Discovering God

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Discovering Gods Word

• Moving Toward Active Bible Study

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Discussion Questions

• Why do we need to study the Bible?
• Why is it that people do not study the Bible?

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Discussion Question

• Which of the reasons for not studying Gods Word
  most closely fits your experience?
• I dont put it on my priority list.
• I dont believe it is relevant for today.
• I dont know how to begin to study it.
• I dont think I can understand it on my own.

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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

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The Theme of the Bible
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• God bringing glory to Himself through the fall,
  redemption and final restoration

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3 Main Sections of the Bible

• ________________________________
• ________________________________
• ________________________________

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3 Main Sections of the Bible

• OT Preparation for the Redeemer
• Gospels Appearance of the Redeemer
• Acts-Revelation Program of the Redeemer-Present
  Future

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Beginnings
Patriarchs
Bondage
Wanderings
Conquest
Judges
Divided Kingdom
United Kingdom
Exile
Return
Silent
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Beginnings
Patriarchs
Bondage
Wanderings
Conquest
Judges
Divided Kingdom
United Kingdom
Exile
Return
Silent
Jesus Christ
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Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
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Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
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Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
2
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Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
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Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
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Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
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Six Movements of the Old Testament Story
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What is inductive Bible study?

• interpreting scripture with no pre-judgment, 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.

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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 1711
• Enables you to think for yourself
• Most people dont think but just rearrange their
  prejudices.

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Why study the Bible inductively?

• Enables you to think for yourself
• Most people dont think but just rearrange their
  prejudices.

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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 316

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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 1516

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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 18

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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.

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Bible reading help continued

• Purpose Always go to Gods 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 316

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Bible reading help continued

• Prayer Never begin to study Gods 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 11918

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What books will help me in my study? Too often
the first books we buy are commentaries-in which
others tell us the results of their study-rather
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 Strongs 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.
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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?

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Observation

• 1st step in personal Bible study

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From observation to application

• What did it mean to the original audience?
• What is the timeless truth?
• What does it mean to us today?

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Practice Exercise

• Review 2 Corinthians 614 and answer these 3
  questions.
• What did it mean to the original audience?
• What is the timeless truth?
• What does it mean to us today?

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The more time you spend in observation, the less
time you will spend in interpretation, and the
more accurate will be your results.
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Discussion Question

• What do you think would be the dangers of
• Interpretation without observation
• Application without interpretation
• Interpretation without application

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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?

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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?

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The 6 questions that will help in Bible study

• Who
• What
• Where
• When
• Why
• Wherefore so what

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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.

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Practice Exercise

• Using the six questions discussed in this lesson,
  briefly analyze Matthew 119-14. How many
  different answers can you find for each of the
  six questions?

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Interpretation

• 2nd step in personal Bible study

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Interpretive Principle 1

• Examine the context

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Tools for examining the context

• Study Bible
• Commentary
• Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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Practice Exercise

• Look at Matthew 1820, what was the immediate
  context of this encounter?
• What is the context in terms of Christs life and
  ministry?
• What is the context in terms of the New Testament?

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Interpretive Principle 2

• Comparing Scripture

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Tools for comparing scripture

• Concordance
• Study Bible
• Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

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Practice Exercise

• Read Matthew 1319
• Compare to Luke 812. What insight do you gain
  when comparing these verses with one another?

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Interpretive Principle 3

• Historical/cultural background

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Tools for historical/cultural background
understanding

• Bible Atlas
• Bible background resource
• Commentary

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Practice Exercise

• Taking historical/cultural backgrounds into
  consideration, how will they effect your
  interpretation of John 182-3?

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Interpretive Principle 4

• Consider the genre

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Types of Genre

• Wisdom
• Apocalyptic
• Prophetic
• Narrative
• Epistles

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Practice Exercise

• Look at Proverbs 226 and discuss how an
  understanding of genre affects your
  interpretation of the verse.

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Interpretive Principle 5

• Word studies

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Tools for word studies

• Concordance
• Vines Expository Dictionary

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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 113
• What do you learn as you do a word study of
  reminder?

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Application

• 3rd step in personal Bible study

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Application

• How does this effect my beliefs and behavior?