basics of inductive study completed 23.05.13

Basics of Inductive Bible Study

CONTENT

Foreword .................................................................................................................................................. 3

General Knowledge about the Bible ......................................................................................................... 4

1. Preferred Bible Study Method ........................................................................................................ 13

2. Logical Context A Studying the Whole ...................................................................................... 19

3. Study in Parts ................................................................................................................................. 26

4. Studying Other Books of the Bible ................................................................................................ 35

5. Studying the Details ....................................................................................................................... 51

6. Interpretation ................................................................................................................................. 55

7. Application ..................................................................................................................................... 60

8. From Inductive Study to Sermon Delivery ..................................................................................... 62

9. From Inductive to Teaching ........................................................................................................... 69

10. Basics of Lesson Organization & Presentation ............................................................................. 74

Foreword

This material has been put together to help Kingdom Workers in our local churches who did

not have the privilege to attend a Bible College. We have sincerely tried to simplify many of

the topics by summarizing their content in points form. We hope that they will do some

good in your local church leadership and ministry.

To all those who have supported us along the way by prayers and finance. We are greatly

indebted to you. It is our prayer that you will gain much Kingdom Returns through these

materials. May the Good Lord bless you all.

ACTS Ministry Fiji

INTRODUCTION

General Knowledge about the Bible

I had my first Bible when I was at the South Pacific Missionary Training College. I say

this because it was the first Bible I worked for. It took me the whole second semester break

to work for $5.00 a day and I was able to buy a new NIV Study Bible from the Bible Society

for $55. It was a wonderful feeling and I treasured that Bible more than anything during my

college days.

It has been said in the Scriptures that the Bible is the Christians Sword.

Ephesians 6:12-18 (BBE) 12

For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities and

powers, against the world-rulers of this dark night, against the spirits of evil

in the heavens. 13

For this reason take up all the arms of God, so that you

may be able to be strong in the evil day, and, having done all, to keep your

place. 14

Take your place, then, having your body clothed with the true word,

and having put on the breastplate of righteousness; 15

Be ready with the

good news of peace as shoes on your feet; 16

And most of all, using faith as a

cover to keep off all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. 17

And take salvation

for your head-dress and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18

With prayers and deep desires, making requests at all times in the Spirit,

and keeping watch, with strong purpose, in prayer for all the saints,

A sword is a weapon of a sword-man. It is a weapon of war. When you have a weapon, it

means you're ready for battle. In order for the sword-man to use it effectively he must know

it like the palms of his hands. He must become one with the sword when he is wielding it. So

a Christian must know his Bible (Sword) well in order to use it effectively. Now lets get into

some basic understanding about the Bible:

Basic Information about the Bible

1. The Bible is one Book

a) There are two Testaments (Old & New). [The word Testament means

Covenant or in simple term; is an Agreement.]

b) There are 66 books altogether in the Protestant Bible [39 in the OT and 27 in the

NT]

c) There were approximately 40 authors who were inspired by God to write different

Books of the Bible.

d) It took approximately 1500 years to write.

2) Old Testament

a) The Book of Law [Pentateuch 05 books] Genesis / Exodus / Leviticus /

Numbers / Deuteronomy.

b) History [12 Books] Joshua / Judges / Ruth / 1 & 2 Samuel / 1 & 2 Kings / 1 & 2

Chronicles / Ezra / Nehemiah / Esther.

c) Poetry [5 Books] Job / Psalms / Proverbs / Ecclesiastes / Songs of Solomon.

d) Major Prophets [5 Books] Isaiah / Jeremiah / Lamentation / Ezekiel / Daniel.

e) Minor Prophets [12 Books] Hosea / Joel / Amos / Obadiah / Jonah / Micah /

Nahum / Habakkuk / Zephaniah / Haggai / Zechariah / Malachi.

3) New Testament

a) History [05 Books] Matthew / Mark / Luke / John / Acts.

b) Epistles [21 Books] Romans / 1 & 2 Corinthians / Galatians / Ephesians /

Philippians / Colossians / 1 & 2 Thessalonians / 1 & 2 Timothy / Titus / Philemon /

c) Apocalyptic [01 Book] Revelation.

d) Hebrews / James / 1 & 2 Peter / 1, 2 & 3 John / Jude.

It is important to know this basic information before doing Inductive Bible Study because

there are different ways of interpreting different divisions of the Bible.

The word Bible comes from the Greek word Biblos which means BOOK.

The Bible is also known as:

1) The Book of Covenant (aka Old & New Testament Testament meaning

covenant. A covenant is an agreement; so the Bible is an agreement between God and

man).

Luke 22:20 (BBE) 20

And in the same way, after the meal, he took the cup, saying, This cup is the

new testament, made with my blood which is given for you.

1 Corinthians 11:25 (BBE) 25

In the same way, with the cup, after the meal, he said, This cup is the new

testament in my blood: do this, whenever you take it, in memory of me.

2) The Law & The Prophets Hebrew Scriptures are also referred to as The Law, The

Prophets, and The Writings.

Matthew 5:17 (BBE) 17

Let there be no thought that I have come to put an end to the law or the

prophets. I have not come for destruction, but to make complete.


All those things, then, which you would have men do to you, even so do you to

them: because this is the law and the prophets.

Luke 24:44 (BBE) 44

And he said to them, These are the words which I said to you when I was still

with you, how it was necessary for all the things which are in the writings of

Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms about me, to be put into effect.

3) The Scriptures or Writings

Mark 12:10 Mark 12:10 (BBE) 10

Have you not seen this which is in the Writings: The stone which the builders

put on one side, the same was made the chief stone of the building:


But Jesus said to them in answer, you are in error, not having knowledge of

the Writings, or of the power of God.

Mark 12:24 (BBE) 24

Jesus said to them, Is not this the reason for your error, that you have no

knowledge of the holy Writings or of the power of God?

4) The Word of God

Mark 7:10-13 (BBE) 10

For Moses said, Give honour to your father and mother, and, He who says

evil of father or mother, let him have the punishment of death: 11

But you say, If

a man says to his father or his mother, That by which you might have had profit

from me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God, 12

You no longer let him do

anything for his father or his mother; 13

Making the Word of God of no effect by

your rule, which you have given: and a number of other such things you do.

Romans 10:15-17 (BBE) 15

And how will there be preachers if they are not sent? As it is said, How

beautiful are the feet of those who give the glad news of good things. 16

But they have not all given ear to the good news. For Isaiah says, Lord, who

has had faith in our word? 17

So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the

Word of Christ.

The Symbols of the Book

The following symbols express the value and power of the Word of God.

1) Mirror shows the revealing power (Revelation of unseen, hidden spiritual distortion manifested

in the natural). It shows you your weaknesses and areas where you need to improve on; in

your conduct, your relationships, your dealings, you words, actions, etc.

James 1:23-25 (BBE) 23

Because if any man is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man

looking at his natural face in a glass; 24

For after looking at himself he goes

away, and in a short time he has no memory of what he was like. 2 But he who

goes on looking into the true law which makes him free, being not a hearer

without memory but a doer putting it into effect, this man will have a blessing on

his acts.

2) Seed The Generative Power (Gives you the potential to grow a forest). It is able to grow you to

become whom God wants you to be; and not just grow, but to grow and bear fruit, with

seeds that will bear more fruit.

James 1:18 (BBE) 18

Of his purpose he gave us being, by his true word, so that we might be, in a

sense, the first-fruits of all the things which he had made.

Ref: 1 Peter 1:23; Matthew 13

3) Laver & Water (The Cleansing & Purifying Power). It washes your, thoughts and

perception. You are able to begin a fresh with the desire to think about good things;

things that caused spiritual and physical development of yourself and others.

John 15:3 (BBE) 3You are clean, even now, through the teaching which I have given you.

Ref: Ephesians 5:25-27; Psalm 119:5, 11; John 17:17

4) Light & Lamp It lights up your mind, your thoughts, your perception; you begin to

show a kind of wisdom that is not of this world. (Shows the guiding and illuminating power)

Psalm 119:105 (BBE) 105

Your word is a light for my feet, ever shining on my way.

5) Fire and Hammer shows the equipping and warfare power: It is able to break down and burn

down that which your personally find it hard to let go or break-through, leave it to God

and he will use his Word to bring freedom with the leading of His Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah 29:23 (BBE) 23

Because they have done shame in Israel, and have taken their neighbours' wives,

and in my name have said false words, which I did not give them orders to say; and

I myself am the witness, says the Lord.

6) Gold & fine Apparel show the enriching and adorning power. To fear the Lord is to reverence

Him and His Word, resulting in obedience. It will be to your (our) advantage, as the

wisdom and knowledge of the Most High will crown our lives. That is the manifestation

of Christ.

Psalm 19:7-10 (BBE) 7 The law of the Lord is good, giving new life to the soul: the witness of the Lord is

certain, giving wisdom to the foolish. 8 The orders of the Lord are right, making

glad the heart: the rule of the Lord is holy, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the

Lord is clean, and has no end; the decisions of the Lord are true and full of

righteousness. 10

More to be desired are they than gold, even than much shining

gold; sweeter than the dropping honey.

Ref: 1 Peter 3:2-5;I Corinthians 3:1-2; Job 23:12;

John 6:35.

7) Milk, Meat, Bread, & Honey show the nourishing, sustaining, and satisfying power. Man as a

spiritual being need to feed on the Word of God in order to live, after he has been Born

Again.

1 Peter 2:2-5 (BBE) 2 Be full of desire for the true milk of the word, as babies at their mothers' breasts,

so that you may go on to salvation; 3 If you have had a taste of the grace of the

Lord: 4 To whom you come, as to a living stone, not honoured by men, but of great

and special value to God; 5 You, as living stones, are being made into a house of

the spirit, a holy order of priests, making those offerings of the spirit which are

pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

(Ref Matt 4:4)

We have now seen the symbols of the Word of God presented in the Bible. If we failed to

observe and interpret the Bible correctly, we will end up with a wrong conclusion, and we

will not have a good application. When that happens we render the Word ineffective and

not living up to the symbols it represents.

Next Divisions of the Bible

Divisions of the Bible Old Testament

HISTORICAL BOOKS POETRY PROPHETICAL BOOKS

Law

05 Books

History

12 Books

Poetry

05 Books

Major

Prophets

05 Books

Minor Prophets

12 Books

Genesis J_____ J___ I_____ H____

Exodus J_____ P____ J_______ J___

Leviticus R____ Proverbs L_________ A___

Numbers 1 Samuel Ecclesiastes E______ O______

Deuteronomy 2 Samuel S_____ of Solomon D_____ J____

1 Kings M____

2 kings N____

1 Chronicles H_______

2 Chronicles Z________

E___ H_____

Nehemiah Z________

E_____ M______

Basic Inductive Bible Study

Old Testament

Historical Books Books of Poetry Books of Prophecy

Book Main Idea/

Person or

Event

Book Main Idea/

Person or

Event

Book Main Idea/ Person

or Event

Genesis Beginning Job Gods

Sovereignty

Isaiah Groan for Glory

Exodus Exit Psalm Worship Jeremiah Rotten

Leviticus Offerings &

Feasts

Proverbs Wisdom Lament-

ation

Tears

Numbers Wandering Ecclesiastes Vanity Ezekiel Dry Bones

Deuteronomy 2nd Law Song of

Solomon

Marital Love Daniel Dreams

Joshua Conquest

Here is a simple grouping of the

Old Testament Books showing

Historical, Poetry, and

Prophecy, with a Key Word

that best summarizes each book.

Historical (1st five are the law; 12

are historical).

Poetry (05 books)

Prophecy

1st 05 Major Prophets; 12 minor

prophets

Hosea Adulterous Wife

Judges Cycle Joel Locusts

Ruth Kinsman

Redeemer

Amos Plumb-

Line

1stSamuel Saul Obadiah Brothers Keeper

2ndSamuel David Jonah Belly of the Fish

1st Kings Solomon Micah Court Hearing

2nd Kings Captivity Nahum Flood

1st Chronicles Account of

David

Habakkuk Watch Tower

2nd Chronicles Account of

Judah

Zephaniah Day of the Lord

Ezra Rebuilding

the Temple

Haggai Temple

Nehemiah Rebuilding

the Walls

Zechariah Messiah

Esther Queen of

Persia

Malachi Hearts of Stone


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1. Preferred Bible Study Method

- Welcome to the Inductive Bible Study Method

We cannot deny the importance of Bible Study in a persons life whether you are a

Christian or not. Gods Word is alive and active and will open the eyes of the spiritually

blind to the things of God. As a persons spiritual eyes are opened, he begins to be

prepared for the Kingdom, because the Bible is our Manual for Kingdom Living, Kingdom

Thinking, Kingdom Conduct, and Kingdom Service.

There are two important truths that we need to know about the Bible;

1) The Bible is Gods written Word therefore it is powerful enough because the very

same Word of God was active from the beginning of time and powerfully exhibited in

creation.

2 Peter 1:20Above all you must understand that no prophecy of

scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation. For prophecy

never had its origin in the will of men, but men spoke from God as they were

carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2) The Bible has power to address every issue in our lives because the Bible is Gods

manual for mans purpose on earth and destiny in eternity; God meant it to deal with

all our problems whether they are emotional, physical, intellectual, social, communal,

financial, or spiritual. They are all addressed in the Word of God.

Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is living and active, sharper than

any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints

and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

But because God has used human languages, specific timings, and specific events to

record what he wanted the recipients to know; and also to be a lesson for us now and for


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the future, it is important therefore to understand the context and Gods intention

concerning a certain passage or book.

This is why Bible Study is important. Not just any kind of Bible Study but INDUCTIVE

BIBLE STUDY because this method of Bible study tries to discover FACTS about

CONTEXT and INTENTIONS first before making any concrete conclusion.

3) What is Inductive Bible Study?

a) This is a method of studying the Bible in which a student of the Bible looks at the

FACTS first before making any Conclusion; [It is the logic of PROOF].

b) The Goal of this method of Bible Study is to enjoy fresh discoveries of TRUTHS

from Gods Word;

c) This method is simple and brings out clearly the authors intended meaning of a

text;

d) Inductive Bible Study has three (03) main stages;

1. Observation;

2. Interpretation;

3. Application;

4) Defining these stages

a) Observation Moving from observing the WHOLE to observing the SPECIFIC: -

1. Observing the Whole - When looking at the whole you are merely gaining

those first valuable impressions and warming up the text. You goal at this point

is to get a background view of the subject.

2. Observing the Parts Now youre looking at what should happen next. Every

portion of scripture whether you are dealing with thoughts or events has some


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kind of a structure. This structure is to be broken down into logical divisions

and thoughts.

3. Observing the Detail At this point you are looking at all the little facts that

make up the big picture. This when the 04 open ended questions become very

important because they will help you study your scripture portion in detail.

[WHO?, WHAT?, WHERE?, WHY?, WHEN?].

CONTEXT

8) Now, what are we going to do first? The first and most important thing to do first in this

kind of Bible Study is to consider the Larger Context within which your preferred text (Lesson) is

Inductive Bible Study

(3 stages) Observation/ Interpretation/ Application

Synthetic

The Goal of Synthetic Study is to discover

the Purpose of the entire book

Topical

The Goal of Topical Study is to learn what the Bible has to say about a given

topic.

Analytic

The Goal of Analytic Study is the detail Study of each part in

order to reach a conclusion


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found. [Remember - Context can be defined as the Body of Scripture you are focusing on]. Context in

general can be understood in two categories:

a. Historical Context This involves the study of historical material in order to

determine the situation to which the book was addressed. Historical context is

important because understanding it will help you to recreate the era in which the

book was written and help your audience understand the There & Then in

relation to the Here & Now.

i. Authorship Who wrote the Book? Authors life, ministry, & background.

ii. Date of Writing When was it written? Significance of the date in relation

to world or church history.

iii. Recipients To whom was the Book written? Who were they? Define the

recipients.

iv. Purpose and Theme Why was the Book Written?

v. Cultural Background

a. Geography movement of people & topography of the land.

b. Politics Old Testament Politics and New Testament politics during

the time of Christ. [E.g. Gal. 4:4]

c. Economy each Bible culture can be defined on the basis of its socio-

economic situation.

Abraham semi-nomadic economy

Solomon mercantile economy

Greeco-Roman period Cosmopolitan or broad

multinational & multi-ethnic trade.


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d. Military & war The history of Israel from a military standpoint or of

places mentioned in your text. Israel has won victories on the basis of

superior tactics and Divine Intervention.

e. Cultural Practices may define the intention of the passage [e.g.

Removing of Sandals in Ruth; Relationship between Jews and

Samaritans]

E.g. - 11 I baptize you with water so that you will change the way you think

and act. But the one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am

notworthy to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy

Spirit and fire. Matt 3:11 (GW)

f. Religious Customs What kind of religious beliefs did they have? Are

these religious customs important to the understanding of the book?

g. Types of People Group which people group existed during the time

of writing or mentioned in the text? Whats so significant about them?

h. Tools for examining Historical Context;

Commentaries

OT & NT Introductions

Dictionaries

Encyclopaedias

Themes and Background Book

OT & NT Theology

b. Logical Context

i. Studying the Whole

ii. Studying the Parts

iii. Studying the Details


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Exercise 01

A. Choose one of the countries of the South Pacific and study its

background answering the questions below.

1) Describe the Geography of the country

2) Describe the politics of the country

3) Describe its economy

4) Describe its military capabilities

5) What is one cultural practice that is still being practice there?

6) What is the religions distribution?

7) Describe the different races living there.

B. With the use of a Bible Dictionary or Bible commentaries, study the land of Palestine of

the Old Testament and describe its background in relation to the questions in Part A.


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2. Logical Context A Studying the Whole

(Involves charting the Book)

1) Studying the Whole is the first stage where you are required to look through the whole

Book and try to get a simple overview of what was happening at the time, and the

authors response to that situation. How do you Study the Whole? You will have to

start with reading. Small books are easy to read and can be read in one sitting over and

over again. Large books may require more than one sitting.

i. Types of Reading

a. Read with the intention of Identifying individual Terms and Sentences

Linkages; [Elementary Reading]

b. Read with the intention of Discovering Basic Structure and Major Ideas;

[Inspectional Reading]

c. Read with the intention of making an In-depth study to understand the

message as completely as possible; [Analytical Reading]

d. Read with the intention of comparing the message of the Book with other

Books of the Bible. To be able to construct detail analysis of the authors

subject matter. [Synoptical Reading]

a. During your reading you must try to summarize each paragraphs main

point or points.

b. After reading and your summary is ready then you must try to CHART

the Book.

ii. Writing a simple overview of what youve read [simple chart]

a. Take note of the progression of thoughts the author is building. Start

making summary.


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b. Look for pattern of thoughts in your summary and match them up (you can

use lines). Some breaks in thought patterns are easy to detect, some are not.

Also note the breaks and shift in thought patterns (You can make assumptions

from them)

c. Look for key features such as:-

a. Phrases that are repeated;

b. Thoughts that are repeated by different phrasing; [Ps 142]

c. Important Words; [what do they mean?]

d. Words that are constantly repeated; [definition?]

e. Joining words (Transitional Conjunctions Therefore, then, but, nevertheless,

wherefore);

f. Key Words and Repetitions of Key Words.

g. Thought links between chapters.

h. Subdivide & Mark the Major Units in your Summary you can use

lines, asterisk, or any kind of marking.

i. Remember This is just the Beginning Stage; Not the Final.


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Example Charting the Book of Jonah

Chap 1 Chap 2 Chap 3 Chap 4

1 3: Command to

Preach; Rebellion &

Flight.

1 5: Jonahs prayer

of distress.

1 3a: God repeated

Jonahs Command

1 4: Jonah got

angry.

4 12: Gods Storm;

Sailors fear.

6 9: Jonahs prayer

of faith.

3b 9 Jonahs

preaching and

Ninevehs

repentance

5 8: God taught

Jonah using a vine.

Jonah again got

angry.

13 16: Sailors

Obey; Jonah thrown

overboard

10 Jonah vomited

by the whale.

10 Gods

Forgiveness

9 11: God taught

Jonah again of his

love and

forgiveness.

17 Inside the

Whale

This is the basic form of charting a Book as described above.

Important Notes

1) When observing the Whole and stating your initial impressions always seek to

answer the 04 Observation Questions as you study through each chapter.

2) Who are the major characters?

3) What are the major events and theme?

4) Where are the major locations?

5) When try to determine the major divisions of time.

Your findings are then included into your chart.


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Lets now look at a more refined chart by Irvine Jensen when the Observation Questions are answered and the chart gives the total picture

of the Book of Acts in one page. Let us look at how Irvin Jensen pulled the book of Acts apart.

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Church Established

Church Scattered

Church Extended

Jerusalem

Judea & Samaria

To the ends of the Earth

Jewish Period

Transition period

Gentile Period

29 A.D

33 A.D

45-60-62 A.D

Note

o We can clearly see in this chart how he has noted the one word that best summarized his observation in each chapter.

o He then divided the Major units of his summary.

o Than developing it further to see the links of events in each chapter and grouped them together.

o With the help of other resources he was able to determine the approximate era of the events or group of events

When the chart is completed he has managed to answer his Observation Questions of Who? What? Where? When? on page 6.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28


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Practical Exercise 02 (In Groups)

Read the Book of Jude

Who wrote the book?

When was the book written?

To whom was it written?

Why was it written?

Summarize each passage (paragraphs) of the Book of Jude;

What are the key thoughts in each of your paragraphs summary?

Find 05 words in the Book of Jude and what they mean;

What other reason do you think the Book was written according to your

summary;

Find two key words that best summarize the Book.

Fill the Chart on page 24-25. After you have filled the chart you will see that now you have

a simple overview of the Book of Jude, which prepares you to Study the Book in Part.


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Who wrote the

Book?

When was it

written?

To whom was it

written?

Why was it written?

Summary of each passage

Vss. 1-2 Vss. 3-4 Vss. 5-7

Vss. 8-10 Vss. 11-13

Vss. 14-16 Vss. 17-23 Vss. 24-25

State 05 words & what they mean;


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From your overview, what other

reason can you give of why the Book

was reason?

What could be

the two (02)

words that best

define the Book

of Jude?


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3. Study in Parts

- Diagramming the Parts

We can move on to Studying the Parts after we have done Studying the Whole.

Studying the parts helps you to see the interconnectedness of the books historical

structure [when studying historical books], or the authors thoughts & intentions [when

studying epistles] and how he builds them up to form a complete discussion.

By this time we should have a simple overview of the Book. For better understanding of

the parts you will need to diagram the text.

There are several ways to diagram a text. There is the complicated Grammar Diagram,

and the Sentence Flow Diagram, which are both normally used by advance students of

the Bible. At this stage we will be introduced to the simple Block or Line Diagram.

Before we begin it is important to know what a CLAUSE is. What a Major Clause is,

and what a Minor Clause is: [refer to page 31 & 32].

1) What is a Block Diagram? This is kind of diagram where each part or verse of a

chosen text of the Bible is taken apart, analyse, and build into a structure where the

major sections are identified and how the minor sections are connected to the main

section. The final structure of the diagram will depend on how the verses relate to

each other [ref. pg. 21].

2) The what and advantages of a Block Diagram

a) It looks at the sentence as a whole;

b) You dont have to worry about the grammar;

c) It is simple and takes less time to work on;


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d) It charts only Major & Minor Clauses.

e) Most relationships in a sentence can be easily identified [adjectives; adverbs;

prepositions]

f) It visualizes as simply as possible the thought flow of a passage and not so much

on grammatical details.

3) So, how do you construct a Block Diagram?

a) Youve got to be able to identify a major clause from a minor clause;

b) When you chart clauses, Major Clauses are set close to the margin;

c) Minor Clauses are indented about inch under the main clause and indicated by

an arrow;

d) You may not want to indent clauses under the term they modify because it will

take up a lot of spaces; therefore you can use lines to identify relations;

e) You can give some little titles to the relations of indented clauses if possible;

f) A preliminary Block Diagram can give you a Sermon or Bible Study Outline.

4) Features to look out for

a) Here is a list of features you will need to look for when diagramming the parts.

Additional features have been added on to the list from lesson 01.

b) Points that lead to building other points [developments];

c) Unique thought provoking phrases;


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d) Phrases that are repeated; & Thoughts that are repeated by different phrasing;

e) Important Words; [what do they mean?]

f) Comparisons;

g) Words that are constantly repeated; [definition?]

h) Grammars and Joining words (Transitional Conjunctions);

i) Rhetorical Questions; - [they dont need you to answer but to think about the

issue being raised].

j) Note the Time, Location, and Setting (Geographical, Historical, Social, Cultural);

k) Other people who are addressed in the text, chapter, or book;

l) Tenses used;

m) Key Words and Repetitions of Key Words.


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Block Diagram Example Philippians 2: 5 11

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus

o Who being in very nature God

did not consider equality with God, something to be grasped

But made Himself nothing

o Taking the very nature of a servant

o Being made in human likeness

o And being found in appearance as a man

He humbled Himself

o And became obedient to death,

o even death on a cross

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place

o And gave him the name that is above every name [link cont.]

o That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow

o In heaven

o On earth

o Under the earth

o And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

o To the glory of the Father

What can we see?

1. The major section or major clause is your attitude should be the same as that of

ChristJesus;

o All minor clauses are developed from this main clause

2. The two sub-sections are Jesus Actions and Gods Actions.

a. Jesus

i. Jesus did not consider himself equal with God [subordination]

Ch

rist

G

od

Note Even this is not final and can still be

refined


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ii. He made himself nothing

iii. Humbled Himself

b. God - Exaltation

i. All knees bowing

ii. All tongues confessing

For His Glory

3. Why do you think this passage was written?

Note How do you know minor clauses in Bible Study? You study the connecting words or

conjunctions.

Practical Exercise 03 (In Groups)

Group 1 Read Ephesians Chapter 1

1. Study the Historical Context

a. Who wrote the book?

b. When was the book written?

c. To whom was it written?

d. What was happening that caused the author to write?

e. Why was it written?

1. Study the simple Logical Context

a. Chart chapter 1 by summarizing each passage (paragraphs);

b. What are the key thoughts in each of your paragraphs summary?

c. What is the one word that can best summarize chapter 1 of your book;

d. Try to do a Block Diagram; (Studying the Parts how they fit together);

a. Study the major and minor clauses;

i. Follow the example we have already studied;

e. What are the key thoughts that came out strongly in your Block Diagram?


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f. Pick 03 words from your passage and explain what they mean.


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English for Basic Inductive Bible Study

1) I know that many of us have left school for some years; and our English may not be that

good. But in doing Inductive Bible Study you will need to understand a bit of English to

help you in your Observation & Interpretation Stages if you are using an English Bible or

speaking to an English speaking congregation. If you are using a Bible in your own

language, I guess you will be fine. So let us look at some important terms that you will

need to know to better your observation and interpretation skills.

2) Clause A clause is a sentence or group of sentences that can stand on its own and is

meaningful when read because it contains a FINITE VERB. A finite verb is when a verb

is being acted out by a subject and the verb usage is restricted to the subject alone.

[A Finite Verb is a verb with a subject; e.g. the dog barks.

3) Major Clause A sentence that can stand on its own and can also be broken down to see

the different words put together to form it; i.e. [into specific elements]

e.g. My wife has dropped a glass on the floor.

4) Minor Clause A sentence that cannot stand on its own but must be linked to a major

clause by a coordinating word in order to make sense. They need a major clause.

5) Coordinating Word these are words which connects clauses together to add to its

meaning; [and / but / yet / both / not only / but also / either or / therefore / for / so]. These are

known as conjunctions and are important words to note when doing inductive study.

6) Determiners these are words that determine the number and definiteness of the noun

phrase (nouns are naming words). E.g. [a / the / some / those / all / we / they / I / them].

Subject

Finite Verb


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7) Directives these are sentences that can either instruct, or command someone to do

something. A Command is a kind of Directive sentence. A directive can be used to:

Command / invite / warn / plead / advise / request / express a good wish.

8) Adverbs these are words or phrases that add more meaning to the verb (verbs are

doing words). E.g. You spoke very anxiously

9) Adjectives these are words that are used to add more meaning to a noun or pronoun [a

big book / a giant of a man / a tall boy]. Adjectives can also be in the form of suffix which can

be added to a verb or noun phrase [less added to the verb rest = restless / less added to the noun child

= childless]

10) Prepositions these are words that express a relationship of meaning between two

parts of a sentence. They usually show their relationship in terms of space or time.

a) (Simple preposition)/ in / at / to / for / on / by / since / under / about / across / after / before /

behind / down / during / from / inside / into / off / onto / out / over / round / through / toward(s) / up /

with /

b) (Two word preposition) ahead of / apart from / because of / close to / due to / except for /

instead of / near to /

c) (Three words prepositions)/ as far as / by means of / in accordance with / in addition to / in

front of / in spite of / in terms of / on behalf of / with reference to

11) Conditional the word IF must be taken into consideration and studied in context

because it can come as a condition; e.g. If you do this, this will happen.

12) Therefore this coordinating word must be studied with greater consideration to its

pre-context (the passage that comes before your text).


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13) Comparison this is common in poetry and Psalm and the use of as or like is a

common form of comparison. This figure of speech is known as simile. E.g. As the

deer pants for the water

a. Metaphor is a form of comparison similar to simile but it does not us as or like.

b. Personification is another form of comparison where human qualities are ascribed to

non-human things.

14) Parallelism This is common in Psalm where the second line adds meaning to or

clarifies, develops the first, or builds leading to a climax (Psalm 8:3-4),/antithetic second

line contrasting the first (Pr 3:1)[Look at study 05].

These are some forms of English we need to learn and understand at the basic stage because

they will help us in decoding the messages of the different types of books in the Bible.


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4. Studying Other Books of the Bible

Books of Bible are interpreted differently. This is important to know because it can cause

some serious misinterpretations if this fact is overlooked. As a result we lose the benefit of

what it was intended for. Historical literatures are interpreted differently from Prophetic

Literature, and so are Poetic and Epistles. Lets look at how these books are interpreted: -

1) WISDOM & POETIC LITERATURE

a) There are 03 books that are included in Wisdom Literature. Wisdom comes from God

and a man of Wisdom is a man who is Seeing Life from Gods point of view.

Therefore these books are reminding and teaching us life from Gods viewpoint. The

03 books are: -

(1) Job

(2) Proverbs

(3) Ecclesiastes

b) Why are these 03 books known as WISDOM?

(1) They are the advice and writings of wise men;

(2) There is a constant use of proverbs [a proverb is a saying that contains generally

recognized truth, and uses figurative languages to suggestively express it]. {E.g.: Let the

sleeping dog lie}

(3) General Truths are stated in short & simple terms using all kinds of figures of

speech.

c) Poetic Literature There are 2 books in the Poetic Category

(1) Psalms

(2) Songs of Solomon

d) Psalms & Songs of Solomon - These two categories should be studied together.

WHY?


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(1) They are similar in style of writing;

(2) They were all written at about the same time except Job which was the first

Book of the Bible to be written; [during the glory days of the nation of Israel

and the reign of King David&King Solomon]

e) It is important also to know that better understanding of these books can be achieved

by constructing BOOK CHART. We have already looked at Charting the Book. If you

are serious about studying the Bible using inductive method than you will need to

master the art of Book Charting. How do you master Book Charting? By practicing &

continuing to observe the Book as a WHOLE.

f) Lets start with JOB. The key to understanding this book is to be able to differentiate

the words of Job from the words of his 03 friends. Do not be misled by the convincing

words of his three friends because they offered wrong advice and conclusions. These

words from Jobs three friends show a picture of what World Wisdom is. They

sounded like the truth but when compared with the Word and Wisdom of God; they

are wrong.

2) STUDYING JOB

JOB, BOOK OF This book has given rise to much discussion and criticism, some believing the book

to be strictly historical; others a religious fiction; others a composition based upon facts. By some the

authorship of the work was attributed to Moses, but it is very uncertain. Luther first suggested the

theory which, in some form or other, is now most generally received. He says, "I look upon the book of

Job as a true history, yet I do not believe that all took place just as it is written, but that an ingenious,

pious and learned man brought it into its present form." The date of the book is doubtful, and there have

been many theories upon the subject. It may be regarded as a settled point that the book was written

long before the exile, probably between the birth of Abraham and the exodus of the Israelites from

EgyptB.C. 2000-1800. If by Moses, it was probably written during his sojourn in Midian. "The book of

Job is not only one of the most remarkable in the Bible, but in literature. As was said of Goliath's sword,

'There is none like it;' none in ancient or in modern literature."Kitto. "A book which will one day,

perhaps, be seen towering up alone far above all the poetry of the world."J.A. Froude. "The book of Job

is a drama, and yet subjectively true. The two ideas are perfectly consistent. It may have the dramatic

form, the dramatic interest, the dramatic emotion, and yet be substantially a truthful narrative. The


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author may have received it in one of three ways: the writer may have been an eyewitness; or have

received it from near contemporary testimony; or it may have reached him through a tradition of whose

substantial truthfulness he has no doubt. There is abundant internal evidence that the scenes and

events recorded were real scenes and real events to the writer. He gives the discussions either as he had

heard them or as they had been repeated over and over in many an ancient consensus. The very modes of

transmission show the deep impression it had made in all the East, as a veritable as well as marvellous

event."Tayler Lewis.

The design of the book.Stanley says that "The whole book is a discussion of that great problem of

human life: what is the intention of Divine Providence in allowing the good to suffer?" "The direct object

is to show that, although goodness has a natural tendency to secure a full measure of temporal

happiness, yet that in its essence it is independent of such a result. Selfishness in some form is declared

to be the basis on which all apparent goodness rests. That question is tried in the case of Job."Cook.

Structure of the book.-The book consists of five parts:

I. Chs. 1-3. The historical facts.

II. Chs. 4-31. The discussions between Job and his three friends.

III. Chs. 32-37. Job's discussion with Elihu.

IV. Chs. 38-41. The theophanyGod speaking out of the storm.

V. Ch. 42. The successful termination of the trial. It is all in poetry except the introduction and the

close.

The argument.

1. One question could be raised by envy: may not the goodness which secures such direct and tangible

rewards be a refined form of selfishness? Satan, the accusing angel, suggests the doubt, "Doth Job fear

God for nought ?" and asserts boldly that if those external blessings were withdrawn, Job would cast

off his allegiance" he will curse thee to thy face." The problem is thus distinctly propounded which

this book is intended to discuss and solve: can goodness exist irrespective of reward ? The accuser

receives permission to make the trial. He destroys Job's property, then his children; and afterward, to

leave no possible opening for a cavil, is allowed to inflict upon him the most terrible disease known in

the East. Job's wife breaks down entirely under the trial. Job remains steadfast. The question raised

by Satan is answered.

2. Then follows a discussion which arises in the most natural manner from a visit of condolence on the

part of three men who represent the wisdom and experience of the age. Job's friends hold the theory

that there is an exact and invariable correlation between sin and suffering. The fact of suffering

proves the commission of some special sin. They apply this to Job, but he disavows all special guilt.

He denies that punishment in this life inevitably follows upon guilt, or proves its commission. He

appeals to facts. Bad men do sometimes prosper. Here, at ch. 14, there is a pause. In the second

colloquy the three friends take more advanced ground. They assume that Job has been actually guilty


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of sins, and that the sufferings and losses of Job are but an inadequate retribution for former sins. This

series of accusations brings out the in most thoughts of Job. He recognizes God's hand in his

afflictions, but denies they are brought on by wrong-doing; and becomes still clearer in the view that

only the future life can vindicate God's justice. In his last two discourses, chs. 26-31, he states with

incomparable force and eloquence his opinion of the chief point of the controversy: man cannot

comprehend God's ways; destruction sooner or later awaits the wicked; wisdom consists wholly in

the fear of the Lord and departing from evil."Cook.

3. Elihu sums up the argument "The leading principle of Elihu's statement is that calamity, in the shape

of triad, is inflicted on comparatively the best of men; but that God allows a favourable turn to take

place as soon as its object has been realized." The last words are evidently spoken while a violent

storm is coming on.

4. It is obvious that many weighty truths have been developed in the course of the discussion: nearly

every theory of the objects and uses of suffering has been reviewed, while a great advance has been

made toward the apprehension of doctrines hereafter to be revealed, such as were known only to

God. But the mystery is not us yet really cleared up; hence the necessity for the theophany. Job 38:41.

From the midst of the storm Jehovah speaks. In language of incomparable grandeur he reproves and

silences the murmurs of Job. God does not condescend, strictly speaking to argue with his creatures.

The speculative questions discussed in the colloquy are unnoticed, but the declaration of God's

absolute power is illustrated by a marvellously beautiful and comprehensive survey of the glory of

creation and his all-embracing providence. A second address completes the work. It proves that a

charge of injustice against God involves the consequence that the accuser is more competent than he

to rule the universe.1

a) How to study the Book of Job

i) Study the whole Look at the Book as a whole unit;

(1) Start with reading and make use of the types of reading on page 15

(2) Record your initial observation

(a) Use the Observation Questions [WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN?]

ii) Study the Parts

(1) Employ the Book Charting method

1 Smith's Bible Dictionary: Comprising Antiquities, Biography, Geography, Natural History, Archaeology and Literature.


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3) STUDYING PROVERBS

PROVERBS, BOOK OF Prov'erbs, Book of. The title of this book in Hebrew is taken from its

first word, mashal, which originally meant "a comparison." It is sometimes translated parable, sometimes

proverb as here. The superscriptions which are affixed to several portions of the book, in Prov 1:1; 10:1;

25:1 attribute the authorship of those portions to Solomon the son of David, king of Israel. With the

exception of the last two chapters, which are distinctly assigned to other author it is probable that the

statement of the superscriptions is in the main correct, and that the majority of the proverbs contained

in the book were uttered or collected by Solomon. Speaking roughly, the book consists of three main

divisions, with two appendices:

1. Chs. 1-9 form a connected didactic Wisdom is praised and the youth exhorted to devote himself to

her. This portion is preceded by an introduction and title describing the character and general aim of

the book.

2. Chs. 10-24 with the title "The Proverbs of Solomon," consist of three parts: Prov 10:1-22; Prov 10:16 a

collection of single proverbs and detached sentences out of the region of moral teaching and worldly

prudence; Prov 22:17-24; Prov 22:21 a more connected didactic poem, with an introduction, Prov

22:17-22 which contains precepts of righteousness and prudence; Prov 24:23-34 with the inscription

"These also belong to the wise," a collection of unconnected maxims, which serve as an appendix to

the preceding.

3. Then follows the third division chs. 25-29, which, according to the superscription, professes to be

collection of Solomon's proverbs, consisting of single sentences, which the men of the court of

Hezekiah copied out.

a. The first appendix, ch. 30, "The words of Agur the son of Jakeh," is a collection of partly proverbial

and partly enigmatical sayings;

b. The second, ch. 31, is divided into two parts, "The words of King Lemuel," verses 1-6, and an

alphabetical acrostic in praise of a virtuous woman, which occupies the rest of the chapter. Who

was Agur and who was Jakeh, are questions which have been often asked and never satisfactorily

answered. All that can be said of the first is that he was an unknown Hebrew sage, the son of an

equally unknown Jakeh, and that he lived after the time of Hezekiah. Lemuel, like Agur, is

unknown. It is even uncertain whether he is to be regarded as a real personage, or whether the

name is merely symbolical. The Proverbs are frequently quoted or alluded to in the New Testament

and the canonicity of the book thereby confirmed.2

a) A Better understanding of the Book of Proverbs requires you to have an

understanding of the Jewish society;



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i) Teacher student relationship

ii) Father son relationship

iii) Royal Court [because majority were written by King Solomon]

(1) Developed within the broader framework of education

b) How to Study the Book of Proverbs

i) Study the Whole

(1) Careful reading of the book;

(a) Look for major themes or topics as your read;

(2) Record your initial observation;

(a) The two main observation questions for proverbs are WHO? & WHAT?

(b) WHERE? & WHEN are not major considerations.

ii) Study the Parts

(1) Start with trying to chart the Book

(2) The Themes in the Book will be known after you have chart the Book

(a) Remember that chapter s in Proverbs are often unrelated so do not be

carried away with trying to see how a chapter is related to another.

4) STUDYING ECCLESIASTES

ECCLESIASTES Ecclesias'tes (the preacher). The title of this book is in Hebrew Koheleth, signifying

one who speaks publicly in an assembly.Koheleth is the name by which Solomon, probably the author, speaks

of himself throughout the book. The book is that which it professes to be,the confession of a man of

wide experience looking back upon his past life and looking out upon the disorders and calamities

which surround him. The writer is a man who has sinned in giving way to selfishness and sensuality,

who has paid the penalty of that sin in satiety and weariness of life, but who has through all this been

under the discipline of a divine education, and has learned from it the lesson which God meant to teach

him.3

a) Ecclesiastes is included in Wisdom because;



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i) They are the writings of a wise man Solomon

ii) It contains declaration of wisdom concerning human experience

iii) It contains Proverbs, narratives, & simple portraits.

b) The key phrase in the Book is under the sun

(1) Equivalent to under the heaven

(2) Occurs 30 time in the book [meaning earthly things are not eternal and are earth

bound as opposed to that which is eternal]

c) The author demonstrates the inadequacy of any world view when compared to

Gods view;

d) When the author limits his view to earthly things he ends up with somewhat

contradicting conclusions, BUT those are the lessons for us to learn from.

e) How to Study the Book of Ecclesiastes

i) STUDY THE WHOLE

(1) Read the book carefully;

(2) Record your initial observations [using the 04 observation questions]

ii) STUDY THE PARTS

(1) Chart the 12 chapters of the book to see the major division;

(2) Unlock the structure of the book by:

(a) Contrasting the EVIL & GOOD;

(b) Contrasting the vanity of life with the meaning and purpose which God

give to one who trusts in him;

(3) Continue to revise and refine your chart.

(4) Put into practice what you have learnt.


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POETIC LITERATURE

5) STUDYING PSALMS

a) PSALMS, BOOK OF The present Hebrew name of the book is Tehillim, "Praises;" but in the

actual superscriptions of the psalms the word Tehillah is applied only to one, Psal 145. which is

indeed emphatically a praise-hymn. The LXX. entitled them psalmoi or "psalms," i.e., lyrical pieces to

be sung to a musical instrument. The Christian Church obviously received the Psalter from the Jews

not only as a constituent portion of the sacred volume of Holy Scripture, but also as the liturgical

hymn-book which the Jewish Church had regularly used in the temple.

b) Division of the Psalms.The book contains 150 psalms, and may be divided into five great divisions or

books, which must have been originally formed at different periods.

c) Book I. is, by the superscriptions, entirely Davidic nor do we find in it a trace of any but David's

authorship. We may well believe that the compilation of the book was also David's work.

d) Book II. appears by the date of its latest psalm, Psal 46. to have been compiled in the reign of King

Hezekiah. It would naturally comprise, 1st, several or most of the Levitical psalms anterior to that

date; and 2d, the remainder of the psalms of David previously uncompiled. To these latter the

collector after properly appending the single psalm of Solomon has affixed the notice that "the

prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended." Psal 72:20

e) Book III., the interest of which centers in the times of Hezekiah stretches out, by its last two psalms,

to the reign of Manasseh: it was probably compiled in the reign of Josiah. It contains seventeen

psalms, from Psal 73-89 eleven by Asaph, four by the sons of Horah, one (86) by David, and one by

Ethan.

f) Book IV. contains the remainder of the psalms up to the date of the captivity, There are seventeen,

from Psal 90-106one by Moses, two by David, and the rest anonymous.

g) Book V., the psalms of the return, contains forty-four, from Psal 107-150fifteen by David, one by

Solomon and the rest anonymous. There is nothing to distinguish these two books from each other

in respect of outward decoration or arrangement and they may have been compiled together in the

days of Nehemiah.

h) Connection of the Psalms with Israelitish history.The psalm of Moses Psal 90, which is in point of actual

date the earliest, faithfully reflects the long, weary wanderings, the multiplied provocations and the

consequent punishments of the wilderness. It is, however, with David that Israelitish psalmody may

be said virtually to commence. Previous mastery over his harp had probably already prepared the

way for his future strains, when the anointing oil of Samuel descended upon him, and he began to

drink in special measure, from that day forward, of the Spirit of the Lord. It was then that,

victorious at home over the mysterious melancholy of Saul and in the held over the vaunting


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champion of the Philistine hosts, he sang how from even babes and sucklings God had ordained

strength because of his enemies. Psal 8. His next psalms are of a different character; his persecutions

at the hands of Saul had commenced. When David's reign has begun, it is still with the most

exciting incidents of his history, private or public, that his psalms are mainly associated. There are

none to which the period of his reign at Hebron can lay exclusive claim. But after the conquest of

Jerusalem his psalmody opened afresh with the solemn removal of the ark to Mount Zion; and in

Psal 24-29 which belong together, we have the earliest definite instance of David's systematic

composition or arrangement of psalms for public use. Even of those psalms which cannot be referred

to any definite occasion, several reflect the general historical circumstances of the times. Thus Psal 9

is a thanksgiving for the deliverance of the land of Israel from its former heathen oppressors. Psal 10

is a prayer for the deliverance of the Church from the highhanded oppression exercised from within.

The succeeding psalms dwell on the same theme, the virtual internal heathenism by which the

Church of God was weighed clown. So that there remain very few e.g. Psal 15-17, 19, 32 (with its

choral appendage, 23), 37 of which some historical account may not be given. A season of repose

near the close of his reign induced David to compose his grand personal thanksgiving for the

deliverances of his whole life, Psal 18 the date of which is approximately determined by the place at

which it ia inserted in the history. 2 Sam 22. It was probably at this period that he finally arranged

for the sanctuary service that collection of his psalms which now constitutes the first book of the

Psalter. The course of David's reign was not, however, as yet complete. The solemn assembly

convened by him for the dedication of the materials of the future temple, 1 Chr 28, 29, would

naturally call forth a renewal of his best efforts to glorify the God of Israel in psalms; and to this

occasion we doubtless owe the great festal hymns, Psal 65-68, containing a large review of the past

history, present position and prospective glories of God's chosen people. The supplications of Psal

69, suit best with the renewed distress occasioned by the sedition of Adonijah. Psal 71 to which Psal

70 a fragment of a former psalm, is introductory, forms David's parting strain. Yet that the psalmody

of Israel may not seem finally to terminate with hint, the glories of the future are forthwith

anticipated by his son in Psal 72. The great prophetical ode, Psal 45, connects itself most readily

with the splendors of Jehoshaphat's reign. Psal 42-44, 74 are best assigned to the reign of Ahaz. The

reign of Hezekiah is naturally rich in psalmody, Psal 46, 73, 75, 76 connect themselves with the

resistance to the supremacy of the Assyrians and the divine destruction of their host.

i) We are now brought to a series of psalms of peculiar interest, springing out of the political and

religious history of the, separated ten tribes. In date of actual composition they commence before

the times of Hezekiah. The earliest is probably Psal 80 a supplication for the Israelitish people at the

time of the Syrian oppression. All these psalms80-83are referred by their superscriptions to the

Levite singers, and thus beer witness to the efforts of the Levites to reconcile the two branches of

the chosen nation. The captivity of Manasseh himself proved to be but temporary; but the sentence


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which his sins had provoked upon Judah and Jerusalem still remained to be executed, and precluded

the hope that God's salvation could be revealed till after such an outpouring of his judgments as the

nation had never yet known. Labor and sorrow must be the lot of the present generation; through

these mercy might occasionally gleam, but the glory which was eventually to be manifested must be

for posterity alone. The psalms of Book IV.bear generally the impress of this feeling.

j) We pass to Book V. Psal 107 is the opening psalm of the return, sung probably at the first feast of

tabernacles. Ezra 3 A directly historical character belongs to Psal 120-134, styled in our Authorized

Version "Songs of Degrees." Internal evidence refers these to the period when the Jews under

Nehemiah were, in the very face of the enemy, repairing the walls of Jerusalem and the title may well

signify "songs of goings up upon the walls," the psalms being from their brevity, well adapted to be

sung by the workmen and guards while engaged in their respective duties. Psal 139 is a psalm of the

new birth of Israel from the womb of the Babylonish captivity, to a life of righteousness; Psal 140-143

may be a picture of the trials to which the unrestored exiles were still exposed in the realms of the

Gentiles. Henceforward, as we approach the close of the Psalter, its strains rise in cheerfulness; and

it fittingly terminates with Psal 147-150 which were probably sung on the occasion of the

thanksgiving procession of Nehe 12, after the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem had been

completed.

k) Moral characteristics of the Psalms.Foremost among these meets us, undoubtedly, the universal

recourse to communion with God. Connected with this is the faith by which the psalmist

everywhere lives in God rather than in himself. It is of the essence of such faith that his view of the

perfections of God should be true and vivid. The Psalter describes God as he is: it glows with

testimonies to his power and providence, his love and faithfulness, his holiness and righteousness.

The Psalms not only set forth the perfections of God; they proclaim also the duty of worshipping

him by the acknowledgment and adoration of his perfections. They encourage all outward rites and

means of worship. Among these they recognize the ordinance of sacrifice as in expression of the

worshipper's consecration of himself to God's service. But not the less do they repudiate the

outward rite when separated from that which it was designed to express. Similar depth is

observable in the view taken by the psalmists of human sin. In regard to the law, the psalmist, while

warmly acknowledging its excellence, feels yet that it cannot so effectually guide his own unassisted

exertions as to preserve him from error Psal 19. The Psalms bear repeated testimony to the duty of

instructing other in the ways of holiness. Psal 32, 34, 51 This brings us to notice, lastly, the faith of

the psalmists in righteous recompense to all men according to their deeds. Psal 37, etc.

l) Prophetical character of the Psalms.The moral struggle between godliness and ungodliness, so vividly

depicted in the Psalms, culminates in Holy Scripture, in the life of the Incarnate Son of God upon

earth. It only remains to show that the Psalms themselves definitely anticipated this culmination.

Now there are in the Psalter at least three psalms of which the interest evidently centers in a person


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distinct from the speaker, and which, since they cannot without violence to the language be

interpreted of any but the Messiah, may be termed directly and exclusively Messianic. We refer to

Psal 2, 45, 110, to which may perhaps be added, Psal 72. It would be strange if these few psalms

stood, in their prophetical significance absolutely alone among the rest. And hence the impossibility

of viewing the psalms generally, notwithstanding the drapery in which they are outwardly clothed,

as simply the past devotions of the historical David or the historical Israel. The national hymns of

Israel are indeed also prospective; but in general they anticipate rather the struggles and the

triumphs of the Christian Church than those of Christ himself.4

i) There are two books can be strictly classified in this category:

(1) Psalms;

(2) Song of Solomon

ii) These books are a constant source of encouragement and hope because of the rich

and sensitive insights they provide;

iii) They are filled with feelings and emotions; and they need to be understood in such

emotions;

iv) These emotions are the overflow of experience; it is how the psalmist experienced

God that builds his knowledge, then into writing, then poetry. Psalms are not

academic answers to Systematic Theology but response to how they have come to

know, experience, and love God.

v) Psalms are addressed to God or express truth about him in songs;

vi) The Song of Solomon is set in a context of courtship and marriage;

(1) PARALLELISM IN PSALMS - Hebrew poetry is filled with many kinds of

poetic parallelism. Parallelismmeans that a verse normally has two or more

similar parts or lines / 2 or more verses saying the same thing. These units must



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be studied together to know what the emphasis of the verse is. Knowing these

parallelisms will help you study the Psalms in detail. There are 6 major

categories;

(a) Synonymous Parallelism = the closest similarity expressed between each of

the two consecutive lines; e.g;

Psalms 3:1 LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against

me.

(b) Synthetic Parallelism = the second line takes up and develops a bit

further the thought started in the first line; e.g:

Psalms 95:3, For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

(c) Emblematic Parallelism = the first line expresses an idea and the second

line is a metaphorical illumination of the first; a comparison to enlighten a

thought; e.g:

Psalms 42:1 As

the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

(d) Antithetical Parallelism = the parallel elements are set in balance through

the use of opposing or contrasting thoughts; e.g:

Psalms 1:6 for the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the

ungodly shall perish.

(e) Climatic Parallelism = the second line repeats exactly an expression from

the first line with the addition or subtraction of an idea; e.g.:

Psalms 29:1 Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto

the LORD glory and strength.


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(f) Formal Parallelism = the second parallel expression simply continues the

thought of the first; e.g.:

Psalms 2:6 yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree:

b) STUDY THE PSALM AS A WHOLE

i) Read the Book carefully;

ii) Record your initial observation;

(1) Ask only 03 major observation questions [WHO? WHAT?, WHEN?]

(a) REMEMBER that a number of people contributed to the writings in Psalms.

So dont be tempted to say that it was written by a single person.David

wrote 73 of the Psalms.

c) STUDY THE PARTS

i) CHART THE BOOK OF PSALMS. You should know the classification of books;

(1) Book 01 - Psalms 1 41

(2) Book 02 - Psalms 42 72

(3) Book 03 - Psalms 73 89

(4) Book 04 - Psalms 90 106

(5) Book 05 - Psalms 107 150

ii) You should also know the types of Psalms

(1) Royal Psalms = They anticipate Christ as King: [2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 72, 89, 101, 110,

144]

iii) Alphabetic Psalms = They are arranged based on Hebrew alphabets: [9, 10, 25,

34, 37, 111, 112, 119, 145]

iv) Penitential Psalms = Psalms of repentance for sins committed: [6, 25, 32, 38, 39,

40, 51, 102, 130]


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v) Messianic Psalms = Psalms that show a glimpse of the coming and work of the

Lord Jesus Christ: [2, 8, 16, 22, 45, 69, 72, 89, 110, 118, 132]

vi) Imprecatory Psalms = These Psalms beseech God to justify those who are His

against those who do evil: [52, 58, 59, 69, 109, 140]

vii) Hallelujah Psalms = These are Psalms of praise for our God: [111 113, 115 117,

146 150]

viii) Elohistic Psalms = these are Psalms that employ the name ELOHIM for

God. Some use the name YHWH [42 83].

ix) Psalms of Ascent = These Psalms were sung or recited as Gods people went up

to Jerusalem for Holy Feasts and celebrations: [120 134]

6) STUDYING SONGS OF SOLOMON

CANTICLES (Song of Songs), entitled in the Authorized Version THE SONG OF SOLOMON. It

was probably written by Solomon about B.C. 1012. It may be called a drama, as it contains the

dramatic evolution of a simple love-story. Meaning.The schools of interpretation may be divided

into three: the mystical or typical, the allegorical, and the literal.

1. The mystical interpretation owes its origin to the desire to find a literal basis of fact for the

allegorical. This basis is either the marriage of Solomon with Pharoah's daughter or his marriage

with an Israelitish woman, the Shulamite.

2. The allegorical. According to the Talmud the beloved is taken to be God; the loved one, or bride, is the

congregation of Israel. In the Christian Church the Talmudical interpretation, imported by Origen, was

all but universally received.

3. The literal interpretation. According to the most generally-received interpretation of the modern

literalists, the Song is intended to display the victory of humble and constant love over the temptations of

wealth and royalty.Canonicity.The book has been rejected from the Canon by some critics; but in no

case has its rejection been defended on external grounds. It is found in the LXX. and in the

translations of Aquila, Symmachus and Theodotion. It is contained in the catalog given in the


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Talmud,a nd in the catalogue of Melito; and in short we have the same evidence for its canonicity as

that which is commonly adduced for the canonicity of any book of the Old Testament.5

a) The Songs of Solomon allegorizes the love of

i) YHWH for Israel;

ii) Christ fro His Bride [The Church]

(1) These are analogous parallel but then it should also be taken at face value as a

Song of Lovers:

(a) The inviolability of marriage

(b) The beauty of sex in marriage.

b) How do you study the Songs of Solomon

i) STUDY THE WHOLE

(1) Read carefully

(2) Record your initial observations

(a) Ask the observation questions [WHO? WHAT? WHERE? WHEN?]

ii) STUDY THE PARTS

(1) Try to chart the book;

(a) Record the main content & events;

(b) Record the major division;

(c) Record the turning point;

(d) Look for principles of structure occurring in the book

(e) Do you draft first and continue to refine your chart as you go along

(f) Take not of the cause and effects pattern;

(2) Construct a draft chart first before doing a final one; yet even the final chart is

open to change if and when you find it necessary.



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Practical Exercise 05

1) Study the content of the Song of Solomon

2) What are some of the lessons the reader can learn from this Book?

3) What is the author trying to convey to his readers?

4) What do other Books of the Bible have to say to support the message of this Book?

5) Start working on your chart on this Book.


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5. Studying the Details

We are not going to look at how to study the DETAILS of each individual Book of the

Bible. But I will try to give a general technique, the general guideline to studying a Book in

DETAIL. You cannot do a clear detail study of the word unless you have Observe the Whole,

and Observe the Parts. In Observing the Details there are five things that you will need to

look for

1) Key Words

a) Ask What are the most important words in this passage;

b) Make a list of these important words / repetitions/ figures of speech; etc;

i) Find the meaning of these words in the original language; [apart from books, word

study resources are now available in CD Bible Programme];

c) Note the words you are not familiar with [use other translations in English and in

your own language];

i) Find the meaning in the English language & the original language?

d) Words that are found only in this passage and words common throughout scripture.

2) Key Ideas

a) Key ideas refer to Principles of ChristianLife that are discussed in the passage;

i) They could be Doctrine or Theology;

b) What are the important ideas in the passage you are studying?

c) How do these ideas relate to the social & spiritual context of people at the time?

3) Key people

a) Take time to study key people, or people mentioned in the passage;

i) Who are they?

ii) Where do they come from?

iii) Whats so significant about them?


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4) Key events

a) Are there important events in the passage you are studying?

b) If so what are the key events?

c) Are there other places in scripture where those events are mentioned?

d) Researching key events in the passage will add substance to the Body of

understanding you have about the passage you are studying.

5) Key places

a) What are the key places in the passage?

b) What is significant about these places?

c) What is the History about these places?

d) Where else in the Bible is this place mentioned and why?

So in general when studying the details of a passage, these are the five things you will need

to look for. They may not be all applied depending on the Book you study.

The analytical Questions are:

1. What are the key Words or Ideas?

2. What are the Key Ideas?

3. Who are the Key People?

4. What are the Key Events?

5. What are the key places?

Look at the EXAMPLE on the next page


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COLOSSIANS 3: 18 4: 6

This is a draft of BLOCK DIAGRAM and doing a Detail Study based on this Block Diagram. It can be

refined as I review it again and again. It may take a while to have the final draft.


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You can try this out using this same passage on the practical exercise below. As you work

on it, also look up the words, phrases and their meanings, and their importance in the

historical context.

Practical Exercise - COLOSSIANS 3: 18 4: 6

Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love

your wives, and be not bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things: for this

is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be

discouraged. Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eye-

service, as men-pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it

heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the

reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive

for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons. Masters, give unto

your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us,

that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I

am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward

them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned

with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.


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6. Interpretation

- The Second Stage of Inductive Study

15) We have dealt with Studying the Whole, Studying the Parts, Study the Details, and now its the

Interpretation Stage. You cannot make a clear and definitive interpretation unless you

have done the first two stages well. There is no short-cut. Every ministry within a church

has leaders and these leaders are caretakers of Gods people [Kingdom Citizens] under their

care. One of the primary roles of a leader is the feeding of the flock with healthy spiritual

food. For this to happen, you will need to know how to cook spiritual dishes. Therefore

you will need to know and be able to use these three key steps to cook a healthy spiritual

meal from the Word of God.

Observation (We have looked at)

Interpretation (We will look at now)

Application (We will look at later)

What is Interpretation?

After you have done your Observation, it is now time to interpret your findings.

1) Interpretation is when we try to discover the meaning; i.e. what is the author trying

to say? And in relation to Gods Word, what is God trying to tell me?

2) Interpretation is when we try to discover what was happening to those whom the

book was addressed to.

3) Interpretation is when we try to find out the concerns the author had that caused him

to write the book;


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4) At this stage we want our hearers to have an opportunity to live the There & Then

moment as you recreate the authors historical and logical context.

What are the foundations of Interpretation?

In interpretation you must:

1) Be sure that God is real and that He is the one who gave the authors what to

write (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore before you interpret any passage you must spend

time with God and allow Him to show you what you need to know;

2) Let Scripture interpret Scripture because the Bible cannot contradict itself. Any

truth in a book or passage must be consistent with other books and passages of the

Bible;

3) Interpret the Bible Plainly dont try to be very sophisticated but try to go back in

time to when the book was written and put yourself in the shoes of the author and

also of the recipients to understand the situation; also look for the intended meaning

of words the author used;

4) Consider the Grammar of the text remember; a word has only one intended

meaning when spoken in a sentence; the meaning of a word is tied to the sentence it is

used in by rules of grammar [e.g. spoke this is past tense and means that it has

already happened.].

5) Consider the Historical Context which we have looked at in the Observation

above. History is very important because it shows us the background of life people

were living at the time of the writing. [Ref to Context]

What are the questions I need to ask in interpretation?


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If you have done a good observation your interpretation will be easy. In Observation you

start by observing the Whole ----- Parts ---- Details. In Interpretation I usually

move from Detail ---- Parts ---- Whole This is because in interpretation we will

need to break down the small parts and than building it up again to give a whole a

picture of what happened back then. Interpreting the detail will give you a good idea of

interpreting the parts, and than the Whole.

But the five important Interpretation Questions are:-

1) WHO? (The People)

a) Finding out more about the author,

b) Recipients, Characters (Main & Minors),

c) People who are addressed in the Book.

2) WHAT?

a) Key truth or idea,

b) Theological terms,

c) key events,

d) important words,

e) figures of speech,

f) Atmosphere of the passage.

3) WHERE?(Location / Geography)

a) Places mentioned,

b) buildings,

c) cities and towns,

d) nations, and

e) Landmarks.

4) WHEN?(Time)

a) Date of writing, the duration of an ev

basics of inductive study completed 23.05.13

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