Inductive Bible Study
"These were more noble-minded that those in Thessalonica,
in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the
Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so," Acts 17:11.
It is likely that your personal Bible reading and study could be identified as
"inductive" though you may use the term. The word "inductive" has a
mathematical, electrical, scientific, philosophical and legal usage. As applied
to Bible reading and study it simply means - you engage yourself with the
specific details of the text of Scripture. You do this yourself, and this is
always your first step in reading and study. The opposite of this is, to blindly
accept the deductions of men and impose those into the text of Scripture.
I use the word "inductive" to describe the approach I believe we ought to take
when reading and studying the Bible. To me it simply means, you engage yourself
personally with the text, careful to let the text determine what you believe,
teach and practice.
Consider the opposite. If you simply submit to what others tell you the Bible
says, then read and study with those assumptions - your approach is not
inductive and independent. If you decide (out of tradition, family or peer
influence) what you want to believe, teach and practice first - and then read
the Bible in search of passages that sound like they confirm what you have
already decided, that is not inductive and not objective. If you have been
trained at the feet of sound Bible students, the non-inductive approach may not
yield a steady stream of error. But it isn't the best approach for the best
results in your personal faith and practice.
Inductive Bible Study Begins With The Text. What the Bible says is your starting
place; your first step! Out of that reading and study, your beliefs are formed
and your behavior determined. You observe for yourself what the text of
Scripture says; you read it in narrative order, watch for all contextual
information, compare related passages, and move from the specifics of the text
to sound conclusions. "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word
of God," (Rom. 10:17).
Inductive Bible Study Requires Mental Effort. It is often noted, we live in the
age of visual literacy. Television, Drama and PowerPoint are preferred over
individual reading and study. Modern methods of communication often take their
place of prominence above the message. In some cases the audience knows how it
was said - but do not recall what was said. They saw the graphics and gestures,
but did not learn what the Bible says. Personal inductive Bible study calls for
individual involvement with the text (Acts 17:11; Jas. 1:25). One-on-one --> You
and your Bible alone! You read it. Then read it again. As you do the individual
work, the promise is: "...when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the
mystery of Christ," (Eph. 3:4).
Inductive Bible Study Must Attend To Context. Context is simply the total
literary setting of a word or phrase. Context takes into account: the time, the
writer, the culture, the occasion, the original recipients, the immediate theme
and all other Biblical information relevant to the matter at hand. When engaged
in Inductive Bible Study, you must not be content to let someone dictate what
the context is. You discover context yourself as you read the verse within the
paragraph, within the epistle or book you have read - and all of this in the
framework of your familiarity with the entire Biblical setting.
Inductive Bible Study Finds Its Intended End in Godly Behavior. The immediate
purpose is to have a personal understanding of the Scriptures as a product of
your own work with the text. The practical purpose is to know what you ought to
believe, teach and practice. As a result of Inductive Bible Study, you are able
to say: "This is what I believe; I've read it and studied it myself. This is
what I know God said, because I've read it myself." This is different than
saying, "This is what our church teaches," or "this is what my preacher says."
Hopefully, your local church teaches and practices the Scriptural pattern and
the preachers you hear propose nothing for your belief but the Word of God. But
your individual faith ought to be grounded in your individual reading and study.
So that your life is led from day to day by your direct contact with the Word of
God. Kay Arthur writes, "Inductive Bible study draws you into personal
interaction with the Scripture and thus with the God of the Scriptures so that
your beliefs are based on a prayerful understanding and legitimate
interpretation of Scripture - truth that transforms you when you live by it."
Once meaning is discovered in the text, the next step is self-inquiry: What does
this mean to me today?
Warning: If you let someone teach you their detailed "Inductive
Bible Study Method," you may defeat the whole purpose. If you lock yourself into
the procedures and methods of someone else, there is a loss of the genuine
inductive approach. The purpose is for you (the student) to read and study the
text, leading to your conclusions and ultimately your behavior before God.
By Warren E. Berkley
Front Page
From Expository Files 9.11; November 2002
