Never fear, only trust and obey. I have known some rejoice greatly in the doctrine of election who never were elected, and some who were very pleased with the doctrine of justification by faith, but who had no faith by which to be justified. Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application HhT=k&^-l (6WBbN~WPe4`!Mr`+^p!MO,LP/_n]aFBcp) When you become a Christian, you enter into an exciting, lifelong relationship with the Bible. to my own life and destiny and relation to God? Theres an inherent danger in inductive Bible study -- it can degenerate into a process thats intellectually fascinating but spiritually frustrating. Learn to develop your skills, desire and ability to join others on their spiritual journeys and take them closer to Jesus. If you skip this step, you will never enjoy your Bible study and the Bible will never change your life. Samuel addressing King Saul after his serious "miscalculation" (sin) said "Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? If not why not? (Jas 4:17+, cp Lk 12:47, 48+, Jn 9:41). Read the Bible as a man reads his relations will, to find what legacy there is in it for himself. To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. )R z9=_)\_`w0s3^xT{bhi ?%\hMKINZ>0!L ik0%kjDb V >{f NGaE"VU{Z}M-9Eik$oflK pA!~~?\sDNSUke If a servant were to hear but not do, how quickly the judgment would be given. ((this mirror = Gods Word = unique for it shows our inner nature as a regular mirror shows our exterior. If you feel the wrath to come now, you may never have to feel it in the next world. Honest application of the text requires these kinds of questions and the wrestling of ideas when truth causes conflict. He is a prayer-hearing God, but will He hear our prayers? Will Graham Devotion: A Sacrifice That Costs Nothing Is Worth Nothing. Philippians For instance, the New International Version a popular modern translation of the Bible breaks sections in Philippians 1 down like this: Pauls Chains Advance the Gospel (vv. and then shall we find the benefit and advantage designed thereby, and shall at last attain the happiness therein promised and assured to us.". Unlike other forms of study, the ultimate goal of Bible study is not information its transformation. Daniel Resource links How to Perform A Greek Word Study on the Web, Multiple resources on Biblical Interpretation (Hermeneutics). Scripture interprets Scripture. How to Study the Bible - 3 Simple Steps - Bible Study Tools 0000000925 00000 n Ephesians (Lk 11:28+, cp Jn 13:17), D. L. Moody quipped that "Our great problem is the problem of trafficking in unlived truth. Otherwise, its easy to become dependent on them. 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 . During the week he earnestly tried to apply them to his life. 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. In the 13th century, Stephen Langton added chapters to Scripture, and in the late 16th century, Robert Stephanus added verses. Like Ezra we should make every effort to handle it accurately and live it out assiduously (with perseverance and care)! truly, such a, promise is as a cluster of Eshcol, but it is in Eshcols valley and I cannot reach it there; but the promise applied is the cluster brought to me just where I am, and I can receive it, and delight myself in its luscious sweetness. (1 Sa 15:22, 23) Related resource: Relationship of faith and obedience. There is always something new to uncover in the Bible. But you may know that Luke and Matthew begin with Jesus birth story. <<6970513041DCB34C825DECB3781DD654>]/Prev 490707>> If youre new to studying, why not start with the Gospel of Mark? 0000005006 00000 n Lifting verses out of their immediate context is a sure way to find yourself in heresy land. T Is there a Truth to memorize and meditate upon (Click here)? A Silly yet Serious But the bee would light on a flower and it would sink down deep into the flower and it would extract all the nectar and pollen that it could carry. Yes, the Scripture (through your Teacher the Spirit) will bestow spiritual blessings, not by knowing but by doing! All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable (useful, advantageous, helpful,) for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (see notes 2 Timothy 3:16-17). In fact, Logos even has an Inductive Bible Study Workflow built right in to guide you through these steps. His Word from day to day, But for your study time, its helpful to use them as secondary sources after youve done some preliminary work. and Okay, so what is inductive Bible study, exactly? In other words, am I applying this truth? The reader through OBSERVATION discovers what a passage says which enables the reader to make an accurate INTERPRETATION, the discovery of what a passage means. Numbers Observation The religionists of Jesus' day had all of the data. Isaiah Acts HLTkXw: Too often, people jump into the Bible and start connecting before theyve done the challenging work of examining all there is to see. This is where secondary resources become really helpful. Bible study is about digging into the text and pulling out insights. What is awe? And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. See what precepts are binding upon thyself, and then, as a child of God, be thy feet swift to run in the way of his commandments. 0000001036 00000 n What a glory He sheds on our way! Don't be like Crowfoot, the chief of the Blackfoot nation in southern Alberta, who gave the Canadian Pacific Railway permission to lay track from Medicine Hat to Calgary, and in exchange received a lifetime railroad pass. The intercession of Abraham for Sodom, the prayer of Abraham's servant, the wrestling of Jacob, the pleadings of Moses, the strong crying of David, the spiritual conflicts of Elijah, Jonah and Jeremiah, the public and formal prayers of Solomon and Ezra, and the secret confessions of Danielall are the outpourings of hearts like our own. It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot (NIV). And how prevalent the sight of multitudes of Christians listening to the Word of God most regularly and earnestly, and yet not doing it! In observation, you were asking the question, What did I see? In interpretation, you ask, What does it mean? If you have not done a thorough job in the exploration phase, the interpretation phase can be difficult. A key discipline for good study is not to be too quick to fall back on what you think you know. John Blanchard underscores the crucial discipline of applying God's Word sounding the caution that "There is more to Christian growth than knowing what the Bible says; nobody is ever nourished by memorizing menus.". Yogi Berra's advice is appropriate at this juncture -- When you arrive at a fork in the road, take it. The tireless runner is a picture of what Application should look like in each of our livessobrethren, beloved of God, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world for so great a salvation, filled with His Spirit and controlled by the love of Christ "let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith" (He 12:1-note, He 12:2-note) pressing "on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Php 3:14-note) disciplining ourselves "for the purpose of godliness for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." These three parts are observation, interpretation, and application. King Edward VI of England would stand while the Word of God was read in worship service. ", As William Temple said "Every revelation of God is a demand and the way to knowledge of God is by obedience. While we do His good will, He abides with us still, While there is only one valid interpretation of a passage, there can be many applications. Too much Bible study begins and ends in the wrong placewith interpretation. When you break the discipline of Bible study down to its simplest forms, its just a few steps: Explore: What did God say (to the original readers)? Inductive Bible Study: Observation | Precept Austin For instance, as you explore the terms Messiah and Son of God, you might be moved to respond in prayer and worship. If we continually learn what we ought to do, but do not do it, we become frustrated and callous. eg'1{(yzJ*| Marking them will help you see the sequence of events and lead to accurate interpretation of Scripture. But when the report came of His birth, did they go to check it out? For instance, if you pick up the Book of Galatians at the beginning of chapter 4, youll find yourself in the middle of Pauls argument: What I am saying is that as long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, The questions you raise in the interpretation phase might even push you back into the observation phase. 6. What kind of flavor and preserving qualities do I bring to my circle of influence? Maybe this question will lead you to pray for God to show you ways to help others and make some resolutions about things that youd like to change. What are its elements ? You want to be able to trace the authors argument all the way through. Pray God to help you to feel the solemnity even of the threatening, for if you feel deeply the threatening now, you may be delivered from the tragic fulfilment of it by-and-by. r2T4000F1h+JTqkR=9K'ZOH1{csjr3U 0aq^rD[ZZZFTRq:(3k @ 2c> )KI1.Ff~2cxq;c 0c`x@ ]^ Avoid basing important doctrines on obscure passages. A sorry, sorry heart is that which so uses Gods Word as to make it an aggravation of its sin. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night (this is the parallel of observation and interpretation), so that you may be careful to do (the application) according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have success (the blessing of proper application). 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. Don't be deceived thinking that going to Precept inductive Bible study will make you more spiritual. HWM5q0^5 !EJ8`vC ! Refrain, Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, Bible study consists of Observation, Interpretation and Application. 1 R4`:|ut\#jDAh]Y1]|{ >^*8"I+ +N-rjiSS-Q*c9eF,xyV]%^p]=dG- J&naSP Practice it to be holy, Or as Skip Heitzig advises "A good perspective to adopt when reading the Bible is that of an obedient servant waiting for instruction from the master. In short, as John MacArthur says "Bible study is not complete until we ask ourselves, What does this mean for my life and how can I practically apply it?, We must take the knowledge we have gained from our reading and interpretation and draw out the practical principles that apply to our personal lives. If you do not this, you are reading to your own condemnation. Learn the basics of what Christians believe. The effect of this piercing is to reveal whether there is spirit or not. Bible study - Assignment - Bible Study observation, interpretation For example, notice that some form of the word suffering is used three . Click To Tweet Inductive Bible Study Sow a thought, reap an action. 0000008074 00000 n Needless to say, the group of pastors got the point! When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, Memorizing God's Word - Why? SMbN|U#t?%ux[w]z!\8U=Cdl1fNX`)5|@c!"&|q0|1"W Sfi%DaW1VC>Z(#qoR L%#GS`Kj)|%2laZxe"$[1Gf9pnY$,sfP.( +EelPEC_JjN bbBwa7$}%I$UO8 % 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. The older we are, the more experienced we become at rationalizing sin. endstream endobj 68 0 obj <> endobj 69 0 obj <> endobj 70 0 obj <>stream In most respects they might have been written in our own life-time. Your goal in observing is to identify what the author was trying to communicate to his readers. 2023 BGEA (1) Substituting interpretation for application as did the Pharisees; (2) substituting superficial obedience for substantial life-change and. Song of Solomon never the Bible to ourselves. Allow the Bible to help you understand other passages of the Bible. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. Their righteousness was external, based on facts and devoid of personal response. 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 . S Is there Something to thank or praise God for? For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. By using the tools included inInductive Bible Study, youll approach Bible study with more depth and understanding. Let me ask you a serious question -- How often do you study the Word with no intention whatsoever of obeying it? Habakkuk Application of God's Word will not always be "pain free", but it will always be profitable. These subheadings can be useful for understanding the different parts of a biblical book, but they can also force you to read a passage in a particular light. When we have read the Bible, many passages may become "overfamiliar." We think that we know what they say and cease . What is the cultural and/or historical context of this passage? Sometimes its beneficial to ignore them and consider other ways you might divide the text. When youre studying a book, youre going to end up reading it multiple times. If the Bible seems dry and unexciting, check your attitude (Ed: Also do some personal inventory with 1 Pe 2:1+and then you'll be able to move on to 1 Pe 2:2+!). The Bible is the best prayer-book in the world, as it has been called the best story-book in the world. Leviticus 1:20-21). Let it not only inform you but inflame you. As we search the Scriptures, we must allow them to search us, to sit in judgement upon our character and conduct. Interpretation should build on observation and then lead into interpretation. Create an account or log in to get started. (John 7:17). Next, youll want to figure out what youre going to study. Thus, we are called and encouraged to new labour in prayer, whilst we have a new example in Him Who prayed, and wept, and bled. 1 Thessalonians And what thou readest, thou canst not read too well; Though he draw them they will not come to him, and when he calls them they will give him no answer. And so prayer is not a substitute for action, but the deliberate contact of the soul with God, whence we draw an enabling force whereby we go forth conquering and to conquer. There are a lot of excellent study Bibles available. Thresh them by meditation. Refrain. Youre attempting to get a sense of the whole before you begin to break down the parts. If a Christian is careless in Bible reading, he will care less about Christian living. How to Do an Inductive Bible Study - Logos Bible Software 0000004118 00000 n 2. Observation answers the question: What do I see? 15.). Showing God in action in and through His people. PDF Simple Biblical Interpretation - Westminster Theological Seminary First, I saw a butterfly. The Bible helps you understand God and His relationship with humanity. How does the truth of this passage apply to my life? This speak of a personal choice that must be made) any man is willing (thelo = desires, wishes, delights [cp Ps 1:2-note], takes pleasure, is inclined to; the present tense - speaks of one's general direction of their life) to do (present tense - again speaks of one's general habit of practice = toward obedience not toward disobedience) His will, he shall know (ginosko = speaks not just of "head" knowing but of an experiential knowledge, a more intimate knowledge) of the teaching (didache - word study), whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself.
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