Do you long for a relationship with God, but feel lost when you open your Bible,
not even knowing where to begin?
Or perhaps you begin each year with a resolution to read through the Bible, only
to give up in frustration, wandering about somewhere in the "wilderness"
of the book of Numbers?
Or do you read passages of Scripture and find
that only moments later you can't even remember what you just read?
Are you frustrated that there are so many
different opinions about what the Bible says on a given subject and you wonder
which one is true?
Or do you doubt whether it's even possible
for you to understand God's Word, since you're not a pastor, an elder or a
degreed theologian?
If any or all of these questions describe you, then take
heart, beloved, for you are about to embark on a journey called "Inductive Bible Study" (IBS),
one that has the potential to radically transform your life as you study God's Word
in a way you heretofore never thought possible. Inductive Bible Study
will expose you to an approach that can be applied to any Scripture,
any time, any place, by any one. All that is required is the Holy Book, the
Holy Spirit and a humble, teachable heart.
As you begin this journey, remember that the
Bible will be your primary resource "for no (spoken)
word
from God (is)
void of power (a
more
literal
rendering of Luke
1:37 ASV then other translations) and "His divine power has granted to us
everything
pertaining to life and godliness (read that phrase again - do you believe this
is true?), through the
true knowledge of Him (found in
His Word) Who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these (His
"glory and excellence") He has
granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them (we)
might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that
is in the world by lust." (see notes
2 Peter 1:3-4)
Beloved, if you are not convinced on the
sufficiency and power of the Bible as your guidebook for abundant, supernatural
life, you
might consider performing a simple study on the inherent
Power of God's Word. You must understand
and believe that the Word of God not only is sufficient for every need but that
it is a "love letter" from God, because it is!
"God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life." (John
3:16) Your objective is to learn to read the Bible as if God were
personally speaking
to you. Why? Because He is! B. B. Warfield was absolutely correct
when he said
The Bible is the Word of God in such a way
that when the Bible speaks, God speaks.
Allow the Author to speak directly, personally and
powerfully to your mind but also to your heart. Remember that the Bible is the
only book whose Author is always present when it is read.
Knowing the living Word
is the key to understanding the written Word.
Beloved, many saints are sitting under
the Word today in Bible believing churches, but they are not in
the Word for themselves. The psalmist writes that the blessed man or woman who
flourishes like a tree by water is the one who delights not
under but "in the law of the LORD, and in His law
meditates (see
Primer On Biblical Meditation) day and
night." (Psalm
1). The great need for most
believers is to "get into" the Word for themselves. Instead many are sitting in pews growing
older, but not growing "in
the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (see note
2 Peter 3:18).
Inductive Bible Study is profitable...
not just that we should know
but that we might
grow!
IBS is not a method to fill our head with
Biblical facts and make us "smarter sinners". The ultimate goal
of all IBS is the transformation of our lives from glory to glory, daily
becoming more
like our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Are you ready to get into the
Word so that the Word can get into you in a way you never
previously thought possible? Then, my friend, get ready for the joy and
adventure of Inductive Bible Study.
|
Your
Primary Resource:
THE BIBLE |
|
GOD
SPEAKS
V
THROUGH HIS WORD
V
DIRECTLY TO YOU
V
NOW YOU ARE EQUIPPED
TO STUDY OTHER
RESOURCES |
After observing the schematic, you
still may not appreciate the basic premise of Inductive Bible Study so let's illustrate two
different
approaches to Bible study using the life of a frog as our subject of study.
If you wanted to learn about frogs, you could go to the library and check
out a book entitled "The Life of Frogs" (or in today's web savvy world you might
"Google" the term "frog's life"). But how would you know that the
so-called frog expert had really given you an accurate interpretation of a
frog's life? You wouldn't if you relied solely upon that one source. On the
other hand you could go to a nearby pond, sit by the water's edge and begin to
observe and write down what you observed about the local frogs - how they
gathered food, what they liked to eat and not eat, where they
liked to sit, how they mated, where, when and how they
laid their eggs, what transpired when the eggs hatched, and how
long it took tadpoles to grow into adult frogs. Then you could take one of the
slimy green creatures back home (not to your kitchen though), dissect him and
observe how he was constructed in great detail, even observing the
interrelationships of the innermost
parts under a dissecting microscope.
Now, let's be honest. Reading a reference by
a "frog expert" is easier and more aesthetically pleasing than sitting by a pond
and (heaven forbid) even touching one of the little green critters. And besides,
you could glean the salient frog facts in a fraction of the time it would take
you to perform your own
observations of the frog's life cycle. So what's the
point? In the first method, you might remember what you read for a few days, but
with the second method you would likely be able to recall your observations
months, even years later. And which method provides the potential for the joy of
self discovery? Which method "costs" the most (in time and effort)? I'm sure you
can see the clear distinctions between these two methods.
In terms of Bible study methods, you can
study someone's else's study or you can study the Scripture for yourself. The
inductive method provides you with the skills and familiarity with the tools
which make it possible for even beginning students (and even children) to
confidently study the Scriptures on their own.
Dr Howard Hendricks eloquently sums up the
differences in the two contrasting approaches to Bible study writing that
Knowledge that is self-discovered is stored
in the deepest part of the mind and remains the longest in the memory. There is
no jewel more precious than that which you have mined yourself.
From the frog illustration, you can easily
see that the key difference in the inductive approach is personal, active
involvement in the process. As someone has said...
"I hear and I forget"
"I
see and I remember"
"I do and I understand"
Instead of studying resources about the
Bible, inductive study focuses first upon the Bible. You need to be willing to
lay aside your preconceived notions, pet interpretations, ready references, study notes, sermon tapes, etc,
coming to the Scriptures as for the first time. Your primary
resource is
God's Word, then other secondary resources. The tendency for many Bible students
at the beginning of a study is to rally secondary resources that
will do the "observing" and "interpreting" for the reader. It's quick but
is it correct? How can you know if you don't make your own independent
observations
and arrive at your own interpretation based on those
observations?
And why even go to the Scriptures if you almost immediately forget what you've
just read? Research show that we learn more and retain more, the more
actively we are involved in the learning process.
|
PERCENTAGE
REMEMBERED
COMPARED to METHOD of LEARNING |
|
1 |
10% |
Of what we read |
|
2 |
20% |
Of what we hear |
|
3 |
30% |
By watching a
demonstration |
|
4 |
50% |
Combining #2 and #3 |
|
5 |
70% |
Combine #4 with writing
out what you learn |
|
6 |
90% |
All of the above plus
application or practice |
The key to effective, fruitful inductive
Bible study is personal involvement and learning how to
carefully, prayerfully observe... not sitting by a pond, but sitting at the
feet of Jesus, allowing the Spirit of Christ to lead you into all truth.
Give me the insight, Lord,
As I read Your Word today,
So I will truly understand
Your message and Your way. —Monroe
Inductive Bible study has as one of its major goals to give the student the
knowledge and tools to allow them to "fish for themselves" so to speak.
The Bible is a remarkable book. Millions of copies are bought each year. It has
been the number-one bestseller for decades. But tragically, the Bible is said to
be the least-read bestseller of all time!
J. I. Packer is surely correct
when says that...
If I were the devil, one of my first aims
would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible.
Alan Redpath (past pastor at Moody
Bible Church) once advised believers to "wreck" their Bible every 10
years! Do you use your Bible every day until it eventually falls apart? If
you've never studied your Bible inductively, then you are about to experience
that it is a wonderful "tool" by which you can wear out your Bible! Remember --
a well-worn Bible is a sign of a well-fed soul, and a Bible that's falling apart
usually belongs to someone who isn't!
The treasures of the Word of God
Are great beyond compare;
But if we do not search them out,
We cannot use what's there. —Sper
Although he does not use the term, the following quote by Martin Luther
appears to allude to the basic practice of inductive Bible study...
I study my Bible as I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that
the ripest may fall. Then I shake each limb, and when I have shaken each
limb I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under every leaf.
The godly missionary
Amy Carmichael
indirectly alluded to the
value of inductive Bible study warning all saints to...
Never let good books take the place of the Bible. Drink from the Well, not
from the streams that flow from the Well.
R A Torrey
may have been
exaggerating somewhat but this is some truth in his declaration that...
Ninety-nine Christians in every hundred
are merely playing at Bible study; and therefore ninety-nine Christians in
every hundred are merely weaklings when they might be giants.
I love how Grant Osborne
introduces the second edition of his excellent text
The Hermeneutical Spiral: A
Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation...
There is no greater privilege or joy
than studying the Word of God. When we realize that God loved us enough
not only to send His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins, but
also cared enough for us to give us His revealed truths to challenge and
guide our lives, we are amazed at how little we deserve and yet how much
He has done for us! There is only one set of final truths in this world,
not mathematics or science (for all physical laws are invalid in a quasar
or a black hole), but only the Word of God. In this the eternal principles
intended to direct us through this life are truly found. Therefore it is
both a privilege and a responsibility to study God’s Word
as carefully as possible.
To fail as a Christian to study God’s
inspired revelation is tantamount to refusing to know the laws of the
country we live in and breaking those laws with impunity. It is a failure
that can and will have catastrophic results, for it means we do not care
about the rules we have promised to obey by virtue of being citizens of
our country—whether that be the USA or Britain or heaven (cf. notes
Philippians 3:21).
(Osborne,
G. R. The Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical
Interpretation. Rev. and expanded, 2nd ed. Downers Grove, Ill.:
InterVarsity Press. November 30, 2006)
(Digital
version on Logos) (Bolding
added for emphasis)
May the Spirit of the Living God
give all of His children a burning desire to diligently study His Living Word inductively that He
might make each of us into
"oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, (Why? What should be the final goal of all
serious Bible study? Smarter sinners? No! Sinners more like their
Savior...) that He may be glorified." (Isaiah 61:3) (cp notes
Psalm 1:1; 1:2;
1:3;
1:4; 1:5;
1:6)
