Inductive Bible Study - 5th session
February 11, 1998
I want you to turn to 1John 4:7-21. Suppose I make this observation, let me read it okay. 1 John 4:7-21 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. [8] The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. [9] By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. [10] In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. [11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. [12] No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. [13] By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. [14] And we have beheld and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. [15] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. [16] And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. [17] By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. [18] There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. [19] We love, because He first loved us. [20] If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. [21] And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
Observation, possible learning - Love is the greatest incentive because it is from God.
Can you please critic that observation having read this again and again.
How many agree that’s a correct observation, how many disagree? Why? Okay Love is a command, it is not incentive, what else? Okay God is love.
So, when you say the greatest incentive, it could be correct but it’s not in the verses. Greatest means say there is a what? Comparison. So we need to be precise in observing because if the observation is not precise you could be teaching heresy.
In Luke 9:57-62,
And as they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go." [58] And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." [59] And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Permit me first to go and bury my father." [60] But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." [61] And another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." [62] But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Now here is essence and the learning. We should not concern our selves with the mondain basic things in life in this world because our home is in heaven. Can you please critic that, anyone.
How many say I agree, how many do not agree? Very good, why not?
In other words as a person reads the passage can you have the wrong conclusion? Because when you say to somebody don’t concern your selves with the mondain basic things in life that might be a very dangerous thing to say. Now ang question ko, did the passage say that? Very good, it did not. Therefore, we will repeat once again because it’s very simple and yet very profound, we will make this mistake.
Example, another one. Let me read. The only reality is proclaiming God’s kingdom after all those who are not in Christ are considered as physically dead.
Is this correct? What is this called. Very good, it is not observation.
I’ll take another one Luke 9,
Key word: Following God. Essence: What’s the cause of following God?
Is that an observation? That’s a what question, is that an observation? Not yet it’s only a question. The answer to that question is the observation.
What’s the difference between inductive and deductive?
Inductive - this means you have to see the facts, that’s why observation is very, very critical. Kasi kung mali yung fact mo, mali din yung conclusion therefore your interpretation has to be very, very precise.
Deductive - this means you already have thought in your head, a conclusion and you want to prove it or support it.
Turn to 2Tim3:14 and then we will observe.
2 Tim. 3:14-15
You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; [15] and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
What’s the first observation you can make?
First W, what’s the key word? v. 14&15 - Learned, twice in one verse.
What’s the key essence? Who is the You? Timothy
So it’s about learning. If it’s about learning what are the things that you can list observation about learning? It’s starts from childhood, now tell me it it’s starts from childhood what is the bible encouraging us to do? It is encouraging at an early age that one learn from God’s word.
Are there difficult parts in the bible? Yeah, so it’s a combination book, a child can read it, an adult with the PhD can read it. Do you think God meant it to be understood by us? Yes. How did you know that? Because in v. 16, What does it say? All scripture is inspired by God for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness so that maybe adequate, equipped. Therefor if you have difficulty understanding it can God achieve his objective? God meant us to understand this book otherwise it would have no profitability, there must be a purpose, there must be a meaning. God is not playing a hide and seek game, God is speaking to us, all we must do is get the confusion out.
Interpretation. My first question in interpretation is what is the question in interpretation? What is the meaning. Interpretation means what is the meaning. If I read what is the author’s meaning, what should be my first question? The first thing you should always ask. If you see that what is the meaning of meaning? Interpretation - what does it mean, therefore the most basic question you can ask is what is the meaning of meaning, what is trying to say.
Let me give you the fundamental premise in interpretation in inductive bible study.
Fundamental Premise
In other words the meaning come from what it says, if it did not say it then it’s difficult for you to conjure up a meaning. Interpretation is a recreation process. You are trying to recreate what the author meant. You’re trying to recreate what Paul mean when he wrote this to Timothy.
What does it mean to be subjective? It is your own interpretation
What is objective? Who’s interpretation is it? it’s still yours except it is now objective. You are trying to see on an objective view what is God saying.
Example: What’s the difference between observation and interpretation? How do they relate to one another? Maybe this would help. It’s like a building. What part of the building is observation? The foundation is the observation, based on the observation you will now erect the building. The building is the interpretation.
If I have a one floor foundation and I build 20 flrs on it what do I get? I have disaster because the building will collapse. That’s is why it is very important to have the observation very accurate and correct, kasi pag nag-iinterpret ka na at mali yung base mo, your interpretation will obviously be wrong.
Your observation is so critical so that your interpretation is correct. The foundation must be there before you begin to interpret.
Proper application can only come after proper interpretation. If your interpretation is wrong therefore your application obviously will be wrong.
Turn to Psalm 119:34
Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy law,
And keep it with all my heart.
You cannot apply unless you understand properly.
Key Barriers to interpretation