THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

1
THE SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES

• Session Four
• Study

2
The Purpose of Study

• Indeed, the word of God is living and active,
• sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
• until it divides would from spirit, joints from
• marrow it is able to judge the thoughts and
• intentions of the heart. Hebrews 412 (NRSV)
• All scripture is inspired by God and profitable
  for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and
  for training in righteousness, that the man of
  God may be complete, equipped for every good
  work. 2 Timothy 316-17

3
The 1 Goal of Studyto be changed

• All scripture is inspired by God and profitable
  for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and
  for training in righteousness, that the man of
  God may be complete, equipped for every good
  work. 2 Timothy 316-17
• the central purpose is not doctrinal purity
  but inner transformation. We come to the
  Scripture to be changed, not to amass
  information. Richard Foster

4
The 1 Goal of Studyto be changed

• All scripture is inspired by God and profitable
  for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and
  for training in righteousness, that the man of
  God may be complete, equipped for every good
  work. 2 Timothy 316-17
• the central purpose is not doctrinal purity
  but inner transformation. We come to the
  Scripture to be changed, not to amass
  information. Richard Foster

5
The 1 Goal of Studyto be changed

• All scripture is inspired by God and profitable
  for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and
  for training in righteousness, that the man of
  God may be complete, equipped for every good
  work. 2 Timothy 316-17
• the central purpose is not doctrinal purity
  but inner transformation. We come to the
  Scripture to be changed, not to amass
  information. Richard Foster

6
The 1 Goal of Studyto be changed

• All scripture is inspired by God and profitable
  for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and
• for training in righteousness, that the man of
  God may be complete, equipped for every
• good work. 2 Timothy 316-17
• the central purpose is not doctrinal purity
  but inner transformation. We come to the
  Scripture to be changed, not to amass
  information. Richard Foster

7
The 1 Goal of Studyto be changed

• All scripture is inspired by God and profitable
  for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and
  for training in righteousness, that the man of
  God may be complete, equipped for every good
  work. 2 Timothy 316-17
• the central purpose is not doctrinal purity
  but inner transformation. We come to the
  Scripture to be changed, not to amass
  information. Richard Foster

8
The Purpose of Study

• Indeed, the word of God is living and active,
• sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
• until it divides would from spirit, joints from
• marrow it is able to judge the thoughts and
• intentions of the heart.
• Hebrews 412 (NRSV)

9
The Purpose of Study

• Indeed, the word of God is living and active,
• sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
• until it divides would from spirit, joints from
• marrow it is able to judge the thoughts and
• intentions of the heart.
• Hebrews 412 (NRSV)

10
The Purpose of Study

• Indeed, the word of God is living and active,
  sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until
  it divides would from spirit, joints from marrow
  it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions
  of the heart.
• Hebrews 412 (NRSV)

11
Meditation vs. Study

• devotional
• analytical
• relish a word
• explicate clarify
• Study provides a certain
  objective framework within which meditation can
  successfully function. Richard Foster

12
Framework

• Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean
  wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Psalm
  517

and shall take the cedar wood and they hyssop
and the crimson yarn, along with the living
bird, and dip them in the blood of the
slaughtered bird and the fresh water, and
sprinkle the house seven times. Leviticus
1451

• Take a bunch of hyssop,
• dip it in the blood that is in
• the basin, and touch the
• lintel and the two
• doorposts with the blood of
• the basin. None of you
• shall go outside the door of
• your house until morning.
• Exodus 1222

13
Leviticus 141-4

• The Lord spoke to Moses, saying This shall be
  the ritual for the leprous person at the time of
  his cleansing He shall be brought to the priest
  the priest shall go out of the camp, and the
  priest shall make an examination. If the disease
  is healed in the leprous person, the priest shall
  command that two living birds and cedarwood and
  crimson yarn and hyssop be brought for the one
  who is to be cleansed. (NRSV)

14
Framework for Understanding

• Purify me with hyssop, and
• I shall be clean wash me,
• and I shall be whiter than
• snow. Psalm 517

• Study provides a certain
• objective framework within
• which meditation can
• successfully function.
• Richard Foster

15
Approaching the Scriptures

• EXEGESIS
• Trying to uncover the authors intent this is
  our goal in studying the Bible.

SELECTIVE HEARING
EISOGESIS Imposing a preconceived or foreign
meaning onto a text, even if that meaning could
not have been originally intended at the time of
its writing.
16
HERMANEUTICS understanding the authors culture
and context (before applying the writing to our
own)
EXEGESIS Trying to uncover the authors intent
this is our goal in studying the Bible.
SELECTIVE HEARING
EISOGESIS Imposing a preconceived or foreign
meaning onto a text, even if that meaning could
not have been originally intended at the time of
its writing.
17
Guarding Against Eisogesis

1. Read in context
2. Pay attention to genre
3. Use Bible reference notes
4. Refer to commentaries, dictionaries, atlases and
   maps

18
STOP GO Method of Study

1. Stop Be still, dial down
2. Think Read the text
3. Observe as much as possible
4. Plan Application questions
5. Go Pray in gratitude
6. Obey Implementation

19
Genesis 31-6

• Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the
  wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to
  the woman, Did God really say, You must not eat
  from any tree in the garden? The woman said to
  the serpent, We may eat fruit from the trees in
  the garden, but God did say, You must not eat
  fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the
  garden, and you must not touch it, or you will
  die. You will not surely die, the serpent
  said to the woman. For God knows that when you
  eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will
  be like God, knowing good and evil. When the
  woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for
  food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable
  for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.
  She also gave some to her husband, who was with
  her, and he ate it.

20
1 Samuel 1740

• Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five
  smooth stones from the stream, put them in the
  pouch of his shepherds bag and, with his sling
  in his hand, approached the Philistine.

21
From A Testament of Devotion by Thomas
R. Kelly

• As thou are in church or cell, that same frame
  of mind carry out into the world
  into its turmoil and its fitfulness.
• Deep within us all there is an amazing inner
  sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine
  Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may
  continuously return. Eternity is at our hearts,
  pressing upon our time-torn lives, warning us
  with intimations of an astounding destiny,
  calling us home unto Itself.