The process of Bible Study methods is aimed at narrowing the gaps in the understanding of the Scriptures, with the result that we can understand the meaning of the scriptures and apply them to our current situations.

Studying the scriptures is similar to doing a jigsaw puzzle. When you start, the puzzle is jumbled and you have to arrange the pieces, then you carefully piece them together, making sure that they fit properly. After you have put all the pieces together you have a completed puzzle with an image on it. You can then appreciate the picture on your puzzle, display your puzzle and the work you’ve done, or jumble up the picture and return it to its box.

The inductive method of Bible study (Observation, Interpretation, and Application) allows for the Bible to speak for itself. There is a discovery process when studying the Bible. The Scriptures should be considered the rule against which teachings and doctrine are evaluated.

1. Observation

The first step in approaching the Scriptures is observation. When you open up the Bible to a passage, you want to observe as much information as you can about it. This means that you will want to study it in depth. There are many things and many ways you can observe about a passage. Where it fits in the Bible is an observation. Who wrote it is an observation. What it is speaking about is an observation. Basically, the student is reading the text, and finding out information about the text. The process of getting the information involves what is often called Observations. That is where the student writes down things that he observes about a verse or passage. There are tools to help the student learn more about his passage also, such as Contextual analysis (studying the context), Historical and Cultural Analysis (studying the history and customs involved with the passage), and looking at the flow of thought that the author has through his entire piece of writing.

The finding of the Law in the temple in 2 Kings 22:8 allowed King Josiah to observe the law, and understand that the nation had strayed from God.

2. Interpretation

After observing something, we need to understand it. The process of interpretation is to understand the meaning intended by the communication. The process of interpretation is aided by as much information as is possible. Wise decisions are made with good counsel (Proverbs 12:15), and a wise decision regarding the meaning of a passage is done after much study and thought. Thus, only after thorough observation is complete, can the interpretive process begin. The interpretive process is often guided by principles. These principles help the interpreter to understand and be consistent with God’s revelation. The example of Ezra and others, “giving the sense” of what the scriptures said is perhaps one of the best parallels with our interpretation process (Nehemiah 8:8).

Putting together the pieces of the puzzle and piecing together the clues we have discovered we can construct an understanding of what the Authorial Intent to the Original Audience looked like.

This understanding can be called the Biblical understanding.

3. Application

Application is the process of taking what you have learned and applying it. In the process of interpretation, the student looked for the meaning. In the application, that meaning is applied to the reader and current situations, and become the significance. The significance of the passage are the ways in which the meaning affects us. The process of application is often done by principalization. This means that there is some kind of principle for the reader to apply. Oftentimes there are many principles that we can glean from the texts of Scripture.

From the Biblical Understanding, we can extract principles and commands, and apply these to ourselves.

We can put those together and can call this our Christian understanding.

Biblical Theology proceeds from the Bible, and each book has its own Biblical Theology that is expounds. As well, the whole Bible has wholistic and unified theology. Systematic Theology is a systematic understanding; which Believers create when applying all appropriate Biblical Theologies together into topic surveys and overviews.

For further information:

• Hendricks, Howard, Living By The Book, “An Overview of the Process,” 34ff.

• Traina, Robert. Methodical Bible Study.

The Process of Understanding the Scriptures

The Bible was written by men, who were moved along by God. As such, He did not mechanically dictate the whole, though there are passages that are dictation (“Thus says the LORD…”). He superintended what His Scriptures would be in the process and in the finished product.

1. The Authors of Scripture

Though effectually the Holy Spirit worked in the lives of the men while writing the books of the Bible, the word itself is the recipient of the inspiration of God (2 Tim. 3:16). There are approximately forty different writers of the books of the Bible. These writers come from all different walks of life. Tax collectors, royalty, scholars, doctors, and fishermen, to name a few. It is important to know the history behind the author, and also his relationship to the audience.

2. The Audience

The audience also exhibits a wide variety of people. From individuals (Titus), to groups (the saints at Ephesus), to cities (Nineveh), to nations (Israel), there exists a variety in the Bible as to who was the originally intended recipient for each writing.

One erroneous method of biblical interpretation is to assume that every reader is the original audience. This is a type of superficial interpretation, and often can be heard with phrases like “to me this passage means…” or “I feel it says…”

In scripture, it is wise to realize that the author often had a specific audience in mind (and often states who he is writing to), and pretending you are that particular audience often hijacks the meaning of what the author intended. A good example of this is believers who are part of today’s church assuming promises made to Israel that are not specifically given to the church. Each and every passage has at least one significance to any reader, but there is only one meaning for each passage.

3. Context Context Context!

One of the most important concepts in studying the Bible is Context. Context means ‘that which surrounds something.’ Thus the context of the Bible is the literature of the Bible. The rings of context above are showing what we call the different layers of context. A sentence of scripture cannot be properly interpreted when it is separated from its context.

The text before a passage is sometimes referred to as the pre-text, and the text following a passage is referred to as a post-text. Both ‘that which goes before,’ and ‘that which follows after’ is part of the context of a passage.

The Question: How does this fit in?

So in looking at the context of a passage, the reader must ask himself, 'How does this verse fit into the rest of the passage, book, etc.?'

When first reading a verse, it is often a good idea to read the whole paragraph. The writers of scripture often thought and wrote in paragraph-sized chunks. It can be potentially harmful to the intention of the author to remove a thought from where he placed it. In the same way that a word can change from one word to another by having its letters rearranged, so the thoughts or intentions of Scripture can be twisted by rearranging the thoughts of the writers.

Ignoring context is the most common error in interpreting the Scriptures. Removing a verse or thought from its context and imposing a new context upon is problematic. This new context can be our life experiences; our faulty perception of what we think the author is talking about, or even sometimes our systematic theology. Regardless of what we might think, the proper way to study a verse or passage is only in light of where God has put it. Thus, we need to be careful to let God’s word speak for itself. The process of studying God’s word to ascertain and understand the original meaning is what Bible Study Methods is all about.

Since context is important, it is one of the first principles of biblical interpretation.

As we talk about the methodology and the process of Studying scripture, we must continually challenge our presuppositions, so that they do not color the exegetical process with our own intentions. There is a necessity for understanding both our own worldview, and the worldview(s) of the text. The pre-understanding that the reader brings with them to the task of interpretation shades everything. One of our biggest goals in learning to be good interpreters is to learn what our assumptions are, and to recognize how these assumptions affect us.

Types of Presuppositions:

1. Informational

What we know. Knowledge we possess about the world, historical characters and events, and also what we know about the text.

2. Attitudinal

Our attitude towards the text. Are we open-minded to what it is stating? Are we willing to apply principles we find, or are we already biased against them?

3. Ideological

Ideological presuppositions are tied to the interpreter’s worldview. Does God exist? Do miracles exist? Is there such a thing as an objective reality?

4. Methodological

Method related presuppositions detail how we process information. Do we employ circular logic, contradicting truths, etc.?

• • • • • • • Scottish Common Sense Realism

            • Baconian Scientific Approach

The Presuppositions of Believers carry themselves into the interpretation process, and these foundations help to develop Interpretational Principles:

• Holy Spirit’s ministry in our understanding

• Unity and Harmony of Scripture

• Progressive Revelation

• Scripture interprets Scripture

• Perspicuity of Scripture

• Etc.

For more information:

• McQuilkin, Robertson. "Part I: Presuppositions and Principles" in Understanding and applying the Bible: Revised and Expanded (Chicago. Moody Publishers, 2009).

• Check out this interesting chart of bias types:

  • https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Cognitive_bias_codex_en.svg

Is the Bible for us today?

We read in the Bible that All Scripture is God breathed, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped. All Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV

The recipients of Peter's second letter were admonished to do well, by paying attention to the Scripture.

"We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

2 Peter 1:19-21 NIV

1. Test Your Previous Commitment to Context

2. Define your Worldview.

List some things that define how you view the world. Do some research into worldviews, and compile a list that describes your worldview.

3. Context of Verses

Read the following passage and look at its context. Do your best to list things in each of the classifications of context (circles/layers of context) that impact the understanding of the passage.

• John 8:32
  

• Back to Home