How do you do that? The more honest question is"Am I ready and willing believe this truth and to apply it in my life? ", Oswald Chambers in his typical "no nonsense" style reminds us that"One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it", We have to be careful not to deceive ourselves. Yes, the Scripture (through your Teacher the Spirit) will bestow spiritual blessings, not by knowing but by doing! --C H Spurgeon, Choose Book of Bible to Study The only Bible the world reads is the one bound in shoe leather: you and me! 63 12 Study the Bible to be wise It is packed with revelation, lessons, instruction, and theology. 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 . Fourthly and this is very hard work Read And Practise. 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). in my business life ? P Is there a Prayer to pray or a Priority to change? ", D. L. Moody - "I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible.". Youre attempting to get a sense of the whole before you begin to break down the parts. Your job at this stage is to discover what the author is trying to communicate. Don't deceive yourself! What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; If a Christian is careless in Bible reading, he will care less about Christian living. These might include Bible dictionaries, atlases, concordances and handbooks. You should desire to know Gods Word better so it can change you. A (supernaturally charged and) changed life is the clearest testimony of genuine understanding of the Bible. Or well walk by His side in the way. 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. HWM5q0^5 !EJ8`vC ! To be sure our first goal should be to get into the Bible and then to allow the Bible to get into us. 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. We must meditate upon it. Commentaries are fantastic tools. The person who knows the truth but doesn't act on it is not simply making a mistake or showing poor judgment but he is in sin. However, interpretation can also involve separate actions or steps beyond merely observing the immediate text. 0 :L ), 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. Okay, so what is inductive Bible study, exactly? Next, youll want to figure out what youre going to study. And what did those things mean? S Is there Something to thank or praise God for? endstream endobj 64 0 obj <>>> endobj 65 0 obj >/PageWidthList<0 612.0>>>>>>/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/Properties<>>>/Rotate 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 612.0 792.0]/Type/Page>> endobj 66 0 obj <> endobj 67 0 obj <>stream 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. Christian author Jerry Bridges reminds us that. Memorization is the first step to meditation. John Calvin commenting on proper application wrote thatWe must observe that the knowledge of God which we are invited to cultivate is not that which, resting satisfied with empty speculation, only flutters in the brain; but a knowledge which will prove substantial and fruitful whenever it is duly perceived and rooted in the heart.. We must meditate upon it. These divisions are incredibly convenient. Observe whats there, and document it. (Persevere!). Good Bible study does not happen by accident. Every precept in Scripture may be turned into prayer, and every promise into praise. 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. Some use the term to describe a discussion group, which may discuss the Bible or some other uplifting book. Why did Mark feel this title was necessary on top of calling Jesus the Messiah? Comment: Sins of omission (failing to do what God wants us to do) are sins just as surely as sins of commission (doing what God has told us not to do). -EO{0iB d("o? The more work you do during this part of your study, the better you will do in the rest. Note that the question is not"Is this truth relevant to my life?" The inductive Bible study method is a time-tested way for the layperson to approach studying Scripture. Ruth As questions arise, they give you direction for further reading and study as you seek to answer those questions. 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. During the week he earnestly tried to apply them to his life. 2 Peter +t8HL~Y,/0B_<7)K]JOSTx*=JOlgTx*=kp]un?VHk?Z,u-tglS The third thing I noticed was a bee, just a little bee. If there is a warning to be followed, we heed it. The proper spirit for profitable Bible study is a tender, teachable heart willing to obey the truth and the fruit of this humble approach is an eternally changed life lived to glory of God. How do I propose to carry out these changes? To go on gaining an intellectual knowledge of the Bible without obeying it can be a trap instead of a blessing. But for your study time, its helpful to use them as secondary sources after youve done some preliminary work. 2 Timothy 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. Speak of bringing the Bible down into the vernacular! In Psalm 119:18, David said, "Open my eyes so I can truly see the marvelous things in your . Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, Lay hold on the Bible until the Bible lays hold on you. Zechariah The questions you raise in the interpretation phase might even push you back into the observation phase. So if youre studying Mark, start by reading the entire book. -- David Shepherd, Be alert for the following deceptive dangers regarding application. Its the shortest of the Gospels, and you might have noticed that Mark seems focused on the action and hitting all the significant points. Use this guide to help you lead your small group to encounter Jesus through the three main parts of an inductive Bible study: Observation, Interpretation, Application. 10 Questions the Internet Is Asking about the KJV. Now, think about what the passage tells us that is always true not just in its original setting, but in any time and place. Only in this way can believers grow spiritually. It is still as true today as when Martin Luther first said it that The world does not need a definition of religion as much as it needs a demonstration.. As part of this step, take some time to identify where the beauty of the gospel comes into the passage. Sow a thought, reap an action. This becomes extremely important when youre studying a book with a single prolonged argument, like the Book of Romans. Observation. and then Matthew Sometimes its beneficial to ignore them and consider other ways you might divide the text. For the first question, you might think through your initial reading of Mark. 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. Learn how you can know God personally. Grasp these sweet promises. 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. It also becomes a source of support for you during difficult times. Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. (Ps139:23, 24+; cf. Many of us struggle to wade through the dense lists of commands, genealogies and prophecies in the Old Testament. Notice how Jesus observes the Old Testament text in verse 42, interprets it in verse 44, and applies it in verse 43 (implying that his listeners should believe the truth and make some changes in their lives). Why are we deluded in this way? It can provide you with answers you werent able to come up with on your own, and maybe give you some clues on interpretive techniques and tools in the future. 0000002043 00000 n 0000005006 00000 n Connect: What is God saying (that is always true or that is true to all readers in all settings)? About Gods redemptive plan? (Read the entire sermon - How to Read the Bible), "Our Masters field is full and rich. Its easy to become reliant upon commentary to explain the text to you, and this circumvents many of the benefits of study. So how do we apply any of it, let alone enjoy it. Yogi Berra's advice is appropriate at this juncture -- When you arrive at a fork in the road, take it. 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 what thou readest, thou canst not read too well; The growing numbers of sermon-sippers and seminar-sitters who flit from one doctrinal dessert to another like so many busy, buzzing hummingbirds are most assuredly deceiving themselves unless they are also choosing to assimilate (heed) the truth ("honey" Ps 119:103-note) which they have tasted (cp Jas 1:22, 23, 24+, Jas 1:25+). There is more to Christian growth than knowing what the Bible says; nobody is ever nourished by memorizing menus. 0000000016 00000 n of precise observation, which is essential for accurate interpretation. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What was the result in his life and by way of application what will be the result in our life if we emulate his example? my heart stands in awe of Thy words. God's Word is the flawless discerner, perfectly analyzing our every motive, intention, and belief. What guidance does it offer me in my social intercourse? How is our desire for, time with, and practice of God's living Word growing? Equipping families with practical approaches to parenting and marriage. 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. Again, we feel God's promises to be too high for us, we know He is perfect, and we are vile. The goal is to familiarize yourself with the work as a whole. He never reads the book, but he reads the disciple of Christ, and he judges the Christian religion, by the lives of its professors. If there is a warning to be followed, we heed it. To which he responded "Yes, she translated the Bible into her life, and was the most powerful translation I've ever seen!" Until all on the altar we lay; Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. Partnering with urban churches to meet physical and spiritual needs. You can help us reach children and their families to know Jesus. Take the time to dive into the application step. 74 0 obj <>stream 1. If we fail to apply the Scriptures, we cut short the entire process and have not finished what God wants us to do. 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. 0000000536 00000 n How does he save or provide a way when people are unable? (MacArthur, J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word or Logos). (Jas 4:17+, cp Lk 12:47, 48+, Jn 9:41). The truth of God's Word is always relevant to our life. 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). 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. 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 % Judges Think of it as an appointment that you do not want to miss. 119:160). Reading and studying the Bible are two different practices. While we do His good will, He abides with us still, The good hand of the LORD will be upon us even as it was upon Ezra the scribe! 0000004118 00000 n 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. (How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It - see page 30). We all need to ask ourselves are we studying the Word that we might be more like Jesus or more like the Pharisees? That seems important to delve into deeper. The third rule for our guide should be Read And Apply. In other words every divine revelation demands a determinative response. Try (Ed: in the sense of to test or examine) what you hear; try what you profess; try what you read. 1:20-21). 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)." 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. Not just for information Sometimes there will be figurative language and confusing imagery, but dont start by looking for hidden meaning. Hebrews Home The OIA Bible study method consists of three parts. Although the Bible tells one cohesive story, it does so through the work of many authors who wrote during times hundreds of years apart. Here, you want to go back over the passage and your observations and ask as many questions as you can. 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. 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. We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. 2023 BGEA 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. 2. Believe it to be safe Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. 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. Bible studies include workbooks that help connect you to the ideas of Bible texts. When you take a book like Romans one piece at a time, you can miss the forest for the trees. Refrain, Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet. 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. Sometimes the application will simply be deeper faith and firmer belief. No, even though the town of Bethlehem was only only five miles down the road from Jerusalem. Head knowledge without heart change is not enough and in some ways is even worse than no knowledge. Once you decide how much time you want to commit to studying, put it on your calendar. Connect each passage back to the gospel and the broader message of the Bible. The young prophet Samuel's response to God is a good example. 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). Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?" ( Ps 24:1-3 ). Stout old Martin Luther used to say, All vital religion is in the personal and possessive pronouns. Is it not so? (Keying into the term good news early will help you understand Marks Gospel, as its a critical term that he uses repeatedly.). It isthe act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose. Reading the entire book in one or two sittings is part of the observation process. Inductive Bible Study Observation Interpretation And Application Through The Lenses Of History Literature And Theology is additionally useful. S Is there a Sin to avoid, forsake or confess? 0 Be sure to visit the Precept Ministries International Web site to go deeper into inductive Bible study. Pastor Houghton assiduously applied what he preached. 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. Strip the passage of all the jewels you can find on your own, and then come back through with a commentary. 1. To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Instead of studying by chapter, its smart to look at pericopes. Its good to set aside time for both devotional reading and studying. BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The older we are, the more experienced we become at rationalizing sin. If youve uncovered truth youve not known or understood before, what does it mean for your life, priorities, and decisions now that you do understand it? Will Graham Devotion: A Sacrifice That Costs Nothing Is Worth Nothing. )R z9=_)\_`w0s3^xT{bhi ?%\hMKINZ>0!L ik0%kjDb V >{f NGaE"VU{Z}M-9Eik$oflK pA!~~?\sDNSUke (Lk 11:28+, cp Jn 13:17), D. L. Moody quipped that "Our great problem is the problem of trafficking in unlived truth. meditate and meditate and meditate, Devout meditation on the Word is more important to soul-health even than prayer. Your grandmother translated the Bible?" But meditation is a matter of habit, and we can all be trained into it. What else do I know about the book, author, and broader context of the passage? Like Ezra we should make every effort to handle it accurately and live it out assiduously (with perseverance and care)! One of the pastors startled the group with the declaration that "My grandmother's translation is the best I've ever read." If this were the only passage of the Bible you had access to, what would you learn from it about Gods character and actions? In the third chapter, Matthew tells us about Jesus baptism by John. Apply yourself to the Scriptures Such a person is like the church who had a new pastor who preached the same sermon every Sunday. H. P. Barker has a graphic illustration emphasizing the importance of both knowing and doing the Bibles truths As I looked out into the garden one day, I saw three things. MacArthur, J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word, MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson, Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth by Spurgeon. Spiritual maturity, in which we become more like Christ, comes not just from knowing more about the Bible. You haven't really learned the Word until you live the Word. -- F. B. Meyer, Read it to get the facts, study it to get the meaning, meditate on it to get the benefit. (Mark 1:1, NIV), The purpose of this book is to tell the story of Jesus; its a historical narrative. Habakkuk Numbers 0000003614 00000 n