Discovering God’s Word
Moving Toward Active Bible Study
Discussion Questions:
 Why do we need to study the Bible?
 Why is it that people do not study
the Bible?
Discussion Question
 Which of the reasons for not
studying God’s Word most closely
fits your experience?
– I don’t put it on my priority list.
– I don’t believe it is relevant for
today.
– I don’t know how to begin to study
it.
– I don’t think I can understand it on
my own.
3 Reasons for illiteracy in
the spiritual realm:
 Too much study is fragmentary
– Not a look at the big picture
 Too much reliance on Bible study
aids
 Too much Bible study has become
an end and not a means
The Theme
of the Bible
God bringing glory to Himself
through the fall, redemption
and final restoration
3 Main Sections of the Bible
 ________________________________
 ________________________________
 ________________________________
3 Main Sections of the Bible
 OT: Preparation for the Redeemer
 Gospels: Appearance of the Redeemer
 Acts-Revelation: Program of the
Redeemer-Present & Future
Beginnings
Patriarchs
Wanderings
Bondage
Conquest
Divided Kingdom
Exile
Return
Judges
United Kingdom
Silent
Beginnings
Patriarchs
Wanderings
Bondage
Conquest
Divided Kingdom
Exile
Return
Jesus Christ
Judges
United Kingdom
Silent
Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
1
Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
2
Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
3
Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
4
Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
5
Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
6
What is inductive Bible study?
“interpreting scripture with no prejudgment, by the text itself, through
analyzing the evidence and drawing
out of it logical conclusions.”
“By the Spirit, through the Word, and
using inductive reasoning, we can
and should come to consistently
defensible and trustworthy
interpretations.”
Why study the Bible
inductively?
 To become receptive & reproductive
– Be receptive before you are
reproductive
“Now these were more noble-minded
than those in Thessalonica, for they
received the word with great
eagerness, examining the Scriptures
daily to see whether these things were
so.”
Acts 17:11
Why study the Bible
inductively?
 Enables you to think for yourself
– Most people don’t think but just
rearrange their prejudices.
Why study the Bible
inductively?
 Enables you to discern truth from
error
“as also in all his letters, speaking
in them of these things, in which
are some things hard to understand,
which the untaught and unstable
distort, as they do also the rest of the
Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
2 Peter 3:16
Why study the Bible
inductively?
 Gives you the joy of personal
discovery.
“Your words were found and I ate
them, and Your words became for
me a joy and the delight of my
heart; for I have been called by
Your name, O LORD God of hosts.
Jeremiah 15:16
Why study the Bible
inductively?
 Enables you to fall in love with the
author.
“and though you have not seen Him,
you love Him, and though you do not
see Him now, but believe in Him,
you greatly rejoice with joy
inexpressible and full of glory.”
1 Peter 1:8
For your Bible reading to be
more effective, every time
come with:
 Pencil or pen - Be prepared to write
down what God teaches you.
 Paper – Write down your thoughts &
findings somewhere that provides
you easy access and a continual
reminder, such as a journal, a file
folder, a notebook, or even the
margin of your Bible.
Bible reading help continued:
 Purpose – Always go to God’s Word
expecting Him to teach you and to
change your life.
“All Scripture is inspired by God
and profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, for training
in righteousness”
2 Timothy 3:16
Bible reading help continued:
 Prayer – Never begin to study God’s
Word without first talking to the
Author, asking Him to open your
heart and mind, and submitting
yourself to Him as your great
Teacher.
“Open my eyes, that I may behold
wonderful things from Your law.”
Psalm 119:18
What books will help me in my study? Too
often the first books we buy are commentariesin which others tell us the results of their studyrather than tools that will help us dig deep on
our own. Here are some suggestions:
Bible Dictionary
Study Bible
Bible Background Resources – Information,
history, culture, etc.
Concordance – Strong’s or NIV. Help you find
“tip of your tongue” verses, trace
certain words, people, and places
throughout your Bible.
Commentary – Use after you studied the
passage on your own using other tools
first.
3 steps to the process of
personal Bible study
 Observation – “what do I see?”
 Interpretation – “what does it mean?”
 Application – “how does it apply to
me?”
Observation
1st step in personal Bible study
From observation to application
1. What did it mean to the original
audience?
2. What is the timeless truth?
3. What does it mean to us today?
Practice Exercise
Review 2 Corinthians 6:14 and answer
these 3 questions.
1. What did it mean to the original
audience?
2. What is the timeless truth?
3. What does it mean to us today?
“The more time you spend in
observation, the less time you will
spend in interpretation, and the
more accurate will be your results.”
Discussion Question
What do you think would be the
dangers of:
 Interpretation without observation
 Application without interpretation
 Interpretation without application
The first steps in the process
of Bible study methods are?
 Background – “what am I reading?”
– Author
– Date
– Audience
– Read through the book
 Observation – “what do I see?”
Discussion Question
Using the comparison to reading a
novel or a newspaper article, explain
why it is important to read a biblical
book from the beginning and to read
it one sitting. What do you think are
some dangers of isolating passages
from their surrounding context?
The 6 questions that will help
in Bible study:
 Who
 What
 Where
 When
 Why
 Wherefore “so what”
Six things to look for when
studying the Bible
 Things that are emphasized.
 Things that are repeated.
 Things that are related.
 Things that are alike.
 Things that are unlike, or in contrast.
 Things that are true to life.
Practice Exercise
 Using the six questions discussed in
this lesson, briefly analyze Matthew
11:9-14. How many different answers
can you find for each of the six
questions?
Interpretation
2nd step in personal Bible study
Interpretive Principle #1
Examine the context
Tools for examining the
context
 Study Bible
 Commentary
 Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Practice Exercise
Look at Matthew 18:20, what was the
immediate context of this encounter?
What is the context in terms of Christ’s
life and ministry?
What is the context in terms of the New
Testament?
Interpretive Principle #2
Comparing Scripture
Tools for comparing scripture
 Concordance
 Study Bible
 Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Practice Exercise
Read Matthew 13:19
Compare to Luke 8:12. What insight do
you gain when comparing these verses
with one another?
Interpretive Principle #3
Historical/cultural background
Tools for historical/cultural
background understanding
 Bible Atlas
 Bible background resource
 Commentary
Practice Exercise
 Taking historical/cultural
backgrounds into consideration, how
will they effect your interpretation of
John 18:2-3?
Interpretive Principle #4
Consider the genre
Types of Genre
 Wisdom
 Apocalyptic
 Prophetic
 Narrative
 Epistles
Practice Exercise
 Look at Proverbs 22:6 and discuss
how an understanding of genre
affects your interpretation of the
verse.
Interpretive Principle #5
Word studies
Tools for word studies
 Concordance
 Vine’s Expository Dictionary
Practice Exercise
 “I consider it right, as long as I am in
this earthly dwelling, to stir you up
by way of reminder”
2 Peter 1:13
What do you learn as you do a word
study of “reminder”?
Application
3rd step in personal Bible study
Application
 How does this effect my beliefs and
behavior?