Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, Key words and phrases are repeated in order to convey the author's point or purpose for writing. A Is there an Attitude to change or guard against or an Action I need to take? never the Bible to ourselves. Look at Matthew 21:42-44 as an example. Once you have explored the passage, its time to make some connections. 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." It is more needful for you to hear God's words than that God should hear yours, though the one will always lead to the other. 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 % This is the ultimate step: we submit to Scripture and let it transform our lives. If you skip this step, you will never enjoy your Bible study and the Bible will never change your life. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Mark says hes starting at the beginning. Many of us struggle to wade through the dense lists of commands, genealogies and prophecies in the Old Testament. How can we know what parts of the Bible apply to us today? It is more needful for you to hear God's words than that God should hear yours, though the one will always lead to the other. 1ICR, The main tool for each step is the Bible itself, meaning that when there is a question in my mind as to a passage's meaning, I first look to other scripture to provide the answer. In fact, Logos even has an Inductive Bible Study Workflow built right in to guide you through these steps. Study the Bible to be wise. Did they know where the Messiah was to be born? The first step in studying a passage is to observe what it actually says. trailer You haven't completed your Bible study until you've allowed the Bible to "study' you and you respond accordingly to it's teaching (which tells us what is true and right and so structures our thinking), reproof ( tells us when we are out of bounds), correction (reveals sin and provides the dynamic whereby you can conform to Gods will) and training in righteous living (Gods means of showing you how to live), all in order that we as men and women of God might be complete or whole and what we were created to be so that we might be thoroughly equipped for good work (2Ti 3:16, 17-note). 0 :L Janet Chismar Its the shortest of the Gospels, and you might have noticed that Mark seems focused on the action and hitting all the significant points. For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Helping students know Jesus, grow in their faith and go to the world to tell others. After making these connections, you should be able to identify some of the big truths that the passage offers every reader throughout time. the good hand of his God was upon him (which should prompt a "Why?" The old saying regarding application is true that the same Word that afflicts the comfortable, also provides comfort for the afflicted! He pastored Calvary Baptist Church in New York City and later served as president of Chicagos Moody Bible Institute till his death in 1946. He was there for hours writing notes, closed them, stuck them under his arm, tucked his magnifying glass in his pocket and walked away. 2 Corinthians If there is a promise to be embraced, we claim it. (The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word), Jesus explains that relationship (and importance) between knowing God's Word and doing God's Word, declaringIf (If = 3rd class condition = possibility / probability but not a certainty! Comment: Don't be like the butterfly flitting from one Bible study [preacher, devotional, commentary, etc] to another, but failing to personally apply what you learn. Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application through the Lenses of History, Literature, and Theology (9781433684142) by Richard Alan Fuhr Jr., Andreas J. Kostenberger The adventure of following God's will takes on a whole new complexion when we stop to listen and then act upon what we hear. 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.") Again, we feel God's promises to be too high for us, we know He is perfect, and we are vile. Resource links How to Perform A Greek Word Study on the Web, Multiple resources on Biblical Interpretation (Hermeneutics). Note that the question is not"Is this truth relevant to my life?" You can discuss this post and others in the Faithlife Today group. Head knowledge without heart change is not enough and in some ways is even worse than no knowledge. HLTkXw: -- David Shepherd, Be alert for the following deceptive dangers regarding application. Dont twist Scripturemeaning, dont manipulate the text to get it to say something youd like for it to say. Be sure to visit the Precept Ministries International Web site to go deeper into inductive Bible study. So before moving on to the crucial step of application, pause for a time of reflection. A pericope is a section of the text that forms a complete thought. 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. How foolish to look in the mirror of God's word, see spiritual "dirt" and yet fail to respond). Would you like to give your time to work with Cru? How do I propose to carry out these changes? This becomes extremely important when youre studying a book with a single prolonged argument, like the Book of Romans. Here are 14 important reasons to read it. The word of God reveals to us our true selves. 0e]y]ZU~P/^a53if5}Jk9$9t]ccc}.kw9H6`T5jN`=94jk:U>}a:P5p/]luu D_Ek!*Vwii][S9}mB=J\ueJJkf3mm8]g#pbmw6[PP? Many times a Bible passage is read only with eyes but not with the mind engaged. Bible study is meant not merely to inform but to transform and renew our mind. Youre attempting to get a sense of the whole before you begin to break down the parts. 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, It involves three steps: observation of the text, interpretation of the text, and application of the text. I took the one less traveled by, Numbers When it comes to reading the Bible, these boundaries can hinder your ability to observe what biblical authors are saying. If you want to study Scripture, youll need to carve out intentional time for it. Some sections make much more sense if you read them within the context of the surrounding chapters, like Matthew 23-25 or 1 Corinthians 12-14. 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. Stout old Martin Luther used to say, All vital religion is in the personal and possessive pronouns. Is it not so? Step 3: ApplicationWhat will I do about what the passage says and means? Have I overlooked anything or made any assumptions? Sources like these can give you vital information to help answer your questions. Job You cannot expect to approach the Bible with the same level of investment that youd give your favorite novel. 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. One who uses the Bible as his guide 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. For he set its foundation upon the seas, and established it upon the ocean currents. Not just for information Malachi To pick up the thread of Pauls argument, you need to go back and catch up. Its what everything else is built upon. One of the best things about studying Gods Word is that you can come back to a book youve already studied in the past and discover all-new insights. Memorizing God's Word - Why? 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. If you skip this step, you will never enjoy your Bible study and the Bible will never change your life. What is the cultural and/or historical context of this passage? This is a motivating truth that you can trust and which you should welcome and willingly acknowledge. Edward Louie (2011) The phrase "Bible study" can mean different things to different people. May we all seek to so diligently apply what we observe and interpret that we see "the world turned upside down.". It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot (NIV). But is blessed if we trust and obey. The worldlings Bible is the Christian. Now that youve come up with questions, its time to do research. As part of this step, take some time to identify where the beauty of the gospel comes into the passage. in my dealings with the world ? <<6970513041DCB34C825DECB3781DD654>]/Prev 490707>> 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. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. It is not enough just to study the Bible. Another addition to a lot of Bibles is a subheading before many passages or chapters. Unlike other forms of study, the ultimate goal of Bible study is not information its transformation. Also we become more responsible to God. What did that word mean to them, and what kinds of feelings and hopes did it invoke? Bible reading fits into the devotional category. Every time we encounter spiritual truth, we need to seek to apply that truth to our lives. Practically speaking, when we study "the word of God" we sense ourselves pierced. 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)." The difference between studying and applying the Scriptures is somewhat like the difference between drifting in a boat and rowing toward a destination. Micah 1 Thessalonians David Shepherd rightly exhorts us to leave out not "step" in study of God's Word but to be diligent to Read it to get the facts, study it to get the meaning, meditate on it to get the benefit. 3. 5 Basic Bible Study Techniques You Should Never Ignore, How to Study a Psalm: Essential Steps for Starting Right, How to Identify a Passages Repeated Words in Seconds, 10 Tips for Getting Started with Inductive Bible Study, Inductive Bible Study Is Not Just for Adults, The Laymans Bible Study Notebook: An Inductive Bible Study, Inductive Bible Study: A Comprehensive Guide to the Practices of Hermeneutics, Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application Through the Lenses of History, Literature, and Theology, The Definitive Guide to Bible Commentaries: Types, Perspectives, and Use. Observation And what did those things mean? 0000004523 00000 n Its easy to become reliant upon commentary to explain the text to you, and this circumvents many of the benefits of study. (MacArthur, J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word or Logos). 1 Samuel Explore answers to life's biggest questions. Who art thou that judgest another man? To his own master he stands or falls. These three parts are observation, interpretation, and application. To which his colleagues exclaimed "What! Resources Bible Study Inductive Bible Study. 1. Study the Bible to be wise at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does." Learn about Cru's global leadership team. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. which then results in being and doing. The butterfly was beautiful, and it would alight on a flower and then it would flutter to another flower and then to another, and only for a second or two it would sit and it would move on. 74 0 obj <>stream Yes, the Scripture (through your Teacher the Spirit) will bestow spiritual blessings, not by knowing but by doing! Nevertheless our duty is clear. Do not read the Bible as a book for other people. You might make a circle around those terms as a reminder to focus on those later. 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. Once you know what the passage means (interpretation), you are responsible to put it into practice in your own life. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, By We are inclined to qualify and modify the precepts of Christ and His claim on the Christian disciple. Our Lord taught that those who are, blessed (makarios [word study]) are those who hear the word of God and observe (phulasso [word study]) it. The Apostle Paul's great passion was transformed, Christ like lives as he explained to the saints at Colossae writing we proclaim Him (Christ in believers the hope of glory), admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. If we continually learn what we ought to do, but do not do it, we become frustrated and callous. Mark key words and phrases (see figure on page five) A key word is one that is essential to the text. It is unified in all its parts and will never contradict itself (Ps. As for the doctrines, recollect that a doctrine killeth except as it is personally grasped and as you feel your interest in it. In Bible study, application is putting truth you've discovered (through observation and interpretation) to use in your life with the ultimate goal of transformation or life change. Why did Mark feel this title was necessary on top of calling Jesus the Messiah? ), In Bible study, application is putting truth you've discovered (through observation and interpretation) to use in your life with the ultimate goal of transformation or life change. 10 Questions the Internet Is Asking about the KJV. Sometimes youll be studying a passage that has a precise application. And what thou readest, thou canst not read too well; For example, in a court of law, jurors are asked to reach a verdict based on the evidence presented to them. Heb. The more time and intentionality you put into understanding Gods Word, the more treasures you discover. Inductive Bible study is Now that weve observed and interpreted what the passage has to say, its time to talk about what it means for us. Haggai While there is only one valid interpretation of a passage, there can be many applications.
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