Four week study on how to study the Bible based on Living by the Book by Howard & William Hendricks.

1. Living by the Book
An Introduction to Bible
Study Methods
Week 1

3. What is the Bible?
• What are some views of the Bible?
– Answer Book
– Owners Manuel
– Theological Text Book
– Tool for Manipulation
• What are the issues that come
with each of these views?

4. What is the Bible?
The Bible is not a book for the faint of heart
- it is a book full of all the greed and glory
and violence and tenderness and sex and
betrayal that benefits mankind. It is not the
collection of pretty little anecdotes mouthed
by pious little church mice - it does not so
much nibble at our shoe leather as it cuts to
the heart and splits the marrow from the
bone. It does not give us answers fitted to
our small-minded questions, but truth that
goes beyond what we can even know to ask.
from Thoughts and Reflections by Rich Mullins

5. What is the Bible?
• A working definition:
A collection of writings
containing the record and
revelation of God’s
interaction with man.

6. Where are we going?
• Observation
• Interpretation
• Application
• Correlation

7. A collection of writings…
• Must begin with reading
– Elementary Reading
• Rudiments of the art of reading
• Receives basic training in reading
• Acquires initial skills
• What does the sentence say?
– Inspectional Reading
• Time is a key element at this stage
• Maximize involvement within given
parameters
• What is this book about?

8. A collection of writings…
• Must begin with reading
– Elementary Reading
– Inspectional Reading
– Analytical Reading
• More complex and systematic
• Ask organized and many questions
• Preeminently for the sake of understanding
– Syntopical Reading
• Most complex and systematic
• Interacting with resources in relationship to
another topic/idea/concept
from How to Read a Book by Adler & Van Doren

9. Units of Thought
Words
Sentences
Paragraphs
Chapters
Book

10. Observation Tools
• Reading Strategies
– Thoughtfully
– Repeatedly
– Patiently
– Selectively
– Prayerfully
– Imaginatively
– Meditatively
– Purposefully
– Acquisitively
– Telescopically

11. Observation Tools
• Reading Strategies
• Questions to Ponder
– Who?
– What?
– Where?
– When?
– Why?
– Wherefore?

12. Observation Tools
• Reading Strategies
• Questions to Ponder
• Grammar Structure
– Verbs
– Subject and Object
– Modifiers
– Prepositional Phrases
– Connectives

13. Observation Tools
• Reading Strategies
• Questions to Ponder
• Grammar Structure
• Literary Structure
– Biographical
– Geographical
– Historical
– Chronological
– Ideological

14. Observation Tools
• The Laws of Structure
– Cause & Effect
– Climax
– Comparison
– Contrast
– Explanation or Reason
– Interchange
– Introduction & Summary
– Pivot or Hinge
– Proportion
– Purpose
– Question & Answer
– Repetition
– Specific to General; General to Specific

15. Observation Tools
• Reading Strategies
• Questions to Ponder
• Grammar Structure
• Literary Structure
• The Laws of Structure

16. Observation Tools
• Reading Strategies
• Questions to Ponder
• Grammar Structure
• Literary Structure
• The Laws of Structure
• Mile Markers
– Emphasized
– Repeated
– Related
– Alike
– Unlike
– True to Life

17. Observation Tools
• Reading Strategies
• Questions to Ponder
• Grammar Structure
• Literary Structure
• The Laws of Structure
• Mile Markers

18. Titus 3:-8
• Take some time this week to
practice observing
• Titus 3:3-8 and Titus 3:3-8 (remix)
have been provided to allow you
to take notes
• Consolidate questions
• Prioritize information
• Bring back 50 observations by
next week

20. Next Week
• Observation
• Interpretation
• Application
• Correlation