Title: How to Study The Bible: The Inductive Method
1How to Study The BibleThe Inductive Method
- Foundations of Knowing Him
- Crossroads Bible Church
- Spring 2004
2 - I would rather lay my soul asoak in half a
dozen verses all day long than I would, as it
were, rinse my hands in several chapters. Oh, to
bathe in a text of Scripture and to let it be
sucked up into your very soul til it saturates
your heart. The man who has read many books it
not always a learned man, but he is a strong man
who has read three or four books over and over
til he has mastered them. Set your heart upon
God's Word! It is the only way to know it
thoroughly let your whole nature be plunged into
it as cloth into a dye. - - Charles Spurgeon
3What is the Inductive Method?
The Inductive Method is a systematic process of
observing, interpreting, and applying Scripture.
4Why use the Inductive Method?
- 1. Its aim is transformation, not information
- The aim of our charge is love that issues from
a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere
faith (1 Tim. 15) - 2. It gets you re-reading and musing over the
text, which helps memorization - 3. Its applicable to every encounter with Gods
word (hearing sermons, meditation, etc.) - 4. It structures your study and organizes your
thoughts - 5. It deepens our love for God and dependence on
Gods Spirit to teach us His Word
5Observation Overview
Identification Investigation
Emphasized Who?
Repeated What?
Related When?
Alike Where?
Unlike Why?
True to Life How?
6Identification Overview
Emphasized Amount of space, stated purpose, order, climax, progression, imperatives, conclusion (therefore)
Repeated Terms, phrases, clauses, thoughts, characters, events, patterns, OT quote
Related General to specific, QA (rhetorical and regular), cause/effect, conditional statements (if/then), negative/positive, idea/explanation, action/manner
Alike Similes, metaphors, comparisons
Unlike Contrasts, irony
True to life Problems, goals, emotions (ask how does this relate to my experience?)
7Investigation Overview
Who? Characters, names, pronouns
What? Main point, cultural issues, argument, etc.
When? Time, year, season, special days (festivities, etc.)
Where? Location, geography, origination, destination
Why? Purpose, choice of words vs. others, timing of teaching
How? Adverbs, way to obey, procedures
8Practice
- Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
- Matthew 1413-21
- What do you see?
9Matthew 14 13-21
- Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from
there in a boat to a desolate place by himself.
But when the crowds heard it, they followed him
on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore
he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on
them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was
evening, the disciples came to him and said,
"This is a desolate place, and the day is now
over send the crowds away to go into the
villages and buy food for themselves." 16 But
Jesus said, "They need not go away you give them
something to eat." 17 They said to him, "We
have only five loaves here and two fish." 18
And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19 Then
he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass,
and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he
looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he
broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples,
and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20
And they all ate and were satisfied. And they
took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces
left over. 21 And those who ate were about
five thousand men, besides women and children.
10Observation Pointers
- Record your observations. Think with a pen
(Jonathan Edwards). - Dont skip observation because youll risk
interpreting poorly and applying dangerously. - Dont be discouraged if you dont know how to
answer your observation questions. Your first
task is just to answer, what do I see? - The better your observation, the better your
interpretation, and the better your application.
11How to Study The BibleThe Inductive
MethodStep 2 Interpretation
- Foundations of Knowing Him
- Crossroads Bible Church
- Spring 2004
12 -
- It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't
understand that bother me, it is the parts that I
do understand. - - Mark Twain
13Definition Game!
exposition
exegesis
hermeneutics
dynamic equivalence
Tanakh
formal equivalence
canon
Koine
Total of all the books regarded by the Christian Church as belonging to the Bible
Translation principle aiming for a thought for thought translation
Analysis of a Biblical text to determine its meaning
Explanation and description
Translation principle aiming for a word for word translation
Dialect of Greek that the NT was written in
Jewish title for Hebrew Bible (the churchs OT)
Science of the interpretation of literature
14Translations
Which do I use?
ESV English Standard Version
NASB New American Standard Bible
RSV Revised Standard Version
NIV New International Version
KJV King James Version
NKJV New King James Version
TNIV Todays New International Version
15Evaluating Translations
- Overall goal Transparency to the original text
- a. Faithful to the original languages (does not
change what it says) - b. Presents itself in modern language with
literary beauty
16Translation Spectrum
Dynamic
Formal
word for word
NASB
ESV
thought for thought
NLT
NIV
17Interpretation Overview
Learn
Interpretation
What does it mean?
Consultation
Culture
Comparison
Context
Content
Looking
Learning
18The Holy Spirit and the Word
1. The apostles delivered the NT not from their
interpretation, but directly from revelation by
God. (1 Cor. 13132 Pt. 120) 2. We also can
(and need to) rely on Gods Spirit to illumine
our minds and hearts to fully grasp Scripture.
(Psa. 11933 2 Tim. 27)
19Key One Content
Content The important observations and summarizations from the text Gather observations, and pick important questions from you investigation to answer. Also, write a preliminary summary of the text youre studying.
20Practice Content
- Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
- Matthew 1413-21
- What does it mean?
21Key Two Context
Context The text before and after the text of study Read the text before and after the one youre studying. Observe it what light does it shed on what youre trying to understand? Consider what bearing the context has in many areas literary, historical, cultural, geographic, theological, etc.
22Practice Context
- Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
- Matthew 1413-21
- What does it mean?
23Key Three Comparison
Comparison Other relevant Scripture In a phrase, interpret Scripture with Scripture. Gods Word does not contradict but support itself. Look for other texts on the same subject, and see what they have to say.
24Practice Comparison
- Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
- Matthew 1413-21
- What does it mean?
25Key Four Culture
Culture The customs and manners of that time period and location The Bible was written in a completely different society than ours, with its own set of values, customs, manners, and so on. Interpret your text through the eyes of the original audience.
26Key Five Consultation
Consultation Other secondary sources pertaining to the text Those believers truly gifted in teaching and related areas have produced a legion amount of helpful material. Much of this material is now available online tool.
27Practice Culture and Consultation
- Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
- Matthew 1413-21
- What does it mean?
28Matthew 14 13-21
- Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from
there in a boat to a desolate place by himself.
But when the crowds heard it, they followed him
on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore
he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on
them and healed their sick. 15 Now when it was
evening, the disciples came to him and said,
"This is a desolate place, and the day is now
over send the crowds away to go into the
villages and buy food for themselves." 16 But
Jesus said, "They need not go away you give them
something to eat." 17 They said to him, "We
have only five loaves here and two fish." 18
And he said, "Bring them here to me." 19 Then
he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass,
and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he
looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he
broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples,
and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20
And they all ate and were satisfied. And they
took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces
left over. 21 And those who ate were about
five thousand men, besides women and children.
29Interpretation Pointers
- Ask, what barriers are blocking my understanding
of this passage? Be aware of fear of change or
of conviction (like we saw in Mark Twains
quote). - Check out online resources (links will be posted
online) - Ask your spouse to hold you accountable to
growing in inductive Bible Study - Dont skip observation and go right to
commentaries they have great value but not
before observation.
30How to Study The BibleThe Inductive
MethodStep 3 Application
- Foundations of Knowing Him
- Crossroads Bible Church
- Spring 2004
31- "Nobody ever outgrows Scripture the book widens
and deepens with our years." - - Charles Spurgeon
32Gods Interest
- Why is God utterly concerned with your
application?
Our Sake His Sake Hes glorified!
Perseverance Matt. 724-27 Refuge, Safe haven, Rock, Fortress
Happiness (blessing) Rev. 227, Psa. 1 Fountain of life, Giver of good, Joyful
Eternal security (assurance of salvation) 2 John 19, Matt. 721-23, Luke 815 Peaceful, Helpful, Holy, Faithful
Fulfill our destiny Eph. 210, John 1516 Sovereign, Omniscient, Secure, Goodness
Escape sins destructive effects 1 Thess. 18-9, 1 Cor. 1130 Wrathful, Righteousness
33Christ and Our Obedience
1. Nothing tells more about our relationship
with Christ than application Whoever has my
commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves
me. 2. Application is the channel for us to
experience Christ more And he who loves me
will be loved by my Father. And I will love him
and manifest myself to him.
34Typical, Bad Substitutions
- Interpretation for application (doctrine for
doing) - Superficial obedience to substantive life-change
- Rationalization for repentance
- Emotional experience for volitional decision
- Conviction for change
- Talk for walk
- Busyness for obedience
35Application Questions
- Is there an example for me to follow?
- Is there a sin to avoid?
- Is there a promise to claim?
- Is there a prayer to repeat?
- Is there a command to obey?
- Is there a condition to meet?
- Is there a verse to memorize?
- Is there an error to mark?
- Is there a challenge to face?
-
36Application Areas
- People
- Work
- ministry
- coworkers
- Neighbors
- Family
- Other acquaintances
- Enemies
- People who annoy/aggravate you
- Church
- Community
- Those in need
World
- World
- Nation
- outside U.S.
- unreached people groups
- politics
- government
- missionaries
Friends
- Me
- thoughts (belief system)
- attitudes
- actions
- emotions
Me
God
37More Info
- Living by the Book
- By
- Howard Hendricks and William Hendricks