example of bible study: observation, interpretation application

Now that youve come up with questions, its time to do research. One practical approach to Bible study is a four-part process of observation, interpretation, connection, and application. Amos 0 :L Can abide while we trust and obey. The inductive Bible study method is a time-tested way for the layperson to approach studying Scripture. Ecclesiastes and These three parts are observation, interpretation, and application. Accurate interpretation and correct application rest on the accuracy of your observations. Galatians Commentaries are fantastic tools. What a terrible delusion to be content with, to delight in hearing the word, and yet not do it. You cannot expect to approach the Bible with the same level of investment that youd give your favorite novel. It isthe act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Luke gives us the most information about Jesus birth and even provides us with a glimpse of Jesus as a child (Luke 2:4150). Shows the way. Revelation, Search Wikipedia using spiritual discretion, Authority of God's Word - study on 2Timothy 3:16-17, Ezra 7:10 - Exposition of the "Ezra 7:10 Principle", A Primer on the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation. We must get into the Word of God for ourselves. And what thou teachest well, thou canst not too well live. The student has sought God's blessing on the Word, and has endeavored to find out its meaning and teaching; and it remains for him to ask, How does this passage apply to me? It's an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder inspired here by the absolute authority of the Words of God compared to all words of men. (Galatians 4:1, New International Version). Job What is the cultural and/or historical context of this passage? When youre first getting started with studying the Bible, its important to set some realistic goals for yourself. (MacArthur, J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word or Logos). Avoid basing important doctrines on obscure passages. To go on gaining an intellectual knowledge of the Bible without obeying it can be a trap instead of a blessing. O/uE 4l"iI.l#e \c@pZFi7lq?3@hv?7 Il` For the first question, you might think through your initial reading of Mark. and how much we really believe what we have observed. Mark Once you think youve done all you can here, its time to move on to the final phase: application. The well known Puritan writer John Owen had some pithy comments on the need to study the Scriptures with the ultimate intent to apply them to one's life. If a Christian is careless in Bible reading, he will care less about Christian living. 1 Jn 1:7, 8, 9; Pr 28:13), (2) Response of faith: One of our reasons for meditating on the Word is to develop and build our faith. ((this mirror = Gods Word = unique for it shows our inner nature as a regular mirror shows our exterior. For example, Psalm 24 says, "The Lord owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it. 3. It involves three steps: observation of the text, interpretation of the text, and application of the text. Fourthly and this is very hard work Read And Practise. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. of precise observation, which is essential for accurate interpretation. 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. You can discuss this post and others in the Faithlife Today group. 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. Observation Tips What are some tips to help with observation? Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others. By (He 4:12, 13-see notes He 4:12; 13). 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. A Silly yet Serious Read and practice; but we shall only be able to do this, as God the Holy Spirit shall help us. And how prevalent the sight of multitudes of Christians listening to the Word of God most regularly and earnestly, and yet not doing it! Too much Bible study begins and ends in the wrong place: It begins with interpretation, and it also ends thereObservation plus interpretation without application equals abortion. Home We tone down unconsciously the vigor of St. Paul's remonstrances, the force of his figures, such as ' Death to sin,' the strictness of the law of retribution, and of judgment according to works ; the demand of absolute self-sacrifice, and of truth at any cost ; the need of meekness, forbearance, self-restraint and sympathy. 10 Questions the Internet Is Asking about the KJV. (Mt 7:13, 14+). Just like Matthew, Luke gets to the baptism in the third chapter. 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.". Its about observing exactly what the text is saying. Do with the Bible as the sick man does with the doctors prescription. The inductive study process involves three steps: observation, interpretation and application. Find resources for personal or group Bible study. 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. endstream endobj 71 0 obj <>stream 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. Part of this work is supernatural: As you study the Bible, the Holy Spirit reveals truth from the text that applies to your life. You want to be able to trace the authors argument all the way through. What does the term Messiah mean? It went in empty every time and came out full (A. Naismith, 1200 Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes [Chicago: Moody, 1962], p. What did that word mean to them, and what kinds of feelings and hopes did it invoke? Cults use the Bible to try to prove views they already have. What distinguishes observation, interpretation, and application? Application of God's Word will not always be "pain free", but it will always be profitable. Absolutely. In the margin of many pages in D. L. Moody's Bible, he wrote the letters T and P, meaning "Tried and Proved." Philippians God's Word is the flawless discerner, perfectly analyzing our every motive, intention, and belief. But if this conforming of their own souls unto the power of the Word be not fixed in the first place in their minds they do not strive lawfully, nor will they be crowned (!). Fourthly, we seek to stir up our soul to notes of praise and thanksgiving, delighting ourselves in God's Word, rejoicing in the prospect it presents, yielding ourselves in joyful submission to its precepts, and at the same time searching ourselves in the light of its cautions, humbling ourselves over our past coldness or doubtsfor most of our failures come from doubting God. Both reflect what is really there. We need to be honest with ourselves at this point. Although the Bible tells one cohesive story, it does so through the work of many authors who wrote during times hundreds of years apart. Some use the term to describe a discussion group, which may discuss the Bible or some other uplifting book. Are for them who will trust and obey. John MacArthur argues thatStudying Scripture without allowing it to penetrate to the depths of your soul would be like preparing a banquet without eating it. When you begin to study a passage, your first step will be observing the text. This volume incorporates insights from contemporary evangelical hermeneutics into an approachable, step-by-step process moving from observation through interpretation and on to the application of God's Word. Once we know what a passage means we are responsible to live it out. Ask yourself the five Ws and H: Its critical at this stage not to add anything to the text or take anything away. Resource links How to Perform A Greek Word Study on the Web, Multiple resources on Biblical Interpretation (Hermeneutics). Leading from values so others will walk passionately with God to grow and bear fruit. (Keying into the term good news early will help you understand Marks Gospel, as its a critical term that he uses repeatedly.). Will Graham Devotion: A Sacrifice That Costs Nothing Is Worth Nothing. And if at any time, when we study the Word, we have not this design expressly in our minds, yet if upon the discovery of any truth we endeavor not to have the likeness of it in our own hearts, we lose our principal advantage by it (John Owen). J A Bengel wisely admonished "Apply yourself to the whole text, and apply the whole text to yourself.". Though he draw them they will not come to him, and when he calls them they will give him no answer. Your next question should be, Hows my saltiness? But meditation is a matter of habit, and we can all be trained into it. So how do we apply any of it, let alone enjoy it. Here, you want to go back over the passage and your observations and ask as many questions as you can. Not to make us smarter sinners 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. The ideal combination is to read the word and then heed it expeditiously and implicitly. We may find something in every passage which comes before us both to pray over and to thank God over. (Lk 11:28+, cp Jn 13:17), D. L. Moody quipped that "Our great problem is the problem of trafficking in unlived truth. Will Graham Devotion: How Do You Know Whats True? Coleridge once said that, if we wish to make old truths fresh, we must turn them into action. Jeremiah )R z9=_)\_`w0s3^xT{bhi ?%\hMKINZ>0!L ik0%kjDb V >{f NGaE"VU{Z}M-9Eik$oflK pA!~~?\sDNSUke Follow it by personally doing what it bids thee. Instead, we need to be Bible "bees", using inductive study to go deep into the Scriptures obtaining its divine nectar and then allowing God's "nectar" to change us. One of the best ways to study the Bible is through "inductive" study. We need to be specific here. Goes the way, This volume incorporates insights from contemporary evangelical hermeneutics into an. For example, Philippians 4:13, in context, isn't about being the greatest and most famous basketball player, but about being content and having joy in any and every circumstance ( Phil 4:10-13 ). 2023 BGEA The godly preacher F. B. Meyer wrote that Devout meditation on the Word is more important to soul-health even than prayer. 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. Practice it to be holy. Spiritual maturity, in which we become more like Christ, comes not just from knowing more about the Bible. Bibles today divide up the individual books within them with chapters and verses, but Bibles havent always done this. What can He have to do with such as we are He is faithful, but will He be so to us? Look for the plainest interpretation first. HhT=k&^-l (6WBbN~WPe4`!Mr`+^p!MO,LP/_n]aFBcp) If you want to study Scripture, youll need to carve out intentional time for it. 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. It is God's will that we should read A lot of people have all sorts of news. You may start with reading a specific book of the Bible for five to 10 minutes every day and setting aside one day a week for a more intentional time of studying Scripture. 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, Believe it to be safe Nehemiah You might discover that salt was not only used to flavor food, but it helped keep it from spoiling. Truth revealed brings responsibility to respond. We must mix faith with what we read and hear. Careless Observation the good hand of his God was upon him (which should prompt a "Why?" Inductive Bible study is a practical, relevant, and time-tested approach to interpreting Scripture. Learning to read andstudy Scriptureis an important part of the Christian life. Pretend youre an investigator and youre just gathering the facts. Writing it down helps to remind you of God's consistent revelation and reinforces the truth He conveys to your heart. The OIA Bible study method consists of three parts. As a result, that man became a Christian. -EO{0iB d("o? Some people say they cannot meditate; they do not know what it means, or they have no time, or they go to sleep when they begin. After personal application, the best way to make the truth your own, is to teach it and even if you are not gifted to be a formal Bible teacher, there is always someone in your sphere of influence whom you are teaching by your life and your lips. You may study it your whole life, and you will never be able to absorb all that it has to teach. 2 Samuel What is awe? The best way to define application is to first determine what it is not. The New Testament gives us further teaching about the way of approach, and makes new demands on our spiritual life, whilst offering us a new standard to live up to. 2. It will walk you through each step of inductive bible studies in details. 0000003614 00000 n hb```vV^af`B@#g|3h 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. The records of human need and Divine generosity are not far-fetched ; they answer to our own case. There really arent any wrong questions, and sometimes what seems like a silly question can reveal critical insights. Our life ought to be and if Gods grace be much in it, it will be a new translation of the Bible. It is the supernatural, progressive revelation of who God is and man's relationship to God. It's better to live one verse of the Bible than to recite an entire chapter. Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage. Why Are There Lament Psalms at the End of the Psalter? Marking them will help you see the sequence of events and lead to accurate interpretation of Scripture. Genesis document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201 Do not be afraid to ask hard or silly questions. All four of the Gospels begin differently, but they all come together at the baptism. Now you know the three simple steps to running your own inductive Bible study. For example, Peter says in 1 Peter 5:8: "Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion." Note expressions of time The relationship of events in time often sheds light on the true meaning of the text. What Is Application? --C H Spurgeon, Choose Book of Bible to Study As you make it your practice to study God's Word, you will experience the joy of having Him directly unveil His truth and reveal His purpose in your life. When you take a book like Romans one piece at a time, you can miss the forest for the trees. R4`:|ut\#jDAh]Y1]|{ >^*8"I+ +N-rjiSS-Q*c9eF,xyV]%^p]=dG- J&naSP 2. Goldsmiths keep bottles of acid by which they test everything that is offered them for sale, whether it is gold or merely tinsel, and the Christian should keep Gods word near at hand and treasured in the soul, to test thereby all that he hears. These divisions are tools that help us read Scripture; theyre not an actual part of it. Youre attempting to get a sense of the whole before you begin to break down the parts. They are to leave behind their assumptions and make a ruling based on the facts alone. You haven't really learned the Word until you live the Word. But as helpful as these tools are, theyre not always ideal for personal study. It is not enough just to study the Bible. You have remained in right site to start getting this info. (Ezekiel 33:31), Hearing and not heeding the word is as foolish as cooking an expensive filet mignon and then not sitting down to eat it! That's a frightening statement! Psalms When it comes to reading the Bible, these boundaries can hinder your ability to observe what biblical authors are saying. A Is there an Attitude to change or guard against or an Action I need to take? But is blessed if we trust and obey. Logos can be an incredible resource as you seek to make this a part of your daily routine. 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. Why are we deluded in this way? 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)? If you are made to tremble under Gods Word, you may never be made to tremble under Gods hand. Now that you have your list of observations, you can wrestle with the questions that arise from them and the things that youve seen. And its in this phase we start to look at what the text means. Isaiah 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. Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426. Needless to say, the group of pastors got the point! Of the three steps of Bible studyobservation, interpretation, and applicationthe middle one is often the most daunting. If we continually learn what we ought to do, but do not do it, we become frustrated and callous. And what thou understandest well, thou canst not too well teach; Rather, an inductive study . It isn't enough just to be a Christian, if you aren't an obedient one. (1Ti 4:7, 8-notes), The dictionary defines application as the act of putting to use or putting into operation especially for some practical purpose. As youre reading along, you can check the commentary to gain insight into cultural, linguistic and interpretive considerations. ), Christian author Jerry Bridges writes that "As we search the Scriptures, we must allow them to search us, to sit in judgment upon our character and conduct. This is where secondary resources become really helpful. The goal of Bible study is not simply to determine what it says and what it means, but in the final analysis to apply it to one's life. This guide is written for people of all levels who are looking for a deeper and richer study of Scripture. He was there for hours writing notes, closed them, stuck them under his arm, tucked his magnifying glass in his pocket and walked away. When you become a Christian, you enter into an exciting, lifelong relationship with the Bible. Observe whats there, and document it. Inductive Bible study is Titus In a very real sense we are giving our brain a bath; we are washing it in the purifying solution of Gods Word. (Jas 4:17+, cp Lk 12:47, 48+, Jn 9:41). Study the New Testament at your own pace in workable units of material that follow the inductive method of study. A single revealed fact cherished in the heart and acted upon is more vital to our growth than a head filled with lofty ideas about God. 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! And that has made all the difference. Therefore, it is vital that you develop observation skills which might, at first, seem difficult, laborious, and time-consuming. And so we should react with overwhelming wonder, admiration, respect, or dread, this latter emotion relevant especially to those who read but fail to heed God's Word (application). How about Son of God"? (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson). The following books are a great place to learn more about this simple methodology: Kay Arthurs inductive method has helped millions of people learn how to study the Bible for themselves. One of the pastors startled the group with the declaration that "My grandmother's translation is the best I've ever read." Another addition to a lot of Bibles is a subheading before many passages or chapters. Acts God make us holy; sanctify us, spirit, soul, and body, and then we shall be made finely serviceable both to the Church and to the world. who delude themselves. Reportedly, Crowfoot put the pass in a leather pouch and wore it around his neck for the rest of his lifebut he never once availed himself of the rights and privileges it spelled out.