by Kathy Ferguson

Created on: January 15, 2010

Any Bible study, sermon or teaching should be balanced like a table or chair. A table or chair requires at least three legs to stand true and balanced. In the same way, a sermon, teaching, or Bible study should have at least three sections to be balanced: Observation, interpretation, and application.

Observation

Observation of a passage of Scripture looks much like the work of a detective searching for clues at the scene of a crime. Often the detective works from a place deduction which seeks proof, rather than induction which seeks discovery. Deduction starts from an hypothesis, and moves in a way that either proves or disproves the hypothesis. The detective has a suspect and begins looking for evidence to link that suspect to the crime (or prove the hypothesis).

When we look at the interpretation of the clobber passages by the Fundamentalists, we see a pattern of deduction. They have already made up their minds on the passages (formed an hypothesis), and are now looking for proof. This is not the correct way to study the Bible, and can lead to many misinterpretations and heresies.

Induction on the other hand, starts without an hypothesis, so rather than trying to prove, it is trying to discover. Like a doctor who observes a patient’s symptoms (or facts), to discover the malady, the inductive Bible study observes the facts in order to form an interpretation of the Scripture.

In observation the student collects information relating to the who, what, when, and where of the passage of Scripture. Who is the writer, and who is his audience (this encompasses such information as gender, age, ethnic background, education, occupation, etc.)? What specific topic or problem is he addressing? Is the author trying to convince his reader of something? What is the historical time and setting of the book? Is the author writing during the Diaspora? Is he writing after the destruction of the temple? Many factors go into understanding the “why” (interpretation) of a passage of Scripture. Is the passage of Scripture a parable, an allegory, or an historical narrative? Is the author using hyperbole, or is he using idioms understood only by his culture?

Observation must first and foremost come from Scripture itself. Many times the author will give some clues as to the who, what, when and where in the book itself. This is your first and primary source. Once you have exhausted this source, you may want to use other sources like a Bible dictionary to look up key words.

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