Inductive Bible Study Method

Traina writes that application is bringing a passage to bear on a contemporary situation based on it’s universal truthfulness. [p.215, Methodical Bible Study]

What is Bible interpretation?  Train answers, “It means recapturing the attitudes, motives, thoughts, and emotions of its writers and of those concerning whom they wrote.” [p.94, Methodical Bible Study]

Former Princeton professor Howard Kuist defined observation as “the art of seeing things as they really are.”  To which, Robert Traina concluded that observation, “then is is essentially awareness.”  Methodical Bible Study, Robert Traina, p.31.

Writing Out The Word…

Kirsten Vandervelde tours with a theatrical production of Don Richardson’s Peace Child. In her down time, she greets people as a receptionist for our missions ministry here in Montana.
As a 20 year old, she heard me teach on the value of daily Bible reading. This particular morning, […]

It is amazing to me how few Inductive Bible Study courses there are in seminaries, Christian colleges and universities. I remember Dr. J. Christy Wilson Jr. tell us at Gordon-Conwell in the mid 1970’s that we should master the English Bible. Interestingly, his father Dr. J. Christy Wilson said the same thing a […]

As I study through the Word of God I am constantly reminded that we cannot impart what we do not possess. This means that not only for our own sake, but for the sake of our listeners we must daily drink from the living water. I can think of no better way of doing this […]

Paul told the Corinthians that they were a letter written from God.  This is  really a picture of application isn’t it.  We are the only Scriptures that some people will ever read.  Whether we obey or disobey–this underlines the importance of application.  “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving ourselves.”

Robert Traina mentions practicing suspended judgment as we approach passages using inductive Bible Study methods.  In other words, don’t jump too quickly to conclusions we may later have to correct.  I think we have all done this at times, not only in Bible study but in other decisions calling for interpretation.

Romans 9-11 challenges every Bible student.  The inductive student has a strategy to address the passage.  I recommend asking the observation question “who?” of the passage.  This question opens it up.  You will find a surprisingly high number of people and people groups mentioned in this passage.  These numbers open it up.  The people discussed […]