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It is unified in all its parts and will never contradict itself (Ps. Goes the way, O/uE 4l"iI.l#e \c@pZFi7lq?3@hv?7 Il` Permissions (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. Are for them who will trust and obey. In other words, am I applying this truth? If a Christian is careless in Bible reading, he will care less about Christian living. 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. Live in another country building relationships and ministries with eternal impact. 2 Samuel Mark says hes starting at the beginning. Coleridge once said that, if we wish to make old truths fresh, we must turn them into action. T Is there a Truth to memorize and meditate upon (Click here)? Some are always looking out for other peoples duty, and are great judges and critics for what others ought to do. Acronym to Aid Application. When you take a book like Romans one piece at a time, you can miss the forest for the trees. Not to make us smarter sinners The goal of Bible study is not simply to determine what it says and what it means, but in the final analysis to apply it to one's life. trailer Youre attempting to get a sense of the whole before you begin to break down the parts. What is the cultural and/or historical context of this passage? (Persevere!). How can we know what parts of the Bible apply to us today? Hebrews Logos is the largest developer of tools that empower Christians to go deeper in the Bible. One of the best things about studying Gods Word is that you can come back to a book youve already studied in the past and discover all-new insights. Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. (Read the entire sermon - How to Read the Bible), "Our Masters field is full and rich. Romans How does the truth of this passage apply to my life? 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. We need you. How does he save or provide a way when people are unable? Its an exciting, action-packed book, but its short enough to read front to back in about an hour. What we believe about the gospel and our call to serve every nation. For one thing people mistake the pleasure they have in hearing the Word of God for Christianity and worship. Joshua The Bible is an inexhaustible mine of precious gems. In a very real sense we are giving our brain a bath; we are washing it in the purifying solution of Gods Word (cp Ep 5:26-note). ), A T Pierson said that "While other books inform, and some few reform, this one book transforms. It can provide details and facts that you do not yet have the capacity or training to pick up on your own. 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! Maybe youre reading Matthew 5:13: You are the salt of the earth. 0000001036 00000 n 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. Now, think about what the passage tells us that is always true not just in its original setting, but in any time and place. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it. to my own life and destiny and relation to God? Until all on the altar we lay; Inductive Bible study draws its conclusions from the text, not our assumptions. One of the best ways to study the Bible is through "inductive" study. Observation Tips What are some tips to help with observation? This video series demonstrates how to perform inductive Bible study using the Logos Bible app thats free for web, mobile, or desktop. And what thou understandest well, thou canst not too well teach; tie. Scripture interprets Scripture. 5 Basic Bible Study Techniques You Should Never Ignore, How to Study a Psalm: Essential Steps for Starting Right, How to Identify a Passages Repeated Words in Seconds, 10 Tips for Getting Started with Inductive Bible Study, Inductive Bible Study Is Not Just for Adults, The Laymans Bible Study Notebook: An Inductive Bible Study, Inductive Bible Study: A Comprehensive Guide to the Practices of Hermeneutics, Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application Through the Lenses of History, Literature, and Theology, The Definitive Guide to Bible Commentaries: Types, Perspectives, and Use. Many of them include commentary at the bottom of the page or in the margins. Inductive Bible study is one reliable way. ", James warned that "to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin." The world desperately needs to see the Word's miracle-working power at work in our own lives as living proof! You can discuss this post and others in the Faithlife Today group. /+X$!acR\Y[/EC%D @2ADk0uHha3j^ 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? 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? Dont twist Scripturemeaning, dont manipulate the text to get it to say something youd like for it to say. We all need to ask ourselves are we studying the Word that we might be more like Jesus or more like the Pharisees? (Ps 119:161). 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. In other words every divine revelation demands a determinative response. How do I propose to carry out these changes? Is there any significance to the fact that Mark does not need to explain what that title means? Their righteousness was external, based on facts and devoid of personal response. Take care, nonetheless, to seek for the application of precepts. Bible study is about digging into the text and pulling out insights. 2 Timothy It is packed with revelation, lessons, instruction, and theology. 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. In His Words: What Billy Graham Once Said About Eternity. Application takes place as you are confronted with the truth and you respond to that truth in obedience (in faith). 0000004118 00000 n The heart that stands in awe of God's word is armed against the temptations that arise from persecution (A good application). Bible studies include workbooks that help connect you to the ideas of Bible texts. acquire the Inductive Bible Study Observation Interpretation And Application Through The Lenses Of History Literature And Theology join that we . Revelation, Search Wikipedia using spiritual discretion, Authority of God's Word - study on 2Timothy 3:16-17, Ezra 7:10 - Exposition of the "Ezra 7:10 Principle", A Primer on the Lost Art of Biblical Meditation. 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.. Genesis The world will learn better, and will more likely be brought to know Christ when the lives of Christians are better, and when the Bible of the Christian Life shall be more in, accordance with the Bible of Christian doctrine. When you become a Christian, you enter into an exciting, lifelong relationship with the Bible. In observation, you were asking the question, What did I see? In interpretation, you ask, What does it mean? If you have not done a thorough job in the exploration phase, the interpretation phase can be difficult. Stout old Martin Luther used to say, All vital religion is in the personal and possessive pronouns. Is it not so? OF INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY. When people started complaining, he told the congregation, "I'll preach a new sermon when you act on this one. Such a person is like the church who had a new pastor who preached the same sermon every Sunday. If there is a promise to be embraced, we claim it. The older we are, the more experienced we become at rationalizing sin. Sow a character, reap a destiny! R4`:|ut\#jDAh]Y1]|{ >^*8"I+ +N-rjiSS-Q*c9eF,xyV]%^p]=dG- J&naSP 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. Strip the passage of all the jewels you can find on your own, and then come back through with a commentary. Head knowledge without heart change is not enough and in some ways is even worse than no knowledge. As we search the Scriptures, we must allow them to search us, to sit in judgement upon our character and conduct. If you are made to tremble under Gods Word, you may never be made to tremble under Gods hand. Bible Study Principles Again, our METHOD of reading, searching, and study must involve very precise OBSERVATION, which is absolutely necessary to accurate INTERPRETATION! Kay Arthur on Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation & Application,Christy Tennant - Read more about spiritual life growth, Christian living, and faith. 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. When youre first getting started with studying the Bible, its important to set some realistic goals for yourself. We are either a little more sweetened or a little more hardened. 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. Have I overlooked anything or made any assumptions? Were so used to being exposed to chapters and verses that we lose sight of an authors intention for the whole book. 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)? Once you know what the passage means (interpretation), you are responsible to put it into practice in your own life. Judges They do not seem very ancient. Refrain And if at any time, when we study the Word, we have not this design expressly in our minds, yet if upon the discovery of any truth we endeavor not to have the likeness of it in our own hearts, we lose our principal advantage by it (John Owen). Internship opportunities with Cru's ministries. 0 :L We build up a reservoir of responses so that whenever the truth gets too convicting, weve got a multiplicity of reasons why it applies to everyone else but us! Its what everything else is built upon. Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." Fourthly and this is very hard work Read And Practise. Therefore, it is vital that you develop observation skills which might, at first, seem difficult, laborious, and time-consuming. We may find something in every passage which comes before us both to pray over and to thank God over. This is not the fruit of slavish fear, but of holy love; it is not afraid of the Word, but delighting in it, as it discovers the mind of God to us; as in the next verse it is written, "I rejoice at Thy word." And how does it show God redeeming that brokenness? 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. He knoweth what we have need of before we ask, but He expects us to ask all the same. As part of this step, take some time to identify where the beauty of the gospel comes into the passage. (Ps139:23, 24+; cf. 1:20-21). Reflecting Jesus together for the good of the city. What guidance does it offer me in my social intercourse? Avoid the temptation to try to make the text mean anything just yet. (1Ti 4:8+, 1Ti 4:9, 10+). What other Scripture passages might help me better interpret this one? Ezekiel This is always a powerful application of Scripture. Thus, interpretation flows out of observation. Its the shortest of the Gospels, and you might have noticed that Mark seems focused on the action and hitting all the significant points. 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. You can find the Inductive Bible Study Workflow (with five other Workflows and many other Bible Study tools) inLogos Starter. startxref 0e]y]ZU~P/^a53if5}Jk9$9t]ccc}.kw9H6`T5jN`=94jk:U>}a:P5p/]luu D_Ek!*Vwii][S9}mB=J\ueJJkf3mm8]g#pbmw6[PP? 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. Part of this work is supernatural: As you study the Bible, the Holy Spirit reveals truth from the text that applies to your life. Identify chapter themes Read about individuals who have been transformed by faith. In many ways, observation is the base of the Bible study pyramid. What else do I know about the book, author, and broader context of the passage? If we fail to apply the Scriptures, we cut short the entire process and have not finished what God wants us to do. 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. Commentaries are fantastic tools. Just make sure it's the one based on careful observation and accurate interpretation! Many of us struggle to wade through the dense lists of commands, genealogies and prophecies in the Old Testament. 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. Too often, people jump into the Bible and start connecting before theyve done the challenging work of examining all there is to see. 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. The whole Bible tells the story of how God, in his grace and mercy, comes to the rescue of rebellious people living in a broken world. (He 4:12, 13-see notes He 4:12; 13). Use your hobbies and interests to find the best place for you to serve. They are to leave behind their assumptions and make a ruling based on the facts alone. 2 Kings May we all seek to so diligently apply what we observe and interpret that we see "the world turned upside down.". We study to gain knowledge so we know how to live our lives in light of what weve learned. What kind of flavor and preserving qualities do I bring to my circle of influence? Maybe this question will lead you to pray for God to show you ways to help others and make some resolutions about things that youd like to change. You too can try and prove God's wonder-working precious and magnificent promises that provide everything needed for life and godliness -- but only if you seek to apply them to your life. Leave not off reading the Bible till you find your hearts warmed. 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. Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application through the Lenses of History, Literature, and Theology (9781433684142) by Richard Alan Fuhr Jr., Andreas J. Kostenberger Apply: How do I respond to what God is saying? Its easy to become reliant upon commentary to explain the text to you, and this circumvents many of the benefits of study. Inductive Bible study is a practical, relevant, and time-tested approach to interpreting Scripture. Is it because of ignorance, rebellion or indifference? For more on studying the Bible on your own or with others check out our Bible Studies resources. August 5, 2009. Application begins with belief We must adjust ourselves to the Bible Toll Free: 1-877-247-2426. It will walk you through each step of inductive bible studies in details. )R z9=_)\_`w0s3^xT{bhi ?%\hMKINZ>0!L ik0%kjDb V >{f NGaE"VU{Z}M-9Eik$oflK pA!~~?\sDNSUke It is the supernatural, progressive revelation of who God is and man's relationship to God. Bible study is intentionally digging into a passage of Scripture and using various interpretive techniques to understand what the author is saying. What did that word mean to them, and what kinds of feelings and hopes did it invoke? Yogi Berra's advice is appropriate at this juncture -- When you arrive at a fork in the road, take it. We will not fully comprehend the extent of the "return on our investment" until we enter Paradise and stand before our Lord at His bema (judgment) seat. While there is only one valid interpretation of a passage, there can be many applications. The intercession of Abraham for Sodom, the prayer of Abraham's servant, the wrestling of Jacob, the pleadings of Moses, the strong crying of David, the spiritual conflicts of Elijah, Jonah and Jeremiah, the public and formal prayers of Solomon and Ezra, and the secret confessions of Danielall are the outpourings of hearts like our own. Learn how you can know God personally. However, interpretation can also involve separate actions or steps beyond merely observing the immediate text. 74 0 obj <>stream 0000005006 00000 n There is something incredibly rewarding about mining those nuggets of truth for yourself. An Example of Interpretation Revelation 13:1-10. The more honest question is"Am I ready and willing believe this truth and to apply it in my life? Have some fun taking various quizzes and assessments to learn about yourself and others. Do not be afraid to ask hard or silly questions. A Silly yet Serious When we obey the Word we are demonstrating the reality of our love for the Lord (our obedience is motivated by love not legalism!) meditate and meditate and meditate, Devout meditation on the Word is more important to soul-health even than prayer. The precious promises lie in front of you. They had mastered the Old Testament, but they were never mastered by the truth itself. The following books are a great place to learn more about this simple methodology: Kay Arthurs inductive method has helped millions of people learn how to study the Bible for themselves. That seems important to delve into deeper. Its good to set aside time for both devotional reading and studying. It also becomes a source of support for you during difficult times. 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. Not just for knowledge, but much more-- This fundamental step must be taken if one desires to accurately interpret and properly apply God's Word. Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, 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. Deuteronomy Needless to say, the group of pastors got the point! (MacArthur, J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word or Logos). Commentaries can be incredibly useful and powerful tools, but be wise about how you incorporate them into your study. 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. For example, Psalm 24 says, "The Lord owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it. 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? 8. After making these connections, you should be able to identify some of the big truths that the passage offers every reader throughout time. and how much we really believe what we have observed. Luke + %%EOF HLTkXw: Remember that the more time spent in observation, the less time you will spend in interpretation, the more accurate the interpretation and the more appropriate the application. When applied properly, the inductive method will provide a better overall understanding of a passagewhat it says, what it meant to its original audience, and what it means today. As you make it your practice to study God's Word, you will experience the joy of having Him directly unveil His truth and reveal His purpose in your life. +t8HL~Y,/0B_<7)K]JOSTx*=JOlgTx*=kp]un?VHk?Z,u-tglS (Josh 1:8-note). It is more focused on the immediate application of the passage to your life. -- F. B. Meyer, Read it to get the facts, study it to get the meaning, meditate on it to get the benefit. Start with the obvious. James (The blessing of God is integrally related to your response to the revelation of God. ), 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. 9. The old saying regarding application is true that the same Word that afflicts the comfortable, also provides comfort for the afflicted! 6. Thirdly, we seek to link the spirit of the passage with our own personal experience of things human and Divine. Bringing hope and resources to military families worldwide. By And what thou teachest well, thou canst not too well live. Read the Bible as a man reads his relations will, to find what legacy there is in it for himself.