Tips for memorizing chapters, but also some verse numbers?

[What Kind of Woman]

Hi, I'm new here!

I just began memorizing large portions of Scripture, working my way through Colossians. I've memorized chapters 1-3. I'm loving this so much.

Here's the problem:

Just now I was reading in a commentary on 1 Peter, and saw a reference to Col 2:15. I thought oh! yeah! I just memorized Colossians 2! But...what's verse 15?

I've been wondering how to memorize large portions, such as chapters, but also incorporate some verse numbers. I don't really think I want to memorize each number with each verse...but maybe someone has a way of doing that that doesn't completely ruin the narrative in our brains.

One idea I had was to highlight one or two verses in each chapter (I use index cards) and keep a separate track of individual memory verses with chapter and verse, that I would review along with the large portions. Perhaps even write the individual verse again on another index card.

So theoretically, it would work out like this: I open my file box and pull out the chapter to review for today, say Colossians 1. I review it from memory, make sure I still have it. Then I pull out the individual memory verse card for today, Col 1:15-16, and review that including chapter and verse address.

The hope is that maybe knowing what verses 15 and 16 are, will serve as a guidepost of sorts, so that if I think of a particular verse sometime, and want to know "where is that?", I'll probably know what book and chapter it is, but maybe also get in the ballpark of the verse number too, if I think about where it is in relation to the "guidepost" that I memorized.

Or, if I'm reading a commentary which mentions Col 1:8, I can remember where my guidepost is in chapter one, and think back from there?


Or maybe this really isn't necessary!

Any thoughts? Thanks!

[Lavern]

Welcome and thank you for sharing that with us. I'm pleased to have you here.

When the Scriptures were first written, they were not divided into chapters and verses as we have them today. It is great if you can memorize the verse numbers, but don't feel condemned if you can't. They are not necessarily part of Scripture.

Verse numbers certainly are great for helping us find passages of Scripture. But it may not be practical to memorize them with large passages.

The main reasons for memorizing Scripture are to aid in meditation of God's words and also so we have Scripture stored in our minds in case the time comes when our Bibles our taken away.

I think your idea of using guideposts could help a lot. Maybe someone else has some ideas for remembering the verse numbers.
_________________
Lavern Gingerich
Pikeville, TN
lavern@pursuinglife.com