Inductive Bible study refers to a method of studying Scripture that moves from a general overview to the particulars of a passage. In short, this is a series of steps that helps the interpreter to handle the text properly (2 Tim. 2:15) and draw insights from the Bible. Many Bible readers skim through their three chapters a day without getting to the heart of any given text. This is like filling yourself on butter and dinner rolls, rather than waiting for the main entrée! To put it in the language of Scripture, this is like staying on a diet of milk, rather than meat (1 Cor. 3:2). If you are a Bible teacher, you need to learn to inductively study the Scriptures to aid you in proper interpretation (see also “Hermeneutics”).
New Testament Inductive Study
(1) MAIN ARGUMENT: Always ask the questions, “Why is this in Scripture? Why did he write this? What was he getting at?” Identify the main thrust of this section. If you had to summarize what the author is saying in one sentence, what would it be? Get the main point first. (This is subject to revision)
(2) SUPPORTING ARGUMENTS: Identify the author’s arguments that support the main point. If the author is making a main point, how do they support it in the text?
(3) ASK QUESTIONS OF THE TEXT: This is the most exciting and interesting part of your study: asking questions! These can be questions about:
Difficult, offensive, or confusing passages.
Difficult Greek words.
OT passages being cited.
General questions (new interpreters call these “stupid questions,” but at this stage, there is no such thing!)
Good interpreters and teachers ask questions of their text. After discussion, if you’re still struggling to answer them, consult a commentary,
(4) AUDIENCE: Is there any point in your passage where the author mentions details about his audience? If so, where? What does it teach us about the audience or circumstances into which he was writing his letter? What can we learn about the author’s audience from your passage?
(5) CONNECT TO THE PAST: In what ways does your passage build upon what the author has already written in the letter?
(6) CONNECT TO THE FUTURE: In what ways does your passage connect to what the author will write in the next portion of the letter? How is the author laying the foundation for what he will write later?
(7) APPLICATION: Ask the questions, “What is God saying to you through this passage? How does this challenge your life or love for others?” Since you have already done sound interpretation, allow God’s Spirt to bring application to the people on their own. This can be a great time of getting conviction and direction from God (though consider “Application Restrictions”).
Resources
New Testament Survey. This contains information on authorship, dating, audience, historical background, Bible difficulties, and verse by verse commentary. We suggest reading these introductions to get a concise background for each NT book.
Greek Study. There are various good lexicons to consult when studying Greek words. We usually start with BDAG (Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich), which gives standard definitions. For a more thorough study of extrabiblical Greek, see Colin Brown’s New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. For free online resources, see www.blueletterbible.org, www.preceptaustin.org, or lumina.bible.org.
Old Testament Inductive Study
The format for studying the OT is similar to the NT. The key is getting the main point of a given passage, connecting it to larger story, and asking good questions of the text.
(1) RECAP THE PAST: Where are we in the story of the Bible? Where are we in salvation history? Connect your passage to what you have read so far. Without understanding a passage’s place in salvation history, you will feel like you’ve been dropped in the middle of the ocean without having any sort of direction to reach shore.
(2) MAIN MESSAGE: What is the main message of the passage? Make sure to get the big picture.
(3) ASK GOOD QUESTIONS: These could be questions about:
Difficult, potentially offensive, or confusing passages.
Difficult Hebrew or Aramaic words.
Harmonizing with what the NT states.
General questions (new interpreters call these “stupid questions,” but at this stage, there is no such thing!)
God’s character, plan, or nature.
Main characters in the text. What can we learn about them?
Why God would include this chapter (or chapters) in Scripture?
(4) APPLICATION: Ask the questions, “What is God saying to you through this passage? How does this challenge your life or love for others?” This is a good time to allow the group to answer this question. Since you have already done sound interpretation, allow God’s Spirt to bring application to the people on their own. This can be a great time of getting conviction and direction from God (though consider “Application Restrictions”).
Teaching the Old Testament
Here are some steps to help you to prepare for your teachings each week:
STEP #1: Copy and paste your Scripture into a Word document
As you prepare for your teaching, copy and paste all of your chapters into a Word document. You will eventually send this out to the group, so that all can read from the same document. We suggest using the NIV or NLT for the OT. The NASB is a little too choppy and literal for narrative.
STEP #2: Cut, cut, cut!
Each teacher will be covering massive amounts of Scripture each week. This means that they will need to massively cut down on the verses listed in their section.
Ask yourself: Which verses are absolutely necessary to read in order to get the main point of these chapters? Your job as the teacher is to determine what is important to read and what can be cut.
Utilize the chapter summaries given for each introductory book (see “Introduction to the Old Testament.”). These will prove useful in skipping over certain chapters that aren’t necessary to cover in your teaching. When you skip a chapter, give a quick summary of it for the group. Remember, they can always go back and read these chapters on their own.
STEP #3: Study any problem passages and theology.
This approach to teaching encourages discussion and questions. Therefore, the teachers need to be ready to answer questions in their assigned passage (see “Old Testament Difficulties” for help).
STEP #4: Utilize multimedia
Try to use pictures, charts, commentaries, or clips from YouTube each week. For instance:
When teaching on David and Goliath, you might show pictures of ancient slings or weapons.
When studying a difficult passage, read a short article or commentary that gives an explanation of the passage or historical reliability.
When studying a narrative, watch a short cinematic portrayal of the account. Sometimes even corny Christian renditions are entertaining for people, and also give opportunity for people to critique the portrayal.
When starting a less understood book, we have benefited from watching The Bible Project videos, which give animated introductions and explanations of each book of the Bible.
The point is this: Be creative in your presentation of the material! Just because this is a discussion based approach, it doesn’t mean that the teacher can be passive or boring in delivering the content.
Resources
Old Testament Survey. This contains information on authorship, dating, audience, historical background, Bible difficulties, and chapter by chapter commentary. We suggest reading these introductions to get a concise background for each OT book.
Hebrew Study. Admittedly, we are not strong in our understanding of biblical Hebrew, and we mainly rely on commentators to aid us in this regard. That being said, the best Hebrew lexicon is HALOT (Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament). For free online resources, see www.blueletterbible.org, www.preceptaustin.org, or lumina.bible.org.