While the primary goal of The Figure 8 System is meditation, it is at heart a memorization tool. Within the system, memorization occurs in 3 ways. First and foremost, students memorize through meaning. This happens by studying each passage in order to gain a thorough understanding of text. More about memorization through meaning is available on the next page, disciplined study. Second, students who use the Figure 8 system memorize through context. Context refers to the material which surrounds a specific verse or passage. Memorizing verses within their context helps us understand more about the intended meaning of the author's message. If you have any experience in buying and selling property, you probably know that the three most important words in realty are location, location, location. Much like realty, in the arena of Scripture memory and hermeneutics (interpreting Scripture), the three most important words are context, context, context. Truly, context is king. Therefore, the Figure 8 system seeks to use context to our advantage. Finally, students memorize Scripture visually. In other words, memorization is also encouraged by learning how the verses look in relation to each other. These 3 aspects to successful memorization led us to develop the next discipline of the Figure 8 system, Italicized Starter Phrases.
A starter phrase consists of the first three or four words of a verse. An example list of starter phrases is also available on the example page. These phrases will help you do two things: First, learning the order of these phrases will enable you to remember the logical progression of the passage. Second, these phrases also serve as memory markers for recalling specific Scripture references and provide a point of reference for remembering each verse. The starter phrase concept is not new, it is ancient. Throughout ancient history, young Jewish boy were taught extended passages of Scripture in preparation manhood, celebrated by a bar mitzvah. Since reference numbers were not in use at the time, these upcoming men recalled long passages by drawing to mind the first verse of the passage. You may remember the profound statement made by Jesus while on the cross. He said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." This was not a new statement, but instead the first verse of Psalm 22, a passage many people at the cross would have memorized as children. As he quoted this verse, the minds of his audience were drawn to remember the entire Psalm starting with verse 1. In similar fashion, starter phrases will greatly help your Scripture memory.
Within the starter phrase concept, there are to kinds of memory markers - Primary Markers and Secondary Markers. These primary markers include multiples of eight (1, 8, 16, 24, 32, etc…) and secondary markers include each reference in between (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, etc…). When the time comes to recall a specifc verse, these markers will be your guide. For instance, if you need to recall Philippians 4:19, beginning with the closest primary marker, you should think to yourself, “I know that 4:16 is ‘for even in Thessalonica’.”Then, you will be able to work your way through the secondary markers from 16 to 19; “and my God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Once you recall the verse’s starter phrase, the rest of the verse will flow naturally from your memory. Since they are so important, the starter phrases for each chapter should be reviewed along with the assigned text for each session. It is most helpful if you will take time to actually memorize the order of starter phrases. A thorough understanding of the primary markers will allow you to be no more than 4 verses away from recalling a specific Scripture reference. Then, knowledge of the secondary markers will lead you to the exact verse you are trying to recall.
Often when memorizing Scripture, the reference numbers of a verse are used to remember the text of the verse. In many cases, these reference numbers are a great help. For instance, when you see 3:16 you probably think of God’s love as it is described in John 3:16. However, once you have memorized Romans 3:16 or 1 John 3:16, it becomes far more difficult to remember which verse is which. The struggle to recall these verses lies in the fact that every book uses the same reference numbers. Therefore, it is logical to create a system that gives every verse its own identity. In other words, memorization in the Figure 8 system does not rely only upon the reference numbers, but also upon the text. Here lies the great value of using starter phrases. As we have found, the use of such starter phrases is essential in memorizing multiple books of the Bible and recalling specific verses within each book.
In addition, we have also created a specific format to use while meditating upon each passage. Looking at the examples provided, notice first that the Scripture page is divided into two columns with the verses separated by spaces. This format will help you to see verses individually while still maintaining the entire context of the passage. This is what we mean by using your vision to memorize Scripture. You will be amazed by your ability not only to recall specific verses, but also to see the location of verses in your mind. Since vision is such a great memorization tool, this format is extremely helpful. Remember, each Scripture page is also accompanied by a list of Italicized Starter Phrases. Again, the purpose of these phrases is to assist in memorization and recall. Therefore, they are very important! Use them to your advantage. You can print your own Scripture memory schedules and pages by accessing the Resource Center. Okay, now let's move on to the third principle, Disciplined Study.
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