Commitments in 2008

Commitments in 2008 Commitment to Bible Study

Part III – Section 2

March 2, 2008

Commitments in 2008Commitment to Bible Study

Section 1 - ReviewMarch 2, 2008

Commitment to Bible Study

Purpose: To examine a bible study method that will help us study the bible more effectively.

Objective: Is two fold: To understand the problems associated

with bible study. To give you an outline to follow when you

study the bible.


Text:2 Timothy 2:15, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the Word of truth."


How are we to get a grip on this book? It's such a thick book and long book, in fact

66 books make up this one book. 27 in the New Testament - Revelation revealed 39 in the Old Testament – Revelation concealed


2 Timothy 3:16 NIV All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,


There are so many details – Every word, every phrase, every sentence and

every paragraph, every chapter, every book itself is of such vital importance, how are we ever to be able to grasp the fullness of the Word of God?


The inductive Bible Study Method: Observation Interpretation Application Meditation Communication

Commitment to Bible StudyHow to misinterpret Scripture. Not have any basic bible study tools:

Topical Study Bible A Bible Dictionary and A Greek and Hebrew lexicon Contemporary English Bible

The New Living Translation The Message (remixed) The New International Version A Parallel Bible with KJV & NIV or NLT


How to misinterpret Scripture. The top 3 ways to misinterpret scripture:

1. Approach Scripture with predigested theology and understanding of doctrine from the past and force the Word of God to conform to that.


How to misinterpret Scripture. The top 3 ways to misinterpret scripture:

2. Approach Scripture with presuppositions and force the Bible to conform to those presuppositions.

Commitment to Bible Study How to misinterpret Scripture.

The top 3 ways to misinterpret scripture:3. Be enamored by some prominent teacher or

prominent writer and line up with that individual.


How to misinterpret Scripture. The result is that you study to affirm what

he/she says or what that group says without regard for a careful understanding of Scripture.


Step one to bible study: Read the Bible.

Now that may come as a shock to you but it's where you have to start.

Most people don't know what the Bible means because they don't know what it says.

Commitments in 2008Commitment to Bible Study

Part III – Section 2March 2, 2008


Purpose: To examine a bible study method that will help us study the bible more effectively.

Objective: To understand each step of the Inductive Bible Study Method. Step one: Observation

Commitments in 2008 - Review

Spiritual Growth is our #1 objective! Activities that lead to Spiritual Growth:

Consistent Prayer life Consistent Bible StudyConsistent Christian fellowshipConsistent Positive and Spiritual relationshipConsistent Church attendance


The inductive Bible Study Method:Observation

Interpretation Application Meditation Communication


The inductive Bible Study Method:Allows us to dig deeper into a book of

the bible to exploring it verse by verse.


OBSERVATION What does it say? Look at the forest (Get the

big picture). This is the foundation for Bible Study. Spend

most of your time with observations.

Commitment to Bible StudyOBSERVATION Principles for reading:

1. Read Telescopically. a. Look for the connectives. b. Pay attention to context. c. Evaluate the passage in light of the book as a whole. d. Look for the big picture or major thoughts of the passage.2. Read repeatedly. 3. Read prayerfully (Ps. 119:18,27,33-36).

"Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law." Ps. 119:18

Commitment to Bible StudyOBSERVATIONRead Telescopically.

a. Telescopic reading means viewing the parts in light of the whole.

Illustration: Sony president Akio Morita & came to Texas recently to answer the question, Why are the Japanese reluctant to build consumer products in the United States?

Commitment to Bible StudyOBSERVATION

Read Telescopically

His answer: They can't find American parts that meet their quality control standards.

Sony Camcorder: Sony has a production standard that tolerates only one out of a hundred Camcorder’s to fail.


OBSERVATIONRead Telescopically

The Camcorder is made up of two thousand component parts.


Read TelescopicallyWith that many parts, each one must

work flawlesslyNot One failure in a hundred

thousand, or even a million parts in order for the whole unit to meet the standard.


Read Telescopically.

The whole is far greater than the sum of the parts.



So it is with the Bible. It is not simply a collection of parts. It is an integrated message in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.



Read, analyze Scripture, take it apart, but realize that you've only done half the job.



Your next task is to put it back together again.How can you do that?


Look for the connectives Look at the power in the little words:

But, And, Or Therefore. These and other words are "connectives" in

that they link the text together.


OBSERVATION Look for the connectives

These little words are the coupling pins in a train of associated words that work together to communicate meaning.


OBSERVATION Look for the connectives

Telescopic reading demands that you pay attention to these links, so that you tie the author's message together in your mind.


OBSERVATION Pay attention to context

Whenever you study a verse or a paragraph, always consult the neighbors of that verse or paragraph to find out what the broader context is.


OBSERVATION Pay attention to context

Telescopic reading is based on this principle: It never settles for close-ups alone; It always demands the wide-angle lens of

perspective. It always asks, What is the big picture?


OBSERVATION Evaluate the passage in light of the

books as a whole

It's like flying a plane over some land in order to evaluate distances and relationships.



books as a whole

If you read the Book of Mark verse by verse, we would enjoy the narrative, but may miss the author's message.

Obliviously the story is about Jesus.



books as a whole

But so are three other books in the New Testament. What makes this one distinctive?



books as a whole If we evaluate the book as a whole that you

discover that Mark breaks his account into two major sections:



books as a whole Mark 1:1 through 8:26, is about the Person of

Christ; Mark 8:31 through 16:20 is about the purpose of

Christ. Mark 8:27-30 is the hinge of the book, where

He asks the crucial question:



books as a whole

"Who do people say that I am?"



books as a whole All kinds of insights flow out of this structure. But it is something you can detect only by

examining the book as a whole


OBSERVATION Look at the historical context of the book

History lends relevance to otherwise insignificant details.



Keep in mind that God is the God of history. He works in and through real people in the

real world to accomplish His purposes.



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