The Inductive Bible Study Method
What Is The Inductive Bible Study Method?
Every good study method incorporates these three basic principles: observation, interpretation, and application. When we study the Bible in this way, we will discover the central truth of the passage and begin to build that truth into our daily lives. On this page let's review three basic skills that help us to understand and apply God’s Word.
The Bible Study Skill Of OBSERVATION:
Psalm 119:18 - Are you slowing down enough to actually understand what you are reading?
Ask Lots Of Questions
As you read remember the five W’s: who, what, when, where, and why. Answering these questions from the text will help you see the bigger picture. A good sleuth picks up clues others miss by interrogating those involved and questioning the facts of the case. The same can be said of Bible study. Questions are invaluable to learning what is going on in any passage.
Keywords And Phrases
Identifying keywords and phrases helps unlock the meaning of a biblical passage. Keywords are usually those that are used repeatedly throughout the text. They are vital to the understanding of the context, and would strip the passage of its central meaning if they were removed. Keywords and phrases can include pronouns, synonyms, and any related words or phrases. After identifying the keywords and phrases in the text, you will be able to discern the main subject(s); this in turn will reveal the theme—unifying idea—of the chapter or book.
KEYWORDS/PHRASES > MAIN SUBJECTS > OVERALL THEME
Put Yourself In The Picture
Pastor Skip Heitzig said, “One technique has helped me study the Scripture more than any other single thing, and that is trying to place myself into the text. By picturing the scene and getting behind the words, I begin to see things, as they were when the author was inspired to write them. I ask myself to who was the letter or book addressed; what problems were they facing; what was the purpose of the writing; and other questions as they occur to me. Then I place myself in the crowd. I’m wearing an ancient tunic and I’m traveling towards Jerusalem. Suddenly, my curiosity compels me to find out why a crowd has gathered down by the Jordan River.” Reading the Scriptures as though you are a part of the scene is exciting and brings the story to life. Try it!
Don't Overlook Important Facts
Good students of God’s Word are those who have simply trained themselves to observe things in the text that others overlook. Important biblical facts are often missed for one of the following three reasons: (1) We rush through a passage too quickly. Slow down. Read carefully. (2) We don’t write down our observations. Louis Agassiz, a professor of zoology at Harvard used to teach his students the art of observation by saying, “A pencil is the best eye.” If you want to remember it...write it down. (3) We give up too soon. The longer you squeeze an orange, the more juice you get out of it. Eventually an orange runs out of juice, but the Bible never runs dry. You can study a text dozens of times and still squeeze more meaning out of it. So, don’t give up too soon.
The Bible Study Skill Of INTERPRETATION:
1 Corinthians 2:14 - Every good Bible study method has as one of its main objectives, the correct interpretation of the Scriptures. However, Dr. Roy B. Zuck, of Dallas Theological Seminary says, “Most of the time when many people approach the Bible, they jump from observation to application, skipping the essential step of interpretation. This is wrong because interpretation logically follows observation. In observing what the Bible says, you probe; in interpretation, you mull. Observation is discovery; interpretation is digesting. Observation means looking at what is there, and interpretation is deciding what it means. The one is to explore, the other is to explain.” In the previous chapter, we looked at how sharpening our observation skills can help us see the text more clearly. In this chapter, we are going to discover how the right interpretation of God’s Word turns what we “see” into what we “know.”
The Bible is the ultimate authority in the church and in the lives of individual believers. However, people often discredit the Bible with comments such as, "Well, everyone has their own understanding of what the Bible means," or "there are as many interpretations of the Bible as there are Christians." But statements such as these are simply untrue. 2 Peter 1:20-21 reminds us that the Word of God has only one correct interpretation: “No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
We should never approach the Bible in the same subjective way in which we would view a painting by Picasso. The Bible is not an abstract piece of art that invites everyone to weigh in with his or her own opinion of it’s meaning. Every passage of Scripture has an intended and discoverable truth—one correct interpretation.
As with observation, some obvious questions can be asked that will help us come to the correct interpretation of the writer’s original intent: (1) Why did the writer say this? (2) What is the meaning of this? (3) What is the significance of this? (4) What is the implication of this? (5) Why is this important?
Understand The Context
The context of the passage is the setting in which it “dwells.” In simple terms, to read a passage in context means to view it in light of the surrounding verses—the “neighbors” so to speak. In order to assess the full meaning of any verse it must be read in its context. Just as a fish doesn’t do well if you take it out of water, when a passage of Scripture is taken out of its proper context it loses its meaning. So, whenever you are studying a chapter or verse the first rule of establishing context is to know the book’s overall theme.
The Bible Study Skill Of APPLICATION:
James 1:25 - Dr Roy B. Zuck said, “Heart appropriation, not merely head apprehension, is the true goal of Bible study.” Let's focus on the ultimate aim of every Bible study method: a transformed life. It is impossible to study the Scriptures diligently without running headfirst into the need for application. When we know what a passage means (interpretation), we are responsible to put what we know into practice (application). As we “do it,” our lives are transformed.
The greatest evidence that we love God is that we walk in obedience to His Word, not out of a sense of duty or in response to a book of rules, but out of a genuine heart of love and devotion to Him. Love for God will always motivate us to obey His commands and seek to glorify Him in every area of our lives. An unwillingness to apply the Scriptures to our lives will inevitably lead to spiritual insensitivity to the Lord and to His people. If a Christian is careless in Bible reading, he will care less about Christian living. Every Bible should come with the following label: Warning: This Book is habit-forming. Regular use causes loss of anxiety, and a decreased desire to lie, cheat, steal, or hate. Common side effects may include: increased sensations of love, peace, joy, and compassion.
Perhaps W. H. Griffith described it best of all when he said, “Through and above all stages we must press until we arrive at the summit, which is the use of the Bible as God’s personal Word to our own souls, ‘What saith my Lord unto His servant?’ ‘ What wilt Thou have me to do?’ The Scriptures are intended to lead the soul directly to God, to introduce it to His presence, and to convey His revelation of truth and grace. And if we fail to realize this, we fail at the critical point, and all our other knowledge, great and valuable though it be, will count for little or nothing.”
The three P's of a good application are:
Personal:
Ask yourself: How does this truth apply to my life? (At work? At home? At school?) Make it personal by writing your answers in the first person singular, using the personal pronouns “I,” “my,” and “mine” as you record your thoughts.
Practical:
Ask yourself: In view of this truth, what specific changes should l make in my life? It ought to be something that you can begin doing right away. Plan a definite course of action and begin to implement it. Design a practical project, which will encourage you to be a “doer of the Word.” Make your application as specific as possible. Broad generalities will leave you feeling helpless and produce little action.
Provable:
Ask yourself: How do I propose to carry out these changes? When will I do this? Be specific in determining the answers to these questions. Set up some sort of follow-up to check your progress. It has to be measurable so you can know that you have done it. It is also good to set a time limit on carrying out your application.
Martin Luther said, “The world does not need a definition of religion as much as it needs a demonstration.” That demonstration comes when we begin to be doers of the Word. In the margin of many pages in D. L. Moody's Bible, he wrote the letters T and P, (tried and proved) next to every passage that he had personally tried and proved, in his life. A.T. Pierson speaking about the Bible, said, “While other books inform, and a few reform, this one Book transforms.” What are you doing with His Word? Are you the Christian who reads the Bible but doesn’t apply it? Don’t be deceived—obedience is the key to living a transformed and powerful Christian life.
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