Biblical Discovery

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Biblical Discovery

• Mining the truths of scripture for yourself
  through Inductive Bible study

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What is "Inductive Bible Study"?

• IBS self-discovery of Biblical truth through a
  simple step-by-step method.
• How is it different?
• "Inductive" - seeking to understand the whole by
  studying the parts. We don't start with the
  answer, we discover it.
• Not limited by leader's imagination or study.
• Self-discovery yields ownership of truth.

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The Inductive Bible Study Process
1. Survey
5. Synthesis
Repeat for each Passage
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Basics
OBSERVATIONS

• What is Observation?
• It's answering the question "What do I see?"
• It's learning to identify what is significant in
  any given verse
• Why do it?
• It lays the foundation for all other steps

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Ground Rules
OBSERVATIONS

• "Seeing" requires quality time
• Nothing is too trivial - don't overlook anything!
• Approach the Word in prayerful, expectant,
  dependent, obedience

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What to Look For
OBSERVATIONS

• The 6 Basic Questions
• Who is performing or receiving the action of the
  sentence or paragraph?
• What is occurring?
• When is it occurring? Is there a sequence of
  events?
• Where is the action occurring? Does the location
  change within the paragraph?
• Why What is the goal or purpose for the action?
  Who benefits? What is his/her motivation?
• How What is the means or manner for
  accomplishing the action?

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What to Look For
OBSERVATIONS

• The 6 Basic Questions
• Key Words
• Key theme words (Big Idea words)
• Key theology words

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What to Look For
OBSERVATIONS

• The 6 Basic Questions
• Key Words
• Connecting Words
• but contrast
• and, like, likewise comparison
• because, for reason or result
• so that, in order that, that purpose
• therefore conclusion or result
• if condition

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What to Look For
OBSERVATIONS

• The 6 Basic Questions
• Key Words
• Connecting Words
• Verbs - especially commands!
• Things that are missing
• Differences between translations

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Example - Eph 14-5a
OBSERVATIONS
Back to 3a
Who
When
4just as He chose us in Him before the
foundation of the world, that we would be holy
and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined
us
How
Why
Motivation
By whose standard
Who
Object
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Example - Eph 14-5a
OBSERVATIONS

• "4just as He chose us in Him before the
  foundation of the world, that we would be holy
  and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined
  us"
• God the Father is the one who "chose"
• He chose "us"
• The people He chose are all believers from
  Pentecost to the rapture
• The way He chose us was "in Christ"
• He chose us before the foundation of the world

NOT YET!!!
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Example - Eph 14-5a
OBSERVATIONS

• "4just as He chose us in Him before the
  foundation of the world, that we would be holy
  and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined
  us"
• The reason He chose us was so that we would be
  "holy" and "blameless"
• It is possible for humans to be "holy and
  blameless"
• The judge of holiness and blamelessness is "Him"
• This evaluation will occur at the Judgment Seat
  of Christ

NOT YET!!!
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Example - Eph 14-5a
OBSERVATIONS

• "4just as He chose us in Him before the
  foundation of the world, that we would be holy
  and blameless before Him. In love 5He predestined
  us"
• God the Father "predestined" people
• The motivation for this action is "love"
• The object of "predestine" is "us"
• etc, etc, etc

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You Try
OBSERVATIONS

• In your groups, come up with at least 20
  observations for Acts 18
• "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
  has come upon you and you shall be My witnesses
  both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
  and even to the remotest part of the earth."

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Basics
INTERPRETATION

• What is Interpretation?
• Answers "What does it mean?"
• It builds upon your foundation of observations
• Why do it?
• It leads to an accurate understanding of Biblical
  truth
• That provides principles to apply to our lives

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Asking Good Questions
INTERPRETATION

• Foundational step of Interpretation
• Feeds off your Observations
• Don't worry yet about how to answer
• Just ask as many as you can
• Of both "WHAT" and "WHY" questions

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Asking Good Questions
INTERPRETATION

• WHAT is the
• meaning of a word?
• significance of a word, phrase, idea, or literary
  structure?
• implication of a statement?
• relationship between words, ideas, phrases, or
  passages?
• atmosphere or mood of the passage?
• structure and form used in the passage?

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Asking Good Questions
INTERPRETATION

• WHY did the author
• choose this word or phrase?
• not say ________?
• connect these ideas?
• put this idea before that idea?
• include this idea at all?

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Value of Context
INTERPRETATION

• Howard Hendrick's
• "The three most important tools for
  interpretation are
• context, context and context"
• Three types (in ascending order of importance)
• Bible as a whole
• Book as a whole
• Immediate verses before after

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Value of Context
INTERPRETATION

• So how do we use it?
• Look for clues immediately before after your
  verse or passage
• Trace the flow of thought through a passage
• Identify the major themes of a passage, chapter,
  and book
• Identify the purpose of the passage or book

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Using Cross-Refs
INTERPRETATION

• Allows clearer scripture to interpret more
  ambiguous scripture
• Connects our passage to the Bible as a whole -
  safeguard!

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Using Cross-Refs
INTERPRETATION

• 2 Basic Ways
• Use the cross references in the margins of your
  Bible
• Quick but limited
• Do a concordance search on words of interest
• English - www.biblegateway.org
• Original Language

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O.L. Word Search
INTERPRETATION

• Go to www.biblestudytools.net
• Select "NAS with Strong's Numbers" as translation
• Enter you verse push "Find" button
• Verse appears with key words in blue
• Click on the key word you're interested in
• You get definition uses divided by book

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3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every
spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in
Christ, 4   just as He chose us in Him before
the foundation of the world, that we would be
holy and blameless before Him. In love 5   He
predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus
Christ to Himself, according to the kind
intention of His will, 6   to the praise of the
glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on
us in the Beloved. 7   In Him we have redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of our
trespasses, according to the riches of His??
grace 8   which He?? lavished on us. In all
wisdom and insight 9   He?? made known to us the
mystery of His?? will, according to His?? kind
intention which He?? purposed in Him
General Observation Focuses on God the Father
and Jesus A lot of action verbs (God is doing
the acting in most cases) We/Our/Us is the
receiver, passive
Repetition God the Father (?x) Jesus Christ
(?x) In Him (5 x) Freely/lavished/rich Grace
(2x, more in context)
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Basics
APPLICATION

• What is Application?
• Answers "So what?" and "How does it work?"
• It builds upon your foundation of observations
  interpretation
• Why do it?
• He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it
  is who loves Me and he who loves Me shall be
  loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will
  disclose Myself to him. (John 1421)

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Basics
APPLICATION

• What is Application?
• Answers "So what?" and "How does it work?"
• It builds upon your foundation of observations
  interpretation
• Why do it?
• IBS w/o Application Pride Spiritual Blindness

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5 Questions
APPLICATION

• What are a few key truths or commands I
  discovered in this weeks passage?
• Is this truth or command true for me today? If
  not, why?
• How am I doing? When do I struggle to live out
  this truth or command?

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5 Questions
APPLICATION

• What is one practical way that I can begin to
  live out this truth or command this week?
• What exactly will I do different this week than
  last week?
• Who will hold me accountable next week to see if
  Ive followed through?

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You Try
APPLICATION

• As a group answer application Q1 for the verse
  below.
• Then on your own choose 1 key truth or command
  and answer Q's 2-5 to apply it to your own life.
• Ephesians 429Let no unwholesome word proceed
  from your mouth, but only such a word as is good
  for edification according to the need of the
  moment, so that it will give grace to those who
  hear.