2022.08.24 WednesdayNot a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? About people or human nature? Spiritual maturity, in which we become more like Christ, comes not just from knowing more about the Bible. While there are several great methods of studying the Bible, heres a simple method one can follow: Observation, Interpretation, Transformation and Application. Until all on the altar we lay; Are we spiritual or are we natural? 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. Sow a habit, reap a character. ", James warned that "to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin." This is the ultimate step: we submit to Scripture and let it transform our lives. Bible study is intentionally digging into a passage of Scripture and using various interpretive techniques to understand what the author is saying. 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.. And while pastors and teachers are wonderful, individual Christians should also be able to pick up any passage and read it with basic understanding and application. Never fear, only trust and obey. The Bible is divine in origin. J A Bengel wisely admonished "Apply yourself to the whole text, and apply the whole text to yourself.". (Ps 119:161). We need to be specific here. The danger of Observation and Interpretation without application is that we become hypocrites like the Pharisees, filled to the brim with intellectual knowledge, but failing miserably to allow the truth to transform our hearts! of precise observation, which is essential for accurate interpretation. Observation These divisions are incredibly convenient. This can train you to be more of an explorer in the future. Ask God that his threats may drive you out of your sins, and drive you to seek pardon in Christ. Practice it to be holy, Or as Skip Heitzig advises "A good perspective to adopt when reading the Bible is that of an obedient servant waiting for instruction from the master. We study to gain knowledge so we know how to live our lives in light of what weve learned. The first step in studying a passage is to observe what it actually says. 6. But this is exactly what happens when we fail to apply what we have observed and interpreted. 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). There are three basic approaches to Bible interpretation: A. 2. The Bible is a unique collection of sixty-six books written by men under the direction and influence of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. The religionists of Jesus' day had all of the data. If you feel the wrath to come now, you may never have to feel it in the next world. The difference between studying and applying the Scriptures is somewhat like the difference between drifting in a boat and rowing toward a destination. We must get into the Word of God for ourselves. Your Teacher, the Holy Spirit, can give you insights at any point in your study, so that you need to be sensitive to His leading. What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; If you want to study Scripture, youll need to carve out intentional time for it. 0000001036 00000 n By Anyone can use the inductive Bible study method by following three simple steps: This phase isnt about interpretation. For one thing people mistake the pleasure they have in hearing the Word of God for Christianity and worship. The best way to define application is to first determine what it is not. Our Lord taught that those who are, blessed (makarios [word study]) are those who hear the word of God and observe (phulasso [word study]) it. (Josh 1:8-note). Writing it down helps to remind you of God's consistent revelation and reinforces the truth He conveys to your heart. + Such a person is like the church who had a new pastor who preached the same sermon every Sunday. If there is a command to be obeyed, we obey it. Refrain. Let it not only inform you but inflame you. Here are 14 important reasons to read it. Help others in their faith journey through discipleship and mentoring. Believe it to be safe The godly preacher F. B. Meyer wrote that Devout meditation on the Word is more important to soul-health even than prayer. When you become a Christian, you enter into an exciting, lifelong relationship with the Bible. A pericope is a section of the text that forms a complete thought. Why did Mark feel this title was necessary on top of calling Jesus the Messiah? Sources like these can give you vital information to help answer your questions. 1. Not just for knowledge, but much more-- Try (Ed: in the sense of to test or examine) what you hear; try what you profess; try what you read. Like Ezra we should make every effort to handle it accurately and live it out assiduously (with perseverance and care)! -EO{0iB d("o? Make them your own. HLTkXw: 0000004523 00000 n Develop your leadership skills and learn how to launch a ministry wherever you are. Your grandmother translated the Bible?" (Ps 119:15, 23, 27, 48, 78, 97, 99, 148 - see A Primer On Biblical Meditation). It is impossible to study the Scriptures diligently without running head-on into the need for application, "for the word of God is living and active (energetic, effective) and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge (sifting and analyzing) the thoughts and intentions of the heart and there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open (the bending back of the neck thoroughly exposing it to the eye of the skillful surgeon or the criminal on trial with a sharp dagger bound to his neck with the point just below the chin, so that he could not bow his head but had to face the court) and laid bare to the eyes of Him with Whom we must give account." Pastor Houghton assiduously applied what he preached. Joshua 2. The questions that might come out of your observations about Mark might include: Why does Mark not include the Christmas story in the beginning? (3) substituting rationalization for repentance. Then I watched a little longer out my window and there came a botanist. 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. So even though you might be familiar with the word Messiah, you might want to focus on Mark and his original audience. (How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It - see page 30). But to make us more like our Savior. Apply: How do I respond to what God is saying? If we continually learn what we ought to do, but do not do it, we become frustrated and callous. It isthe act of bringing something to bear; using it for a particular purpose. Practice it to be holy. As mentioned earlier, its easy to become dependent on them. It might be tempting to stop at the interpretation phase, but youll be selling yourself and Scripture short if you do. By using the tools included inInductive Bible Study, youll approach Bible study with more depth and understanding. Erroneous interpretation can lead to aberrant application. They had mastered the Old Testament, but they were never mastered by the truth itself. In other words, am I applying this truth? Below I have written a simplified step-by-step guide . Now that weve observed and interpreted what the passage has to say, its time to talk about what it means for us. Again, we feel God's promises to be too high for us, we know He is perfect, and we are vile. ( Ro 12:2 - note) Application answers the question, J@GD0Q0rqD@!QTTXF1ID>IgIyy;GABp_8;.7_0?\h*4z/Bzc`S!zJP2[VgVM52,6.*0.199QP1T`}G/I(tSE)BQF*jE()*RMq>&}P* Bible study is meant not merely to inform but to transform and renew our mind. Romans H. P. Barker has a graphic illustration emphasizing the importance of both knowing and doing the Bibles truths As I looked out into the garden one day, I saw three things. You want to be able to trace the authors argument all the way through. Our life ought to be and if Gods grace be much in it, it will be a new translation of the Bible. It's better to live one verse of the Bible than to recite an entire chapter. (Keying into the term good news early will help you understand Marks Gospel, as its a critical term that he uses repeatedly.). 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. What Do We Lose When We Forget the Importance of Prayer? Identify chapter themes As we search the Scriptures, we must allow them to search us, to sit in judgement upon our character and conduct. One of the pastors startled the group with the declaration that "My grandmother's translation is the best I've ever read." You might discover that salt was not only used to flavor food, but it helped keep it from spoiling. Both reflect what is really there. Observation And so prayer is not a substitute for action, but the deliberate contact of the soul with God, whence we draw an enabling force whereby we go forth conquering and to conquer. In truth thou canst not read the Scriptures too much; S Is there a Sin to avoid, forsake or confess? Although the Bible tells one cohesive story, it does so through the work of many authors who wrote during times hundreds of years apart. Pretend youre an investigator and youre just gathering the facts. Every time we encounter spiritual truth, we need to seek to apply that truth to our lives. But our toil He doth richly repay; In His Words: What Billy Graham Once Said About Eternity. Who is allowed to ascend the mountain of the Lord? Here, you want to go back over the passage and your observations and ask as many questions as you can. R4`:|ut\#jDAh]Y1]|{ >^*8"I+ +N-rjiSS-Q*c9eF,xyV]%^p]=dG- J&naSP Sow an action, reap a habit. A sorry, sorry heart is that which so uses Gods Word as to make it an aggravation of its sin. Learning to read andstudy Scriptureis an important part of the Christian life. In other words every divine revelation demands a determinative response. Together, these observations help you think about the biblical authors purpose and what they are trying to communicate. Philippians We are either a little more sweetened or a little more hardened. (Ep 1:3-note). 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. When Gods Word points out something in us that needs correction, we need to respond. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams." In fact, Logos even has an Inductive Bible Study Workflow built right in to guide you through these steps. This typically involves reading a shorter Bible passage and doing less in-depth investigation of the text. Is Your Interpretation Supernaturalistic, Naturalistic, Existentialistic, Dogmatic? How foolish to look in the mirror of God's word, see spiritual "dirt" and yet fail to respond). Which road will you travel? This is a dishonest way to interpret the text. Reaching students and faculty in middle and high school. Your goal in observing is to identify what the author was trying to communicate to his readers. The Bible helps you understand God and His relationship with humanity. Step 3: ApplicationWhat will I do about what the passage says and means? To profess great love for Gods word or even to pose as a Bible student is a form of self-deception unless our increasing knowledge of the word is producing increasing likeness to the Lord Jesus. In other words, every time you observe and interpret but fail to apply, you perform an abortion on the Scriptures in terms of their purpose. The observation phase was all about observing what the text says, but the interpretation phase is the next step. Showing God in action in and through His people. OF INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY. A lot of people have all sorts of news. He is a prayer-hearing God, but will He hear our prayers? Okay, so what is inductive Bible study, exactly? (1) Substituting interpretation for application as did the Pharisees; (2) substituting superficial obedience for substantial life-change and. As someone has blunted phrased it "Interpretation without application is abortion.". Another addition to a lot of Bibles is a subheading before many passages or chapters. And so we should react with overwhelming wonder, admiration, respect, or dread, this latter emotion relevant especially to those who read but fail to heed God's Word (application). : an American History (Eric Foner) Civilization and its Discontents (Sigmund Freud) The Methodology of the Social Sciences (Max Weber) Interpersonal Communication (Kory Floyd) Chemistry: The Central Science (Theodore E. Brown; H. Eugene H LeMay; Bruce E. Bursten; Catherine Murphy; Patrick Woodward) Will Graham Devotion: A Sacrifice That Costs Nothing Is Worth Nothing. Now, think about what the passage tells us that is always true not just in its original setting, but in any time and place. Some people say they cannot meditate; they do not know what it means, or they have no time, or they go to sleep when they begin. The Bible is the best prayer-book in the world, as it has been called the best story-book in the world. 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. Leviticus Refrain H\j0z Or well walk by His side in the way. startxref To know and not to do is not to know at all. One of the best ways to study the Bible is through "inductive" study. But we are never just the same. After a few weeks, the detective was able to report to the man that Dr. Houghtons life matched his preaching. If not why not? If you want to discover what these authors have to tell you, youll have to do some work. Sometimes there will be figurative language and confusing imagery, but dont start by looking for hidden meaning. %%EOF Apply yourself to the whole text, and apply the whole text to yourself. Study the Bible to be wise. The records of human need and Divine generosity are not far-fetched ; they answer to our own case. (Skip Heitzig How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It), Puritan Thomas Manton adds that "What we take in by the Word we digest by meditation and let out by prayer.". We must adjust ourselves to the Bible You have remained in right site to start getting this info. Some seem as if they read the Bible in order to know how not to do, and the more God commands the more they will not obey. Everyone has distractions and responsibilities vying for their attention, so it helps if you have a set time when you will read your Bible. When you begin to study a passage, your first step will be observing the text. For more on studying the Bible on your own or with others check out our Bible Studies resources. endstream endobj 64 0 obj <>>> endobj 65 0 obj >/PageWidthList<0 612.0>>>>>>/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text]/Properties<>>>/Rotate 0/TrimBox[0.0 0.0 612.0 792.0]/Type/Page>> endobj 66 0 obj <> endobj 67 0 obj <>stream If you're looking for the best Christian jobs and careers, check out Cru's ministry job openings for full- and part-time missionaries and professionals. Considering these things we receive the word with that trembling of heart which God so much respects. Be sure to visit the Precept Ministries International Web site to go deeper into inductive Bible study. Absolutely. This awe is called by a proper name, reverence, or godly fear; when we consider Whose Word it is, namely, the Word of the Lord, Who is our God, and has a right to command what He pleases; to Whose will and word we have already yielded obedience, and devoted ourselves to walk worthy of Him in all well pleasing (Col 1:10-note, Ep 4:1-note, Php 3:17,18-note, 1Th 2:12-note); who can find us out in all our failings, as knowing our very thoughts afar of (Psalms 139:2), and having all our ways before Him, and being one of Whom we read, -- "He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins" (Joshua 24:19), that is to say, if we impenitently continue in them.
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