Bible Color-Coding is a wonderful enhancement to all your Bible Study and reading time. You can develop your own system for Bible color coding based on the colors you like to use. I am giving you my system and providing you with a free guide to track your own, personal color-coding system with all your colors and topics. You can track them by color or topic or any system you choose and take notes.
Why should You Do Bible Color Coding?
When I first thought about writing, underlining, or highlighting my Bible, I was very hesitant. While I know it’s just paper with words on it, I have a special feeling about Bibles and reverence that makes me want to treat them differently than other books. I love all books but was fine with marking in them while taking good care of them.
However, once I started writing in, highlighting, underlining, and color-coding my Bible, I realized the benefits it had for me. For one thing, when I’m looking for a particular verse and the only thing I can remember is what book it’s in, it’s really helpful to have verses that are marked! I can actually find what I’m looking for without having to read an entire book of the Bible.
In addition, color coding helps me remember where a verse is located. I can picture it on the left page near the bottom. And, when using color-coding, I can also scan through for a particular color. We will cover that and more of the benefits later.
Why Should You Have A Bible Color Coding Guide?
There are 31,102 verses in the Bible. When I’m trying to find just one, it can be difficult – sort of a needle in a haystack. There are certain verses I refer to quite often and, of course, after I’ve turned to them quite a few times, I remember their location or the chapter and verse like John 3:16.
However, there are other verses I have color-coded for various reasons and I don’t refer to them all the time but, when I do want to find them, a color-coding guide is a huge help. If I know the color and whether it’s Old or New Testament, I can find it. If I know what color it is because of the topic, I can find it by color or topic in the guide.
A Bible Color Coding Guide also helps me find verses that are related. Yes, Bible references do the same thing, but a Bible Color Coding Guide gives me the verses that are special to me. It’s my personalized reference system based on the verses that stand out to me and are important to me.
That’s the beauty of having your own Bible color coding guide – it’s your personal journal of verses that have the most meaning and impact in your life.
5 Steps To Bible Color Coding
Step 1. Look At Other Color Coding Systems
First, you might want to look around at several other Bible color-coding systems. You will see mine below but there are many ways to do it. You can keep it as simple as only using 3-4 colors or you can go all out and use as many as you want. I use the 8 colors you will see below.
If you just go to your search engine, like Chrome or Safari, and type in’ Bible color coding,’ you will find many blogs and pictures of color-coding. Look them over and see what works for you in the way of topics and colors. Or, just come up with your own!
Step 2. Find the Right Tools for Color Coding
I have a marking pen I love. It is a crayon type of marker and you can buy refills in a multitude of colors. It holds 8 colors at a time and doesn’t bleed through or tear the pages. I have used it for years and can recommend it highly.
The one I use is the Pentel Arts 8 Color Automatic Pencil, Assorted Accent Clip Colors and it costs $16.99 on Amazon. Just click on the name to see it on Amazon. I am not an Amazon affiliate.
I’m not recommending any other pens simply because I have not used any other pen that had such a fine tip and didn’t bleed through. This pen has a 2mm lead crayon and you can use it by keeping it on its side to maintain a fine point for underlining (which is what I do) or you can make the tip flat and highlight the entire word – which I also do.
You might also want a ruler depending on the type of highlighter or marker you are using. You can use a variety of pens, markers, or highlighters.
Whatever you decide to do, DO THIS FIRST – try the pens out on something other than your Bible! Why? Because you don’t want to use a highlighter that bleeds through in your Bible! You won’t be happy and I say this from experience.
I have purchased pens that said they did not bleed through only to find that they not only bled through and obliterated the words on the other side of the page, they also bled through to the next page. Word to the wise – try them out on something else first.
The paper in most Bibles is very thin and porous and that includes journaling Bibles. I say that because I have a Coloring/Journaling Bible with extra-thick paper and the marker still bled through. I quickly learned to use coloring pencils, not gel pens or any other type of marker.
Step 3. Decide On Your Topics FOr Bible Color Coding
When you are looking at Bible Color Coding Systems, most will tell you what topics are associated with each color. Here are mine:
Pink – Praise and Worship
Orange – Growth, Commands/Precepts, Laws, Fruitfulness, and Obedience
Blue – Prayer and the Holy Spirit
Purple – Attributes of God and names of God
Red – Christ’s work, the cross, and the heart.
Green – Promises and who I am in Him
Brown – Names, times, locations, places, and numbers.
Yellow – Special to me, Eternity, Heaven
Your topics may look completely different than mine and that’s fine because this is all about you! As you look at other methods, you might see some topics that fit your goals better than mine. Feel free to make your topics whatever you want.
The other thing that can happen is that after you have used one set of topics and corresponding colors for a while, you realize that you are actually highlighting things differently than you originally thought. So, you can change all of this to fit what you need. However, you can’t change what you have already highlighted so go slowly at first until you are more sure of what you want.
Step 4. Create Your Bible Color Coding Guide
When you download the Guide I have provided, you will see that nothing is filled in. I did this so that you could pick your own colors, topics, and methods.
Also, you can download it and keep the blank version on your computer so that you can print new pages when you need to or when you want to make some changes to your color system or topics.
Step 5. Mix Up Your Coloring Methods
What do I mean by that? I have some verses that I highlight in yellow and color code by underlining. I do that because the verse has special meaning to me and it fits in a certain topic.
Sometimes, I just circle verse numbers in the color code when there is a longer section like over 3 verses long. If there is commentary, I color code that as well if it is a help to me.
I also have verses that I put a letter next to. For instance, there are prayers in the Bible that I underline in blue, and then I add the letter “P” in blue in the margin. I do this so that as I’m turning pages, I can easily see the topic I’m looking for.
Add BIble Color Coding To Your Bible Study Time
Whether you are just doing some casual reading, in-depth study, or anything in between, Bible color coding will enhance your study and reading time. Color Coding should definitely be included in your studies because it will do several things for you.
5 Reasons To Do Bible Color Coding
- It will give you a quick-reference to beloved verses.
- It will help you examine a verse or section in greater detail.
- Color coding will also help you remember verses more easily along with their location.
- Bible color coding also personalizes your Bible. What is underlined and highlighted is special and specific to you.
- Using your Bible Color Coding Guide, will give you a easy reference guide to what means most to you in the Word of God.
As you read, have your coloring tools nearby. You can circle words that are important; highlight sections that touch your heart; and, color code all the things you most want to remember.
At that same time, have your Guide nearby to write the verse addresses in along with comments you might have. Use color-coding to really dissect a verse. One verse might have more than one topic or category it fits in so feel free to code it accordingly.
Maybe there are some really special verses you want to mark in several topics. Use a symbol in each color near that verse or add a color that is reserved for those extra special verses. I also write the date in pencil next to the verse or section.
In the Book of Psalms, I have found entire Psalms that I wanted to color code so, I underlined the Psalm number at the beginning – like Psalm 131.
Study Your Bible And Color Code
If you are new to Bible Study, be sure to read Free Printable Bible Study Guide For Beginners, and How To Study The Bible. These will give you free resources and help to study your Bible whether you’re a beginner or just need a refresher.
Click on the image below. to get your free Bible Color Coding Guide and let me know if you have questions or need some help. Email me here – inspirationforlifetoday@gmail.com
You might also enjoy reading – How to Study the Bible
