Here is a recent video of two pastors discussing some basics about Bible reading: when to do it, how to do it, why it’s worth it. I appreciate being reminded of some important ideas. Check it out!
How Many People Study the Bible?
LifeWay Research just posted statistics about how many Christians claim to study the Bible on their own outside of church meetings. Here’s what they found:
- 19% read the Bible every day
- 26% read it a few times per week
- 14% read it once per week
- 22% read it at least once per month
- 18% read it rarely or never
Which category are you in?
Interestingly, they found that the following six things were found to be connected to one’s likelihood to read the Bible more often:
- Confessing wrongdoings to God and asking forgiveness.
- Believing in Jesus Christ as the only way to heaven, and persevering in this belief over time.
- Making a decision to obey or follow God with an awareness that choosing to do so might be costly.
- Praying for the spiritual status of people they know are not professing Christians.
- Reading a book about increasing their spiritual growth.
- Having been discipled or mentored one-on-one by a more spiritually mature Christian.
You can check out the full article here.
Also, for your viewing pleasure, here’s a new Spoken Word video from Zondervan about the Rock Solid Bible. The artist speaks about the power and sufficiency of God’s Knowable Word. As I haven’t read the study Bible being advertised, I’m not necessarily recommending it. But the video is very well done.
Six Reasons Why We Don’t Study the Bible
In his excellent (and free!) ebook on Bible study, Denis Haack lists six reasons why many people never learn how to study the Bible:
- I don’t know how.
- Bible study is boring.
- I prefer to use Bible study guides.
- I’m not smart enough; never was much of a student.
- I can become discerning by reading books.
- I don’t have time.
Please don’t let these reasons become excuses for you to miss out on receiving God’s Knowable Word!
Why OIA is the Best Bible Study Method
A few days ago, I outlined the OIA method of Bible study that we follow. In short, it stands for Observation, Interpreation, and Application.
I’ve already made one audacious claim: that everyone has a Bible study method. Today I’d like to make another: that OIA is the best method one can use to study the Bible. Let me support this claim with three reasons.
1. It works for any person anywhere of any age
It can be taught to PhDs and other “professionals” and get quite complex and profound. It can be taught to 3 year olds just learning to talk. Anyone in between can use this method to great profit, understanding the main ideas of what God has communicated and becoming more like Christ as a result.
2. It’s the way God designed all communication to work
OIA is nothing new or innovative. It is simply an attempt to outline the steps by which any human being communicates with another human being (observing what was communicated, interpreting the meaning, and responding appropriately). God made communication to work this way, so of course the Bible works the same way.
Let me illustrate. If I met you on the street, you might observe me walk up to you, smile, and stick out my hand. You would interpret that I mean you no harm and simply want to greet you. You would apply the gesture by reaching out your own hand, taking my hand with yours, and saying “hello” or some similar sentiment. Communication has now taken place.
Let’s say I ask you a question. You might observe the raised inflection at the end of my sentence (the question mark), a resultant silence, and raised eyebrows on my face. You would interpret these signs to mean that I want you to answer the question. You would apply the interaction by answering the question, frowning in thought, holding up a finger to request more time, or running away in terror.
We simply cannot escape OIA. We do it all the time. We should employ it when we study God’s Knowable Word.
3. It’s how Jesus interpreted the Bible
Jesus is the Lord (Phil 2:11) and the author of Scripture (1 Peter 1:11). We should learn from him how to read Scripture.
Look at Matthew 21:42-44 as an example. Notice how Jesus observes the Old Testament text in verse 42, interprets it in verse 44, and applies it in verse 43 (implying that his listeners should believe the truth and make some changes in their lives).
Jesus often references Scripture, giving us a window into his understanding of it, but he rarely is as clear as in Matt 21:42-44. Usually, he assumes or implies the Interpretation, and states the Observation and Application explicitly (for example, see Matt 13:10-17 or Mark 12:35-37). One place where he Observes and Interprets but doesn’t explicitly Apply is Luke 4:17-21.
In suggesting that OIA is the best method to use, I’m not saying that there’s an easy one-size-fits-all way of plugging every text through an equation. I’m merely saying that we have a valuable and clear way by which we can understand what God is communicating in his Word. Our study of the Bible is not arbitrary.
Summary of the OIA Method
Ryk Neethling (2011), Creative Commons
I’ve argued that everyone has a Bible study method, whether conscious or unconscious. So here’s mine.
The acronym OIA summarizes the method:
- Observation – what does it say?
- Interpretation – what does it mean?
- Application – how do I need to change?
You can restate these three steps as what? why? and so what? Or again, as what did the original author say? What did that mean to the original audience? And what does it mean in our context?
Knowable Word did not invent this method. It’s an old, old method. Seminaries call it the “historical-grammatical method of Bible interpretation,” but that title can be big and scary to most people. Some more popular treatments call it the “inductive Bible study method,” but I think that’s an unfortunate misuse of the wonderful term “inductive” from the realm of logic. So I prefer to call it simply “OIA.”
The wonder of the OIA method is that it allows the text to speak to us, rather than reading our own meaning into the text. The beauty of the OIA method is that it can be taught at seminary and get very, very deep, or it can be taught to the youngest children, enabling them as well to know the Lord in his Word.
I’ve explained the method in more detail in other posts, but for this summary, note what happens if we miss any part of it.
If we neglect good observation of what the text says, we have no true foundation upon which to know Christ. We have great intentions, but in all the wrong directions. We’re the people who failed to observe which weekend was the daylight savings time switch, and we show up to church an hour off from everyone else. An example of poor observation of Scripture is found in Luke 24:25-27.
If we neglect good interpretation of what the text means, we might not know whether what we believe or do is biblical or not. We might be honoring the Lord, or we might not be. We won’t be certain until we meet him face to face. A good example of poor interpretation of Scripture is found in Mark 12:24.
If we neglect good application of how we ought to change, we are like foolish builders founding a home upon sand. We are to be pitied. We give lip service to Christ, but our hearts are far from him (Matthew 15:8-9). God wants to make us more like Jesus (Rom 8:29), and he won’t rest until his Word accomplishes that purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11).
For much more detail on the OIA method see my How to Study the Bible series of posts.
What the Olympics Taught Me about Bible Study
This week marked a significant milestone for me: the first time since 1994 that I’ve gotten to follow the Olympic games with any regularity.
I love the drama. Ryan Lochte wins gold in the Men’s 400 meter individual medley, but Michael Phelps fails to medal in the event. Phelps goes on, however, to win more medals and become the most decorated Olympian in history. The USA women’s gymnastics team wins gold, but reigning world champion Jordyn Wieber fails to advance to the all-around competition. Four badminton teams are thrown out of the games for throwing their games. A Korean archer with poor eyesight helps his team win bronze. 22-year-old Kayla Harrison overcomes a history of sexual abuse by a previous coach and wins the first ever US gold medal in judo.
The drama is inspiring, but also challenging. Why isn’t our study of God’s Knowable Word equally inspiring?
Why is it that we’d often rather do anything other than read God’s Word? When we do read it, why does it feel like such a chore? When we get together in groups to discuss the unbreakable Scripture, why can’t we think of anything to talk about? Why can church seem routine and lifeless? Where is the drama that inspired a generation to turn the world upside-down (Acts 17:6)?
God has revealed his Son to us through the Bible written by his Spirit. In the Bible He lets us in on what he’s thinking. He tells us what to expect about the future. He fills in the back story to our existence. He advises us about how life works best. His Word is the most influential book in history. How can we recapture the drama?
Here are some ideas:
- Read a lot of Scripture. Keep the big picture in mind. Consider taking an afternoon to read a whole book of the Bible in one sitting. Just read lots of it and keep going. As you understand the scope of the whole, each detail takes on new life.
- Read it lots of times. Over the past two weeks, I’ve read the same two chapters over and over again. I read them and didn’t understand them at first. So instead of moving on, I decided to try it again and again. I’ve now read them dozens of times in a row, and they’re starting to make sense. What was once confusing has become exciting and impactful!
- Talk to others. God puts us in community on purpose. Others will have insights you don’t have. So plug into your church, find a Bible study group, talk about the sermons. Ask people what they’re learning from the Word, and share what you’re learning. The drama of God’s glorious plan through Christ will infect you with joy.
- Put yourself into the story. Picture what the characters went through. How would you respond in similar circumstances? What would you feel, desire, fear, or hope? Remember that Bible characters were real people, experiencing life much as we do.
- Focus on Jesus. You don’t have to be innovative. You don’t have to make the Bible exciting. All you have to do is get out of the way and let Jesus show his glory.
The Olympics are exciting, and I can’t wait to see what will happen over the next week. But the glory of men will wither; does anyone even remember the medalists from 1994 anymore? God’s Knowable Word will remain forever (1 Peter 1:24-25).
Everyone Has a Bible Study Method
I’ve been blogging for a few months now, talking a lot about different principles of Bible study. Look out for this, pay attention to that, consider these things, etc. Today I’d like to show my cards a bit by revealing a shocking truth: I follow a Bible study method.
A method? Yes, a method. How do you respond to that word?
Does it make you nervous or is it a relief? Does it make you feel like a piece of cookie dough jammed onto the tray or does it give you hope?
Whatever your reaction toward the idea of a method, I’m writing to propose that, like it or not, everyone has a method for Bible study.
Some methods are unintentional and informal. For example:
The Divination Method
- Open the Bible
- Drop your finger into a random place
- Read what you find
- Trust this is God’s will for you today
The Support Group Method
- Read a passage of the Bible
- Close the Bible
- Consider (or discuss, if in a group situation) how you feel about what you just read
The Prayerful Method
- Ask God to bring to mind a passage of the Bible that will address your current problem or need
- Listen to what thoughts are put in your mind
- Look at those passages for encouragement or help
Other methods, however, are quite intentional and formal. For example:
The Cross-Reference Method
- Read a passage of the Bible
- Highlight the key words or phrases in that passage
- Look up another passage that this one reminds you of (the cross-references in the middle column of your Bible really help with this)
- Look up another passage that the second one reminds you of
- Look up another passage that the third one reminds you of
- Repeat until you run out of time
The Word Study Method
- Decide which topic you’d like to study in the Bible
- Identify one or more key words that represent your topic
- Search the whole Bible for passages that use those keywords (something like Bible Gateway)
- Read each verse that comes up
- Compile all the components of your topic
- Live in light of what you learned
The Expert Method
- Read a passage of the Bible
- Read a commentary on that passage of the Bible
- Believe and act upon what the commentator wrote
My point is this: everyone who reads the Bible has a method for studying the Bible. What is your usual method? Are you even conscious of how you study the Bible?
My secondary point is this: not every method is a good method. In other words, many methods do not result in correct interpretation. If, as we believe, the Bible is God’s Word to us, shouldn’t we make sure we understand it?
In future posts, I’ll lay out my method more explicitly.
Why We Study the Bible, Revisited
Not long ago, I posted a number of reasons for why we study the Bible. They came down basically to the fact that understanding the Bible accurately enables us to know Christ better and find life in him.
Desiring God just posted a short video interview with D. A. Carson, where he covers similar ground.
You read it here. Now go listen to the man who’s been doing it faithfully for many decades. Learn from his example and draw near to God as you study his knowable word.
Why We Study the Bible
Why should we study the Bible? Couldn’t we just listen to God’s voice inside us? Even if we ought to use the Bible, shouldn’t we just read it, expecting the meaning to become apparent? Doesn’t all this “Bible study” stuff get in the way, slow us down, quench the Spirit?
Let me give some reasons why it’s important that we learn how to study the Bible:
1. Knowing Jesus is eternal life
Jesus said it himself in John 17:3. He wants what’s best for us, and what’s best for us is for us to know him. He prayed accordingly the night before he was killed.
2. The whole Bible is about Jesus
Jesus said it in Luke 24:44-47. Phillip realized it early on (John 1:45). Peter declared it much later (1 Peter 1:10-11).
3. The Bible was written that we might know Jesus and have eternal life
Romans 15:4, John 20:30-31, 1 Peter 1:11-12, Rev 1:1. It’s an old book, but it was written with you and me in mind! It wasn’t written to us, but it was written for us.
4. God thinks it’s noble when we examine the Bible to know Jesus better
Paul explained the main point of the Bible in Acts 17:3. Some Thessalonians rejected this message (Acts 17:6-7), but the Bereans eagerly searched it out in the text of the Bible (Acts 17:10-11).
5. It takes hard work to understand the Bible
Some parts are hard to understand, and those who are untaught or unstable will distort them (2 Peter 3:16). We must be taught well and given a stable foundation if we are to understand the Bible and know Jesus. Granted, many parts of the Bible are abundantly clear (John 14:6, Acts 4:11-12), yet they, too, are commonly twisted.
6. We need God’s Spirit to understand the Bible
Our sin and rebellion against God infects everything about us, even our thinking. No amount of hard work and no foolproof method will guarantee that we interpret the Bible rightly. Countless universities have courses taught by learned professionals who miss the whole point (see #1-3 above).
But when we trust in the Jesus revealed in the Bible, we receive God’s Spirit, who helps us to know Jesus better (1 Cor 2:6-16). Those who believe have access to the very mind of Christ because they have his Spirit.
On this blog, we want to help you know Jesus. We do that by helping you learn to study the Bible. Let’s keep working to master the methods, but above all, let’s keep our focus on Jesus as we do so.
How’d You Do That? (7/4/12)
In yesterday’s post, I tried to demonstrate an important principle for how to study the Bible: correlation. Correlation is the process of linking different passages together to understand what the Bible has to say about a topic or idea.
When it comes to correlation, it can be pretty easy to make a number of errors:
- Cross-referencing too soon: Sometimes when we read a passage, we immediately jump to all the other passages that come to mind. As we jump from place to place in the Bible, we can feel like we’ve had a good Bible study. The danger, however, is that we can jump so much that we failed to understand any of the specific passages in their context! Numerous cults use this technique to justify their teaching, while making it seem biblical.
- Isolating a text from the whole Bible: Sometimes we can get so focused on one passage that we develop an imbalanced understanding of a certain topic. Without connecting this passages to other passages, we might over-focus on one side of an issue to the exclusion of the complete biblical perspective on it. I find it really easy to commit this error when I’m having a disagreement with someone, and I want to over-emphasize my perspective.
- Connecting passages unhelpfully: Sometimes we can connect different passages for no other reason than that they use the same word. When we do this, we miss the fact that different authors might use the same words in different ways. We read a certain meaning into various texts rather than drawing meaning out of them. We often commit this error if we search for a single word in a Bible search engine, and then assume that every verse that turns up must apply to the particular question I’d like to answer.
How do we correlate various Bible texts accurately?
- Make sure you understand the passage at hand in its context. That means identifying the author’s main point before you jump to any other texts.
- Once you’ve identified the main point, then look for other passages that speak to the same main point (which may include using the same words, but it also might not).
- As you look at other passages, make sure you understand the main points of each of them in their own contexts.
- Allow each passage to nuance your understanding of the idea.
- Make changes in your life to obey what you have learned from God’s Knowable Word!
