To show kids how to study the Bible themselves.

OVERVIEW

• Background. Why was it written?
• Observations. What does it say?
• Interpretation or significance. What does it mean?
• Application. How does it apply?

Progress slowly during the first few sessions to verify that members are comfortable with the method. It may be wise to study the same passage two or three weeks, step by step. Don't let kids get "hung up" interpreting the method. Encourage a freedom to use it for maximum pleasure and profit. After people gain confidence with the method, it will become a natural way to approach Bible study.

WHY WAS IT WRITTEN?
Most Bible scholars agree that understanding the intention of the original writer is vital to interpreting the Bible. (The science or academic discipline of Biblical interpretation is called hermeneutics and the narrower task of interpreting a text, exegesis.) Is the book of Job teaching history, or is it struggling with a moral or theological issue? In 1 Cor. 7, is the Apostle Paul communicating marriage laws and determining the place of women in the church for all time or was he primarily dealing with specific issues in the church of Corinth?
It is very important to determine if you are reading poetry, parables, history, prophecy, or straightforward teaching-as in St. Paul's epistles. Ecclesiastes should be read differently than Romans. The story of the woman taken in adultery should be gleaned differently than the Ten Commandments. A parable of Jesus is not the same as an ancient proverb or the teaching of St. Peter to early Christians. Resolve, first of all, what kind of literature is being read, why the original writer(s) wrote it, to whom it was written, and why. It is also important to determine who the original readers were. The same message may be given in different ways to entirely different audiences.
The social and political situations enhance the contextual understanding the Biblical text. Social customs and beliefs enlighten as well-it is important to remember that the world view of the ancients was different from ours today. One who has no knowledge of Samaritans and Jews in the first century A.D. misses much in the story of Jesus and the woman at the well or the parable of the Good Samaritan.
One should not be daunted by all that gives a proper understanding of the Scriptures. It is a lifetime study, and God gives plenty of food and light from His Word to the beginner. Most of what has been discussed can be obtained from a good Bible handbook and study Bible. Background, then, deals with author's intent and the general situation in those times.

WHAT DOES IT SAY?
The Bible is literary art, and it is the Word of God. We, therefore, read it as story and with the eyes of a good reader or literary critic. Yet we approach it with a humble and open spirit, asking the guidance of God's spirit.
We learn the most from Biblical stories when we use all our senses, clear mind and open heart. Regularly ask what can be heard, seen, touched, felt, and even smelled, in a passage. Even more is understood when one asks the "who, what, where, when, how, why" questions:

• Who? What persons, human and Divine, are in this passage?
• What? What issues are addressed and what is happening?
• Where? Where does this take place?
• When? When was this happening and what are the time sequences?
• How? How do these people act and how were things done?
• Why? Why was this happening? What motives were present?

A group asking these questions will be surprised by its new discoveries. This inductive approach to the Bible brings many "stale" classes back to life. Often, people are lost interpreting the Bible without considering its background. They frequently miss what it says because they rush to determine what it means.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
There are basic principles of interpretation in studying Holy Scriptures:

• Consider its context (the immediate context before and following the passage, as well as within the whole Bible). Understand the relationship of this passage to what goes before and after, as well as the means of transition.
• Study word meanings and the grammar of the passage with a good concordance. Textual commentaries will help the English reader.
• Let the Bible interpret itself. Clear and specific teaching on an issue will clarify less specific passages. Understand the progress of revelation from Old Testament law, history, prophets, and wisdom literature to the Gospels and Epistles of the New Testament.
• Rely on the Holy Spirit and be guided by those you respect in the Body of Christ-and in the teachers of the past.

HOW DOES IT APPLY?
An astute Enemy of God's Word does not mind the elaborate interpretation of Scripture if it is never applied. Application is the most neglected step in Bible study. Many sessions never reach this stage.
Application is not accomplished when a passage's significance and relevance are determined. Only when it is acted upon is it effective in our lives and situations. Applications should be specific, realistic, and measurable. The Bible study concludes with the answer to the question, "What will I do about this by next week?"

Dean Borgman cCYS