Stages Of Study

Stage One: UNDERSTAND:

What does the passage actually say?

Setting: When and where was the book or passage written?

Purpose: Why was it written?

Context: What is the book as a whole about?

Form: How, or in what form, was it written?

Words: What is the meaning of individual words?

Stage Two: EXPLAIN:

What does the passage mean?

What did the passage mean to its original readers?

What is the main point or teaching of the passage?

How does it compare with other, perhaps clearer, Bible passages?

Stage Three: Apply

What does the passage mean today?

What is an equivalent situation today to that of the original readers?

Does the passage have some specific teaching about God, man, the world, the church…?

Is there any action to be taken in the light of the passage?

Does it lead to prayer or praise?