One of Jane’s last posts really got me to thinking about how we approach the Bible.  Certainly there is merit in simply reading the text – how else are we to become familiar with what is actually written.  But the ultimate journey as a Christian is transformation, and I would argue that simply reading the bible will not prompt a whole lot of transformation.  So how is this transformation prompted from the biblical text?  Unfortunately there is no formula that I can write that would work for everyone.  But the good news is that there is an infinite number of ways that one can read for transformation, so please take these ideas and make them your own.

If you are new to bible study, then there are some places where you can start.  I personally recommend joining a small group (also called Life Groups, Transformation Groups).  The advantage is that you will have a support group of people who are equally committed to reading, studying and living out God’s word.  There is no substitute for having this type of support group.  A good small group will have time of socializing, prayer and study.  Bible studies in these small groups can take on many forms, from using a book or a video tape system, or simply reading and discussing the text.

The biggest challenge that we face in reading and studying the bible is understanding its context.  We are, at minimum, 2,000 years removed from the bible culturally, and this is significant to our understanding or misunderstanding the text.  This is probably one of the most intimidating facts that we face as new students.  I often hear people say that “we only need to read the bible, no other book is necessary” and I strongly disagree with that because the bible is not always self-explanatory. If you can read the four Gospels and understand completely the cultural references that are there, then more power to you.  However, for the rest of us mere mortals, we will need help.

I’m going to outline one method for studying the Bible.  There are others, each with their own merit and I will get to them soon.  I’m choosing to start with a modified Inductive study because it starts with the Bible and ends with the Bible.  I’m also going to suggest some resources that will aid in your study, although they are not 100% necessary, so please do not run out any purchase all of these books.  They are merely suggestions.

The first thing that I do in an inductive study is to read the text several times. I will first read the whole book and then center on a particular text within the book.  You want to start with the whole first because it will give you the overall impression of what that particular book is about.   Then I will read through a passage several times.  Each time through, I circle words or ideas that are repeated, underline thoughts that are interesting to me, write down questions that are sparked and mark certain things like time, place, setting, who is speaking and to whom, etc.  I do this directly in my Bible, but you can always print out the text from online (I’ll provide you with a list of free bible resources at the bottom of this post) and mark that up instead.  I would also indicate thoughts or ideas that you particularly do not understand.  Make lists of things that are enumerated, find words/ideas that are repeated and note things that are compared and contrasted.  At this stage you are really interested in the 5 W’s and an H. (Who, what, where, when, why and how.)

The next thing that I would do is to divide my questions up into categories.  Culture, Theology, Teaching Points (or Main Points of the passage), and People are just a few.  I do this because for each category I might consult a different type of book, so this helps me stay organized.  Then I start to consult other books to help me understand the things in each category.

Culture
For cultural issues of the Bible there are dictionaries and background books that are useful.  I tend to like the books in this category that come from Zondervan and Eerdman’s and InterVarsity Press publishers.  Here are a few that I find useful:

Zondervan Compact Bible Dictionary
Zondervan’s Pictoral Bible Dictionary
All-in-One Bible Reference Guide
Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary

The key to these books is to look up things that are being done that we don’t understand.  For instance, I’m studying John chapter 13 right now and in the first half of this chapter Jesus washes the feet of His disciples.  What is the significance of this?  In consulting with Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary, I discover that this was something that was done in prominent households, but slaves were the ones washing feet.  That one fact alone sparks a whole other set of questions and images.  Jesus is doing the task that was normally relegated to slaves.  This means that Jesus humbled Himself before His disciples and became a slave to them, knowing that He had hours to live.  This was a teaching moment for Jesus, but teaching by actions as well as words.  That makes this whole chapter a little more interesting.

Theology
Theology is one area that most people gasp at.  “What, meread theology?  You’ve got to be kidding! Right?”  Nope.  Theology is not just for theologians.  Each and every single time that you read the bible, you form pictures and ideas of its message – which means that you are “doing” theology, whether you ever knew it or not.  The problem is that we can make up our own theology and this is a dangerous thing to do.  We need theological guidance as much as we need cultural insight into biblical times.  But you probably don’t have time to read a thick, heavy theology book, nor would you want to.  Let’s leave those books for the actual theologians and read something a little different.  In this category I’m only going to recommend one book, New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, edited by T. Desmond Alexander because this book is going to give you one of the best overall introductions to theology, the biblical books and then a topical arrangement of ideas.  It is a big book and a little pricey (around $55), but is extremely worth it. 

So taking the passage in John 13, we’ve seen how Jesus humbled Himself before His disciples and washed their feet.  What does the bible have to say about humility?  In the dictionary we can learn that in the Old Testament, being humble meant that it was before God only, man didn’t “humble himself” before other men.  But in the New Testament, Jesus adds this dimension to the word.  “God will humble those who exalt themselves and exalt those who humble themselves.”  This is a very profound thought and one that deserves some attention.

So while you’re pondering that one, I’ll finish this post for today.  I’ll come back soon and continue to outline the Inductive bible study method for you.  Hope this has helped.

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