Inductive Bible Study, Pt. 1

"Bible Study That Works" by David L. Thompson

I'm working on an overview of Inductive Bible Study taken from this wonderful little book.  If you are interested in digging in - this book is pretty cool.  I'll give you some of the highlights over the next few days.

Start with "Why Study the Bible?"

The first reason is that God communicates with us through the Bible.  That should be enough in and of itself.  But, there are other really good ideas that Thompson presents and things that we often don't think about.

The Bible is a giant in world literature.

The Bible is God's written word offering instruction, encouragement and growth.

The Bible tells us of Jesus:  his attitudes, what He felt was important, how He connected with people and His teachings.

The Bible directs a Christian's path.


When you study the Bible (not just read or do devotions) there are two main questions that should fill your mind:

1. What did the author (s) intend to say to their first readers?
2. What does that have to do with us and our world?

So, what are the steps to studying the Bible.

I.  Observation
   A. Content
      1. Survey (read through) a unit
          a. A unit is the whole picture of the story, maybe a chapter, maybe a book, maybe just a paragraph.
          b. Gain the big picture
      2. Create short & descriptive titles for:
          a. chapters
          b. paragraphs
          c. subunits
      3. Proportion and Atmosphere
          a. how much space & time is given to the information
          b. what is the attitude or atmosphere surrounding the passage
      4. Observe the literary type or genre - what is the author's intention
      5. Use visual aids to present your own survey
          a. charts
          b. pictures

   B. Structure
      1. Look at basic structural relationships in passage
          a. Cause and Effect
          b. Climax - building towards a high point
          c. Comparison - similarities
          d. Contrast - opposites
          e. Pivot - a crucial change point
          f. General and specific relationships
             1. Generalizing - specific to general
             2. Particularizing - from general to specific
          g. Introduction - orienting the reader to what is to come
          h. Question / Answer
             1. Interrogatory
             2. Pose a problem - find a solution
          i. Recurrence - using repetition for emphasis
      2. Find the design - why did the author structure the unit this way
      3. Probe relationships - go deeper into meaning by asking questions

Tomorrow I'll show you what happens in the next step - Interpretation!