CHAPTER 3: Getting to Know Your Bible: The Thompson Chain Reference System
Now that we have named the fear and made room for the return, we turn to the practical tool this teaching recommends: the Thompson Chain Reference Bible. Developed by Dr. Frank Charles Thompson in the late nineteenth century and refined over decades, it was built with one goal in mind — to let an ordinary believer trace a biblical topic through the whole of Scripture without needing years of theological training to do it.
WORD STUDY — μανθάνω (manthanō, Greek) To learn, to increase one’s knowledge, the root of the word mathētēs — disciple. To be a disciple, in the New Testament’s own vocabulary, is fundamental to be a learner. Studying Scripture with a method is not a departure from discipleship; it is one of its most basic expressions. Reference: Matthew 11:29; Philippians 4:9
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. AMP: Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) for your souls.”Matthew 11:29 KJV
What Makes the System Work
The Thompson Chain Reference Bible organizes Scripture around several interconnected tools, each addressing a different way people naturally want to study.
Chain References
The heart of the system: thousands of topics, each assigned a chain number, with every relevant verse on that topic cross-referenced to the next verse in the chain, wherever it appears in Scripture. Start at any verse in the chain, and a small number directs you to the next link — allowing you to trace a single theme like faith, forgiveness, or fear from Genesis to Revelation without ever needing a concordance.
The Alphabetical Topic Index
A master list at the front of the Bible, alphabetized by topic, each pointing to its chain number and starting reference. A believer who wants to study ’anxiety’ or ’patience’ does not need to know where in Scripture to look — they look the topic up by name and are handed a starting point.
Book Introductions and Outlines
A brief introduction and structural outline before each book of the Bible, giving context — author, audience, purpose, and a chapter-by-chapter outline — before a reader dives into the text itself.
Character Studies and Historical Aids
Summaries of major biblical figures, harmony charts of the Gospels, archaeological notes, and other supplementary aids designed to answer the practical questions a curious reader tends to have along the way.
Author’s Dialog
When I was first taught to use a Thompson Chain Bible, what struck me most was not any single feature but the sense that someone had anticipated my confusion decades before I ever opened the book. I did not need to already know the Bible well to use it well. The system itself carried some of the weight that I had assumed, incorrectly, I needed to carry alone.
A good study tool does not do the studying for you. It simply removes the excuse that you do not know where to start.
Reflection Questions
- Which feature of the Thompson Chain system — the chain references, the topic index, the book introductions, or the character studies — sounds most useful to where you are right now?
- What has previously made you feel that you needed to ’already know the Bible’ before you could study it well?
- Do you own a Bible with any of these study features already, or would this be a new tool for you?
Application Exercise
If you do not already own a Thompson Chain Reference Bible, locate one this week — in a local Christian bookstore, online, or borrowed from someone in your church. Spend ten minutes simply exploring its alphabetical topic index before attempting any deeper study, just to become familiar with how it is organized.
Closing Prayer
Lord, thank You for tools that make Your Word more accessible rather than more intimidating. Give me patience as I learn to use this system, and let it become a doorway into deeper study, not a distraction from it. Amen.