Bible Study Methods
Spring 2016
Session 1: Learning to Look
Inductive Reasoning
-Deductive reasoning: starts with a general, overarching idea and argues down to a particular conclusion
-Inductive reasoning: examines particular evidence to reason toward a general conclusion
-Intuition: makes non-logical leaps to arrive at a particular conclusion
-Inductive Bible study examines the text of Scripture in order to discover the truth about God and transform the lives of His people.
Bible Study is Rooted in Reading
Reading the Word is like reading an X-ray.
The art of diagnosis is the art of asking the right questions.
3 General Principles
- Learn to read better and faster
- Learn to read like it was the first time
- Learn to read as a love letter
Attitudes of Observation
- Read with PURPOSE
- Read with PRECISION
- Read with PERSISTENCE
Areas for Observation
- Terms
- Routine & Non-Routine
Routine=words that have little impact or bearing on the meaning (e.g.-articles, generic terms, etc.)
Non-Routine—3 main groupings
- Difficult to understand = propitiation, mystery, etc.
- Crucial & Significant terms
- Profound concepts
**The goal with categories is discernment: what do I look for and what is worth tracking down
- Literal & Figurative
- Identity & Inflection
- Identity: recognition of the various grammatical elements
- verb
- noun
- pronoun
- participle
- conjunction
- preposition
- adjective
- adverb
- Inflection: recognizing changes in a grammatical form—singular vs. plural; past vs. future; command vs. statement
- Structure
“….art is not spontaneous, but carefully intended; no babbling of a child, but a mutual fitting of form and content, in which efficient unison the artist’s intellect has worked.”~Henry O. Taylor, The Mediaeval Mind, v.1, p.20
“The reader is therefore urged to aim at becoming structure-conscious, for if he does so he will find many passages unfolding before his eyes which he otherwise could not understand.” ~Traina, Methodical Bible Study, p.37
- Types of Structure
- Surface (Rom 1:18-32)
- Explicit & flagged by grammatical conjunctions—therefore, so that, for, in order that, because…etc.
- “therefore” in 1:24 establishes explicit connect of cause and effect
- More frequent in epistles or letters, NT than OT
- Subsurface (Gen 38-39)
- Implicit and usually inherent in the storyline or flow of message
- Typically found in narrative with character contrasts/comparisons
- Example: Judah & Joseph
- Primary and Secondary Structure
- Primary = major connections typically at the chapter or paragraph level
- Secondary = within sentences or paragraphs—usually involves relationship of verbs, clauses, or other elements to the main verb or idea
- Rules of Structure
- Will cover more detail in week 6 with sentence diagramming
- Key “Lighthouses”
- Historical Events—Events which are either pivotal or climactic. Subtle details in the passage can often unlock significant discoveries here.
- Literary Features—Often in the story the narrator will break in and provide a summary or interpretation of events that sheds light on what has just happened or what is about to happen
- Literary Form
- Discourse and Logical Literature—primarily epistles/letters along with speeches of the prophets and Jesus that build a logical argument or message
- Prose Narrative—this is the most frequent form in the Bible found in much of the OT and particularly the Gospels in the NT.
Narrative is not neutral—the stories are arranged and presented to communicate theological history.
- Poetry—this creative style of literature often employs figurative language, stylistic structures (parallelism), and emotional communication that can be easily misunderstood.
- Drama and Dramatic Prose—the personification, particularization, and vivid description of events or ideas for the sake of their moving effect.
- Parables—convey truth by way of analogy but can easily be misinterpreted.
- Apocalyptic—often communicated in symbols and predictive dreams and visions which are difficult to understand and interpret.
- Atmosphere: