Inductive Bible Study-30!11!2007

Peter Ikuobase November 2007

Anders, M., 1998. 30 Days to Understanding the Bible in 15 minutes a Day. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers  Fee, G. and Stuart, D., 1993. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Scripture Union  Finzel, H., 2003. Unlocking the Scriptures, Colorado Springs: Cook Ministries  Warren, R., 2006. Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 

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“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8

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“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.” Psalm 119:9

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“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)

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“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

A top-down, analytical approach.  Proceeds from basic facts to conclusions.  Derives life applications 

Observation

Interpretation

Application

 Whole

Picture  Individual Parts  Fine Details

Read the passage several times.  Initial impressions (brain dump – what’s happening in the passage or book)  Record the major facts 

 Who?

(speaker, audience)  What? ( Events, ideas, subject, key words, tone)  Where? (Location of action, writer and audience)  When? (Is the timing significant in the life of the author, Israel or the church)

 Create

structural outline and principles of structure chart / observational chart

• • • • • • •

Comparison Contrast Repetition Cause to Effect Effect to Cause Explanation Illustration

• • • • • • •

Climax Pivot Interchange Preparation Summary Question Posed Question Answered

 Same

questions, more detail, detailed research  Who?  What?  Where?  When?

 Who?  The

writer  The receipients  The characters involved in the action.  The characters involved indirectly in the action.  Special people addressed in the passage.

 What?  Key

(Key truths or events)

ideas.  Theological terms.  Key events  Important words (verb tense, commands)  Figures of speech  Atmosphere

 Where?  Places

mentioned  Buildings  Cities  Nations  Landmarks

 When?  Date

of the author’s writing  Duration of the action  At what point in the life of Israel  At what point in the life of the church  Past, present, or future.

 Principles

of Interpretation  Questions of Interpretation  5 C Framework for answers

 Let

scripture interpret scripture.  Interpret the Bible literally.  Interpret the Bible grammatically.  Interpret the Bible in its historical setting.

 What

additional research do I need to do to find out the significance of the facts that I observed earlier?  Who?

(the characters)  What? (Key truths or events)  Where? (the geography and location)  When? (the time factors)  And

the missing question:

 Why? (the purpose of  The reader’s need  The writer’s message

the passage or book)

 The

Five C Framework for Interpretation

 C1:

State an initial proposal based on the content.  C2: Search the context.  C3: Seek biblical comparisons.  C4: Consult secondary sources.  C5: State your conclusions.

 C1:

State an initial proposal based on the content  What

is my hypothesis based on my observation of the passage about  

The Readers’ need: The Writer’s message:

 C2:

Search the context.

 Read

the passages before and after.  Read the chapter before and after.  Read the entire book to understand the context of the passage.

 C3.

Seek biblical comparisons.

 Use

cross-references to compare the study verses with related verses elsewhere in the bible.  Consider the context of each new verse looked up.  Study the text in several different translations to get a fuller range of meaning for words or concepts.

 C4.

Consult secondary sources.

 Refer      

to secondary sources including:

commentaries, concordances, atlases, Bible dictionaries and encyclodpaedias, theology books, other reference works.

 C5.

State your conclusions.

 Conclusions

about what the passage means should flow out of the preceding steps.  State the Readers’ need:  State the Writer’s message:

 Response  Relevance  Universal

Truths  Relationships

 General

guidelines for applying scripture in my own life.  Know

yourself  Relate the passage to life  Meditate on the passage  Practice what you have learned.

 List

strengths and weaknesses in your walk with Christ.  Keep adding to this list as you discover more about yourself.  Be alert to scriptures that address those areas so that you can apply them specifically to your life.

 Write

a number of principles from the scripture that seem to apply to you ( five or six is a good start). Determine the principles that apply to me.  How?  a) Write brief statements of universal truths that apply to you.  b) Determine if the principle is timeless and universal.  c) Look for new relationships.

Relate the passage to life       

With God A truth to rest in A command to obey A prayer to express A challenge to heed A promise to trust A fellowship to enjoy

         

With yourself A thought or word to examine An action to take An example to follow An error to avoid An attitude to change or guard against A priority to change A goal to strive for A personal value or standard to hold up A sin to forsake

Relate the passage to life          

With others (home, church, work, school, society, world) A witness to share An encouragement to extend A service to do A forgiveness to nurture An exhortation to bear A kindness to express A hospitality to extend An attitude to change or guard against A sin to renounce

    

With Satan Spiritual armour to wear A temptation to resist A person to resist A sin to avoid and confess

 Select

on verse from the passage to memorise. Single one principle from the passage to emphasize from the verse and focus on it during the coming week.

 What

will I do this week to apply these principles to my life?  List five concrete actions or attitudes that I can work on this week?

 Epistles  Prophecy  Apocalyptic  Narrative