Knowable Word - Bible study help

Por qué el método OIA es el mejor para estudiar la Biblia

March 3, 2026 By Peter Krol

This is a Spanish translation of a post from our archive. For the original post in English, please click the “Publicación original” link at the top of the post. For further explanation of why we’re posting articles in Spanish for a season, see this announcement.

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Publicación original de Peter Krol, traducida por Sarah Oiler

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Hace unos días, resumí el método de estudios bíblicos que seguimos: el método OIA. En resumidas cuentas, OIA significa Observación, Interpretación, y Aplicación.

Ya he hecho una declaración audaz: que todos tienen un método para estudiar la Biblia. Hoy, quiero hacer otra declaración audaz: que OIA es el mejor método que alguien puede usar para estudiar la Biblia. Déjame apoyar esta declaración con tres razones.

1. Lo funciona para cualquier persona en cualquier lugar de cualquier edad

El método OIA se puede enseñar a gente que tiene su doctorado y otros “profesionales” y ser muy complejo y profundo. Se puede enseñar a unos niños de 3 años que acaban de aprender a hablar. Cualquier persona puede usar y beneficiarse de este método muchísimo. Se puede entender las ideas claves de lo que Dios ha comunicado y transformarse más en Cristo como resultado.

2. Dios diseñó que toda la comunicación funciona de esta forma

El método OIA no es algo nuevo ni innovador. Simplemente es un intento de resumir los pasos a través de los cuales cualquier ser humano se comunica con otro ser humano (observar lo que se comunicó, interpretar el significado, y responder de manera apropiada). Dios diseñó que toda la comunicación funciona así, entonces por supuesto la Biblia funciona de la misma manera.

Déjame ilustrar. Si yo te encontrara en la calle, es posible que me observaras acercarme, sonreír, y ofrecerte mi mano. Tú interpretarías que no te quiero hacer daño y simplemente quiero saludarte. Tú aplicarías el gesto por ofrecerme la mano, tomarla en la mía, y decir “hola” o alguna expresión similar. Se ha ocurrido la comunicación.

Digamos que te hago una pregunta. Puede que observes que mi inflexión sube al final de la oración (el signo de interrogación), hay un silencio resultante, y levanto las cejas. Tú interpretarías que estas señales indican que quiero que contestes la pregunta. Tú aplicarías la interacción por contestar la pregunta, fruncir el ceño mientras piensas, levantar la mano para solicitar una repetición de la pregunta, o huir en terror.

Simplemente no podemos escapar del método OIA. Lo usamos todo el tiempo. Deberíamos utilizarlo cuando estudiamos la Palabra Conocible de Dios.

3. Es la manera de que Jesús interpretó la Biblia

Jesús es el Señor (Filipenses 2:11) y el autor de la Escritura (1 Pedro 1:11). Deberíamos aprender de él cómo leer la Escritura.

Mira Mateo 21:42-44 como ejemplo. Date cuenta de que Jesús observa el texto del Antiguo Testamento en versículo 42, lo interpreta en versículo 44, y lo aplica en versículo 43 (insinuando que sus oyentes deberían creer la verdad y hacer algunos cambios en sus vidas).

Jesús se refiere a la Escritura con mucha frecuencia. Esto nos da una ventana a su entendimiento de la Escritura, pero rara vez él es tan claro como en Mateo 21:42-44. Usualmente, Jesús supone o insinúa la Interpretación y dice la Observación y la Aplicación explícitamente (por ejemplo, ve Mateo 13:10-17 o Marcos 12:35-37). Un lugar en lo que él Observa e Interpreta pero no Aplica explícitamente es Lucas 4:17-21.

Al sugerir que el método OIA es lo mejor para usar, no digo que haya una manera fácil de tratar cada texto igual por embutirlo en el mismo molde. Simplemente estoy diciendo que tenemos una manera valiosa y clara a través de la cual podemos entender lo que Dios está comunicándose en su Palabra. Nuestro estudio de la Biblia no es arbitrario.

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Change, Part 3: Wisdom Comes Out the Fingertips

February 27, 2026 By Peter Krol

Wisdom comes in the ears, through the heart, and out the fingertips. This week, we explore the last step in the chain.

Put away from you crooked speech,
And put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward,
And your gaze be straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet;
Then all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
Turn your foot away from evil (Prov. 4:24-27).

The last step in the formula takes place when wisdom moves from the heart and out through our fingertips. These verses speak of “speech,” “talk” (Prov. 4:24), “eyes,” “forward,” “gaze” (Prov. 4:25), “ponder,” “path,” “feet,” “ways” (Prov. 4:26), “right,” “left,” and “foot” (Prov. 4:27). Solomon clearly has in mind everything we do, so I’ll use the image of “fingertips,”out of which seep our everyday choices.

Once wisdom changes who we are, it inevitably affects everything we do. As we listen to wisdom and seek it out, we must consider both how it can sink in more deeply (the heart) and how it can shape us more broadly (the fingertips). What would it look like for you to request help with your money, marriage, singleness, career path, parenting, cooking, hospitality, leadership potential, education, job performance, spiritual life, outreach, eating habits, hobbies, Bible study skills, love life, communication, decision-making process, and vision for life? In which other areas would you like to grow in wisdom? Where are you stuck in difficult situations or bad patterns? Remember: Wisdom has to come in the ears, through the heart, and out the fingertips.

It doesn’t matter what candidates for change you have in mind. It doesn’t matter if it’s a new skill to develop or an old habit to break. It doesn’t matter if there’s exquisite joy or agonizing pain. It doesn’t matter if your history is one of failure or of success.

What matters is that God wants you to change for the better, and he’s throwing the full weight of his resources behind the change movement. Jesus rose from the grave so he could make all things new. If you fear the Lord, you have much reason to hope for the best.

One of my children often used to say “I give up” when something was too hard. I say to you what I often said to that child: “That’s the one thing you must never do. Jesus didn’t give up on you. Let’s trust him, and see what he can do next.”

SNEAK PEEK:

We often struggle with the greatest shame and defeat in the realm of sexual sin. Many people feel stuck there, so in Proverbs 5, 6, and 7, Solomon provides a mini-series on wise sexuality. We’ll begin the series next week by applying some Bible dynamite to calcified cultural stereotypes about sexuality.

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

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What Does it Mean to “Keep” the Book of Revelation?

February 25, 2026 By Peter Krol

Revelation 1:3 declares:

Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

Justin Dillehay looks to the rest of the book to speak for itself about what it means to “keep” this magnificent book, and he lands on three key applications: hear it being read, keep God’s commandments, and keep your eyes fixed on who Jesus is. Here is a taste:

Can you imagine a group of Christians sitting and listening to the entire book of Revelation read aloud in one sitting? I can, because I’ve been a part of such a reading several times. And John is right; it’s a “blessed” experience! You should try it. Gather a group of friends and carve out about ninety minutes to just sit and read together. It won’t remove all the book’s difficulties. But prepare to be amazed at the connections and the patterns you’ll notice when you hear it all at once, the way the original hearers likely would have.

Don’t become a prophecy fanatic who obsesses over Revelation while neglecting the rest of the Bible. But please, for your own sake, don’t stop reading this book. It’s the only book in the New Testament that explicitly pronounces a blessing for the one who reads it. So, keep reading it.

Check it out!

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Un Resumen del Método OIA

February 24, 2026 By Peter Krol

Publicación original de Peter Krol, traducida por Sarah Oiler

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He discutido que todos tienen un método para estudiar la Biblia, sin importar si es consciente o no. Entonces, aquí está lo mío.

El acrónimo OIA resume el método:

Observación – ¿qué dice?
Interpretación – ¿qué significa?
Aplicación – ¿cómo necesito cambiar?

Puedes replantear estos tres pasos así: qué, por qué y ahora qué? O de nuevo así: qué dijo el autor original? ¿Qué significó para el público original? Y qué significa en nuestro contexto?

Knowable Word no inventó este método. Es un método viejísimo. Los Seminarios lo llaman “el método gramático-histórico de la interpretación bíblica,” pero ese título puede ser intenso y dar miedo a mucha gente. Otros tratamientos populares lo llaman “el método inductivo de estudio bíblico,” pero yo pienso que eso es un uso erróneo desafortunado del término maravilloso de “inductivo” del campo de la lógica. Entonces, yo prefiero llamarlo simplemente “OIA.”

Lo maravilloso del método OIA es que permite al texto hablar a nosotros, en vez de nosotros leyendo nuestros propios significados en el texto. Lo bonito del método OIA es que se puede enseñar en el seminario y ser súper profundo, o se puede enseñar a los niños más chiquitos y les permite conocer al Señor por su palabra también.

He explicado el método con más detalle en otras publicaciones, pero para este resumen, nota lo que pasa si perdemos cualquier parte del método.

Si desatendemos buena observación de lo que dice el texto, no tenemos un fundamento verdadero desde lo que podemos conocer a Cristo. Tenemos intenciones buenísimas, pero en todas las direcciones incorrectas. Somos la gente que no puede observar qué fin de semana fue el cambio del horario de verano, y llegamos a la iglesia una hora después de todos los demás. Un ejemplo de pobre observación de la Escritura se encuentra en Lucas 24:25-27.

Si desatendemos buena interpretación de lo que significa el texto, es posible que no sepamos si lo que creemos o hacemos es bíblico o no. Es posible que estemos honrando al Señor o no. No sabremos con certeza hasta que conozcamos a él cara a cara. Un ejemplo de pobre interpretación de la Escritura se encuentra en Marcos 12:24.

Si desatendemos buena aplicación de cómo debemos cambiar, somos como los constructores tontos que construyen sus casa sobre la arena. Somos digno de lástima. Hablamos con la boca pequeña con Cristo, pero nuestros corazones están lejos de él (Mateo 15:8-9). Dios quiere hacernos más como Jesús (Romanos 8:29), y no descansará hasta que su Palabra logre este deber (Isaías 55:10-11).

Para ver mucho más detalle del método OIA, lee mi serie de publicaciones se llama Cómo Estudiar la Biblia.

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5 False Authorities in Small Group Bible Study

February 23, 2026 By Ryan Higginbottom

Who’s in charge here? In government, family, and church, this question has sparked controversy aplenty throughout history.

In small group Bible studies, we have a similar question before us every time we gather. What’s our authority? What quotes do we share? To whom do we appeal? How do we handle disagreements?

For both leaders and small group members, our answers reveal our allegiances. And misplaced allegiances may short-circuit our learning or stunt our growth as Christians.

False Authorities

When small group members differ on a matter of interpretation, how is the question settled? To what authority do you and your friends appeal?

Our conviction here at Knowable Word is that God is the absolute and perfect authority, and he has revealed himself and declared his will through the Bible. The Bible speaks as an authority, and all humanity is called to submit their thoughts, plans, and interpretations of reality to God’s Word.

Despite the absolute authority of God’s word, we often rely on other helpful people and resources more than the Bible. Let’s examine five false authorities that emerge in small group studies.

A Respected Preacher or Pastor

There may be an author or preacher who has well-known thoughts on the topic your group is discussing. (This may be your own pastor!) A member of your small group may invoke this leader’s opinion on the matter when making their appeal.

Like much in life, quotations vary in their helpfulness. As a small group leader, I may share a quote when I find someone has a more powerful or elegant way of making my point. But if a quotation is not rooted in the biblical text, the appeal may be to eloquence or reputation instead of to the Bible.

The Small Group Leader

In an ideal small group Bible study, the leader does not function as an authority or expert. Rather, the small group leader guides the group in understanding and applying the Bible.

Attempting to answer every question is a dangerous approach to small group leadership. Small groups thrive when each member is grappling with the text, sharing observations, discussing interpretations, and praying together about applications.

Church Tradition

The historical tradition of a church or denomination can help us interpret Scripture. But tradition should never replace studying the Bible itself. The best sort of church tradition leads us back to the text, not away from it.

Group Consensus

Healthy small groups leave room for questions, further explanations, and repetition. No one should feel bad for having difficulty understanding the Bible, and no one should feel small for asking questions.

Many of the best discussions in my small groups have occurred when most of the group seemed ready to move on. But one person had a question they couldn’t shake. This forced us to examine a standard or easy interpretation of a passage.

Good leaders welcome questions that point back to the text, no matter when they arise.

Commentaries and Study Bibles

It’s happened more times than I can count. In response to a question in Sunday school or small group, someone notices an entry in their study Bible that addresses the issue head-on.

They read the entry and the discussion is over. After all, who would question a study Bible? Some people feel as though they’re questioning the Bible itself!

Small group leaders can make the same error when appealing to a commentary. It’s a discussion killer, and it often leads to no further insight or skill for those involved.

Again, I’m not against quoting other sources. But quotations which help with interpretations should make their arguments from the text of the Bible.

(As an aside, if you have a problem with study-Bible-answers in your small group, you might consider using ESV Scripture Journals for your next study and banning all other Bibles. Seriously.)

True Authority

God has given us other Christians—past and present—as a gift. As we learn about God from these other saints, we receive God’s gift with thanksgiving.

But we honor God most when we view these gifts in their proper place. Our leaders, resources, and traditions should all be used in service of the authority of God in his word. The more we demonstrate that the Bible has the answers we need, the more we remind each other that God’s word is knowable.

This was originally posted in 2019.

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Change, Part 2: Wisdom Comes Through the Heart

February 20, 2026 By Peter Krol

Wisdom comes in the ears, through the heart, and out the fingertips. This week, we explore the second step in the chain.

Let them not escape from your sight;
Keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
And healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
For from it flow the springs of life (Prov. 4:21-23).

We find the second part of the formula in verses 21-23. When we plug in to God’s wisdom, and it enters our lives through the ears, we need to connect it to the motherboard. If we bypass the processor and run everything right off RAM, it has no longevity. The moment we power the computer down, we lose our data. We must keep the words within our hearts (Prov. 4:21) and keep our hearts with all vigilance (Prov. 4:23).

For the non-technical folk out there, what I just wrote means that when we hear wisdom, it won’t produce change in us until it affects who we are. “The heart” is one of the chief biblical images for our inner selves: thoughts, beliefs, emotions, character, desires, dreams, fears, and conscience.[1] “Heart” in the Old Testament might be what you got if you combined all the following modern-day terms: mind, will, heart, and conscience.

The Bible says that the heart is the command center from which we manage our lives. When we keep the wise words of life in our hearts (Prov. 4:21), they get passed on to the rest of the flesh (Prov. 4:22) because from the heart flow the springs of life (Prov. 4:23).

Any attempt to change that does not pass through the heart is therefore shallow and temporary. I can learn skills by rote, but I haven’t really changed if they haven’t changed who I am.

For example, if I study for a test, pass it, and quickly forget the material, I haven’t really learned it (it hasn’t hit my heart). If a child wrongs another child, is forced by an adult to apologize and does so sarcastically, we wouldn’t label it remorse. When a man tells his wife he loves her, but covertly keeps a mistress, we have reason to question whether his love is true. If a needy person requests charity from a church, the leaders are right to help relieve the immediate burden while also exploring whether the person could make different choices to avoid having the same need again.

The main point is that wisdom gets us unstuck and changes us by changing who we are.

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

[1] The other common image is “kidneys” as in Job 16:13, Psalm 139:13, Rev 2:23, etc.

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Reading the Gospels as Wholes

February 18, 2026 By Peter Krol

Sadly, much reading and teaching of the gospels breaks the text down into tiny chunks, covering only a single scene or saying at a time. Jeannine Brown argues that this is not the best way to read them.

something important is lost when that’s as far as we look. Each Gospel writer has shaped their story of Jesus in ways that emphasize specific themes and messages about Jesus, and there is great value in studying a Gospel in its entirety to see and hear these messages clearly.

Check it out!

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Todos Tienen un Método de Estudiar la Biblia

February 17, 2026 By Peter Krol

Publicación original de Peter Krol, traducida por Sarah Oiler

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He estado escribiendo un blog por unos meses, hablando de principios diferentes de estudios bíblicos. “Está atento a esto, presta atención a eso, considera estas cosas, etc.” Hoy, quiero poner las cartas sobre la mesa por revelar una verdad sorprendente: Yo uso un método para estudiar la Biblia.

¿Un método? Sí, un método. ¿Cómo respondes a esa palabra?

¿Te pone nervioso o te alivia? ¿Te sientes como un pájaro restringido en una jaula o te da esperanza?

Sin importar tu reacción a la idea de un método, estoy escribiendo para proponer que todos tienen un método para estudiar la Biblia.

Unos métodos son informales y sin intención. Por ejemplo:

El Método de la Adivinación

Abre la Biblia
Señala el dedo en un lugar arbitrario
Lee lo que encuentres
Confía que es el deseo de Dios para ti hoy

El Método del Grupo de Apoyo

Lee un pasaje de la Biblia
Cierra la Biblia
Considera (o discute, si estás en una situación grupal) cómo te sientes sobre lo que acabas de leer

El Método Devoto

Pide a Dios traer a la mente un pasaje de la Biblia que aplica a tu problema o necesidad actual
Escucha los pensamientos que se ponen en la mente
Lee estos pasajes para animarte y ayudarte

Sin embargo, otros métodos son bastante intencionales y formales. Por ejemplo:

El Método Referencia Cruzada

Lee un pasaje de la Biblia
Subraya las palabras o frases claves del pasaje
Busca otro pasaje que te recuerde a este (las referencias cruzadas en la columna media de tu Biblia te ayudará muchísimo)
Busca otro pasaje que te recuerde al segundo pasaje
Busca otro pasaje que te recuerde al tercer pasaje
Repite hasta que te quedes sin tiempo

El Método de Estudio de Palabras

Decide qué tema quieres estudiar en la Biblia
Identifica uno o más palabras claves que representan tu tema
Busca pasajes bíblicos que usan esas palabras claves (usando una plataforma como Bible Gateway)
Lee cada versículo que surge
Recopila todos los componentes de tu tema
Vive a la luz de lo que aprendiste

El Método Experto

Lee un pasaje de la Biblia
Lee un comentario sobre ese pasaje bíblico
Cree y actúa por lo que escribió el comentarista

Mi argumento es esto: todos los que leen la Biblia tienen un método para estudiar la Biblia. ¿Cuál es tu método usual? ¿Estás consciente de la manera en que estudias la Biblia?

Mi argumento secundario es esto: no cada método es un buen método. En otras palabras, muchos métodos no resultan en interpretación correcta. Si la Biblia es la Palabra de Dios para nosotros, como creemos, no deberíamos asegurarnos que lo entendemos?

En publicaciones futuras, explicaré mi método en una manera más explícita.

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Change, Part 1: Wisdom Comes in the Ears

February 13, 2026 By Peter Krol

Wisdom comes in the ears, through the heart, and out the fingertips (Prov. 4:20-27). This week, we explore the first step in the chain.

My son, be attentive to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings (Prov. 4:20).

Verse 20 describes the first part of the formula. Wisdom enters through our ears. Solomon explained in 2:1-4 that our listening must involve both passively receiving and actively seeking. Here, he alludes to both components: “be attentive” involves reception, and “incline your ear” implies pursuit. We’ve been over this ground before, but we need to hear it many times for it to become second nature.

This first part of the formula involves reading the Bible, hearing it preached in church, and seeking godly fellowship, among other things. The key idea is that wisdom comes from outside of us. You can’t find wisdom by looking within.

This idea is the opposite of Disney’s “follow your heart” ideology.

It conflicts with Obi-Wan Kenobi’s advice to “search your feelings.” It is altogether different from a self-esteem approach to education. You will never get unstuck if you start with a foundation of “you do you.” Wisdom is with God, not inherently inside ourselves. Therefore, wisdom must come to us from outside of us. We must move toward the Lord so we can hear what he has to say.

This post was first published in 2013 and is part of a series walking through Proverbs 1-9.

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When Life is Hard

February 11, 2026 By Peter Krol

I appreciate Glenna Marshall’s advice: “When Life is Hard, Keep Reading Your Bible.” She urges us not to stew in our sadness, turning inward, analyzing the feelings, attempting to fix them. Instead, she calls us to look beyond ourselves, to God’s word.

Fascinatingly, God’s word might not even have the exact answer to “fix” life’s current hardness.

We often feel the need to dissect our sadness, to turn it inside out in an effort to understand it. We believe that if we can just understand it, we could fix it. But life isn’t always so easily fixed. Brokenness is rarely quickly mended. Suffering is often long and draining. It’s not wrong to seek to understand our sorrows, but sometimes what we need is to turn our gaze outward. We need to look to something solid and unchanging. Someone solid and unchanging

Marshall demonstrates the value of seeking the Lord through his word, which puts all the hard things into perspective, even if they’re not fixed.

She talks about finding companionship and guidance. One thing I would add is that the Scriptures also give us the vocabulary to lament the hard times. The Lord has entered into our suffering, and he gives us words to help us process it with him.

So along with Glenna, I urge you: Don’t approach the hard times as times to pull yourself away from God and his word. Run toward him to find resources to help you through.

Check it out!

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