Apply: How do I respond to what God is saying? (John Calvin), Gods Word can only produce growth in soil "fertilized" by obedience. Your goal in observation is to notice as much as possible. 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.". John Are we spiritual or are we natural? Now, think about what the passage tells us that is always true not just in its original setting, but in any time and place. The better you know the Bibles teachings, the more grounded your faith becomes. Haggai Learning to read andstudy Scriptureis an important part of the Christian life. What a glory He sheds on our way! Have I overlooked anything or made any assumptions? Explore resources to help you live out your life and relationships in a way that honors God. Thresh them by meditation. and then shall we find the benefit and advantage designed thereby, and shall at last attain the happiness therein promised and assured to us.". 2. If you want to discover what these authors have to tell you, youll have to do some work. Refrain, Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet. (Col 1:28, 29-See notes Col 1:28; 1:29), The basis for application is 2 Timothy 3:16. Matthew Mark key words and phrases (see figure on page five) A key word is one that is essential to the text. 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. There are three basic approaches to Bible interpretation: A. Now that weve observed and interpreted what the passage has to say, its time to talk about what it means for us. Both reflect what is really there. About Gods redemptive plan? 119:160). Armed with that knowledge, youre ready to start thinking about how to apply what youve read. 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. Take care, nonetheless, to seek for the application of precepts. Once we know what a passage means we are responsible to live it out. ", D. L. Moody - "I never saw a useful Christian who was not a student of the Bible.". The OIA Bible study method consists of three parts. Some passages will not have a clear application. Inductive Bible Study method is one of the most effective bible study methods for personal bible study, quiet time or small group bible studies. 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)? 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. ((this mirror = Gods Word = unique for it shows our inner nature as a regular mirror shows our exterior. --Hess, Robert Cook wisely advises that we should "Never leave a passage of Scripture until it has said something to you." + 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. 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. We need to be honest with ourselves at this point. Below I have written a simplified step-by-step guide . The more honest question is"Am I ready and willing believe this truth and to apply it in my life? Romans Thats the kind of serious-minded response to truth application calls for. Be careful not to simply amass the kind of knowledge that puffs up (1 Corinthians 8:1). Puritan Thomas Manton comments thatThere is an awe of the Word, not that makes us shy of it, but tender of violating it, or doing anything contrary to it. Jesus emphasized this important truth again in John 17 declaring. 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.. 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? In other words every divine revelation demands a determinative response. Kay Arthur on Inductive Bible Study: Observation, Interpretation & Application,Christy Tennant - Read more about spiritual life growth, Christian living, and faith. If a servant were to hear but not do, how quickly the judgment would be given. There are great apps out there, like YouVersion, that allow you to set reminders for yourself to get into Gods Word. All action presupposes prayer, and all prayer ought to lead on to action. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable (useful, advantageous, helpful,) for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (see notes 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Every time we encounter spiritual truth, we need to seek to apply that truth to our lives. Avoid the temptation to try to make the text mean anything just yet. 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. Before the Word of God can bring change to our world, it must first change our life. What is the key to applying the Bible to my life? These might include Bible dictionaries, atlases, concordances and handbooks. Until all on the altar we lay; 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. What guidance does it offer me in my social intercourse? Just like Matthew, Luke gets to the baptism in the third chapter. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, 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). Application begins with belief Habakkuk (1) Substituting interpretation for application as did the Pharisees; (2) substituting superficial obedience for substantial life-change and. Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, He knoweth what we have need of before we ask, but He expects us to ask all the same. Nahum The Bible helps you understand God and His relationship with humanity. tie. THE ERROR IN THE "FORK" IN THE ROAD 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. After making these connections, you should be able to identify some of the big truths that the passage offers every reader throughout time. Its helpful to take a funnel approach to the book youre reading. As mentioned earlier, its easy to become dependent on them. Bible study is meant not merely to inform but to transform and renew our mind. in my dealings with the world ? It went in empty every time and came out full (A. Naismith, 1200 Notes, Quotes and Anecdotes [Chicago: Moody, 1962], p. But His smile quickly drives it away; A key discipline for good study is not to be too quick to fall back on what you think you know. In short, as John MacArthur says "Bible study is not complete until we ask ourselves, What does this mean for my life and how can I practically apply it?, We must take the knowledge we have gained from our reading and interpretation and draw out the practical principles that apply to our personal lives. Jonah In most respects they might have been written in our own life-time. 0000004118 00000 n Be sure to visit the Precept Ministries International Web site to go deeper into inductive Bible study. Or well walk by His side in the way. 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. 2 Corinthians James The purpose of exploring and connecting is to apply what the Bible teaches to your life. 1 Jn 1:7, 8, 9; Pr 28:13), (2) Response of faith: One of our reasons for meditating on the Word is to develop and build our faith. If you read, He that believeth on him is not condemned, if you believe not then you are condemned already, because you have not believed in the Son of God. The inductive study process involves three steps: observation, interpretation and application. Look at Matthew 21:42-44 as an example. Step 3: ApplicationWhat will I do about what the passage says and means? After studying the importance of salt to first-century Judean people, you would have a clear picture of its significance to Jesus original audience. R4`:|ut\#jDAh]Y1]|{ >^*8"I+ +N-rjiSS-Q*c9eF,xyV]%^p]=dG- J&naSP 3:7f+, He 4:2+), (3) Response of obedience: Genuine faith will obey. 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)." Yogi Berra's advice is appropriate at this juncture -- When you arrive at a fork in the road, take it. Click To Tweet Inductive Bible Study 1 Kings Bible Study Observation Interpretation And Application Through The Lenses Of History Literature And Theology is universally compatible following any devices to read. So when Mark tells you hes starting at the beginning, its safe to say hes talking about the beginning of Christs ministry. For example, Psalm 24 says, "The Lord owns the earth and all it contains, the world and all who live in it. Lamentations What does this passage teach that is still as true today as it was when it was written? Are the "thoughts and intentions of our heart" spiritual thoughts and intentions or only natural thoughts and intentions? 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. Its good to set aside time for both devotional reading and studying. Will Graham Devotion: Paralyzed by Uncertainty? While there is only one valid interpretation of a passage, there can be many applications. 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. 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! 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! Galatians 63 0 obj <> endobj We need to be specific here. The real authority of their view is always some single leader who has his or her ideas in writing. (Lk 11:28+, cp Jn 13:17), D. L. Moody quipped that "Our great problem is the problem of trafficking in unlived truth. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. Did they know where the Messiah was to be born? Absolutely. Ask the Lord to show you your interest, in every truth, and; do not be satisfied until you have an assured personal interest therein. As someone has blunted phrased it "Interpretation without application is abortion.". It might be tempting to stop at the interpretation phase, but youll be selling yourself and Scripture short if you do. Ask God that his threats may drive you out of your sins, and drive you to seek pardon in Christ. The ideal combination is to read the word and then heed it expeditiously and implicitly. 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. Answers to questions on donations, financial policies, Crus annual report and more. Inaccurate Interpretation, Robert Frost in his poem "Road Not Taken" writes in his last stanza. You haven't really learned the Word until you live the Word. In Gods mind, knowledge without obedience is sin. For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, 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. The third rule for our guide should be Read And Apply. We try to communicate what weve never experienced in our own lives.". Acts P Is there a Prayer to pray or a Priority to change? 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? Let's face it, most of us have a built-in "early-warning system" against spiritual change and the moment truth gets too close and too convicting, an alarm goes off and we begin to defend ourselves. Think of it as an appointment that you do not want to miss. 0000002043 00000 n 0000000536 00000 n (How to study the English Bible), SPACE PETS ", The goal of Inductive Bible study is 0000000925 00000 n Right here, we have countless book Inductive Bible Study Observation Interpretation And Application Through The Lenses Of History Literature And Theology and collections to . and the Scriptures to yourself. He never reads the book, but he reads the disciple of Christ, and he judges the Christian religion, by the lives of its professors. Allow the Bible to help you understand other passages of the Bible. As we search the Scriptures, we must allow them to search us, to sit in judgement upon our character and conduct. So if youre studying Mark, start by reading the entire book. 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. The adventure of following God's will takes on a whole new complexion when we stop to listen and then act upon what we hear. Youve observed the details in the text and drawn interpretive conclusions about what the author was saying to his original readers. They do not seem very ancient. startxref He pastored Calvary Baptist Church in New York City and later served as president of Chicagos Moody Bible Institute till his death in 1946. There are several reasons for this . The difference between studying and applying the Scriptures is somewhat like the difference between drifting in a boat and rowing toward a destination. This is always a powerful application of Scripture. Lifting verses out of their immediate context is a sure way to find yourself in heresy land. Job That's a frightening statement! T Is there a Truth to memorize and meditate upon (Click here)? During the week he earnestly tried to apply them to his life. In sum, acting on what God has said assumes that you understand what He has said as illustrated below. Get a roundup of new Word by Word articles in your inbox each Friday. 1:20-21). See what precepts are binding upon thyself, and then, as a child of God, be thy feet swift to run in the way of his commandments. But this is exactly what happens when we fail to apply what we have observed and interpreted. 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). Inductive Bible study is a practical, relevant, and time-tested approach to interpreting Scripture. 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). Numbers This is likewise one of the factors by obtaining the soft documents of this Inductive Bible Study Observation Interpretation And Application Through The Lenses Of History . 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. Many of them include commentary at the bottom of the page or in the margins. Some use the term to describe a discussion group, which may discuss the Bible or some other uplifting book. If we continually learn what we ought to do, but do not do it, we become frustrated and callous. Give Me Liberty! The real question is do I always want to hear God's voice? The following steps follow the inductive method's process of observation, interpretation, and application. this Inductive Bible Study Observation Interpretation And Application Through The Lenses Of History Literature And Theology can be taken as competently as picked to act. Here, you want to go back over the passage and your observations and ask as many questions as you can. This is a motivating truth that you can trust and which you should welcome and willingly acknowledge. A person may study some branch of sciencesay electricityfor the enjoyment the knowledge gives him, without the least intention of applying it practically. The tireless runner is a picture of what Application should look like in each of our livessobrethren, beloved of God, chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world for so great a salvation, filled with His Spirit and controlled by the love of Christ "let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of faith" (He 12:1-note, He 12:2-note) pressing "on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Php 3:14-note) disciplining ourselves "for the purpose of godliness for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." Okay, so what is inductive Bible study, exactly? It's better to live one verse of the Bible than to recite an entire chapter. Sometimes its beneficial to ignore them and consider other ways you might divide the text.