VIII. METHODS OF BIBLE STUDY
There are many Bible Study methods. However, there seems to be a basic template or pattern that all of them use to one degree or another. This pattern is also good because it leads us, step by step, to the important goal of Application!
A. Every Passage of Scripture has ONE INTERPRETATION and MANY APPLICATIONS.
1. Interpretation
a. WHAT THE BIBLE MEANS.
The "literal" meaning of each passage of the Bible understood on the basis of the rule of interpretation, must be our starting point for applying the Bible to our daily lives. The test of a good interpretation is whether it makes good sense of the text and its context.
The whole Bible must speak for itself. We cannot build doctrines on isolated portions of Scriptures. It’s easy to quote individual Bible verses to prove your point. It is a much greater challenge to see how individual verses fit into the whole picture.
REMEMBER: Individual verses of the Bible must be understood in the context of OTHER VERSES IN THAT PASSAGE.
Q. Does Acts 2:38 teach that baptism is necessary for the forgiveness of sins?
Answer: Yes, by itself.
NOTE: But many other passages about water baptism in the Bible make it clear that baptism is necessary for discipleship and Christian growth, but it is not necessary to get into heaven.
Q. Does James 2:24 teach that works are necessary for salvation?
Answer: Yes, by itself.
NOTE: But James 2:24 must be understood in the larger context of New Testament grace.
Q: What does it say? (Many of our methods will be different methods of Observation)
2. Application
b. WHAT THE BIBLE MEANS TO ME.
One of the great Bible scholars of this century, F. F Bruce, wrote, "The place of the Bible in the life of the church has constantly added to it a wealth of fresh and practical meaning which the interpreter cannot ignore."
1). Determining Meaning
a). What do the particular key words or phrases mean?
Pay attention to those elements that are repeated in the current passage or used elsewhere by the same author.
b). What is the significance of a particular key word, phrase or sentence?
c). Does the element carry any special significance given the historical and social context?
d). What does it contribute to the overall meaning of the text?
e). How would the meaning of the text be effected if this particular element was left out?
f). Determine the relationships between the key words and phrases.
g). Look for the following connecting words:
Contrast but, however, even though, much more, nevertheless, yet, although, then, otherwise
Condition if, whoever, whatever
Comparison too, also, as, just as, so also, likewise, like, in the same way
Correlatives as...so also, for...as, so...as
Reason because, for this reason, for this purpose, for, since
Result so then, therefore, as a result, thus, then
Purpose that, so that, in order that now, immediately, just then, until, when, before, after,
while, during, since
Geographical where, from. Is there a progression in the story, account or argument?
Questions to ask yourself:
Is there a climax?
What is implied by the use of particular terms, phrases, or sentences?
Answer: Any implications must be clear and reasonable – be careful not to exaggerate or over extend what the text says in order to support a preconceived idea.
Temporal/Time
IMPORTANT: Do not build major Doctrines on isolated or unclear verses of the Bible. Passages of Scripture in which a doctrine is merely touched on must be interpreted by those passages where a doctrine is expressly taught.
Ex: 1 Corinthians 11:6.
Ex: The idea that the gifts of the Spirit "died out" with the Apostles. There is no Bible verse in the New Testament that teaches this very popular idea, even though some preach it as a fact.
B. Ways To Study The Scriptures
We are going to take a quick look at each method for Bible Study, and then help you choose one to use along with what you have learned so far.
The four basic methods of Bible Study are:
1. TOPICAL
This is just what the name implies. You choose a topic in the Scriptures to study. Pick one that interests you. Something that you would like to learn more about. Then, using a Concordance, look up all the references to that topic, write them down, and then look them up in the Bible. This can take some time. Do Not Get In a Hurry.
Reading each passage carefully, answer these questions in your own notebook:
1.) What does this passage mean?
2.) How does it apply to me?
3.) What can I learn from it?
Some Biblical topics are: prayer, fasting, grace, salvation, tithing, faith, repentance, confession, etc.
2. EXPOSITORY
The word literally means "a detailed explanation." Referring to a study of the Bible it means a detailed study of a verse, a chapter or a book (or books) of the Bible.
To do an expository study, pick a verse or several verses to study. (I would wait until I had done this several times before I choose too long a section of the Scriptures.)
a). Read your selection through very carefully at least 3 times before you start your study of it.
b). Read it through slowly.
c). Write in your notebook all the major words that are used in it.
d). Look them up in the Concordance.
e). Look up the meanings of the words and write those down.
f). Check the references to other Scriptures where those words are used.
g). Read them and make notes on how the Scriptures apply to the ones you are
studying.
This can get quite detailed. Take your time.
h). Check a Bible Commentary, a Bible Dictionary and/or a Bible Encyclopedia and see what it says about the Scriptures you are studying.
Make notes on all relevant material, listing the references used.
i). Review the material gathered and write down the interpretation (What it Means) and the application (What it Means to Me and how I can apply it to my life).
3. MEDITATIONAL
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8 ESV - see also Psalm 1)
Meditational Bible Study is one of the highest forms of study. It is commended in Scripture as one of the ways to God's blessing on the life!
a). It begins by memorizing.
I would suggest memorizing a few verses at first. Then "grow" into memorizing chapters and books of the Bible. This is what the Scriptures mean when it talks about "hiding God's Word" in your heart. You hide it in your heart by memorizing it.
There are many little "tricks" to memorization. One way is to set the section to music and sing it. Yes, it works. We learned Psalm 1 that way years ago.
b). Meditate on it by filling your mind with it. "..meditate therein day and night..." (Joshua 1:8)
You let the words of the memorized portion run through your mind, again and again. As you do this prayerfully, thoughts, ideas, concepts will be revealed to your mind.
c). Keep a notebook handy and write them down.
Look for:
1.) Interpretation - What it means.
2.) Application - How to apply it to the life.
d). Write them down.
Quite often the more you meditate upon a Scripture or a portion of Scripture the more revelation you receive about it. Again, take your time.
e). Quote them out loud during challenging and stressful times.
For instance, if you have memorized the 23rd Psalm, during a period of "darkness" you can quote this Scripture. It affirms your faith, brings light and peace, and will help keep your mind from running away with worry or fear.
4. EXEGETICAL
a). Survey the historical context.
We must always interpret a text in light of its original historical setting. A text has no meaning–or may assume every kind of meaning–outside this parameter of historical context.
1). Who wrote the book?
2). Who were its recipients?
3). What kind of relationship existed between author and readers?
4). Where was the author when writing?
5). What situation occasioned the writing?
6). Is the purpose of the book explicitly stated?
7). Where did the readers live?
8). What were the recipients’ special problems or needs?
b). Observe the larger literary context.
A survey of the entire book is necessary for the study of its individual passages. Be able to trace the development of the author’s argument and show how your passage fits this context.
1). What is the genre of the book in which your passage is found?
2). What is the subgenre, if any, of your passage?
3). What is the outline of the book in which your passage is found?
c). Determine the meaning of any crucial words.
1). Do a word study on any important terms in your passage.
2). Ask these questions:
- What are the possible meanings of a word?
- Which meaning best fits this context?
- How is the word used by the same author in other passages?
- Does the word have any special connotative meaning (e.g., leper, Samaritan,
slave, etc.)? - Are there any synonyms or opposites in the context that can
help to define its meaning?
d). Avoid these fallacies:
- Etymologizing: determining meaning solely on the basis of a word’s etymology.
- Illegitimate totality transfer: reading the full range a word may have into each context in which it occurs.
- Confusing word with concept: failing to recognize that ideas are rarely expressed at the word level alone.
- Over-analysis: performing word studies to the neglect of other areas of exegesis.
d). Analyze the syntax.
1). Note any syntactical features that contribute directly to the interpretation of your
passage.
2). Note the following:
- The presence or absence of the definite article.
- The significance, tense (aspect), and voice of verbal forms.
- The case of nouns and pronouns.
- Word, phrase, and clause order.
- Prepositions.
- Conjunctions (especially clause indicators).
e). Determine the structure.
1). Seek to understand the flow of the author’s argument and how the major ideas in the passage are related to each other.
2). What is the outline of the passage?
f). Look for any significant rhetorical features.
1). New Testament authors often used various literary forms to communicate their meaning. Wherever “the medium is the message,” it is of crucial importance to your exegesis to be able to show what the author was doing.
2). Look for the following literary features:
- Alliteration: the repetition of words beginning with the same letter or sound.
- Asyndeton: the omission of conjunctions that would normally be present.
- Chiasmus: the rhetorical inversion of words or thoughts.
- Paranomasia: an intentional play on two similar-sounding words.
- Polysyndeton: the superfluous repetition of conjunctions.
- Repetition: of words or phrases.
- Inclusio: the “bracketing” of a text with similar words, phrases, concepts.
3). Look for the following rhetorical devices:
- Questions: effectively making an assertion through interrogation. Can be in the form of diatribe (asking and then answering the question) or rhetorical (asking but not directly answering the question
- Figurative Language: language not to be taken literally.
- Hyperbole: an intentional exaggeration emphasizing a point.
- Lists: for emphasis.
g). Observe how any sources were used.
1). Look for editorial features in your passage that point to the author’s distinctive literary and/or theological contributions.
2). What contribution does any scriptural quotation/allusion make to the author’s argument in the passage?
3). If the passage is from one of the Gospels, how is your passage similar to and different from the form preserved in other Gospels? What is the significance of any differences?
4). What other biblical passages elaborate on the themes present in your
passage?
h). Determine the key thought of the passage.
1). Discern the life issues in the passage that have relevance to the to every Christian today.
2). Write down in one sentence what seems to be the central teaching of the passage.
3). What are the themes present in the passage?
4). What is the key thought (central idea) that binds together all of these themes?
i). Develop a life application outline from the text.
1). Put the results of your exegesis into a workable outline that sets forth the text’s claims and statements in ways that are timeless and relevant to the current needs of your congregation.
2). What is the key thought of the passage?
3). What supporting points are present in the passage that illumine the key thought?
4). Are your supporting points listed in the order of the writers argument in the passage?
