How to Study

Here are points one and two (Observation and Interpretation) in detail.

I will type out points three and four (Application and Incorporation) and post as a separate entry.

Tess

 

A Study Method

Based on Living by the Book

By Howard Hendricks

 

 

My notes from Todd Gill's Tuesday night studies.

 

When you study the bible in certain steps, in a certain order, you will achieve certain results.  The question we should come to the Bible with is "What did God mean with this passage?"

 

There are 4 steps.

 

1. Observation – What does the Bible say? You are picking apart the Scripture in this step. (Definitive Phase)
1. Who, What, When, Where (You are not asking Why and How.)
2. SALT

                                                              i.      Structure (grammatical structure)

1.      question/ answers, causes/ effects, subject, verb, object

                                                            ii.      Atmosphere

1.      feelings, mood, tone, environment

2.      What was it like to be there?

                                                          iii.      Literary Form

1.      narrative, history, biography, letter, instruction, exhortation, doctrine, poetry, proverbs

                                                          iv.      Terms

1.      context – keep all words in context

a.       verse, paragraph, chapter, book, author, Bible

b.      Ask: How does this hold up with the rest of Scriptures?

2. Interpretation – What does the Bible mean? You are asking Why and How.
1. Reasons, purpose, author's intent, implications, principles
2. Rational Phase – ask Why and How
3. Implications Phase – Take it to its logical end

                                                              i.      What does this imply?

                                                            ii.      Where does this lead?

4. Ask interpretive questions

                                                              i.      Your questions from the observation phase

5. Answer the questions - Where do the answers come from?

                                                              i.      objective (from text) – lots more to be written here

                                                            ii.      subjective (from you – common sense) – lots more to me written here

6. Summarize     

1.      rephrase and paraphrase the text

3. Application – (Only now can we say…) What does the Bible mean to me?
4. Incorporation – How do I exercise this in my life?