How to Study the Bible Inductively.
Begin with prayer and quiet yourself before God. He can speak through scattered thoughts, but wants you to listen. None of us wants to speak to somebody who's not paying attention. I suggest praying Psalm 119:18: Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Read the passage you have selected at least two times before beginning to study.
Begin with observations. Ask questions of the text: who, what, why, when, where and how? Write down your observations. Don't record every detail or you'll nearly rewrite the entire passage. Just look for the important facts. If something stands out to you but you're not sure it's really that significant, write it down. Look for repeating words, phrases or ideas. The patterns we find from these will teach us important principles.
After making careful observation and recording your findings, go through the passage again asking what it means. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you interpret the passage. Don't strain to find obscure or hidden meanings, but keep with the plain meaning of the passage and remember that context is king. We must understand how the verse relates to the chapter, how the chapter relates to the book, and how the book relates to the whole of Scripture. All Scripture is God-breathed and it is wonderfully consistent. That means that when the Holy Spirit gives you insight into a passage of Scripture, it will be consistent with the rest of the Bible. During this phase of study you will want to use the cross-references in your Bible and a Bible dictionary. You can access Easton's Bible Dictionary on-line through the link on this site.
After gleaning insights from the Word, the next step is application. It is not enough to know what a passage means, we must know what it means to us. Truth must be applied and lived out in our lives. In asking, "What does this mean to me?" we must lay our lives bare to the Lord and look to him to reveal how we are to live out what we know. We must constantly be lining up our lives with the Word of God and making adjustments, for this is how we will grow in sanctification. In the application stage of study ask yourself, "What will I do?" Answers must be specific. not general. Obedience is not always easy, but God will always help us to obey.
I trust you will find Bible study to be an adventure with God. The Bible is God's word to you and his revelation of himself. Through it we come to know him better.
The people who know their God will display strength and take action. (Daniel 11:32 NASB-U)
Begin with prayer and quiet yourself before God. He can speak through scattered thoughts, but wants you to listen. None of us wants to speak to somebody who's not paying attention. I suggest praying Psalm 119:18: Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.
Read the passage you have selected at least two times before beginning to study.
Begin with observations. Ask questions of the text: who, what, why, when, where and how? Write down your observations. Don't record every detail or you'll nearly rewrite the entire passage. Just look for the important facts. If something stands out to you but you're not sure it's really that significant, write it down. Look for repeating words, phrases or ideas. The patterns we find from these will teach us important principles.
After making careful observation and recording your findings, go through the passage again asking what it means. Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you interpret the passage. Don't strain to find obscure or hidden meanings, but keep with the plain meaning of the passage and remember that context is king. We must understand how the verse relates to the chapter, how the chapter relates to the book, and how the book relates to the whole of Scripture. All Scripture is God-breathed and it is wonderfully consistent. That means that when the Holy Spirit gives you insight into a passage of Scripture, it will be consistent with the rest of the Bible. During this phase of study you will want to use the cross-references in your Bible and a Bible dictionary. You can access Easton's Bible Dictionary on-line through the link on this site.
After gleaning insights from the Word, the next step is application. It is not enough to know what a passage means, we must know what it means to us. Truth must be applied and lived out in our lives. In asking, "What does this mean to me?" we must lay our lives bare to the Lord and look to him to reveal how we are to live out what we know. We must constantly be lining up our lives with the Word of God and making adjustments, for this is how we will grow in sanctification. In the application stage of study ask yourself, "What will I do?" Answers must be specific. not general. Obedience is not always easy, but God will always help us to obey.
I trust you will find Bible study to be an adventure with God. The Bible is God's word to you and his revelation of himself. Through it we come to know him better.
The people who know their God will display strength and take action. (Daniel 11:32 NASB-U)
