example of bible study: observation, interpretation application

Inductive Bible study is a practical, relevant, and time-tested approach to interpreting Scripture. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. (Ro 12:2-note). Practically speaking, when we study "the word of God" we sense ourselves pierced. O/uE 4l"iI.l#e \c@pZFi7lq?3@hv?7 Il` (Josh 1:8-note). These four steps help you to orient yourself to a passage, wrestle with what it's trying to communicate and examine your life in light of God's Word. 2. If you are a leader (and most of us are leaders in some sphere of influence) remember that a good leader is one who Knows the way, And what thou readest well, thou canst not too well understand; But you may know that Luke and Matthew begin with Jesus birth story. Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. Look at Matthew 21:42-44 as an example. If a Christian is careless in Bible reading, he will care less about Christian living. Awe is a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder. 0000000925 00000 n Learn more 2. Girdlestone in his 1887 classic "How to Study the English Bible" has a chapter on application that speaks to "THE PRACTICAL AND DEVOTIONAL USE OF THE BIBLE" - We have now come to the last and most important stage of our subject. We need to be specific here. Observation involves reading the text to make simple statements that are true . I shall be telling this with a sigh T Is there a Truth to memorize and meditate upon (Click here)? The gospel is a very solemn thing to every man, because if it be not a savour of life unto life, since it must always be a savour of some sort, it therefore becomes a savour of death unto death. mo!zZJ:%3EAOnaY`z)p%Vv"-H=m>!MX|ov:Hh7vNmm%pZCY&,Z&!#+SzdOP ]LQ)A3_V@UU@Gz @mC-+BvH4sbC}&3A{ BV_$hyr0>Kiw>B/'/,fWGv>o|%vEQ mU0b-rxOw2)5t^_^~~p- The records of human need and Divine generosity are not far-fetched ; they answer to our own case. And how does it show God redeeming that brokenness? This is where secondary resources become really helpful. Youll also notice right out of the gate that Mark has introduced Jesus with two titles: Messiah and Son of God. They are to leave behind their assumptions and make a ruling based on the facts alone. So you might write that observation down: Marks beginning of the gospel story does not start at the very beginning., Youll also notice that Mark desires to tell you some good news, and this news is about Jesus. Are we truly born of God and spiritually alive or are we deceiving ourselves and spiritually dead, no matter how orthodox our profession of faith might appear? Lay hold on the Bible until the Bible lays hold on you. Sometimes youll be studying a passage that has a precise application. Study the Bible to be wise. A Silly yet Serious (Basic Bible Interpretation). Do not be afraid to ask hard or silly questions. If you want to study Scripture, youll need to carve out intentional time for it. This might make you wonder whether this is good news for Mark or if Mark thinks this good news applies to everyone. It is not enough just to study the Bible. A (supernaturally charged and) changed life is the clearest testimony of genuine understanding of the Bible. startxref 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. (Mt 7:13, 14+). The Word is both a glass to show us the spots of our soul and a laver to wash them away. Sometimes its beneficial to ignore them and consider other ways you might divide the text. Your grandmother translated the Bible?" ((this mirror = Gods Word = unique for it shows our inner nature as a regular mirror shows our exterior. 1. The word of God reveals to us our true selves. 3. Application brings us into this sphere of abundant life in the Spirit. The effect of this piercing is to reveal whether there is spirit or not. In Observation and Interpretation we study God's Word, but in Application, God's Word "studies" us! Which road will you travel? Just make sure it's the one based on careful observation and accurate interpretation! When Dr. Houghton became pastor of the Baptist Tabernacle in Atlanta, a man in that city hired a private detective to follow Dr. Houghton and report on his conduct. Avoid the temptation to try to make the text mean anything just yet. Overview of Inductive Study with Observation Worksheet and example of how to mark a page, Click for Introduction to Inductive Bible Study using PowerPoint (2002), The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word, How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It - see page 30, Skip Heitzig How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It, Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics, Chicago Statement on Biblical Application. Its an exciting, action-packed book, but its short enough to read front to back in about an hour. J A Bengel wisely admonished "Apply yourself to the whole text, and apply the whole text to yourself.". Inductive Bible study is a practical, relevant, and time-tested approach to interpreting Scripture. Go back to your questions from the beginning and ask them again in light of what youve learned, and apply it to our context today. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, 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. We must adjust ourselves to the Bible Observe whats there, and document it. What Is Application? Each book is usually read 4 - 5 times, and with each step you are given a new tool for uncovering revelation within the pages. Take the time to dive into the application step. Ruth No, even though the town of Bethlehem was only only five miles down the road from Jerusalem. hb```vV^af`B@#g|3h Matthew Henry adds: Every gracious soul stands in awe of the word of God, of the authority of its precepts and the terror of its threatenings; and to those that do so nothing appears, in the power and wrath of man, at all formidable. So before moving on to the crucial step of application, pause for a time of reflection. meditate and meditate and meditate, Devout meditation on the Word is more important to soul-health even than prayer. Bible reading fits into the devotional category. Learn how you can know God personally. (Persevere!). Some of them can only be answered by examining the text again or even by looking at other parts of the Bible. Exodus Too often we come to Gods Word to study it, to teach it, etcto do everything in the world with it except be changed by it! Owen wrote that To seek after mere notions of Truth, without an endeavor after an experience of its power in our hearts, is not the way to increase our understanding in spiritual things. J@GD0Q0rqD@!QTTXF1ID>IgIyy;GABp_8;.7_0?\h*4z/Bzc`S!zJP2[VgVM52,6.*0.199QP1T`}G/I(tSE)BQF*jE()*RMq>&}P* Titus A sorry, sorry heart is that which so uses Gods Word as to make it an aggravation of its sin. The more work you do during this part of your study, the better you will do in the rest. 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)? And what did those things mean? It is thework of applying something (I like that -- it make take a little "holy sweat" to apply what we have learned, but it is worth the effort exerted! HWM5q0^5 !EJ8`vC ! If this were the only passage of the Bible you had access to, what would you learn from it about Gods character and actions? 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. Bible study is meant not merely to inform but to transform and renew our mind. Find resources for personal or group Bible study. One practical approach to Bible study is a four-part process of observation, interpretation, connection, and application. There really arent any wrong questions, and sometimes what seems like a silly question can reveal critical insights. Accurate interpretation and correct application rest on the accuracy of your observations. When youre first getting started with studying the Bible, its important to set some realistic goals for yourself. 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? Refrain, Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, Then when you read descriptions of the human heart, and the fall, the corruption, and the depravity of our nature, look, and see yourselves as in a looking glass, and say of each man as you hear of his sin, I am such a man as this was, and if I do not fall into precisely the same sin, yet the possibility and peril of it is in my heart, and I should do so, but for Gods restraining grace. Take the very histories home to your heart, and find a point in them, either of encouragement or of warning for yourselves. Fourthly and this is very hard work Read And Practise. Scripture reading and Bible study always represents (so to speak) a "God sighting" ("God speaking") and as such always applies to us as His creatures. Then we have mentally to adjust the picture thus formed with the pictures already in our mindto hang it, so to speak, in its right place, so that it may blend with the convictions of truth already attained. 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). (The blessing of God is integrally related to your response to the revelation of God. Your Teacher, the Holy Spirit, can give you insights at any point in your study, so that you need to be sensitive to His leading. This method makes observations on a passage of Scripture and then draws conclusions based on those observations. Head knowledge without heart change is not enough and in some ways is even worse than no knowledge. As you work through these steps regularly, you will get better at them and you will be transformed. You can find the Inductive Bible Study Workflow (with five other Workflows and many other Bible Study tools) inLogos Starter. In Gods mind, knowledge without obedience is sin. By This book walks through each of the three steps of the inductive method paying particular attention to historical, literary, and theological elements that come into play at each stage. Don't deceive yourself! Esther Neither are you to be "Bible botanists" (even good inductive students), who laboriously observe the Biblical text and derive accurate interpretation but fail to apply these truths. You want to be able to trace the authors argument all the way through. eg'1{(yzJ*| the good hand of his God was upon him (which should prompt a "Why?" Yes, the Scripture (through your Teacher the Spirit) will bestow spiritual blessings, not by knowing but by doing! (Read the entire sermon - How to Read the Bible), "Our Masters field is full and rich. The purpose of exploring and connecting is to apply what the Bible teaches to your life. (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! To love Him and obey. So people go to church, and enjoy the preaching, and yet do not do what God asks. 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. Mark Of the three steps of Bible studyobservation, interpretation, and applicationthe middle one is often the most daunting. Who art thou that judgest another man? To his own master he stands or falls. Application is where the proverbial "rubber meets the road", where our walk either does or does not back up our talk and where head knowledge becomes heart knowledge. 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. Thus, interpretation flows out of observation. 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. Your goal in observation is to notice as much as possible. If there is a promise to be embraced, we claim it. The Bible is Gods way of making Himself known to us. The danger of Observation and Interpretation without application is that we become hypocrites like the Pharisees, filled to the brim with intellectual knowledge, but failing miserably to allow the truth to transform our hearts! Take the next step in your faith journey with resources on prayer, devotionals and other tools for personal and spiritual growth. 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 (!). Jonah Not just for information Application takes place as you are confronted with the truth and you respond to that truth in obedience (in faith). Part of this work is active: Youre wrestling with the text and learning to understand it. The world desperately needs to see the Word's miracle-working power at work in our own lives as living proof! So before we can apply the truth as God intended, we need to be certain that our interpretation is accurate, which in turn hinges on careful observation. 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. When you begin to study a passage, your first step will be observing the text. Before the Word of God can bring change to our world, it must first change our life. Trust and obey, for theres no other way In the 13th century, Stephen Langton added chapters to Scripture, and in the late 16th century, Robert Stephanus added verses. Are for them who will trust and obey. 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. 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. When we have read the Bible, many passages may become "overfamiliar." We think that we know what they say and cease . Both of these; Do with the Bible as the sick man does with the doctors prescription. If you're looking for the best Christian jobs and careers, check out Cru's ministry job openings for full- and part-time missionaries and professionals. This can train you to be more of an explorer in the future. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Inaccurate Interpretation, Robert Frost in his poem "Road Not Taken" writes in his last stanza. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." 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?) (He 4:12, 13-see notes He 4:12; 13). Here are a few questions to facilitate application of the truth you have observed How does this truth apply to my life in four spheres in my(a) personal life (b) my family (c) work (d) church (e) neighborhood? Thresh them by meditation. He will be inquired of by us. Read the Bible as a man reads his relations will, to find what legacy there is in it for himself. 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. Not only do the books come from unfamiliar cultures, but theyre also thousands of years old. Sow a character, reap a destiny! In other words every divine revelation demands a determinative response. Heb. About people or human nature? How foolish to look in the mirror of God's word, see spiritual "dirt" and yet fail to respond). But meditation is a matter of habit, and we can all be trained into it. To pick up the thread of Pauls argument, you need to go back and catch up. (1 Sa 15:22) (cf Ps 51:16,17, Spurgeon note v16, note v 17), We learn Gods Word not to know but to grow by doing for "Obedience is the mother of true knowledge of God." Allow the Bible to help you understand other passages of the Bible. Obadiah 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. 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. To be sure our first goal should be to get into the Bible and then to allow the Bible to get into us. We must mix faith with what we read and hear. Not to make us smarter sinners Used by cults. Zechariah A lot of people have all sorts of news. Apply: How do I respond to what God is saying? and the Scriptures to yourself. of precise observation, which is essential for accurate interpretation. In His Words: What Billy Graham Once Said About Eternity. To not respond to supernatural illumination would be like saying the Biblical teaching on idolatry is great but it doesn't apply to me and then going off to spend the rest of the day seeking anxiously to accumulate wealth in this present but passing (away) world (cp the words of Jesus Mt 6:24+and Paul Col 3:5+). Ask God not to let thy Bible be another mans Bible, but thine own Bible, Gods own mouth speaking to thy soul of the things which make for thy peace. (Ps 119:161). The bottom-line question to ask is, How do the divine truths and principles contained in any passage apply to me in terms of my attitude and actions? Jesus made this promise to those who would carry their personal Bible study through to this point: If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them (John 13:17, cp Jn 15:14, 14:15, Lk 11:28, Jas 1:22+, Jas 1:25+, Rev 1:3+) 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. Did they know where the Messiah was to be born? How can we know what parts of the Bible apply to us today? (John Calvin), Gods Word can only produce growth in soil "fertilized" by obedience. We may find something in every passage which comes before us both to pray over and to thank God over. The Bible is the best prayer-book in the world, as it has been called the best story-book in the world. The third thing I noticed was a bee, just a little bee. Like Ezra we should make every effort to handle it accurately and live it out assiduously (with perseverance and care)! 1 Peter Look for the plainest interpretation first. How? Every time we encounter spiritual truth, we need to seek to apply that truth to our lives. Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. Righteousness in simple terms is whatever God says is right on any subject. If you feel the wrath to come now, you may never have to feel it in the next world. Sow a habit, reap a character. Reading and studying the Bible are two different practices. Some use the term to describe a discussion group, which may discuss the Bible or some other uplifting book. Inductive Bible Study - Observation Inductive Bible Study - Interpretation Inductive Bible Study - Application Simple Study on the Power of God's Word Authority of God's Word - study on 2Timothy 3:16-17 Ezra 7:10 - Exposition of the "Ezra 7:10 Principle" Job's "Secret" of perseverance? James 63 0 obj <> endobj Here are 14 important reasons to read it. 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.". 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? And with all who will trust and obey. I took the one less traveled by, 0000004523 00000 n 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. Observation Tips What are some tips to help with observation? Memorizing God's Word - Why? 15.). If there is a command to be obeyed, we obey it. While there are several great methods of studying the Bible, heres a simple method one can follow: Observation, Interpretation, Transformation and Application. Sometimes there will be figurative language and confusing imagery, but dont start by looking for hidden meaning. 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. The goal is to familiarize yourself with the work as a whole. Inductive Bible Study. But His smile quickly drives it away; (1) Substituting interpretation for application as did the Pharisees; (2) substituting superficial obedience for substantial life-change and. 74 0 obj <>stream Thats the kind of serious-minded response to truth application calls for. 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). 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. The first verse of Mark youve been studying does not have immediate actionable teachings, but you still need to be open to the Holy Spirit moving as you study. Ask yourself the five Ws and H: Its critical at this stage not to add anything to the text or take anything away. 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 ). 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.

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