Updated: This Bible study post to help you cross-reference the passage was originally published on May 20, 2020.
We’ve talked about the tools you need for Bible study, prayerfully reading the passage, and working through the verses. Now it’s time for step 3: cross-reference the passage.
Why Cross-Reference the Passage?
Depending on the number of verses you find, this step can take a couple of minutes, or it can take a long time. But this is an incredibly important step because the best way to make sure you are interpreting a passage correctly is to allow Scripture to interpret Scripture.
Cross-references are those tiny verses written in the margin or the center column of your Bible. Sometimes they are at the bottom of the page, too. If your Bible doesn’t have cross-references, you can use an app to find them. Blue Letter Bible is a great free resource that contains cross-references, and we will use it in future steps of the process, too.
How I Do It
Your process doesn’t have to look like mine, so if you find a way that works better for you, do it. I write down the cross-references in my notebook (remember the one we talked about in the introduction to the series?). This way, I don’t have to keep my finger on the page in my study Bible.
Once I’ve copied them all down, I start looking them up. By this point, I’m pretty 
familiar with the passage I’m studying, so I look for verses that help clarify or give examples pertaining to the passage. When I find a verse I want to connect to the passage, I circle it in my notebook. As I come across verses that don’t really help or are specific to words I don’t need clarified, I cross them out. I will take this further in future steps.
This step can seem unproductive at times, but other times, when you cross-reference the passage, you come across incredible nuggets that shine a whole new light on things. Remember, you can’t go wrong when you allow Scripture to interpret Scripture.
If you have come this far, you are well on your way to becoming a Bible scholar. If this is as far as you want to go, that’s ok. This series is designed so you start at step 1 and only go as far as your current season allows.
Tasks
Follow these steps with our passage, Proverbs 3:5-8.
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