In the introduction to his book “3:16 Bible Texts Illuminated“, Donald E. Knuth writes:
“There are two ways to read the Bible. Method 1: We can read it straight through, for context. By reading at normal speed, we can follow the flow of the ideas and get intuitive impressions, just as the first readers and hearers of these words might have done. Or, Method 2: We can single out isolated verses, for meditation and/or scholarly study. By focusing on small details, it’s possible to understand the deeper significance of a passage.
Both of these ways are important. Method 2 is most satisfactory for group study, since Method 1 works best when a person can read at leisure and without interruption.”
Knuth’s book provides a stratified sample of the Bible by spending four pages on each 3:16 verse in the protestant version of the Bible: one page on the book as a whole, one page with calligraphy of the verse, and two pages on the verse in particular.
I’d like to be in a Bible study that used his book as a guiding text, supplemented by also looking at 1:6 and 6:13 verses and including the omitted books from the unabridged Bible. This would be very different from any Bible study in which I’ve participated.