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0 :L If there is a command to be obeyed, we obey it. Connect each passage back to the gospel and the broader message of the Bible. Its worth it. 2 Thessalonians We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Although the Bible tells one cohesive story, it does so through the work of many authors who wrote during times hundreds of years apart. It is full of instances of prayer; it supplies us with those thoughts about God which stimulate our faith to approach Him expectantly, earnestly, confidently. All four of the Gospels begin differently, but they all come together at the baptism. Sometimes the application will simply be deeper faith and firmer belief. Your job at this stage is to discover what the author is trying to communicate. (Ro 12:2-note). to which the context answers) for (every time you see a "for" at the beginning of a sentence pause and ponder why it's there and remember you can usually substitute the word "because" in place of "for" to help understand the meaning) Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. What does the term Messiah mean? This seems to be the process called inwardly digesting God's truth. Inductive study should cause us to be mentally excited by the truth, yet we may still fail to be morally changed by it and when that happens, you know there is something wrong with your study of the Bible. Job How to Study the Bible | Cru - Cru.org Refrain (Lk 11:28+, cp Jn 13:17), D. L. Moody quipped that "Our great problem is the problem of trafficking in unlived truth. Skip Heitzig writes that "The great evangelist Dwight L. Moody made a habit of carrying a notebook to record what he learned as he read the Bible or listened to a sermon. Just make sure it's the one based on careful observation and accurate interpretation! But as helpful as these tools are, theyre not always ideal for personal study. But for your study time, its helpful to use them as secondary sources after youve done some preliminary work. Ask the Lord to show you your interest, in every truth, and; do not be satisfied until you have an assured personal interest therein. To pick up the thread of Pauls argument, you need to go back and catch up. The Bible is divine in origin. 1:20-21). 9. 2 John The goal is that we live holy, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action and that in so doing we are made adequate and equipped for every good ("God") work, which represents only those works He initiates and empowers. The road prepared and paved by careful observation, proper interpretation and diligent application of the Scripture or the one wrought by a superficial, inaccurate, irreverent approach? Saturate the study of Scripture with prayer. If there is a promise to be embraced, we claim it. The best way to define application is to first determine what it is not. When words or passages make an impression on you, stop and meditate on what God has shown you or as the great preacher C H Spurgeon advised Read the Bible carefully, Learning to read andstudy Scriptureis an important part of the Christian life. Yogi Berra's advice is appropriate at this juncture -- When you arrive at a fork in the road, take it. This is always the most challengingportion of Bible study, which most people give only cursory attention to (unfortunately).The key to doing Bible study is . What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. The more time and intentionality you put into understanding Gods Word, the more treasures you discover. Search the Scriptures Chapter Analysis FormatBible study consists of Observation, Interpretation and Application.1.Observation is discovering what the author is saying looking specifically at Who, What, When, Where, Cause & Effect. Chapters, verses and subheadings are all very convenient and helpful, but when it comes time for genuine study, its appropriate to remember theyre not inspired elements of Scripture. For example, notice that some form of the word suffering is used three . Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application Once you know what the passage means (interpretation), you are responsible to put it into practice in your own life. James emphasizes the importance of follow through in inductive study exhorting us to "prove (ourselves) doers of the word, and not merely hearers (the Greek word was used of one who audited a class rather than taking it for credit -- are you just auditing the Bible or are you fully enrolled?) Once we know what a passage means we are responsible to live it out. Leviticus It is one thing to know these truths, and even to fight for them with the zeal and bitterness of a controversialist, but it is quite another thing to enjoy them as our own heritage and our portion for ever. 1 Peter 3. Lesson 6: Principles of Biblical Interpretation | Bible.org Believe it to be safe If this were the only passage of the Bible you had access to, what would you learn from it about Gods character and actions? (Self deception is the worst form of deception and occurs when we come to believe there is virtue in hearing the truth of God but failing to apply it.) We don't really know the Bible unless we obey the Bible, God had a scathing rebuke for His people Israel through His prophet Ezekiel "They (the people of Israel) come to you (the prophet Ezekiel) as people come and sit before you as My people and hear your words, but they do not do them, for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth and their heart goes after their gain." Start with the obvious. Remember that the more time spent in observation, the less time you will spend in interpretation, the more accurate the interpretation and the more appropriate the application. This means youre going to start by reading the whole thing hopefully in one sitting before you begin to deal with smaller portions of it in greater depth. This can train you to be more of an explorer in the future. Titus Write it all down (you can take notes directly in Logos), and once you feel like you have a good idea of whats happening in the text, its time to move on to the next step: interpretation. Bible study consists of Observation, Interpretation and Application. 1 The whole Bible tells the story of how God, in his grace and mercy, comes to the rescue of rebellious people living in a broken world. 63 0 obj <> endobj The Pharisees set the standard for this superficial, hypocritical, self deluding approach. Through the inductive method you follow a process of studying the Bible one book at a time. It is a trustworthy (pistos = faithful; cp Paul's 4 "faithful sayings" - 1Ti 1:15, 4:9, 2Ti 2:11+, Titus 3:8+) statement deserving full acceptanceit is for this (godliness) we labor (kopiao = to the point of exhaustion; present tense = continually) and strive (agonizomai = as when striving in an athletic contest emphasizing concentration, discipline, conviction, effort; present tense = continually)." Greater knowledge should always bring about greater obedience, enabled by grace not law, empowered by the indwelling Spirit as we learn to discard self effort and depend on the Spirit. Turn Scripture into Prayer. When in a spirit of quiet thought we have thus resolved and revolved God's Word, we are prepared to pray over it. Zephaniah When it comes to reading the Bible, these boundaries can hinder your ability to observe what biblical authors are saying. When you begin to study a passage, your first step will be observing the text. Song of Solomon Again, we feel God's promises to be too high for us, we know He is perfect, and we are vile. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. Malachi And with all who will trust and obey. And while pastors and teachers are wonderful, individual Christians should also be able to pick up any passage and read it with basic understanding and application. Inductive Bible Study Observation Interpretation And Application Through The Lenses Of History Literature And Theology is additionally useful. And what thou understandest well, thou canst not too well teach; There are many ways we can study the Bible, but one of the most influential and simple approaches to reading and understanding God's Word involves three simple steps: Step 1: ObservationWhat does the passage say? He now teaches two courses: "Bible Study" and "Advanced Bible Study." "All of my courses are built on the basic pattern of observation, interpretation, application and correlation (or . Feed on them with joy" So even though you might be familiar with the word Messiah, you might want to focus on Mark and his original audience. Are you ready and willing for Gods Word to cut deeply into your own life (reproof), to lay bare the hidden places of your heart, and to do its work of convicting, convincing, and converting your mind in any and every area? Coleridge once said that, if we wish to make old truths fresh, we must turn them into action. Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, The difference between studying and applying the Scriptures is somewhat like the difference between drifting in a boat and rowing toward a destination. In fact, it has become the benchmark of Bible study for many people. You might discover that salt was not only used to flavor food, but it helped keep it from spoiling. We ought to obey God rather than men, and to make sure of God's favour, though we throw ourselves under the frowns of all the world, Lk 12:4, 5. Can abide while we trust and obey. Bible Study Principles Again, our METHOD of reading, searching, and study must involve very precise OBSERVATION, which is absolutely necessary to accurate INTERPRETATION! 6. Okay, so what is inductive Bible study, exactly? Puritan Thomas Manton comments thatThere is an awe of the Word, not that makes us shy of it, but tender of violating it, or doing anything contrary to it. How to Study the Bible (part 2): Interpretation and Application 0000001930 00000 n It also becomes a source of support for you during difficult times. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." in my business life ? And when we do, like the bee, we will find that we never go away from God's Word empty. Too much Bible study begins and ends in the wrong placewith interpretation. Some seem as if they read the Bible in order to know how not to do, and the more God commands the more they will not obey. August 5, 2009. Acts Matthew We build up a reservoir of responses so that whenever the truth gets too convicting, weve got a multiplicity of reasons why it applies to everyone else but us! Speak of bringing the Bible down into the vernacular! Inductive Bible Study | Bible Study Resources | The - The Navigators The world desperately needs to see the Word's miracle-working power at work in our own lives as living proof! Read Online Inductive Bible Study Observation Interpretation And But then we must allow that Word to get into us, to make a permanent difference in our character and conduct. While we do His good will, He abides with us still, But one who looks intently (a picture of the man who meditates -- puritan Richard Baxter said "There must be inward practice by meditation and outward practice in true obedience.") Here are a few questions you can ask: There are a few essential rules to remember when attempting to interpret a passage: Make sure you spend a good chunk of time with this phase. (Galatians 4:1, New International Version). Not just for knowledge, but much more-- Observe whats there, and document it. Isaiah See related resource: Relationship of faith and obedience, As Vance Havner wisely said "It is not the Word hidden in the head but in the heart that keeps us from sin.