example of bible study: observation, interpretation application

And what thou readest, thou canst not read too well; Part of this work is supernatural: As you study the Bible, the Holy Spirit reveals truth from the text that applies to your life. The truth of God's Word is always relevant to our life. In the third chapter, Matthew tells us about Jesus baptism by John. How is our desire for, time with, and practice of God's living Word growing? never loses his sense of direction. There are many ways we can study the Bible, but one of the most influential and simple approaches to reading and understanding God's Word involves three simple steps: Step 1: ObservationWhat does the passage say? ", 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. If there is a warning to be followed, we heed it. Ask God that his threats may drive you out of your sins, and drive you to seek pardon in Christ. Ruth The Power of Accurate Observation In Bible Study By Anna Wishart 07/31/2017 Details Bring Meaning God's Word has a lot to communicate. This is where secondary resources become really helpful. Careless Observation You may study it your whole life, and you will never be able to absorb all that it has to teach. 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. Do not read it merely to say, Yes, it is true; very true; I believe its doctrines to be the revelation of the infallible mind of God himself. But endeavour also in reading a page of the Scriptures, always to see how much it belongs to you. And what thou teachest well, thou canst not too well live. We need you. What a glory He sheds on our way! A pericope is a section of the text that forms a complete thought. And that has made all the difference. (Basic Bible Interpretation). in my business life ? Inductive Bible Study method is one of the most effective bible study methods for personal bible study, quiet time or small group bible studies. Nahum 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. Our Goal in Interpreting . Of the three steps of Bible studyobservation, interpretation, and applicationthe middle one is often the most daunting. All four of the Gospels begin differently, but they all come together at the baptism. We are inclined to qualify and modify the precepts of Christ and His claim on the Christian disciple. He pastored Calvary Baptist Church in New York City and later served as president of Chicagos Moody Bible Institute till his death in 1946. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." If we continually learn what we ought to do, but do not do it, we become frustrated and callous. Then you might turn your attention to verses 18 in the first chapter. 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.") In many ways, observation is the base of the Bible study pyramid. Inductive Bible Study Observation Interpretation And Application Through The Lenses Of History Literature And Theology is additionally useful. Are you ready and willing for Gods Word to cut deeply into your own life (reproof), to lay bare the hidden places of your heart, and to do its work of convicting, convincing, and converting your mind in any and every area? 0000008074 00000 n (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! August 5, 2009. You have remained in right site to start getting this info. The goal is that we live holy, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action and that in so doing we are made adequate and equipped for every good ("God") work, which represents only those works He initiates and empowers. Try challenging yourself to come up with 10 observations about a passage, and once youve hit that number, push yourself to come up with five more. Inductive Bible Study is an ideal textbook for courses in biblical interpretation, and for anyone who desires to better understand and teach Scripture. meditate and meditate and meditate, Devout meditation on the Word is more important to soul-health even than prayer. Observation involves reading the text to make simple statements that are true . 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.. It's better to live one verse of the Bible than to recite an entire chapter. 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. 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. How does the truth of this passage apply to my life? When it comes to reading the Bible, these boundaries can hinder your ability to observe what biblical authors are saying. Now that youve come up with questions, its time to do research. Key words and phrases are repeated in order to convey the author's point or purpose for writing. By using the tools included inInductive Bible Study, youll approach Bible study with more depth and understanding. Its the shortest of the Gospels, and you might have noticed that Mark seems focused on the action and hitting all the significant points. To go on gaining an intellectual knowledge of the Bible without obeying it can be a trap instead of a blessing. Its easy to become reliant upon commentary to explain the text to you, and this circumvents many of the benefits of study. J@GD0Q0rqD@!QTTXF1ID>IgIyy;GABp_8;.7_0?\h*4z/Bzc`S!zJP2[VgVM52,6.*0.199QP1T`}G/I(tSE)BQF*jE()*RMq>&}P* Are for them who will trust and obey. So even though you might be familiar with the word Messiah, you might want to focus on Mark and his original audience. O/uE 4l"iI.l#e \c@pZFi7lq?3@hv?7 Il` 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 0000002043 00000 n Just like Matthew, Luke gets to the baptism in the third chapter. 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. 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. 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! It is more focused on the immediate application of the passage to your life. In other words, we must act by faith in what God has shown us from His Word or our hearts can become hardened (cf. Solicitation Disclosure Statement Based on what youve learned, what does this passage mean for you? 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. It consists primarily in picturing up the actual state of things brought before us in our reading, whether it be an incident, a prayer, an exhortation, a proverb, a prophecy. He never reads the book, but he reads the disciple of Christ, and he judges the Christian religion, by the lives of its professors. By Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. Never fear, only trust and obey. The inductive method is an investigative way of studying Scripture that can be used by both new and seasoned students alike. Matthew To know and not to do is not to know at all. There should never be a time when we go to the Scriptures without allowing them to change our lives for the better. William MacDonald explains meditation as follows Christians should meditate on the Word of God (chew the cud) and have a separated walk (the cloven hoof). Write it all down (you can take notes directly in Logos), and once you feel like you have a good idea of whats happening in the text, its time to move on to the next step: interpretation. Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application Through the Lenses of History, Literature, and Theology by Richard Alan Fuhr 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. We try to communicate what weve never experienced in our own lives.". (Mt 7:13, 14+). In His Words: What Billy Graham Once Said About Eternity. Bible study is about digging into the text and pulling out insights. Precept Ministries International was founded by internationally-known Bible teacher Kay Arthur, along with her husband, Jack, with the vision to establish people in Gods Word. About people or human nature? Learning to read andstudy Scriptureis an important part of the Christian life. 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. Cults use the Bible to try to prove views they already have. The mind delights in having the truth presented clearly; the imagination is gratified by its illustration; the feelings are stirred by its application. Don't be like the man who boasted "I go through the entire Bible once every year".Application instead confronts us face to face with the question "How many times has the Bible gone through you?" Is Your Interpretation Supernaturalistic, Naturalistic, Existentialistic, Dogmatic? Which road will you travel? Observation. To which his colleagues exclaimed "What! (Galatians 4:1, New International Version). (Lk 11:28+, cp Jn 13:17), D. L. Moody quipped that "Our great problem is the problem of trafficking in unlived truth. Because ethnicity is part of the good of creation, we seek to honor and celebrate the ethnic identity of those with whom we serve as well as those we seek to reach. When people started complaining, he told the congregation, "I'll preach a new sermon when you act on this one. ", As William Temple said "Every revelation of God is a demand and the way to knowledge of God is by obedience. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. They are to leave behind their assumptions and make a ruling based on the facts alone. 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. Who is allowed to ascend the mountain of the Lord? When you become a Christian, you enter into an exciting, lifelong relationship with the Bible. What Do We Lose When We Forget the Importance of Prayer? If you are made to tremble under Gods Word, you may never be made to tremble under Gods hand. to which the context answers) for (every time you see a "for" at the beginning of a sentence pause and ponder why it's there and remember you can usually substitute the word "because" in place of "for" to help understand the meaning) Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel. While there is only one valid interpretation of a passage, there can be many applications. Obadiah Learn the basics of what Christians believe. HWM5q0^5 !EJ8`vC ! (MacDonald, W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson). Step 3: ApplicationWhat will I do about what the passage says and means? 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. I shall be telling this with a sigh For Inductive Bible study, we don't begin with a topic and then try to find specific verses that make a teaching point. But as helpful as these tools are, theyre not always ideal for personal study. 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. This is the ultimate step: we submit to Scripture and let it transform our lives. If you feel the wrath to come now, you may never have to feel it in the next world. In Psalm 119:18, David said, "Open my eyes so I can truly see the marvelous things in your . As someone has blunted phrased it "Interpretation without application is abortion.". There is always something new to uncover in the Bible. (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. 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. 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. (3) substituting rationalization for repentance. Study the Bible to be wise. We need to be specific here. T Is there a Truth to memorize and meditate upon (Click here)? To pick up the thread of Pauls argument, you need to go back and catch up. So when Mark tells you hes starting at the beginning, its safe to say hes talking about the beginning of Christs ministry. Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. 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. Pretend youre an investigator and youre just gathering the facts. If we study to know but never do, we like Chief Crowfoot will never fully tap into the blessing of, every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. 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. We may hear words like "hermeneutics" (the science of interpretation) or "exegesis" (critical explanation or interpretation of a text) and think interpretation is something best left to experts. Proverbs With Logos Fundamentals, youll find the truth for yourselfno matter what questions arise as you study the Word. And when we do, like the bee, we will find that we never go away from God's Word empty. What is the cultural and/or historical context of this passage? (John 17:3), Heart appropriation, not merely head apprehension, is the true goal of Bible study. Not to make us smarter sinners 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.. Bible study is meant not merely to inform but to transform and renew our mind. If there is a warning to be followed, we heed it. In Observation and Interpretation we study God's Word, but in Application, God's Word "studies" us! Thus, interpretation flows out of observation. 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.". If we fail to apply the Scriptures, we cut short the entire process and have not finished what God wants us to do. But to make us more like our Savior. Philippians Inductive Bible study students should strive to be men and women like Ezra whose pattern was to teach the truth that he had put into practice. 2 Corinthians Striving to see Christ-followers on every team, in every sport and in every nation. But for your study time, its helpful to use them as secondary sources after youve done some preliminary work. Keeping some form of journal will allow you to go back and review what God has been teaching you. Here are 14 important reasons to read it. Ezekiel When the attitude of our heart reflects a readiness to hear and respond, the text of the Bible comes alive. To be sure our first goal should be to get into the Bible and then to allow the Bible to get into us. 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. The word of God reveals to us our true selves. Let me ask you a serious question -- How often do you study the Word with no intention whatsoever of obeying it?

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