Also by Rick Warren Rick WaRRen’s - Ningapi.ning.com/files/hSOUK3FODotd4Fn0CJ44QzI2ENYX... ·...
Transcript of Also by Rick Warren Rick WaRRen’s - Ningapi.ning.com/files/hSOUK3FODotd4Fn0CJ44QzI2ENYX... ·...
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Also by Rick Warren
The Purpose Driven® Life
The Purpose Driven® Church
Living with Purpose SeriesGod’s Answers to Life’s Difficult Questions
God ’s Power to Change Your Life
Rick WaRRen’s
MeTHODsBiBLe sTUDY
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F r o m t h e a u t h o r o f
T H e P U R P O s e DR i v e n® L i f e
Rick WaRRen’s
MeTHODsBiBLe sTUDY
12Twelve Ways You Can Unlock God’s Word
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Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods Adobe® Acrobat® eBook Reader® format Copyright © 1981, 2006 by Rick Warren
Formerly published under the title Personal Bible Study Methods
Requests for information should be addressed to:
Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN-13: 978-0-310-27759-0 ISBN-10: 0-310-27759-0
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
KJV indicates Scripture quotations from the King James Version.
The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of Zondervan, nor do we vouch for their content for the life of this book.
All rights reserved. Some forms are designated in the text as being suitable for reproduction. No other part of this publica-tion may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Interior design: Mark Sheeres Cover design: Rob Monacelli and Ron Huizinga Cover photo: Philip Shippert
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To my wife, Elizabeth Kay
whose prayers, support, and commitment to disciple-making have been
a constant encouragement while I was working on this book.
She is truly a gift from God.
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cOnTenTs
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Introduction:.How.to.Study.the.Bible. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Preview.of.the.12.Bible.Study.Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
1. TheDevotionalMethodofBibleStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 2. TheChapterSummaryMethodofBibleStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 3. TheCharacterQualityMethodofBibleStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 4. TheThematicMethodofBibleStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 5. TheBiographicalMethodofBibleStudy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 6. TheTopicalMethodofBibleStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 7. TheWordStudyMethodofBibleStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 8. TheBookBackgroundMethodofBibleStudy . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 9. TheBookSurveyMethodofBibleStudy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 10. TheChapterAnalysisMethodofBibleStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 11. TheBookSynthesisMethodofBibleStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 12. TheVerse-by-VerseAnalysisMethodofBibleStudy . . . . . . . 221
Appendices A. HowtoHaveaMeaningfulQuietTime. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231 B. GeneralQuestionsforaBiographicalStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255 C. AListofPositiveandNegativeCharacterQualities. . . . . . . . . 259 D. APartialListofBiblicalPeople . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262 E. ASuggestedListofKeyWordsforStudy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 264 F. WhattoLookforinaChapterAnalysisStudy............. 265 G. APlanforStudyingtheBibleSystematically . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
For.Further.Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271About.the.Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272About.the.Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
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PReface
FormanyyearseverytimeIheardagoodsermonorsomein-depthBibleteaching,Iwouldleavethemeetingfrustrated,wonderingtomyself,How.did.he.find.all.of.that.in.his.text?Iwantedtobeabletodiscoverthosetruthsonmyown.Inaddition,IoftenfeltguiltybecausepeoplewerealwaystellingmeIoughttostudytheBible,butwhenItriedtostudyit,Ididn’tknowwhattodo.SoIwouldgetdiscouragedandgiveup.
Since those days of frustration, I have discovered thatmost Christians sin-cerelywanttostudytheirBiblesontheirown,buttheyjustdon’tknowhow.Theydon’t needmore exhortation (“Youought to study yourBible!”); they just needsomeinstructiononhowtostudytheWordofGod.Andthatisthepurposeofthisbook—itisa“how-to”manualonBiblestudy.ItassumesthatyoualreadyknowtheimportanceofpersonalBiblestudy,thatyouhavebeenexhortedmanytimestothisChristianduty,andthatyouhavebeenwaitingforsomeonetoshowyouhowtodoit.
TheBibleteachesusthatwecannotbedisciplesofJesusChristifwedonothavearegularintakeoftheWordofGod.OnoneoccasionJesussaidtohisfol-lowers,“Ifyoucontinue inmyword, thenareyoumydisciples indeed;andyoushallknowthetruth,andthetruthshallmakeyoufree”(John8:31–32KJV).AswelookbackthroughthehistoryoftheChristianchurch,wefindthatthecommondenominatorofeverygreatmanandwomanofGodisthattheyknewtheScrip-turesandspentconsistent,regulartimewiththeLordinhisWord.
NeverbeforeinhistoryhastheBiblebeenmoreavailabletotheWesternworld.YetneverbeforehastherebeensuchafamineofGod’sWord.WehaveBiblesinhotels,motels,doctors’offices, libraries,andmosthomes inAmerica,yetmostpeopleareignorantofwhattheScriptureshavetosay.Weliveinadayofbiblicalilliteracy,evenamongmanypeopleofGod.
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EachstudymethodinthisbookispresentedinsuchawaythatanybelieversinChristcanfollowthestepssuggestedandbeableon.their.own.togetsomethingoutoftheirstudyoftheScriptures.Itrustthatyourreading,study,anduseofthisbookwillmakeyouintoabiblicallyliteratediscipleoftheLordJesusChrist—use-fulasaworkerinyourlocalchurchinreachingthelostwiththegospelandtrainingbelieversindiscipleship.
TheclaimsofdiscipleshipincludeacalltocommitmentbymenandwomenwhowanttofollowJesus.TheygrowasdisciplesbygettingintotheWordasahabitoflifeandapplyingitconsistentlytotheirdailylives.
GeorgeMueller,thedirectorofaseriesoforphanagesinBristol,England,dur-ingmuchofthe19thcentury,wasknownasamanoffaithandprayer.Itisamaz-ingtoreadtheanswerstoprayerthismanhadduringhislonglife.Whatmadehimamanoffaithandprayer?DuringhislifetimehereadthroughtheBibleover200times,andmorethanhalfofthosereadingshedidonhisknees,prayingovertheWordandstudyingitdiligently.
WhenyouknowtheWordofGodthatwell,youaregoingtoknowthewillofGodforyourlife.WhenyouknowthewillofGod,youwillbeabletoprayspecificallyandgetspecificanswers.
Ifweweretoask inachurchmeeting,“Howmanyofyoubelieve theBiblefromcovertocover?”probablyeveryonewouldraiseahand.However,ifweweretoask,“Howmanyofyou read. it. regularly fromcover tocover?”wemightnotgetmuchofaresponse.ItseemsweareoftenguiltyofbeingmoreinterestedindefendingGod’sWordthaninstudyingit.
OnatypicaleveninganaverageChristianmaysitandwatchTVforthreehours,butonlyreadhisBibleforthreeminutesbeforebedtime. Is itanywondermanylackspiritualmaturity?ManyChristiansaremorefaithfultotheDearAbbycolumnorthesportspagesthantheyaretotheWordofGod.Ihaveknownnon-Christianswhowouldnot leave theirhomes in themorninguntil theyhadreadtheirhoro-scopes.WhatwouldhappenifChristianscommittedthemselveswithequalvigortoreadingtheirBibleseachmorningbeforetheyleftforwork,school,orshopping?Itwouldchangetheirlivesandthelivesofthosearoundthem.
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Preface
11
The apostle Paul said something important about theScriptures.Writing toTimothy,hedeclared:
Butasforyou,continueinwhatyouhavelearnedandhavebecomeconvincedof,becauseyouknow those fromwhomyou learned it,andhow from infancyyouhaveknowntheholyScriptures,whichareabletomakeyouwiseforsalvationthroughfaithinChristJesus.AllScriptureisGod-breathedandisusefulforteaching,rebuking,correct-ing,andtraininginrighteousness,sothatthemanofGodmaybethoroughlyequippedforeverygoodwork(2Tim.3:14–17).
PaulgivesustworeasonswhyweshouldknowtheScriptures.Thefirstpur-poseisthatwemightcometoknowJesusChristandreceivehissalvation(v.15).We learnabouthimand redemption through theWord.ThesecondpurposeofScripture is tohelpusgrowspiritually thatwemightbeequippedforwhateverGodwantsus todo (v.17).Themeans to thatgrowthare teaching (doctrine),rebuking,correcting,andtraining(v.16).Teachingshowsusthepathonwhichwearetowalk;rebukingshowsuswherewegotoffthepath;correctingtellsushowtogetbackonthepath;andtraininginrighteousnessteacheshowtostayonthatpath.ThismeansthattheBibleisthecomprehensiveguidebookforlivingtheChristianlife.
NeartheendofJesus’ministry,theJewishleadersweretryingtotrickhimwithcomplicatedquestionsabouttheirLaw.ToonequestiontheSadduceeshaddesignedtotrytotraphim,Jesusreplied,“YouareinerrorbecauseyoudonotknowtheScripturesorthepowerofGod”(Matt.22:29).Jesusgivesherethetwobasicreasonsforfalsedoctrine,orerror.PeoplegetoffbasedoctrinallybecausetheyknowneithertheirBiblesnorthepowerofGod.Allerrorcomesfromthesetwothings.
Withthecurrentriseandpopularityofcults,falseteachings,andnonbiblicalphilosophies,itisimperativethatweChristiansbegroundedintheWordofGodsothatwecandiscernerrorfromtruth.
WhyisitthatmostChristiansdonotstudytheWordofGod?Probablymanyreasonscouldbegiven,butthreeseemtobemostcommon.Thefirstreasonisthat.people.don’t.know.how .Thiswasmysituationformanyyears.IwouldgotoaBible
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conference, retreat,or revivalandheargreatpreaching. Iwouldoften leave themeetingamazedatthescripturalinsightthevariousspeakerspossessed.ThenIwouldthink,Whydidn’t.I.see.that?andIwouldtrytostudyonmyown.ButbecausenoonehadshownmehowtostudytheBiblebymyself,Iwasunabletodoitandfeltfrustrated.IknewGodwantedmetostudyhisWord,soIcommittedmyselftolearninghowandtoteachingothershowitcouldbedone.
IfIweretomeetastarvingmanbythesideofariver,lake,orocean,Icoulddooneoftwothings:Icouldgetmyfishingrodandcatchhimafish,thussatisfy-inghishungerforafewhours;orIcouldteachhimhowtofish,thussatisfyinghishungerforhislifetime.Thesecondoptionisobviouslythebestwaytohelpthatman.Inthesameway,hungryChristiansneedtobetaughthowtofeedthemselvesfromtheWordofGod.
The second reasonwhypeopledon’t study theirBibles is that they.are.not.motivated .Thisisbecausetheyhavenotexperiencedthejoythatcomesfromper-sonallydiscoveringtruthsfromtheWordofGod.PasteffortsatBiblestudyhavebeenunfruitful,sotheyhavegivenup.TheyhavebecomesatisfiedwithgettingalltheyneedfortheirChristianlivesfromsomebodyelseratherthanfindingitoutontheirown.Atthispoint,Imustwarnyouaboutthisbook:IfyougetseriousaboutstudyingtheBibleonyourown,youwillneveragainbesatisfiedwithameresec-ondhandknowledgeoftheScriptures.Dr.PaulLittleoncecomparedpersonalBiblestudytoeatingpeanuts.Onceyougetstarteddoingit,you’rehooked!WhenyoudiscoverhowgoodBiblestudy“tastes,”youwillfindyourselfgoingbackformoreandmore.PersonalBiblestudycanbehabit-forming!
Thethirdreasonwhypeopledon’tstudytheScripturesisthatthey.are.lazy .Biblestudyishardwork,andtherearenoshortcutstoit.Itisjustlikeanythingelseinlifethatistrulyworthwhile:ittakestime,effort,concentration,andpersistence.MostgreattruthsoftheWordofGoddonotlieonthesurface;wehavetodigforthem.Justasgoldmightbefoundatthebottomofamineorapearlatthebottomofthesea,sothedeepertruthsofGodmustbesearchedoutwithgreatdiligence.
HowardG.Hendricks,well-knownconferencespeakerandChristianeducationexpert,hasspokenofthreestagesofattitudestowardBiblestudy:
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Preface
13
• The“castoroil”stage—whenwestudytheBiblebecauseweknowitisgoodforus,butitisnottooenjoyable.
• The“cereal”stage—whenourBiblestudyisdryanduninteresting,butweknowitisnourishing.
• The“peachesandcream”stage—whenwearereally feastingontheWordofGod.
IntheWesternworldweliveinasocietythatpreferstohaveotherpeopledoour thinking for us. That’s why TV and other forms of entertainment, includingprofessionalsports,aresopopular.Wewanttorelaxandbeentertainedwithouthavingtothinkorexertanyeffort.InBiblestudy,however,wehavetolearnsometechniques, somemethods, and thenconcentrateondiggingout themessagesGodhasforus.
ThepurposeofthisbookistoteachyouhowtodigouttherichesoftheWordofGodforyourself.Itwillrequiresomeseriousthinking,butwehavetriedtokeeptheproceduressimple.
Ineachchapteryouwillbeintroducedtooneof12basicmethodsofpersonalBiblestudy.Forthesakeofclarity,eachchaptercontainsthesamebasiccompo-nents,thoughtheordervaries:
1. Acondensedoutlineofeachmethod.Thisallowsyoutogainanoverviewofeachmethodataglance.Youwillfindthishelpfulwheneveryouneedtoreferbacktothesequenceofstepsinacertainmethod.
2. Ashortdefinitionofthemethod. 3. Arationaleforeachmethod.Thisacquaintsyouwiththebenefitsand
limitationsofeachmethod. 4. Theprocedureforeachmethod.Thisisexplainedinasimplestep-by-
stepmanner. 5. Anexampleofeachmethod(acompletedform). 6. Ablankformyoucanuseorcopyforyourownstudy. 7. Suggestedpossiblepassagesorsubjectstogetyoustartedonyourown
study. 8. Suggestionsforfurtherreadingrelatedtoeachmethod.
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Becauseeachchapter is independentoftheothers,youmayskiparoundinreadingthebook,choosingtolearnfirstthemethodsthatinterestyoumost.How-ever,withtheexceptionofthelastone,thesemethodsarepresentedin.order.of.their.difficulty .Thereisalogicalprogressionthroughthebook.Asyoumovefromchaptertochapter,youwillbeintroducedtoadditionalBiblestudyskills.Forthebestresults,youshouldmastereachmethodintheordergivenbeforeproceedingtothenext.Chapter1,“TheDevotionalMethod,”isfoundational;youshouldreadandunderstand itbeforeattemptinganyothermethod. Itwill teachyouhowtowriteoutapersonalapplicationfromScripture,whichyouwillthenuseasafinalstepinmostoftheothermethods.
Itrustthatthisbookwillbecomeawell-wornandusedreferencetoolthatwillguideyouinalifetimeofpersonalBiblestudyandinyourteachingotherstodothesame.
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inTRODUcTiOn: HOW TO sTUDY THe BiBLe
PrinciPles of Dynamic BiBle stuDy
DynamicBiblestudydoesnotrequireanythingmagical.Onceyouunderstandthebasicprinciples,itissimpletodo.Herearefivegeneralprinciplesyouwillneedtoremember,regardlessofthemethodofstudyyouuse.
1.The.secret.of.dynamic.Bible.study.is.knowing.how.to.ask.the.right.kinds.of.questions .ThetwelvemethodsofBiblestudypresentedinthisbookrequireyouraskingquestionsofthebiblicaltext.Themaindifferenceinthesemethodsisthetypesofquestionsyouwillask.Youwillhavedifferenttypesofquestionswitheachmethod.Askingquestionsisaskillthatyoucandevelop.AsyougrowinproficiencyinBiblestudy,youwilldeveloptheartofaskingquestions.Themorequestionsyouaskaboutthetextunderstudy,themoreyouwillgetoutofit.
Youwillrealizethatyoucanbombardthetextwithalimitlessnumberofques-tions.OnebenefitofstudyingtheBible is thatyouwillbegindevelopingamoreinquisitivemind.Youwilldiscoverexcitinginsightsyou’veoverlookedinthepast.Itwillseemasifyouhavebeengivenanewpairofeyes!Suddenly,everytimeyoupickuptheBibletostudy,newtruthswillleapoutofthetext.
2. Dynamic. Bible. study. involves. writing. down. what. you. have. observed. and.discovered .Youhaven’treallythoughtthroughabiblicaltextuntilyouhaveputthethoughtsgained from it intowriting.Youcannot study theBiblewithoutwritingsomethingdown.ThatisthedifferencebetweenBiblereadingandBiblestudy.InreadingtheBibleyousimplyreadthroughaselectedportionofScripture,whereasinstudyingtheBibleyoutakeextensivenotes.DawsonTrotman, founderof theNavigators,usedtosay,“Thoughtsdisentanglethemselveswhentheypassthrough
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thelipsandthefingertips.”Ifyouhaven’tputyourobservationsdownonpaper,youhaven’treallythoughtaboutthem.
Thisprinciple istruenotonly inBiblestudybutalso inmanyotherareasoftheChristianlife.OneofthemostprofitablethingsyoucandoinyourspirituallifeistostartsomekindofspiritualnotebookinwhichyouwritedownthoughtsandinsightsGodhasgivenyou.
Nowhereisnote-takingmoreimportantthaninyourpersonalBiblestudy.Ifyoureallyvaluethenuggetsoftruththatyoudiscover,youwilltakenotesoneverythingyoudigoutoftheScriptures.Evenifyoudon’tseeanythinginaparticularverse,writethatdown.EachBiblestudymethodinthisbookhasastudyformdesignedtobeusedwithitsothatyoucanwritedownvariousnotesonwhatyoustudy.
3.The.ultimate.goal.of.dynamic.Bible.study.is.application,.not.just.interpretation .Wedonotwanttosettleforunderstandingalone;wewanttoapplythebiblicalprin-ciplestoourdailyliving.DwightL.Moody,agreatevangelistandChristianeducatorofthelatenineteenthcentury,usedtosay,“TheBiblewasnotgiventoincreaseourknowledge,buttochangeourlives.”ItwasgiventochangeourcharacterandbringitmoreintoconformitywithJesusChrist.AllofoureffortsinBiblestudyarevalue-lessifinthefinalanalysiswedonotchangeandbecomemorelikeJesus.Wemust“notmerelylistentotheword,”butweareto“dowhatitsays”(James1:22).
ItispossibletoknowtheWordofGodandnotknowtheGodoftheWord.Oneofthetragediesofourtimeisthatsomeoftheworld’sbestBiblescholarsarealsosomeofthepoorestsoul-winners.Theyhavethetimetodigforgreatgemsofbibli-caltruth,buttheyseemtoforgetthatoneofthemandatesofScriptureistogooutandmakedisciples.WhenweapplyGod’sWordinourlives,wewillalsobecomeeagertocarryouttheGreatCommission(Matt.28:18–20).
Onedayamanaskedme,“Whatisthebesttranslation?”(Hewasreferring,ofcourse,tothebestBibleversion.)
Ianswered,“ThebesttranslationiswhenyoutranslatetheWordofGodintoyourdailylife.”
Hesaid,“ButI’vegotmyLiving.Bible .”(Hestilldidn’tgetthepicture.)Ireplied,“Yououghttobe.alivingBible!TheWordmadefleshoughttobevis-
ibleinyourlife.”
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Introduction:.How.to.Study.the.Bible
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Some of the questions you ought to be asking yourself in your Bible studyare:WhatattitudedoIneedtochangeasaresultofthisstudy?WhatdoIneedtostartdoingorstopdoing?WhatthingsdoIneedtobelieveorstopbelieving?WhatrelationshipsdoIneedtoworkon?WhatministryshouldIbehavingwithothers?OurgoalinallBiblestudiesistoknowJesusChristandtobecomelikehiminourattitudes,ourthoughts,ourspeech,ouractions,andourvalues.
WhentheWordofGodchangesourlivesandmakesusmorelikeJesus,that’swhenwerealizewhattherealpurposeoflifeis,whattruejoyis,andwhatitmeansforGodtochangetheworldthroughus.TheGreatCommissionisfulfilledandsoulsarewonwhenwebecomeChristlikeanddohiswill.
Onefurtherthoughthere:WhenyoubeginstudyingtheWordofGod,don’tgotoitwiththeattitudeoffindingsometruththatnooneelsehaseverseen.Don’tstudyittofindsomethingwithwhichtoimpressothers.JustgototheWordtofindoutwhatithastosayto.you.Therealproblemformostofusisnotwithinterpretingdifficultpassagesbutwithobeyingthepassageswedounderstand.
4.Dynamic.Bible.study.means.that.God’s.Word.must.be.studied.systematically .AhaphazardstudyoftheWordofGodisaninsulttothesanctityofScripture.ItisaslapattheholinessofGod,whogaveusthatWord.The“cafeteriastyle,”the“dip-or-skip”method,orthe“what-are-we-going-to-find-today”approachwillnotproducetheresultsGodwantsinourlives.Whatweneedisasystematic,regularplanofstudy,whetherwegothroughabook,studyaword,analyzeaperson’scharacter,studyachapter,orchoosesomeothermethod.
WeshouldnotoverlookanypassageorsectionintheBible.TheOldTestamentis justasmuchGod’sWordas is theNew.ManypeopletodaydonotknowtoomuchabouttheOldTestament.ItmaybeembarrassingforsometogettoheavenandhaveZephaniahaskthem,“Howdidyoulikemybook?”Because“allScriptureisGod-breathed”(2Tim.3:16),weneedtostudyallofitsystematically.(AplanforsuchasystematicstudyissuggestedinappendixG.)
StudyingtheBibleislikebeingagooddetective.AgoodBiblestudentbasicallyfollowsthesameprocedureasagoodsleuth.Thefirstthingadetectivedoesistogooutandlookforclues.Hedoesn’tsayanything,interpretanything,ordrawanyconclusions,buthedoeslookatallthedetails.Heobservesthingsthatother
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peoplemightnormallyoverlook,becauseheistrainedinobservation.Second,hebeginsaskingquestionsonthebasisofwhathehasobserved.Third,afterintenseobservation and questioning, he starts putting the evidence together and inter-pretingwhathehas.Fourth,hecomparesandcorrelates,piecingtogetheralltheevidencehehascollectedtoseehoweachfactrelatestotheothers.Finally,hedrawsaconclusionandmakesadecisiononthebasisofwhathebelievesactuallyoccurredandwhowasinvolved.
AseriousBiblestudentfollowsthesesamebasicstepsinapproachingtheWordof God. The first step is observing: seeing the basic facts contained in the textunder study.Next comesasking questions: discovering additional facts bymoreintenseobservation.Third is interpreting: analyzingwhat the textmeans. Fourthiscorrelatingwhat youhavediscoveredwithotherbiblical truths youknow; thisinvolvescross-referencingversesandcomparingScripturewithScripture.Thefinalstepisdrawingaconclusion:applyingtoyourlifeinapracticalwaythetruthsyouhavestudied.(IamgratefultoWilliamLincolnforthehelpfuldetectiveanalogy.HisbookPersonal.Bible.Study[BethanyHouse,1975]isanexcellentintroductiontotheinductiveapproachtoBiblestudy.)
5.In.dynamic.Bible.study.you.will.never.exhaust.the.riches.in.any.one.passage.of.Scripture .Thepsalmistdeclared,“ToallperfectionIseealimit;butyourcommandsareboundless”(Ps.119:96).YoucandiganddiginScripture,butyouwillnevertouchbottom.Solomonsaid,“Ifyoulookforitasforsilverandsearchforitasforhiddentreasure,thenyouwillunderstandthefearoftheLOrDandfindtheknowledgeofGod”(Prov.2:4–5).ButGod’ssilverlodeisinexhaustibleandthetreasureisboundless.
Forthisreasonyoucanstudythesamepassageoverandoveragain,digintoit,leaveitforthreeorfourmonths—andwhenyoucomebacktoit,thereismuchmoretofind.Thekeyisthis:Stick.with.it!rememberthatthereisnolimittothenumberofquestionsyoucanask,nolimittotheobservationsyoucanmake,nolimittotheapplicationsyoucanmake.Sodon’tgiveup.ThebestattitudetohaveinBiblestudyistheoneJacobhadwhenhewrestledwiththeangelandsaid,“Iwillnotletyougounlessyoublessme”(Gen.32:26).
Biblestudyhasnoshortcuts.Itishardwork,butifyouarediligentandpatient,youwillreapresultsinduetime.Onceyouhavefeltthejoyandsatisfactionthat
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Introduction:.How.to.Study.the.Bible
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comesfromfindingafantasticspiritualtruthonyourownandapplyingittoyourlife,youwillrealizethatitwaswellworththeeffort.Sostickwithit!
PreParation for Dynamic BiBle stuDy
YoudonotjustrushintoBiblestudy.GoodBiblestudydemandssomepreparation.Herearefourthingsthatareimportanttoyouifyouaretoreceivethemostbenefitfromyourstudy.
1.Schedule.your.Bible.study.time .SetasideaspecificamountoftimetodoBiblestudyeachweek.DecidehowmuchtimeyouwanttospendonBiblestudy.Don’toverdoit,butdon’tshortchangeyourself,either.Ifyoudon’tputstudyintoyourweeklyschedule,youwillnevermaketimeforitoritwillbesporadicandshal-low.You.must.make.time.for.Bible.study .
HowoftenshouldyoustudytheBible?Theanswerwillvaryfrompersontoperson,butan important factor tokeep inmind is thedistinctionbetweenyourquiet timeandyourBiblestudytime.Youshouldhaveaquiet timeeveryday. Itisusuallyashortdevotionalperiod(10–30minutes)inwhichyoureadtheBible,meditateforafewminutesonwhatyouhaveread,andhaveatimeofprayer.ThepurposeofyourquiettimeistohavefellowshipwithJesusChrist.(SeeappendixAforinstructionsonhowtohaveaquiettime.)
Youshouldnottrytodoin-depthBiblestudyduringyourquiettime.Infact,nothingwillkillyourquiettimefasterthanengaginginseriousBiblestudyduringthatdevotionalperiod.JustenjoythepresenceofGodandfellowshipwithhim.
Whileitisbettertohavea10-minutequiettimeeverydaythanjustaone-hourperiodonceaweek,theexactoppositeistrueinBiblestudy.YoucannotstudytheBibleeffectivelyinapiecemealfashion.Itisbettertoblockoutlargerperiodsoftime(twotofourhours)thantotrytostudyalittlebiteveryday.ThenasyougrowinyourBiblestudyskills,youcanspendadditionaltimewithit.
ProbablytheworstenemyofBiblestudytodayintheWesternworldistelevi-sion.SurveysshowthattheTVison7hours,40minutesperdayintheaverageAmericanhome.TheaverageAmericanwatchesmore than4hoursofTVeachday—whichpackedtogetherwouldbe61daysofTVviewingperyear.Byage
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18theaverageAmericanchildwillhaveseen200,000actsofviolence,including16,000murders.Byage65theaverageAmericanwillhavespentabout9½yearsinfrontofthetube.(Formorestatisticsseehttp://tvturnoff .org/images/facts&figs/factsheets/FactsFigs .pdf.)
If,ontheotherhand,apersonwenttoSundayschoolregularlyfrombirthuntilage65,hewouldonlyhavehadatotaloffourmonthsofsolidBibleteaching.IsitanywonderthattherearesomanyweakChristiansinWesternsociety?WehavetodisciplineourselvesandmakespecifictimeforBiblestudy,andnotletanythinggetinitsway.
YoushouldstudyyourBiblewhenyouareatyourbestphysically,emotionally,andintellectually,andwhenyoucanbeundistractedandunhurried.Sinceyouareeithera“dayperson”ora“nightperson,”youshouldpickthetimewhenyouaremostalert.Youshouldnevertrytostudywhenyouaretiredorrightafteralargemeal.Trytostudywhenyouarerestedandwide-awake.
2.Keep.a.notebook .Asalreadystated,youcannotstudytheBiblewithoutwrit-ingdownthingsthatyouhaveobserved.Eachstudymethodsuggestedinthisbookhasastudyformdesignedtogowithit.
3.Get.the.right.tools .Witheachmethodofstudyisalistofsuggestedrefer-encetoolsyouwillneedforyourstudy.Thefirstfewmethodsrequirefewornotools,whilethelateronesrequireanumberofthem.Youshouldconsidermakinganinvestment inthesereferencetoolsandsettingupa littlepersonalreferencelibrary. Itwillbean investmentyouwilluse therestofyour life.Youwill findadiscussion of these in the next section,with suggestions for a basic andmoreadvancedlibrary.
4.Spend.a.short.time.in.prayer.before.each.study .First,asktheLordtocleanseyour lifefromallknownsinandtofillyouwiththeHolySpirit,soyouwillbeinfellowshipwithhimduringthestudy.ThisistheadvantageofstudyingtheBibleascomparedwithstudyinga textbook:youhavedirectcommunicationwith theAuthorhimself.Youhavetheprivilegeofstudyingnotonlytherevelation,butalsotherevealer.SomakesureyouareinfellowshipwithChristbeforeyoustudyhisWord.TheapostlePaulsaidthatifyouareintheflesh,orcarnal,youcannotunder-standspiritualtruths(1Cor.2:10–3:4).YouhavetobeinfellowshipwiththeLord
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inordertounderstandandapplyhisWord.Assomeonesaid,“WeneedtosearchourheartsbeforewesearchtheScriptures.”WeneedtomakesureourlivesarerightwithGodbeforewetrytodigintohisWord.
Second,praythattheHolySpiritwillguideyouinyourstudy.ThebestwaytounderstandtheBibleistotalkwithitsAuthor.MemorizePsalm119:18anduseitbeforeeachstudy:“OpenmyeyesthatImayseewonderfulthingsinyourlaw.”AskGodtoopenyoureyestohisWord.Inthefinalanalysis,unlessGodtheHolySpiritopensyoureyestoseethetruthsintheBible,allofyourstudyingwillbeawastedeffort.
selecting the right tools for gooD BiBle stuDy
Probablyoneofthebest-keptsecretsinChristendomistheavailabilityofpracticalBiblestudyhelps.ManyChristiansarenotawareofthemanyexcellentreferencetoolscurrentlyavailabletomakepersonalBiblestudypossibleandexciting.Thisiscomparabletoacarpenterwhosetsouttobuildahousewithoutknowingthatahammerandsawareavailabletohim.
Pastorsshouldacquainttheirpeoplewiththesebooks,forthedevildelightsinkeepingthemoutofcirculation.AslongasSatancankeepChristiansfromstudy-ingtheirBiblesontheirown,hisworkwillbethatmucheasier.AChristianwhodoesnotspend regular timeeachweek inpersonalBiblestudywillbeweak inresistingthedevil’stemptations.Apracticalwaythatpastorscan“prepareGod’speople forworksofservice” (Eph.4:12) is to familiarize theirpeoplewith theseBiblestudytools.
the PurPose of reference tools
ChristianslivingintheWesternworldhaveanabundanceofhelpfulbooksthataredesignedtoaidusinourpersonalBiblestudy,makinguseofthelatestarcheo-logicalfinds,wordstudies,andresearchofgreatBiblescholars.Biblestudytools,however,arenotmeanttoreplacetheBible;rather,theyhelpusinstudyingtheBibleitself.Biblestudyisaskillweneedtodevelop.Mostskillsrequiretheuse
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of somekindsof tools.Carpentersneed theirhammersandsaws;artistsneedtheirbrushesandpaints;plumbersneedtheirwrenches.Likewise,seriousBiblestudentswillwanttotakeadvantageoftheavailablereferencetoolstohelpthemsearchtheScriptureseffectively.PeoplewhotrytostudytheBiblesystematicallywithoutusinggoodtoolswillfindtheirjobtediousanddifficult.
SomeChristianshesitatetousereferencesoutoffearthattheywillbecometoodependentonthem.Somesaypiously,“AllIneedistheBible.”True,butthetools suggested in this sectionaredesigned tohelp youget into theBible.Youshouldnotbeafraidofusingreferencetools,formostofthesebooksrepresentthelifelongstudiesofdedicatedmenofGod.TheinsightstheyreceivedfromtheLordcanenrichyourBiblestudyimmenselyandprovideinformationaboutpeople,places,andeventsthatyouwouldnotfindintheBiblealone.
the tools themselves
InthissectionwelookateighttypesofreferencetoolsthatareusedintheBiblestudymethodspresentedandexplainedinthisbook.
1.The.study.Bible .Yourfirstandmost important tool isagoodstudyBible.SomeBiblesaremoreadaptabletopersonalBiblestudythanothers.AgoodstudyBibleshouldhaveprintlargeenoughforyoutoreadforlongperiodsoftimewith-outgettingaheadachefromeyestrain.Itshouldalsohavepaperthickenoughforyou tomakenoteswithout the ink running through thepaper to thenextpage.Widemarginsarehelpfulbecausetheyallowroomformakingpersonalnotations.Finally,astudyBibleshouldhaveagoodsystemofcross-references.
IrecommendtheNewInternationalVersion(NIV)becauseexhaustiveconcor-dances and various study Bibles are available today in that version. The studyBiblesincludeageneraleditionaswellasversionsdesignedforparticularcatego-riesofpeople,suchasmen,women,teenagers,andpeoplestillintheirspiritualsearchforGod.
StudyBiblesandconcordancesarealsoavailableintheKingJamesVersion(KJV),butthatversion’sarchaiclanguagecanbeahandicapunlessyoukeepamorerecenttranslationsuchastheNIVatyoursideduringyourBiblestudy.
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2.Several.recent.translations .Inthepast50yearswehaveseentheproduc-tionofmanynewtranslationsoftheBiblethatusecontemporaryEnglish.Thoughweaknessesexistineverytranslation,eachonemakesauniquecontributiontoabetterunderstandingoftheBible.Manypeoplewhowerepreviouslynotinterestedin theKingJamesVersionhavebegun to readandstudy theBible in themorerecent translations.Thegreatestbenefit youcan receive from theseversions iscomparingthemonewithanotherinyourstudy.Themanypossiblemeaningsandusagesofawordcanbefoundbyreadingaverseinthevariousversionsandnot-ingthedifferences.
Alsoavailabletodayaresome“parallel”Bibles,whichincludeseveraltrans-lationssidebyside inasinglevolume.Thisallowsyou tocompare translationsquicklywithouthavingtolayout10Biblesacrossyourdesk.Besidestheserecenttranslations,afewwell-knownparaphraseshavebeenproduced.Atranslationismoreofaword-for-wordtranslationfromtheoriginal language;aparaphrase iswhatonepersonbelievestheoriginalsays,whichcallsforinclusionoftheirowninterpretationinsomeplaces.Mosttranslationshavebeenpreparedbyagroupofscholars,whileaparaphraseistheworkofoneperson.Paraphrasesarefineforoccasionallightdevotionalreading,butshouldnotbeusedforseriousBiblestudy.Useanaccurateandrespectedtranslationforthat.
SomeusefulandreliabletranslationsavailabletodaybesidestheNIVare
•. The.New.American.Standard.Bible(producedbytheLockmanFoundationandpublishedbyZondervanand several otherpublishers), recognizedasoneof themostaccurate translations that is faithful to theoriginallanguages.
•. The.Amplified.Bible(producedbytheLockmanFoundationandpublishedby Zondervan), a translation that includes different possible meaningsofmanywordsusedinthetext.ItseekstoshowthemanyrenderingsaGreekorHebrewwordcanhave,soyoucanunderstandthefullimplica-tionsofitsusage.(Somesayitallowsthereadertoselecthisownmean-ings.) It ishelpful indoingwordstudies,but isnotrecommendedasaregularreadingBible.
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•. The.New.Living.Translation(producedandpublishedbyTyndaleHouse),a contemporary translation that has a dynamic approach to languagesimilartothatoftheNIV.ItisalittlefreerinitslanguagethantheNIV,butitisnotaparaphraselikeitspredecessor,The.Living.Bible.
•. Today’s.New.International.Version.(producedbytheCommitteeonBibleTranslation and published by Zondervan), one of the newest versionsavailable. It is very similar to theNIV (only7percent isdifferent), buttakesamoregender-accurateapproach.
Manyotherfinetranslationsareavailabletoday,sochoosetheoneswithwhichyouwillbemostcomfortable.TwoorthreedifferentrecentBibletranslationswillgetyoustarted.
Two paraphrases are The. Living. Bible by Kenneth Taylor (Tyndale) and The.MessagebyEugenePeterson(NavPress).
3.An.exhaustive.concordance .ByfarthemostimportanttoolyouwillneedinBiblestudynexttoyourstudyBibleisaconcordancegearedtoyourprimaryBibleversion.ThistoolisaBibleindexofthewordscontainedinthatversion.AnumberofBibleshavelimitedconcordancesattheback,whichlistonlyafewofthemajorwordsandnames.An“exhaustive”concordancelistseveryusageofeverywordintheBibleandgivesallthereferenceswherethatwordmaybefound.
ExhaustiveconcordancesareavailabletodayforvariousversionsoftheBible.They are the descendants, adapted to more recent translations, of the originalStrong’s.Exhaustive.Concordance (variouspublishers) thatwascompiled for theKingJamesVersion.Twoofthesearethefollowing:
• The.Strongest.NIV.Exhaustive.Concordance(Zondervan)• The.Strongest.NASB.Exhaustive.Concordance(Zondervan)
Inaddition,thereisYoung’s.Analytical.Concordance.to.the.Bible(Eerdmans),which,likeStrong’s,originatedinthe19thcenturyandisbasedontheKingJamesVersion.Young’sisbetterthanStrong’sforwordstudiesbecauseofthewayitisorganized. All exhaustive concordances are large, bulky volumes that are fairlyexpensive,buttheyarewortheverypennyyouinvestinthem.
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Youwillneedaconcordanceinallbuttwoofthemethodspresentedinthisbook.
4. A. Bible. dictionary. and/or. Bible. encyclopedia . A Bible dictionary explainsmanyofthewords,topics,customs,andtraditionsintheBibleaswellasgivinghistorical,geographical,cultural,andarcheologicalinformation.Backgroundmate-rialisalsogivenforeachbookoftheBible,andshortbiographiesarepresentedforthemajorpeopleofbothtestaments.ABibleencyclopediaisanexpandedBibledictionary,withlongerarticlesthatdealingreaterdetailwithmoresubjects.Someofthebestare
•. Baker.Encyclopedia.of.the.Bible,2vols.(Baker)•. The.Complete.Book.of.When.and.Where.in.the.Bible(Tyndale)•. Holman.Illustrated.Bible.Dictionary,rev.ed.(Broadman&Holman)•. The.Illustrated.Bible.Dictionary,3vols.(Tyndale)•. Nelson’s.New.Illustrated.Bible.Dictionary(Nelson)•. New.Bible.Dictionary,3rded.(InterVarsityPress)•. Tyndale.Bible.Dictionary(Tyndale)•. The.Zondervan.Pictorial.Encyclopedia.of.the.Bible,5vols.(Zondervan)
5.A.topical.Bible .ThistoolissimilartoaconcordanceexceptthatitcategorizestheversesoftheBiblebytopicsinsteadofbywords.ThishelpsaBiblestudentbecauseaverseoftendealswithatopicwithouteverusingthespecificword.Ifyouhadtorelyonyourconcordancealone,youmightmissthoseverseswhenstudy-ingaparticularsubject.Forexample,ifyouweretolookupthesubject“Trinity”inNave’s.Topical.Bible,youwouldfind83referenceslisted,eventhoughtheactualworddoesnotappearintheBible.
Anotherhelpfulfeatureisthattheversesundereachtopicarewrittenoutinfull,whichallowsyoutoscanthekeyversesonatopicquicklywithouthavingtolookupeachoneinyourBible.Youmustnote,however,thatatopicalBibleisnotexhaustive,fornoteveryverserelatedtoatopicisnecessarilylisted.
ThestandardtopicalBiblefortheKingJamesVersionisNave’s.Topical.Bible(MoodyPress).BillyGrahamhassaidthatapartfromhisBible,thisisthebookhe
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usesmorethananyother.Foramorecontemporaryversion,seetheZondervan.NIV.Nave’s.Topical.Bible.
6.A.Bible.handbook .Thistoolisacombinationofanencyclopediaandacom-mentary inconcise form. It isused forquick referencewhile reading throughaparticular book of the Bible. Instead of being arranged by topics alphabetically,handbooksaredesignedtofollowtheorderofthebooksoftheBible.Theygivebackground notes and a brief running commentary and include maps, charts,archeologicalnotes,andmanyotherhelpfulfacts.Thebestonesare
•. Halley’s.Bible.Handbook.with.the.New.International.Version(Zondervan)•. Holman.Bible.Handbook(Broadman&Holman)•. The.New.Unger’s.Bible.Handbook(MoodyPress)•. Zondervan.Handbook.to.the.Bible,rev.ed.(Zondervan)
7.A.set.of.word.studies .Thisisoneareawheretoday’sChristianhasthegreatprivilegeofprofitingfromtheworkofBiblescholars.BecauseoftheavailabilityofpracticalreferencetoolswrittenfortheaverageChristian,youcannowstudytheoriginalwordsoftheBiblewithoutknowinganythingaboutHebreworGreek.Somemenhavespenttheirlivessearchingoutthefullmeaningsoftheoriginalwords,thenwritingabouttheminsimple,comprehensiblelanguage.
Agoodsetofwordstudieswillgiveyouthefollowinginformation:theoriginalrootmeaningof theGreekorHebrewword (itsetymology), thevarioususesofthewordthroughouttheBibleandinsimilarnonbiblicalliteratureofthathistoricalperiod,andthefrequencywithwhichthewordoccursintheBible.
Thesereferencetoolsrangefrominexpensiveone-volumeexpositorydiction-ariestoveryexpensive12-volumesets.Thesefourarerecommended:
•. The.Bible.Knowledge.Key.Word.Study:.New.Testament,3vols.(Victor)•. The.Bible.Knowledge.Key.Word.Study:.Old.Testament,4vols.(Victor)•. Expository.Dictionary.of.Bible.Words(Hendrickson)•. Kregel.Dictionary.of.the.Bible.and.Theology(Kregel)
8.Commentaries .AcommentaryisascholarlycollectionofexplanatorynotesandinterpretationsonthetextofaparticularBiblebookorsection.Itspurposeis
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toexplainandinterpretthemeaningofthebiblicalmessagebyanalyzingthewordsused,background,introduction,grammarandsyntax,andrelationofthatparticularbook to therestof theBible.Usedproperly,commentariescangreatly increaseyourunderstandingoftheBible.Generally,youshouldnotrefertoacommentaryuntilafteryouhavedoneyourownstudy.Don’tletsomeoneelserobyouofthejoyofdiscoveringbiblicalinsightsonyourown.NeverletreadingacommentarytaketheplaceofyourpersonalBiblestudy.
Because commentaries are written by people, they are fallible. Sometimesequallyablecommentatorsdisagreeon interpretationsof thesamebiblical text.Thebestwaytouseacommentaryistocheckyourownfindingswiththoseoftheauthors/commentatorsanddiscoverwhethertheyaresolidandevangelicalintheircommitment toScripture.BewareofbuyingandusingcommentarieswrittenbypeoplewhodonotregardtheBibleastheWordofGod.
Commentariescomeinallsizes,rangingfromonevolumecoveringthewholeBibletomultivolumesets.Herearesomegoodone-or-two-volumecommentaries:
•. Baker.Commentary.on.the.Bible(Baker)•. Bible.Knowledge.Commentary,2vols.(Victor)•. Expositor’s.Bible.Commentary:.Abridged.Edition,2vols.(Zondervan)•. Nelson’s.New.Illustrated.Bible.Commentary(Nelson)•. New.Bible.Commentary:.Twenty-First.Century.Edition(InterVarsityPress)
Commentary series with more volumes include the following. Some series areincomplete,withsomevolumesstilltobepublished.
•. The.Bible.Exposition.Commentary,4vols.(Victor)•. Cornerstone.Biblical.Commentary,18vols.(Tyndale)•. Expositor’s.Bible.Commentary,13vols.(Zondervan)•. Holman.New.Testament.Commentary(Broadman&Holman)•. Holman.Old.Testament.Commentary(Broadman&Holman)•. New.American.Commentary,44vols.(Broadman&Holman)•. The.NIV.Application.Commentary,23vols.OldTestament,20vols.New
Testament(Zondervan)
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a Basic liBrary
Aperson justbeginningpersonalBible studyshouldobtainonly thebasic toolsnecessarytogetstarted.FortheBiblestudymethodspresentedinthisbook,thefollowingcomposeabasiclibrary:
1. AstudyBible 2. TworecentBibleversions 3. Anexhaustiveconcordance 4. ABibledictionary 5. AtopicalBible 6. ABiblehandbook 7. Aone-or-two-volumecommentary
a more aDvanceD liBrary
As you become proficient in your personal Bible study and feel comfortable inusing the tools in your basic library, youmightwant to begin adding advancedtools to your collection. In addition to the above seven tools, the following arerecommended:
1. Additionalversionsandparaphrases 2. ABibleencyclopedia 3. Asetofwordstudies 4. IndividualcommentariesonBiblebooks 5. ABibleatlas 6. OldandNewTestamentsurveys 7. Any additional books that interest you, perhaps some listed in the
bibliography
conclusion
Atthisstageyoumightbethinking,That’s.a.lot.of.books!Youareabsolutelyright,butthinkofthemaslong-terminvestmentsinyourspirituallife.Manybooksyou
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Introduction:.How.to.Study.the.Bible
2�
buyarereadonce,thenputontheshelftogatherdust.ButreferencebooksareusedoverandoveragainasyoustudytheBible,andtheycangivealifetimeofenjoyment.IfyouareseriousaboutpersonalBiblestudy,youwillwanttoacquirethesetoolsregardlessofcost.
Startsavingmoneytobuythesetools,andbeginwiththebasiclibrary.Ifyouwillsetagoalofbuyingonebookamonth,inayear’stimeyouwillhavearespect-ableandvaluablecollectionofreferencetools.YoumightalsoconsideraskingfortheseasChristmasorbirthdaygifts.Abookyouuseisagiftthatlastsalifetime.
Finally, encourage your church to set up a section of Bible study referencetoolsinitslibrary.Thechurchcouldpurchasethemoreexpensivetools,suchastheencyclopedias,wordstudies,andcommentarysets,thenmakethemavailabletoitsmembers.Inlargerchurches,thelibrarycouldpossiblyobtainseveralcopiesofeachtool.
BecausetheBible isGod’sWord,Biblestudymusthavea toppriority.WiththesetoolsyouwillbeabletodigintotheScriptureseffectively,anall-importantendeavorthatwillchangeyourlife.
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PRevieW Of THe 12 BiBLe sTUDY MeTHODs
Thisbookpresentsandexplains12provenBiblestudymethodsthatwillenableyoutostudytheBibleonyourown.Theyaregivenintheorderofsimplicityanduseofreferencetools,beginningwiththeeasiestandmovingontotheharderones.
1.The.Devotional.Method .SelectashortportionofyourBibleandprayerfullymeditateonituntiltheHolySpiritshowsyouawaytoapplythetruthtoyourlife.Writeoutapersonalapplication.
2.The.Chapter.Summary.Method .readachapterofaBiblebookthroughatleastfivetimes;thenwritedownasummaryofthecentralthoughtsyoufindinit.
3.The.Character.Quality.Method .ChooseacharacterqualityyouwouldliketoworkoninyourlifeandstudywhattheBiblesaysaboutit.
4.The.Thematic.Method .SelectaBiblethemetostudy.Thenthinkofthree-to-fivequestionsyou’dliketohaveansweredaboutthattheme.Nextstudyallthereferencesyoucanfindonyourthemeandrecordtheanswerstoyourquestions.
5. The. Biographical. Method . Select a Bible character and research all theversesaboutthatpersoninordertostudyhislifeandcharacteristics.Makenotesonhisattitudes,strengths,andweaknesses.Thenapplywhatyouhavelearnedtoyourownlife.
6.The.Topical.Method .Collectandcomparealltheversesyoucanfindonaparticulartopic.Organizeyourconclusionsintoanoutlinethatyoucansharewithanotherperson.
7.The.Word.Study.Method .StudytheimportantwordsoftheBible.FindouthowmanytimesawordoccursinScriptureandhowitisused.Findouttheoriginalmeaningoftheword.
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Preview.of.the.12.Bible.Study.Methods
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8.The.Book.Background.Method .Studyhowhistory,geography,culture,sci-ence,andpoliticsaffectedwhathappenedinBibletimes.UseBiblereferencebookstoincreaseyourunderstandingoftheWord.
9.The.Book.Survey.Method .SurveyanentirebookoftheBiblebyreadingitthroughseveral timestogetageneraloverviewof itssubjectmatter.Studythebackgroundofthebookandmakenotesonitscontents.
10.The.Chapter.Analysis.Method .MasterthecontentsofachapterofabookoftheBiblebytakinganin-depthlookateachverseinthatchapter.Takeeachverseapartwordbyword,observingeverydetail.
11.The.Book.Synthesis.Method .SummarizethecontentsandmainthemesofabookoftheBibleafteryouhavereaditthroughseveraltimes.Makeanoutlineofthebook.ThismethodcanbedoneafteryouhaveusedtheBookSurveyMethodandtheChapterAnalysisMethodoneverychapterofthatbook.
12.The.Verse-by-Verse.Analysis.Method .SelectonepassageofScriptureandexamineitindetailbyaskingquestions,findingcross-references,andparaphras-ingeachverse.recordapossibleapplicationofeachverseyoustudy.
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Aswehavealreadyseen inthe introduction, theultimategoalofallBiblestudyisapplication,notinterpretation.SinceGodwantstochangeourlivesthroughhisWord, it is importantto learnhowtoapplyScripturetoour livesbeforelearninganyothermethodsofBiblestudy.Infact,thetechniquesyoulearninthischapterwillbeusedineachofthefollowingstudymethods.regardlessofthemethodyouchoosetouse,attheendofeachstudyyouwillneedtomakepracticalstepsofapplicationconcerningthethingstheLordshowsyou.(Inthisbook,everytimewetalkaboutapplication,referbacktothismethodforanexplanation.)
Whenyouusethesetechniquesbythemselves(andnotwithanothermethod),itiscalled“TheDevotionalMethodofBibleStudy.”Thisisthetypeofsimplestudythatyoucanuseinyourquiettime.
Definition
TheDevotionalMethodofBibleStudyinvolvestakingapassageoftheBible,largeorsmall,andprayerfullymeditatingonituntiltheHolySpiritshowsyouawayto
THe DevOTiOnaL MeTHOD Of
BiBLe sTUDY1How to Apply Scripture to Life
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applyitstruthtoyourownlifeinawaythatispersonal,practical,possible,andprovable.Thegoal is foryouto takeseriously theWordofGodand“dowhat itsays”(James1:22).
Why aPPlication is imPortant
TheBiblewasgiventoustoshowushowwecanhavearelationshipwithAlmightyGodandhowwearetoliveourliveshiswayinthisworld.ItwasgiventochangeourlivestobecomemorelikethatofJesusChrist.TheapostlePauldeclaredthatitisusefulforteaching,rebuking,correcting,andtrainingthebelieverinrighteousliving(2Tim.3:16).
TheBible isapracticalbook, for it isconcernedwithpracticalgodly living.Biblestudywithoutpersonalapplicationcanbejustanacademicexercisewithnospiritualvalue.TheBiblewaswrittentobeappliedtoourlives.InhissuccinctwayHowardHendrickshassaid,“Interpretationwithoutapplication isabortion!”WewanttonoteherethatapplicationisnecessaryforourChristianlives,thatitishardwork,andthatgoodapplicationsarepossibleifwefollowsomebasicprinciples.
aPPlication is necessary for our lives
StudyoftheWordofGodshouldleadtoitsapplicationinourlives,withtheresultthattheScriptureschangeustoconformmorewiththewillofGod.
Step One — Pray for Insight on How to Apply the Passage
Step twO — Meditate on the Verse(s) You Have Chosen to Study
Step three — Write Out an Application
Step FOur — Memorize a Key Verse from Your Study
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The.Devotional.Method.of.Bible.Study
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1.You.can’t.really.get.to.know.the.Word.of.God.unless.you.apply.it.to.your.life .DuringhisministryJesushadanumberofencounterswiththereligiousleadersofhistime.ThesewereprimarilythePharisees,theacknowledgedscholarsoftheday;thescribes,legalandreligiousexpertsinJewishlaw;andtheSadducees,theliber-alizingelementinJewishsocietyatthattime.OnoneoccasiontheSadducees,whodidnotbelieveintheresurrectionfromthedead,askedJesusatrickquestion.
Jesus’answerisindeedinteresting.Hesaidtothem,“YouareinerrorbecauseyoudonotknowtheScripturesorthepowerofGod”(Matt.22:29).TheSadduceeshadanintellectualknowledgeofthefactsoftheJewishScriptures(ourOldTesta-ment),buttheydidnotapplytheseprinciplesinapersonalway.
YoucanbeawalkingBibleencyclopedia,withyourheadcrammedfullofbibli-calknowledge,butitwon’tdoyouanygoodifyoudon’tapplyitpracticallyindailyliving.IfyoustudytheWordofGodwithoutapplyingittoyourlife,youarenobet-teroffthanthePhariseesandSadduceesofJesus’day.Youreallydon’tknowtheScripturesuntilyouputthemintopractice.
2.Studying.the.Word.of.God.can.be.dangerous.if.you.merely.study.it.without.applying.it .Biblestudywithoutapplicationcanbedangerousbecause.knowledge.puffs.up .TheapostlePaulstated,“Knowledgepuffsup,butlovebuildsup”(1Cor.8:1).TheGreekwordtranslated“puffsup”containstheideaofbeinginflatedwithpridethat inturnleadstoarrogance.TheBibletellsusthatthedevilknowstheWord intellectually (see his temptation of Jesus—Matt. 4:1–11), and we alsoknowthatheispuffedupwithprideandisarrogant.WhenyoucorrectlyapplytheWordofGodtoyourlife,youeliminatethedangerofbeingpuffedupwithpride.
Biblestudywithoutapplicationcanbedangerousbecause.knowledge.requires.action .Whatamanknowsshouldfindexpressioninwhathedoes.Jamesdeclared,“Donotmerely listen to theword,andsodeceiveyourselves.Dowhat itsays”(James1:22).God’scommandsarenotoptional.Hedoesn’tsay,“Pleasewon’tyouconsiderdoingthis?”Hecommands,“Doit!”Andheexpectsustoobey.
IntheSermonontheMount,Jesuscomparedanobedientdiscipletoawiseman: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them intopractice[action]islikeawisemanwhobuilthishouseontherock”(Matt.7:24).Whenthetrialsoflifecamealong,thewiseman’slifestoodfirmwhilethefoolish
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man’s—theonewhodidnotpracticewhatheknew—camecrashingdown(Matt.7:25–27).Also,KingDavidwasknownasamanafterGod’sownheartbecauseheappliedtheWordtohislifeandpracticedwhatheknew.Thepsalmistwrote,“Ihaveconsideredmywaysandhaveturnedmystepstoyourstatutes.Iwillhastenandnotdelaytoobeyyourcommands”(Ps.119:59–60).You,too,needtoputwhatyouknowintoaction.
Biblestudywithoutapplicationcanbedangerousbecause.knowledge.increases.responsibility . Ifyougetseriousaboutstudying theBible,youwillbeheldmoreaccountable than the average person, because with added knowledge comesaddedresponsibility.Jameswrote,“Anyone,then,whoknowsthegoodheoughttodoanddoesn’tdoit,sins”(James4:17).WithadeeperknowledgeoftheScrip-turescomesastrongerjudgmentifyoufailtoapplythem.WhenyoustartstudyingtheBible,Godbeginsshowingyouareasofyourlifethatneedchangingandcallsyoutogreaterresponsibility. IfyouarenotplanningonapplyingthelessonsyoureceivefromyourBiblestudy,itwouldbebetterforyoutonotstudytheBibleatall!Youwilljustbeheapingmorejudgmentonyourself!
JohnMilton,agreatChristianpoet, is reputed tohavesaid,“TheendofalllearningistoknowGod,andoutofthatknowledgetoloveandimitateHim.”ThatsumsupwhatwearetalkingaboutinapplyingourstudyofScripture:wearetoknowGod,lovehim,andthenbelikehim.
aPPlication is harD Work
ItwouldseemthatapplyingtheBiblewouldbefairlysimple,butactuallyitisthehardestpartofBiblestudy.Whyisthat?Applicationdoesn’thappenbyaccident.Wehavetoplanforit,oritwillnevercomeabout.Threethingsthatmakeapply-ingScripturetoourlivessodifficultarethatitrequiresthinking,thedevilfightsitviciously,andwenaturallyresistchange.
1.Application.is.hard.work.because.it.requires.serious.thinking .Sometimesittakesalongperiodofmeditation(concentrated,prayerfulthinking)beforeweseeawaytoapplyatruthofScripturewehavestudied.Sometimesitmaymeanlook-ingbeneathatemporaryruletoseeatimelessprincipleinthetext.Sometimesit
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meanslookingbeyondalocalcustomtoseeauniversalinsight.Allthistakestimeandconcentrationthatwemaybehesitantandreluctanttogive.
2.Application.is.hard.work.because.Satan.fights.it.viciously .Thedevil’sstron-gestattacksoftencomeinyourquiettimewhenyouaretryingtoapplywhatyouhavestudied.SatanknowsthataslongasyouarecontentwithmerelyhavingheadknowledgeoftheWord,youarenotmuchofathreattohisplans.Butassoonasyougetseriousaboutmakingsomechangesinyourlife,hewillfightyoutoothandnail.HehatesdoersoftheWord.HewillletyoustudytheBibleallyoudesireaslongasyoudon’taskyourself,“NowwhatamIgoingtodowithallthatI’velearned?”
3.Application.is.hard.work.because.we.naturally.resist.change ..Oftenwedon’t“feel”likechanging,whichiswhattrueapplicationrequires.Welivebyouremo-tionsratherthanbyourwills,forwearecontenttostaythewayweare.WehearChristianssayingtheydon’tfeellikestudyingtheBibleortheydon’tfeellikepray-ingortheydon’tfeellikewitnessing.FeelinghasnothingtodowithlivingtheChris-tianlife,forfeelingscomeandgo.ThekeytospiritualmaturityistoliveforJesusChristnotbecausewefeelgood,butbecauseweknowitistherightthingtodo.IhavediscoveredthatiftheonlytimeIstudytheBible,pray,orwitnessiswhenI.feellikeit,thedevilmakessureIneverfeellikeit!
YouapplytheWordofGodtoyourlifenotbecauseyoumayfeellikeitthatdayorweek,butbecauseyouknowGodexpectsitofyou.AppliedBiblestudyasanactofthewillleadstomaturityandisabasisforstabilityinyourChristianlife.
four stePs to Practical aPPlication
WhenyoudoadevotionalBiblestudy,followfoursimplesteps.Thesestepscanbesummarizedinthewordspray,.meditate,.apply,andmemorize .
Step One Pray for Insight on How to Apply the Passage
AskGodtohelpyouapplytheScriptureyouarestudyingandshowyouspecificallywhathewantsyoutodo.YoualreadyknowthatGodwantsyoutodotwothings:obeyhisWordandshareitwithothers.InyourprayertellGodthatyouarereadytoobeywhathewillshowyouandthatyouarewillingtosharethatapplicationwithothers.
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Step twO Meditate on the Verse(s) You Have Chosen to Study
MeditationisthekeytodiscoveringhowtoapplyScripturetoyourlife.Medita-tionisessentiallythoughtdigestion.YoutakeathoughtGodgivesyou,putitinyourmind,andthinkonitoverandoveragain.Meditationmaybecomparedtorumination;that’swhatacowdoeswhenitchewsitscud. Iteatssomegrassandsendsittoitsfirststomach;thenitliesdown,bringsthegrassup,chewsonit,andswallowsitagain.Thisprocessofdigestionisrepeatedthreetimes.ScripturalmeditationisreadingapassageintheBible,thenconcentratingonitindifferentways.HereareseveralpracticalwaysyoucanmeditateonapassageofScripture:
Visualize.the.scene.of.the.narrative.in.your.mind .Putyourself intothebibli-calsituationandtrytopictureyourselfasanactiveparticipant.Whetheryouarereading thehistoricalbooksof theOldTestament, theGospels,or thebookofActs,imagineyourselfinthathistoricalcontext.Askyourselfhowyouwouldfeelifyouwereinvolvedinthatsituation.Whatwouldyousay?Whatwouldyoudo?
IfyouarestudyingJohn4,forexample,visualizeyourselfasbeingrighttherewithJesus, thewomanat thewell, thedisciples,andthe inhabitantsofSychar.HowwouldyoufeelifyouweretheonewhomJesusaskedforadrinkofwateratthewellnearSychar?Whatwouldyouremotionsbeifyouwereoneofthediscipleswhowitnessedthisincident?
Anotherexampleof visualization inmeditation is to imagineyourself as theapostlePaulinprisonwritingtheletterweknowas2Timothy.Pictureyourselfinthatromanjail,condemnedtodeathandawaitingexecution,andaloneexceptforLuke.Feel the lonelinessPaulmusthavefelt,butalsofeel thetriumphhemusthavefeltashewrote,“Ihavefoughtthegoodfight,Ihavefinishedtherace,Ihavekeptthefaith”(2Tim.4:7).Whenyoustartvisualizingascene,Scripturecomestremendouslyalivetoyou.
Emphasize. words. in. the. passage. under. study . read through a verse aloudseveraltimes,eachtimeemphasizingadifferentword,andwatchnewmeaningsdevelop.Forinstance,ifyouaremeditatingonPhilippians4:13,youwouldempha-sizethewordsasfollows:
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The.Devotional.Method.of.Bible.Study
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“Icandoeverythingthroughhimwhogivesmestrength.”“I.CANdoeverythingthroughhimwhogivesmestrength.”“IcanDOeverythingthroughhimwhogivesmestrength.”“IcandoEVERYTHINGthroughhimwhogivesmestrength.”“IcandoeverythingTHROUGHhimwhogivesmestrength.”“IcandoeverythingthroughHIMwhogivesmestrength.”“IcandoeverythingthroughhimWHOgivesmestrength.”“IcandoeverythingthroughhimwhoGIVESmestrength.”“IcandoeverythingthroughhimwhogivesMEstrength.”“IcandoeverythingthroughhimwhogivesmeSTRENGTH .”
You will get 10 different meanings from this verse as you go through andemphasizeadifferentwordeachtime.
Paraphrase.the.passage.under.study .Taketheverseorpassageyouarestudy-ingandrephraseitinyourownwords.Asyouthinkonit,usecontemporarywordsandphrasestoexpresstimelessbiblicaltruths.The.Living.BibleandEugenePeter-son’sThe.MessagearetwoexamplesofparaphrasesofScripture.
Personalize. the.passage.you.are.studying .ThiscanbedonebyputtingyournameinplaceofthepronounsornounsusedinScripture.Forexample,John3:16wouldread,“ForGodsolovedRick.WarrenthathegavehisoneandonlySonthatifRickbelievesinhimheshallnotperishbuthaveeternallife.”
Use.the.S-P-A-C-E.P-E-T-S.acrostic .Thisacrostic isausefulaidtomedita-tion.Eachletterrepresentsaquestionthatcanhelpyouapplythepassagetoyourlife.Ifyoumemorizetheninequestionsthatthisacrosticrepresents,youwillhavethemavailableeverytimeyouwanttomeditateonapassage.Thisacrosticasks:Isthereany...
• Sintoconfess?DoIneedtomakeanyrestitution?• promisetoclaim?Isitauniversalpromise?HaveImetthecondition(s)?• Attitudetochange?AmIwillingtoworkonanegativeattitudeandbegin
buildingtowardapositiveone?• Commandtoobey?AmIwillingtodoitnomatterhowIfeel?• exampletofollow?Isitapositiveexampleformetocopy,oranegative
onetoavoid?
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• prayertopray?IsthereanythingIneedtopraybacktoGod?• errortoavoid?IsthereanyproblemthatIshouldbealerttoorbewareof?• truthtobelieve?WhatnewthingscanIlearnaboutGodtheFather,Jesus
Christ,theHolySpirit,orotherbiblicalteachings?• SomethingtopraiseGodfor?IstheresomethinghereIcanbethankful
for?
Pray.the.verse.or.passage.back.to.God .Putthepassageunderstudyintothefirstpersonsingular, turn it intoaprayer,andpray itback toGod.ThebookofPsalmsisagoodexampleofthismethodofmeditation.BillGothardhassaidthatDavidmemorizedthelawofGod,thenpersonalizeditandgaveitbacktoGodinthePsalms.
AnexampleofthismethodofmeditationmaybeseenintheuseofthefirstthreeversesofPsalm23:
Thankyou,Lord,forbeingmyShepherd,andthatIlacknothing.Thank you for making me lie down in green pastures, for leading me
besidethequietwaters,forrestoringmysoul.Thankyouforguidingmeinthepathsofrighteousnessforyourname’s
sake.
Whichoneofthesemethodsshouldyouuseinyourmeditation?Theonethatbestfitswhatyouarestudying,oracombinationofthem.IfyouarestudyingthebookofProverbs,forexample,itmaybedifficulttovisualizeasceneinyourmind,butyoucanemphasizethewordsandpraysomeoftheteachingsbacktoGod.
Step three Write Out an Application
Writeanapplicationoftheinsightsyouhavediscoveredthroughyourmeditation.Writingyourapplicationoutonpaperhelpsyoubespecific.Ifyoudon’twritesome-thingdown,youwill soon forget it.This isparticularlynecessarywhenyouaredealingwithaspiritualtruth.Ifyoucan’tputitdownonpaper,youhaven’treallythought it through. It’s been proven that if you write something down, you willrememberitlongerandbeabletoexpresstootherswhatyouhavelearned.
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Youneedtorememberfourfactorsinwritingoutagoodapplication:
1. Yourapplicationshouldbepersonal—youshouldwriteitinthefirstpersonsingular.UsethepersonalpronounsI,.me,.my,andminethroughout.
2. Yourapplicationshouldbepractical—itoughttobesomethingyoucando .Planadefinitecourseofactionthatyouintendtotake.Designaper-sonalprojectthatwillencourageyoutobea“doeroftheWord.”Makeyourapplicationsasspecificaspossible.Generalitiescanmakeyoufeelhelplessandproducelittleaction.
3. Yourapplicationshouldbepossible—itshouldbesomethingyouknowyoucanaccomplish.Otherwiseyouwillgetdiscouraged.
4. Yourapplicationshouldbeprovable.—.youmustsetupsomesortoffol-low-uptocheckuponyoursuccessindoingit.Ithastobemeasurablesoyouwillknowthatyouhavedoneit.Thismeansyouwillhavetosetsomekindoftimelimitonyourapplication.
ThefollowingexampleofthesefourfactorsistakenfromEcclesiastes6:7.Thepassagereads,“Allman’seffortsareforhismouth,yethisappetiteisneversatis-fied.”Thefourfactorsinthewrittenapplicationwouldlookasfollows:
1. Personal:“Ineedto...” 2. Practical:“Ineedtolosesomeweight.” 3. Possible:“Ineedtolose10pounds.” 4. Provable:“Ineedtolose10poundsbeforetheendofthemonth.”
Tohelpyoucarryoutthiskindofapplication,tellafriendorsomeoneinthefam-ilyaboutitwhowilloccasionallycheckuponyourprogressinanencouragingway.
recordapplicationsforfutureuseaswellaspresentneeds.Whatifyoufindanapplicationthatdoesnotapplytoyouatthatparticulartime?Youarestudyingapas-sagethathastodowithdeathandhowyoucanovercomegriefandsorrow,butthisisnotyourproblemnow.Whatdoyoudowiththeseverses?Writethemdownanyway,fortworeasons.First,theapplicationmightbeneededinthefuturewhenanothersituationcomesintoyourlife.Second,itmighthelpyouministertosomeoneelsewhoisinthatsituation.Askyourself,“HowcanIusethisversetohelpsomeoneelse?”
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Step FOur Memorize a Key Verse from Your Study
Sothatyoucancontinuetomeditateonthepassageyouareapplying,andtohelpremindyouofyourproject,memorizeaversethatisakeytotheapplicationyouhavewritten.
SometimesGodwillworkononeareaofyourlifeforseveralweeksorevenmonths.Ittakestimetochangeingrainedcharactertraits,habits,andattitudes.Newhabitsandwaysofthinkingarenotsetinoneday.WemustbeawareofthisandbewillingtoletGodcontinuetoreinforceanewtruthinourlives.Weshouldnotfoolourselvesbythinkingthatwritingoutoneapplicationwillbeamagicfor-mulathatwillproduceinstantchange.rather,itmustbethoughtofaspartoftheprocessofgrowth.Thememorizedversewillhelpinthatprocessbecauseitwilleverbewithus—“intheheart.”
Ononeoccasionmyapplicationwastoworkonthequalityofsensitivity.IttookseveralmonthsforGodtobuildthatqualityintomylife.Ineededtoseehowthisqualityrelatedtoallareasofmylife.HekeptputtingmeintosituationswhereIwastemptedtodotheopposite—beinsensitive.Hemaydothesamewithyou.Godmayteachyoutoloveothersbyputtingyouinthemidstofunlovelypeople.Youmayhavetolearnpatiencewhileexperiencingirritations,andlearnpeaceinthemidstofchaos.Youarethendiscoveringhowtohavejoyevenintimesofsorrowandtesting.YoumustrealizethatwhenGodwantstobuildapositivequalityinyourlife,hemustallowyoutoencountersituationswhereyoucanchoosetodotherightthinginsteadoffollowingyournaturalinclinations.
summary
TheultimatetestbywhichwestudyandapplyScriptureisthepersonofJesusChrist.Wehavetoask,“DoesthisapplicationhelpmebecomemorelikeJesus?”
AmansawhisneighborcomingoutofachurchoneSundaymorning.Heaskedthechurchgoer,“Isthesermondone?”
Theneighborwiselyreplied,“No.Itwaspreached,butithasyettobedone.”Ifwedonotapply thebiblical insightsGodgivesus,webecomespiritually
hardenedandcallous.WebecomedulltotheconvictingworkoftheHolySpiritin
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The.Devotional.Method.of.Bible.Study
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ourlives.ApplicationofGod’sWordisvitallynecessarytoourspiritualhealthandourgrowthinChristianmaturity.
HOWTOFILLINTHEDEVOTIONALSTUDYFOrM
At the end of this chapter is a Devotional Study Form that you may reproduceforusingthismethod.Oryoumayuseablanksheetofpaperonwhichyouhavemarkedoffthesuggesteddivisions.
Filling Out the Form
Fillinthepreliminaryinformation:
• Date:[Writedownthedatethatyoudothisstudy.]• Passage: [Write down the book, chapter, and verse(s) that you are
studying.]
Fillinthefourpartsoftheform.
• Prayer:Checktheboxafteryouhaveprayedforinsight.• Meditation: Write out your thoughts using whichever method you
employ.• Application:Writeoutanapplicationthatispersonal,practical,possible,
andprovable.• Memorization:Writeoutthememoryverseyouplantolearn,inthever-
sionofyourchoice.
Sample Filled-out Form
Seetheexamplesonpages45and46.
Assignment
ThefollowingpassagesaresuggestedasbeginningstudytextsfortheDevotionalMethod.
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• Psalm15• Psalm34• romans12• 1Thessalonians5:12–22• 1John4
For Further Reading
Thefollowinglistofbooksandpamphletsarehelpfulaidsforestablishingaregularquiettime.TheycontainsomepracticalinformationondevelopingadailyhabitofspendingtimeinadevotionalstudyofGod’sWord.
Appointment.with.God.bytheNavigators(NavPress)“How.to.Have.a.Meaningful.Quiet.Time”.byrickWarren(AppendixAofthisbook)Meditation:.The.Bible.Tells.You.How.byJimDowning(NavPress)A.Primer.on.Meditation.byrobertD.Foster(ChallengeBooks)Seven.Minutes.with.God.byrobertD.Foster(ChallengeBooks)Studying,.Interpreting,.and.Applying.the.Bible.byWalterA.HenrichsenandGayleJackson,
chap.13(Zondervan)
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DevOTiOnaL sTUDY fORM
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Date:June30 paSSage:Luke12:22–26
1. prayer ˛ (check when done)
2. MeDitatiOn Thisismypersonalizedparaphrase.
Ishouldn’tworrysomuch.Godwilltakecareofallmyneeds.SinceGodgavememylife,surelyIcantrusthimtosustainit.Icanlearnfromtheexampleofbirds:theydon’tworryaboutthefuture.Godtakescareofthemona.daily.basis.AndifGodtakescareofthebirds,ofcoursehewilltakecareofme!Besides,worryingneverdoesmeanygood.Itneverreallychangesthesitua-tion.Sowhat’stheuseofworrying?None!
CommandtoObey:Don’t.worry!(v.22)
PromisetoClaim:God.will.take.care.of.me!(v.24)
3. applicatiOn
Ineedtoapplythislessonintheareaofourfamilyfinances.
For this nextmonth (I’ll take it onemonth at a time) every time thedeviltemptsmetoworryaboutourbills, I’ll resist that thoughtbyquotingLuke12:24aloud .
4. MeMOrizatiOn
“Considertheravens:Theydonotsoworreap,theyhavenostoreroomorbarn;yetGodfeedsthem.Andhowmuchmorevaluableyouarethanbirds!”(Luke12:24)
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DevOTiOnaL sTUDY fORMDate:July10 paSSage:Judges6:1–18
1. prayer ˛ (check when done)
2. MeDitatiOn ThispassageisonthecallofGideon.
lessons (truths to Believe)• WhenGodwantstoaccomplishsomething,helooksforpeopletouse.• Godoftenusesthemostunexpectedpeople.• Godcanshowhisstrengthbestthroughourweaknesses.• God’spowerinusistheanswertoourinadequacies.
Sin to confess/attitude to change
Lord,forgivemefornotbeingwillingtobeusedbyyou.I’vefeltthatyoucouldn’tusemebecauseofmyweaknesses. I’veusedmy inadequacyasanexcuseforlaziness.Helpmerememberthattrustinginmyselfwillcausefailure,butrelyingonyourstrengthinmewillbringvictory.Usemyweaknessestobringglorytoyourself.
3. applicatiOn
I’vebeenafraid toacceptmychurch’s invitation to teachaSundayschoolclass.I’vemadeupexcusesfornottakingthepositionbecauseIfeltinad-equate.ButIknowGodwantsmetoteachthatclass,soI’mgoingtotellmypastorI’llaccepttheresponsibility.
4. MeMOrizatiOn
rememberwhatGodtoldGideon:“Iwillbewithyou”(v.16).
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DevOTiOnaL sTUDY fORM
47
Date: paSSage:
1. prayer ® (check when done)
2. MeDitatiOn
3. applicatiOn
4. MeMOrizatiOn
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4�
TheBibleasitwasoriginallywrittenhadnochapterorversedivisions.Infact,itwasn’tuntilA.D.1228thatBishopStephenLangtonaddedthechapterdivisions.ThesewereaddedtomakethevarioussectionsoftheBiblemoreaccessibletothereaders.Someofthesedivisionsarearbitraryandinterrupttheflowofawriter’smessage.Usually,however,theyprovidegoodbreakingpointsthatarehelpfulinBiblestudy.
Accordingtothesedivisions,thereare1,189chaptersintheBible.Ifyoustud-iedonechaptereachday,youcouldreadthroughtheScripturesinjustoverthreeyears.Ifyousummarizedtwochaptersaday,youcouldfinishinabout20months.Thispaceiscertainlynotrecommended,becauseyoucouldquicklygetboredwiththestudymethod.Instead,selectrandomchaptersofScripturethatyouwanttostudyandusethesummarymethodonthosepassages;oruseadifferentmethodforvariety.
Definition
TheChapterSummaryMethodofBibleStudy involvesgainingageneralunder-standingofthecontentsofachapteroftheBiblebyreadingitthroughatleastfive
2How to Begin Understanding
Chapters of a Book of the Bible
THe cHaPTeR sUMMaRY MeTHOD
Of BiBLe sTUDY
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times,askingaseriesofcontentquestions,andsummarizingthecentralthoughtsofthepassage.(ThismethodshouldnotbeconfusedwiththeBookSurveyandChapterAnalysismethods—chapters9and10.)
Why this methoD is imPortant
ThismethodisimportantbecauseitenablesyoutobeginunderstandingchaptersofthebooksoftheBible. It isapopularmethodforthosebeginningBiblestudybecausechaptersareusuallyfairlyshort,anditdoesnotrequiredeepstudytodoachaptersummary.Itisavaluablemethodbecauseitcanbequicklylearnedbyabrand-newChristianorsomeoneelsewhoisinterestedindoingmeaningfulBiblestudy. It isanexcellentmethodwithwhich tobegina lifetimeofpersonalBiblestudyforfourreasons.
1..This.method. is.easy. to. learn .Youcanbeginpracticing itassoonasyouunderstandthe10basicstepsthatfollowinthenextsection.Thestudyformandexampleattheendofthechaptershouldhelpyou.
2..This.method.does.not.take.much.time .Dependingonthelengthofthechap-teryouarestudying,youcancompleteachaptersummaryin20to30minutes.Thisisespeciallytrueifthechaptercontainsahistoricalnarrative—partsoftheOldTestament,theGospels,andthebookofActs,forexample.Youwillhavetospendmoretime,however,inthePsalms,thepropheticbooks,andthedoctrinallettersoftheNewTestament.
3.. This.method.does.not. require.any.outside.helps.or. reference. tools,.but. it.is.necessary.to.memorize.the.ten.steps .Thenyoucandoachaptersummaryinanysituationatany time,usingyourBibleandapieceofpaper.Wheneveryouhave extra time to spend—as in a doctor’s waiting room, a bus depot, or anairport—thisisthemethodtouse.PickabookoftheBible,startwithchapter1,andbeginrecordingyourdiscoveries.IliketousethismethodwhenIgotoaretreatandcannottakemyreferencetoolswithme.
4..This.method.is.a.good.type.of.study.to.use.when.you.are.engaged.in.a.rapid.reading.survey.through.the.Bible .Youcanmakeinitialnotesasyoureadeachchap-terbyusingtheChapterSummaryForm.
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The.Chapter.Summary.Method.of.Bible.Study
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ten easy stePs for Doing a chaPter summary
Inpreparingtofill inthestudyformforthismethodofBiblestudy,read.through.the.chapter.at.least.five.times .YouwillfindnobetterwaytogetacquaintedwithachapteroftheBiblethantoreaditoverandoveragain.ThemoretimesyoureadapassageofScripture,themoreitwillcomealivetoyou.ManyChristiansmissthegreatinsightsofScripturebecausetheyfailtoreadandrereaditspassages.
ThegreatBibleexpositorG.CampbellMorganwasfamousforhispowerful,excitingsermons.WhenaskedforthesecretofhisabilitytocommunicateGod’sWord,herepliedthathemadeitahabit toreadachapterorpassage30or40timesbeforehebeganworkingonitforasermon.Itisnowonderhissermonswereexcitingandmeaningful.
HerearesometipsonhowtoreadachapteroftheBible:
•. Read.it.in.a.Bible.without.notes .IfyoutryusingthismethodbyreadingaBibleinwhichyouhavemadenotes,youwillhavethetendencytocon-centrateonthesameideas.LetGodspeaktoyouinafreshwayandgiveyounewinsights.
•. Read.it.without.stopping .Duringyourfirstfewreadings,don’tstopinthemiddleofachapter,butreaditfromstarttofinish.Yourgoalistofeelthe
Step One — Caption
Step twO — Contents
Step three — Chief People
Step FOur — Choice Verse
Step Five — Crucial Word(s)
Step Six — Challenges
Step Seven — Cross-References
Step eight — Christ Seen
Step nine — Central Lesson(s)
Step ten — Conclusion
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flowofthechapter,sodon’tbeconcernedwiththedetailsattheoutset.Trytocapturethecentralmessageandthewriter’soveralltheme.
•. Read.it.in.several.different.contemporary.translations .Thiswillgiveyouadditionalinsightsasyouseehoweachtranslatorrenderedtheoriginalwriting.Makenotesontheinterestingdifferencesyoufind.
•. Read.it.aloud.quietly.to.yourself .Ifyouhaveaproblemwithconcentration,thiswill help tremendouslybecause youwill behearing yourself read.Manypeoplehavefoundthatreadingaloudhelpsthembetterfocustheirattentiononthetext.
Asyouarerereadingthechapter,begin lookingforthefollowing10specificthingsandwriteyouranswersonyourChapterSummaryFormoronablankpieceofpaper.Youmayfillinthe10Csinanyorder,savingStepTenforthelaststep.The10partsofyourstudyare
aptionontentshief Peoplehoice Verserucial Word(s)hallengesross-Referenceshrist Seenentral Lesson(s)onclusion
Step One Caption
Givethechapterashort,descriptivetitle.Theshorterthetitle,themorelikelyyouwillrememberit.Infact,ifyouusethismethodoneverychapterinaselectedbookoftheBible,youcanrememberthecontentsofthewholebookbymemorizingyourchaptertitles.Useonewordifpossible(1Corinthains13mightbetitled“Love”)
c
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The.Chapter.Summary.Method.of.Bible.Study
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andfivewordsatmost(Hebrews11couldbe“HeroesoftheFaith”).Trytofindthekeywordofthechapterandfititintoyourtitle.
Ifyourtitleiscatchyorproducesamentalpicture,youwillrememberitlonger.Onecreativepersongave“Well-Well”asatitleforJohn4.Thetwokeyeventsofthatchapterarethewomanatthewellandthenobleman’ssonwhomJesusmadewell .
Step twO Contents
Describe,summarize,paraphrase,outline,ormakealistofthemajorpointsinachapter.Themethodyouchoosewilldependontheliterarystyleofthechapterandonyourownpreference.Somepeopleliketosummarize;analyticalpeopleenjoyoutlining.Choosethemethodwithwhichyoufeelmostcomfortableandiseasyforyoutodo.Don’ttrytointerpretthechapter;justmakeobservationsonitscontents.recordonyourformwhatyoufeelthewritersaid.
Step three Chief People
List themost importantpeople in thechapter.Askquestionssuchas,Whoarethemainpeopleinthischapter?Whyaretheyincluded?Whatissignificantaboutthem?Ifthechaptercontainspronouns(he,.she,.they,etc.)youmayhavetorefertothepreviouschaptertoidentifythepeople.Writedownyourreasonsforchoosingcertainpeopleasthechiefonesofthechapter.Whenyoucometolonggenealogies(listsofpeople),don’ttrytolisteachone,butsummarizethelist.
Step FOur Choice Verse
Chooseaversethatsummarizesthewholechapteroronethatspeakstoyouper-sonally.Insomechaptersyoumayfindakeyversethatsummarizesthewriter’sargument;inotherchapterstheremaynotbeakeyverse.Onoccasionyoumaywanttopickaversefromwhichyouwillbewritingyourapplication,aversethatyoubelieveGodwouldhaveyouapplytoyourlife.
Step Five Crucial Word(s)
Writedownthekeywordorwordsofthechapter.Manytimesthekeywordwillbetheonethatisusedmostfrequently(“love”in1Corinthians13and“faith”in
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Hebrews11).Sometimesthecrucialwordmaybethemostimportantwordbutnotthemostusedone.Inromans6,forexample,theword“count”(KJV,“reckon”)istheimportantwordeventhoughitisusedonlyonce(rom.6:11).Also,achaptermayhavemorethanonecrucialword.
Step Six Challenges
List any difficulties you may have with the passage. Are there any statementsyoudonotunderstand?Isthereanyproblemorquestionyouwouldliketostudyfurther?Oftenwhiledoingachaptersummaryyouwillgetideasforothertypesofstudiesyoumaywanttodointhefuture.For instance,acertainwordinthechaptermaycatchyourattention.Takenoteofthatword;lateryoumaywanttodoanin-depthstudyofit(seechapter7).Aquestionaboutadoctrinalmattermightmotivateyoutodoatopicalstudyonthatparticularteaching(seechapter6).
Step Seven Cross-References
Usingthecross-referencesinyourstudyBible,lookupotherversesthathelpclar-ifywhatthechapteristalkingaboutandlistthemonyourform.Askthequestion,Whatelse in theBiblehelpsmeunderstand thischapter?Cross-referencesareimportantbecausetheyarehelpfultoolsininterpretingthemeaningofachapter;theyenableyoutoseewhattheBibleasawholehastosayonanygiventeaching.Youcanlookforseveraltypesofcross-references,andthesearedescribedinthesectiononcorrelationintheChapterAnalysisMethod(seechapter10)andinchap-ter10ofWalterA.HenrichsenandGayleJackson’sbookStudying,.Interpreting,.and.Applying.the.Bible(Zondervan).
Step eight Christ Seen
TheentireBibleisarevelationofthepersonofJesusChrist.Infact,JesususedtheOldTestamenttoteachhisdisciplesabouthimself.OnthedayofresurrectionontheEmmausroad,Jesustaughttwoofhisdisciples:“BeginningwithMosesandalltheProphets,heexplainedtothemwhatwassaidinalltheScripturesconcerninghimself”(Luke24:27).Asyoustudyeachchapter,bealertforstatementsthattell
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The.Chapter.Summary.Method.of.Bible.Study
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yousomethingaboutJesusChrist,theHolySpirit,orGodtheFather.Askyourself,WhatcanIlearnaboutthenatureofJesusfromthischapter?WhatattributesofGodinChristareillustratedhere?(Someexamples:hislove,justice,mercy,holi-ness,power,andfaithfulness.)Thisstepmaybethemostdifficulttocompleteinsomeportionsof theBible,particularly inOldTestamentnarrativesand inpas-sageswheresymbolismisused.
Step nine Central Lesson(s)
Writedownthemajorprinciples,insights,andlessonsyoulearnfromthischapter.Askyourself,WhydoesGodwantthispassageintheBible?Whatdoeshewanttoteachmefromthischapter?Whatisthecentralthoughtthewriteristryingtodevelop? A possible answer might be “We should be loving in all interpersonalrelationships”(1Cor.13).
Step ten Conclusion
This is theapplicationportionofyourstudy.Asdiscussed inchapter1,developaproject tohelpyou implement inyour lifea lessonyouhave learnedfromthechapterorportion.Itwillbenefityoutoconcludeyourchaptersummarybyaskingyourselftwoquestions:(1)Howdothesetruthsapplytomepersonally?and(2)WhatspecificallyamIgoingtodoaboutthem?
HOWTOFILLINTHECHAPTErSUMMArYFOrM
AttheendofthischapterisaChapterSummaryFormthatyoucanreproduceforyourownuse.The formhasaplace for listing thechapterof theBibleyouarestudyingandthe10stepsofthismethod.Fillintheblankspacesforeachofthe10partsjustdescribed.Ifyouneedmoreroom,usethebackoftheformorallowmoreroomonyourownpaper.
Sample Filled-out Form
Seetheexamplesattheendofthischapter.
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Assignment
SomechaptersonwhichyoucanstartusingtheChapterSummaryMethodofBibleStudyare
• 1Corinthians13• 2Timothy2• 1John1• John17•. ThegospelofLuke(chapterbychapter)
For Further Reading
The.Summarized.BiblebyKeithL.Brooks(Baker).Thisbookisanexcellentexam-pleofthismethodofBiblestudy.Dr.Brooksoffersachaptersummaryoneverychapterofeverybook intheBibleandshowshowJesusChristmaybeseen ineachchapter.Don’treadthisbooktohelpyoudothestudy;onlyuseitafterwardtochecktoseehowyouhavedoneonyourown.
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cHaPTeR sUMMaRY fORM
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chapter Luke15 read 5 times˛ (check when done)
1. captiOn (title) “LostandFound”
2. cOntentS this chapter contains three parables.
1.Verses3–7:Thelostsheep 2.Verses8–10:Thelostcoin 3.Verses11–32:Thelostson
3. chieF peOple
TheshepherdwiththelostsheepThewomanwiththelostcoinThefatherwiththelostson
4. chOice verSe
Luke15:7—“Itellyouthatinthesamewaytherewillbemorerejoicinginheavenoveronesinnerwhorepentsthanoverninety-ninerighteouspersonswhodonotneedtorepent.”
5. crucial wOrD(S) Lost(vv.4,5,9,24,32)Found(5–6,9,24,32)
6. challengeS (Difficulties i need to study)
Whatdoesthisversemean—“ninety-ninerighteouspersonswhodonotneedtorepent”?
1. Prayer ˛ (check when done)
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cHaPTeR sUMMaRY fORM7. crOSS-reFerenceS Luke15:4–6
Matthew18:11–14 Isaiah53:6
John10:10–14 Psalm119:176
1Peter2:25
8. chriSt Seen
1stParable—JesustheGoodShepherdsearchingforlostsheep.2ndParable—theHolySpiritourrightfulOwnerfindingandrestoring.3rdParable—GodtheFatherwaitingtowelcomeushome.
9. central leSSOn(S)
insightsThesonwentawaysaying,“Giveme”(v.12).Hereturnedsaying,“Makeme”(v.19).Godcaresforsinnersandanxiouslywaitsforthemtoreturnhome.
characteristics of the immature brotherAnger—v.28Childish—v.28Jealousy—vv.29–30Wrongperspective—vv.29–30Grumbling—vv.29–30
10. cOncluSiOn (personal Application)
Ineachofthethreeparablesaconcreteeffortwasmadetorecoverwhatwaslost.Manyofmyfriendsare lostwithoutChrist. IneedtodevelopspecificwitnessingplansforreachingthemwiththeGoodNews.IwillstartbysharingmyfaithwithmyfriendJimthisweekend.
IneedtoexpressmorejoywhenIhearofpeoplewhohaveacceptedChrist.
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cHaPTeR sUMMaRY fORM
5�
chapter read 5 times ® (check when done)
1. captiOn (title)
2. cOntentS
3. chieF peOple
4. chOice verSe
5. crucial wOrD(S)
6. challengeS (Difficulties i need to study)
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cHaPTeR sUMMaRY fORM7. crOSS-reFerenceS
8. chriSt Seen
9. central leSSOn(S)
10. cOncluSiOn (personal Application)
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AmajorgoalofChristianlivingistodevelopChristlikecharacterinourlives.DailywewanttobecomemoreandmorelikeJesusChristbyreplacingbadcharacterqualitieswithgoodones.ButbeforewecanworkonaChristlikequalityinourlives,wemustbeabletorecognizeit.Thisstudyisdesignedtohelpyouidentifynegativeandpositivecharacterqualitiesandthenbeabletounderstandthem.
Youmaythenworkonsettingasidenegativecharacterqualitiesandbuildingpositiveonesinyourlife.DoingthesethingswillenableyoutobecomemoreandmorelikeJesusChrist.
Definition
TheCharacterQualityMethodofBibleStudy involvesfindingoutwhat theBiblesaysaboutaparticularcharacteristicofaperson,withaheavyemphasisonper-sonalapplication.Furthermore,itisacombinationinsimplifiedformofthreeotherBiblestudymethods:theWordStudyMethod,theBiographicalMethod,andtheCross-referenceMethod.
3THe cHaRacTeR
QUaLiTY MeTHOD Of BiBLe sTUDY
How to Determine Biblical Character Qualities
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ItdiffersfromtheBiographicalMethodinthathereyouarestudyingthechar-acteristicsofapersonratherthanthepersonhimself.Thesequalitiescanbenega-tiveorpositiveorboth.Thepointisthatwelearntoavoidthenegativeonesandworkonbuildingthepositiveonesintoourlives.
Why this methoD is vital for our lives
ThepurposeofthismethodofBiblestudyistoidentifycharacterqualitiestaughtintheBiblewiththeviewoflearningtoavoidthenegativeonesandlearningtoworkonthepositiveones,sothatwebecomemoreliketheLordJesusChrist.Itisobvi-ousthatuntilweknowwhatacharacterqualityis,wecannotavoiditordevelopit.Forexample,ifwewantedtobecomemeek,astheBibleadmonishesustobe,wewouldhavetoknowwhatmeeknessisbeforewecanreallystudyit.
Thisisthefirstmethodinthisbookthatrequirestheuseofsometools.Soletuslookatsomeofthereferencetoolsyouwillneed:
1. AstudyBible 2. Anexhaustiveconcordance 3. ABibledictionaryand/orawordstudybook 4. AtopicalBible 5. AnEnglishdictionary
Ifyouwanttodeveloppositivebiblicalcharacterqualities inyour life, followthesetips:
1.Onlyworkononequalityatatime.Don’ttrytoworkontwoorthreeormore,forittakesconcentratedefforttoseehowthatonequalityappliestoeveryareaofyourlife.Itisfarbettertobuildonequalitysolidlyintoyourlifethantoworkonseveralweakones.
2.Don’t rush it!Characterdevelopment takes time.Even thoughoneof thesteps iswritingoutan illustrationafteroneweek,youshouldprobablywant toworkononequalityforamuchlongertime.IhavefoundinmyownlifethatGodworksonanareaformonths(sometimesyears)beforeitbecomespartofmydailywalkwithhim.
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3.Staywiththatonequalityuntilyougetvictoryinthatspecificarea.Don’tskiparound,tryingtoworkonmanyqualities,whenyouneedvictoryinthatone.rememberthatthequalityofdiligenceisoneyouwanttoworkon.
4.Bealerttoanegativequalityinyourlifethatisactuallyapositiveonebeingmisused.realizethattheLordwantstoturnyourweakpointsintostrongones.Ifyouarerigid,legalistic,andunbending,itmightbethatthequalityofself-disciplineisbeingmisused.Thatdisciplineneedstobetemperedwithcompassionandcon-cernforothers.
5.TrusttheHolySpirittobuildthesequalitiesinyourlife.Inthefinalanalysis,itisGod’spowerinyouthatreproducesthefruitoftheSpiritinyourlife.ItisGodalonewhocanchangeyourcharacter.“ForitisGodwhoworksinyoutowillandtoactaccordingtohisgoodpurpose”(Phil.2:13).SoletGoddoit,trustingtheHolySpirittoworkinyourlife.
Step One — Name the Quality
Step twO — Name the Opposite Quality
Step three — Do a Simple Word Study
Step FOur — Find Some Cross-References
Step Five — Do a Brief Biographical Study
Step Six — Find a Memory Verse
Step Seven — Select a Situation or Relationship to Work On
Step eight — Plan a Specific Project
Step nine — Write Out a Personal Illustration
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nine stePs for Doing a character Quality stuDy
Step One Name the Quality
Selectthequalityyouwanttostudyandwriteitdown.ThenlookitupinanEnglishdictionaryandjotdownthedefinitionofthatwordorconcept.Listanysynonymsorrelatedwordsthathelpyouunderstandthisquality.
Step twO Name the Opposite Quality
Write down the opposite quality—the antonym—of the one you are studying,andwriteoutitsdictionarydefinitionandsimilarwords.Ifyoucan’tthinkoftheopposite,useadictionaryofantonyms;somethesaurusesalsogiveantonyms.Forexample,unfaithfulness istheoppositeoffaithfulness.Butinsomequalitiesyoumightbestudying,theremightbetwoormoreopposites.Forexample,youcouldhavethefollowing:
• Faithanddoubt• Faithandapathy• Faithandfear
Step three Do a Simple Word Study
LookuptheBibledefinitionofthequalityyouarestudying.Findthewaysitisusedin the scriptural contexts; then check a Bible dictionary, encyclopedia, or wordstudybookforthewaythequalitywasusedinbiblicaltimesandintheScriptures.SomeofthetoolswilltellyouhowmanytimesthewordisusedintheBible,eachtestament,thewritingsofdifferentauthors,andinthebookyouarestudying.
Forexample,ifyouwerestudyingthequalityofmeekness,youwoulddiscoverthatthewordmeek intheoriginalGreekmeant“breakingsomethingandbring-ingitundersubmission.”Thewordwasusedtodescribethetrainingofvaluablehorses,whichwerebroughtundersubmissiontotheirmasters.Astallionwouldstill have all the power and strength of itswild days, but itwasnow under itsmaster’scontrol.Meekness,therefore,isnotweakness.AsaChristiancharacterquality,meeknessisstrengththatisinsubmissiontoJesusChrist.
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Step FOur Find Some Cross-References
Usingcross-referenceswillgiveyouadditionalinsightsfromotherportionsoftheBible.ScriptureisstillthebestinterpreterofScripture.UseyourconcordanceandtopicalBibletofindalltheversesyoucanrelatingtothisquality.LookupthewordanditssynonymsintheconcordanceandtopicalBible,writethecross-referenceontheformintheappropriatesection,andgiveabriefdescriptionofthatverse.Thenasksomeofthefollowingquestionsaboutthequalityyouarestudyingasyoumeditateonthecross-referenceverses:
• Whatarethebenefitsthistraitcanbringme?• Whataresomebadconsequencesthistraitcanbringme?• Whatarebenefitsthistraitcanbringtoothers?• Whataresomebadconsequencesthistraitcanbringtoothers?• IsthereanypromisefromGodrelatedtothistrait?• Isthereanywarningorjudgmentrelatedtothistrait?• Isthereacommandrelatedtothistrait?• Whatfactorsproducethistrait?• DidJesushaveanythingtosayaboutthisquality?What?• Whatwritertalkedaboutthisqualitythemost?• IsthistraitsymbolizedbyanythinginScripture?Isthatsignificant?• Is this trait listed with a group of qualities? What is the relationship
betweenthem?Whatdoesthissuggest?• WhatScripturestellmedirectlywhatGodthinksofthistrait?• DoIwantmoreorlessofthistraitinmylife?
Afteraskingaseriesofquestionssuchasthese,orothersthatyouthinkof,youmightwriteabriefsummaryoftheBible’steachingonthisquality.Youmaylistanylessonsorprinciplesthatyoulearnedfromthismini-topicalstudy,oryoumayparaphraseafewkeyversesonthistrait.
Alwaysbesure towritedownanydifficultiesyouhavewith theversesyoulookedup,orquestionsyouwouldliketoseeanswered.Possibly,lateronyouwillunderstandwhat isdifficultatpresentandthenfindanswers toyourproblems;oftenoneverseshedslightonanotherverseyouhavestudied.
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Step Five Do a Brief Biographical Study
NowgobacktoyourBibleandtrytofindat leastoneperson(moreifpossible)whoshowedthischaracterqualityinhisorherlife.BrieflydescribethisqualityandwritedowntheScripturesthatrefertoit.Askthesequestionsasyoudothispartofthestudy:
• Whatshowsthisqualityinhis/herlife?• Howdidthisqualityaffecthis/herlife?• Didthequalityhelporhinderhis/hergrowthtomaturity?How?• Whatresultsdiditproduceinhis/herlife?
AnexampleofthisstepmaybeseeninthelifeofJoseph,thesonofJacob,whodisplayeddifferentqualitiesofthefruitoftheSpirit(Gal.5:22–23)ineachincidentinhislife.Itisinterestingtonotehistestimonybeforetheheathen:“SoPharaohaskedthem,‘Canwefindanyonelikethisman,oneinwhomisthespiritofGod?’”(Gen.41:38).WefindthesequalitiesinJoseph:
• Hedisplayedloveinadifficultfamilysituation(Gen.47).• Hedisplayedself-controlinadifficulttemptation(Gen.39).• He displayed industry and patience in difficult circumstances (Gen.
39:19–40:23).• Hedisplayedfaithfulnessinadifficulttask(Gen.41:37–57).• He displayed goodness,. gentleness, and kindness in difficult family
reunions(Gen.42;50).
OccasionallysomeofthequalitiestheBibleteachesareevidentinthewaysofcertainanimals(particularlyinthebookofProverbs).Whenyoufindthesequali-ties,writethemdown.
Step Six Find a Memory Verse
Writedownatleastoneversefromyourcross-referenceorbiographicalportionofthestudythatreallyspeakstoyouandthatyouintendtomemorizeduringthefol-lowingweek.ThisverseshouldcomeinhandywhenGodprovidesanopportunityforyoutoworkonthischaracterqualityinaspecificway.
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Step Seven Select a Situation or Relationship to Work On
Wearenowgettingtotheapplicationpartofthestudy.ThinkofanareainyourlifeinwhichGodwantsyoutoworkonthischaracterquality—avoidingitifit’snega-tiveorbuildingitupifit’spositive.Thiscanbeeitherasituationoraninterpersonalrelationship.
Ifitisasituation,anticipateinadvancewhatyouwilldowhenthesituationarises.Supposeyouhavebeenslothful,lazy.Yourstudyonslothfulnesshaschallengedyoutogetridofthisqualityinyourlife.Asyouplanahead,youknowwhensituationswillarisethatwillbringoutthelazystreakinyou,soyoudecideaheadoftimewhatyouwilldo:Youwillsettwoalarmclocks,oneonthefarsideoftheroom,tohelpyougetupinthemorningtohaveaquiettimeandbeontimetoworkorschool.
If it isa relationship,determineaheadof timehowyouwill respond inyourinteractionswiththatperson.Thispersoncouldbewife,husband,parents,chil-dren,girlfriend,boyfriend,workassociates,schoolfriends,orneighbors.Lookforopportunitiestoworkonthatcharacterqualityinyourrelationshipswiththatper-sonorpersons.Yourgoalistohavemorematurerelationships.
Onewayofdoingthisistothinkbackandrecallagoodsituationorrelationshipinyourrecentpastwhenyoudidworkonthisquality.
Step eight Plan a Specific Project
ThisisthepracticalpartofyourapplicationandistheactualworkingoutofStepSeven.Thinkofaprojectthatyouwillworkontobuildapositivequalityinyourlifeortogetridofanegativequality.
Once Iwasworkingon the traitofgratefulness.Oneofmyprojectswas towritegratefulletterstofivepeoplewhohadbeenablessingtome,saying,“Iamgratefulforyoubecause....”remember:applicationsshouldbepersonal,practi-cal,possible,andmeasurable.
Step nine Write Out a Personal Illustration
Afewdaysafteryouhavecompletedthefirsteightstepsofthisstudy,writeoutanillustrationofhowyouwereabletoworkonthisquality.Thisisthe“provable”
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(measurable)partofyourapplication.Bespecific,andwritedownwhereyouhavesucceededandwhereyoumighthavefailed.InjustashorttimeyoushouldbeabletodevelopawholesetofpersonalexamplesofhowGodisworkinginyourlife,gettingridofnegativequalitiesandbuildingpositiveones.
These illustrationsserveanumberofpurposes.Whenyougetdiscouraged,readoverthebacklogofyour illustrationsandseehowGodhasworked inyou.Whenyouareworkingwitha“Timothy,”useyour illustrationstoteachhimandtoencouragehiminhisownillustrations.Whenyouaresharingyourtestimonyorteachingaclass,usetheseillustrationstoaddapersonalelementtoyourpresen-tation:“HereishowGodworkedinmylife.”
Godoftenbuildscharacterinourlivesbyputtingusinsituationswherewearetemptedtodotheopposite.Forexample,Godmayteachyouhonestybyplacingyouinasituationwhereyouaretemptedtobedishonest.
summary anD conclusion
WhenIwasincollege,Iwasactiveinamusicalgroup.Iownedabout$2,000worthof theequipment itused.Once,whenIwaspreaching500milesaway,anothermusicgroupatourschoolcametomyroommateandaskediftheycouldborrowmyequipment.Hetoldthem,“I’msureitwouldbeallright,butyouhavetoaskrickfirst.I’msurehewillletyouuseit.”
ButbecauseIwasaway,theydidn’taskme.Theysimplycamebackaftermyroommatehadgoneandtooktheequipment.LaterthatweekendIcalledinandwastoldaboutmyequipmentbeingtaken.Igotfurious.Ihungupthephoneandwasreallysteamed.Iwouldhaveloanedittothemhadtheyaskedme,buttheyhadn’t,andthiswaslikestealing.Iwasupset,planningallkindsofthingsIwouldsayanddowhenIreturned.
In themeantime Ihadbeendoingacharacterqualitystudyon forgiveness.Thatmorning Ihadread intheBible,“Makesurethatnobodypaysbackwrongforwrong,butalwaystrytobekindtoeachotherandtoeveryoneelse.Bejoyfulalways; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this isGod’swillforyouinChristJesus”(1Thess.5:15–18). Isuddenlyrealizedthatif Iwereto
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The.Character.Quality.Method.of.Bible.Study
6�
developthequalityofforgiveness,Ihadtoforgivethosepeoplewhohadtakenmyequipment,Ihadtoremainjoyful,andIhadtogivethanksforthesituation.
SoherewasaconcretesituationthatGodhadbroughtintomylifethatwasgoingtohelpmebuildthecharacterqualityofforgivenessintomypracticaldailyliving.Itwasatoughlesson,butitwaspartofapplyingwhatwelearninScripture.Writingthatdownhasenabledmetosharethatexperiencewithothers.
HOWTOFILLINTHECHArACTErQUALITYSTUDYFOrM
UsetheformattheendofthischaptertowritedowntheninestepsofyourBiblestudy.Youmayreproducethesesections.
Sample Filled-out Form
Seetheexampleattheendofthischapter.
Assignment
AgoodplacetostartthisstudywouldbetogothroughthelistsofqualitiesfoundinNewTestamentpassages.Somepositiveonesare
• Matthew5:3–12—theBeatitudes• Galatians5:22–23—thefruitoftheSpirit• Philippians4:4–9—admirablequalities• 2Peter1:5–8—qualitiesthatshouldincreaseinourlives
Don’t forgettostudynegativequalitiesaswell,sothatyoucanworkonriddingthesefeaturesfromyourlife.Herearesomenegativequalities:
• Galatians5:19–21—alistoftheworksoftheflesh• 2Timothy3:1–5—havenothingtodowiththese!
OnthefollowingpageisalistofspecificqualitiestaughtthroughouttheBiblethatyoushouldstudyandworkon.
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positive Qualities
1.Servanthood 9.Forgiveness
2.Honesty 10.Generosity
3.Humility 11.Loyalty
4.Determination 12.Fairness
5.Diligence 13.Cooperativeness
6.Faithfulness 14.Discipline
7.Availability 15.Sincerity
8.Teachability 16.Contentment
negative Qualities
1.Laziness 9.Beingunloving
2.Acriticalspirit 10.Dishonesty
3.Pride 11.Impatience
4.Selfishness 12.Worry
5.Unfaithfulness 13.Fearfulness
6.Disrespectfulness 14.Lustfulness
7.rebelliousness 15.Bitterness
8.Gossip 16.Apathy
Many others may be found in Scripture, but these should get you started.Amuchlonger listofbiblicalqualities,bothnegativeandpositive, isprovidedinappendixC.
For Further Reading
The.Building.of.Character.byJ.r.Miller(AMGPublishers)Character.Sketches,.2volumes(InstituteofBasicLifePrinciples)The.Master.Bible,.editedbyJ.WesleyDickson(J.WesleyDickson&Co.)The.Measure.of.a.Man.byGeneGetz(regalBooks)The.Measure.of.a.Woman.byGeneGetz(regalBooks)
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1. character Quality Boldness
“An exhibition of courage and fearlessness; bravery; willingness to moveaheadconfidentlyinthefaceofdanger.”
2. OppOSite Quality Timidity,Fearfulness
“Toshrinkbackfromadifficultordangerouscircumstance;tobehesitant.”
3. SiMple wOrD StuDy
OldTestamentword:Bâtah.means“tobeconfident.”Example:Proverbs28:1—“Therighteousareasbold.asalion.”
NewTestamentwords:Tharreo.means“tobeconfident,bold,ordaring.”Example:Hebrews13:6—“Sothatwemayboldly.say,‘TheLordismyhelper,andIwillnotfearwhatmanshalldountome’”(KJV).
Parrçsiazomai.means“tospeakboldlyorfreely.”Example:Acts19:8—“Paulenteredthesynagogueandspoke.boldly.thereforthreemonths,arguingpersuasivelyaboutthekingdomofGod.”
referencetoolsused:
• Young’s.Analytical.Concordance.to.the.Bible• Vine’s.Expository.Dictionary.of.New.Testament.Words
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4. crOSS-reFerence inSightS
• Christspokeboldlyinthefaceofopposition(John7:26).• OurconfidenceandboldnesscomefromknowingthattheLordwillhelpus
indifficultsituations(Hebrews13:6).• PeterandJohnwereboldbecausetheyhadbeenwithJesus(Acts4:13).• When theHolySpirit fillsour life,wewillbeable tospeak theWordof
Godboldly.ThefirstChristiansprayedforboldnessinwitnessingandGodansweredtheirprayerbyfillingthemwiththeHolySpirit(Acts4:29–31).
• WhenChrist’sloveisinus,wewillbeboldbecausethereisnofearinlove.Perfectlovecastsoutallfear(1John4:17–18).
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5. SiMple BiOgraphical StuDy
TheapostlePaulisamajorexampleofboldness.Hisentirelifeseemedtobecharacterizedbythisquality:
• AsayoungChristianinDamascus,hewitnessedboldlyforChrist(Acts9:27).
• Everywherehewent,hesharedhisfaithboldlyinspiteofoppositionandpersecution:ß inJerusalem(Acts9:28–29)ß inPisidianAntioch(Acts13:46)ß inIconium(Acts14:3)ß inEphesus(Acts19:8)ß inThessalonica(1Thess.2:2)
• Hewroteboldletterstothechurches(rom.15:15).• Heaskedpeopletopraythathewouldcontinuallypreachandteach
withboldness(Eph.6:19–20).• HisChristiantestimonywhileinprisoncausedotherstospeakboldly
forChrist(Phil.1:14).• He even faced death boldly (Phil. 1:20). “According to my earnest
expectationandhope,thatIshallnotbeputtoshameinanything,butthatwithallboldness,Christshallevennow,asalways,beexaltedinmybody,whetherbylifeorbydeath”(NASB).
6. MeMOry verSe(S)
“Sowesaywithconfidence,‘TheLordismyhelper;Iwillnotbeafraid.Whatcanmandotome?’”(Heb.13:6).
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7. a SituatiOn Or relatiOnShip (where god wants to work on this quality in my life)
Ihavebeenafraid towitnesstomyfriendTed,whoworkswithmeat theoffice.
8. My prOject
First,Iwillaskmywifetopraywithmeaboutovercomingmytimidityinwit-nessing toTed.Then,eachday thisweek Iwillpausebeforegoing into theofficeandasktheHolySpirittofillmylifeandgivemeboldnesstowitnesstoTed(Acts4:31).
9. perSOnal illuStratiOn
MondayandTuesdayofthisweekIprayedforboldnesstowitnesstoTed,buttheopportunityjustdidn’tarise.TuesdaynightIdecidedthatIneededtobemoreearnestinmyprayers,soIaskedmywifetopraywithmespecificallyforachancetosharemyfaithwithTedonWednesday.
Wednesdaymorning,Ipausedattheofficedoorbeforegoingin,andIprayedsilently thatTedwouldsense that I “hadbeenwithJesus,” likePeterandJohn(Acts4:13).ThenIwentinandplacedmyBibleontopofmydesk,hop-ingTedwouldrecognizeit.
Duringthecoffeebreak,Tedcameovertotalktome.HenoticedmyBibleandsaid,“IsthataBible?”
Ianswered,“Itsureis.Haveyoueverreadit?”“Notlately,”hesaid.
Isaid,“WellI’vebeenreadingitalotlately,andI’vediscoveredsomeneatthingsinit.”IthensharedabrieftestimonyofwhatGodwasdoinginmylife.Tedseemedmildlyinterested—atleasthewasn’tturnedoff.It’sastart,andIthankGodforgivingmetheboldnesstogothisfar.
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1. character Quality
2. OppOSite Quality
3. SiMple wOrD StuDy
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cHaRacTeR QUaLiTY sTUDY fORM4. crOSS-reFerence inSightS
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5. SiMple BiOgraphical StuDy
6. MeMOry verSe(S)
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7. a SituatiOn Or relatiOnShip (where god wants to work on this quality in my life)
8. My prOject
9. perSOnal illuStratiOn
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7�
In the introduction to thisbookwenoted that thesecretofgoodBiblestudy islearning to ask the right questions. In doing a thematic study, youdecide on asetofquestionstoaskaboutthechosenthemebeforeyoulookintheBible.YourquestionsshouldbebasedaroundwhatrudyardKiplingcalledhis“honestservingmen”inhisshortstory“TheElephant’sChild.”
IKeepsixhonestservingmen:
(TheytaughtmeallIknew)
TheirnamesareWhatandWhyandWhen
AndHowandWhereandWho.
UseKipling’sservingmenasyoupreparethevitalobservationquestionsyouwanttoaskinyourthematicstudy:What?Why?When?How?Where?Who?
Definition
TheThematicMethodofBibleStudy involvesapproachingabiblical themewithasetofnotmorethanfivepredeterminedquestionsinmind.Youthentracethat
4THe THeMaTic
MeTHOD Of BiBLe sTUDY
How to Investigate Themes in Scripture
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themethroughtheBibleorasinglebookbyaskingonlythosequestions,summa-rizingyourconclusions,andwritingoutapersonalapplication.
Thethematicstudyissimilartothetopicalstudy(seechapter6),butdiffersin two ways. First, the thematic study is shorter than the topical because youstudyfewerverses.Itis,infact,alimitedtypeoftopicalstudy.Atopicmayhavemanythemesrunningthroughit.Forexample,onetopiccouldbe“Prayer,”butyoucouldstudythefollowingthemesunderthattopic:“ThePrayersofJesus,”“ThePrayers of New Testament Writers,” “Conditions for Answered Prayer,” “PrayerPromises,” “Intercession for Others,” and many other prayer themes. A topicalstudywouldexamineeverypossible verse that relates to theoverall topic. In athematicstudyyouconcentrateonlyonpassagesofScripturethatdealwithyourselectedtheme.
Second,athematicstudyentailsfewerquestions.Inatopicalstudyyouaskasmanyquestionsasyoucan,becauseyourgoalistodiscoverasmuchaspossibleaboutthetopic.Thethematicstudyhasalimitoffivecarefullychosenquestions.Aftermakingalistofalltheversesrelatedtothetheme,youexamineeachverse,askingonlythequestionsyouhaveprepared.
Thereasonforlimitingthenumberofquestionsisthatathememayhave100,200,ormorereferences.Ifyoursetofquestionsgetstoolong,youwillgetboggeddownanddiscouraged.Youwillgettiredofthestudyevenbeforeyouhavefinishedit.
Oneweekmywifedecidedtodoathematicstudyontheexpression“thehandoftheLord.”InhertopicalBibleshefoundonlysevenversesusingthatphrase,andinherexhaustiveconcordanceshediscoveredatotalof210referencestothetheme,underthewordhand .Shewouldhavehadherhandsfullifshehadchosentoask15or20questionsofeachverse.
Why this methoD of BiBle stuDy
Thepurposeofthismethodistodiscoverwhatyoucanaboutachosenthemewithspecific,preparedquestionsthatyouwillaskofeachversechosenforstudy.Therearesomegreatadvantagesinusingit,andwewillincludesomepracticaltipsforit.
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tools you Will neeD
AfewreferencetoolsareneededforthismethodofBiblestudy:
• AstudyBible• Anexhaustiveconcordance• AtopicalBible
aDvantages of this stuDy
SeveraladvantagesemergefromthismethodofBiblestudy:1.Youdon’tneedmanyreferencetools.Youcandoalimitedstudyifyouhave
onlyatopicalBible.ButatopicalBibledoesnotlistallthereferencesonaparticulartheme,soyouwillbenefitbyusinganexhaustiveconcordance.Youcanmakealistofeverywordthatrelatestothetheme,thenlookupeachwordintheconcordanceandselecttheversesthatdealspecificallywithyourtheme.
2.Youcanusethismethodwhenyoudon’thavethetimetodoafull-scaletopicalstudybecausethesubjectistoobroadorbecauseofthelargenumberofBiblereferencesonthesubject.
Step One — Choose a Theme to Study
Step twO — List All the Verses You Intend to Study
Step three — Decide on the Questions You Will Ask
Step FOur — Ask Your Questions of Each Reference
Step Five — Draw Some Conclusions from Your Study
Step Six — Write out a Personal Application
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3.Thismethodisagoodwaytopreviewatopicbysurveyingthehighpointsofitssubordinatethemesbeforeattemptingaregulartopicalstudyofthesubject.Oryoucanusethisapproachwhenyouareonlyinterestedinhavingcertainquestionsansweredonthetheme.Withthismethodyoucandiscoverexactlywhatyouwanttofindoutwithoutspendingvaluabletimeonunrelatedmatters.
4.ThismethodisoneoftheeasiesttypesofpersonalBiblestudytoturnintoasermonorSundayschoollesson.Aftercompletingyourpersonalstudy,makeeachofyourquestionsamajorpointinyourtalkandsharethebiblicalanswerswithyourgroup,class,orcongregation.
5.Thismethodisagoodoneforteachingyour“Timothy”oranynewChristian.ItissimpleenoughforsomeonewhohasnotyetdoneanypersonalBiblestudytograspanddoeffectively.
some tiPs on Doing this stuDy
Becauseofthesimplicityofthestudyandthedangerof“gettingcarriedaway,”sometipsandwordsofcautionarenecessary.
1.Don’tusetoomanyquestions.EvenathemeunderamajortopicmaybesovastastohavehundredsofScripturereferences.Ifyoulisttoomanyquestions,youwill notbeable todo thestudyeffectively.Onamajor thematic studyyoushouldasknomorethanthreequestions.
2.Sometimesyoucandoathematicstudywithonlyonequestion.Herearesomeexamples:
• WhatarethethingsGodhates?• AccordingtotheNewTestament,whatthingsshouldwe“endure”?• Whatarethethingsweshould“consider”asChristians?• WhattraitsofafoolaregiveninthebookofProverbs?• AccordingtoSolomon(inProverbs),whatbringspoverty?
3.Manytimesyouwillnotfindtheanswertoeveryoneofyourquestionsinthesameverse.Whenthathappens,justleaveablankspaceonyourformandgoontothenextquestion.
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4. Ifyouarenot findinganswers toanyofyourquestions inyourverses, itprobablymeansyouneedtoreviseyourquestions.Youmaybeaskingthewrongones.PossiblyyouareaskingquestionsthatGoddoesnotcaretoanswer.ChecktheversestoseewhatGodisreallysaying,andfityourquestionstowhathewantstotellyouinthosepassages.
5.IfyouwanttoknoweverythingGodhassaidaboutacertainsubjectintheBible,youwillhavetouseanexhaustiveconcordanceandlookupallthewordsrelatedtoyourtheme.Thiscanbecomeamassiveproject.rememberthattopi-calBiblesarenotexhaustive,andyouwillhavetouseeitherYoung’sorStrong’sconcordances.
simPle stePs on Doing a thematic stuDy
Indoingathematicstudyyouwillcreatesomequestionsbeforelookingupyourreferences.Theseshouldincludesomeofthesixgreatinvestigativerelativepro-nounsmentionedearlier.Thesewords,whenused invariouscombinations,willgiveyoualimitlessnumberofquestionstouseinyourpersonalBiblestudy.Forexample,ifyouweretodoastudyon“AngerintheBookofProverbs,”youcouldasksuchquestionsasthese:
• Whatarethecharacteristicsofanangryman?• Whatcausesanger?• Whataretheresultsofanger?• Whatisthecureforanger?
All fourof thesequestionsused the term“What?”butyoucouldcomeupwith justasmanyquestionsusingtheotherfivepronouns:Why?When?Why?Where?Who?
Step One Choose a Theme to Study
Selectathemeinwhichyouareinterested.Ifthisisyourfirststudyofthiskind,startwithonethatissmallorshort.IntheAssignmentsectionaresomesugges-tions,includingthequestions;theexamplegivesyouacompletedstudy.
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Step twO List All the Verses You Intend to Study
Usingyourthreetools—thestudyBible,theexhaustiveconcordance,thetopicalBible—makea listofall theScriptureversesthatarerelatedtothethemeyouhavechosen.remembertoconsidersynonymsandothersimilarwordsandcon-ceptswhenusingtheconcordance.Selectfromthislisttheversesthataremostimportanttoyourtheme(unlessyouaretryingtodiscoveralltheBiblesaysaboutyourtheme).
Step three Decide on the Questions You Will Ask
Howdoyouknowwhatquestionstoask?Writedownthoseinwhichyouaremostinterested.Whataresomethingsyouwouldliketoknowaboutyourtheme?Makealistofquestions,notmorethanfiveinnumber.rememberthatsometimesyoumayneed toaskonlyonequestion.Writeyourquestion(s)on the formoronablanksheetofpaper.
Step FOur Ask Your Questions of Each Reference
readthroughyourreferences,andaskyoursetofquestionsofeachverse.Writedowntheanswersyoufindintheappropriateplacesonyourformorpaper.Some-timesyouwillbeabletoanswerallthequestionsinagivenverse,butusuallyyouwillonlyanswerpartofthem.Occasionallyaversemaynotansweranyofyourquestions;inthatcase,leavethatpartblankonyourform.Ifyouarenotfindinganyanswerstoyourquestions,startoverandwriteanewsetofquestions.
Step Five Draw Some Conclusions from Your Study
Afteryouhavefinishedcheckingthereferencesandwritingyouranswers,gobackandsummarizetheanswerstoeachofyourquestions.Youmightorganizeyourstudyintoanoutlinebygroupingsimilarversestogetherandturningyourquestionsintothemajordivisionsoftheoutline.Thiswillmakeiteasyforyoutosharetheinsightsyouhavediscoveredwithothers.
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Step Six Write Out a Personal Application
Toimplementwhatyouhavediscoveredandmakeitrealinyourlife,writeoutapersonalapplicationthatispractical,possible,andmeasurable.refertothestepssuggestedintheDevotionalMethod(chapter1)ifyouneedhelpindevelopinganeffectiveapplication.
HOWTOFILLINTHETHEMATICSTUDYFOrM
Useeither theThematicStudyFormyou findat theendof thischapteroryourownsheetofpaper.IftheformdoesnothaveenoughroomforallofyourScripturereferences,useadditionalsheetsofpaper.
Filling Out the Form
Fillintheblanksaccordingtothefollowingprocedure:
1. Theme:Selectthethemeyouwanttoresearch,beingsureitisnottoobroadandisnotamajortopic.
2. List.of.References: ListasmanyScripture referencesasyouneed foryourstudy.
3. Questions.to.be.Asked:Listthequestions(notmorethanfive)youwillbeaskingofeachScripturereference.
4. Answers.to.the.Questions:Askthequestionsateachreferenceandwritetheanswersintheappropriatespaceundereachreference(QuestionAinalltheAslots,QuestionBintheBslots,andsoonthroughout).Useextrasheetsofpaperifthereisnotenoughroomontheform.
5. Conclusions:Writeout yourconclusionsandsummariesof theversesstudied.
6. Application: Write out a personal, practical, possible, and measurableapplication.
Sample Filled-out Form
Seetheexampleof“Jesus’definitionofadisciple,”attheendofthischapter.
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Assignment
BeginyourthematicBiblestudieswiththemesthataresimpleandhaveonlyafewScripturereferences.AsyoubecomeproficientinthismethodofBiblestudy,youcanmakeyourthemesmorecomplexandusemorebiblicalpassages.Herearesome ideas togetyoustarted, includingsamplequestionsyoumayask. (Don’tfeelrestrictedbythesesuggestedquestions;makeupsomeofyourownforthesethemes.)
1. Theme.to.be.studied:KnowingGod’swill.(Lookupthewordwillinacon-cordance,andfindthereferencestoGod’s.will,.will.of.God,.will.of.the.Lord,.the.Lord’s.will,andanyotherrelatedwords.)Suggestedquestions:a. WhatspecificthingsareGod’swill?b. WhyamItodoGod’swill?(suchthingsasmotivesandresults)c. HowamItodoGod’swill?(suchthingsasattitudesandactions)
2. Theme.to.be.studied:Obedience.(Lookupthewordsobey,.obedience,.keep,. commandments,. do, and many others like them.) Suggestedquestions:a. Whyisobedienceimportant?b. Whataretheresultsofobedience?c. Whataretheresultsofdisobedience?d. HowamItoobeyGod?
3. Theme. to.be.studied:Praising theLord in thePsalms. (Notehow thisthemehasbeenshortenedto justthebookofPsalms.Lookupwordssuchaspraise,.adoration,.thanksgiving,andjoy.)Suggestedquestions:a. WhyshouldIpraisetheLord?b. HowcanIpraisetheLord?c. WhenshouldIpraisetheLord?d. WhataresomeresultsofpraisingtheLord?
4. Theme.to.be.studied:TheprayersofJesus.(Notehowthisthemealsohasbeenshortenedtooneaspectofprayer.Lookupthisthemeinatopi-calBibleandthewordsprayandprayerinaconcordance,choosingonlythose found in theGospels inwhichJesus ispraying.)Herearesome
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suggestedquestions,butyoushouldbeabletowritemanyothersofyourownchoosing:a. HowoftenshouldIpray?b. WhendidJesuspray?c. WhyshouldIprayasJesusdid?d. WhatdidJesusprayfor?e. TowhomshouldIpray?
FOrFUrTHErrEADING
Zondervan.Dictionary.of.Bible.Themes,.editedbyMartinManser(Zondervan)NIV.Thematic.Study.Bible,.editedbyAlisterMcGrath(Hodder&Stoughton)
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THeMaTic sTUDY fORM1. theMe Jesus’DefinitionofaDisciple
2. liSt OF reFerenceS
Matthew10:24–25Luke14:26–28Luke14:33John8:31–32John13:34–35John15:8
3. QueStiOnS tO Be aSkeD
A. Whatarethecharacteristicsofadisciple?
B. Whataretheresultsofbeingadisciple?
C.
D.
E.
4. anSwerS tO QueStiOnS
Scripture reference:Matthew10:24–25
A. AdisciplewillbelikeChrist(hisMaster)
B. HeshouldexpecttobetreatedasChristwasbytheworld.
C.
D.
E.
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THeMaTic sTUDY fORM
8�
Scripture reference:Luke14:26–28
A. AdisciplegivessupremelovetoChristandbearshiscrossandfollows Christ.B. (Noanswergiven.)
C.
D.
E.
Scripture reference:Luke14:33
A. AdisciplegivesalltofollowChrist.
B. (Noanswergiven.)
C.
D.
E.
Scripture reference:John8:31–32
A. AdisciplecontinuallyabidesinChrist’sWord.
B. Heknowsthetruthandissetfree.
C.
D.
E.
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THeMaTic sTUDY fORMScripture reference:John13:34–35
A. Adisciplehasloveforothers.
B. OtherswillknowthathebelongstoChrist.
C.
D.
E.
Scripture reference:John15:8
A. Adisciplebearsfruit.
B. HisbearingfruitbringsglorytoGod.
C.
D.
E.
Scripture reference:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
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THeMaTic sTUDY fORM
�1
5. cOncluSiOn
CharacteristicsIdiscovered:
Adisciple...
• islikeChrist• givessupremelovetoChrist• bearshiscrossandfollowsChrist• givesupalltofollowChrist• continuallyabidesinChrist’sWord• lovesothers• bearsfruit
resultsIdiscovered:
• Heshouldexpectpersecution.• Heknowsthetruthandissetfree.• HebringsglorytoGod.• OthersnoticehebelongstoChrist.
6. applicatiOn
1. BasedonJohn8:31–32Iwillestablisharegular,dailyquiettimeintheWord,startingtomorrowmorning.
2. BasedonJohn13:34–35IwilldemonstrateloveforthepersoninmySundayschoolclasswhoirri-tatesme,anddosobyaskinghisfamilytocometodinnerthisnextweek.
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THeMaTic sTUDY fORM1. theMe
2. liSt OF reFerenceS
3. QueStiOnS tO Be aSkeD
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
4. anSwerS tO QueStiOnS
Scripture reference:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
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THeMaTic sTUDY fORM
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Scripture reference:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Scripture reference:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Scripture reference:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
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THeMaTic sTUDY fORMScripture reference:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Scripture reference:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Scripture reference:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
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5. cOncluSiOn
6. applicatiOn
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TheBibleiscomposedofnumerousstoriesofmenandwomenandtheirrelation-shipswiththelovingGodwhocreatedthem.Tostudythelivesoftheseindividualsismeaningfulanduplifting.Wecanlearnbothwhattodoandwhattobebylook-ingatthepositiveattributesofhundredsofpeoplewhofillthepagesofScripture.Wecanalsogainvastknowledgeandwisdombyobservingandavoidingthetre-mendousfailuresandnegativeaspectsinthelivesofpeoplementionedinGod’sWord.
Definition
With the Biographical Method of Bible Study you select a biblical person andresearchtheScripturestostudyhisorherlifeandcharacter.Youtrytobecomethoroughlyacquaintedwith thatperson’s inner lifeand findoutwhatmade it aspiritualsuccessorfailure.AskGodtohelpyouthinkandfeelwithhimorhersothatyourstudybecomesalife-changingexperience.
5THe BiOgRaPHicaL
MeTHOD Of BiBLe sTUDY
How to Find Out What Made Bible People Tick
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TheapplicationofthisstudycomeswhenyouexamineyourownlifeinlightofthestudyandaskGodtohelpyoumakepositivecharacterchangesinyourweakareas.ThiswillresultinChristiangrowthandmaturity.
the imPortance of BiBle PeoPle
PeopleareimportanttoGod.Wearemadeinhisimageandlikeness,andtheBibleisarecordofhisdealingswithmenandwomen.ItisalsoarevelationofGodhim-self,bothtopeopleandthroughpeople.TounderstandtheBiblefully,youmustgettoknowtheprominentpeopleoftheScriptures.
Step One — Select the Bible Person You Want to Study
Step twO — Make a List of All the References about That Person
Step three — Write Down First Impressions (First Reading)
Step FOur — Make a Chronological Outline (Second Reading)
Step Five — Get Some Insights into the Person (Third Reading)
Step Six — Identify Some Character Qualities (Fourth Reading)
Step Seven — Show How Other Bible Truths Are Illustrated in the Person’s Life
Step eight — Summarize the Main Lesson(s)
Step nine — Write Out a Personal Application
Step ten — Make Your Study Transferable
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The.Biographical.Method.of.Bible.Study
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MuchoftheOldTestamentisinnarrativeform,describingthelivesofmanypeople.ThebookofGenesis,forexample,revolvesaroundsixgreatnames:Adam,Noah,Abraham,Isaac,Jacob,Joseph.TheapostlePaulsaidthatGodgaveusthestories in theOldTestament tobeexamples tous, fromwhichweshould learnvaluablelessonsforlivingforhiminthisworld.Paulwrote,“Foreverythingthatwaswritteninthepastwaswrittentoteachus,sothatthroughenduranceandtheencouragementoftheScriptureswemighthavehope”(rom.15:4).Healsosaid,“Thesethingshappenedto[thepeopleoftheOldTestament]asexamplesandwerewrittendownaswarningsforus,onwhomthefulfillmentoftheageshascome”(1Cor.10:11).
TheNewTestamentisabookofinstructions;theOldTestamentisabookofillustrations, thoughbothTestamentscontain instructionsand illustrations.NewTestamenttruthsareillustratedintheOldTestament.OneofthebestwaystostudytheOldTestament is tostudy itspeople.Thismakes theolderScriptures reallycomealive.
TheBiblementionsingreaterorlesserdetailmorethan3,000people.Whenyouhavelearnedthismethodofstudy,youwillhaveopenedthedoortoalifetimeofexciting,fulfillingBiblestudy.Biographicalstudiesareenjoyableandarealsooneoftheeasiestmethodsfromwhichtofindpersonalapplications.
tools you Will neeD
• StudyBible• Exhaustiveconcordance• TopicalBible• Bibledictionaryorencyclopedia
some tiPs for a gooD BiograPhical stuDy
Todoameaningfulbiographicalstudy,keepthefollowingpointersinmind.1.Startwithapersononwhomyoucandoasimplestudy.Beginwithone
aboutwhomthereisasmallnumberofreferences.Somebiblicalpeoplecanbe
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studiedinafewhours;otherstakeweekstostudy,andsomemajorpersonscantakealifetime.DonotstartdoingthisstudyonapersonsuchasJesus,Moses,orAbraham.BeginwithsomeminorbutimportantpeoplesuchasAndrew,Barn-abas,orMaryofBethany.
2.Thesecretofagoodbiographicalstudyistolivewiththatpersonduringthestudy.Walk inhisorhersandals.Trytoget insidetheirmindandseehowtheythink,feel,andrespondtocircumstances.Attempttoseethingsfromtheirpointofview,hearwiththeirears,minglewiththeirfriends,andfightwiththeirenemies.Becomethatpersonwhileyouarestudyingthem.Thisisonlypossibleifyouspendmuchtimewiththatperson,reading,andrereadingalltheBiblerefer-encesaboutthem.
Afriendofmine,WayneWatts,hasspentalifetimestudyingAbraham.HehasstudiedthisbiblicalpersonsolongthathehastakenonmanycharacteristicsofAbraham.Heisagreatmanoffaith,asAbrahamwas.
3.Becarefulnottoconfusedifferentpeoplewhohavethesamenamewhenyoulookupthereferencesaboutthem.Youwillhavetobesurethattheverseisspeakingaboutthepersonyouhavechosentostudy.Youwouldnotwanttocon-fuseJohntheBaptistwithJohntheApostleorJohnMark.Forexample,theBibleshowsusthatthefollowingnameswerepopularandrefertodifferentpeople:
• Zechariah—30differentmen• Nathan—20men• Jonathan—15men• Judas—8men• Mary—7women• James—5men• John—5men
Thecontextoftheverseswillusuallytellyouwhichpersonisinview.4.Becarefultofindthevariousnamesthatmayapplytojustoneperson.Since
the Bible came out of a Hebrew-Aramaic-Greek context, some people’s nameschangedinthedifferentlanguages,inboththeOldTestamentandtheNew.TheapostlePeter,forexample,isknownasPeter,Simon,Simeon,andCephas.Dan-
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iel’sthreefriends,Hananiah,Mishael,andAzariah,arebetterknownasShadrach,Meshach,andAbednego.Sometimesanamechangecamebecauseofacharacterchange,whichwasthecaseofJacobbecomingIsrael.SobecarefulandfindallthenamesusedforthesamepersoninyourBiblestudy.
5. Stay away from books written about biblical people until after you haveexhaustedeveryBiblereferenceaboutthatpersonandhavedrawneverypossibleinsightoutofthosetexts.Don’tletaBiblecommentaryrobyouofthetaskofper-sonaldiscoveryorprejudiceyourviewsofaperson.Doyourownworkfirst,thencheckothersources.
simPle stePs on Doing a BiograPhical stuDy
TheBiographicalStudyFormhas10sections,whicharethe10stepsfordoingthisstudy.
Step One Select the Bible Person You Want to Study
Youmightstartoutbyselectingsomeonewhoeitherhasaweaknessthatyouhaveorastrengththatyouwouldliketodevelop.ChooseapersonwhoselifewillgiveyousomevaluableinsightsintohowyoucanconformmoretoGod’sstandardforlivingandbecomemorelikeJesusChrist.
Step twO Make a List of All the References about That Person
Usingyourreferencetools,findalltheScripturepassagesyoucanaboutthatper-sonandthingsrelatedtoherlife.Thismightincludesuchthingsasherbirth,majoreventsofherlife,heraccomplishments,whatotherssaidabouther,andherdeath.Youwillnotbeabletogetallthenecessary“vitalstatistics”abouteverypersonyoustudy,butfindoutasmuchaboutthemasyoucan.
Alsolookupanyreferencesthatdealwiththehistoricalbackgroundofherlife.IfyouwerestudyingEsther,youwouldneedtostudythebackgroundofherday:thePersianEmpire.IfyouwerestudyingtheapostlePaul,youwouldhavetostudyhismissionaryjourneys.
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Step three Write Down First Impressions (First Reading)
readthroughtheScripturereferencesyouhavelistedandmakesomenotes.Writeout the first impression you have of this person. Then write down some basicobservations and important information you discover about him or her. Finally,listanyproblems,questions,ordifficultiesyouwonderaboutasyoureadthesereferences.
Step FOur Make a Chronological Outline (Second Reading)
Foramajorbiblicalperson,readallthereferencesagainandmakeachronologi-caloutlineoftheperson’slife.Thiswillhelpyougainagoodperspectiveonhislife,andyouwillseehowdifferenteventsrelatetooneanother.Later,whenyoustudytheeventsassociatedwithhislife,youwillknowinwhatpartofhislifetheyoccurred.
Forminorbiblicalpeopleorthoseaboutwhoselivesfewdetailsaregiven,readthereferencesandmakeanoutlineonthebasisoftheinformationyouhave.
Trytoreadallthereferencesinonesittingandinamoderntranslation.Thiswillhelpyoufeeltheflowoftheperson’slife.Asyouread,lookforanynatural,majordivisionsinhisorherlife.Thenlookforandwritedownanyprogressionsandchangesofattitudeinthatperson’slifeastimesgoesby.Forexample,awell-knowndivisionofMoses’lifeis
• FortyyearsinPharaoh’scourt—learningtobeasomebody• FortyyearsintheMidiandesert—learningtobeanobody• FortyyearsintheSinaidesert—learningthatGodisSomebody
Thisisarealkeytostudyingthecharactersofthepeopleinvolved.SeehowGodslowlymoldedandchangedthepeopleorhowSatanbroughtthemdown.
Step Five Get Some Insights into the Person (Third Reading)
Gobackoverthereferencesagain,andlookforpossibleanswerstothequestionssuggestedinappendixB.Byansweringsomeofthesequestions,youshouldgetsomehelpfulinsightsintothecharacterofthepersonyouarestudying.
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Step Six Identify Some Character Qualities (Fourth Reading)
Asyoureviewthereferencesonceagain,usethesuggested listofpositiveandnegativecharacteristicsinappendixCasachecklist.Writeonyourformorpapereachquality,goodandbad,thatshowsupintheperson’slife.Giveaverserefer-encethatshowseachcharacteristicyouhaveobserved.
Step Seven Show How Other Bible Truths Are Illustrated in the Person’s Life
Examinetheperson’slifetoseehowitillustratesothertruthstaughtintheBible.Forexample,doeshisorher life show theprincipleof “youwill reapwhatyousow”?Look in that life for illustrationsofsomeof theProverbsorofprinciplestaught in the Psalms. For instance, you might ask, “Does his life illustrate thepromise, ‘Delight yourself in theLOrDandhewill give you thedesires of yourheart’”(Ps.37:4)?Findcross-referencesthatillustratewhattheBiblesaysaboutsomeofthecharacteristicsyoufoundinthisperson’slife.
Step eight Summarize the Main Lesson(s)
Inafewsentenceswriteoutwhatyouthinkisthemainlessonthatistaughtorillustratedbythisperson’slife.Isthereanyonewordthatcoulddescribethatlife?Whatwashisorheroutstandingcharacteristic?
Step nine Write Out a Personal Application
refertotheDevotionalMethodofstudy(chapter1)forthespecificsofwritinganapplication. Inadditiontotheprinciplessuggestedthere,youmightaskyourselfthesequestions:
• DidIseeanythingofmyselfinthisperson’slife?• Didheshowsomeofmyweaknesses?• Didherevealtomesomeofmystrengths?• Whatimpressedmemostaboutthisperson’slife?• WheredoIfallshortinthisarea?• WhatdoIintendtodoaboutit?
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Step ten Make Your Study Transferable
Condensewhatyouhavelearnedintoasimpleoutlinethatwillhelpyourememberitandenableyoutoshareyourconclusionswithothers.Makeit“pass-on-able.”Askyourself,“Whatcanthisperson’slifemeantoothers?WhatcanIsharethatIhavelearnedthatwouldhelpsomeoneelse?”
Dividetheinformationintonaturalsequencesoftimeand/oreventsandles-sonslearned.Usetheprogressionsthatyouhavefoundandrecorded.Thenthinkofsomeeasily rememberedways to titleeachsection.Keepthese titles true tothemajorcontentofeachsection,makinguseofrhymes,alliterations,andothermemorydevices.Useyourimaginationinthislaststep!
AnillustrationofatransferableoutlineofthelifeofBarnabasmightlooklikethis:
• He was an investor of money in the lives of church members (Acts4:36–37).
• He was the introducer of Saul (later Paul) to the apostles (Acts9:26–28).
• HewastheinspectorofthenewchurchatAntioch(Acts11:22–24).• Hewasan instructorofnewChristians, includingPaulandMark (Acts
11:22–26;15:39).• Hewastheinitiatoronthefirstmissionaryjourney,whichhebeganasthe
teamleaderbutendedasateammember(Acts13–14).• HewasaninterpreterofthedoctrineofsalvationandGod’splanforthe
Gentiles(Acts13–14).• HewasinsistentingivingMarkanotherchancetobetrainedinthegospel
ministry(Acts15:36–39).
conclusion
In the10-stepprocedure justgiven, it issuggestedthatyoureadallyourrefer-encesthroughfourtimes.Actually,thisisa.minimumnumber.Themoretimesyoureviewthepassagesaboutthepersonyouarestudying,themoreyouaregoingtoobserve.(Seetheobservationsectionsinchapter10ofthisbook.)
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HOWTOFILLINTHEBIOGrAPHICALSTUDYFOrM
AttheendofthischapterisaBiographicalStudyFormthatyoucanreproduceoruseasaguideforwritingonyourownsheetsofpaper.Theformliststhe10stepsalreadydiscussedfordoingthisstudy.
Filling Out the Form
Fill in the blanks of each of the 10 parts as described in the section above. Ifyouneedmoreroom,usethebackoftheformorallowmoreroomonyourownpaper.
Sample Filled-out Form
SeetheexampleonthelifeofStephenattheendofthischapter.
Assignment
AppendixDprovidesalistofthemajorandminormenandprominentwomenoftheBible.Selectfromthoselistsanypeoplewhoparticularlyinterestyou.Ifyouarejustbeginningthismethodofstudy,youmightwanttodothefollowingpeoplefirst:
1. MaryofBethany 2. Andrew 3. Caleb 4. ruth 5. Daniel
For Further Reading
Manybookshavebeenwritten on themenandwomenof theBible. The oneslistedherearesomeofthebetterones.remember,however,nottoreadthebooksbeforedoingyourstudy;doyourstudyfirst,thenchecktoseewhatothershavediscoveredaboutthatperson.
All.of.the.Women.of.the.Bible.byEdithDeen(HarperSanFrancisco)All.the.Men.of.the.Bible.byHerbertLockyer(Zondervan)All.the.Women.of.the.Bible.byHerbertLockyer(Zondervan)
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The.Complete.Book.of.Who’s.Who.in.the.Bible.byPhilipComfortandWalterElwell(Tyndale)Her.Name.Is.Woman,.Books.I.and.2,.byGienKarssen(NavPress)Lost.Women.of.the.Bible.byCarolynCustisJames(Zondervan)Making.of.a.Man.of.God.(onDavid)byAlanredpath(revell)Men.of.the.Bible.byAnnSpanglerandrobertWolgemuth(Zondervan)New.International.Encyclopedia.of.Bible.Characters,.editedbyPaulGardner(Zondervan)The.Oxford.Guide.to.People.and.Places.of.the.Bible,.editedbyBruceMetzgerandMichael
Coogan(OxfordUniversityPress)Robust.in.Faith.byJ.OswaldSanders(MoodyPress)Women.of.the.Bible.byAnnSpanglerandJeanSyswerda(Zondervan)
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1. naMe Stephen
2. Scripture reFerenceS
Acts6:3–8:2Acts11:19Acts22:20
3. FirSt iMpreSSiOnS anD OBServatiOnS
StephenwasanearlyChristianwhohadatremendoustestimonyinthechurch,wasapowerfulpreacherandwitness,andwaswillingtodieforhisfaith.
4. Outline OF hiS Or her liFe
A.Chosenbytheearlychurchasaleader— 1. tohelpresolveaconflict(Acts6:5) 2.onthebasisofcertaingodlycharacteristics(Acts6:3,5,8) B.Hehadawideministry— 1.waitedontables(Acts6:2,5) 2.performedmiracles(Acts6:8) 3.preachedandtaughtpowerfully(Acts6:10) C.Hewaspersecuted— 1.opposedbyJewsfrom“overseas”(Acts6:9) 2. falselyaccused(Acts6:11) 3.arrestedandbroughtbeforetheSanhedrin(Acts6:12–14) a.falsewitnessestestifiedagainsthim. b.defended himself with a masterful review of O.T. Scripture (Acts
7:2–53) c. testifiedtoJesus(Acts7:55–56) d.lynchedbyanangrymob(Acts7:57–60) D.He had a ministry after his death—persecution caused the church to
spread(Acts8:2–4;11:19)
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BiOgRaPHicaL sTUDY fORM 5. general inSightS (Answers to Questions)
A.Whywashechosentobealeader?Because— •HewasfulloftheHolySpiritandwisdom(Acts6:3). •HewasfulloffaithandtheSpirit(Acts6:5). •HewasfullofGod’sgraceandpower(Acts6:8). •HeknewtheScriptures(Acts7:2–53). B.Whatwashisresponsetofalseaccusations?He“kepthiscool,”remained
silent,andonlyansweredwhenhewasdirectedtospeakbythehighpriest. C.ArethereanyparallelswithJesus?Yes,hewasfalselyaccused,demon-
stratedloveandconcernforhisaccusers,anddiedan“undeserved”death. D.Whatwashisattitudetowardhisexecutioners?Hewasforgiving,evento
thepointofprayingthatGodwouldforgivethemfortheirsinofmurder. E.Whatwerethelong-termresultsofhislife,ministry,anddeath? •TheyforwardedtheplanofGod. •HisdeathcausedthedisciplestoscatterandtaketheGospeltoother
partsofJudea,Samaria,andregionsbeyondPalestineinfulfillmentofActs1:8.
•HisdeathalsohelpedbringPaultotheLord.
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6. character QualitieS iDentiFieD TheBookofActs
• Spirit-filled(6:3,5,10)• Wise(6:3,10)• Faithful(6:5)• AvailabletoGod(6:8)• Persistent(6:10)• Holy(6:15)• Knowledgeable(chap.7)• Bold(7:51–53)• Brave(7:51–53)• Forgiving(7:60)• respectedbyothers(8:2)• AwitnesstoJesus(22:20)
7. BiBle truthS illuStrateD in hiS Or her liFe
• The presence and comfort of the Holy Spirit in the trials of life (Acts7:54–55;Hebrews13:5–6).
• Falseaccusationsandpersecutionwillcomeintoourlives(Acts6:11ff). • God’s grace is sufficient when we walk with him (Acts 6:10; 1Cor.
1:27–31;2Cor.12:9).
8. SuMMary OF leSSOnS learneD FrOM hiS Or her liFe
TheoutstandingcharacteristicofStephenwashiscommitmenttotheLordandhiswillingnesstodoanythingforhim,includinggivinguphislife.
This commitment is seen in the fact that he was a man who walkedwithGod(hewas“fulloftheSpiritandwisdom...faith...God’sgraceandpower”).Hehadagreattestimonybeforeothersinthechurch.Hewitnessedtopeoplebothinlifeandindeath.
Hewas,furthermore,amanoftheWord.HereallyknewhisBible—theOldTestament.Hemusthavespenthoursstudyingthescrollsandtheparchments.
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IneedtobecomeapersonlikeStephen—apersonoftheWordwhoknowsJesusChristintimatelyandwhoisabletoanswerotherswithScripturewhentheyaskquestions.Asaresultofthisstudy,Iwillcommitmyselftohavingadailyquiettimeforatleast15minutestogettoknowChristbetter.IwillalsocommitmyselftomemorizingtwoScriptureverseseachweeksothatIcananswerpeoplewhoaskmequestions.
10. tranSFeraBle cOnceptS (ways i can share this with others)
Theconceptsinthisstudythataretransferable: A. ThenecessityofapersonalwalkwithJesusChrist.Theonlywaywe
canbecomemenandwomenoffaithandwisdomlikeStephenistohaveadailyquiettimewiththeLord.StephenhadadynamicwalkwithJesusChrist.
B. ThenecessityofbeingintheWordofGodonaregularbasis—BiblestudyandScripturememory. If IamtoknowmyBibleasStephendid,Ineedtospendqualitytimeinitandbeabletoteachothershowtodosoaswell.Thisbookisonemeanstohelpmedoso.Ineedtosharethesemethodswithothers.
C. The necessity of courage in times of adversity and persecution. IneedtopraythatGodwillgivemeboldnesswithothers.
11. SOMeOne with whOM i intenD tO Share thiS StuDy
PatConnerandTommyPauter(byemail)
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1. naMe
2. Scripture reFerenceS
3. FirSt iMpreSSiOnS anD OBServatiOnS
4. Outline OF hiS Or her liFe
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6. character QualitieS iDentiFieD
7. BiBle truthS illuStrateD in hiS Or her liFe
8. SuMMary OF leSSOnS learneD FrOM hiS Or her liFe
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BiOgRaPHicaL sTUDY fORM 9. perSOnal applicatiOn
10. tranSFeraBle cOnceptS (ways i can share this with others)
11. SOMeOne with whOM i intenD tO Share thiS StuDy
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OneofthemostexcitingwaystostudytheBibleisbyexaminingtopics.TheTopi-calMethodissimilartotheThematicMethod(seechapter4),buttherearesomeimportantdifferences.OneisthattheTopicalMethodusuallytakeslongerthantheThematicMethodbecausewestudymoreverses.Atopicusuallyhasmanyminorthemes running through it,and ina topicalstudyweconsiderallof the relatedthemes.AnotherdifferenceisthatwiththeTopicalMethodwedonotdecideaheadoftimewhatquestionswewanttoask.Instead,weexamineeachversewithoutpredeterminedguidelinesandrecordalloftheinsightswediscover.WedonotlimitourstudytojustfindingtheanswerstofourorfivequestionsasintheThematicMethod.
Definition
TheTopicalMethodofBibleStudyinvolvesselectingabiblicalsubjectandtrac-ingitthroughasinglebook,fromeithertheOldorNewTestament,ortheentireBibleinordertodiscoverwhatGodsaysaboutthetopic.Itusesextensivecross-referencing,andthequestionsyouaskofagiventextare limitless.Somegood
6THe TOPicaL MeTHOD Of
BiBLe sTUDY
How to Trace a Topic through Scripture
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Rick WaRRen’s BiBLe sTUDY MeTHODs
examplesoftopicalstudiesbasedontheKingJamesVersionmaybefoundinthebackoftheThompson.Chain.Reference.BibleandinDickson’s.New.Analytical.Study.Bible (WorldPublishers).ForstudiesbuiltonacontemporaryBibleversion,seetheZondervan.Dictionary.of.Bible.Themes(editedbyMartinManser[Zondervan])andtheNIV.Thematic.Study.Bible (editedbyAlisterMcGrath[Hodder&Stough-ton]).Everybookcontainsanumberoftopicsthatthewriterhascarefullywoventogether.TheTopicalMethodcanbeusedtostudyadoctrine,anidea,aphrase,orbasicallyanysubjectthatismentionedintheBible.
the imPortance of the toPical stuDy
TheTopicalMethodisimportantforthefollowingreasons:
1. ItenablesustostudytheWordofGodsystematically,logically,andinanorderlymanner.
2. Itgivesusaproperperspectiveandbalanceregardingbiblicaltruth.Wegettoseethewholeofabiblicalteaching.
3. Itallowsustostudysubjectsthatareofparticularinteresttous. 4. ItenablesustostudythegreatdoctrinesoftheBible. 5. Itlendsitselftogoodandlivelydiscussions.Theresultsofatopicalstudy
arealwayseasytosharewithothers. 6. ItallowsusvarietyinourlifetimecommitmenttopersonalBiblestudy.
ThenumberoftopicsintheBiblethatwecanstudyisalmostlimitless.
tools you Will neeD
Thereferencetoolsyouwillneedforthismethodofstudyarethestandardones.rememberthatnotopicalBiblehaseveryverseonanygiventopic.Ifyouwanttodoathoroughstudyonaselectedtopic,youwillhavetouseanexhaustiveconcor-dance.Theneededtoolsare
• AstudyBible• Anexhaustiveconcordance• AtopicalBible
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suggestions for a gooD toPical stuDy
Dr.r.A.Torrey,agreatBiblescholarandteacher,givesthreesuggestionsthatarehelpful instudyingtheBible topically (How.to.Study.the.Bible,.WhitakerHouse).Theseare
1.Be.systematic .Don’t trytostudytheBible inahaphazardmannerthat isbasicallyundisciplined.Makealistofallthethingsrelatedtoyourtopic,andmakeitascomprehensiveandcompleteaspossible.Thentakeuptheseitemsoneatatime,studyingtheminasystematicandlogicalorder.
2.Be.thorough .Asfaraspossible,findandstudyeveryversethatrelatestothetopic.TheonlywaytoknoweverythingGodhassaidonatopicistogothroughtheentireBibleandfindallthepassagesonthattopic.Useyourconcordancetodothis.
3.Be.exact .Trytogettheexactmeaningofeveryverseyoustudy.Besuretoexaminethecontextofeachversetoavoidmisinterpretation.Thebiggestmistakeyoumustavoidistakingaverseoutofitscontext.
Step One — Compile a List of Words
Step twO — Collect Bible References
Step three — Consider Each Reference Individually
Step FOur — Compare and Group the References
Step Five — Condense Your Study into an Outline
Step Six — Conclude Your Study
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Rick WaRRen’s BiBLe sTUDY MeTHODs
simPle stePs on Doing a toPical stuDy
Essentially,atopicalstudyisbuiltaroundsixsteps,eachofwhichcanbesum-marizedwithoneword:
• Compilealistofallthewordsrelatedtothetopic.• Collectallthereferences.• Considereachverseindividually.• Compareallthereferenceswithoneanother.• Condenseyourfindingintoanoutline.• Concludebysummarizingandapplyingthetopic.
Beforestartingonthesixsteps,chooseatopicthatinterestsyou.Itmaybespecificallymentionedormerelyimpliedinthetext,butitshouldbeimportant,bothincontentandpersonalinterest.Whenyouusethismethodofstudyforthefirsttime,pickatopicthatisnottoovastortime-consuming.YoumightrestrictyourtopictoreferencesfoundinatestamentorasinglebookoftheBible.
Step One Compile a List of Words
Makealistofalltherelatedwords(synonymsandantonyms),phrases,events,andanythingelsethatcouldhavesomethingtodowithyourtopic.Ifyouarestudyingsuffering,forexample,youwillwanttolistwordssuchasaffliction,.anger,.chas-tisement,.grief,.health,.pain,.sorrow,.trials,andtribulation.Ifyouseethatyourtopichasbecometoobroad,narrowitdowntoamanageablesize.
Step twO Collect Bible References
Takeyourreferencetoolsandbegintogatheralltheversesyoucanfindonthetopic.LookupinyourconcordanceeachrelatedwordlistedinStepOne.Makealistofallversesthatrelateinanywaytothetopic.Also,youwillwanttouseyourtopicalBibletofindversesforstudy.
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The.Topical.Method.of.Bible.Study
11�
Step three Consider Each Reference Individually
UsingtheComparisonChartattheendofthischapter, lookup,read,andstudyeachindividualreferenceandwritedownyourobservationsandinsightsonit.(YouwillusetheComparisonChartforbothStepThreeandStepFour.)Besuretocheckthecontext(surroundingverses)carefullywhenstudyingaverse,tomakesureyouareinterpretingitcorrectly.
Askasmanyquestionsasyoucanabouteachverseyoustudy.remembertousethegreatwhat,why,when,where,who,andhowquestions.Don’tforgettodefineallkeywordsyoucomeacross.
Step FOur Compare and Group the References
Afteryouhavecarefullystudiedallyourversesindividually,youwillbegintonoticethatsomeof thereferencesnaturallycomplementeachotheranddealwith thesameareasof the topicunderstudy.Categorize thesereferencesonapieceofscratchpaper.
Step Five Condense Your Study into an Outline
Using the categories from Step Four, logically arranged as your main divisions,outlineyourstudy.Dothisbygroupingrelatedorsimilarreferencestogetherintonaturaldivisions.Thenorganizethesedivisionsintoalogicalpattern.Inhelpingyouorganizeyourstudy,thisstepwillalsoenableyoutoshareitwithothers.
Step Six Conclude Your Study
Inyourtwo-partconclusion,summarizeyourfindingsinabriefparagraphandthenwriteoutapracticalapplicationdrawnfromthissummary.remembertobeper-sonalandpractical,writingapossibleandmeasurableapplication.
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HOWTOFILLINTHETOPICALSTUDYFOrM
AttheendofthischapterisaTopicalStudyFormthatyoucanreproduceorcopyontoyourownsheetofpaper.
Filling Out the Form
Followthestepsjustgiven,addingextraformsforStepThreeandStepFourasneededandusingadditionalsheetsofpaperifyouneedspaceforStepFiveandStepSixinalongerstudy.Followthisprocedure:
• Topic:Selectthetopicandwriteinthefirstblanktheexactnameofwhatyouplantostudy.
• List.of.Words:WriteoutanywordsrelatedtothetopicthatyouwillbelookingupinaconcordanceandtopicalBible.
• Bible. References: Make a list of all theScripture references you havefoundthatdealwithyourtopic.
• Comparison.Chart(forStepsThreeandFour):Fillinthechartthisway:
1. references—writeouttheverse(s)fromtheBibleversionofyourchoiceorjustlisteachreference.
2. Cross-reference—findsomeotherversesintheBiblethatcomplementorshedlightontheverseyouarestudying.
3. ObservationandInsights—recordtheinsightsyoufind.
• Comparisons.and.Grouping:Afteryouhavefilledoutyourchartoneachverse, compare the verses with one another. Begin grouping similarversestogetheronasheetofscratchpaper.
• Condensed. Outline: Using the categories you developed in Step Four,makeanoutlineofyourstudy.Thereisnoonerightwaytooutlineyourstudy,sodoitthewaythatiseasiestforyou.
• Conclusion:Writeoutasummaryofyourconclusionsinthisspace.Thenwriteoutawayyoucanapplywhatyou’velearnedtoyourlife.
Sample Filled-out Form
Seetheexampleattheendofthischapter.
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The.Topical.Method.of.Bible.Study
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Assignment
Atopicalstudy isoneof themost interestingwaysyoucanapproachtheBible,andthenumberoftopicstochoosefromislimitless.HerearesomesuggestionsofmajorcategoriesintheBiblethatcouldbestudiedtopically:
1.Doctrines 7.Attitudes2.Miracles 8.Animals3.Prayers 9.TheFamily4.Problems 10.GreatQuestions5.Promises 11.DutiestoGod6.Prophecies 12.Disciple-making
For Further Reading
Numerous valuable books are available on topics found in the Bible. Some ofthemostusefulinthisareaarewrittenbyDr.HerbertLockyerandpublishedbyZondervan.
All.the.Doctrines.of.the.BibleAll.the.Prayers.of.the.BibleAll.the.Miracles.of.the.BibleAll.the.Prophecies.of.the.BibleAll.the.Promises.of.the.Bible
SeealsothebooksandBiblesmentionedearlierinthechapter.
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TOPicaL sTUDY fORMtOpic TheFaithfulMan(2Timothy2:2)
1. cOMpile a liSt OF wOrDS
Faithful
2. cOllect BiBle reFerenceS
1Samuel2:351Samuel22:14Nehemiah7:2Nehemiah13:13Isaiah8:2Daniel6:4Psalm12:1Proverbs20:6Proverbs28:20Matthew24:45Luke16:10–13Luke19:171Corinthians1:91Corinthians4:1–2,16–171Corinthians10:13Ephesians6:21Colossians1:7Colossians4:7,91Timothy1:122Timothy2:21Peter5:121John1:9
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Reference Cross-References Observations and Insights
Numbers12:7 •MoseswascalledfaithfulbyGod.
1Samuel2:35 • ItwasprophesiedthatSamuelwouldbeafaithfulman.
•AfaithfulmanisobedienttoGod’swill.
1Samuel22:14 •DavidwascalledafaithfulmanbyAhim-elech.
Nehemiah7:2 Matthew24:45 •HananiwascalledafaithfulmanbyNehemiah.
•Afaithfulmanisgivenleadershiproles.
Nehemiah9:7–8 •AbrahamwasconsideredfaithfulbytheLord.
Nehemiah13:13 •Nehemiahconsideredhistreasurersfaithful,sohegavethemresponsibility.
Isaiah8:2 •UriahandZechariahwerefaithfulwit-nessesinthesightoftheLord.
Daniel6:4 John19:4 •ThePersianprincescouldnotaccuseDanielofanywrongdoing,becausehewasafaithfulman.
•Afaithfulmanlivesablamelesstesti-monybeforetheworld.
Psalm12:1 Proverbs20:6Philippians2:19–20
•Faithfulpeoplearefewinnumberandhardtofind.
c O M Pa R i s O n c H a R T s T e P s 3 a n D 4
TOPicaL sTUDY fORM
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Reference Cross-References Observations and Insights
Proverbs20:6 Philippians2:19–22
• Therearenotmanyfaithfulpeopleintheworld.
• Afaithfulmancaresabouttheinter-estsofothers,whileanunfaithfulmanisalwaysbraggingabouthimselfandservinghimself.
Proverbs28:20 •Afaithfulmanaboundswithblessing.•Afaithfulmanhashisvaluesright,in
contrastwithsomeonewhoiseagertogetrich.
Matthew24:45 Nehemiah7:2 •Afaithfulmanisgivenleadershiproles.
Matthew25:21,23
Luke19:17 •AfaithfulservantwillberewardedwithgreaterresponsibilitiesinheavenandwillexperiencetheLord’sjoyoverhisfaithfulness.
Luke16:10–13 •Thispassageshowsfourwaystotestaperson’sfaithfulness:(1)Testhiminsmallthingsbeforegivinghimbigthings.(2)Testhiminnonspiritualmat-tersbeforegivinghimspiritualtruth.(3)Testhiminhowhevalueswhatisn’this.(4)TesthiscommitmenttoGod.
Luke19:17 Matthew25:21,23 •Afaithfulservantisrewardedwithgreaterresponsibility.
1Corinthians1:9 1Corinthians10:131John1:9
•Godisfaithful.
c O M Pa R i s O n c H a R T
TOPicaL sTUDY fORM
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Reference Cross-References Observations and Insights
1Corinthians4:1–2
•Afaithfulmandemonstrateswisestew-ardship.
1Corinthians4:16–17
Ephesians6:21Colossians1:7Colossians4:7,9
•TimothywascalledafaithfulmanbyPaul.
Afaithfulman’sdisciplershowscon-fidenceinhimbysendinghiminhisplace.
1Corinthians10:13
1Corinthians1:91John1:9
•Godisfaithful.
Ephesians6:21 Colossians4:7 •TychicuswascalledafaithfulministerbyPaul.
Colossians1:7 •EpaphraswasafaithfulministerofJesusChrist.
Colossians4:7 Ephesians6:21 •TychicuswassentbyPaultotheColos-siansbecausehewasareliable,faithfulman.
Colossians4:9 •OnesimuswasconsideredfaithfulbyPaul.
1Timothy1:12 •GodconsideredPaulfaithful.•Afaithfulmanwillbegivenaministry.
2Timothy2:2 •Afaithfulmanisentrustedwithspiritualtruth.
•Afaithfulmanpassesontootherswhathehaslearned.
1Peter5:12 •SilaswascalledfaithfulbyPeter.
c O M Pa R i s O n c H a R T
TOPicaL sTUDY fORM
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TOPicaL sTUDY fORM5. cOnDenSeD Outline
I. FaithfulnessIsaGodlyQuality A.1Corinthians1:9 B.1Corinthians10:13 C.1John1:9 II.FaithfulMenAreHardtoFind A.Psalm12:1 B.Proverbs20:6 C.Philippians2:19–20 III.BiblicalExamplesofFaithfulMen A.OldTestamentExamples 1.Abraham—Nehemiah9:7–8 2.Moses—Numbers12:7 3.Samuel—1Samuel2:35 4.David—1Samuel22:14 5.Hanani—Nehemiah7:2 6.Nehemiah’streasurers—Nehemiah13:13 7. UriahandZechariah—Isaiah8:2 8.Daniel—Daniel6:4 B.NewTestamentExamples 1.Timothy—1Corinthians4:17 2.Tychicus—Ephesians6:21 3.Epaphras—Colossians1:7 4.Onesimus—Colossians4:9 5.Paul—1Timothy1:12 6.Silas—1Peter5:12 C. Insights 1.ManymencalledfaithfulintheNewTestamentreceivedtrainingfrom
Paul. 2.Paul himself was a faithful man. He was an example to those he
trained.
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IV.CharacteristicsofaFaithfulMan A.Hecaresforothers’interests,nothisown(Prov.20:6;Phil.2:19–22). B.Hehashisvaluesright.Heisnotanxioustogetrich(Prov.28:20). C.Helivesablamelesstestimonybeforetheworld(Dan.6:4). D.HeisobedienttoGod’swill(1Sam.2:35). E.Hedemonstrateswisestewardship(1Cor.4:1–2). F.Hepassesontootherswhathehaslearned(2Tim.2:2). V.WaystoTestaMan’sFaithfulness(Luke16:10–13) A.Testhiminsmallresponsibilitiesbeforegivinghimlargeones(v.10). B.Testhiminnonspiritualmattersbeforegivinghimspiritualtruth(v.11). C.Testhim inhowhevalueswhat isn’this,beforegivinghimhisown.
Observe how he serves faithfully in someone else’s ministry beforesendinghimoutonhisown(v.12).
D.TesthiminhiscommitmenttoGod(v.13). VI.TheBenefitsofBeingaFaithfulMan A.Heisgivenleadershiproles(Neh.7:2;Matt.24:45). B.Hewillaboundwithblessing(Prov.28:20). C.Hewillberewardedwithgreaterresponsibilitiesinheavenandwillexpe-
riencetheLord’sjoyoverhisfaithfulness(Matt.25:21,23;Luke19:17). D.Heisgivenaministry(1Tim.1:12). E.Heisentrustedwithspiritualtruth(2Tim.2:2). F.Hisdisciplershowsconfidenceinhimbysendinghiminhisplace(1Cor.
4:16–17;Phil.2:19–24;Eph.6:21).
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TOPicaL sTUDY fORM6. cOncluSiOn (Summary and Application)
AsIdidthisstudyonthefaithfulman,Godhasimpressedonmetheneedtobemorefaithfulintwospecificareas.First,Ineedtobemorefaithfulinmyprayerlife;Ihavetobemoredisciplinedinsettingasideadailyperiodforprayer.Sec-ond,Ineedtobemorefaithfulinmyfinances.Luke16:10isaverseIneeded.ItteachesthatifIamnotfaithfulinhandlingmymoney,Godwillnottrustmewithtrueriches—spiritualblessings.
projects
• Iplantomemorizethepassageon“Testsofaman’sfaithfulness”bynextweek:Luke16:10–13.
• Iwill setupa familybudgetwithmywife thisweekend.Wewill startkeepingbetterrecordsofhowwespendourmoneyandwillaskGodtoguideusinourspending,saving,andgiving.
• Iwillbeginspending20minuteseachmorningbeforebreakfasttoreviewmyprayerlistandpray.
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TOPicaL sTUDY fORM
12�
tOpic
1. cOMplete a liSt OF wOrDS
2. cOllect BiBle reFerenceS
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3. COnSiDer eACh reFerenCe inDiviDuAlly 4. COmpAre AnD grOup the reFerenCeS
Reference Cross-References Observations and Insights
c O M Pa R i s O n c H a R T
TOPicaL sTUDY fORM
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5. cOnDenSeD Outline
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TOPicaL sTUDY fORM6. cOncluSiOn (Summary and Application)
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TheBiblewasoriginallywritteninHebrew,Aramaic,andGreek.EventhoughtheaverageChristiandoesnotknowthese languages,wecanstilldowordstudiesbecauseof theavailabilityofmanyexcellent translationsandreference tools. Inthepast,peoplewhowereinterestedindoingpersonalBiblestudyhadto learntheoriginallanguages.OnlythosewhohadspentyearslearningGreekandHebrewwereabletoenjoytheexcitinginsightsthatcomefromstudyingtheoriginalwordsof Scripture. Today, however, the riches to be found inword studies arewithinreachofeveryChristianwhoknowswhattoolsareavailable.
Definition
The Word Study Method of Bible Study takes a microscopic look at the origin,definition,occurrences,andusesofaparticularword,especiallyasitrelatestothecontextofapassageofScripture.Thepurposeistolearnaspreciselyandcompre-hensivelyaspossiblewhatthebiblicalwritermeantbythewordheused.
7THe WORD sTUDY
MeTHOD Of BiBLe sTUDY
How to Discover the Meanings of Bible Words
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Why you shoulD stuDy WorDs in the BiBle
IrvingJensenhassaid,“Justasagreatdoorswingsonsmallhinges,sotheimpor-tant theological statements of the Bible often depend upon even the smallestwords,suchasprepositionsandarticles”(Enjoy.Your.Bible,WorldWidePublica-tions,p.96).MostofthegreatdoctrinesoftheWordofGodrevolvearoundasingleword,suchasgrace,.atonement,orfaith.Inordertounderstandthedeepestmean-ingofScripture,wemuststudythespecificwordsthatwereused.
Correctinterpretationofbiblicaltruthsdependsonthecorrectunderstandingofthewordsusedtoconveythesetruths.Daviddeclared,“ThewordsoftheLOrDareflawless,likesilverrefinedinafurnaceofclay,purifiedseventimes”(Ps.12:6).OneofthewritersofProverbsstatedsimilarly,“EverywordofGodisflawless;heisashieldtothosewhotakerefugeinhim”(Prov.30:5).
But these flawless words were written in a language other than ours, andtheirfullmeaningsarenotalwaystransmittedcompletelythroughatranslation.Infact,notranslationisperfect,becausenotwolanguagescorrespondexactly.Word
Step One — Choose Your Word
Step twO — Find Its English Definition
Step three — Compare Translations
Step FOur — Write down the Definition of the Original Word
Step Five — Check the Word’s Occurrences in the Bible
Step Six — Find the Root Meaning and Origin of the Word
Step Seven — Discover the Word’s Usage in the Bible
Step eight — Write Out an Application
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equivalentsdonotalwaysexistbetweenlanguages,so instudyingtheBiblewemayhavetosearchoutthefullmeaningofawordthatthetranslatorswereunabletosqueezeintothechosentext.
Furthermore,whentheoriginal textof theBiblewastranslated intoEnglish,some 6,000 different words were used, whereas in the Hebrew, Aramaic, andGreekoriginal,11,280wordswereused(Jensen,Enjoy.Your.Bible,p.96).Sohowdoyoufit11,000wordsinto6,000?Bytranslatingseveraldifferentoriginal lan-guagewordsintooneEnglishword.Forexample,intheNewTestamenttheEnglishwordservanttranslatessevendifferentGreekwords,eachofwhichhadaslightlydifferentshadeofmeaningforaservant.Ourlanguage,alaterone,isunabletocompletelygivethefullmeaningsoftheoriginalbiblicallanguages.
Wemustkeeptwothingsinmindwhendoingawordstudy.First,ourwordstudiesmustbebasedontheoriginallanguagewords,notontheEnglishwords.Second,wemustalwaysallowthecontexttoindicatetheultimatemeaningofthewordbeingstudied,nomatterwhattheEnglishequivalentmightbe.
tools you Will neeD
ForthismethodofBiblestudy,youwillneedmorereferencetoolsthanyouhaveusedwithothermethods.Thenecessarytoolsare
• AstudyBible.• Severalrecenttranslations.(Thesewillenableyoutoseethewordsdif-
ferenttranslatorschosefromtheoriginalones.Donotuseparaphrasesinthisstudy.)
• Anexhaustiveconcordance.• ABibledictionaryand/orencyclopedia.• Asetofwordstudies(seetheIntroductiontothisbook).• AgoodEnglishdictionary.• IfyouhavehadsomeGreek,The.Englishman’s.Greek.Concordance.of.the.
New.Testament(Zondervan)willbeuseful.• The.Word.Study.ConcordanceanditscompanionvolumeThe.Word.Study.
New.TestamentbyralphWinter(WilliamCareyLibrary).
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three common Difficulties in Doing WorD stuDies
AsyoubeginthismethodofBiblestudy,youneedtobeawareofsomedifficultiesyoumightruninto.
1..Sometimes.several.Greek.words.are.translated.by.just.one.English.word .Wehave alreadynoted that the Englishwordservant has sevenGreek equivalents,eachwithadifferentshadeofmeaning.Besuretocheckyourconcordancecare-fullytoseeifthismightbetrueofthewordyouarestudying.Findoutwhateachdifferentoriginalwordmeant.
2.Sometimes.one.Greek.or.Hebrew.word.is.translated.several.ways.in.English .Toovercomethisdifficultyyouwillhavetodoacarefulstudyonallthedifferentrenderingsofthatoriginalword.Youcandothisquiteeasilythroughtheuseofyourexhaustiveconcordance.Forexample,theGreekwordkoinonia. istranslatedfivedifferentwaysintheKingJamesVersion:(1)“communication”—once;(2)“com-munion”—4times;(3)“contribution”—once;(4)“distribution”—once;and(5)“fellowship”—12times.
Followthisprocedureinsolvingthisdifficulty:
• Listthedifferentwaysthewordistranslated.• Listhowmanytimesitistranslatedeachway.• Giveexamplesofeachtranslation(ifpossible).• Writedownhowthedifferentmeaningsmightberelated.• Determineifthewriterofthebookisusingthewordyouarestudyingin
asinglesenseorisgivingitamultiplemeaning.
3.Sometimes.an.original.word.is.translated.by.a.whole.phrase.in.English .Thisdifficultywilltakealittlemoreworktoovercomebecauseconcordancesdonotlistwordtranslationsbyphrases.YouwillhavetocomparetherecentversionsoftheBibleyouareusingtoseehowthevarioustranslatorshaverenderedtheword.Forexample,PauldeclaredtotheCorinthians,“Butweall,withopenfacebeholdingasinaglassthegloryoftheLord,arechangedintothesameimagefromglorytoglory,evenasbytheSpiritoftheLord”(2Cor.3:18KJV).Thephrase“beholdingasinaglass”isjustonewordintheoriginalGreek(katoptrizomenoi ),andyouwilldiscoversomeinterestingtruthswhenyoustudytheoriginofthatword.
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The.Word.Study.Method.of.Bible.Study
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simPle stePs on Doing a WorD stuDy
TheWordStudyFormhaseightsections,oneforeachofthestepsinthisstudy,andaspaceforlistingthereferencetoolsthatyouuseindoingit.
Step One Choose Your Word
InyourpreviouspersonalBiblestudy,youmayhavewonderedwhatcertainwordsmeant.Chooseawordthatyouwonderedaboutorareinterestedin,orchooseonefromthelistinappendixE.
Step twO Find Its English Definition
UseyourEnglishdictionaryandwriteoutthedefinitionoftheEnglishword.Listwiththedefinitionanysynonymsorantonymsoftheword.
Step three Compare Translations
readindifferentrecenttranslationsthepassageswherethiswordisused.Writedownthedifferentrenderingsofthewordthatyoufind.Takenoteofanyrenderingsthatarerepeatedlyandcommonlyusedinthesetranslations.
Step FOur Write Down the Definition of the Original Word
Findoutwhattheoriginalwordisinyourexhaustiveconcordanceorwordstudybookandwritedownitsdefinition.Youmayfindithasanumberofusages.
Step Five Check the Word’s Occurrences in the Bible
Usingyourconcordanceagain, findouthowandwhere theword isused in theBible.Askthesequestions:
• HowmanytimesdoesthewordoccurintheBible?• Inwhatbooksdoesitoccur?• Whatwritersusedtheword?• Inwhatbookdoesitoccurmost?• WheredoesthewordoccurfirstintheBible?• WheredoesitoccurfirstinthebookIamstudying?
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Step Six Find the Root Meaning and Origin of the Word
Thisstepbringsyouintosomeresearch.Youwillwanttoreadafullerdiscussionofthemeaningandoriginofthewordyouarestudying,usingaBibledictionary,aBibleencyclopedia,awordstudyset,oratheologicalwordbook.
Step Seven Discover the Word’s Usage in the Bible
Hereyouwillwant to findouthow theword isused in theBible. Thestudyoftherootmeaning(StepSix)toldyouwhatthewordmeantoriginallyandwhereitcamefrom,butsomewordschangetheirmeaningswiththepassageoftime.Also,theymighthavedifferentmeaningsindifferentsituationsandcontexts.Inthefinalanalysis,theusageofawordisthemostimportantfactorindeterminingitstruemeaning.Fulfillthisstepinthefollowingthreeways:
1.Find.out.how.the.word.was.used.during.the.time.the.book.of.the.Bible.was.written .HowwasitusedinotherwritingsbesidestheBible?Tofindoutwhatthewordmeantandhowitwasusedinthecultureoftheday,youwillhavetolookatextrabiblicalmaterials(forexample,historiesofthetime);manytimes,however,thewordstudysetyouareusingwillhavethisinformation.Advancedstudentsandpeoplewhoknowtheoriginal languagesmayfindthis informationintheologicaldictionariesandHebrewandGreeklexicons.
2. Find. out. how. the. word. is. used. in. the. Bible . Using your exhaustive con-cordance,findouthowthewordistranslatedeverytimeitappearsintheBible.OftentheScripturesdefinewordsthroughusageandillustrations;thisisawayoffindingoutthescripturaldefinition.Youmayalsoasksomeorallofthefollowingquestions:
• Howdoesthewriterusethewordinotherpartsofthebook?• Howdoesthewriterusethewordinotherbookshehaswritten?• Howisthewordusedthroughoutthewholetestament?• Does the word have more than one usage? If so, what are its other
uses?• Whatisthemostfrequentuseoftheword?• HowisitusedthefirsttimeintheScriptures?
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The.Word.Study.Method.of.Bible.Study
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3.Find.out.how.the.word.is.used.in.the.context.of.the.passage .Thisistheulti-matetest.Thecontextwillbeyourmostreliablesourceforinsightsintowhatthewriterreallymeant.Askthesequestions:
• Doesthecontextgiveanycluestothemeaningoftheword?• Isthewordcomparedorcontrastedwithanotherwordinthecontext?• Is thereany illustration in thecontext thatclarifies themeaningof the
word?
Step eight Write Out an Application
Be especially careful to keep your goal of “application, not interpretation only”inmindwhenyoudoawordstudy.rememberthatyouaredoingpersonalBiblestudy,notjustconductinganacademicexercise.Discoveringthefullmeaningofabiblicalwordisnotanendinitself,becauseawordstudywithoutapplicationhaslittlespiritualvalue.Indoingthisstudy,constantlyaskyourself,“Howcanunder-standingthiswordstrengthenmyspirituallife?”Sowriteoutanapplication,usingthesuggestionsinchapter1.
resource Books useD
Thelastblanksectiononyourstudyformhasaplacetolistthereferencetoolsyouusedinyourwordstudy.Thisistohelpyourememberthemostusefulresourcebooksforuseinthefuture.
HOWTOFILLINTHEWOrDSTUDYFOrM
UsetheWordStudyFormattheendofthechapteroryourownsheetofpaperwiththesamedivisions.
Filling Out the Form
Followthestepsoutlinedaboveandwriteinthediscoveriesyoumake.Ifyouneedmoreroom,usethebackoftheformorsheet.
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Sample Filled-out Form
Seetheexampleofthewordrepentinthesamplefilled-outformattheendofthischapter.
Assignment
YoumaywanttostartthisBiblestudymethodbystudyingwordsyouhavebeenwonderingabout.Oryoumaywanttobeginwithsomeimportantdoctrinalwords.AsuggestedlistofwordsisprovidedinappendixE.
For Further Reading
The.Complete.Word-Study.Dictionary.of.the.Old.Testament.byEugeneCarpenter(AMG)Gems.from.the.Original.byHaroldJ.Berry(BacktotheBibleBroadcast)The.New.International.Dictionary.of.New.Testament.Theology:.Abridged.Edition,.editedbyVerlyn
Verbrugge(Zondervan)New.Testament.Words.byWilliamBarclay(WestminsterJohnKnox)A.Theological.Word.Book.of.the.Bible,.editedbyAlanrichardson(Macmillan)A.Theological.Word.Book.of.the.Old.Testament,.editedbyLairdHarrisetal.(MoodyPress)Vincent’s.Word.Studies.in.the.New.Testament.byMarvinr.Vincent(Hendrickson)
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1. engliSh wOrD repent(noun—repentance)
2. engliSh DeFinitiOn
“Tofeelsuchremorseorregretforpastconductastochangeone’smindregardingit.”
3. cOMpariSOn OF tranSlatiOnS Luke13:3
“repent”—NIV,NASB,KJV,Amplified,etc.“Turnfromyoursins”—Good.News.Bible“LeaveyourevilwaysandturntoGod”—Living.Bible.
4. Original wOrD anD ShOrt DeFinitiOn
• “metanoeo”(Greek)“tochangeone’smind” • “metamelomai”(Greek)“toregretorshowremorse”
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5. OccurrenceS in the BiBle
TwodifferentGreekwordsaretranslated“repent”intheNewTestament:
A.Metanoeo
“repent”(verb)34times “repentance”(noun)24times
5timesinMatthew 3timesinMatthew
2timesinMark 2timesinMark
9timesinLuke 5timesinLuke
5timesinActs 6timesinActs
1timein2Corinthians 1timeinromans
12timesinrevelation 2timesin2Corinthians
1timein2Timothy
3timesinHebrews
1timein2Peter
B.Metamelomai
“repent”(verb—6times)
3timesinMatthew
2timesin2Corinthians
1timeinHebrews
interesting insights
• ThewordisneverusedinthegospelofJohn;butitisusedinrevela-tion12times.
• TheauthorLukeuseditthemost(LukeandActs).• repentanceisnotemphasizedmuchintheEpistlesbecausetheywere
writtentobelievers.
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6. rOOt Meaning anD Origin (use reference books)
Metanoeoliterallymeans“toperceiveafterward.”ItismadeupoftwoGreekwords:meta,whichmeans“after”(implyingchange),andnoeo,whichmeans“toperceive”(nousisGreekfor“themind”).
Fromthiswegetthemeaningof“tochangeone’smindorpurpose.”IntheNewTestamentthischangeisalwaysforthebetter,anditdenotesagenuine,completechangeofheartandlife.
Notonlydoes it implya turningaway (negative) fromsin,buta turning to(positive)thatwhichisrightandgodly.Itmeansmorethanjustfeelingsorryforwrongyou’vedone.Italsomeanstocompletelychangeyourmindaboutthesinandgoadifferentway.
Metamelomaicomesfrommeta(“after”)andmelo(“tocarefor”).Itmeanstoregretorexpressremorseforsomethingyouwishyouhadn’tdone.Itmeanstohavepainfulanxiety(sorrow)overapastdeed.Thisisnotgenuinerepen-tance.Itmeanstoregretsomethingyoudidwithouteverreallychangingyourmindaboutit.(“I’msorryIgotcaught,butI’mnotsorryIdidit.”Or,“I’mnotsure Iwouldn’tdo itagain.”)Thebest illustrationof this isJudas.HewasregretfulforbetrayingJesus(metamelomai—Matthew27:3),buthenevergenuinelyrepentedofit(metanoeo ).
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7. hOw the wOrD waS uSeD
A. in Other writings:
Metanoeo was not used much in classical Greek literature. When thewordwasused,itdidnotmeantheradicalchangeofaman’slifeasawholeasitdoesintheNewTestament.
B. throughout the Bible:
• repentance(nâham)intheOldTestamentisseenmostclearlyinEze-kiel18and33:10–20.
• “repent” was the basic message of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:2),Jesus (Matt.4:17), the12disciples (Mark6:12),PeteratPentecost(Acts2:38).
• ItiscommandedbyGodforeveryone(Acts17:30;2Peter3:9). • Itispartofsavingfaith(Luke13:5;Acts3:19). • Itproducesjoyinheaven(Luke15:7,10). • Itisprovenbyouractions(Acts26:20). • Jesus used the word 17 times in the Gospels and 8 times in
revelation. • Whatcausesustorepent?
—God’sgoodnesstous(rom.2:4)—Godlysorrowforoursin(2Cor.7:9–10)—God’sgrace(2Tim.2:25)
• ItisafoundationaltruthoftheChristianlife(Heb.6:1).
C. in the Context of the passage: 2 Corinthians 7:9 – 10
Thisverseshowsthedifferencebetweengenuinerepentance(metanoeo )andmereregret(metamelomai ).realgodlysorrowbringsaboutgenuinerepentance.Thisbringsaboutachangeoflife,notjustregret.
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8. applicatiOn
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, andpatience,not realizing thatGod’skindness leadsyou towardrepentance?”(romans2:4)
Sin to confess/attitude to change
IhaveheldapersonalgrudgeinmyheartagainstJohneversincetheincidentinthemountainslastfall.Ithasputastrainonourrelationship.TheLordhasconvictedmeaboutthisinthepast,butIhaveputoffmakingrestitution.IknowIhavesinned.Iwanttorepentofthissinnow.TomorrowafternoonIwillgotoJohnandaskhisforgiveness.Iwanttostraightenthismatterout.
reSOurce BOOkS uSeD
Vine’s.Expository.Dictionary.of.New.Testament.WordsYoung’s.Analytical.Concordance.of.the.Bible.Dictionary.of.New.Testament.Theology,.Vol ..1
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1. engliSh wOrD
2. engliSh DeFinitiOn
3. cOMpariSOn OF tranSlatiOnS
4. Original wOrD anD ShOrt DeFinitiOn
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5. OccurrenceS in the BiBle
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6. rOOt Meaning anD Origin (use reference books)
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WORD sTUDY fORM
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7. hOw the wOrD waS uSeD
A. in Other writings:
B. throughout the Bible:
C. in the Context of the passage:
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8. applicatiOn
reSOurce BOOkS uSeD
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It ismucheasiertounderstandandappreciateaplay ifall thepropsandback-groundscenesareinplace.Theactorsonthestageperformagainstthebackdropofthepropsandpaintedscenery.ItisthesamewaywithScripture.God’srevela-tionwasgiveninthemidstofhistory,andthedramatis.personaeoftheBibleactouttheirGod-givenrolesagainstthebackgroundoftheirtimes.WeunderstandtheWordofGodmoreclearlywhenweseeitagainstthebackdropofthedaysinwhichitwaswritten.
Definition
TheBookBackgroundMethodofBibleStudyinvolvesgainingabetterunderstand-ingofthebiblicalmessagebyresearchingthebackgroundrelatedtothepassage,person,event,ortopicbeingstudied.Thisinvolvesunderstandingthegeography,historicalevents,culture,andpoliticalenvironmentatthetimeaparticularpartoftheBiblewaswritten.
8THe BOOk
BackgROUnD MeTHOD Of
BiBLe sTUDY
How to Research Biblical Backgrounds
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Why stuDy BackgrounDs?
Inordertogetthefullimpactofwhatabiblicalwriterissaying,itisnecessaryto“transport”ourselvesbackintothetimeinwhichhelived.SincewearecenturiesremovedfromBibletimes,wemusttrytoseetheirworldthroughtheireyes,feelwhattheyfelt,andthenunderstandhowtheHolySpiritofGodusedthemtowritewhattheydid.
OneoftheprimaryrulesofinterpretationstatesthatsincetheBiblewaswritteninthemidstofhistory,itcanonlybeunderstoodmorefullyinlightofthathistory.YoucannotinterprettheBiblecorrectlyifyouignoretheinfluenceofthetimesinwhichitwaswritten.SeriousBiblestudentswillalwayswanttoknowthegeographical,his-torical,cultural,andpoliticalbackgroundsofthepassageorbooktheyarestudying.
Furthermore,beforewecanunderstandthewaywearetoapplythemessagetoustoday,wemustfirstbesurehowitwasappliedduringthetimesitwasfirstwritten. Ifwetry to interpretandapplyScriptureaccordingtoourownageandculture,wewillquicklyrunintomanydifficulties.Oftenastatement,word,custom,oreventinanothercultureortimewillbeunderstoodinasensetotallydifferentfromthemeaningweattachtoittodayinourcountry.
Becauseofthetremendousarchaeologicaldiscoveriesinthepastcentury,wenowhaveamuchbetterunderstandingoftheculturesandhistoricalbackgroundsofbiblicaltimes.Mostofthisinformationisavailablethroughexcellentresearchtools.YouwilldefinitelyhavetoconsultthesewhenyoudothismethodofBiblestudy.
the value of archaeology
Tomanypeoplearchaeologyisadry,boring,andlittle-knownscience.Butthankstothepatientworkofmanyskilledarchaeologistsofmanynations,weknowmuchmoretodayaboutBibletimesthanChristiansdidevenhalfacenturyago.National.GeographicandotherpopularmagazineshavepublicizedsuchfindingsastheEblatablets,whichthrowtremendouslightontheNearEastof2000to2500B.C.WecanunderstandtheBibletodayasneverbefore,asarcheologyhasbeenagreatenlightenerandfriendtotheseriousBiblestudent.
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GusW.VanBeekhaswritten,
No one canunderstand theBiblewithout a knowledge of biblical his-toryandculture,andnoonecanclaimaknowledgeofbiblicalhistoryandculturewithoutanunderstandingof thecontributionsofarchaeol-ogy.Biblicaleventshavebeenillustrated,obscurewordsdefined,ideasexplained,andchronologyrefinedbyarchaeologicalfinds.Tosaythatourknowledgeof theBiblehasbeenrevolutionizedbythesediscoveries isalmosttounderstatethefacts(“Archaeology,”Interpreter’s.Dictionary.of.the.Bible[AbingdonPress,1962],1:203).
tools you Will neeD
ThismethodofBiblestudyistotallydependentontools,soyouwillhavetoobtainsomeoftheseorborrowthemfromyourpublicorchurchlibrary.Don’tbeafraidof
Step One — Choose the Subject or Book of the Bible
Step twO — List Your Reference Tools
Step three — Obtain Insights from Geography
Step FOur — Get Insights from History
Step Five — Discover Some Insights from Culture
Step Six — Research Insights from the Political Environment
Step Seven — Summarize Your Research
Step eight — Write Out a Personal Application
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them.Instead,takeadvantageoftheinformationthatscholarshavespenttheirlivesfindingoutforyou.Thefollowingtoolswillprovidehelpfulbackgroundmaterial:
• ABibledictionaryand/orBibleencyclopedia• ABiblehandbook• ABibleatlas
Inaddition,youmaywanttoconsultsomeofthefollowingreferencebooksthatdealwithgeography,history,culture,andeverydaylifeofBibletimes.
• Archaeology. and. Bible. History by Joseph Free and Howard Vos(Zondervan)
• The.Bible.and.ArchaeologybyJ.A.Thompson(Eerdmans)• Everyday.Life.in.Bible.Times(NationalGeographicSociety)• Great. People. of. the. Bible. and. How. They. Lived (reader’s Digest
Association)• Harper’s.Encyclopedia.of.Bible.LifebyMadeleineS.andJ.LaneMiller
(BooksSales)• The.Oxford.History.of.the.Biblical.WorldbyMichaelCoogan(OxfordUni-
versityPress)• The. Wycliffe. Historical. Geography. of. Bible. Lands by Howard Vos
(Hendrickson)
Thisisonlyarepresentativelist,formanyotherreferenceworksareavailabletoday. Visit your local public library, your church library, or your local Christianbookstoreandlookoverwhattheyhave.Choosetheonesthatappealtoyouthemost.Archaeologistsareconstantlyupdatingtheirfindingsthroughnewdiscover-ies,sobesuretoobtainthelatesteditionofeachreferencetool.
simPle stePs on Doing a BackgrounD stuDy
TheBookBackgroundStudyFormhaseightstepsplussomeblankspaceforlist-ingthereferencetoolsyouuse.Useadditionalsheetsofpaperifyoudonothaveroomontheform.
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Step One Choose the Subject or Book of the Bible
Choosethesubject,person,word,orbookoftheBibleyouwanttostudy,andbegingatheringreferencematerialsforyourresearch.Theavailabilityofreferencetoolswilllargelydeterminethescopeofyourstudy.
Step twO List Your Reference Tools
Listallthereferencetoolsyouhavegatheredtodothisstudy(seeToolsYouWillNeedabove).Thisistohelpyourememberwhichbooksweremostusefulforthebackgroundmaterialyouresearchedandwhatbooksyoumaywanttorefertoinfuturebackgroundstudies.
Step three Obtain Insights from Geography
YouwillneedtobecomefamiliarwiththegeographyofPalestineandtheNearEastingeneral.Thisincludesthetypesoflandfoundthere,themajormountainsandhills,elevationandrainfall,themajorbodiesofwater(seas,lakes,rivers),locationofcitiesandcountries,famouslandmarks,andthebordersofsurroundingcoun-triesofthetimeyouarestudying.
AsyoustudytheNewTestament,particularlyPaul’smissionary travels,youwillneedtobecomeacquaintedwiththeMediterraneancountriesandcitiesthatwereactiveduringthedaysoftheromanEmpire.
Inallofyourstudyofbiblicalgeography,youmustcontinuallyaskthisques-tion:“WhatistheeffectofthesurroundinggeographyonwhatIamstudying?”
Inthisstep, listall the insightsyoucangetongeographyfor thesubjectorbookyouarestudying.
Step FOur Get Insights from History
Youshouldhaveaworkingknowledgeofthechronology(orderofhistoricalevents)of thenationof Israel in theOldTestament.Learn theperiodsofhistoryof theHebrewnation;findouttheoriginandhistoryoffamouscities;learnthedivisionsof Jesus’ministry; bewell versed on thehistory surroundingPaul’smissionarytravels.Itisalsohelpfultoknowwhatmajoreventsweregoingoninotherpartsof
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theworldduringthetimeyouarestudying,inordertohaveaproperperspectiveonwhatGodwasdoingintheworld.
Youmightaskyourself,“WhatcausedthisparticulareventthatIamstudying?Howdiditaffectthepeopleinvolved?HowdiditaffectthepassageIamstudy-ing?”BeespeciallyawareofeventsthatillustrateGod’ssovereigncontrolovertheprogressofhistory.
Inthisstep,listalltheinsightsyoucangetonhistorysurroundingthesubjectorbookyouarestudying.
Step Five Discover Some Insights from Culture
IfyouaretounderstandwhatwentoninBibletimes,youneedtolearnaboutthetotallifestyleoftheancientpeopleintheScriptures.Herearesomeareasyoucanresearchwhileaskingyourself,“HowdoallthesethingsaffectthemessageandthepeopleaboutwhomIamstudying?”
• Typesofclothingpeoplewore• Professionsandtradesinbiblicaltimes• MusicintheBible• ArchitecturalstylesintheNearEast• MannersandcustomsinScripture• recreationinancienttimes• FamilylifeintheMiddleEast• ArtintheBible• Languagesandliteratureofsurroundingnations• religiousceremoniesinIsraelandamongpaganneighbors• Falsereligionsofthearea• Weaponsandtoolsusedbythepeople
Inthisstep,listalltheinsightsyouderivefromthewaypeoplelivedintheircultures.
Step Six Research Insights from the Political Environment
MuchofwhathappenedinIsraelintheOldTestamentandintheromanworldofJesus,Paul,andtheapostlesisrelatedtothepoliticalenvironmentofthetimes.
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Kings,emperors,rulers,andotherpowersgovernedthepeopleofthetime.Israel,forexample,spentmuchofitshistoryunderforeignruleandeveninexile.TheseothernationsandpoliticalsystemswereboundtohaveaneffectonthewayGod’speoplelived.recognize,however,thatGodisalwaysincontrolofthepoliticalsitu-ation.EvenKingNebuchadnezzaracknowledgedthisfact(Dan.4:34–35).
Egypt,Philistia,Assyria,Babylon,Persia,Greece,andromeallplayedamajorpartintheBible.Whatwerethesenationslike?HowdidtheyaffectIsraelortheNewTestamentchurch?Manyoftheprophets’messagescanonlybeunderstoodinlightoftheircurrentpoliticalclimate.
Inthisstep,writedownall the insightsyoucanfromyourresearchintothepoliticalconditionsofthetimeperiodyouarestudying.
Step Seven Summarize Your Research
NowgobackoverStepThreethroughStepSix,andfromthedatayouhavegath-ered,summarizeyourresearchbyansweringthesetwoquestions:
• HowdoesthisbackgroundinformationhelpmeunderstandbetterwhatIamstudying?
• Whatinfluencedidanyofthesefactorshaveonthesubject(orbook)thatIamstudying?
Step eight Write Out a Personal Application
Althoughapersonalapplicationmaybehardtocomebyinthistypeofstudy,youshouldbeabletogetonefromyouroriginalsubject.Infact,researchintotheback-groundofyoursubjectmayenableyoutofindanapplicationyoumayneedtoday,andthedatacanhelpyoumakethatapplicationpersonallyrelevant.
HOWTOFILLINTHEBOOKBACKGrOUNDSTUDYFOrM
Theformattheendofthischaptershouldhelpyouinthisstudy,oryoumaymarkyourownpaperwiththedivisionssuggestedontheform.
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Filling Out the Form
Followthestepsjustoutlinedandwriteintheinsightsgleanedfromyourresearch.ThensummarizetheinsightsinStepSeven.Ifyouneedmoreroom,usethebackoftheformorothersheetsofpaper.
Sample Filled-out Form
SeetheexampleonEphesusattheendofthischapter.
Assignment
SomesubjectstoconsiderasyoubeginusingtheBookBackgroundStudyMethodare
• ThebookofPhilippians• ThebookofHaggai• ThebookofColossians• Thebookofruth• PhariseesandSadducees• Templeworship• TheromansinPalestine
For Further Reading
Thebookslistedunder“ToolsYouWillNeed”areexcellentforgettingstartedonthismethod.Forsomemethodologyor“how-to”hints,youmayread“TheHistori-calMethod”inMerrillC.Tenney’sGalatians:.The.Charter.of.Christian.Liberty(Eerd-mans),pages97–109.Herearesomeadditionalresources:
The.Bible.Knowledge.Background.Commentary,.editedbyCraigEvans,3vols.(Victor)Chronological. and. Background. Charts. of. the. New. Testament. by H. Wayne House
(Zondervan)Chronological.and.Background.Charts.of.the.Old.Testament.byJohnWalton(Zondervan)The. IVP. Bible. Background. Commentary:. New. Testament. by Craig Keener (InterVarsity
Press)The.IVP.Bible.Background.Commentary:.Old.Testament.byJohnWaltonetal.(InterVarsity
Press)
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The.Book.Background.Method.of.Bible.Study
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Manners.and.Customs.in.the.Bible.byVictorH.Matthews(Hendrickson)The.Zondervan.Illustrated.Bible.Background.Commentary:.New.Testament,editedbyClin-
tonArnold,4vols.(Zondervan)The.Zondervan.Illustrated.Bible.Background.Commentary:.Old.Testament,.editedbyJohn
Walton,4vols.(Zondervan)
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BackgROUnD sTUDY fORM1. SuBject Ephesus(BookofEphesians)
2. reFerence tOOlS uSeD
Eerdmans.Handbook.to.the.BibleThe.New.Bible.DictionaryThe.Zondervan.Pictorial.Encyclopedia.of.the.Bible.
3. geOgraphical BackgrOunD
Thecitywassituatedon thewesterncoastofAsiaMinorat themouthoftheCaysterriver,oneofthefourmajoreast-westvalleysthatendedintheAegeanSea.ItwasatthebeginningofamajorhighwaythatwenteastwardacrossAsiaMinorintoSyria,thenintoMesopotamia,Persia,andIndia.
Ephesuswasalargeportcityandhadapopulationofaround400,000intheapostlePaul’stime.ItwasthemostimportantcityintheromanprovinceofAsia.Itsstrategiclocationcausedittobethemeetingplaceofthelandandseatraderoutesinthatpartoftheworldinthosedays.
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4. hiStOrical BackgrOunD
Ephesuswasanancientcitywhoseoriginsarelostinthemistsofantiquity.ItwasknownasanimportantportcityinthedaysoftheancientHittites(early1300sB.C.).
Around1080B.C.itwastakenandcolonizedbytheGreeksfromacrosstheAegeanSea,andGreekwaysandinfluenceswereintroduced.FivecenturieslateritwastakenbythelegendaryKingCroesus,whorestoredAsianinfluencetothecity.
ThePersianstookEphesusin557B.C.,andtwocenturiesofconflictwiththeGreeksoveritfollowed.AlexandertheGreatcapturedthecityin335B.C.,andtheGreekinfluenceprevaileduntilromantimes.
Theromanstookthecityin190B.C.,anditremainedintheirhandsortheirallies’ hands until after the days of Paul. It became the major city in theromanprovinceofAsia,althoughPergamumremainedthecapital.
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BackgROUnD sTUDY fORM5. cultural BackgrOunD
FromthetimetheGreekstookthecityin1080B.C.,culturalconflictexistedbetweentheAsianandGreekwaysoflife.Theoriginalreligionincludedtheworshipofthemother-goddesswhomtheGreekslatercalledArtemis(Dianaintheromansystem).Heretheoriginalgoddesshadashrine,andtheGreekslaterbuiltagrandtemplethatbecameknownthroughoutthewholeMediter-raneanworld.
BeingatthecrossroadsofEuropeandtheFarEast,thecityhadaninterna-tionalflavoraspeopleofmanybackgrounds,particularlytradersandsailors,mixedherefreely.Thusitwasacosmopolitancity,primarilyGreekinculturebutwithAsianunderpinningsexistingthereatthesametime.Ithadalltheconveniencesofamodernromancity—gymnasium,stadium,theaters,andacentralmarketplace.
6. pOlitical BackgrOunD
InPaul’sday,sinceitwasacityloyaltorome,itwasgovernedbytheromanproconsulfromPergamum.Itwasallowedtohaveitsowngovernmentandwasdividedinto“tribes”accordingtotheethniccompositionofitspopulation.InPaul’stimethereweresixtribes,andtherepresentativestotheirgatheringelectedthe“townclerk,”whowasresponsibleforallpublicmeetings.
OthergovernmentofficialsincludedtheAsiarchs,municipalofficersofrome,andtheNeokoros,thetempleofficials.
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7. SuMMary OF inSightS
ThecityofEphesuswasanimportantcity,andbecauseofitsstrategicvalue,Paulandhisteamheadedthereontheirsecondmissionaryjourney.Paullaterministeredthereforsometimeonhisthirdjourney.
Becauseofitscosmopolitanpopulation,herewasanopportunityforministrytomanydifferentkindsofpeoples—romans,Greeks,andtheAsiansofthatpartofAsia.Also,aministrycouldbehadwiththetravelersandtraders,whocamebothbylandandbysea.
Ephesus’historyandgeographymadethecitystrategic for theplantingofchurchesandthenspreadingthenewsofthegospelthroughoutthewholeterritoryarounditaswellastomanyotherplacesthroughthecaravansandshipping.
8. perSOnal applicatiOn
Inadayofpopulationexplosion it ismyresponsibility towitness toJesusChristinthestrategicplacesoftheworld.ThismeansthatinmytownIneedtofindoutwherethestrategiccentersofpeoplegatheringare.ThenIshouldplantogothere,bothbymyselfandwithmychurch,totestifytothegraceofGodandhissalvation.IwilltalkwithSamandJoeaboutthis,andwewilllayplanstogetherforevangelizingourcommunity.
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2. reFerence tOOlS uSeD
3. geOgraphical BackgrOunD
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4. hiStOrical BackgrOunD
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6. pOlitical BackgrOunD
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7. SuMMary OF inSightS
8. perSOnal applicatiOn
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16�
Martin Luther, who began the great reformation in the 16th century, not onlyrestoredtheBibletothecommonpeople,butalsogavesomepracticalsuggestionsforBiblestudy.HeoncesaidthathestudiedtheScripturesthewayhegatheredapples:“First IshakethewholeAppletree[studyoftheBibleasawhole],thattheripestmightfall.ThenIclimbthetreeandshakeeachlimb[studyofawholebook],andtheneachbranch[studyofachapterofabook]andtheneachtwig[studyoftheparagraphsandsentences],andthenIlookundereachleaf[studyofsinglewords].”
The next three chapters go together because the three methods discussedarereallypartofone.TheyarethreestepsinstudyingabookoftheBible.Whencombined, these three methods give you the most comprehensive approach tostudyingtheWordofGod.Theymayrequireextrawork,effort,andtime,buttheycanrewardyouwiththegreatestresults.
BecauseGodgavehisrevelationinsegmentsthatwecallbooks,weshouldfirststudythesebooksasawhole,thenexaminetheirpartscarefully,andfinallyputourstudytogethertoseethewholeagain.Sotheapproachwewillbeusingissurvey,.analysis,andsynthesis .
9THe BOOk sURveY
MeTHOD Of BiBLe sTUDY
How to Get an Overview of a Bible Book
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First,wemakeaninitialsurveyofthebooktoseeitasawhole;this isour“telescopicview”study.Thenwetakethebookapartchapterbychapteranddoadetailedanalysisofeachone;welookatallthedetailsasthroughamicroscope.Finally,weputitalltogetheragaininasyntheticstudyinwhichwesummarizethebookasawholeandproduceour.ownoutline.Theprocessmovesfromthewholetotheparticularsandbacktothewhole:
• Survey—getabird’s-eyeviewofthebook.• Analysis—studyeverythingineachchapterindetail.•. Synthesis.—.putitbacktogetheragainanddrawsomeconclusions.
Note:ThesethreemethodshavebeendevelopedeffectivelybytheNavigatorsintheircollegiateministry.ThethreestepshavebeencombinedbythemintotheComprehensiveBookAnalysisMethod,whichisexplainedandillustratedindepthinThe.Navigator.Bible.Studies.Handbook(NavPress).
Chapters9–11inthisbookpresentonlywhattheComprehensiveBookAnal-ysisdoesnotdealwithandwill suggest somealternativeapproaches from thebookpublishedbytheNavigators. (Theirs ishighlyrecommendedforthosewho
Step One — Read the Book
Step twO — Make Notes on What You Read
Step three — Do a Background Study
Step FOur — Make a Horizontal Chart of the Book’s Contents
Step Five — Make a Tentative Outline of the Book
Step Six — Write Out a Personal Application
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havedoneextensivechapteranalysisBiblestudyandwouldlikeaslightlydifferentapproach.)
Welookfirstatpartoneofthisprocess:theBookSurveyMethod.
Definition
AbooksurveystudyinvolvesgainingasweepingoverviewofanentirebookoftheBible.Itistakinga“skyscraperlook”ora“telescopicview”ofabookbyreadingit through several timeswithout stopping to consider thedetails. Then youaskaseriesofbackgroundandcontentquestionsanddrawahorizontalchartof itscontentsinordertogainageneralunderstandingofthewriter’spurpose,theme,structure,andcontent.
Why this methoD of BiBle stuDy
As you know, the Bible is really 66 different books compiled under one cover.Eachbookisuniqueandhasanimportantmessageforustoday.TheBookSurveyMethodisapracticalwaytomasterthegeneralcontentsofasinglebook.
its imPortance
Doingabooksurveyasthefirstpartofananalysisandsynthesishelpsrevealhoweachpartofthebookisrelatedtotheotherparts.Manyversesthatarehardtounderstandbecomeclearwhenseeninthelargercontextofthebookinwhichtheyarefound.AndtheplaceofaverseinabookisoftenthekeytounderstandingitandwhatGodteachesthroughit.
Doingabooksurvey firstalso reveals theproperemphasisofeachpoint inthebook.ItkeepsthestudyofGod’sWordbalanced,lesseningthepossibilityofoveremphasizingorminimizinganyonepoint.ItisinterestingthatmostcultsandheresieshavearisenthroughouthistorywhenpeopleoveremphasizesomeverseordoctrineandbuildtheirwholetheologyonafewversestakenoutofcontextwhileignoringmuchoftherestofGod’srevelation.
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tools you Will neeD
A number of basic tools (discussed in the Introduction) are necessary for thismethodofBiblestudy.Thesehelpfultoolsare
• AstudyBible.•. Several contemporary translations. (These enable you to see different
renderingsofthesamematerialbyablescholars.)•. ABibledictionaryand/orBibleencyclopedia.•. ABiblehandbook.(Lookunderthenameofthebookyouarestudyingas
wellasunderthewriterandthecityorpeopletowhomtheoriginalmighthavebeensent.)
Inadditiontotheabovebasictools,youmaywanttoconsultBibleatlases,his-toricalgeographies,historicalbackgroundbooks,andBiblesurveys.Usetheselasttoolsonlyafteryouhavedoneyourownresearch.Lateryoumaycheckyourselfandyourconclusionsagainstwhatother reliablescholarshavedone.Therearemanysurveysandbackgroundbookstochoosefrom:
• The.Illustrated.Guide.to.Biblical.History.byKendallEasley(Broadman&Holman)
• Nelson’s. New. Testament. Survey by Mark Bailey and Tom Constable(Nelson)
• Nelson’s. Old. Testament. Survey by Charles Dyer and Eugene Merrill(Nelson)
• New.Testament.SurveybyMerrillC.Tenney(Eerdmans)• New.Testament.TimesbyMerrillC.Tenney(Baker)• The.Old.Testament.SpeaksbySamuelJ.Schultz(HarperSanFrancisco)• Old.Testament.Timesbyr.K.Harrison(Baker)• Old.Testament.Today.byJohnWaltonandAndrewHill(Zondervan)• Survey.of.the.BiblebyWilliamHendriksen(Baker)• A.Survey.of.the.New.Testament.byrobertH.Gundry(Zondervan)• What.the.Bible.Is.All.About:.NIV.EditionbyHenriettaC.Mears(regal)
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The.Book.Survey.Method.of.Bible.Study
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YoumustrecognizethattheseBiblesurveys,likeBiblecommentaries,repre-senttheopinionsandtheologicalpositionsoftheirauthors.Soselecttheoneortwothatbestsuityou,andusethemafteryouhavedoneyourowninitialsurveystudy.
simPle stePs on Doing a survey stuDy
TheBookSurveyStudyFormhasmanyparts,which fitunder thesixsteps fordoingthisstudy.Onestepwillbedoneonaseparatesheetofpaper.
Step One Read the Book
This firststepmayseemobvious,butsomepeoplespendall their timereadingabouttheBibleratherthanreadingtheScripturetextitself.TheonlytoolsneededforthisfirststepareyourstudyBibleandseveralrecenttranslations.Do.not.read.any.Bible.surveys,.handbooks,.or.commentaries.at.this.point .Followthesesevensuggestions:
1.Read.through.the.book.atone.sitting .ExceptforthePsalms,thelongestbookintheBibleisIsaiah,anditcanbereadinthreeorfourhours.Mostoftheotherbooks,particularlythoseintheNewTestament,canbereadinmuchlesstime.Ifyouhavetobreakupyourreading,trytofinishabookinnomorethantwosittings.(Forexample, read Isaiah1–39atonesitting, then Isaiah40–66.)YouwillbeamazedatwhatyoubegintoseeinScriptureasyoudothis.
2.Read.through.the.book.in.a.recent.translation .Thiswillenableyoutounder-standwhatyouarereadingbetter,becauseyouwillbedoingyourreadingincon-temporarylanguage.
3.Read. through. the.book. rapidly,. ignoring. the.chapter.divisions .rememberthat thechapterdivisionsandverseswerenot in theoriginalwriting; theywereaddedmuchlaterforconvenience.rightnowyourpurposeistogettheflowofthebookandfeelthepulseofthewriter.Don’tbeconcernedwiththedetailsatthisstage(youwilldothatintheChapterAnalysisMethod,chapter10),butreadthebookquicklytogetitsmainthrust.
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4.Read.through.the.book.repeatedly .repeattheprocessofreadingasmanytimesasyoucan. (Obviously,youwillnotbeable toreadthebookof IsaiahasmanytimesasthebookofColossiansinagiventimeframe.)Eachtimeyoureadthe book through, you will notice some new things and the overall picture willbecomeclearerandclearer.Themoretimesyoureadabookthrough,thebetteryouwillbeabletounderstandit.Sostaywithit.
5.Read.through.the.book.without.referring.to.commentaries.or.someone.else’s.notes .ItisgoodtoreadinaBibleinwhichyouhavenotmadeanynotesyourself.Otherwise,whenyouseethenotesyoumayhavewritten(yourownorothers’),yourmindwillnaturallyfallbackintothatpatternandyouwillbehinderedfromseeingnewthings.AfteryouhavefinishedStepOne,youmaybeginconsultingwithreferencehelps.
6.Read.through.the.book.prayerfully .AskGodtospeaktoyourheartandopenyoureyesthatyoumayseewonderfulthingsinhislaw(Ps.119:18).
7.Read.through.the.book.with.pen.or.pencil.in.hand .Asyoubeginreadingthesecondorthirdtimethrough,begintakingnotesandmakingobservationsonwhatyouarereading(seeStepTwoandtheBookSurveyForm).
Step twO Make Notes on What You Read
Asyoureadthroughthebook(seeStepOne),writedownyourimpressionsandtheimportantfactsyoudiscover.MakethesenotesonaseparatepieceofpaperorontheBookSurveyFormfoundattheendofthischapter.Lookforthefollowingnineitems:
1. Category:Isthebookhistory?Poetry?Prophecy?Law?Abiography?Aletter?
2. First.Impressions:Whatisthefirstimpressionyougetfromthebook?Whatdoyouthinkisthepurposeofthewriter?What“feel”doyougetfromreadingit?
3. Key.Words:Whataresomeof thesignificantwords thewriteruses?What words are repeated the most? What word or words is heemphasizing?
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4. Key. Verse: What seems to be the key verse (if any)? What ideas orphrasesare repeated thatmay showhismain thought?What is thewriter’skeystatement?
5. Literary.Style:Isthebookanarrative?Adrama?Apersonalletter?Adiscourse?Poetry?Acombinationofnarrationandpoetry?Does thewriterusefigurativespeech?Isheusingalogicalargument?
6. Emotional.Tone: Isthewriterangry?Sad?Happy?Worried?Excited?Depressed?Calm?Howdoyouthinkhishearersmusthavefeltwhentheyreceivedthiswriting?Howdoesitmakeyoufeel?
7. Main.Theme(s):Whatisthemaintheme?Istheremorethanone?Whatisthewritersaying?Whatishismajoremphasis?
8. Structure. of. the. Book: Are there obvious divisions of thought in thebook?How is the book organized? Aroundpeople? Events?Places?Ideas?Timespans?
9. Major.People:Whoaretheprincipalpersonalitiesinthebook?Whichpeople are mentioned the most, and what parts do they play in thebook?
Step three Do a Background Study
Findoutthehistoricalandgeographicalsettingofthebook.Intowhatbackgrounddoesthebookfit?Youcanusethefollowingquestionstohelpyoufindsomeofthefacts.AlsousetheideaspresentedintheBookBackgroundMethodofBibleStudy(chapter8).Manyoftheanswersmaybefoundrightinthebookitself,solooktherefirst.Ifyoucan’tfindtheanswersinthetextalone,thencheckoutsidereferences(seeToolsYouWillNeedearlierinthischapter).
• WhatcanIlearnaboutthewriter(s)?•. Whenwasthebookwritten?(Date)•. Wherewasthebookwritten?•. Towhomwasthebookwritten?Whowerethey?Whowashe?Whowas
she?(Findoutabouttheirhistoricalandgeographicalbackgrounds.)
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•. Whywasthebookwritten?(Investigatethecircumstancesrelatedtothewriting.)
•. Whatotherbackgroundinformationshedslightonthisbook?•. WhatistheplaceofthisbookintheBible?Isitabridgebetweenvarious
periodsofhistory?•. What are thegeographic locationsmentioned in thebook?Whereare
they?(Drawamapifitwillbehelpfultoyou.)
Step FOur Make a Horizontal Chart of the Book’s Contents
Oneoftheexcitingstepsindoingabooksurveyismakingahorizontalchart.Thisisadiagramedlayoutofabook’scontentsononeortwosheetsofpaper.Thevalueofsuchachart isthatitenablesyoutolayoutvisuallythebook’scontentsanddivisions.Itgivesyouanewperspectiveofthebook.Thethreepartstoasimplehorizontalchartarethemajor.divisionsofthebook,chapter.titles,andparagraph.titles .
Why.make.a.horizontal.chart?Yougainseveralbenefitsinthisstudybymakingone.
•. Ithelpsyousummarizethemainideasandcontentsofabook.•. Itenablesyoutoseethecontentsofanentirebookataglance.•. It helps youdiscover the relationshipsbetweenchaptersandbetween
paragraphs.•. Itmakesyouawareofideasrepeatedinseveralplacesinthebook.•. It serves as a memory device to help you recall a chapter’s content
quickly.•. Itenablesyoutothinkthroughabookandrememberit.
Preparation.for.making.a.horizontal.chart .Youneedthreetoolstomakeasim-plehorizontalchart:
•. ABiblewithparagraphdivisions.Manyrecentversionshavedividedthetextintoparagraphstoenableyoutoseetheunitsofthought.Youhavetoknowtheseinordertomakethechart.
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•. Apencil(orpen)andaruler.•. Ablanksheetofpaper,preferably8½x11insize.Trytofityourchart
ononesheetofpapersoyoucanseetheentirestructureofthebookataglance.Whenyouareworkingona longbook (e.g., Isaiah,Genesis,Psalms), try touseasfewsheetsaspossible. Inusingmorethanonesheet,besuretousethesamescalesoyoucanmatchthesheets.
How.to.make.a.horizontal.chart .Gothroughthefollowingfourstepsforeachchartyoumake.
1.Onablank sheet ofpaper,makeasmanyvertical columnsas therearechaptersinthebook.Forlongerbooks,makethecolumnsnarrowerandabbreviatewhatyouwriteinthemandusetwoorthreesheetsofpaperasneeded.
2.readthroughthebookagainandfinditsmajor.divisions.recordthesedivi-sionsinasfewwordsaspossibleatthetopofyourchart(seetheSampleFilled-outForm).
3.readthroughthebookagainandthinkofatitle.for.each.chapter(orgroupofchaptersinalongerbook).recordtheseatthetopofeachcolumndirectlybelowthemajordivisions.IrvingJensenhassuggestedfivecharacteristicsofgoodchap-tertitles(Independent.Bible.Study,MoodyPress,p.108).
•. Preferablyuseoneword,notmorethanfour.•. Usepicturesquewordsthathelpyouvisualizethecontents.•. Usewordstakendirectlyfromthetextifpossible.•. Usewordsthathavenotbeenusedpreviouslyaschaptertitlesinyour
studyofotherbooks.•. Usewordsthattellyouwhereyouareinthebook.
4.readthroughthebookoncemoreanddothesamethingtoallthepara-graphs inyourbook.Try to relate theparagraph. titles to thechapter titleunderwhichtheyfall.
Asyoubecomeproficientinthisexercise,youmayaddthingstoyourchartsthatpersonalizeyourstudy.
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Step Five Make a Tentative Outline of the Book
Afteryouhavesummarizedthecontentsofthebookonahorizontalchart,youarereadytomakeasimpletentativeoutlineofthebook.Lateron,intheBookSynthesisMethodofBibleStudy (chap.11), youwillmakeyour final,detailedoutlineof thebook. In thecurrentmethodyoushouldmerelyoutline thehighpointsofthebookandshowtheirrelationshipwithoneanother.Herearesomesuggestions:
1.refertoyourhorizontalchartforideasinoutlining.Oftenyourchartwillreadilyshowthenaturalorganizationofthebook’scontents.
2.Outlinefromthemajortotheminor.Lookformajordivisionsofthebookfirst,thenthesubdivisions(whichcouldbethechaptersthemselves),andfinallytheimportantpointsthatfallunderthesubdivisions(whichcouldbethepara-graphs).Inlongerbooksyoumayneedtohavefurthersubpointsunderthese.
3.Watchyourparagraphdivisionsforcluesinoutlining.Sincetheparagraphis thebasicunitof thought inwriting,youcanuse theparagraphdivisionsasaguideindesigningtheoutlineofthechapter.Writeasummarystatementforeachparagraph,thenusethosestatementsasthemajorpointsofyouroutline.
4.Afteryouhavedoneyourownoutlining,compareyourswithasmanyotheroutlinesasyoucan.Check the referencebooksavailable toyouandcompareyourworkwiththosewriters.Don’tbeconcernedifyouroutlinedoesnotmatchtheseexactly,foroftentherearemanywaystooutlineabook.Youwilldiscoverthatevennotablescholarsdisagreewitheachother.
Step Six Write Out a Personal Application
Eventhoughthemainpurposeofabooksurveyistogetyouacquaintedwithitsgeneralcontents,youshouldnot forget tomakeapersonalapplicationofsomeinsightyoudiscoveralongtheway.SelectonethingtheLordspoketoyouaboutfromyoursurveyandwriteapersonal,practical,possible,andmeasurableapplica-tiononthattruth.(Seetheinstructionsinchapter1onhowtowriteameaningfulapplication.)
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The.Book.Survey.Method.of.Bible.Study
17�
HOWTOFILLINTHEBOOKSUrVEYFOrM
Use the format theendof thischapterordraftdivisionsonyourownsheetofpaper.
Filling Out the Form
Youwillusethisformoryourownsheetwiththedivisionsplusanothersheet(forthehorizontalchart).Writeoutthenameofthebookintheblankprovidedandthenumberofchaptersthebookcontains.Thenfollowthesixstepsdiscussedabove,withtheninesectionsunderStepTwo.
1. recordthetotalnumberoftimesyouhavereadthroughthebook. 2. Fromyourvariousreadings,fillinthesectionsonyourblankBookSurvey
Form.referbacktoStepTwo—MakeNotesonWhatYouread. 3. recordwhateverbackgroundobservationsyoubelievehelpyouunder-
standthisbook. 4. Onaseparatepieceofpaper,drawasimplehorizontalchart. 5. Inoutlineformwriteoutasummaryoroverviewofthebook. 6. Writeoutonepracticalapplication.
Sample Filled-out Form
SeetheexampleonthebookofEphesiansattheendofthischapter.
Assignment
Begin your study of books of the Bible—Book Survey, Chapter Analysis, BookSynthesis—withsomeof theshorterepistlesof theNewTestament.Onceyouhavemasteredtheprocess,youmaywanttotryMark,theshortestgospel,oroneoftheshorterminorprophets.Hereisasuggestedorderinwhichtobegin:
• 1Thessalonians• 1John• Philippians• 2Timothy
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• Ephesians• Mark• romans• Habakkuk
Afterdoingthese,selectyourownbookstostudy.
For Further Reading
Inaddition to the followingbooks, see thesurveysandbackgroundbookssug-gestedin“ToolsYouWillNeed”earlierinthischapter.
How.to.Read.the.Bible.Book.by.Book.byGordonFeeandDouglasStuart(Zondervan)Independent.Bible.StudybyIrvingL.Jensen(MoodyPress)A.Literary.Guide.to.the.Bible.byLelandrykenandTremperLongman(Zondervan)Studying,. Interpreting,.and.Applying.the.Bible.byWalterA.HenrichsenandGayleJackson
(Zondervan)The.Navigator.Bible.Studies.Handbook.(NavPress)
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BOOk sURveY fORM
181
BOOk Ephesians chapterS 6
1. nuMBer OF tiMeS reaD 5
2. nOteS On the BOOk
• Category:.NewTestamentletter
• First impressions:. It isabookthatstrengthensmyfaithandchal-lengesmetomyresponsibilities.Stronglydoctrinal.
• Key words:.“inChrist”and“walk”
• Key verse:.1:3and4:1
• literary Style:.Ageneralletterthatispunctuatedbytwoworshipfulprayers.
• emotional tone:.Calmwiththeintentionofteachingthereadersandchallengingthemtotheirresponsibilities.
• main theme(s):.WhatwearebecauseofJesusChrist(“inChrist”)andtheresponsibilitiesthatareoursbecauseofourstanding.
• Structure:.Twomaindivisionsseparatedbya“therefore.”Inthefirstpart,twoprayersarerecorded.
• major people:.Paul,theEphesianchurch,evilforces,andTychicus
reFerence BOOkS uSeD
Eerdmans.Handbook.to.the.BibleWilliamHendriksen’sEphesiansThe.New.Bible.Dictionary
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BOOk sURveY fORM3. BackgrOunD OF BOOk
PaulhadfoundedthechurchinEphesusonhissecondmissionary journeyandleftPriscillaandAquilatheretofollowupwiththeconverts.TheretheyhadaninfluenceonApollos’life.
AtthebeginningofhisthirdmissionPaulreturnedandministeredinthecityforalengthytime,duringwhichthegospelspreadthroughoutalloftheprov-inceofAsia.
Then,afterPaulwasimprisonedinrome,hewrotealettertothischurch.Itsoccasionwassimplyanopportunitytostrengthenthechurchbothdoctrinallyandpractically.Itwaswrittentoreinforcebelieversthereintheiropinionofthemselves(inlightoftheotherpowerfulreligiousinfluencesinthecity—e.g.,thetempleofArtemis)andincarryingouttheirresponsibilitiesasChris-tiansintheircommunity.
ManyreferencesinthebookhavepertinencetotheoriginalreadersbecausethebackgroundisthecityofEphesus,itsculture,government,andhistory.(SeetheBackgroundStudyfordetailsonthese.)
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183
4. h
Or
izO
nta
l c
ha
rt
Who
the
Mem
bers
oft
heC
hurc
hAr
e1:
1–
3:21
Wha
tthe
Mem
bers
oft
heC
hurc
hAr
eto
Do
4:1
–6:
24
Chos
enb
yGo
dSa
ved
byC
hris
tEm
pow
ered
by
the
Holy
Spi
ritre
spon
sibi
litie
sre
latio
nshi
psCo
nflic
t
12
34:
1–
5:21
5:22
–6
:96:
10–
20
Thre
edo
xolo
gies
se
para
teth
ew
ork
ofth
eTr
inity
:•
Fath
er(1
:4–
6)
•So
n(1
:7–
12)
•Ho
lyS
pirit
(1
:13
–14
)
The
wor
kof
Chr
ist
iss
een
asa
wor
kof
gra
ceth
atw
ere
ceiv
eby
faith
.•
rede
mpt
ion
(2:1
–1
0)•
reco
ncili
atio
n(2
:11
–22
)(T
here
sults
of
each
are
see
nhe
re.)
The
min
istr
yof
the
Holy
Spi
ritis
to
mak
eal
lbel
ieve
rs
ofa
llba
ckgr
ound
son
ein
Chr
ist.
This
w
asa
mys
tery
be
fore
.
“The
refo
re..
.”1.
We
are
toh
ave
aun
ited
wal
k(4
:1–
16)
.2.
We
are
toh
ave
anu
nder
-st
andi
ngw
alk
(4:1
7–
32).
3.W
ear
eto
hav
ea
holy
wal
k(5
:1–
14)
.4.
We
are
toh
ave
aSp
irit-
led
wal
k(5
:15
–21
).
The
spec
ifics
are
no
wg
iven
:1.
Hus
band
san
dw
ives
(5:2
2–
33)
2.P
aren
tsa
nd
child
ren
(6:1
–4
)3.
“Em
ploy
er”
and
“em
ploy
ee”
(6:5
–9
)
The
reas
onw
eha
ved
ifficu
lties
in
ourr
espo
nsib
ilitie
san
dre
latio
nshi
ps
iso
urs
pirit
ual
war
fare
.But
we
have
God
’sa
rmor
to
pro
tect
us.
Paul
’sfi
rstp
raye
r(1
:15
–23
)Pa
ul’s
sec
ond
pray
er(3
:14
–21
)Pa
ul’s
clo
sing
gr
eetin
gs,T
ychi
cus
sent
(6:2
1–
24)
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BOOk sURveY fORM5. tentative Outline OF the BOOk
I. WhotheMembersoftheChurchAre(1–3) A.TheyhavebeenchosenbyGod(1)(endswithaprayer) B.TheyhavebeensavedbyChrist(2) C.TheyareempoweredbytheHolySpirit(3)(endsinaprayer) II.WhattheMembersoftheChurchAretoDo(4–6) A.Theirresponsibilities(4:1–5:21) B.Theirrelationshipsatthreelevels(5:22–6:9) C.Theirconflictwithsatanicpowers(6:10–20)
Concludingremarks(6:21–24)
6. perSOnal applicatiOn
Whatstrikesmeaboutthisbookisthecloserelationshipbetweenbelievingandacting.IfIbelieveinJesusChrist,thenIamsupposedtoactinaChristianway.BecauseofwhoIaminthesightofGod,certainactionsarerequiredofmeinallmyrelationships.
BecauseIhavebeenreconciledtoothers(chap.2), IamtobeforgivinginthesamewayChristforgaveme(4:32).Ihavenotalwaysbeenthatforgivingandhaveheldgrudgesandresentments. IwillsearchmyheartandmakesurethatIhaveforgiveneveryonewhomayhave“donemewrong”—realorimagined.Then,ifnecessary,Iwillgotothesepeopleandasktheirforgive-ness.Asacheckonmyself,IwillmemorizeEphesians4:32.
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BOOk sURveY fORM
185
BOOk chapterS
1. nuMBer OF tiMeS reaD
2. nOteS On the BOOk
• Category:
• First impressions:
• Key words:
• Key verse:
• literary Style:
• emotional tone:
• main theme(s):
• Structure:
• major people:
reFerence BOOkS uSeD
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BOOk sURveY fORM3. BackgrOunD OF BOOk
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187
4. h
Or
izO
nta
l c
ha
rt
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BOOk sURveY fORM5. tentative Outline OF the BOOk
6. perSOnal applicatiOn
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ThesecondstageofstudyingabookoftheBibleistodoachapteranalysisofeachofthechaptersofthatbook.Afterthesurveystudyhasbeencompletedandyouhaveaprettygoodgraspandoverviewofthebook,beginexaminingitsindividualparts.Sincemostchapterdivisionsaresuitableanduseful,itisbesttoexaminethepartsinthisway.
Definition
Chapteranalysis involvesgaininga thoroughunderstandingof thematerialofachapterofabookbylookingcarefullyateachparagraph,sentence,andwordinanintenselydetailedandsystematicmanner.ThethreepartsofthismethodareaChapterSummary,aVerse-by-VerseAnalysis,andaChapterConclusion.Thesepartsmaybedoneonthegivenformoronblankpiecesofpaper.
Why Do a chaPter analysis?
ChapterAnalysis,whendonealongwiththeBookSurveyandBookSynthesismeth-ods,enablesustounderstandtheBibleinthewayinwhichitwaswritten—inwhole
10THe cHaPTeR
anaLYsis MeTHOD Of BiBLe sTUDY
How to Do an In-depth Study of a Chapter of a Bible Book
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books.Itisalsoamethodinwhichweuselimitedoutsidehelps,thusenablingustolearntheScripturesonourown.
Note:DawsonTrotman,founderandfirstpresidentoftheNavigators,believedthatthismethodisthemajormeansofaChristian’sintakeoftheWordofGod.Hun-dredsofmenandwomenintheearlydaysoftheorganizationweretrainedtodochapteranalysisandreceivedbyitabiblicaleducationcomparabletothatavailableinBibleinstitutesandcolleges.Sincethattime,anumberofexcellentbookshavebeenpublishedthatexpandonthismethodindetail.Ifthismethodespeciallyinter-estsyou,Isuggestyouobtainsomeofthebookslistedattheendofthischapter.Theyprovideexcellentadditionalinsightsintothispopularstudymethod.
simPle stePs for Doing a chaPter analysis stuDy
Inthismethodyoubeginwithanintroduction(chaptersummary),whichisStepOne,thendoaverse-by-verseanalysis(StepsTwothroughFive),andfinishwithachapterconclusion(StepsSixandSeven).
Step One — Write Out a Chapter Summary
Step twO — List Your Observations
Step three — Ask Interpretation Questions
Step FOur — Correlate Your Chapter with Other Scriptures
Step Five — List Some Possible Applications
Step Six — Write Down Some Concluding Thoughts
Step Seven — Write Out One Application
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The.Chapter.Analysis.Method.of.Bible.Study
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Step One Write Out a Chapter Summary
Youbeginthisstepbyreadingandrereadingthechaptermanytimes.Allyouaredoinghereismakinggeneralobservationsonthechapterasawhole.Afteryouhave read it throughseveral times,describe thegeneral contents inoneof thewaysabouttobedescribed.Donottrytointerpretwhatyouseeatthistime,butmerelyaimtobecomefamiliarwiththechapter.Youmaysummarizeitinoneofthefollowingways:
1..Paraphrase.it .Thesimplestwayisjusttorephrasethechapterinyourownwords.Summarizeitinsuchawaythatyoucouldreadyourparaphrasetoanotherperson.YoucanchecksomerecentparaphraseversionsoftheBibleforexamplesofthis.
2.Outline.it .Anothersimplewaytosummarizeisthroughanoutlinethatfol-lowstheparagraphdivisionsofthechapter.Giveatitletoeachparagraph,thenplacesomesubpointsundereachone.
3.Rewrite.it.without.the.modifying.clauses.and.phrases .Usejustthesubjects,verbs,andobjects inyoursummary.This isagreatwaytosummarizesomeofPaul’swritings,forexample,whererun-onsentences(especiallyintheKingJamesVersion)arehardtounderstandbecauseoftheircomplexity.
Afteryouhavecompletedyourchaptersummary,giveatitle tothechapter,usingeitheryourtitlefromthebooksurveyoranewonethatoccurredtoyoudur-ingthisstudy.
Step twO List Your Observations
This step begins the verse-by-verse analysis of the chapter. You start with theactivityofobservation.Inthisstepyouarelookingindetailateverysentenceandwordandthenwritingdowneverythingyousee.Youaretryingtoanswertheques-tion,“Whatdoesitsay?”
Beforeyoucanbegintointerpretthemeaningofaverseorpassage,youmustfirstlookatwhatitactuallysays.ThepurposeofobservationistosaturateyourselfcompletelywiththecontentsofaBiblepassage.ThemarkofgoodBiblestudentsisthattheyhavetrainedthemselvestoobservethingsinthetextthatothersoverlook.
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Overlooking. biblical. facts.—.reasons. why . There are three reasons why weoftenoverlookthingsandmisssomuchinthebiblicaltext:(1)Werushthroughapassagetooquickly.Soweneedtoslowdownandnotindulgeinspeed-reading.(2)Wedon’twritedownourobservations.LouisAgassiz,a19th-centuryprofessorofzoologyatHarvardwhotaughthisstudentstheartofobservation,usedtosay,“Apencilisthebesteye.”Weneedtowritedownwhatwesee,andthenwewillbeginseeingmore.(3)Wegiveuptoosoon.Thelongerwesqueezealemon,themorejuicewegetoutofit—toapoint.Butunlikelemons,theBiblenevergoesdry.Wecanstudyatextahundredtimesandneverexhausttherichesthatareinit.Soweshouldn’tgiveuptoosoon;rather,weshouldkeeponlooking—thelongerthebetter.
Asking.questions .Ashasalreadybeendiscussed,thesecretofgoodBiblestudyislearningtoasktherightquestions(seetheIntroductionatthebeginningofthisbook).ThenumberofquestionsyoucanaskofatextofScriptureincreasesinpro-portiontoyourwillingnesstostickwithit.AsyoucontinuegrowinginBiblestudyskills,thetypeandnumberofquestionsyouaskwillimproveandyouwillbeabletoobservemoreandmore.Thekeytogoodobservations,then,isacombinationofdiligence,patience,askingmanyquestions,andwritingdowneverythingyousee.
Tohelpyouinyourobservations,appendixFlists30ideasfromwhichyoucanselecttheonesthatwillsuityourstudy.
Step three Ask Interpretation Questions
Afterobservingallyoucaninthepassageunderstudy,youarereadytomoveontointerpretation.Thisstepinvolvesaskingquestionsaboutmeaning,thentryingtofindanswerstothem.Inthisexerciseyoudiscoverthebiblicalwriter’spurposeandmessagebyuncoveringwhathemeansbyhisidea.
Interpretivequestionsincludeaskingwhatorwhy .Someexamples:•. Whydidthewritersaythis?•. Whatisthemeaningof____________?•. Whatisthesignificanceof____________?•. Whatistheimplicationof____________?• Whyisthisimportant?
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The.Chapter.Analysis.Method.of.Bible.Study
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Youshouldbeabletothinkofmanyotherinterpretivequestionstoask.Neverthink that any question is too silly or dumb. Always write every question downonyourformeventhoughyoumaynotfindananswertoit.Lateron,instudyinganotherchapter,youmaybeabletoanswerit;ifso,comebacktothischapter’sformandfillintheanswer.rememberthatthemorequestionsyouask,themoreyouwilldrawoutofthetext.
Listing. difficulties . When you are writing down your questions, it is a goodideatoincludeanydifficultiesyouhaveinunderstandingwhatisbeingsaid.Twocommon typesarepersonaldifficulties—questionsyouwould likeanswered inthefuture,oritemsforfuturestudy,andpossible.difficulties—mattersthatdon’tbotheryouatthistime,butwouldbegoodtostudysoyoucanhelpotherswhomightbebotheredbythem.
Finding.the.right.meaning.of.the.text .Afteryouhavelistedallyourquestionsofinterpretation,youneedtostartfindingsomeanswers.Thereareseveralwaystodothis.
1.Check.the.context .Youshouldalwaysstarthere,foroftentheanswerstoyourquestionswillbefoundintheversesprecedingorfollowingthetext.Alwaysinterpretapassageinlightofitscontext.Toreviewthecontext,youmayhavetogobacktoyourobservationsoryourbooksurveytoanswerthesequestions:
• Whoisspeaking?• Whoisbeingspokento?• Whenisitbeingspoken?•. Whereisitbeingspoken?•. Whatistheoccasionorcircumstance?•. Whatisthemainsubjectofthemessage?•. Istheaimofwhatisbeingsaidrevealed?•. Whatotherbackgroundmaterialclarifiesthisstatement?
Youcanavoidagreatdealofmisinterpretationbyfirstcheckingoutthecontextofaverse.
2.Define.the.words.and.phrases.used .Youmustinterpretyourtextaccordingtothecorrectandpropermeaningofthewords.LookuptheimportantwordsinaBibledictionary,wordstudyset,orEnglishdictionary.
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3.Study.the.grammar.and.structure.of.the.sentences .Sometimesaproblemofinterpretationcanbeclearedupbydiagrammingasentenceorbyunderstandingwhatgrammaticalusagethewriterintendedintheparagraph.
4.Compare.several.translations.of.the.text .UsedifferentrecentversionsoftheBibletoseehowthevarioustranslatorsrenderedaparticularword,phrase,orparagraph.
5.Study.the.background.of. the.text . Interpretyourtext in lightof thehistori-cal,cultural,geographic,economic,social,andpoliticalbackgroundsofthebook,includingthecurrenteventsofthattime.Thisshowsyouthevalueofdoingabooksurveystudybeforeattemptingachapteranalysisstudy.Useyourreferencetoolstocheckon thebackground, thewriter’spurpose inwriting thebook,andotherpertinentfactors.
6.Compare.your.text.with.other.passages.of.Scripture .Thisnextstep—cor-relation—willgiveyousomeanswers to interpretivequestionsasyoucompareScripturewithScripture.
7.Consult.a.commentary.as.a. last. resort . If youhave trieddiligently to findthemeaningofthetextyourselfandyourcross-referenceshavenothelpedyou,consult theworksofgreatBiblescholars.There isaplace forcommentaries inBiblestudy,butitcomesonly.after.you.have.done.your.own.work .CompareyourinterpretationwiththewritingsofdevoutChristiansandseeifyoursagreeswiththeirs.Ifyouhaveacorrectinterpretation,youmaybesureGodhasshownittosomeothersincereBiblestudentsinthepast.Ifyoucan’tfindanyonewhoagreeswithyou,youhaveprobablygotawronginterpretation.
Step FOur Correlate Your Chapter with Other Scriptures
Thisstepinvolvesfindingcross-referencesfortheversesofyourchapterinordertofurtherexplainthemeaningofthetext.Itisbasedontheprincipleofinterpreta-tionthatsays,“TheBibleinterpretsitself;ScripturebestexplainsScripture.”Youcanofteninterpretpassagesthatarenotclearbypassagesthatare.Askyourself,“HowdootherScripturesrelatetoandexplainthisone?”
Steps.in.cross-referencing .Herearesomepracticalwaystocorrelateverses:1.First,lookforcross-referenceswithinthesamebookyouarestudying.This
isinternalcorrelation.
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The.Chapter.Analysis.Method.of.Bible.Study
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2.Second,comparestatementsinotherwritingsbythesameauthor.Thisisexternalcorrelation.
3.Then,comparewithotherbooksinthesametestament.4.Finally,comparereferencesinallofScripture.Youcanfindcross-referencesinastudyBibleorreferenceBibleorbylooking
upsimilarwordsinaconcordance.Types. of. cross-references . There are several different types of cross-refer-
ences,includingthefollowing:
•. The. pure. cross-reference . This is sometimes called the parallel cross-referencebecauseitsaysalmostexactlythesamethingastheverseyouareanalyzing.
•. The. illustrative. cross-reference . This type, which may involve a realeventorpersoninhistory,illustrateswhattheverseyouarestudyingissaying.
•. The.contrasting.cross-reference .Thistypesaystheoppositeofwhatyourversesays.Itmaylooklikeacontradiction,butitisactuallyapproachingthesubjectfromadifferentviewpoint.
Onewordofcaution:Besuretocheckthecontextoftheversesyouchooseascross-references.Otherwiseyoumaybemakingthemsaywhatthewriterdidnotsay.
Step Five List Some Possible Applications
Thelastpartoftheverse-by-verseanalysisistowritedownsomepossibleappli-cations.rememberthatyourgoalinBiblestudyisnotjustinterpretationbutappli-cation.Becauseof themanyapplications a chaptermayhave, youwill only belistingthemhere.Lateron,inStepSeven,youwillchooseoneofthesetowriteoutandtoworkonforaweek.Youhavealreadyseenthatyoucannotworkonmorethanoneapplicationperweek.Itisbettertorecordjustoneandfullyapplythattruthtoyourlifethantowritedownseveralapplicationsandthenfailtoimplementanyofthem.
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Step Six Write Down Some Concluding Thoughts
Gobackover theresultsof thefirst fivesteps,reviewthemcarefully,andwritedown some concluding thoughts on the chapter. These can include additionalobservations,someofyourinterpretations,themesyouhavediscovered,possibletopicsandpeopleyouwanttostudyinthefuture,wordsyoumaywanttodoawordstudyon,andanynumberofotherthoughtsthatcometomind.
Step Seven Write Out One Application
NowgobacktothepossibleapplicationsyoulistedinStepFiveandchooseoneofthesetoworkonthiscomingweek.Bynowyoushouldhavehadplentyofpracticeatwritingoutapplicationsthatarepersonal,practical,possible,andmeasurable.Ifnecessary,referbacktotheDevotionalMethodofBibleStudy(chap.1).Don’tforgettoputyourapplicationinthepresent,notfuture,tense.Askyourself,“WhatamIgoingtodoaboutthisnow?”
HOWTOFILLINTHECHAPTErANALYSISFOrM
Usetheformattheendofthechapterorwriteoutyourstudyonyourownsheetofpaperwiththenecessarydivisions.
Filling Out the Form
Firstfillinthereferenceforthechapteryouwillstudy.Youmaywanttostudyonlyhalfachapterifitisalongone.Afterafewreadings,fillinyourowntitleforthechapter,eitherfromyourbooksurveystudyoranewonethatyouthoughtofinthesereadings.Next,youshouldsummarizethechapter,usingoneof thethreemethodssuggestedinStepOne.
Asyoubegintheverse-by-verseanalysis,writedowntheversenumbersinthecolumnsprovidedand followthatwithyourobservations, interpretations,correla-tions,andpossibleapplications.Useadditionalpiecesofpaperorformsasneeded.
On thebackof the formwritedownyourconcluding thoughtsand thatoneapplication.
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The.Chapter.Analysis.Method.of.Bible.Study
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Sample Filled-out Form
SeetheexampleofEphesians1attheendofthischapter.
Assignment
SeetheassignmentintheBookSurveyMethodofBibleStudy(chap.9)forsug-gested assignments as to which books of the Bible to study using these threemethods.
For Further Reading
MoregoodBiblestudybookshavebeenwrittenonthismethodthanonanyother.Asyourinclinationandfinancesallow,purchasesomeoftheseforyourownlibraryandreference.
Good Books on Chapter Analysis
Methodical.Bible.Study.byrobertA.Traina(Zondervan)[Veryadvanced]The.Navigator.Bible.Studies.Handbook.(NavPress)The.New.Joy.of.Discovery.in.Bible.Study.byOlettaWald(AugsburgFortress)Personal.Bible.Study.byWilliamLincoln(BethanyFellowship)
Good Books on Interpretation
Basic.Biblical.Interpretation.byroyZuck(Victor)Basics.of.Bible.Interpretation.byBobSmith(WordBooks)Getting.the.Message.byDanielDoriani(Presbyterian&reformed)Grasping.God’s.Word.byScottDuvallandDanielHays(Zondervan)How.to.Read.the.Bible.for.All.Its.Worth.byGordonFeeandDouglasStuart(Zondervan)How.to.Understand.Your.Bible.byT.NortonSterrett(InterVarsityPress)Protestant.Biblical.Interpretation.byBernardramm(Baker)Studying,. Interpreting,. and. Applying. the. Bible. by Walter Henrichsen and Gayle Jackson
(Zondervan)
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cHaPTeR anaLYsis fORM chapter Ephesians1
chapter title “God’sGreatPurposeforOurLives”
1. chapter SuMMary
Introduction(1:1–2) I. TherevelationofthePurposeofGod(1:3–14) A.Thesummarystatement—whathehasgivenus(1:3) B.Thebasisofoursalvation(theworkofGodtheFather)(1:4–6) 1. Chosentobeholyandblameless(1:4) 2.Adoptedashissons(1:5) 3.Gracefreelygivenus(1:6) C.Thebenefitsofoursalvation(theworkofGodtheSon)(1:7–12) 1. Hesacrificedhimselfforus(1:7) 2.Helavishedgraceonus(1:8) 3.Herevealedhiswilltous(1:9–10) 4.Hemadeuspartofhisinheritance(1:11–12) D.The bestowment of our salvation (the work of God the Holy Spirit)
(1:13–14) l. HerevealedChristtous(1:13) 2.HesealedusasGod’schildren(1:13) 3.Heguaranteesourinheritance(1:14) II. TheresponseofPrayertoGod(1:15–23) A.Thefoundationoftheprayer(1:15–17a) 1. Forfaithfulandlovingbelievers(1:15) 2.ToafaithfulandlovingGod(1:16–17a) B.Theformulationoftheprayer(1:17b–20a) 1. Prayerforwisdom(1:17b) 2.Prayerforenlightenment(1:18a) 3.Prayerforexperientialknowledge(1:18b–20a) C.Thefinaleoftheprayer(1:20b–23) Acknowledgmentof... 1. Christ’sresurrection(1:20b) 2.Christ’sdominionoverall(1:21) 3.Christ’sheadshipoverall(1:22) 4.Christ’slordshipoverthechurch(1:23)
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1��
2. OBServatiOn 3. interpretatiOn
what does it say? what does it mean?
Eph. V. V.
1:3 GodhasblessedmewithEVErYspiritualblessing.
3 Godthinkstheworldofme.
4 Godchosemetolivealifeofholiness.
4 ImustobeyGodandhiscom-mandments.
5 Godhasadoptedmeintohisfamily.
5 ThismeansthatIbelongtohimforever.
7 ThroughChristIhavebeenforgiven.
7 Christistheonlyonewhocanforgivesins.
9 GodhasrevealedhiswilltousthroughJesusChrist.
9 ChristisGod’stotalrevelationofhimself.
11 IammadeanheirofGodthroughChrist.
11 Ihavealltheprivilegesofbeinganheir.
13–14 TheHolySpiritinmeisaguaranteeofmysalvationandacceptance.
13–14 ThismeansIamimportant,thatGodgavemesogreataguar-antee.
16 PaulpraysfortheEphesians. 16 IneedtoprayforfellowChris-tians.
18 Paulpraysforothers’enlighten-ment.
18 IneedtopraythatothersmayknowGod’swill.
cHaPTeR anaLYsis fORM
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4. cOrrelatiOn 5. applicatiOn
where else is it explained? what will i do about it?
V
3 1Peter1:32Peter1:4
ThankGodforwhathehasdoneforme.
4 romans8:29Exodus20:1–17
ImustmakesureI’mleadingaholylife.
5 Galatians4:5Philippians2:13
IneedtoactasbelongingtoGod’sfamily.
7 Mark10:45romans3:25
ImustthankGodforthetotalityofhisforgiveness.
9 Galatians1:15Ephesians3:9Hebrews1:1–2
BiblestudyisanessentialifI’mtoknowGod’swill.
11 romans8:16–17Acts20:32
IshouldthankGodforthisgreatgift.
13–14 John3:33Ephesians4:302Corinthians5:5
IneedtolivemylifeinsuchawayasnottooffendtheSpiritwholivesinme.
16 Philippians1:3romans1:8–10
IneedtoprayforJohn,Sue,andBob.
18 Acts26:18 IneedtopraythisforCharlieandGail.
cHaPTeR anaLYsis fORM
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cHaPTeR anaLYsis fORM
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6. cOncluSiOnS
ThischaptershowswhatGodhasgivenhispeople—hehasblessedthemwitheveryspiritualblessingthereis.ItgoesontolistmanyofthoseblessingsintheTrinitarianworkofsalvation.ThisiswhatGodtheFather,GodtheSon,andGodtheHolySpirithavedoneforus.readingasectionofScripturelikethisshouldgiveusarealsenseofworth,becausethisisGod’scommentaryonwhathethinksofthosewhobelongtohim.
Theproperresponsetothisgrandrevelationshouldbeaprayerofthanksgiv-ing,adoration,andpraise,whichisexactlywhatPauldoesattheendofthechapter.
7. a perSOnal applicatiOn
IneedtodevelopmoreofthespiritofprayerasPauldoeshere.Heissoover-whelmedbywhatGodhasdoneforusthathespontaneouslyprays.IneedtomeditateonwhatGodhasdoneformeandsorespondbacktohimwithaprayerofadorationandpraiseaswell.
Toimplementthis,IwillrereadEphesians1fivetimes,substituting“I”and“me”forthepronounsinthechapterandthenspendtimeprayingwithoutaskinganythingformyself,butdirectingallmyrequeststowardGodandhisglory.
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cHaPTeR anaLYsis fORM chapter
chapter title
1. chapter SuMMary
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2. OBServatiOn 3. interpretatiOn
what does it say? what does it mean?
Verse Verse
cHaPTeR anaLYsis fORM
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4. cOrrelatiOn 5. applicatiOn
where else is it explained? what will i do about it?
Verse
cHaPTeR anaLYsis fORM
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cHaPTeR anaLYsis fORM
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6. cOncluSiOnS
7. a perSOnal applicatiOn
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InstudyingabookoftheBible,webeganwiththebooksurvey,whichexaminedthebookasawholeandcameupwithatentativeoutlineofthebook.Thenweexam-inedthebookcarefullychapterbychapter,analyzingeachverseineachchapter.Nowwecometothethirdofthemethodsinthisthree-partapproachtostudyingabookoftheBible.Thisthirdmethodwillhelpyousummarizeandcondensewhatyouhavelearnedfromtheprevioustwomethods(chaps.9and10).
Definition
TheBookSynthesisMethodofBibleStudyinvolvesstudyingabookasawholeunitofthoughtbyreadingitstraightthroughmanytimesandsummarizingitscontentsonthebasisofthepreviousstudyandtheanalysisofeachofitschapters.“Thewordsynthetic.isderivedfromtheGreekprepositionsyn,whichmeanstogether,andtheverbalrootthe,whichmeansto.put,sothattheresultantmeaningis‘aput-tingtogether.’Syntheticistheoppositeofanalytic,whichmeans‘atakingapart’”
11THe BOOk sYnTHesis
MeTHOD Of BiBLe sTUDY
How to Tie a Whole Book of the Bible Together
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(MerrillC.Tenney,Galatians:.The.Charter.of.Christian.Liberty,Eerdmans,p.26).Insynthesisweignorethedetailsandlookonlyatthewholepicture.Inthismethodweputtogetherwhatwetookapartinthepreviousone(chap.10).
Why this methoD of BiBle stuDy
TheBookSynthesisMethod is thenatural conclusion toan in-depthstudyofasinglebookoftheBible.Usedincombinationwiththeprevioustwomethods,thisstudyenablesyoutoseethebookasawholeagainafterhavinglookedatitspartsindetail.You“putthebookbacktogether”soyoucanseeallofthedetailsofthebookintheproperperspective.Youdothisbyrereadingthebook,producingafinaloutline,findingadescriptivetitleforit,summarizingyouroverallconclusionsaboutthebook,andwritinganapplication.
tools you Will neeD
YouwillneedthesametoolsforthismethodasfortheBookSurveyMethodfoundinchapter9.
Step One — Reread the Book
Step twO — Write Out a Detailed, Final Outline
Step three — Write Down a Descriptive Book Title
Step FOur — Make a Summary of Your Insights
Step Five — Write Out a Personal Application
Step Six — Share the Results of Your Study with Others
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The.Book.Synthesis.Method.of.Bible.Study
20�
simPle stePs on Doing a Book synthesis
TheBookSynthesisFormhassixsteps.Besure tohavehandyyourpreviouslyfilled-inBookSurveyFormandtheChapterAnalysisFormsforeachchapterofthebooksoyoucanrefertothemoften.
Step One Reread the Book
rereadthebookseveraltimes.readitatonesitting,inarecenttranslation,rapidly,repeatedly,prayerfully,withoutreferringtocommentaries,andwithpenorpencilinhand(seetheinstructionsforStepOneinchapter9).
Step twO Write Out a Detailed, Final Outline
Comparethehorizontalchartandtentativeoutlineyoucreatedinyourbooksurveywiththepassagesummariesyoucreatedinyourchapteranalysisstudies.Basedonthiscomparisonandyourrecentreadings,writeoutadetailed,finaloutlineofthe book.Merrill Tenney gives an excellent example in his book onBible studymethods(Tenney,Christian.Liberty,p.35).
Step three Write Down a Descriptive Book Title
Fromyourhorizontalchartinthebooksurveyandyourdetailed,finaloutlineinStepTwo,writedownadescriptivetitleforthebookyouhavejuststudied.Thinkupanoriginaltitlethatdescribesinafewwordswhatthebookisallabout.Youmightalsoconsultyourchaptertitlesandformasynthesisofthem.
Step FOur Make a Summary of Your Insights
review and compare the concluding thoughts in each of your chapter analysisstudiesandsummarizewhatyoubelievearethemajorthemesandconclusionsofthebook.Donotrefertocommentariesatthispoint,fortheseshouldbeyourowninsights intoGod’sWord.These insightscouldalso includeobservationsgainedfromyournewreadings.
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Step Five Write Out a Personal Application
reviewall thepersonalapplicationsyoumade inyourbooksurveyandchapteranalysisstudiesandthepossibleapplicationsyou listedforeachchapter. Ifyouhaven’tfulfilledsomeofthewrittenapplicationsyet,writethosedowninthisstepandmakespecificplans tocarry themout immediately. Ifyouhavedonethem,choose another possible application from the chapter studies or one from yoursyntheticstudyandwriteitouthere.refertochapter1ofthisbookforthewaystodothis.
Step Six Share the Results of Your Study with Others
BiblestudyshouldnotjustbefoodforyoursoulandincreaseyourunderstandingoftheWordofGod.Itsresults,includingyourapplications,needtobesharedwithothers.Youcandothisintwoways:
1.Sharewithyour“Timothy”(orTimothette)inaone-on-onesituation.Whenyougettogether,sharewhatyouarelearningfromtheBiblestudy,whatapplica-tionsyouhavebeenworkingon,andhowheorshetoocanprofitfromtheirownstudy.Themoreyougiveout,themoreyouwilllearnyourself.
2.SharewithyourBiblestudygroup.Ifyouarenotinonealready,youmightwanttoformasmallgroupinwhichallofyouarestudyingthesamebookoftheBibleandsharingyourfindings.Thiswayyouwillstrengthenandhelponeanotherinareasofthestudiesthatmaynotbecleartosomeinthegroup.
HOWTOFILLINTHEBOOKSYNTHESISFOrM
Usetheformattheendofthischaptertoaidyouinyourstudy.Ifyourunoutofroom,attachadditionalblanksheetstotheformsoyoucankeepallofyourfind-ingstogether.
Filling Out the Form
Writethenameofthebookyouintendtostudyintheappropriateblank.Thenfol-lowthesixstepsofthestudyasyoucompletetherestoftheform.
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Sample Filled-out Form
SeethesampleonthebookofEphesiansattheendofthischapter.
Assignment
referbacktotheAssignmentsectioninchapter9(BookSurveyMethod)forsug-gestedbiblicalbooksyoumightstartwithtopracticetheselastthreemethods.
For Further Reading
Inaddition to thebooks listed in the“ForFurtherreading”sectionsof the twoprecedingchapters,herearetwoexcellentresources:
Galatians:.The.Charter.of.Christian.Liberty.byMerrillC.Tenney(Eerdmans)How.to.Read.the.Bible.Book.by.Book.byGordonFeeandDouglasStuart(Zondervan)
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BOOk sYnTHesis fORMBOOk Ephesians chapterS 6
1. nuMBer OF tiMeS reaD 5
2. DetaileD, Final Outline
Introduction(1:1–2) 1.Theauthor(1:1) 2.Therecipients(1:1) 3.Thesalutation(1:2) I. God’sPlanfortheChurch(1:3–3:21)
(WhoweareinthesightofGod) A.TheSelectionoftheChurch(1:3–23) 1.TherevelationofthepurposeofGod(1:3–14) a. Thesummarystatement(1:3) b. Thebasisofoursalvation—theworkofGodtheFather(1:4–6) c. Thebenefitsofoursalvation—theworkofGodtheSon
(1:7–12) d. Thebestowmentofoursalvation—theworkofGodtheHoly
Spirit(1:13–14) 2.TheresponseofprayertoGod(1:15–23) B.TheSalvationoftheChurch(2:1–22) 1.TheworkofChristinregeneration(2:1–10) a. Whatwewere(2:1–3) b. Whathedid(2:4–9) c. Whathemadeofus(2:10) 2.TheworkofChristinreconciliation(2:11–22) a. Whatwewere(2:11–12) b. Whathedid(2:13–18) c. Whathemadeofus(2:19–22) C.TheSecretoftheChurch(3:1–21) 1.Therevelationofthe“mystery”(3:1–13)
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Outline (Continued)
a. Allsavedpeopleareheirstogether(3:1–6) b. Thisneedstobepreachedtoeveryone(3:7–13) 2.TheresponseofprayertoGod(3:14–21) a. Prayingforotherstoknowthis(3:14–19) b. Thedoxology(3:20–21) II.TheConductoftheChurch(4:1–6:20)
(WhatourresponsibilitiesAreBeforeGod) A.TheresponsibilitiesoftheChurch(4:1–5:21) 1.Tohaveaunitedwalk(4:1–16) 2.Tohaveanunderstandingwalk(4:17–32) 3.Tohaveanunselfishwalk(5:1–4) 4.Tohaveanunsulliedwalk(5:5–21) B.TherelationshipswithintheChurch(5:21–6:9) 1.Maritalrelationships(5:21–33) 2.Familyrelationships(6:1–4) 3.Employmentrelationships(6:5–9) C.TheresourcesoftheChurch(6:10–20) 1.Theadmonition(6:10) 2.Theadversaries(6:11–12) 3.Thearmor(6:13–17) 4.Theaccess(6:18) 5.Theambassador(6:19–20)
Conclusion(6:21–24) 1.Themessenger(6:21–22) 2.Thegreeting(6:23–24)
3. DeScriptive title
“Christian,YouAreSomebody!NowLiveIt!”
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BOOk sYnTHesis fORM4. SuMMary OF inSightS
a. GodistheAuthorofsalvation—heplannedit fromtheverybeginning.Andbecauseitishisplan,itworks!
b. JesusChrististheonewhoredeemsusfromoursinsandreconcilesustoGodandtooneanother.Thereisnowaythatpeopleofvaryingback-grounds,races,religions,cultures,etc.,canbereconciledtooneanotherexceptthroughChrist.
c. TheHolySpiritistheonewholivesinusandenablesustounderstandwhatweareinChrist.HeistheGuaranteeofoursalvationandtheEnablerforustoliveourlivesGod’sway.
d. BecauseofwhoweareinGod’ssight,wehavetheresponsibilitytoliveholylives—wehavetheresponsibilitytobecomelikehim.WhatGodhasdone isdescribed in chapters1–3;whatweare todo isdescribed inchapters4–6.Wemusttaketheseresponsibilitiesseriously.
e. TheplanofGodisforALLhispeopletobeinvolvedintheworkofthemin-istry.Becauseallofushavebeengivenspiritualblessings,allofushavetheresponsibilityofministrytoothers—sharingtheGospel,leadingthemtotheLord,andthendisciplingthem.
f. GodexpectsacertaintypeofbehaviorfromallChristiansinourmostintimaterelationships.Thisincludesmarriage,raisingafamily,andwherewework.Thus theresponsibilities forallof theserelationshipsarecarefullyspelledout.Ourfaithistobeexpressedthroughthebasicrelationshipsoflife.
g. ItisimpossibleforusinourownstrengthtolivethewayGodwants.That’swhyhegaveustheHolySpiritandhisarmor.TheresourcesofGodareoursaswellastheblessings.Wemustputonthewholearmorinordertolivevictoriously.
h. Thisbookistremendouslyhearteningtouswheneverwebeginfeelingsorryforourselves.HereGodtellsuswhathethinksofus.TherecanbenohigherorgreaterrecommendationthanGod’sintermsofwhathethinksofus.
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5. perSOnal applicatiOn
ThisbookspellsoutwhatmyresponsibilitiesasaChristianareinallareasoflife.InowknowthatGodexpectsmetobeagoodanddiligentworker.IamtoobeyhimandsubmittohiminthenameofChrist.
Ihavenotalwaysbeenthebestworker.Thispassage(Ephesians6:5–9)hasconvictedmeofmyresponsibilitytobeabetteremployee.Iwilldetermine,bythehelpoftheLord,tobethebestemployeepossibleformyboss.Also,whentheopportunityarises,IwillsharewithhimthegospelofJesusandwhythisGoodNewshaschangedmylife.Buthe’sgoingtohavetoseeitinmefirstbeforehewilllistentowhatIhavetosay.
So that Iwill carry out this application, Iwill askCharlie, aChristianwithwhomIwork,tohelpmebethekindofworkerGodwantsmetobe.Iwillaskhimtomeetwithmeeachweektopraythatbothofusmighthavethatkindoftestimony.ThismaybeanopportunityformetobeginworkingwithCharlieonaone-on-onebasis.
6. peOple with whOM tO Share thiS StuDy
CharlieJohnson
BudFredricks
ThepeopleinmyBiblestudygroup
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BOOk sYnTHesis fORMBOOk chapterS
1. nuMBer OF tiMeS reaD
2. DetaileD, Final Outline
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Outline (continued)
3. DeScriptive title
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BOOk sYnTHesis fORM4. SuMMary OF inSightS
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BOOk sYnTHesis fORM
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5. perSOnal applicatiOn
6. peOple with whOM tO Share thiS StuDy
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AsanalternativetotheChapterAnalysisMethodofBibleStudy(chap.10),whereyouusetheprinciplesofobservation,interpretation,correlation,andapplicationinasystematicfashion,theverse-by-verseanalysisofapassageisusefulwhenyoudon’thavethetimeforanin-depthstudy.ratherthandoinganextensivejobonbooksurvey,chapteranalysis,andbooksynthesis,theverse-by-verseanalysisofapassagetakeseachverseandexaminesitfromfiveviewpoints,usingthespecialVerse-by-VerseAnalysisForm.
Thefivethingsyouwilldowitheachverseare
• Writeapersonalparaphraseofit.• Listsomequestionsandwhateveranswersyoufind.• Findsomecross-referencesforit.• Writedownsomeinsightsyouhavediscovered.• Writeoutabriefpersonalapplication.
12THe veRse-BY-veRse
anaLYsis MeTHOD Of BiBLe sTUDY
How to Study a Passage of the Bible Verse by Verse
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Definition
TheVerse-by-VerseAnalysisMethodofBibleStudyinvolvesselectingapassageofScriptureandexaminingitindetailbyaskingquestions,findingcross-references,andparaphrasingeachverse.Wethenrecordapossible,personalapplicationforeachversewestudy.
Why this methoD of BiBle stuDy
Thismethodmaybeusedtwoways.First,itmaybeusedasanalternativetotheChapterAnalysisMethodwhenyouwanttoworksystematicallythroughapassageorchapter.Itisparticularlyusefulwhenyouhavelimitedtimeandcannotcompleteawholechapteratonesitting.Inthismethodyouhavetheoptionofselectingthenumberofversesinapassageyouwanttoanalyzeatanygiventime.Theformisopen-ended,andyoumayproceedatwhateverpaceyoudesire.
Second, itmaybeused inamoreadvanced topicalstudy. In thiscase, theverse-by-versechartwouldbeusedinplaceofthecomparisonchart(attheendofthischapter).
Thismethodcanbeusedwithoutreferencetools,oryoucanengageinamorein-depthapproachthatrequiresaminimumoftools,asfollows:
Step One — Write Out a Personal Paraphrase
Step twO — List Some Questions, Answers, and Observations
Step three — Find Some Cross-References for Each Verse
Step FOur — Record Any Insights You Get from Each Verse
Step Five — Write Down a Brief Personal Application for Each Verse
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The.Verse-by-Verse.Analysis.Method.of.Bible.Study
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• AstudyBible• Anexhaustiveconcordance(forcross-references)• ABibledictionaryand/orBibleencyclopedia• Asetofwordstudies
simPle stePs on Doing a verse-By-verse analysis
Thisstudyisbuiltaroundtheverse-by-verseanalysischart.Youfollowfivesimpleproceduresforeachversethatyoustudy.Tobegin,selectthepassageyouwanttoanalyzeversebyverse.Workthroughthepassageinalogicalorder,writingoutyourfirstverseinthefirstspaceofcolumn1,secondverseinthesecondspace,andsoforth(seetheSampleVerse-by-VerseAnalysisForm).
Step One Write a Personal Paraphrase
Writeouttheverseinyourownwords.Donotuseoneofthemodernparaphrasesexcepttogettheideaofhowtodoit.Staytruetotheverseyouareparaphrasing,andtrytocondenseratherthanexpandit.
Step twO List Some Questions, Answers, and Observations
Incolumn3oftheChapterAnalysisFormattheendofthischapter,listanyques-tionsyouhaverelatingtowords,phrases,persons,topics,anddoctrinesinthatverse.Writedownanyanswersyoucanfindandalsorecordanyobservationsyouhave.Marktheseasfollows:
• Q=Question• A=Answer• O=Observations
Step three Find Some Cross-References for Each Verse
Usingthecross-referencesfromyourstudyBibleorfromScripturememory,writedownsomecross-references(atleastone)fortheverseyouarestudying.Identify
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thewordorphraseyouarecross-referencingat theendof this chapter.Useaconcordanceifyoudonothaveacross-referencedBible.
Step FOur Record Any Insights You Get from Each Verse
Havingthoughtthroughthewords,phrases,andconceptsintheverse,recordanyinsightsthatyougetfromthem.Thesecouldbefurtherobservations,wordsandnamesthatyouhavelookedupanddefined,oranyotherthoughtthatcomestoyou.Letyour imaginationgoandbeascreativeasyoucan inthisfifthcolumn,calledPersonalApplication,intheformattheendofthischapter.
Step Five Write Down a Brief Personal Application for Each Verse
Because of the number of verses in your study, you will not be able to designanapplicationprojectforeachverse.Instead,justtrytorecordsomedevotionalthoughtsthatcometoyoufromeachverse.Later,inadevotionalBiblestudy,youcanpickoneofthethoughtsandplantoworkonit.Or,ifaparticularverseseemstomeetanimmediateneed,goaheadandwriteoutanapplicationthatispossible,practical,personal,andmeasurable.
HOWTOFILLINTHEVErSE-BY-VErSEANALYSISFOrM
Youwillneedasmanyformsoryourownsheetsofpaper—onwhichyouhavedrawnthesixcolumns—asthereareversesinthechapteryouarestudying.Whenyouhavedecidedonthenumberofversestostudy,writeeachoneinaseparatespaceincolumn1,usingyourfavoritetranslationoftheBible.Youshouldprobablystickwiththesametranslationallthroughthestudy.
Filling Out the Form
Afterselectingtheversesandfillingincolumn1withtheirwords,fill intherestofthecolumnsasdescribedinthefivestepsabove.refertothefollowingsampleformforideasonhowtodoit.Theonlylimitingfactorsinthisstudyareyourtimeandyourcreativity.
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Sample Filled-out Form
Seetheexampleof1Timothy1:1–3attheendofthischapter.
Assignment
Sinceyouhavebeengivenasamplefrom1Timothy,yourassignmentistocon-tinueinthatbook.Whenyouhavecompleteditandwantachangeofpaceaftertryingsomeothermethods,youmaywanttostudysomeoftheshorterbooksoftheNewTestament, suchas2Timothy,1John,Philippians, or theone-chapterbooks(Philemon,2John,3John,andJude).
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BOOk Or tOpic 1Timothy
Verses PersonalParaphrase QuestionsandAnswers
1:1
Paul,anapostleofChristJesusby
thecommandofGodourSavior,
andofChristJesusourhope,
Paul,onesentforthasChrist’srep-
resentative,asinstructedbyGod,
theOnewhosavesus,andChrist
Jesusourhope,
Q.Whatdoestheword“apostle”
mean?
A.TheGreekwordapostolos.
comesfromtheverbapostello,
“sendforth.”
O.GodtheFatherratherthanChrist
iscalledSavior.
1:2
ToTimothy,mytruesoninthefaith:
Grace,mercyandpeacefromGod
theFatherandChristJesusour
Lord.
ToTimothy,mytruechildinthe
Christianfaith.Maylove,mercy,
andpeacefromGodtheFatherand
ChristJesusourLordbeyours.
Q.DoesthenameTimothyhave
anyspecialmeaning?
A.Timothymeans“hewhohonors
God.”
1:3
AsIurgedyouwhenIwentinto
Macedonia,staythereinEphesus
sothatyoumaycommandcertain
mennottoteachfalsedoctrines
anylonger.
AsIurgedyouuponmydeparture
forMacedonia,remaininEphesus
sothatyoucaninstructcertain
mennottoteachnon-Christian
doctrines.
Q.Whatdoctrineswerebeing
taughtbythesemen?
A.Notdoctrinesoffalsereligions,
butafalseteachingposingas
inspiredChristiandoctrine.
Q.WhatwasTimothy’sministryin
Ephesus?
veRse-BY-veRse anaLYsis fORM
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BOOk Or tOpic 1Timothy
Cross-references InsightsPossiblePersonal
ApplicationsApostle:
2Corinthians1:1
GodmySavior:
Luke1:47
Titus1:3
Christourhope:
Colossians1:27
1.ThenamePaulcamefromthe
LatinnamePaulus,whichmeans
“little.”
2.ThenameTimothymeans“he
whohonorsGod.”
3.PauldidnotneedtotellTimothy
thathewasanapostle,soperhaps
thisletterwasintendedtoberead
byothersaswell.
Imustbegintoseemyselfinthe
roleofChrist’sambassadorwho
hasbeenauthorizedandsentout
withadivinemessage.Theauthor-
ityofmywitnesswillonlybeas
effectiveasmyawarenessofmy
mission.
Mychild:
2Timothy1:2
ChristJesus:
1Timothy1:15
1.“Messiah”inHebrewmeans
“Christo”inGreek,whichmeans
“Christ”inEnglish.Christmeans
“theanointedoneofGod.”
2.Jesusmeans“JehovahSaves!”
Itcomesfromtheword”Joshua.”
Maymynamebecomesynony-
mouswithalifethatishonoringto
God,likeTimothy’s.
Falseteaching:
1Timothy6:3
2Corinthians11:4
1.PaulcriticizedtheChristiansin
Corinthfortheirweaknessindeal-
ingwithfalsedoctrine(2Cor.11:4).
SinceTimothywaswithPaulin
Corinthforalongtime,hereceived
goodtrainingforwhatwasneeded
inEphesus.
2.TimothywenttoEphesuswith
Paul,thenlater,afterPaul’sfirst
romanimprisonment,Timothywas
thereagain.Thisiswhenhewas
urgedtostay.
Iwillendeavortobeknowledge-
ableofChristiandoctrinesoIcan
differentiatebetweentrueand
falseteaching.ChristianScience,
Jehovah’sWitness,andMormon-
ismallneedmyattentioninthis
regard.
veRse-BY-veRse anaLYsis fORM
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BOOk Or tOpic
Verses PersonalParaphrase QuestionsandAnswers
veRse-BY-veRse anaLYsis fORM
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22�
BOOk Or tOpic
Cross-references InsightsPossiblePersonal
Applications
veRse-BY-veRse anaLYsis fORM
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Appendix A
HOW TO Have a MeaningfUL QUieT TiMe
ThroughoutthisbookIhavemadereferencestothequiet time. IhaveassumedthatanypersonwhoiscommittedtopersonalBiblestudyalsohasaregularquiettime.Unfortunately,however,somepeopledoBiblestudyjustfortheintellectualstimulationitbringsthem.
Thisappendixisforthosewhoknowtheyshouldhaveaquiettime,butarenotsurehowtogoaboutit.
The quiet time has been called many things in the history of the Christianchurch.Itisknownasthe“morningwatch,”“personaldevotions,”“appointmentwithGod,”orthe“personaldevotionaltime.”Itreallydoesn’tmatterwhatyoucallitaslongasyouhaveitregularly.
ThequiettimeissimplyadailytimeofpersonalfellowshipwithGodthroughtheWordandprayer.Itisatimewedeliberatelysetasideinwhichtomeetwithhim.TheobjectiveisthatwemightgrowinourpersonalrelationshipwithGod,sothatwecanknowhim,lovehim,andbecomemorelikehim.
Thisappendixdealswiththreepracticalaspectsofthequiettime—why.we.should.have.a.quiet.time,.how.to.have.a.meaningful.time.with.God,andhow.to.deal.with.common.problemsthatariseduringourquiettimes.
Why shoulD We have a Quiet time?
“Why”iscertainlyalegitimatequestion.Whataresomegoodreasonsforit?TheBiblegivesusthreemajorreasons:
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• BecauseweneedfellowshipwithGod• BecauseitisourprivilegeasChristians• Becausewegaintremendousbenefitsfromit
Because We need fellowship with god
ThefirstreasonweshouldhaveaquiettimeisthatweneedfellowshipwithGod.BecauseweareChristians,nowrightlyrelatedtotheeternalGodofheavenandearth,wemusthaveregularfellowshipwithhiminwhichwegettoknowhimandlovehimmoreintimately.
WhyisdailyfellowshipwithGodsoimportant?1.We.were.created.to.have.fellowship.with.God .Godcreatedpeopleinhisown
imageforthepurposeoffellowship.Wearetheonlycreaturesinallcreationthathavethecapacity tohavefellowshipwiththeCreator.AdamhadthatfellowshipperfectlyinthegardenofEdenbeforetheFall(seeGen.2–3).
2.Jesus.Christ.died.on.the.cross.so.that.fellowship.could.be.restored .WhenAdamsinned,hisfellowshipwithGodwasbroken.AndallofussinnerswhohavefollowedinAdam’sfootstepscannotbynaturehavefellowshipwithapureandholyGod.ButGodconsideredthatrelationshipimportantenoughtosendhisSontothisworldtodieforoursinssothatwemightagainhavetheprivilegeofapersonalrelationshipwithhim.AndGodhascalledusChristianstohavefellowshipwithhim(see1Cor.1:9;1John1:3–4).
3.The.regular.quiet.time.during.Jesus’.ministry.was.a.source.of.his.strength .PersonalfellowshipwithhisFatherinheavenwasthetoppriorityofJesus’life(seeMark1:35;Luke5:16;22:39–44).Hewasnevertoobusyforit;infact,whenhisministrywasthebusiest,that’swhenhemadecertainthathekeptindailytouchwiththeFather(seeJohn5:30).IfJesusneededthistimewithGod,howmuchmoreweneedit.
4.Every.great.man.or.woman.of.God.throughout.history.has.spent.much.time.alone.with.God .AnyonewhohaseverbeenusedmightilybytheLordwasapersonoftheWordandprayer.Theregularquiettimewastheonethingtheyhadincom-mon.ThecommondenominatoramongMoses,David,Daniel,Paul,JohnCalvin,JohnWesley,CharlesFinney,DwightL.Moody,CharlesSpurgeon,BillyGraham,
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andalloftheothergreatsaintsofhistoryisthattheyallspentmuchtimewithGodinpersonalfellowship.Theirwritingsandministriesclearlyshowthis.
Someonehassaid,“Ifyouwanttofindoutwhatamanisreallylike,findoutwhatheislikealonewithGod.”MartinLuther,thefatherofthereformation,oncesaid,“IhavesomuchtodotodaythatImustspendatleastthreehoursinprayer.”Thebusierhewas,themoretimeheneededwithGod.Ifyouaretoobusytohaveaquiettime,thenyou’retoobusy!
5.We.cannot.be.healthy,.growing.Christians.without.daily.fellowship.with.the.Lord .Thequiettimeisnotjustanicesuggestion;itisavitalnecessityforachildofGod.ItisabsolutelyessentialforChristiangrowthandmaturity.
Haveyouevergonewithoutfoodforaday?Ifyoukeptitup,youwouldgetweakandsick.Thesameistrueinyourspirituallife,fortheBibleisthenecessaryfood foryoursoul. Ifyougowithout reading itvery long,youwillgetspirituallyweakandsick.YetmanyChristiansgetbywithone“meal”perweek(forsome,perhapstwomeals)inchurchonSundays.Youwouldnotsurvivelongononeortwophysicalmealsperweek,sohowcanyouinyourspirituallife?
JobconsideredtheWordofGodmorenecessarythanhisdailyfood(Job23:12).Jesus,quotingtheOldTestament,declaredthatmanneedstolivebyeverywordcomingfromGod(Matt.4:4;seeDeut.8:3).PetercalledtheScripturesnourishingmilk(1Peter2:2),andthewritertotheHebrewsthoughtoftheWordassolidfood(Heb.5:14).
Haveyouevergoneforsometimewithoutabath?Ifyouhave,thenyouknowhow“sticky”youfeelafterawhileandhowyourodorsgetmorepronounced.TheBiblesaysthatwhenwereadtheWordofGod,wearecleansed.Adailyquiettimeisaspiritualbath.ManyChristianswhowouldnotthinkofoffendingtheirfriendsbynotbathingregularlydonotrealizethattheycanbeoffensivetotheLordwiththeirspiritualodors!(SeePsalm119:9;Ephesians5:26;John15:3.)
Fromtheaboveobservations,youcanconcludethat ifyouarenothavingaregularquiettime...
• Youaremissingoutontheprivilegeforwhichyouwerecreated.• YouarerejectingthatwhichJesusdiedfortomakepossible.
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• YouwillneverexperiencethesamepowerandrefreshmentJesusdid.• YouwillneverbeusedgreatlybyGod.• YouwillremainaweakandsicklyChristianallyourlife.
“But Idon’thavethetime!”isanexcusewehearsooften.Everypersonintheworldhasexactlythesameamountoftimeeachweek—168hours.Youwillspendsomeofthosehoursonthingsyouthinkareimportant.Youdon’thavetimeforeverything;youmustmaketimeforthingsthatreallycount.It’snotamatteroftime,butamatterofpriorities.Whatisreallyimportanttoyou?
ThekeytomakingtimeforthequiettimeisyourcommitmenttoChristandthekingdomofGod.Jesusstated,“Seekfirsthiskingdomandhisrighteousness,andallthesethingswillbegiventoyouaswell”(Matt.6:33).PutGodfirstinyourlifeandyouwillhavemoretime.Don’tletanythingrobyouofthattimeoffellowshipwiththeLord.Preserveitatallcosts.IfJesusChristisfirstinyourlife,yououghttogivehimthefirstpartofeveryday.Yourquiettimeshouldbetheabsolutenumberonepriorityandcommitmentofyourlife.
Because it is Our Privilege as christians
WeshouldhaveaquiettimeeachdaybecauseitisatremendousprivilegetohavebeengrantedapersonalinterviewandtimeoffellowshipwiththeCreatoroftheuniverse.Thequiettimeallowsusfourgreatprivileges:
• WegivedevotiontoGod.• WegetdirectionfromGod.• WegaindelightinGod.• WegrowmorelikeGod.
Whathappenswhenwehaveaquiettime?1.We.give.devotion.to.God .Thefirstprivilegeofthequiettimeistogive,not
toget.Apsalmistsaid,“AscribetotheLOrDthegloryduehisname;worshiptheLOrDinthesplendorofhisholiness”(Ps.29:2).Anotherpsalmisturged,“Come,letusbowdowninworship,letuskneelbeforetheLOrDourMaker”(Ps.95:6).
In recent years two wrong emphases have been permeating the Americanchurch.Thefirstistheoveremphasisongetting:WhatwillIgetoutofchurch,out
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ofSundayschool,outofdoingwhatGodsays?Itistheresultofourculture’sgreatemphasisonentertainment,inwhichthepeoplebeingentertainedmustbesatisfied.Whencarriedover intospiritualmatters, itbecomesself-centeredreligionand isdefinitelynotbiblical.That’swhysomuchisbeingsaidtodayaboutfollowingJesus,butlittleissaidaboutthecostofdiscipleship.WeofferprizestogetChristianstocometochurchwhentheyoughttobecomingbecausetheylovetheSavior.
Theothererror is theoveremphasisonworking forGodandneglecting theworshipofGod.Satan,thegodofthisworld,hassoldusabillofgoodsingettingustosubstituteworkforworship.Mostofusaresomuchonthego,evenindoingfineChristianthings,thatwedon’tknowtherealmeaningofworship.Jesussaid,“WorshiptheLordyourGod,andservehimonly”(Matt.4:10;seeDeut.6:13).Wor-shipcomesbeforeservice.
WearetogivedailydevotiontoGodbecauseGoddeservesourdevotion.WhenJohnsawthemultitudesofheavensingingpraisestoGod,heheardthemsay,“Youareworthy,ourLordandGod,toreceivegloryandhonorandpower”(rev.4:11;see5:12).BecauseGodisourCreatorandredeemer,hedeservestobeworshipedandpraised.WeshouldgotoourquiettimeseachdayoutofloveforGod,notoutofasenseofduty:“God, I’vecome toworshipyoubecauseyoudeserve tobeworshipedandadored!”
WearealsotogivedailydevotiontoGodbecausehedesiresdevotionfromus.Jesustoldthewomanatthewell,“YetatimeiscomingandhasnowcomewhenthetrueworshiperswillworshiptheFatherinspiritandtruth,fortheyarethekindofworshiperstheFatherseeks”(John4:23).Godseeksourworship.
Aversethatisoftenusedinevangelism,andproperlysobywayofanalogy,wasactuallywrittenincontexttoChristiansinalukewarmchurch.HereJesusissaying,“HereIam!Istandatthedoorandknock.Ifanyonehearsmyvoiceandopensthedoor, Iwillgo inandeatwithhim,andhewithme”(rev.3:20).TheSaviordesiresfellowshipwithus.Hestandsoutsidethedoorofourliveswantingandlongingtohavefellowshipwithusandreceiveourworship.Heisliketheidealhumanfatherwhowantstospendtimewithhischildren.
HowlonghasitbeensinceyoutooktimealonewithGodjusttotellhimthatyoulovehim?
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2.We.get.direction.from.God .ThesecondprivilegeofthequiettimeisforustogetdirectionfromGodfordailyliving.ThiswasDavid’sattitudeinlife:“ShowmeYourways,OLOrD,teachmeYourpaths;guidemeinyourtruthandteachme,foryouareGodmySavior,andmyhopeisinYoualldaylong”(Ps.25:4–5;seealsoPss.40:8;73:24;143:10;Isa.42:16).ThequiettimeisagreatopportunitytoreceivecounselfromtheLord.
Inthisfast-pacedageofhurry,weneedatimewhenwecanslowdown,collectourthoughts,evaluatewhatishappeningaroundus,andgetdirectionfromtheonewhoknowstheendfromthebeginning.Pascaloncesaid,“Allthetroublesofmanarisefromhisinabilitytositstill.”OnanumberofoccasionsJesusinvitedhisdisciplesto“comeapart”withhimforawhile(e.g.,Mark6:31KJV)thattheymightrecuperatephysicallyandspiritually.VanceHavnerhassaid,“Ifyoudon’t‘comeapart’periodi-cally,youwillliterallycomeapart!”ItisalsointerestingthatoftenJesusexplainedhisteachingstothediscipleswhentheywerealonewithhim(seeMark4:34).
WhenwegetdirectionfromGodinourquiettimes,hecausesusfirsttoconsider.our.ways .Wetakethetimetoassessourlives.That’swhatDaviddid:“Searchme,OGod,andknowmyheart;testmeandknowmyanxiousthoughts.Seeifthereisanyoffensivewayinme,andleadmeinthewayeverlasting”(Ps.139:23–24;seealsoProv.4:26;14:12).AreyoukeepingontrackfortheLord?Areyougrowingdailyinyourspirituallife?Haveyouallowedsomesinstopileupinyourlife?TaketheseandsimilarquestionsandtrytolookatyourlifefromGod’spointofview.ThiswillhelpyoukeepGod’sperspectiveonthings,becauseoverandoveryoucangetsocaughtupinthenecessarydetailsoflifethatyoulosetheoverallpicture.
Thequiettimeisalsoatimetocommit.our.daytotheLord.Solomonurged,“TrustintheLOrDwithallyourheartandleannotonyourownunderstanding;inallyourwaysacknowledgehim,andhewillmakeyourpathsstraight”(Prov.3:5–6;seealsoPs.37:5).AskGodtoshowyouhiswillfortheday;commityourscheduletohim,andaskhimtoguideyouintheupcomingactivities.Youmightevenaskhimtohelpyoubudgetyourtimesoyoucangetmoredone(seePs.90:12).Askhimtohelpyousortoutthenecessaryfromtheunnecessary(see1Cor.10:23).
ItisonlyasyouareintouchwiththeLorddailythatyouwillseelife’sprob-lemsandopportunitiesfromtherightperspective.Onlythroughyourmeetingwith
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himwillhebeabletoguideyourlifemoreeffectively.OneofthemostimportantrequestsyoucanmakewhilecommittingyourdaytotheLordistoaskhimtopre-pareanddirectyoutosomeonetowhomyoucanwitnessthatday.LetGodpickoutyourwitnessingopportunities.
3.We.gain.delight.in.God .ThethirdprivilegeofthequiettimeistoenjoyGodandsimplytobaskinhispresence.DavidtoldGod,“Youhavemadeknowntomethepathoflife;youwillfillmewithjoyin.Your.presence”(Ps.16:11).ThesecretofrealjoyisknowingGodpersonally(seePss.34:8;37:4;42:1–2;63:1;73:25;Phil.3:10).ManyChristiansaremiserableandleadunhappylivesbecausetheyneverspendtimeinGod’spresence.
DoyoureallyknowChrist,ordoyoumerelyknowabouthim?Toknowhimintimatelywas theapostlePaul’snumberonepriority in life (seePhil.3:7–10).Howisitwithyou?
Togettoknowsomeoneintimatelyandenjoyhimpersonally,youmust...
• Spendqualitytimewithhim.• Communicatemeaningfullywithhim.• Observehiminavarietyofsituations.
ThesesamecriteriaapplyingettingtoknowandenjoyGod,too.rememberthatitishardtohavealoveaffairinacrowd;youneedtogetalonewiththatoneperson.ThisiswhytheBiblespeaksofourrelationshipwithGodthroughChristasaloverelationship.Infact,itiscalledamarriage:ChrististheBridegroomandweinthechurcharehisbride.
WhenIfirstmetKay,mywife,andGodknitourheartstogetherinlove,morethananythingelseIwantedtospendtimealonewithher.Wespenttimewitheachother,wecommunicated,andweobservedoneanotherinavarietyofsituations.ThatisthewayyourrelationshipoughttobewithGod.
AreyouanxioustogetaloneandshareintimatelywithJesus?Ifnot,youshouldbe.Makeyourgoalforthequiettime,notjusttolearnaboutJesus,butactuallytomeetwithhim.Expecttomeethimeachmorning,forhe’stherewaitingtomeetwithyou.
SometimeswegetsobusyworkingforGodorwithourownaffairsthatweforgetjusttolovehim.Godoncesaidthroughhisprophet,“Doesamaidenforget
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her jewelry,abrideherweddingornaments?Yetmypeoplehave forgottenme,dayswithoutnumber”(Jer.2:32).WeparticularlyforgetGodwhenwefailtoreadtheloveletterhehaswrittentous—theBible.
IoncespentasummeronapreachingmissioninJapanbeforemywifeandIweremarried.WhileIwasthere,Ireceivedaletterfromhereveryday.HowdoyouthinkKaywouldhavefeltifItoldherwhenIgotbackhome,“ThankssomuchforwritingmeinJapan.Ireallyappreciatedreceivingyourletters.Unfortunately,Ineverhadtimetoreadanyofthem”?Therewouldhavebeenastraininourrelationship.
ThebestwaytogettoknowtheLordistospendtimealonewithhim,sharingyourthoughtswithhiminprayerandreadingoverandoveragaintheloveletterhehaswrittenyou.
4.We.grow.more.like.God .Thefourthprivilegeofthequiettimeistheopportu-nitytogrowinourspirituallives,becomingmoreandmorelikeJesusChrist.WhenGodcreatedthehumanrace,he“createdmaninhisownimage,intheimageofGodhecreatedhim”(Gen.1:27).HispurposeformanwasthathemightbecomelikeGod“in[his] likeness”(Gen.1:26).Butmanchosetobecomelikethedevilinstead(Gen.3).SointheactofredemptionGodwentbacktohisoriginalpurpose.Hewantedhispeopleagaintobelikehim,likeJesusChrist.“ForthoseGodfore-knewhealsopredestinedtobeconformedtothelikenessofhisSon,thathemightbethefirstbornamongmanybrothers”(rom.8:29).
HowdowebecomelikeJesus?First,wearemadeholylikeGodthroughtheWord.InhishighpriestlyprayerJesusaskedtheFatherto“sanctify[allbelievers]bythetruth;yourwordistruth”(John17:17).OurgrowthinsanctificationcomesthroughtimespentintheScriptures,gettingtoknowGodintimately.
Second,dailygrowthcomesastheWordbuildsusup.“AllScriptureisGod-breathedandisusefulforteaching,rebuking,correctingandtraininginrighteous-ness,sothatthemanofGodmaybethoroughlyequippedforeverygoodwork”(2Tim. 3:16–17). As we are taught in the ways of God, rebuked when we goastray,correctedtogobacktotherightpath,andtrainedinrighteousliving,wegrowinthenurtureandadmonitionoftheLord.
Third,wegrowasourmindsaretransformedfromthinkingtheworld’swaytothinkingGod’sthoughtsafterhim.Paulwrote,“Donotconformanylongertothe
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patternofthisworld,butbetransformedbytherenewingofyourmind.ThenyouwillbeabletotestandapprovewhatGod’swillis—hisgood,pleasing,andperfectwill”(rom.12:2).Again,thiscomesonlythroughScripture,God’srevelationofhisperfectwillforus.
Fourth, through thepromisesof theWordwebecomemore likeGod.Peterwrote, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godli-ness throughour knowledgeof himwhocalledusbyhisowngloryandgood-ness.Throughthesehehasgivenushisverygreatandpreciouspromises,sothatthroughthemyoumayparticipateinthedivinenatureandescapethecorruptionintheworldcausedbyevildesires”(2Peter1:3–4).WecanonlyknowGodandappropriatehispromisesthroughtheWord.
Fifth,wegrowthroughthehelpgivenusbyourChristianleaders,whoteachustheWord.PaulsaidthatGodgivesusgiftedleaders“toprepareGod’speopleforworksofservice,sothatthebodyofChristmaybebuiltupuntilweallreachunityinthefaithandintheknowledgeoftheSonofGodandbecomemature,attainingtothewholemeasureofthefullnessofChrist”(Eph.4:12–13).
Finally,webecomelikeJesusaswespendtimecontemplatinghim.Paulwrote,“We,whowithunveiledfacesallreflect[orcontemplate]theLord’sglory,arebeingtransformed into his likenesswith ever-increasingglory,which comes from theLord,whoistheSpirit”(2Cor.3:18).Thischangeisgradual;aswekeeponcon-templatingJesusChristinhisWord,wegrowtobemoreandmorelikehim.Itisnotafive-secondglimpseofJesusthatchangesus,butaconstantcontemplationofhimoveraperiodoftime.
Themoreyouarewithaperson,themoreyoubecomelikehim.Haveyoueverseenacouplehappilymarriedfor50years?Theyaresomuchalikebynow!Theylikethesamethings,eatthesamethings,andsometimesevenstartlookingalike.TheultimategoalofthequiettimeisforustogrowtobejustlikeJesusChrist.
Because We gain Tremendous Benefits from it
Thefinalreasonweshouldhavedailyquiettimeisthetremendousresultsitbringstoourlives.GodhaspromisedmanythingstothosewhotakethetimetogettoknowhimthroughtheWord.Whataretheresultsofhavingadailyquiettime?
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• Joy(Pss.16:11;119:47,97,162;Jer.15:16)—ThemostjoyfulChristiansarethosewhomeetwithGoddaily.
• Strength(Isa.40:29–31)—AswemeetwiththeLorddaily,wegetourspiritualbatteriesrechargedandgaintheperspectiveofaneagle,seeingthingsastheyreallyare.
• Peace.(Ps.119:165;Isa.26:3;48:18;rom.8:6)—WegainpeaceofheartonlywhenwehavetheassurancethatGodisincontrolofallthings.ThisassurancecomesonlythroughhisWord.
• Stability.(Pss.16:8–9;46:1–3;55:22;57:7)—WhenwehavearegulartimeofBiblereading,prayer,andworship,ourlivesbecomestable;thequiettimeeliminatesthe“spiritualrollercoaster”typeofliving.
• Success (Josh.1:8)—TheonlypromiseofsuccessintheBibleiscon-nectedtotheconditionofdailymeditationontheWordofGod.
• Answered. prayer (John 15:7)—As we “remain” in Christ—that is,spendingqualitytimewithhimdaily—wecanclaimthispromiseandbeassuredthatourprayerswillbeanswered.
• Others.will.notice.the.difference.in.our.lives(Acts4:13)—PeoplewillknowthatwehavebeenwithJesus;itisgoingtoshowinourlives.AndbeingwithJesusiswhatwillgiveconfidenceandboldnesstousinwitnessingabouthimtothosewhodonotknowhim.
hoW to have a meaningful time With goDIfweareconvincedthatweneedaquiettime,howdowegoabouthavingone?Wemaybecomemotivatedtodoit,butmaynotknowhow.Weneedtoconsiderfouressentialelementsofagoodquiettime:
• Startwiththeproperattitudes. • Chooseaspecialplace.• Selectaspecifictime. • Followasimpleplan.
start with the Proper attitudes
InGod’seyes,whywedosomethingisfarmoreimportantthanwhatwedo.OnoneoccasionGodtoldSamuel,“TheLOrDdoesnotlookatthethingsmanlooks
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at.Manlooksattheoutwardappearance,buttheLOrDlooksattheheart”(1Sam.16:7).Itisquitepossibletodotherightthingbutwiththewrongattitude.ThiswasAmaziah’sproblem,for“hedidwhatwasright intheeyesoftheLOrD,butnotwholeheartedly”(2Chron.25:2).
Whenyoucome tomeetwithGod in thequiet time,youshouldhave theseproperattitudes:
1.Expectancy .ComebeforeGodwithanticipationandeagerness.Expect tohaveagood timeof fellowshipwithhimand receiveablessing fromyour timetogether.ThisiswhatDavidexpected:“OGod,youaremyGod,earnestlyIseekyou”(Ps.63:1;seePs.42:1):
2.Reverence .Don’trushintoGod’spresence,butprepareyourheartbybeingstillbeforehimandlettingthequietnessclearawaythethoughtsoftheworld.TheprophetHabakkuktellsus,“TheLOrDis inHisholytemple; letall theearthbesilentbeforehim”(Hab.2:20;seePs.89:7).ComingintothepresenceofGodisnotlikegoingtoafootballgameorsomeotherformofentertainment.
3.Alertness .Getwideawakefirst.rememberthatyouaremeetingwiththeCreator,theMakerofheavenandearth,theredeemerofmankind.Bethoroughlyrestedandalert.Thebestpreparationforaquiettimeinthemorningbeginsthenightbefore.GettobedearlysoyouwillbeingoodshapetomeetGodinthemorn-ing,forhedeservesyourfullattention.
4.Willingness.to.obey .Thisattitude iscrucial:youdon’tcometoyourquiettimetochoosewhatyouwillorwon’tdo,butwiththepurposeofdoinganythingandeverything thatGodwantsyou todo.Jesussaid,“Ifanyonechooses todoGod’swill,hewillfindoutwhethermyteachingcomesfromGodorwhetherIspeakonmyown”(John7:17).SocometomeettheLordhavingalreadychosentodohiswillnomatterwhat.
select a specific Time
Thespecifictimehastodowithwhenyoushouldhaveyourquiettimeandhow.longitshouldbe.Thegeneralruleisthis:Thebesttimeiswhenyouareatyourbest.GiveGodthebestpartofyourday—whenyouarethefreshestandmost
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alert.Don’ttrytoserveGodwithyourleftovertime.rememberalsothatyourbesttimemaybedifferentfromsomeoneelse’s.
Formostofus,however,earlyinthemorningseemstobethebesttime.ItwasJesus’ownpracticetoriseearlytoprayandmeetwiththeFather.“Veryearlyinthemorning,whileitwasstilldark,Jesusgotup,leftthehouseandwentofftoasolitaryplace,whereheprayed”(Mark1:35).
IntheBiblemanygodlymenandwomenroseearlytomeetwithGod.Someofthesewere
• Abraham—Genesis19:27• Job—Job1:5• Jacob—Genesis28:18• Moses—Exodus34:4• HannahandElkanah—1Samuel1:19• David—Psalms5:3;57:7–8
(SeealsoPsalms90:14;119:147;143:8;Isaiah26:9;Ezekiel12:8.)ThroughoutchurchhistorymanyChristianshavebeenusedmostbyGodwhen
theymetwithhimearly in themorning.PioneermissionaryHudsonTaylorsaid,“Youdon’ttuneuptheinstrumentsaftertheconcertisover.That’sstupid.It’slogi-caltotunethemupbeforeyoustart.”
ThegreatrevivalamongBritishcollegestudentsinthelate19thcenturybeganwiththesehistoricwords:“remembertheMorningWatch!”SoweneedtotuneourselvesupatthestartofeachdayasweremembertheMorningWatch.
IfJesusisreallyinfirstplaceinourlives,weoughttogivehimthefirstpartofourday.Wearetoseekhiskingdomfirst(seeMatt.6:33).Doctorstellusthatthemostimportantmealofthedayisbreakfast.Itoftendeterminesourenergylevels,alertness,andevenmoodsfortheday.Likewise,weneeda“spiritualbreakfast”tostartourdayoffright.
Finally,inthemorningourmindsareunclutteredfromtheday’sactivities.Ourthoughtsarefresh,wearerested,tensionshavenotyetcomeonus,andit’susu-allythequietesttime.Onemothersetsheralarmclockfor4a.m.,hasherquiettime,goesbacktobed,andthenriseswheneveryoneelseinthehouseholdgets
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up.Herexplanationisthatwithkidsaroundthehouseallday,earlymorningistheonlytimewhenitisquietandshecanbealonewithGod.Itworksforher;youneedtoselectatimethatwillworkforyou.
Youmightevenconsiderhavingtwoquiettimes(morningandnight).DawsonTrotmanusedtohavecodelettersforhisnightlyquiettime:H.W.L.W.Wheneverhewaswithagroupofpeopleatnightorhomewithhiswifeandtheconversationseemedtobeending,hewouldsay,“Allright,H.W.L.W.,”afterwhichapassageofScripturewouldbequotedwithoutcommentandallwouldgotosleep.H.W.L.W.stoodfor“HisWordtheLastWord,”andhepracticedthatthroughtheyearsasawayofendingadaywithone’sthoughtsfixedontheLord(BettyLeeSkinner,Daws,NavPress,p.103).
StephenOlford,awell-knownpastorinNewYorkformanyyears,said,“IwanttohearthevoiceofGodbeforeIhearanyoneelse’sinthemorning,andhisisthelastvoiceIwanttohearatnight.”
DavidandDanielevenmetwiththeLordthreetimeseachday(seePs.55:17;Dan.6:10).
Whatevertimeyouset,beconsistentinit.Scheduleitonyourcalendar;makeanappointmentwithGodasyouwouldwithanyoneelse.MakeadatewithJesus!Thenlookforwardtoitanddon’tstandhimup.Astood-updateisnotapleasantexperienceforus,andJesusdoesnotliketobestoodupeither.Somakeadatewithhimandkeepitatallcosts.
Thequestionisoftenasked,“HowmuchtimeshouldIspendwiththeLordinthemorning?”ThisisamattertobedecidedbetweenyouandtheLord.Ifyouhaveneverhadaconsistentquiettimebefore,youmaywanttostartwithsevenminutes(robertD.Foster,Seven.Minutes.with.God,NavPress)andletitgrownaturally.Youshouldaimeventuallytospendnotlessthan15minutesadaywithGod.Outofthe168hoursweallhaveinaweek,1hour45minutesseemsterriblysmallwhenyouconsiderthatyouwerecreatedtohavefellowshipwithGod.Herearesomeadditionalguidelines:
• Don’t. try. for.a. two-hour.quiet. time.at. first .You’llonlygetdiscouraged.Youmustgrowinthisrelationshipasyoudoinanyother.Sobeginwitha
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consistentsevenminutesandletitgrow;it’sbettertobeconsistentwithashorttimethantomeetforanhoureveryotherweek.
• Don’t.watch.the.clock .Clock-watchingcanruinyourquiettimefasterthanalmostanythingelse.Decidewhatyoucando in theWordandprayerduringthetimeyouhaveselected;thendoit.Sometimesitwilltakemoretimethanyouhavesetaside,andsometimesless.Butdon’tkeeplookingatyourwatch.
• Emphasize. quality,. not. quantity . There is nothing super-spiritual abouthavingatwo-hourquiettime.It’swhatyoudoduringyourtime—whetherit’s15minutesortwohoursorsomethinginbetween—that’simportant.AimforaqualityrelationshipwiththeLord.
choose a special Place
Thelocation—wherewehaveourquiettimes—isalsoimportant.TheBibleindi-cates that Abraham had a regular place where he met with God (Gen. 19:27).Jesus had a custom of praying in the garden of Gethsemane on the Mount ofOlives.“Jesuswentoutas.usualtotheMountofOlives,andhisdisciplesfollowedhim” (Luke22:39).Yourplaceought tobeasecluded.place. This isa locationwhereyoucanbealone,whereit’squiet,andwhereyouwillnotbedisturbedorinterrupted.Intoday’snoisyWesternworld,thismaytakesomeingenuity,butitisnecessary.Itoughttobeaplace...
• whereyoucanprayaloudwithoutdisturbingothers.• whereyouhavegoodlightingforreading(adesk,perhaps).• whereyouarecomfortable.(Warning :Donothaveyourquiettimeinbed.
That’stoocomfortable!)
Yourplaceoughttobea.special.place .WhereveryoudecidetomeetwiththeLord,makeitaspecialplaceforyouandhim.Asthedaysgoby,thatplacewillcometomeana lot toyoubecauseof thewonderful timesyouhavetherewithJesusChrist.
Yourplaceoughttobea.sacred.place .ThisiswhereyoumeetwiththelivingGod.WhereyoumeettheLordcanbejustasholyastheplacewhereAbrahammethim.Youdon’thavetobeinachurchbuilding.Peoplehavehadquiettimesintheir
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carparkedinaquietplace,inanemptyclosetathome,intheirbackyard,andeveninabaseballdugout.Eachoftheseplacesbecamesacredtothem.
follow a simple Plan
Someonehassaid,“Ifyouaimatnothing,youaresuretohitit!”Tohaveamean-ingfulquiettime,youwillneedaplanorsomekindofgeneraloutlinetofollow.Themainruleisthis:Keepyourplansimple.Don’t let itdetractfromyourtimewithChrist.Foster’sSeven.Minutes.with.Godsuggestsasimpleplanforbeginners.
Thefollowingsix-pointplanisworkableforaquiettimeofanyduration.Youwillneedthefollowingthreeitems:
• A.Bible.—.acontemporarytranslation(notaparaphrase)withgoodprint,preferablywithoutnotes.
• A.notebook.—.forwritingdownwhattheLordshowsyouandformakingaprayerlist.
• A.hymnbook.—.incaseyousometimeswanttosinginyourpraisetime(seeCol.3:16).
The suggested plan may be remembered through the following words, allbeginningwiththesameletter:relax,.request,.read,.reflect.and.remember,.record,.request .
1.Wait.on.God.(relax) .Bestillforaminute;don’tcomerunningintoGod’spres-enceandstarttalkingimmediately.FollowGod’sadmonition:“Bestill,andknowthatIamGod”(Ps.46:10;seealsoIsa.30:15;40:31).Bequietforashortwhiletoputyourselfintoareverentmood.
2.Pray.briefly.(request) .Thisisnotyourprayertime,butashortopeningprayertoaskGodtocleanseyourheartandguideyouintothetimetogether.TwogoodpassagesofScripturetomemorizeare
• “Searchme,OGod,andknowmyheart;testmeandknowmyanxiousthoughts.Seeifthereisanyoffensivewayinme,andleadmeinthewayeverlasting”(Ps.139:23–24;see1John1:9).
• “OpenmyeyesthatImayseewonderfulthingsinyourlaw[theWord]”(Ps.119:18;seeJohn16:13).
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YoumustbeintunewiththeAuthoroftheBookbeforeyoucanunderstandtheBook.
3.Read.a.section.of.the.Scripture.(read) .ThisiswhereyourconversationwithGodbegins.HespeakstoyouthroughhisWord,andyouspeakwithhiminprayer.readyourBible...
• slowly .Don’tbeinahurry;don’ttrytoreadtoolargeanamount;don’tracethroughit.
• repeatedly .readapassageoverandoveruntilyoustarttopictureitinyour mind. The reason some people don’t get more out of their BiblereadingisthattheydonotreadtheScripturesrepeatedly.
• without.stopping .Don’tstopinthemiddleofasentencetogooffonatangentanddoadoctrinalstudy.Justreadthatsectionforthepurejoyofit,allowingGodtospeaktoyou.rememberthatyourgoalhereisnottogaininformation,buttofeedontheWordandgettoknowChristbetter.
• aloud.but.quietly .readingScripturealoudwillimproveyourconcentrationifyouhavethatproblem.Itwillalsohelpyouunderstandwhatyouarereadingbetterbecauseyouwillbebothseeingandhearingthewords.readsoftlyenough,however,thatyoudon’tdisturbanyone.
• systematically .readthroughonebookatatimeinorderlyfashion.Donotusethe“randomdip”method—apassagehere,achapterthere,whatyoulikehere,aninterestingportionthere.YouwillunderstandtheBiblebetterifyoureaditasitwaswritten—abookorletteratatime.
• to.get.a.sweep.of.a.book .Onsomeoccasionsyoumaywanttosurveyawholebook.Inthatcaseyouwillreaditquicklytogetasweepofthetotalrevelation.Thenyouneednotreaditslowlyorrepeatedly.
4.Meditate.and.memorize.(reflect.and.remember) .TohavetheScripturesspeakto you meaningfully, you should meditate on what you are reading and memo-rizeversesthatparticularlyspeaktoyou.Meditationis“seriouslycontemplatingathoughtoverandoverinyourmind”(seechapter1forabriefdiscussionofthis).
5.Write.down.what.God.has.shown.you. (record) .WhenGodspeaks to youthroughhisWord, recordwhatyouhavediscovered.Writing itdownwillenable
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youbothtorememberwhatGodrevealedtoyouandtocheckuponyourbiblicaldiscoveries.recordingwhatGodhasshownyouisonewayofapplyingwhatyouseeintheScripturethatpertainstoyourlife(seetheDevotionalMethodofBibleStudyinchapter1).
6.Have.your.time.of.prayer.(request) .AfterGodhasspokentoyouthroughhisWord,speaktohiminprayer.ThisisyourpartoftheconversationwiththeLord.Tohelpyourememberthepartsofprayer,thinkoftheacrosticP-R-A-Y:p—Praise.the.Lord .BeginyourtimeofprayerbypraisingGodforwhoheis
and what he has done.The former isadoration, the latter thanksgiv-ing .Adorationisrealworship;itisgivingGodtherecognitionhealonedeserves.SopraiseGodforhisgreatness,power,majesty,strength,andotherattributes.ExamplesinScriptureofpurepraisemaybefoundinPsalm 145 and revelation 4–5.You can worship God in this way byreadingthePsalms(particularlyPss.146–50),readinggreathymnsofworship,orconsideringthenamesofGod(see1Chron.16:25–29;Pss.50:23;67:3;Heb.13:5).Davidgivesusabeautifulexampleofaprayerofadoration1Chronicles29:10–13.
WealsopraisetheLordforwhathehasdoneforus,particularlyinsalvationanddailyprovision.Thisisdevelopingtheprayerofthanksgiv-ing.Duringanyquiettime,thinkofatleast20thingsyoucanthankGodforthatday.(readPsalm100:4;Philippians4:5;1Thessalonians5:18.)
r—Repent.of.your.sins .Thisistheprayerofconfession .AfterseeingGodinhisholiness(seeIsa.6:5),werecognizeourownsinfulness.Don’tjusttellGodaboutthesinsyouhavecommitted,butaskhimtohelpyouturnawayfromthem.Thisisrepentance.Godalreadyknowsyoursins;hejustwantsyoutoadmitthemandturnawayfromthem.(readPsalms32;51;Proverbs28:9,13;1John1:9.)
a—Ask.for.yourself.and.others .Thesearetheprayersofpetitionandinterces-sion .Beginwithyourownpersonalrequests(petition).ThroughouttheBibleGodurgesustoaskforthingsforourselvesinprayer.Thesemaybephysicalneedssuchasfood,clothing,andshelter;spiritualneeds;orhelpincopingwiththedifficultproblemsoflife.Godlovesus,wantsto
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blessus,andwantstogiveuswhatweneed(seeMatt.7:7–9;Mark11:22–24;John14:13–14;Heb.4:16).Notonlyarewetoprayforourneeds,butGodisalsopleasedtogiveanswerstoourdesiresthatareinhiswill(seePss.37:4;84:11;145:19;Phil.4:6).
Itisimportanttobespecificinyourpraying,andoneofthewaystodothiseffectivelyistosetupaprayerlist.Justtakeasheetofpaper,ruleofffourcolumns,andfillthemin.Asyoubegintofillpageafterpageofansweredprayer,yourfaithwillgrowgreateranddeeper.
Askforothers(intercession).TheBiblecallsonChristianstointer-cedeforothers—toprayoneforanother.Soprayforyourfamily,rela-tives,andfriends;prayforyourpastor,churchworkers,missionaries,andothers involved inkingdomwork;pray foryour leaders, teachers,andemployersoremployees;prayforpeopletowhomyouarewitnessing;prayforthosewhomyoudonotlikeorthosewhodonotlikeyou—andwatchwhathappens!(Notethesepassages:1Samuel12:23;Job42:10;romans15:30;Ephesians1:15–16.)
Youmightwanttodivideupthedaysoftheweekinyournotebookandprayfordifferentpeopleondifferentdays.Getaworldmapandpray“aroundtheworld”formissionariesaccordingtotheirlocation.
y—Yield.yourself.to.God’s.will .Yourprayertimeshouldendwithatimeofper-sonalrecommitmenttotheLord.reaffirmthelordshipofJesusChristinyourlifeandpledgeyoursubmissionandobedienceforthatdaytohim.(Seeromans12:12;14:8–9.)
some closing Thoughts
• Vary.your.plan .Fromtimetotimechangeyourmethods.Don’tfallintothetrapofperformingamethodinsteadofgettingtoknowChrist.
• Spend.a.whole.quiet.time.in.thanksgiving .Sometimeswhenprayerseemshardandheavy,spendyour time just thankingGod forwhohe isandwhathehasdone.Psalm145 isagoodexampleof that: thepsalmistaskednothingforhimself.OrjustsingsomesongsofpraisetoGod.
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• Spend.a.whole.quiet.time.in.Scripture.memory.AttimesyoumaywanttospendyourwholequiettimememorizingScriptureandlettingGodspeaktoyouinthisspecialandchallengingway.
• Remember.your.main.purpose:.to.get.to.know.Christ .Don’tletyourquiettimebecomea legalisticexercise in“doingyourduty.”rememberthatyouaretheretomeetJesusChristandgettoknowhim.
hoW to Deal With common ProBlems in the Quiet time
Assoonasyoustartaquiettimeorevencommityourselftohavingoneregularly,youwillencounterproblemsanddifficulties.Why?BecauseSatanwill fightyoutoothandnailtokeepyoufromyourdailymeetingwiththeLord.HehatesnothingmorethanaChristiangettingdowntobusinesswithGod,becauseheknowsthatsuchbelieversaredangeroustohiskingdomofdarkness.Wewanttodealwithfourofthemostcommonproblems:
• Theproblemofdiscipline• Theproblemofdryspells• Theproblemofconcentration• Theproblemofdiscouragement
The Problem of Discipline
Perhapsoneofthegreatestandmostcommonproblemsyouwillfaceisthedisci-plineofgettingoutofbedinthemorningtohavethequiettime.Itisthe“BattleoftheBlankets,”whichfacesyouthemomentyouwakeup,andithastodowiththequestion,“AmIgoingtogetoutofbedtohaveaquiettime?”
Thedevilwillexaggeratetoyouabouthowtiredyouare,andwhenheandthefleshteamup,itreallytakesworktogetoutofbed.Herearesometipsonover-comingthisproblem.
1.Go.to.bed.on.time .Inordertogetupearly,ithelpstogotobedearly(seePs.127:2).It’snotgoodtoburnthecandleatbothends.ManyChristiansliketostay
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uplate,oftenwatchingTV,andthereforehaveahardtimegettingupinthemorn-ing.DawsonTrotmanknewthisandhadasetbedtime.Evenifhehadcompanyinhishome,hewouldexcusehimselfandgotobed,becausehistopprioritywasmeetingwithChristearlyinthemorning.
2.Get.up.immediately.upon.waking .Thebattleisusuallywonorlostinthefirstfewseconds.Ifyouwaittothinkaboutit,you’vealreadylost.OnefamousChristianwasasked,“Doyouprayaboutgettinguptohaveyourquiettime?”
“No,”heanswered.“Ijustgetup!”Whenyouwakeupinthemorning,itisnotthetimetoprayaboutdecidingto
getup.Ifyoudoprayaboutit,dosothenightbefore,andpraythatyouwillhavethewillpowertogetup.
3.Be.aware.of.quiet-time.“robbers .”Bealertforthingsthatwillkeepyoufromhavingaquiettime.Oftheserobbers,90percentwillbefoundthenightbefore,andofthese,TVisthenumberoneculprit.Anotherrobberistheattitudethatthequiettimeis“nicebutnotnecessary.”Youmustmakeitapriorityinordertothwartthethieves.
4.Go.to.bed.with.thoughts.of.Scripture .Gotosleepwiththeattitudeof“seeyouinthemorning,Lord.”AskGodtowakeyouupwithyourfirstthoughtsonhim.ThebestwaytodothatistogotosleepwithaverseofScriptureonyourmind.JimDowning,inhisbookMeditation:.The.Bible.Tells.You.How(NavPress),hassomeexcellentsuggestionsonhowthatcanbedonetoenableyouto“meditatedayandnight”(seeJosh.1:8;Ps.1:2).
The Problem of Dry spells
Another commonproblemof thosewhohave just startedhavingquiet times isthattheydon’tseemtogetmuchoutofthem.Ithasbecomethe“BattleoftheBlahs.”Thisdifficultymaybeovercomebyrealizingthatyoucanneverjudgeyourquiettimebyyouremotions.Emotionsmaylie;feelingsmaycomeandgo.Soyoushouldn’tdependonyourfeelings.Ifyouonlyhaveaquiettimewhenyou“feel”likeit,thedevilwillmakesureyouneverfeellikeit.
Yes,somedayswillseemratherbland.Onotherdaysyouwillthinkthatheavenhasopenedupandyou’repartoftheinnumerableangelichost,singingpraisestoGod.Sodon’texpecttohaveagreatandglorious“experience”everymorning.As
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Appendix.A:.How.to.Have.a.Meaningful.Quiet.Time
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BillieHankssays,“It’shardtogetspiritualgoosebumpsinthemorning.”Longperiodsofdrynessinyourquiettime,however,couldbecausedbyone
ofthefollowingproblems:1.Disobedience .Thisisunconfessedsininyourlife.Godwon’tshowyouany-
thingnewuntilyoudowhathehasalreadyshownyou.IfGodshowedyousome-thinginhisWordthreemonthsagoandyouarestillfightingit,hewon’tshowyouthenextstepuntilyou’vedealtwiththefirstone.
2.Your.physical.condition .Perhapsyouhaven’tbeengettingenoughrest.Ifyoucometoyourquiettimetiredandhalfasleep,youwon’tgetmuchoutofit.Infact,thereisadirectrelationshipbetweenthephysicalandthespiritual.Sometimesthemostspiritualthingyoucandoisgotobedearliereachnight.
3. Trying. to. do. too. much. in. a. hurry . The great English Methodist preacherSamuelChadwickoncesaid,“Hurryisthedeathofprayer.”Thesameistruewithyourquiettime.rushingthroughitwithyoureyeontheclockwillruinyourtimewiththeLord.Goforqualityandcontent,notformileage!
4.Being.in.a.rut .Whenyourquiettimebecomesaritualinsteadofarelation-ship,it’sdead.WhenitisalegalisticexerciseinsteadofagenuineanticipationofmeetingthelivingGod,it’singravedanger.Thisiswhenyoustartmeetingahabit,notaPerson.Sobe flexible;changeyourplansand routine,perhapsevenyourlocation.Buthavevarietyandkeepitinteresting—toyouandtotheLord.
5.Not.sharing.your.insights.with.others .Itisafactofnaturethatapondthatonlyreceiveswaterbuthasnooutletwillstagnate.ThesameistrueofChristianswhoarealwaysreceivingandnevergiving.Indeed,itisadivineparadoxthatwhenwegiveout,wegetmoreinreturn.Startsharingyourquiet-timeinsightswithoth-ersandseewhathappens.
Ifafterexaminingyourlifeandprocedures,youarestillnotgettinganythingoutofyourquiettime,tellGodaboutit.Justbehonestandadmitittohim.rememberthatittakestimetodeveloparelationshipwithGodjustasitdoeswiththepeoplearoundus.Youmustseehiminallkindsofcircumstancesandgettoknowhimwell.Whateveryoudo,don’tgiveup.ListentoPaul’sadviceinstead:“Letusnotbecomewearyindoinggood,foratthepropertimewewillreapaharvestifwedonotgiveup”(Gal.6:9).
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The Problem of concentration
Onceyouhavewon the twopreviousbattles, thedevilwillattackyoubysend-ingmanydistractionsalongtheway.Youwillnowhavetofightthe“BattleoftheBrain,”foryourmindwilltrytowanderinalldirectionsduringthequiettime.Youwillbebotheredbynoises,lackofsleep,poorlighting,tensionswithothers,worry,andamillionotherthingsthatyou“justcan’tforget.”Herearesomesuggestionsforconqueringthisproblem:
• Besureyouarethoroughlyawake.Takeashower,splashcoldwateronyourface,ordosomeexercises.
• readandprayaloud.• Walkwhilepraying.Youwillnotfallasleepstandingup,somovearound.• Keepanotebookhandy.Whenyouareremindedofsomethingelse,write
itdownandcomebacktoitafteryourquiettime.Thenyouwon’thavetoworryaboutforgettingit.
The Problem of Discouragement
By far your greatest problem will be your struggle to stick with yourmorningquiet time.Nothing ismoredifficult tomaintain regularly, because theworld,theflesh,andthedevilwillworktogethertokeepyoufromit.Whenpres-suresmountandyoufindthatyouhavetoomanythingstodo,whatareyouusuallytemptedtodropfirst?Themostimportantthing—yourquiettime.
Satan’smostviciousattackswillcomeinconnectionwithbeingdiligentinyourquiettime.HeknowsthatifhecankeepyououtoftheWord,hehasdefeatedyou.IfhecankeepyoufromspendingqualitytimewiththeLordatthestartofaday,thenhe’swonthebattle,becauseheknowsthathewillhavenooppositionfromyou.
Droppingyourquiettimeisusuallythefirststepinspiritualbacksliding.ManylukewarmChristianshavesaid,“Itallstartedwhen Ibeganneglectingmyquiettime.”That’swhyChriststandsattheirdoorandknocks,askingfortimetogether(seerev.3:20).
Inministeringtoothers,youcannevertakeanotherpersonfartherspirituallythanyouhavegoneyourself.IfyouhavenoinputfromtheLordeachday,youwillhavenothingtosharewithothersandwillnotbeabletohelpothersgrow.
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Appendix.A:.How.to.Have.a.Meaningful.Quiet.Time
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How may this serious problem be overcome? Here are some practicalsuggestions:
1.Consider.making.a. covenant.with.God .Makea seriouspactwithGod tospendsometimewithhimduringtheday.First,however,considertheseriousnessofmakingsuchavow.reviewSolomon’swarning:“WhenyoumakeavowtoGod,donotdelayinfulfillingit.Hehasnopleasureinfools;fulfillyourvow.Itisbetternottovowthantomakeavowandnotfulfillit”(Eccl.5:4–5).Covenanttohaveaquiettime,notbecauseothersaredoingitandnotasaduty,butbecauseyouknowthatJesusChristwantstomeetwithyou.
2.Put. it. into.your.weekly.schedule . Inadvance,blockoutasettimetomeeteachdaywithGodinthesamewayyouwouldplanforadoctor’sappointmentorabusinesslunch.
3.Expect.and.be.prepared.for.the.devil’s.excuses.and.attacks .Tobeforewarnedistobearmed.realizethatthedevilwilltrytoderailyoufromyourtimewiththeLordandwillattackyouonallfronts.SofollowtheBoyScoutmottoand“BePrepared!”SouthernBaptistpreacherrobertG.Leeusedtosay,“Ifyouwakeupinthemorninganddon’tmeetthedevilfaceon,itjustmeansyou’reheadedinthesamedirection!”
4.Leave.your.Bible.open.the.night.before.at.the.passage.you.intend.to.read.in.the.morning .Whenyougotobed,openyourBibletotheScripturesyouintendtoreadinyourmorningquiettime.Thenwhenyouwakeupinthemorning,theopenedBiblewillserveasaremindertoyoutohaveyourquiettime.
conclusion
Whatifyoumissaday?Don’tworryaboutitifithappensoccasionally.Don’tgoonaguilttrip.“ThereisnownocondemnationforthosewhoareinChristJesus”(rom.8:1).Don’tgetlegalistic,becausemissingonedaydoesnotmakeitaflop.Don’tgiveup.Ifyoumissameal,itdoesnotmeanthatyoushouldgiveupeatingbecauseyou’reinconsistent.Yousimplyeatalittlemoreatthenextmealandgoonfromthere.Thesameprincipleholdstrueforyourquiettime.
Psychologiststellusthatitusuallytakesusthreeweekstogetfamiliarwithsomenewtaskorhabit;ittakesanotherthreeweeksbeforeitbecomesahabit.
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Thereasonwhymanypeoplearenotsuccessfulintheirquiettimesisthattheyhavenevermade itpast thatsix-weekbarrier.Foryourquiet time tobecomeahabit,youmusthavehadonedailyforatleastsixweeks.
WilliamJameshadafamousformulafordevelopingahabit(Selected.Papers.on.Philosophy,E.P.Dutton,pp.60–62).
1.Make.a.strong.resolution.(vow) .Youmustalwaysstartwithastrong,decidedinitiative.Ifyoubeginhalfheartedly,you’llnevermakeit.Makeapublicdeclarationbytellingothersaboutyourdecision.
2.Never.allow.an.exception.to.occur.until.the.new.habit.is.securely.rooted.in.your.life .Ahabitislikeaballoftwine:everytimeyoudropit,manystrandsunwind.Soneverallowthe“justthisonce”tooccur.Theactofyieldingweakensthewillandstrengthensthelackofself-control.
3.Seize.every.opportunity.and.inclination.to.practice.your.new.habit .Wheneveryougettheslightesturgetopracticeyournewhabit,doitrightthen.Don’twait,butuseeveryopportunitytoreinforceyourhabit.Itdoesnothurttooverdoanewhabitwhenyouarefirststarting.
TothesesuggestionsIwouldaddonemore:4.Rely.on.the.power.of.God .When it isallsaidanddone,youmustrealize
thatyouareinaspiritualbattleandyoucanonlysucceedbythepoweroftheHolySpirit.SopraythatGodwillstrengthenyouanddependonhimtohelpyoudevelopthishabitforhisglory.
If you are convinced that this is what you need to do, would you pray thefollowing?
a Prayer of commitment
“Lord,Icommitmyselftospendingadefinitetimewithyoueveryday,nomatterwhatthecost.Iamdependingonyourstrengthtohelpmebeconsistent.”
__________________________________ (signed)
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Appendix B
geneRaL QUesTiOns fOR a BiOgRaPHicaL sTUDY
Hereisalistof70questionsyoucanuseinStepFiveoftheBiographicalMethodofBibleStudy(seechap.5).Youshouldn’ttrytouseeveryquestioninasinglestudy.Dependingonthedepthofyourstudyandthetimeyouhave,selectthequestionsyouwouldmostliketohaveanswered.Thequestionsaredividedintosevenmajorcategories foreasieruse.Asyouthinkofotherquestions,addthemto this list.(Forconvenience,thequestionsusemasculinepronouns,sosubstitutefemininepronounsasneeded.)
rePutation
1. Whowrotewhatweknowaboutthisperson? 2. Whatdidpeoplesayabouthim?Whatdidhisfriendssayabouthim? 3. Whatdidhisenemiessayabouthim? 4. Whatdidhisfamily(wife,children,brothers,sisters,parents)sayabout
him? 5. WhatdidGodsayabouthim? 6. WhydoyouthinkGodallowedthispersontobementionedintheBible?
tests of character
7. Whatwerehisaimsandmotives? 8. Whatwashelikeinhishome?
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9. Howdidherespondtofailure?Didhegetdiscouragedeasily? 10. Howdidherespondtoadversity?Didhehandlecriticismwell? 11. Howdidherespondtosuccess?Didhegetproudwhenpraised? 12. Howdidherespondtothetrivialandmundanethingsinlife?Washefaith-
fulinthelittlethings? 13. HowquicklydidhepraiseGodforthegoodorbadthingsthathappenedto
him? 14. HowquicklydidheobeyGodwhentoldtodosomething? 15. HowquicklydidhesubmittoGod-ordainedauthority? 16. WhatwashelikewhenhewasalonewithGod?
BackgrounD
17. Whatcanyoudiscoverabouthisfamilyandancestry? 18. Whatdoeshisnamemean?Whywashegiventhatname?Wasitever
changed? 19. Whatwashishome-lifelike?Howwasheraised?Wherewasheraised? 20. Whatwerethecharacteristicsofhisparents?Howdidtheyinfluencehim? 21. Wasthereanythingspecialabouthisbirth? 22. Wheredidhelive?Whatwashiseverydaylifelike? 23. Washeexposedtoothercultures?Didtheyaffecthiminanyway? 24. Whatwastheconditionofhiscountrypoliticallyandspirituallyduringhis
lifetime? 25. Whatkindoftrainingdidhehave?Didhehaveanyschooling? 26. Whatwashisoccupation? 27. Howlongdidhelive?Wheredidhedie?Howdidhedie?
significant events
28. Wasthereanygreatcrisisinhislife?Howdidhehandleit? 29. Whatarethegreataccomplishmentsforwhichheisremembered? 30. Didheexperienceadivine“call”?Howdidherespondtoit?
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Appendix.B:.General.Questions.for.a.Biographical.Study
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31. Whatcrucialdecisionsdidhehavetomake?Howdidtheyaffecthim?Others?
32. Didanyparticularproblemkeeprecurringinhislife? 33. Wheredidhesucceed?Wheredidhefail?Why? 34. Howdidtheenvironmentandcircumstancesaffecthim? 35. WhatpartdidheplayinthehistoryofGod’splan? 36. DidhebelieveinthesovereigntyofGod?(God’scontroloverallevents)
relationshiPs
37. Howdidhegetalongwithotherpeople?Washealoner?Washeateamperson?
38. Howdidhetreatotherpeople?Didheusethem,orservethem? 39. Whatwashiswifelike?Howdidsheinfluencehim? 40. Whatwerehischildrenlike?Howdidtheyinfluencehim? 41. Whowerehisclosecompanions?Whatweretheylike?Howdidtheyinflu-
encehim? 42. Whowerehisenemies?Whatweretheylike?Howdidtheyinfluencehim? 43. Whatinfluencedidhehaveonothers?Onhisnation?Onothernations? 44. Didhetakecareofhisfamily?Howdidhischildrenturnout? 45. DidhisfriendsandfamilyhelporhinderhiminservingtheLord? 46. Didhetrainanyonetotakehisplace?Didheleaveadisciple(a“Timothy”)
behind?
Personality
47. Whattypeofpersonwashe?Whatmadehimthewayhewas? 48. Washistemperamentcholeric,melancholic,sanguine,orphlegmatic? 49. Whatweretheoutstandingstrengthsinhischaracter?Whattraitsdidhe
have? 50. Didhislifeshowanydevelopmentofcharacterastimepassed?Wasthere
growthandprogressionthere?
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51. Whatwerehisparticularfaultsandweaknesses? 52. Whatwerehisparticularsins?Whatstepsledtothosesins? 53. Inwhatareawashisgreatestbattle:lustoftheflesh,lustoftheeyes,or
prideoflife? 54. Whatweretheresultsofhissinsandweaknesses? 55. Didheevergetthevictoryoverhisparticularsinsandweaknesses? 56. Whatqualitiesmadehimasuccessorfailure? 57. WasheinanywayatypeofChrist?
sPiritual life
58. WhatpersonalencountersdidhehavewithGodthatarerecordedinScripture?
59. Whatwashispurposeinlife?DidhetrytobringglorytoGod? 60. Whatmessagedidhepreachandlive?Washislifeamessageforor
againstChrist/God? 61. Didheliveaseparatedlife,distinctfromworldlyways? 62. Whatdidhebelieve?WhatgreatlessonsdidGodteachhim? 63. WhydoyouthinkGoddealtwithhimthewayhedid? 64. WhatwashisattitudetowardtheWordofGod?DidheknowtheScriptures
existingatthattime? 65. Whatkindofprayerlifedidhehave?Didhehaveclosefellowshipwith
God? 66. Washeboldinsharinghistestimony?Washeacourageouswitnessin
timesofpersecution? 67. HowbigwashisfaithinGod?Howdidheshowit?DidGodgivehimany
specificpromises? 68. WasheagoodstewardofwhatGodhadgivenhim—time,wealth,talents? 69. WashefilledwiththeSpirit?Whatwerehisspiritualgifts?Didheuse
them? 70. WasheeagertodoGod’swill,willinglyandwithoutquestion?
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Appendix C
a LisT Of POsiTive anD negaTive cHaRacTeR QUaLiTies
Listedhereare85positivecharacteristicstolookforinapersonwhomyouarestudyingand114negativecharacteristicsorsins.Thislistwillbeusefulincomplet-ingStepSixoftheBiographicalMethodofBibleStudy(seechap.5).
Positive characteristics to look for in a Person
HonestyIntegrityDependabilityLoyaltyDedicationFaithfulnessTrustworthinessSincerityDiligenceOrderlinessrighteousnessFairnessObedienceCourteousnessrespectfulnessreverence
DeferenceGratefulnessThankfulnessWisdomDiscernmentSensitivityPerspectiveDiscreetnessCarefulnessCautiousnessDisciplineThriftinessGoodStewardshipresourcefulnessObserverIndustry
CreativityEnthusiasmPositivenessLovingnessKindnessPatienceSelf-denyingSelf-givingSacrificingCompassionateMeeknessSympathyGenerosityForgivenessGentlenessMercifulness
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PeacemakingSubmissivenessAgreeablenessConsideratenessSelf-controlWholeheartednessDeterminateStablenessEnergyZealousnessEarnestnessBalanceModerateness
ChastenessPurenessCleanlinessModestyCheerfulnessOptimismConfidenceBoldnessCourageousnessManofFaithBraveryDurablenessHumbleness
CalmnessQuietnessIndependenceToleranceContentednessUncomplainingFlexiblenessUncompromisingAServantSenseofHumorCharacterizedbythe
Beatitudes
negative characteristics anD sins to look for in a BiograPhical stuDy
AliarUnfaithfulUnreliableLibelousSlandererGossiperBackbiterCompromisingFlattererLazyASluggardShallowHypocriticalCrafty/SlyDeceitful
DishonestUnfairInsultingCoarserude/GrossImpoliterebelliousABusybodyTyrannicalDisobedientUngratefulMurmurerShortsightedLukewarmHalfhearted
FoolishTalkativeIdolatrousCarelessForgetfulWastefulCruelInhumanSelfishMaliciousUnkindInsensitiveNegligentCallousPrejudiced
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Appendix.C:.A.List.of.Positive.and.Negative.Character.Qualities
261
UnforgivingHarshUnsociableGrudgingAnnoyingIrritatingIndifferentApatheticIdleCowardlyACop-outImpulsiveHumorlessFickleDouble-mindedWaveringHeadstrongProudConceitedStubbornBoastfulSensualImmodest
GluttonousADrunkardreprobateImmoralUncleanAdulterousFornicatorCovetousGreedyStingyFearfulArrogantDogmaticVainJealousEnviousSarcasticScornfulBlasphemousBitterViolentComplainingProcrastinator
ArgumentativeDisrespectfulManipulativeBigotedWorldlyAWorrierrejoicesinEvilLustsforPowerSelf-righteousUndisciplinedApostateFearsMenPresumptuousProfaneLegalisticDoctrinallyOffFriendoftheWorldAngrywithoutCauseAshamedofChristADoubterIndependentSpiritLovesMen’sPraiseForgetsGod
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Appendix D
a PaRTiaL LisT Of BiBLicaL PeOPLe
ThethreeliststhatfollowincludetheprimarymenoftheBible,thesecondarybutimportantmenoftheBible,andtheprominentwomenoftheBible.
major men in the BiBle
AbrahamDanielDavidElijahElishaEzekiel
EzraIsaiahIsaacJacobJeremiahJesus
John(Apostle)Joseph(O.T.)JoshuaMosesNehemiahPaul
PeterPharaohSamsonSamuelSaul(O.T.)Solomon
minor But imPortant men in the BiBle
AaronAbelAbimelechAbnerAbsalomAchanAdamAhabAhithophelAmos
AnaniasAndrewApollosApostles(any)AquilaAsaBalaamBarnabasBarzillaiCaiaphas
CalebEliEsauGehaziGideonHabakkukHaggaiHamanHerodHezekiah
HoseaJabezJamesJehoshaphatJeroboamJoabJobJohntheBaptistJonahJonathan
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Appendix.D:.A.Partial.List.of.Biblical.People
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JudasIscariotJudges(any)Kings(any)LabanLotLukeMarkMatthew
MelchizedekMephiboshethMordecaiNaamanNathanNoahPhilemonPhilip
PontiusPilateProphets(any)rehoboamShamgarSilasStephenTimothyTitus
TychicusUzziahZechariahZedekiahZephaniahZerubbabel
Prominent Women in the BiBle
AbigailAbishagAnnaBathshebaDeborahDelilahDinahDorcasElizabethEstherEuniceEveHagar
HannahJezebelJochebedLeahLydiaMarthaMary(Jesus’Mother)MaryMagdaleneMaryofBethanyMichalMiriamNaaman’sMaidNaomi
PriscillaQueenofShebarachelrahabrebekahruthSapphiraSarahTheShunammiteVashtiZipporah
Alsodonotforgetthenamelesswomenlistedas
• “_______________’swife,”suchasLot’swife,Potiphar’swife • “_______________’sdaughter,”suchasPharaoh’sdaughter • VariouswidowsandwomenencounteredbyJesus,suchasthewomanat
thewellofSychar
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Appendix E
a sUggesTeD LisT Of keY WORDs fOR sTUDY
ThefollowingisanalphabetizedlistofkeybiblicalwordsthatcanbeusedinyourWordStudyMethodofBibleStudy(seechap.7).
AdoptionAdversaryApostleAtonementBaptizeBelieveBlessBodyCallChastenChristChurchConfessCovenantDeathDiscipleEverlastingEvil
FaintFaithFavorFearFellowshipFleshGoodGospelGraceHearHellHolyHopeImmanuelIniquityJehovahJesusJudgment
KingdomKnowLawLayingonof
HandsLifeLightLordLoveLustManifestMarriageMediatorMeekMercyMindMinisterMiracle
MysteryNameObeyPassoverPeacePerfectPerishPreachPropitiationreconcileredeemremnantrepentrestresurrectionrighteousSabbathSacrifice
SaintSanctifySaveServantSinSoulSpiritTemptationTrialTruthUnderstandVainVisionWatchWisdomWitnessWordWorldWorship
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Appendix F
WHaT TO LOOk fOR in a cHaPTeR anaLYsis sTUDY
Listedhereinbriefformare30itemstolookforinyourobservationpartoftheChapterAnalysisMethodofBibleStudy(seechap.10):
1. Ask the six vital observation questions: What? Why? When? How?Where?Who?
2. Lookforkeywords. 3. Lookforrepeatedwordsandphrases. 4. Lookforquestionsbeingasked. 5. Lookforanswersbeinggiven. 6. Lookforcommands. 7. Lookforwarnings. 8. Lookforcomparisons—thingsthatarealike. 9. Lookforcontrasts—thingsthataredifferent. 10. Lookforillustrations. 11. Lookforcausesandeffectsandreasonsfordoingthings. 12. Lookforpromisesandtheirconditionsforfulfillment. 13. Lookforprogressionfromthegeneraltothespecific. 14. Lookforprogressionfromthespecifictothegeneral. 15. Lookforstepsofprogressioninanarrativeorbiography. 16. Lookforlistsofthings. 17. Lookforresults. 18. Lookforadvice,admonitions,andattitudes.
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19. Lookforthetoneofthepassage—emotionalatmosphere. 20. Lookforconnectives,articles,andprepositions. 21. Lookforexplanations. 22. LookforOldTestamentquotesintheNewTestament. 23. Lookfortheliteraryform. 24. Lookforparadoxes. 25. Lookforemphasisthroughtheuseofspace—proportion. 26. Lookforplannedexaggerationsorhyperboles. 27. Lookatthegrammaticalconstructionofeachsentence. 28. Lookfortheuseofthecurrenteventsofthetimes. 29. Lookfortheforceoftheverbs. 30. Lookforanythingunusualorunexpected.
TheabovearejustafewofthethingsyoucanlookforintheobservationstepinyourBiblestudy.Don’tletthislonglistdiscourageyou.Youshouldn’ttrytodoeachoneofthesuggesteditems.Itwilltaketimeforyoutogetintothehabitofseeingmoreandmore things in the text.Themoreyoupracticeobserving, themorealertyouwillbecome.Soremember:Look,search,observe,thenwriteyourfindingsdown!
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Appendix G
a PLan fOR sTUDYing THe BiBLe sYsTeMaTicaLLY
OnceyouhavecommittedyourselftostudyingtheBiblepersonally,youmaybeginwondering,“WhatdoIdonow?”Sincethereissomuchcontentinthe66booksoftheBible,whereshouldyoubeginandwhatplanshouldyoufollow?
EachchapterinthisbookhasasuggestedassignmentforthatparticulartypeofBiblestudy. In thisappendixa long-rangeplan issuggested forstudying theBiblesystematically.Pleaseusethisplanloosely.Don’tfeelthatyouhavetofollowitrigidly.Feelfreetochangeit,tosubstitute,toomit,toadd,andtoswitch.
Thefollowingplanisorganizedaround48weeksperyear(with4weeksoffforvacation)forfouryears.
year one
weeks 1 – 4 Devotional.Method: Psalm15 Psalm34 romans12 1John4
weeks 5 – 10 Chapter.Summary.Method: 1John1 2Timothy2 John17 1Corinthians13 Ephesians1 Haggai1
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weeks 11 – 16 Character.Quality.Method: Honesty Humility Servanthood Selfishness Faithfulness Worry
weeks 17 – 22 Thematic.Method: ThePrayersofPaul Obedience KnowingGod’sWill PraisingtheLordinthePsalms TheWisePeopleinProverbs FaithfulnessintheNewTestament
weeks 23 – 28 Biographical.Method: Daniel Stephen Barnabas Gideon ruth Nehemiah
weeks 29 – 32 Topical.Method: Money—MaterialPossessions Prayer TheFamily TheLordshipofChrist(doctrinalstudy)
weeks 33 – 36 Word.Study.Method: Witness Disciple Love redemption
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Appendix.G:.A.Plan.for.Studying.the.Bible.Systematically
26�
weeks 37 – 38 Book.Background.Method: TheBookofColossians TheBookofHaggai
weeks 39 – 45 Book.Survey,.Chapter.Analysis,.Book.Synthesis.Methods: TheBookof1Thessalonians Week39—Survey Weeks40–44—ChapterAnalysis Week45—Synthesis
weeks 46 – 48 Verse-by-Verse.Analysis.Method: ContinueontheBookof1Timothy
year tWo
From the second year on, you will primarily study books of the Bible, with theothermethods interlaced for a changeof pace. Youwill note that every timeaBiblebookissuggested,twomoreweeksareaddedtothenumberofchaptersinthatbook—forthesurveyprecedingitandthesynthesisfollowingit.Dotheseinwhateverorderyoudesire,interchangingandsubstitutingfreelyaccordingtoyourneedsandinterests!
TheBookof2Timothy 6weeksTheGospelofMark 18weeksTheBookofColossians 6weeksFourTopicalStudies 4weeksFourBiographicalStudies 4weeksFourWordStudies 4weeksVerse-by-VerseChapterAnalysisStudyofPsalm145 3weeksThreeStudiesofYourChoice 3weeks
Total 48weeks
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year three
TheBookofPhilippians 6weeksTheBookofromans 18weeksTheBookof1John 7weeksFourTopicalStudies 4weeksFourBiographicalStudies 4weeksFourWordStudies 4weeksVerse-by-VerseChapterAnalysisStudyofPsalm139 3weeksTwoStudiesofYourChoice 2weeks
Total 48weeks
year four
TheBookofEphesians 8weeksTheBookofActs 30weeksTwoTopicalStudies 2weeksTwoWordStudies 2weeksVerse-by-VerseChapterAnalysisStudyof3John 2weeksTwoStudiesofYourChoice 4weeks
Total 48weeks
year five anD BeyonD
Youarenowonyourown!Pickthebooksandtypesofstudiesthatinterestyouandwillhelpbuildyouup.Itismyprayerthatthesesuggestionswillmotivateyoutobeginalifetimeofdynamic,personalBiblestudy.
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For Further ReadingBaughman,ray..Creative.Bible.Study.Methods ..MoodyPress,1976Brooks,KeithL..Basic.Bible.Study.for.New.Christians ..MoodyPress,1985_______ ..The.Summarized.Bible:.A.Guide.to.Daily.Devotional.Bible.Study ..Baker,1965Coleman,LucienE.,Jr..Developing.Skills.for.Bible.Interpretation ..TheSundaySchoolBoard
oftheSouthernBaptistConvention,1969Corley,Bruce,SteveLemke,andGrandLovejoy,eds..Biblical.Hermeneutics .2nded.Broad-
man&Holman,2002Downing,Jim..Meditation:.The.Bible.Tells.You.How ..NavPress,1977Glynn,John..Commentary.and.Reference.Survey:.A.Comprehensive.Guide. to.Biblical.and.
Theological.Resources ..Kregel,2003Henrichsen,WalterA.,andGayleJackson..Studying,. Interpreting,.and.Applying. the.Bible ..
Zondervan,1990Jensen,IrvingL..Enjoy.Your.Bible ..WorldWidePublications,1989_______ ..Independent.Bible.Study ..MoodyPress,1972Job,JohnB.,ed..How.to.Study.the.Bible ..InterVarsityPress,1973Klein,William,CraigBlomberg,androbertHubbard..Introduction.to.Biblical.Interpretation ..
rev.ed.Nelson,2004LaHaye,Tim..How.to.Study.the.Bible.for.Yourself ..HarvestHouse,1988Lincoln,WilliamC..Personal.Bible.Study ..BethanyFellowship,1975McCartney,Dan,andCharlesClayton..Let.the.Reader.Understand ..2nded.Presbyterian&
reformed,2002Mickelsen,A.Berkeley..Better.Bible.Study ..regalBooks,1977Miller,ParkHays..How.to.Study.and.Use.the.Bible ..W.A.Wilde,1954Navigator.Bible.Studies.Handbook,.The ..NavPress,1995Perry,LloydandrobertD.Culver..How.to.Search.the.Scriptures ..Baker,1967ramm,Bernard..Protestant.Biblical.Interpretation ..Baker,1980ramm,Bernard,ed..Hermeneutics ..Baker,1987robertson,EdwardH..Methods.of.Bible.Study ..TheBible inOurTimeSeries.Association
Press,1962Smith,Bob..Basics.of.Bible.Interpretation ..WordBooks,1978Smith,WilburM..Profitable.Bible.Study ..Baker,1971Sproul,r.C..Knowing.Scripture ..InterVarsityPress,1977Sterrett,T.Norton..How.to.Understand.Your.Bible ..InterVarsityPress,1982Torrey,r.A..How.to.Study.the.Bible.for.Greatest.Profit ..Baker,1984Traina,robertA..Methodical.Bible.Study ..Zondervan,1985Wald,Oletta..The.New.Joy.of.Discovery.in.Bible.Study ..AugsburgFortress,2002Wollen,AlbertJ..Miracles.Happen.in.Group.Bible.Study ..regalBooks,1976
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About the Author
Rick Warren is often called “America’s most influential spiritual leader.” He founded Saddleback Church in Orange County, California, which is now one of the largest and best-known churches in the world. He also founded the Purpose Driven Movement, a network of tens of thousands of churches from all denominations in 160 countries. He has trained over 350,000 pastors worldwide.
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About the Publisher
Founded in 1931, Grand Rapids, Michigan – based Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, is the leading international Christian com-munications company, producing bestselling Bibles, books, new media products, and award-winning children’s products. The world’s largest Bible publisher, Zondervan (www.zondervan.com) holds exclusive pub-lishing rights to the New International Version of the Bible and has distributed more than 215 million copies worldwide. It is also one of the top Christian publishers in the world, selling its award-winning books through Christian retailers, general market bookstores, mass merchan-disers, specialty retailers, and the Internet. Zondervan has received a total of 73 ECPA Medallion of Excellence (formerly Gold Medallion) awards for its books, more than any other publisher.
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