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Why OIA is the Best Bible Study Method

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A few days ago, I outlined the OIA method of Bible study that we follow.  In short, it stands for Observation, Interpreation, and Application.

I’ve already made one audacious claim: that everyone has a Bible study method.  Today I’d like to make another: that OIA is the best method one can use to study the Bible.  Let me support this claim with three reasons.

1.  It works for any person anywhere of any age

It can be taught to PhDs and other “professionals” and get quite complex and profound.  It can be taught to 3 year olds just learning to talk.  Anyone in between can use this method to great profit, understanding the main ideas of what God has communicated and becoming more like Christ as a result.

2.  It’s the way God designed all communication to work

OIA is nothing new or innovative.  It is simply an attempt to outline the steps by which any human being communicates with another human being (observing what was communicated, interpreting the meaning, and responding appropriately).  God made communication to work this way, so of course the Bible works the same way.

Let me illustrate.  If I met you on the street, you might observe me walk up to you, smile, and stick out my hand.  You would interpret that I mean you no harm and simply want to greet you.  You would apply the gesture by reaching out your own hand, taking my hand with yours, and saying “hello” or some similar sentiment.  Communication has now taken place.

Let’s say I ask you a question.  You might observe the raised inflection at the end of my sentence (the question mark), a resultant silence, and raised eyebrows on my face.  You would interpret these signs to mean that I want you to answer the question.  You would apply the interaction by answering the question, frowning in thought, holding up a finger to request more time, or running away in terror.

We simply cannot escape OIA.  We do it all the time.  We should employ it when we study God’s Knowable Word.

3.  It’s how Jesus interpreted the Bible

Jesus is the Lord (Phil 2:11) and the author of Scripture (1 Peter 1:11).  We should learn from him how to read Scripture.

Look at Matthew 21:42-44 as an example.  Notice how Jesus observes the Old Testament text in verse 42, interprets it in verse 44, and applies it in verse 43 (implying that his listeners should believe the truth and make some changes in their lives).

Jesus often references Scripture, giving us a window into his understanding of it, but he rarely is as clear as in Matt 21:42-44.  Usually, he assumes or implies the Interpretation, and states the Observation and Application explicitly (for example, see Matt 13:10-17 or Mark 12:35-37).  One place where he Observes and Interprets but doesn’t explicitly Apply is Luke 4:17-21.

In suggesting that OIA is the best method to use, I’m not saying that there’s an easy one-size-fits-all way of plugging every text through an equation.  I’m merely saying that we have a valuable and clear way by which we can understand what God is communicating in his Word.  Our study of the Bible is not arbitrary.

Summary of the OIA Method

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"Open Bible" by Ryk Neethling (2011), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Ryk Neethling (2011), Creative Commons

I’ve argued that everyone has a Bible study method, whether conscious or unconscious.  So here’s mine.

The acronym OIA summarizes the method:

  1. Observation – what does it say?
  2. Interpretation – what does it mean?
  3. Application – how do I need to change?

You can restate these three steps as what? why? and so what?  Or again, as what did the original author say?  What did that mean to the original audience?  And what does it mean in our context?

Knowable Word did not invent this method.  It’s an old, old method.  Seminaries call it the “historical-grammatical method of Bible interpretation,” but that title can be big and scary to most people.  Some more popular treatments call it the “inductive Bible study method,” but I think that’s an unfortunate misuse of the wonderful term “inductive” from the realm of logic.  So I prefer to call it simply “OIA.”

The wonder of the OIA method is that it allows the text to speak to us, rather than reading our own meaning into the text.  The beauty of the OIA method is that it can be taught at seminary and get very, very deep, or it can be taught to the youngest children, enabling them as well to know the Lord in his Word.

I’ve explained the method in more detail in other posts, but for this summary, note what happens if we miss any part of it.

If we neglect good observation of what the text says, we have no true foundation upon which to know Christ.  We have great intentions, but in all the wrong directions.  We’re the people who failed to observe which weekend was the daylight savings time switch, and we show up to church an hour off from everyone else.  An example of poor observation of Scripture is found in Luke 24:25-27.

If we neglect good interpretation of what the text means, we might not know whether what we believe or do is biblical or not.  We might be honoring the Lord, or we might not be.  We won’t be certain until we meet him face to face.  A good example of poor interpretation of Scripture is found in Mark 12:24.

If we neglect good application of how we ought to change, we are like foolish builders founding a home upon sand.  We are to be pitied.  We give lip service to Christ, but our hearts are far from him (Matthew 15:8-9).  God wants to make us more like Jesus (Rom 8:29), and he won’t rest until his Word accomplishes that purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11).

For much more detail on the OIA method see my How to Study the Bible series of posts.

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Everyone Has a Bible Study Method

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I’ve been blogging for a few months now, talking a lot about different principles of Bible study.  Look out for this, pay attention to that, consider these things, etc.  Today I’d like to show my cards a bit by revealing a shocking truth: I follow a Bible study method.

A method?  Yes, a method.  How do you respond to that word?

Does it make you nervous or is it a relief?  Does it make you feel like a piece of cookie dough jammed onto the tray or does it give you hope?

Whatever your reaction toward the idea of a method, I’m writing to propose that, like it or not, everyone has a method for Bible study.

Some methods are unintentional and informal.  For example:

The Divination Method

  1. Open the Bible
  2. Drop your finger into a random place
  3. Read what you find
  4. Trust this is God’s will for you today

The Support Group Method

  1. Read a passage of the Bible
  2. Close the Bible
  3. Consider (or discuss, if in a group situation) how you feel about what you just read

The Prayerful Method

  1. Ask God to bring to mind a passage of the Bible that will address your current problem or need
  2. Listen to what thoughts are put in your mind
  3. Look at those passages for encouragement or help

Other methods, however, are quite intentional and formal.  For example:

The Cross-Reference Method

  1. Read a passage of the Bible
  2. Highlight the key words or phrases in that passage
  3. Look up another passage that this one reminds you of (the cross-references in the middle column of your Bible really help with this)
  4. Look up another passage that the second one reminds you of
  5. Look up another passage that the third one reminds you of
  6. Repeat until you run out of time

The Word Study Method

  1. Decide which topic you’d like to study in the Bible
  2. Identify one or more key words that represent your topic
  3. Search the whole Bible for passages that use those keywords (something like Bible Gateway)
  4. Read each verse that comes up
  5. Compile all the components of your topic
  6. Live in light of what you learned

The Expert Method

  1. Read a passage of the Bible
  2. Read a commentary on that passage of the Bible
  3. Believe and act upon what the commentator wrote

My point is this: everyone who reads the Bible has a method for studying the Bible.  What is your usual method?  Are you even conscious of how you study the Bible?

My secondary point is this: not every method is a good method.  In other words, many methods do not result in correct interpretation.  If, as we believe, the Bible is God’s Word to us, shouldn’t we make sure we understand it?

In future posts, I’ll lay out my method more explicitly.

Your Translation Matters

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Recently, I came across this funny skit from a church out in Oregon. While definitely a caricature, it does well to make a good point: Translation is both difficult and important.

When it comes to the Bible, most of us rely on one of the many English translations available.  While many Christians describe themselves as “bible believing,” in my experience few Christians have considered whether what they are reading is a true representation of what was originally said.

The following are two less comical examples of the theological implications that can result from translation errors:

  • Matthew 4:17 is a description of the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It can be thought of as a summary statement of what Jesus was about.  The Latin of the Vulgate is as follows:

Exinde coepit Iesus praedicare et dicere paenitentiam agite adpropinquavit enim regnum caelorum.  

A literal English translation of this would be “Then Jesus began to preach and say: ‘do penance (paenitentiam agite) for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near.’”

It would be reasonable for a skilled bible study leader to assume that Jesus preaches penance. Perhaps Christianity is about responding to God’s kingdom by making use of the penitential system of the church?  (Your church has one, right?)   The most accurate translation of the Greek text of Matthew’s gospel however would likely be “repent”, not “do penance.”

  • Luke 1:28 is the famous ‘annunciation’ passage, where Gabriel declares to Mary that she will have a child.  The Latin of the Vulgate is as follows:

et ingressus angelus ad eam dixit ave gratia plena Dominus tecum benedicta tu in mulieribus

In English, a fair translation would be: “And the angel went in and said to her, “Hail, one that is full of grace (ave gratia plena) the Lord is with you, blessed are you.”

Even the very best OIA leads one to understand that Mary was a vessel who was full of God’s grace. Perhaps grace is a substance, and one can get access to God’s grace through Mary? These ideas actually became popular in the Medieval church, until scholars established that a faithful translation of the Greek refers to Mary as “One who has found favor.”

Your bible translation matters very practically.

  1. I have found translations such as the ESV, NASB, NIV and even the NET Bible to be very useful for bible-study, because they are quite true to the original.
  2. Bibles such as The Living Bible and The Message are very useful for general reading and comprehension, but could lead to theological errors in deeper study.
  3. Logos has fantastic software available, but why not consider learning Greek and Hebrew? God in his wisdom chose those languages to write down his Word.

Why We Study the Bible

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Why should we study the Bible?  Couldn’t we just listen to God’s voice inside us?  Even if we ought to use the Bible, shouldn’t we just read it, expecting the meaning to become apparent?  Doesn’t all this “Bible study” stuff get in the way, slow us down, quench the Spirit?

Let me give some reasons why it’s important that we learn how to study the Bible:

1.  Knowing Jesus is eternal life

Jesus said it himself in John 17:3.  He wants what’s best for us, and what’s best for us is for us to know him.  He prayed accordingly the night before he was killed.

2.  The whole Bible is about Jesus

Jesus said it in Luke 24:44-47.  Phillip realized it early on (John 1:45).  Peter declared it much later (1 Peter 1:10-11).

3.  The Bible was written that we might know Jesus and have eternal life

Romans 15:4, John 20:30-31, 1 Peter 1:11-12, Rev 1:1.  It’s an old book, but it was written with you and me in mind!  It wasn’t written to us, but it was written for us.

4.  God thinks it’s noble when we examine the Bible to know Jesus better

Paul explained the main point of the Bible in Acts 17:3.  Some Thessalonians rejected this message (Acts 17:6-7), but the Bereans eagerly searched it out in the text of the Bible (Acts 17:10-11).

5.  It takes hard work to understand the Bible

Some parts are hard to understand, and those who are untaught or unstable will distort them (2 Peter 3:16).  We must be taught well and given a stable foundation if we are to understand the Bible and know Jesus.  Granted, many parts of the Bible are abundantly clear (John 14:6, Acts 4:11-12), yet they, too, are commonly twisted.

6.  We need God’s Spirit to understand the Bible

Our sin and rebellion against God infects everything about us, even our thinking.  No amount of hard work and no foolproof method will guarantee that we interpret the Bible rightly.  Countless universities have courses taught by learned professionals who miss the whole point (see #1-3 above).

But when we trust in the Jesus revealed in the Bible, we receive God’s Spirit, who helps us to know Jesus better (1 Cor 2:6-16).  Those who believe have access to the very mind of Christ because they have his Spirit.

On this blog, we want to help you know Jesus.  We do that by helping you learn to study the Bible.  Let’s keep working to master the methods, but above all, let’s keep our focus on Jesus as we do so.

Seven Things Not in the Bible, Revisited

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Yesterday, I listed seven things which are commonly believed to be in the Bible but really aren’t.  Now that you’ve had time to stew, I’ll show my work.  Here goes:

1.  Adam and Eve frequently walked and talked with God in the Garden of Eden

Despite what the old hymns say, it’s just not in the Scripture.  All that Genesis 3:8 says is that there was one particular day when Adam and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden.  It may have been a regular habit of his, but we just don’t know for sure.

2.  Jesus walked through walls after his resurrection

Observe John 20:19 carefully.  It never says that Jesus walked through walls.  Sure, the doors were locked.  Sure, Jesus came and stood among them.  But how did he get there?  Was his resurrection body somehow immaterial such that it could pass through solid structures?

Perhaps.  But maybe he came in through the window.  Maybe he picked the lock and walked through the doorway.  Maybe he knocked and knocked until someone opened the door for him.  Maybe he opened up a hole in the roof and had four friends lower him on a pallet.  All these things are possible; we just don’t know.

Since Luke 24:39-43 makes it abundantly clear that Jesus was not a ghost (a “spirit”), I’m personally disinclined to believe the Jesus-walked-through-walls idea.

3.  Christians are commanded to pray before every meal

Mark 6:41 and Luke 24:30 show Jesus “blessing” a meal.  1 Timothy 4:4 suggests that we receive everything with thanks.  But I’m not aware of any command in Scripture to offer up a prayer before eating a meal.  So, next time you’re visiting with unbelieving friends – especially in public or on their turf – don’t make a big deal out of praying!  The Gospel will be offensive enough; don’t put any other stumbling blocks in their way.

4.  Young Daniel was tossed into the lion’s den

He had to be around 90 years old when it happened.  He was carried to Babylon as a teenager in 605 BC (Daniel 1:1), and he was thrown to the lions during the first year of Darius in 539 BC (Daniel 5:31-6:1) – almost 70 years later.  We have one children’s Bible that gets this right; Daniel is an old, old man with the lions.  Most of them get it wrong.

5.  Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, inherited the rights of the firstborn and became chief heir of Jacob’s blessing

Some suggest that since Reuben (Genesis 49:3-4), Simeon, and Levi (Genesis 49:5-7) lost the rights of the firstborn, they must have gone to Judah, the fourth son.  This view is attractive, considering that Jesus descended from Judah.

But the Bible makes it clear that, although Judah, and thus Jesus, was promised the kingship (Genesis 49:10), Joseph inherited the blessing of the firstborn.  That’s why his two sons became their own tribes (double portion of the firstborn – Genesis 48:14-16).  If you have any doubt of this fact, see 1 Chronicles 5:1-2.

Why does it matter?  Because a major theme in Scripture is the preeminence of the younger brother over the rightful older brother.  Jesus is the younger brother who replaced all the older brothers who went before him and screwed things up (especially Adam).  So also, we who are young, weak, and foolish, were rescued by God to shame the strong and the wise (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

6.  Money is the root of all evil

It’s the love of money that is a root of all kinds of evils (1 Timothy 6:10).

7.  God saved Noah because Noah was the only righteous man on earth

This one drives me nuts when I read children’s Bibles to my kids.  Noah didn’t find favor with God because he was righteous (no-one is righteous, no, not one – Psalm 14:1-3).  He was righteous because he found favor with God (Genesis 6:8-9).  Just like us (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Seven Things You Always Thought Were in the Bible But Really Aren’t

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We can discern common Christian legends by observing the text carefully!  I don’t think you’ll find any of these things in the Bible, but please feel free to comment if I missed something.

  1. Adam and Eve frequently walked and talked with God in the Garden of Eden
  2. Jesus walked through walls after his resurrection
  3. Christians are commanded to pray before every meal
  4. Young Daniel was tossed into the lion’s den
  5. Judah, Jacob’s fourth son, inherited the rights of the firstborn and became chief heir of Jacob’s blessing
  6. Money is the root of all evil
  7. God saved Noah because Noah was the only righteous man on earth