Method | Knowable Word

OIA is Communication

July 26, 2013 By Peter Krol

Adam Foster (2012), Creative Commons

You communicate with people every day. But have you ever considered how your communication works?

One person initiates. This person has something to communicate, and he or she does something communicative. But communication has not yet taken place.

At least one other person must receive the communication. This receptor perceives, comprehends, and responds. Only at the end of this process would we say communication has taken place.

Let me illustrate.

A woman gives birth to a baby. She holds the child, cares for the child, and speaks to the child. But without understanding and response from the child, there is not yet communication. We might say the woman communicates to the baby. She babbles, coos, and sighs with delight. We would not necessarily say she has communicated with the baby.

Now it’s a different story if there’s a give and take. If the woman offers bottle or breast, and the newborn starts sucking – well, now we’ve got some communication.

Here lies part of the tragedy of debilitating illness or injury. When a loved one loses the ability to communicate (through either unconsciousness or incapacity of some sort), we lose a beautiful but crucial part of the relationship.

Here’s another illustration. You’re driving down the highway, and you see a car about to merge into your lane. Being a courteous, defensive driver, you lift your foot off the gas to give space for the merger. You even flash your headlights to communicate that you’ll let the other car in. But if the car sits there unresponsive, there must have been a breakdown in communication.

Perhaps the other driver didn’t perceive your signals. Maybe he didn’t understand them. Or maybe he chose to ignore them. Whatever the case, communication didn’t happen. You go on your way, affronted by the other driver’s failure to fully appreciate your generous nature.

This two-way nature of communication highlights our need to study the Bible. God has already taken the initiative to record his word. Now we must receive it.

We must perceive God’s communication. This means paying attention to what it says and being careful not to make assumptions or import personal bias. We call this perception observation.

We must understand God’s communication. This means identifying the key points without distorting them. We call this cognition interpretation.

We must respond to God’s communication. This means changing our lives and being conformed to Christ. We call this response application.

I commend the OIA method of Bible study because it simply makes sense. Do you see how you use OIA every day? It’s how people communicate. It helps us to understand what God has communicated.

When Bible Study Stops Short

July 19, 2013 By Peter Krol

This is a guest post by Brian Stenson, a graduate of Bloomsburg University and collegiate missionary with DiscipleMakers. You can find him on Facebook.

We know that in Bible study we must seek truth. But what happens if we stop there?

In Daniel 5, King Belshazzar shows the folly of finding truth without applying it to our lives. His story goes like this.
Belshazzar throws a great party. It’s just getting good, when a human hand appears out of nowhere and writes on the wall. King Belshazzar becomes greatly alarmed at this, just as any of us would. Since he cannot read what the hand is writing, he seeks out the best magicians, enchanters, and astrologers in his kingdom to interpret the words. None is able to, until Daniel shows up. The king hears of Daniel because of the sterling reputation he had with Belshazzar’s father. Daniel agrees to interpret the message; however, the news is not good for Belshazzar. Daniel tells him that God has numbered the days of his kingdom, that he has not measured up, and that his kingdom will be divided and given away.

David Fisher (2009), Creative Commons

At this point in the story, things aren’t so great for Belshazzar. But they can still get worse. Belshazzar immediately rewards Daniel for his efforts and makes him the third ruler in the kingdom. Then comes the punch line.

“That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed” (Dan 5:30, ESV).

What? That’s it? Why the abrupt ending? Where is the part where King Belshazzar begs God for mercy? Why doesn’t he repent for his evil ways? Ho

w could he not try to do something to stop this impending judgment?

Unfortunately, I often act just like King Belshazzar. He sought the truth. He worked hard to find the message’s meaning. But in the end, he did nothing about it. And the consequences were devastating.

I’m like Belshazzar when I study the Bible and come up with great applications, only to forget them a few hours later. I’m like Belshazzar when I read about seeking wisdom as silver and searching for it as hidden treasure (Proverbs 2:3-4) but sit back and enjoy my laziness instead. I’m like Belshazzar when I read God’s promises but fail to believe them, being satisfied instead to chase my own earthly security.

James warns of such behavior.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).

Being doers of the word goes beyond finding great applications in our Bible study. Being doers of the word means intentionally living out the truths that the Bible lays before us. We absolutely must seek the truth. But we must not stop there. After all, Jesus didn’t.

Jesus didn’t listen to the Father and then quickly forget what he said. Jesus didn’t decide to do things his own way. No, Jesus obeyed the Father, even to death on a cross, because he knew we would fall short in our obedience. Because of Jesus, there’s hope. So when our Bible study stops short, let’s get back up, trusting in the perfect work of Jesus Christ, and strive to be doers of the Word.

Write Chapter Summaries

June 14, 2013 By Peter Krol

Ed Mitchell (2007), Creative Commons

The Bible is a big book. It’s easy to get lost or tired or – honestly – bored.

Some people love digging deep. They’ll read a few verses, chew on them, pray over them, and feel closer to God as a result.

Not me.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all in favor of exploring the details. But I’m not naturally motivated that way.

I’m more of a reader. I like to read many different things. I get bored with too much of one thing.

Regardless of whether you are more of a chewer or a devourer, the Bible is still a big book. How do you keep tabs on the big picture even while processing the parts? How do you read each section in light of the whole?

I have an idea for you. This is not the only right way to do it, but it’s one tool I’ve found especially helpful.

Write Chapter Summaries

Get yourself a notebook.

On the first page, write “Genesis” at the top and the numbers 1 to 50 down the side (you’ll probably have to go on to the second page to get 50 lines).

Then, as you read Genesis, stop at the end of each chapter. Consider each chapter and write a one-line summary next to the number for that chapter.

For example:

creation of the world
creation of man & woman
fall into sin
Cain murders Abel and fathers a line of ungodly people; Seth replaces him
genealogy from Adam to Noah

And so on, down the page.

Then start a new page for Exodus. Continue through the books of the Bible until you have a summary of every chapter in the Bible.

Why are Chapter Summaries Helpful?

Although content summaries are not the same thing as the author’s main points, they still have a helpful place.

They help you to process what you’ve read.
They help you to retain what you’ve read.
They increase your familiarity with the Bible.
They record God’s marvelous works throughout history (Ps 96:3).
As you read back over the summaries, they give you a sense of how a book of the Bible unfolds.
As you read back over the summaries, they give you a sense of how the whole Bible fits together.
They document what you’re learning about the Lord.

An Example

Over the course of my life, I’ve done this exercise 3 times. Each time I gain more insight, which gives me greater delight in the Lord

I enjoy looking back over my notes to see how my understanding deepened.

For example, here are the summaries I wrote for 2 Peter in 1999:

1. God’s given everything we need –> qualities of fruitfulness; Peter direct eyewitness.

2. False teachers will rise up –> last state (betraying Christ) worse than first (not knowing Christ).

3. Remember words spoken –> day of judgment, elements burned up.

And here are the 2 Peter summaries I wrote in 2008:

1. God’s promises through the prophets will be fulfilled in Jesus & in our character.

2. False teachers deny Jesus; the Lord won’t let them get away.

3. Reminder of word of prophets & apostles; we can bank on promises to be fulfilled in the future!

These two sets are not drastically different. They simply show a maturation in my understanding. The second set is more clear and focused than the first set.

Sometimes I return to these notebooks when I study a book of the Bible. They give me a starting point from which to hone my insights and build my understanding.

Questions: How helpful have you found exercises like summarizing chapters to be? What other ideas have worked for you?

What Materials Do You Use?

May 31, 2013 By Peter Krol

I serve with an organization that focuses on discipleship. When people hear our vision for training college students to mature in faith and impart it to others who can teach others (2 Tim 2:1-2), one question inevitably hijacks the conversation.

So what materials do you use?

Mars Hill Church Olympia (2012), Creative Commons

I struggle to answer this question because it often comes with a wagon-load of assumptions.

To many people, “discipleship” means having a program of instruction.
A program of instruction requires manuals and/or participant workbooks.
Therefore, those who succeed at “discipleship” must have some excellent “materials” that others could benefit from.

I disappoint terribly when I respond, “Our main materials are the books of the Bible.”

I really don’t intend any disrespect by it, so I usually begin by listing a few books we’ve found to be helpful. But I always drive that train right back to the station of Scripture. Sometimes blank looks are my reward.

The Benefits of Good Materials

Study guides, Bible study workbooks, leaders manuals, and classroom curricula all have a role in Christian education. Their role is like the role of a tee in Little League baseball.

A tee is the first guidepost for a child learning to play the sport. It assures the child that he can hit the ball without fearing it will hit him. It defines where to stand, where to swing the bat, and when to run. It’s a good friend and capable mentor.

As the athlete develops, the tee endures as a tool. Even the pros use tees to help them perfect the mechanics of batting.

The tee is not part of the big game, however. The tee trains and refines, but it also launches players into the real thing.

In the same way, we need good materials to show us the way. Young Christians can practice the basic mechanics of Bible study with a good guide. Leaders can gain confidence when they have a structure already provided. Mature believers can fine-tune their understanding of Scripture and stay connected with their generation by checking the insights of others.

But the materials are not the meat.

The Dangers of Good Materials

We unintentionally communicate that the Bible is not enough to grow a Christian (or to introduce someone to Christ).
We rely on the “experts” and don’t learn to think for ourselves.
We go to study guides too quickly, and short-circuit our understanding of a passage.
We assume we can’t learn how to study the Bible ourselves.
At worst, we enable a culture of study guide addiction in the church and enforce a priestly layer of materials mediation between people and God.

A Vision for Good Materials

I know it might sound hypocritical, as I’m writing materials on the dangers of materials. There’s something in there that could sound self-contradictory.

But my goal is to provide materials that train people not to need more materials – at least as the substance of their walk with God. The best materials will remain supplemental.

Imagine if your small group wanted to do a study of marriage and their first idea was to study the Song of Solomon together.

Imagine if you asked people for advice about a parenting struggle and they pulled out their Bibles to answer the issue.

Imagine if your congregation’s debate over the church budget was driven by people quoting verses about godly money management.

Imagine if all the core members of your church invited their neighbors to discussion groups in their homes about one of the Gospels.

Discussing a book or following a program isn’t wrong. It’s quite useful if it hits the target.

But doing it all the time is like going to the shooting range with a Nerf gun.

Details of the OIA Method

April 12, 2013 By Peter Krol

Edward Louie (2011)

The phrase “Bible study” can mean different things to different people. Some use the term to describe a discussion group, which may discuss the Bible or some other uplifting book. Bible studies include workbooks that help connect you to the ideas of Bible texts. Other people consider Bible study to refer to academic and theological studies about the Bible.

At Knowable Word, I use the term Bible study to describe the average person with open Bible in hand. You’ve got God’s Word, a wish to know him, and some time on your hands. Now what? What do you do with this ancient text to help you know God better? That’s Bible study.

Would you like to learn it with me? Would you like to unleash the power of God for salvation on our generation? Would you like to train others to be effective handlers of the Word?

My mission is to help you do exactly that.

The purpose of this post is to give you a road map for the process. Each link below will take you to a post that explains that step of the OIA Bible study method (Observation, Interpretation, Application). To learn more about leading OIA small groups, see the series on how to lead a Bible study.

If you’d like to see all of this material collected in a single place to give out or help you to train others, you may want to consider buying the book Knowable Word: Helping Ordinary People Learn to Study the Bible.

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You are Now Approved to Study the Bible

April 6, 2013 By Peter Krol

Sometimes people don’t study the Bible because they feel unqualified. I’m here to tell you that you’re ready. You’ve graduated. You’re accepted for the position.

I just finished a 41-part series on how to study the Bible, but that’s not the source of your credentials. Your qualifications go much deeper. Consider Paul’s exhortation to Timothy.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15, ESV).

Observe Paul’s command: “present yourself to God as one approved.” The main verb is “present,” not “approve.” We make all kinds of mistakes when we get this wrong.

Mistake #1: Present yourself to God to get his approval.

Sometimes we think we need to be qualified before we can approach the Lord (even through Bible study). Paul says you’ve already been approved, so present yourself accordingly.

Mistake #2: Fail to present yourself, fearing God’s disapproval.

This mistake is the ugly stepchild of the first one. Sinners who think they need God’s approval eventually stop trying to get it. They keep failing, so they give up.

Mistake #3: Present yourself to men as one approved.

This is the classic mistake of religious people. We think that if others respect and appreciate us, we must have arrived. Either we seek people’s approval, or we act superior as those already approved. In either case, we focus on the wrong thing – ourselves.

Mistake #4: Present others to God as one approved.

We make this mistake when we find our worth in the success of those we lead. The Judaizers in Galatia were guilty of this error (Gal 6:13), as am I. Every week in my 5-and-6-year-old Sunday school class, we sing a song with the names of the books of the Bible. Subsequently, parents express amazement at how well their children know all the books. It must mean I’m a great teacher, which must mean I’m gaining God’s approval for my service…

The Challenge: Present yourself to God as one approved.

You don’t need to get approved. You are approved. Notice what Paul wrote to Timothy earlier in the chapter:

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 2:1).

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel (2 Tim 2:8).
[The elect] may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Tim 2:10).

Remind them of these things (2 Tim 2:14).

Paul repeatedly draws attention to the fact that we can’t earn God’s approval. Our reconciliation with God is initiated by grace, accomplished by Jesus’ death and resurrection, and accompanied by eternal glory. Timothy must constantly remind his people of these things.

He must constantly remind himself. We must remind ourselves. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved.” It’s hard work to remember these things.

So I remind you. Don’t study the Bible to get approved. Study it because you’re already approved.

Jesus died and rose for you to qualify you for a position close to God. Now, do your best to remember it. As you remember it, you’ll be ready handle the word of truth rightly because you’ll see this message of grace on every page.

Miss the message of grace, and you’ll no longer handle the word rightly. But if you trust in Christ you’re still approved, so you can keep trying each day to get it right.

See How to Study the Bible for help along the way.

3 Tips for Healthy Correlation, Part 2

March 29, 2013 By Peter Krol

Yesterday, I gave the first tip for healthy correlation. Here are the last two.

2. Don’t just harmonize; rather illuminate

In former generations, it was all the rage in Bible circles to harmonize parallel passages. A teacher would take a story like the feeding of the 5,000 in Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6, and he’d “re-write” the story using details from all four accounts. Then he’d preach or comment on the harmonized text, and not on any one of the original texts.

If you like old commentaries, you know what I mean. John Calvin didn’t write any commentaries on Matthew, Mark, or Luke. He just wrote one commentary on the “Harmony of the Gospels” and another one on John.

Unfortunately, this approach misses the fact that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all had different points to make, even when recounting the same event. This goes for Samuel, Kings and Chronicles as well. And Kings and Isaiah. And Leviticus and Deuteronomy, for that matter (with respect to laws, not events).

Here’s what’s good, though: sometimes other passages can help to illuminate the passage under study. For example, Genesis 15:7-21 doesn’t make a lot of sense to modern readers without help from Jeremiah 34:18-20. Ancient readers were familiar with the ritual; we are not.

3. Don’t connect words; connect ideas

Word studies are even more popular than donuts and coffee when it comes to Bible study. With the advent of internet search engines it’s easier than ever to look up every instance of a particular word or phrase and string them together.

The problem is that a word’s meaning isn’t in the word itself but in its use in the sentence. For example, what does the word “mean” mean? Does it have to do with defining something? Or is it a person with a bad temper? Or is it the average of a set of numbers? Or a lack of some sort? Or is it just hip slang for “great,” as in “she cooks a mean casserole.”

We can know the answer only when we see the word in context.

I just Googled the phrase “run for the border.” In the top 7 hits I got a seedy hotel, a marathon, a 3.5-mile race, a “Mexican” fast-food restaurant, a hedgehog in a sweater, a country music album, and a book about immigration control. Now if I did a “word study” that combined all these uses into one unified meaning, I could probably make some big bucks off it.

Word-connections can be very helpful when it comes to people or place names (for example, if you’re reading Philippians, you might search for “Philippi” to get more background on it from Acts). But for general vocabulary? Not so good.

Here’s a better way forward. Study each passage in context and grasp its main point. Then look for other passages that address a similar topic or idea. Then connect them to get a full picture of the idea.

As you correlate, correlate well. And build your understanding of God’s Knowable Word. As you do, you’ll grow closer to the Lord himself, day after day after day, world without end, amen.

3 Tips for Healthy Correlation, Part 1

March 28, 2013 By Peter Krol

Correlation is the process of connecting Bible passages into a systematic theology or worldview. Correlation could also be described as topical (some might say “deductive”) Bible study.

Correlation is not the same thing as cross-referencing. Cross-referencing is what we do when we surf the Bible as though it were YouTube. We read one passage, which makes us think of another one, which makes us think of another one, which makes us think of another one, which makes us think of another one, world without end, amen.

Unfortunately, cross-referencing rarely produces much insight into any of the texts. It certainly takes a lot of time, which produces some satisfaction. But it doesn’t help us to know God. It’s like speed-dating, giving the impression of activity without much intimacy.

How do we correlate effectively while avoiding the dangers of unhelpful cross-referencing?

1. Don’t correlate too soon; understand each passage first

When I study the Bible, and I feel stuck (the meaning isn’t coming to me as quickly or intuitively as I’d prefer), it’s easy to stare at that center column in my Bible and start flipping. But I’m in danger of making an unhelpful connection.

When I feel stuck, the answer is usually to go back and observe better. Or to think of a few more questions. By all means, I should have a guess at the main point before I attempt any connections to other passages.

For example, one of my study Bibles has a cross-reference on Luke 2:1 that takes me to Matthew 24:14. So there’s a connection between “the entire Roman world” in Luke 2:1, NIV and “this gospel will be preached in the whole world” in Matt 24:14, NIV. Perhaps that means that Matthew is talking only of Rome? Or is Luke showing us how Jesus paves the way for the kingdom to expand?

None of these questions are necessarily bad or incorrect, but they will take us away from what Matthew and Luke want to communicate. Let’s not get distracted.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the other two tips.

Correlation: Understanding the Whole Bible

March 22, 2013 By Peter Krol

The Bible consists of 66 different books, written by dozens of people across millennia.

The Bible is one book, written by one author (God the Holy Spirit), conceived in eternity and executed in history.

Both statements are true. In the Bible, unity and diversity co-exist, just like in the Trinity and in the Church. So we must be fair to both.

When we talk about OIA Bible study (Observation, Interpretation, Application), we focus primarily on the diversity of Scripture. Each author of each passage has a unique point to make. We read each text in its context to figure out its main point, connect it to Jesus, and draw applications for today. We’ll get something different out of each passage. Different cultures and different generations will draw different applications from the same main points. That’s okay; in fact it’s beautiful when we see God’s Knowable Word connecting with any person in any culture at any time.

It’s important, however, not to neglect the unity of the Scripture. God the Holy Spirit spoke through each of those different authors. He strategically unravelled the stories and the laws and the poems and the letters in just the right way to reveal the Lord Jesus to the world.

After studying a passage of Scripture, it’s important that we connect what we learned to the rest of Scripture. We call this process Correlation.

For example, Luke 2 teaches about God’s plan to rescue the lowly and rule them graciously through the birth of his Son. But it’s not the only passage that speaks of his rescue or rule. It’s not the only passage that speaks of Jesus’ humanity. In fact, if we treat Luke 2 as though it has the whole truth about Jesus’ embodiment, we’ll come away with a pretty thin perspective.

We’d miss the fact that God wants to be with us (Matt 1:21-23). We’d miss out on the beautiful imagery of God’s residence in the temple: God’s altar, light, water, bread, incense, and private chamber (Exodus 25-40). We’d miss the point that Jesus’ humble birth prepares him for his gruesome death (John 12:27). We’d think that imaging him simply means going to be where people are; we’d miss the corresponding need to call them away from what they’re doing (Mark 1:16-20).

Stephen understood Correlation when he spoke to the Jewish rulers in Acts 7. He didn’t focus on a single Bible passage, but he connected them all together to show how the religious have always rejected the godly.

The author of Hebrews understood Correlation when he wrote of the intricate connections between priest, temple, and sacrifice – and how the whole system finds its fulfillment in Jesus.

John understood Correlation when he wrote his climactic book of signs (we call it Revelation). He pulled together all the imagery of the Bible into one dense letter written to encourage persecuted believers in the Roman province of Asia. John was so skilled at smooth Correlation that many people miss it today. We tend to read Revelation with internet newspapers as our reference guides, and not in light of the other 65 books of the Bible, as John intended (Rev 1:1-3).

In short, Correlation is the process of constructing a systematic theology from the Scripture. We shouldn’t pit one passage against another. Rather, we work to understand how they fit together. As we do so, we get to know the Lord who made himself known in the Scripture.

My Application

March 15, 2013 By Peter Krol

"Making Pottery" by Lennart Tange (2012), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Lennart Tange (2012), Creative Commons

Bible study profits you nothing unless it changes your life by pointing you to Jesus and conforming you to his image. On this blog, we seek to help ordinary people learn to study the Bible. We want you to be like Jesus and to love him more.

To that end, here’s one final post on the topic of application. I’d like to share with you what I’ve learned through my study of Luke 2. I don’t do this to communicate that my applications are in any way perfect. I do this merely to give you an example of what it looks like to “fill in the boxes” of application. You may want to consult the worksheet as you read this post to help you see what it could look like to fill it in.

Peter Krol’s application of LUKE 2:1-21

Main Point: God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.

Inward Application: The general idea is that I’m struggling to spend time with my children these days. God has put a lot on my plate, and I’m tempted to let family time be the first thing to fall off my plate. But they are some of the “lowly ones” in my life whom I’m called to care for.

HEAD: I must reject the lie that I have better things to do than play catch, practice memory verses, or wipe little butts. Jesus stooped down to rescue me; he wants me to do the same for the lowly ones in my family.
HANDS: I will block out my daily schedule from 5-7pm for family time. I won’t expect to have any “personal time” until the children are in bed. In the next week, I will ask them to do stuff with me more times than they ask me to do stuff with them.
HEART: I will put off selfishness and put on humility. I will think of my children more than myself. When a child asks me to play a game, I will think about how the Lord Jesus responds to my requests (HINT: he doesn’t make excuses to avoid having to answer me). I will ask the Lord for help to be cheerful when my plan doesn’t work out. I’ll exercise self-control when I feel disappointed or tired.

Outward Application: There’s a guy I disciple who struggles with putting himself in other people’s shoes (in contrast to Jesus, who took on our nature so he could save us). He gets stuck in his own perspective, and he loses influence with people when they feel misunderstood or ignored. This passage can help me to help him.

HEAD: I can point out specific situations where I see people either gaining or losing trust with this person (usually I’m too lazy to take note of specific instances). I can help him to connect the dots between his actions and the consequences of those actions (increased or decreased trust). We can celebrate the victories, and look to Jesus in the failures.
HANDS: As we discuss specific situations, I can ask “what went well, and what could you have done differently?” We can practice listening and conversation skills to help them become more natural.
HEART: Next time we meet, I’ll ask him to label the issues with biblical terms (learning to be quick to listen and slow to speak, learning kindness and tenderheartedness, not thinking of himself too highly). As the issues come to light, we’ll consider how Jesus lowered himself for our sake, and I’ll ask what desires keep him from doing the same. In other words, why does he love his own perspective so much? What does it give him that makes it so hard to give it up?

What do you think? Was I specific enough? Did I remember Jesus?

« Previous Page

Write Chapter Summaries

Why are Chapter Summaries Helpful?

An Example

The Benefits of Good Materials

The Dangers of Good Materials

A Vision for Good Materials

Introduction

Observation

Interpretation

Application

Conclusion

Mistake #1: Present yourself to God to get his approval.

Mistake #2: Fail to present yourself, fearing God’s disapproval.

Mistake #3: Present yourself to men as one approved.

Mistake #4: Present others to God as one approved.

The Challenge: Present yourself to God as one approved.

2. Don’t just harmonize; rather illuminate

3. Don’t connect words; connect ideas

1. Don’t correlate too soon; understand each passage first

Peter Krol’s application of LUKE 2:1-21