to remember why we take the time to study the Bible at all. Donny Mathis explains why reading the Bible is important and why your time in Scripture is not a waste.

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Seven Arrows Resources
  • Seven Arrows: Aiming Bible Readers in the Right DirectionMatt Rogers & Donny Mathis

    This book explains the Seven Arrows Bible study method in more depth, sharing detailed examples and providing more resources for challenging passages.

    This book explains the Seven Arrows Bible study method in more depth, sharing detailed examples and providing more resources for challenging passages.


  • CSB Seven Arrows BibleMatt Rogers & Donny Mathis

    Featuring 150 passages with full-page applications of all seven arrows as well as 600 single arrow highlights, the CSB Seven Arrows Bible walks with developing Bible readers as they learn to study the Scriptures for themselves.

    Featuring 150 passages with full-page applications of all seven arrows as well as 600 single arrow highlights, the CSB Seven Arrows Bible walks with developing Bible readers as they learn to study the Scriptures for themselves.


  • Seven Arrows BookmarksMatt Rogers & Donny Mathis

    These bookmarks are an excellent resource for your own study or for Bible study groups. The bookmarks are available to download and print or for purchase in print. Currently available in Arabic, English, Filipino, French, German, Hatian Creole, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, Romanian, Spanish, and Turkish.

    These bookmarks are an excellent resource for your own study or for Bible study groups. The bookmarks are available to download and print or for purchase in print. Currently available in Arabic, English, Filipino, French, German, Hatian Creole, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, Romanian, Spanish, and Turkish.


  • Seven Arrows: A 52-Week Devotional for TeensMatt Rogers & Sarah Rogers

    This 1-year devotional provides 5 days of reading per week that walks students through the redemptive narrative of the Bible, connecting it all to God's grand redemptive work in Jesus Christ.

    This 1-year devotional provides 5 days of reading per week that walks students through the redemptive narrative of the Bible, connecting it all to God's grand redemptive work in Jesus Christ.


Arrow 1: What Does This Passage Say?

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Understanding Biblical Genres

The Bible is comprised of 66 books and multiple genres, or styles of writing. In order to understand what the passage says, you will need to understand a little more about the style in which it was written. In the following videos, Donny Mathis explains some of the key biblical genres and unique ways to interpret them.

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Assignment

Answer the question for Arrow 1 for the following passages: Deuteronomy 6:1–9, Matthew 21:1–11, and Colossians 1:15–20. When you’re done, click the sections below to view examples from the Seven Arrows Bible.

Arrow 1: Deuteronomy 6:1–9

God calls the people to remember Him when they enter the land, since He is the true God and the only One worthy of worship.

Arrow 1: Matthew 21:1–11

Jesus is the divine King who enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey, fulfilling Zechariah’s prophecy about God’s promised King who would save God’s people and bring them peace. As Jesus entered the city, He offered Himself to Israel as her King, and the crowds understood this offer partially. They shouted that He was the Son of David and declared blessings upon Him.

Arrow 1: Colossians 1:15–20

Jesus is Lord over all. As Creator, Sustainer, and Inheritor of all things, He is the rightful Ruler of all things, yet He has graciously stooped again to rescue His church, beating death in His resurrection and bringing reconciliation through His work on the cross. All of these acts demand that His creatures crown Him with “first place (Col. 1:18) in everything––every thought, every action, every word, every moment, every church, every home, every workplace. He deserves it all.

Text excerpts taken from the Seven Arrows Bible, copyright ©2019 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Arrow 2: What Did This Passage Mean to Its Original Audience?

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Tools for Arrow 2

Donny Mathis introduces Bible readers to basic tools that will help them understand what the passage meant to its original audience.

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Assignment

Answer the question for Arrow 2 for the following passages: Deuteronomy 6:1–9, Matthew 21:1–11, and Colossians 1:15–20. When you’re done, click the sections below to view examples from the Seven Arrows Bible.

Arrow 2: Deuteronomy 6:1–9

There is one God to whom all people owe their allegiance. The nation of Israel should have known this God, since He acted so powerfully in delivering them from slavery in Egypt. God knows that the people will be likely to forget Him once they enter the land, so He commands them to continually call to mind His grace and love.

Arrow 2: Matthew 21:1–11

Matthew presented this amazing scene of Jesus entering Jerusalem to teach his readers that Jesus is the Son of David and to emphasize for them how the crowds misunderstood what Jesus’s identity meant. Matthew concluded the scene by citing Zechariah 9:9 and Isaiah 62:11 to emphasize again that Jesus is the Messiah. The city was in an uproar because the expectation of many was that Jesus would conquer the Romans. The others thought that He was just a prophet from Nazareth. Jesus was both and neither. Matthew has made clear that Jesus is the Bethlehem-born Son of David. He is the King, but the kingdom of heaven would come through Jesus’s death and resurrection, not through military conquest. The victory of Jesus would actually lead to the judgment of Jerusalem.

Arrow 2: Colossians 1:15–20

The Colossian church was in danger of moving to a minimalist gospel with a small Jesus. They needed to hear the message of the bigness of Jesus loud and clear. Paul wanted to set the record straight. So Paul includes this powerful and beautiful hymn (perhaps one that the Colossian church was already familiar with) to call them back to the gospel they first heard. Concepts like “firstborn” (Col. 1:15, 18) would have had special significance in this culture, explaining Christ’s supreme authority over all creation and over death. Even though God the Son is eternal and not created, He is the rightful King over creation because all things were created by Him. Because God raised Jesus from the dead to never die again (which is different from the other miraculous resurrections in the Bible like Lazarus in John 11), believers could know that Jesus will resurrect His people and restore all of creation.

Text excerpts taken from the Seven Arrows Bible, copyright ©2019 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Arrow 3: What Does This Passage Tell Us About God?

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The Story of the Bible Is About God

Donny Mathis explains how understanding the purpose of the Bible helps us avoid misreading its message.

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Assignment

Answer the question for Arrow 3 for the following passages: Deuteronomy 6:1–9, Matthew 21:1–11, and Colossians 1:15–20. When you’re done, click the sections below to view examples from the Seven Arrows Bible.

Arrow 3: Deuteronomy 6:1–9

There is only one God. All other gods are frauds. The same God who created the world in the garden is the same God who brought Israel into the promised land. He is also the same God who sent Jesus to save God’s people. Jesus was God’s plan, which means that all people need to know about Him and trust Him in faith.

Arrow 3: Matthew 21:1–11

God is faithful to fulfill his promises. Matthew has once again emphasized that God the Father was acting through the ministry of Jesus to fulfill the words of the prophets. Jesus was establishing God’s kingdom on the earth. Jesus was enacting the forgiveness of sins that the prophets said would take place after Israel had been judged in the exile. God is faithful to save His people!

Arrow 3: Colossians 1:15–20

God is all-powerful, creating everything we can see and even the things we can’t see. He even keeps all that He has created from spinning out of control. He carefully keeps the planets in orbit and the atoms bound together. When sin entered His creation, He marched in and beat it.

Text excerpts taken from the Seven Arrows Bible, copyright ©2019 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Arrow 4: What Does This Passage Tell Us About Man?

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Assignment

Answer the question for Arrow 4 for the following passages: Deuteronomy 6:1–9, Matthew 21:1–11, and Colossians 1:15–20. When you’re done, click the sections below to view examples from the Seven Arrows Bible.

Arrow 4: Deuteronomy 6:1–9

People are forgetful. Even though God had done such marvelous work for them, they would grow selfish and think only of themselves. All people are like this. Unless we are careful, we will forget about God and minimize all of the amazing things He’s done for us in our lives.

Arrow 4: Matthew 21:1–11

This passage reveals that humans are impressed by power. The people coming into Jerusalem acknowledged Jesus as a king. The problem was that their vision of Jesus’s kingship did not coincide with how Jesus was actually going to establish God’s reign. They wanted a king who would crush their enemies. They did not want the King who would be crushed for their sins.

Arrow 4: Colossians 1:15–20

People are God’s creatures, deserving of nothing, but people are also members of His body, recipients of everything He has to offer.

Text excerpts taken from the Seven Arrows Bible, copyright ©2019 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Arrow 5: What Does This Passage Demand of Me?

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More on Application

Matt Rogers provides additional insights on how to apply the Bible to yourself.

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Assignment

Answer the question for Arrow 5 for the following passages: Deuteronomy 6:1–9, Matthew 21:1–11, and Colossians 1:15–20. When you’re done, click the sections below to view examples from the Seven Arrows Bible.

Arrow 5: Deuteronomy 6:1–9

I should find regular ways to point my attention to God and His work in the world. I can do this by paying attention to God and His work in the world. I can do this by praying regularly, listening to music that praises Him, attending church, and talking with friends about the great things God has done. If I don’t do these things, I will forget about God.

Arrow 5: Matthew 21:1–11

I must rejoice and worship Jesus as the King who has made salvation available to me. I must submit my life to His kingly rule because He is my Savior and my King.

Arrow 5: Colossians 1:15–20

I must worship the One who created me and reconciled me back to Himself. I must give Him back His rightful “first place” in every area of my life. Only the grace of God and the power of His Spirit can cause me to esteem Him as first in my life.

Text excerpts taken from the Seven Arrows Bible, copyright ©2019 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Arrow 6: How Does This Passage Change the Way I Relate to People?

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Assignment

Answer the question for Arrow 6 for the following passages: Deuteronomy 6:1–9, Matthew 21:1–11, and Colossians 1:15–20. When you’re done, click the sections below to view examples from the Seven Arrows Bible.

Arrow 6: Deuteronomy 6:1–9

Moses reminds the people of the critical role leaders, especially parents, play in teaching others about God’s character and works. This was, and is, the mechanism that God has established to make sure subsequent generations know God. The family is meant to be a community that reminds one another of the glory of God.

Arrow 6: Matthew 21:1–11

I should be skeptical of myself. I’m susceptible to the deception of power and can easily be led to follow those who promise me some form of power or position in this life. I need to remember that Jesus is the only King I need.

Arrow 6: Colossians 1:15–20

I should see myself as part of something much bigger. Jesus has reconciled me to Himself and placed me into His body, the church. My new life is bound up in Christ and connected with other believers. I am a part of His great mission to save sinners and restore the world.

Text excerpts taken from the Seven Arrows Bible, copyright ©2019 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Arrow 7: How Does This Passage Prompt Me to Pray to God?

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Assignment

Answer the question for Arrow 7 for the following passages: Deuteronomy 6:1–9, Matthew 21:1–11, and Colossians 1:15–20. When you’re done, click the sections below to view examples from the Seven Arrows Bible.

Arrow 7: Deuteronomy 6:1–9

I can ask God to bring to mind His greatness in my life. He can make me more aware of the ways He’s loved and blessed me and can help me praise Him for these things. I should also give thanks for those who have pointed me to God throughout my life.

Arrow 7: Matthew 21:1–11

I can pray that God will give me the grace to submit to Jesus as my King and to rejoice that Jesus has died for my sin and conquered death so that I can be saved through faith in Him.

Arrow 7: Colossians 1:15–20

I must give worship to God in prayer for His wonderful work in creation, His sustaining work every day, His conquering work in the resurrection, and His reconciling work on the cross. He deserves my unrestrained worship and thanks because He is the sole source of my physical and spiritual life.

Text excerpts taken from the Seven Arrows Bible, copyright ©2019 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Additional Resources for Bible Study

The following videos provide additional insight on Bible study from Matt Rogers and Donny Mathis.

  • ">Should I Read My Bible Through in One Year?

  • ">How to Respond When Someone Says: “That’s Just Your Interpretation”

  • ">Seven Arrows for Church Planters

  • ">Seven Arrows for Students

  • ">Seven Arrows for Established Churches