Posted in Bible Core CourseBible for LifeBiblical Studies CenterBijbel Zomer CursusSchool of Biblical StudiesStudy the Bible on Location
Inductive Bible study is all about letting the Bible speak for itself. It’s not the only (valid) way to study the Bible, but it’s a crucial one, because it turns you into a listener. How does it do that?
Observation
Inductive Bible study begins with careful observation: what does the text say? E.g.: what is happening? How is the message structured? Is there an emphasis in the text? What are the main themes? Etc.
Interpretation
Upon seeing what is in the text, the meaning of it can be explored: interpretation. What did the text mean to the original recipients? We explore the historical circumstances of author and recipients. We look at the literary form in which the text comes: is it a story, poem, law, letter, prophecy, parable, etc.? We look at the context: what comes before and after the text I’m studying? How does the text fit in the whole Bible? And we ask lots of questions: what does this mean? Why does the author say that? How would this have spoken to the original recipients? And so on.
Application
When we have a grasp of the meaning of the text, we can think about its application. How does the text speak into my personal situation? How does it speak to my church, or the culture I’m living in? How can it be applied to society: government, business, health care, family life, etc.
Attitude
Observation, interpretation and application are the core skills to be developed. Since we’re using these to study God‘s Word, we come to the text with the expectation to ultimately hear from Him. It’s good to start with prayer and to read with faith and expectation.
And one more thing: inductive study isn’t complicated. It’s about learning to look carefully at the text, asking good questions, exploring the setting of the text and – probably the hardest part of it – becoming obedient to it.
