Inductive Bible Study Observation Bible Chant: Psalms 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Last week I mentioned that for the next four weeks, I am going to show you how to feed yourself. I mentioned that I am convinced that God has called you first to trust in Him and then to mature in Him. I believe that only through personally interacting with His Word will you truly grow towards maturity. Bible study methods: 1. Teacher Learner 2. Commentaries and guides 3. Inductive Bible Study Inductive Bible Study Uses the Bible itself as the primary source of information about the Bible. Requires you to slow down and really look at what the Scripture is saying. Allows you to have personal interaction with the Scriptures and thus with God Broken down into three parts 1. Observation What does the passage say? a. So often we read the Bible with our eyes and not with our mind. i. Magical impression ii. Don t believe we can understand iii. Waiting to be fed 2. Interpretation What does the passage mean? a. Flows out of observation b. Don t rush into it i. Presuppositions It s not what you think, what you feel or what others have said. c. Let scripture interpret scripture 3. Application How does the meaning of the passage apply to me? a. You are accountable to the application b. Happens when you are confronted with the truth i. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ii. [16] All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Accurate interpretation and correct application rest on the accuracy of your observation. So let s learn how to observe.
Acts 1:18 With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. The rule of context - Observe the book as a whole. Remember that the book was written by someone to someone at some time. (More on this next week) 1. Begin with prayer a. Apart from the Holy Spirit, this is only a method. b. John 16:13-15 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (14) He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. (15) All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. 2. Identify the context a. Context always rules the interpretation b. Con-text That which goes with the text c. The words, phrases and sentences that surround the words, phrases and sentences d. Also expands to paragraphs, chapters, books, testaments and ultimately the whole Bible e. Illustration Trunk (Tree, swimming, suitcase, car, elephant) i. As I was driving, I saw what appeared to be a pair of trunks. ii. As I got closer, I realized they were huge and waiving in the air. iii. As I began to panic, I remembered something I was taught once. iv. Never run in the same direction as the elephant, always run perpendicular. f. What is the observation? i. Pair of trunks ii. Huge and waiving in the air iii. Reached for my gun iv. Mention of the elephant. 3. Observe the obvious a. Look at the things that are easy to see i. People, places and events b. Jigsaw puzzle i. Start with the pieces that are easy to identify and then work on the less obvious. 4. Deal with the text objectively a. Let the text speak for itself b. Truth and context never change c. Don t neglect it s subjectivity as well i. God speaks to us personally through His Word 5. Read with a purpose a. Interrogate the text like a detective b. 5 W s and an H i. Who 1. Who wrote it? Who said it? To whom is the author writing/speaking?
ii. What 1. What are the main events? What are the people like? What does he talk about the most? iii. When 1. When was it written? When will it happen? When did he say it? iv. Where 1. Where was this done? Where was it said? v. Why 1. Why did it need to be said/written? Why was it mentioned? vi. How 1. How did it happen? How is this truth illustrated? c. John 7:1 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. i. Who is this about? 1. Jesus ii. What was he doing? 1. Walking iii. Where was he walking? 1. Galilee, not Judea iv. Why was he not in Judea? 1. Kill him v. When was this taking place? 1. After these things? vi. What things? 1. Previous verse d. H is not identified. Answer as many questions as you can. Getting the big picture Start with a short book (Cheerios) Johan is a great place to start. 1. Pray 2. Read and re-read 3. Identify the type of literature Poetry is different than the historical books a. Historical Genesis b. Biographical Luke c. Poetic Psalms d. Proverbial Proverbs e. Prophetic Revelation f. Epistle (letter) 2 Timothy g. Combination Daniel (Historical and prophetic) 4. Let the text speak for itself 5. 5 W s and an H 6. Discover facts about people and events
a. Identify obvious names i. 5 W s and an H ii. Don t forget pronouns b. Identify the obvious events i. Genesis 1 11 1. Genesis 1 Creation of the world 2. Genesis 3 Temptation of eve and man s disobedience 3. Genesis 6 10 The flood ii. Genesis 12 50 1. Abraham 2. Isaac 3. Jacob 4. Joseph iii. 5 W s and an H 7. Mark key words and phrases a. Key words are words that are vital to understanding the meaning of the text. b. Often repeated c. Don t forget synonyms i. Suffering 1. Chains (1:16) 2. Hardship (2:3,9) 3. Persecution (3:11) d. Look for key phrases i. Judges 1. then the sons of Israel again did evil 2. There was no king in Israel, and every man did what was right in his own eyes e. Key word and phrases identify the theme 8. Look for contrasts, comparisons, terms of conclusion and expressions of time a. Contrast But, however and nevertheless i. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. b. Comparison Like and as i. 2 Timothy 2:3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. c. Expression of time Then, after this, until, and when i. 2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. d. Terms of conclusion and result Therefore, for, so that and for this reason i. 2 Timothy 1:7-8 For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. (8) Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our
Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,