Knowable Word - Bible study help

Amos: God of Creation and Covenant

November 17, 2021 By Peter Krol

Andrew M. King has a helpful article on the book of Amos, where he walks through the key themes of the book of Amos. His summary:

Though only in seed form, the book of Amos signals God’s redemptive purpose seen in the whole of Scripture. From beginning to end, the triune God of creation and covenant is shown to be faithful in judgment and salvation for the fame of his name.

King does a great job tracing the pieces of these themes throughout Amos’s prophecy. Accordingly, he is focusing more on the contents than on the argument of the book (the opposite of what I attempt to do in my interpretive book overviews). However, his piece is a great example of why it is also important to also understand the contents of the books we study.

Check it out!

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Using Logos 9 to Teach the Bible

November 12, 2021 By Peter Krol

I use Logos Bible Software extensively every day. It is one of the programs I keep open constantly, so I can use it quickly and easily. I’m delighted that we’re able to give away a Logos 9 Silver base package for this year’s Bible reading challenge. One of my favorite things with the software is how it helps me teach the Bible.

By “help me teach the Bible,” I’m not referring to the study or preparation for teaching, though Logos also has much to offer in that realm. What I’m referring to here is the act of teaching. Logos offers a few features that provide the notes I take into any sermon, class, or Bible study.

Sermon Builder

The first tool is the Sermon Builder, which is essentially a word processor for Bible teachers. I write all of my sermons with it, and I prepare class notes or small group leader’s notes with it. The Logos Sermon Builder doesn’t quite have as much functionality as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, but it was fully designed with Bible teachers in mind. And for that reason, it is the best word processor I have ever used for sermons.

Here’s how Sermon Builder helps me to write my sermons or teaching notes:

I can tag any text as a “prompt,” which formats it in a way that stands out. My “prompts” are instructions to myself for when I speak. They could include time markers, reminders to speak more loudly or quietly, or notes for transitioning to the next presenter after me.
I can insert any Bible text right into my notes by simply typing the reference (such as “Matt 2:1-21) and hitting enter. Then the full text of the passage magically appears.
I can similarly insert quotations from other resources in my Logos library, and Logos will automatically footnote the source for me, should I need it later.
As I type my script, a counter at the top of the screen tells me how much time it will take to preach or teach this script. I do enough ad libbing that the number is never completely accurate, but I have learned how to adjust the automatic figure to give me a realistic sense of the timing. This helps me to make sure I’m pacing my material to fit within the time I have to teach it.
Any thing I format as a heading gets automatically sent to the sermon outline, which I can later export or grab as needed for printing on handouts.
All headings and Scripture texts get automatically sent to a slide presentation, which can be used to accompany the sermon or class.

Sermon Builder helps not only with the word processing, but also with the presentation itself:

The manuscript is automatically saved to my Faithlife account on the cloud, so it is backed up there and I can access it from any device. So I type the script on my laptop, but can preach it (or lead a small group) right from my iPad by simply opening it up there.
I can go into “presentation mode,” which cuts out any clutter in the layout and provides a timer right on the screen.

Sermon Manager

The other tool is the Sermon Manager, which provides a one-stop shop for organizing all of my teaching.

Some of my recent and near-future teaching.

I don’t yet use the Sermon Manager to its full extent, but I benefit most from the following:

I can take a look at which sermons I have preached based on the venue, calendar, or text.
I can track when I’ve taught the same passage in multiple venues.
I can access my entire library of teaching notes, in case I need to refer to something on short notice.
I can map out an upcoming series, and create templates to help me save time when I’m ready to draft my notes.

Conclusion

These tools provide another reason why I have come to depend so heavily on Logos Bible Software. And the truly wonderful thing is that these marvelous tools just keep getting better and better. New features are constantly being added to program updates. If you have been considering making use of Logos 9, perhaps this year’s Bible reading challenge could be your opportunity to acquire it.

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The Struggle of Reading the Bible

November 10, 2021 By Peter Krol

I appreciate this brief video with Dr. Nate Brooks, discussing three factors that might make it difficult for us to read the Bible.

Our sin
Our human weakness
Lack of skill

Each one of these factors has potential solutions!

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Advice About Hard Bible Passages from the Bible

November 8, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Anyone who has spent time in the pages of the Bible knows that there are tricky passages between the covers. This can be discouraging, especially for those who are new to Bible study. Some have walked away from the Bible for this very reason.

One of the marvelous things about the Bible is that in it, God speaks to many of the challenges we face—including difficult passages in the Bible itself. We will look at one such section of Scripture in this article.

Hard Passages Exist

It’s nice to have Scripture confirm our suspicions—there are passages in the Bible that are hard to understand! Take it from the pen of the apostle Peter.

And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:15–16)

It seems Peter had trouble understanding some of Paul’s writings. He wanted his friends to know that if they felt stumped by Paul, they were not alone.

Some portions of the Bible are gloriously clear (if not easy to obey), and other parts are not. This doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with the Bible or its readers, just that the communication of divine truth is sometimes a challenge. We should not be frustrated when we run across difficulties in our Bible study. Saints have had similar challenges stretching all the way back to the apostles.

Twisting Hard Passages

Peter writes plainly about what some people do with these difficult passages. The “ignorant and unstable twist [them] to their own destruction.”

Those who are unstable will twist these difficult passages, and their interpretations and conclusions will be damaging. Think about how serious that is: Twisted interpretations can destroy. Before taking up positions of defense and warning, we should pause and pray for those who use the Bible this way. They deserve our compassion, as they are headed down a chilling road to a horrible end.

Not everyone who comes to the Bible does so with pure motives. Peter warns us especially of those who are ignorant (those who lack familiarity or experience in the faith) or unstable (lacking a foundation, easily jostled or disturbed). Christians should be watchful regarding confusing or challenging passages that they are not led astray by efforts to turn people away from the truth.

Take Care

Peter warns his readers, as “beloved” brothers and sisters, to “take care.”

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. (2 Peter 3:17)

Peter’s caution is valuable information. When we know a road contains potholes, we can drive slowly and carefully or take an alternate route.

This error of twisting Scripture to evil ends can sweep people along like a racing river. These lawless people have a contagious instability—those who are settled and secure can find themselves unsteady and off balance. Peter’s alert here follows earlier warnings in the same chapter about “scoffers” who doubt the promises of God and “overlook” plain facts about creation and the flood (2 Peter 3:3–6).

It’s natural to ask how Christians should “take care” to avoid this disaster. Peter anticipates and answers that question.

Growth in Christ

Peter gives broad instruction to avoid being carried away in controversy, speculation, and error.

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)

To combat twisted Scriptures, grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Understand his promises and his work for you; bathe in the good news of the gospel of his kingdom. Pursue him as Lord and Savior and Christ, and know that you are not alone—he is “our” Lord.

Jesus deserves glory now and to the day of eternity. The final chapter of Peter’s letter overflows with references to the “day of the Lord” and the “heavenly bodies” being “burned up and dissolved” (2 Peter 3:10). The great upheaval that is coming is a problem for those who are unstable, but those who know the promise-maker are “waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).

Remember the Patience of the Lord

The context of this brief word about hard-to-understand passages is a larger section about the patience of the Lord. Peter tells his readers to “count the patience of our Lord as salvation” (2 Peter 3:15). God is not slow to keep his promises, but rather he is “patient toward you” (2 Peter 3:9).

Doesn’t this make all the difference? The God of the universe is patient. Not only patient in general, but patient toward you! We should labor mightily to understand his word, but when we come across something confusing, we need not rush or panic. He knows our frame (Psalm 103:14); he is patient toward his children.

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Announcing Our 2022 Bible Reading Challenge

November 5, 2021 By Peter Krol

For this year’s reading challenge, we’re giving away a Silver base package of Logos Bible Software! Logos 9 Silver comes with many Logos features, such as the text comparison tool, sermon manager, interactive infographics, and the Bible books explorer. In addition, it comes with a library of over 250 resources, including the complete Tyndale and Holman New Testament commentaries, Tyndale Old Testament commentaries, 11 Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias, and John Goldingay’s 3-volume Old Testament Theology. See my reviews of Logos 9 here and here. This feature set and library of resources (which you can browse here) would cost over $10,900 if purchased separately, and as a package Logos 9 Silver normally costs $999.99. But—thanks to the generosity of Faithlife for sponsoring this year’s grand prize—this silver package can be yours for free if you can prove you’d know what to do with it.

If you’ve been with us for the last few years, you’ve probably been expecting this post. Here I come, like the sun rising, going down, and once again hastening to its place to rise again. Like the wind blowing round and round, north, then south, and back again. Like streams running to the sea, and yet the sea is still not full. What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Viruses and societal turmoil are no match for our inevitability.

If you’re new to the blog, you’ll be delighted to know we do a reading challenge here annually. This is our sabbatical (7th) year for the challenge, so we searched high and low for the best prize we could think of to reward your toil at which you toil under the sun. We are deeply grateful to Faithlife for sponsoring this year’s grand prize.

Screen shot of Logos 9 Bible study and sermon builder

In our former days, most excellent Theophilus, we issued a 90-day Bible-reading challenge that had to begin on January 1 and end by March 31. But many folks have told us they would like to be able to get started over the holidays. While many are eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, or chasing a spirit of stupor, we hear that you—the readers of this blog, the champions of the covenant, the heroes who shine like stars in the midst of a present evil age—would prefer to redeem the time when you already find yourself away from your usual responsibilities.

And who are we to stand in your way? You think about all his commandments; you will not be ashamed. You are continually overcome with longing for his judgments. Though your life is down in the dust, you seek life according to God’s word. Therefore this year’s Bible reading challenge may commence immediately. In fact, perhaps it already commenced for you, and you’re only now realizing it.

Here are the rules:

You must read (not scan or skim) all 66 books of the Protestant Bible. You may choose the translation and reading plan (canonical, chronological, etc.). You don’t have to stop and meditate on every detail, but the Lord sees and knows when you are being honest about reading and not skimming. Listening to an unabridged audio Bible is acceptable. You may also use any combination of audio and visual reading, as long as you’ve read or listened to the entire Bible within the allotted time period.
You must read the entire Bible within a 90-day period.
The last day of that 90-day period must be between today and March 31, 2022. If you’d like to understand why we recommend such fast-paced reading, see our Bible reading plan for readers.
To enter the drawing, you must fill out the survey below, letting us know the dates you read and what you thought of the speed-reading process. Your thoughts do not have to be glowing, but they should be honest; you’ll still be entered into the drawing if you didn’t enjoy your speed-read.
Any submissions to the form below that don’t meet the requirements or appear to be fabricated will be deleted. For example: multiple entries with different data, date of completion not between November 5, 2021 and March 31, 2022, “What I thought about the experience” has nothing to do with Bible reading, or date of completion is later than the date of entry submission (please don’t try to enter the drawing if you plan to read the Bible; only enter once you have completed reading it).
In the first week of April 2022, we will randomly select one grand-prize winner from those who have submitted the form. To celebrate the reading challenge’s 7th anniversary, we’re also planning to have several second-prize winners. We’ll keep you posted on what those additional prize packages will include. We will email the winners for confirmation. The grand prize winner will need to set up a Logos account if they don’t already have one, and second-prize winners may need to submit shipping addresses. If a winner does not respond to our request for confirmation or a shipping address within 1 week, a new winner will be selected in their place.
Unfortunately, though they are terrific people doing marvelous work for the sake of Christ, staff members of DiscipleMakers are not eligible to win the drawing.

We will occasionally post links to the submission form on the blog between now and March 31. But you might also want to bookmark this page for easy access when you’re ready to submit your entry.

If you’d like a checklist to help you stay on pace, here are three. You may make a copy and update the dates, if you plan to start on a date other than January 1.

Or here is an iOS app that can help you track your plan. You may also want to consider making a reading plan in the Dwell listening app if you prefer audio.

You may now begin any time, and may this be the ride of your life.

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Context Matters: Dashing Little Ones Against the Rock

November 3, 2021 By Peter Krol

Psalm 137:9 offers an alarming benediction on those engaged in a shockingly outrageous behavior: “Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” What is a serious student of the Bible to make of this, in light of Jesus’ welcoming of little children and his admonition to love one’s enemies?

Joe Palekas has a marvelous piece asking this very question. And to answer it, he takes a thorough tour of the context of Psalm 139:9. He looks at the literary context and train of thought in the poem itself. He looks at historical context when it was written. He looks at the larger literary context of the arrangement of psalms. He looks at the covenantal context, particularly in light of Isaiah’s predictions of the Day of the Lord to be brought against Babylon in Isaiah 13. Palekas looks at the context of the fulfillment in Christ. And he examines how all these contexts then lead us to application in our day and point in history.

In the end, he reaches the following conclusion:

Now Psalm 137 begins to become clearer. The community of exiles weeping by the waters of Babylon are calling for the day of the LORD. God has promised his covenant people that he will return them from exile and visit a just reward upon their captors. He promised this before he even sent them to exile. Psalm 137 contrasts the “day of Jerusalem” with the day of the LORD promised in Isaiah 13 and alluded to in Psalm 137:9. The astonishing and overwhelming image of dashing infants on the rocks is not the product of some twisted or vengeful human imagination. It is a call for God to be faithful to his covenant promises.

This is some terrific Bible study and contextual thinking at its finest. If you’ve ever wondered about that line about bashing babies on rocks, I encourage you to check it out. And if you’d like to see a skillful example of how context matters, I also encourage you to check it out!

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Unfolding Grace For Kids: A Young Person’s First Readers Bible

October 29, 2021 By Peter Krol

The last 7 years have seen a praiseworthy trend in Bible publishing, and Crossway’s ESV has been at the cutting edge of it. That trend is the publication of editions of the Bible intentionally designed to encourage Bible reading. Reading not of the verse-of-the-day kind, but of the lose-track-of-the-time-on-a-lazy-afternoon kind.

That trend’s cutting edge, on which Crossway regularly seems to take up residence, has now cast its shadow into the realm of children’s Bibles. I like what I’ve seen so far, and I hope there’s no going back.

Unfolding Grace

In particular, Unfolding Grace For Kids introduces children aged 8-12 to the concept of a reader’s Bible through 40 guided readings. This is not a complete Bible, but more of a devotional work. And the sort of devotional work where more than 95% of the words were inspired by the Holy Spirit himself.

Each reading consists of a thematic graphic, a brief 2-3 paragraph introduction, and a sturdy portion of Scripture (around 20-40 verses long). The graphics are both attractive and thoughtful, but the truly beautiful thing is that the introductions are introductory. The purpose all throughout is to tell the entire story of Scripture, so each introduction tends to summarize where we are in the grand narrative and set the scene for the Scripture about to be read.

The Scripture passages are thereby given the greatest focus. They take up the most space. They are presented with a marvelous cleanness, without footnotes, section headings, or chapter and verse numbers, and with sizable margins. The font used for the Scripture is even more lovely and readable than the font used for the introductions, offering a visible reinforcement of what this Bible wants the reader to care about the most.

Physically, this volume is a delight to read. Unless I’m mistaken, the paper appears even thicker than that used in the six-volume reader’s ESV. The cover and binding show remarkable sturdiness. The dust jacket is not overstuffed with fluff text. And for some reason, I failed to notice the ribbon bookmark until I was partway in. Advertising blurbs for this book focus on the “journey through 40 guided readings,” making it sound primarily like a personal devotional. Upon accessing the ribbon bookmark, I finally realized that what I was actually in possession of (thanks to Crossway for the review copy) was really a junior-grade reader’s Bible.

Not Perfect

I will not hide the fact that I love Unfolding Grace For Kids, but it still leaves room for improvement. Though the introductions are brief, they still seem wordy and unclear at times. Sometimes the graphic is misleading (for example, a graphic of a rope hanging from a window when the following Joshua text says nothing about Rahab; or a graphic of Stephen being stoned associated with a selection from Acts 5 where Ananias is struck dead and the apostles are put in jail).

And the selection of particular Scripture readings is often puzzling. For example, when helping young people to discover “how Jesus is the promised Savior who came to restore his people and renew the world,” would you direct their attention to Abraham and Isaac calling their wives their sisters (Gen 12, 26)? Or would you highlight the kidnapping of dancing girls at Shiloh just to get the narrative declaration that Israel had no king (Judges 21)? Or would you include Ananias and Sapphira, Paul’s first full sermon in the book of Acts, and Jesus’ communiques through John to the churches of Ephesus and Smyrna—while excluding the near-sacrifice of Isaac, Joseph’s rescue of the world from famine, Gideon’s conquest of Midian, Daniel’s deliverance from lions, Elijah’s showdown on Mount Carmel, and the entire body of the Bible’s wisdom literature, including the Psalms?

Many of the Scripture selections make sense. But others are not quite what I would have chosen to give kids the clearest sense of the Bible’s larger view of Jesus’ salvation and restoration of the world.

Conclusion

With that said, I am simply delighted to hand this thing over to my children, now that I’m finished with my copy of it. This is the sort of book that will remind them that reading the Bible is supposed to be fun, without having to be juvenile. This is the sort of book that, by curating 40 of the most important and most connected passages of Scripture, sets them up to read God’s word as it was meant to be read and with great joy. I eagerly commend it to you and your kids.

Find it at Crossway and Amazon.

Amazon links are affiliate links. If you click them and buy stuff, this blog will receive a small commission at no extra cost to yourself, thereby making you a channel of God’s continually unfolding grace.

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Do Not Give Up Your Confidence in the Word

October 27, 2021 By Peter Krol

Andree Seu Peterson makes a fabulous point for World magazine: The “logic” and argumentation of the world has grown so demented that any disagreement with accepted conclusions is considered unreasonable and immoral. But all hope is not lost, for the Apostle Paul dealt with the same kind of worldly “wisdom” in his day. “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing” (1 Cor 1:18).

Peterson concludes:

I am going back to the simple Word. The Word that God says “is the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). If any apologist for the New Think sexual mores comes at me with his fancy Oxford or Yale logic supposedly proving that perversion is enlightenment and enlightenment is perversion, I will make responses such as these:
“From the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female’” (Mark 10:6).
“Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come!” (Luke 17:1).
Hold tight the confidence that the Word of God has power—intrinsically—to change hearts. It will not return to Him empty.

Her piece is well worth your time and consideration. Check it out!

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10 Truths About the Holy Spirit from Romans 8

October 25, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Mateus Campos Felipe (2019), public domain

Romans 8 is a favorite chapter of the Bible among Christians, and for good reason. It is encouraging, memorable, and oh-so-quotable.

But because it is so beloved, it is easy to lose the main ideas of the chapter among the glorious promises. To be specific, what would you say Romans 8 is all about?

The Frequency of the Spirit

When we start to observe the text of Romans 8, one phrase jumps out. The Holy Spirit is all over this chapter!

A quick count reveals that the word “spirit” appears 22 times in Romans 8. This is the most that word appears in any chapter of the English Bible! (I made these counts and comparisons using the ESV.) This was unexpected for me, because I don’t often see people reach for this chapter to teach about the Holy Spirit.

Is the Holy Spirit the main subject of Romans 8? In his post on Romans 8:28, Peter provided an outline of much of this chapter, so I won’t repeat it here. Even if the Spirit is not at the center of this chapter, he is indispensable to its main ideas.

What Can We Learn About the Spirit?

I thought it might be instructive to exercise our observation and interpretation muscles in a brief look at Romans 8. While focusing mostly on the occurrences of the word “Spirit” in this chapter, I’ll list some truths that are relatively straightforward from the text.

The Spirit is the “Spirit of life.” In contrast to the “law of sin and death,” which condemns, the Spirit’s law sets us “free in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2).
The Spirit is opposed to “the flesh.” Christians walk according to the Spirit, not the flesh. They live according to the Spirit and set their minds on the things of the Spirit instead of living according to or setting their minds on the things of the flesh. The flesh brings death, but the Spirit brings “life and peace” (Rom 8:4–6).
Those with the Spirit belong to God. Those with the Spirit are “in the Spirit.” Without the Spirit of Christ you do not belong to God. Having the “Spirit of Christ” and having Christ in you appear to be the same thing (Rom 8:9–10).
Those with the Spirit will rise from the dead. If you have the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, that same Spirit will give you the same result (Rom 8:11).
We need the Spirit to “put to death the deeds of the body.” The parallel structure of Romans 8:13 also implies that putting deeds to death by the Spirit is what it means to live according to the Spirit.
All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children (Rom 8:14). Part of what it means to have God’s Spirit (Rom 8:9) is to be led by God’s Spirit.
The Spirit we have received is the “Spirit of adoption.” This Spirit is contrasted with a spirit of slavery which leads to fear; the Spirit of adoption produces affectionate cries (“Abba!”) to our Father (Rom 8:15).
The Spirit testifies that we are God’s children. The Spirit “bears witness” along with our spirits that we are children of God. And as children, we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom 8:16–17).
We have the first fruits of the Spirit. Having the Spirit in this way causes us to groan inwardly along with the creation, as we await our adoption as children of God (Rom 8:23).
The Spirit intercedes for us. In our weakness, we don’t know how to pray as we should. But the Spirit helps us, praying with groans that are too deep for words. Because the Father knows the mind of the Spirit, he receives what is in our hearts (Rom 8:26–27).

Observation Leading to Understanding

Observation is necessary but not sufficient for understanding the Bible. It is a means, not an end. Observing the Bible is like gathering sticks for a fire: Without the wood, there’s nothing to burn; but the sticks themselves produce neither heat nor light.

But these observations and interpretations about the Holy Spirit help us toward the main point of Romans 8. We see how the Spirit marks and indwells God’s people, identifying them as his beloved children. This relationship with God produces suffering with our fellow heir (Jesus), but glory with him as well.

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Observation is a Means, Not an End

October 22, 2021 By Peter Krol

When it comes to OIA Bible study, observation is the method’s beginning, not the method’s end. I find people can often get distracted from this point in one of two ways.

Distraction #1: Ending with Observation

When you develop the skills of mature observation, you can start to feel like a superhero. You’ll start seeing things the people around you don’t take time to see. You learn to identify parts of speech, sentence structure, and train of thought. Skilled observation can be quite thrilling, and it tends to receive praise. This is a good thing, because careful observation of God’s word ought to be something people find praiseworthy.

But the danger is that the thrill and the praise become your food and drink. When you train your senses to observe the Scriptures closely, you will probably start finding things that nobody in your immediate circle has found before. And you can quickly form an addiction to the dopamine released in the process.

This may result in doing even more observation, getting better and better at it. People start looking to you for insight, and they ask you for the final word on any questions they have. Sometimes this delight in observation can provide an escape from the painful labor of interpretation, or the uncomfortable humility required for application. You can also avoid having to draw conclusions about anything the text might mean, or any ways it may be speaking into your culture or community, by keeping your sights trained simply on what it says.

Perhaps this distraction resonates with your own proclivity. Or maybe your struggle goes in a different direction.

Distraction #2: Failing to Make Use of Observation as a Means

Maybe you are more tempted to skip observation to get to the good stuff faster. Your understanding of “the good stuff” could be focused on either interpretation (we have to get our doctrine in order, after all) or application (what good are we if we are not practical, right?). Either way, you try not to get bogged down by grammatical minutiae or pesky questions about big picture and train of thought.

Maybe you come to the Bible under the expectation that it must move you to some specific and inspiring action steps right here and now. Or maybe you teach others, and you feel you have failed if they don’t deliver something mind-blowing and practical quickly enough. Maybe you’ve trained yourself to spend more time looking up cross-references than discovering the structure and climax or chief conclusion of the text at hand. Maybe you’ve presumed that good teachers should aspire to preach or teach 300 sermons/sessions on Romans, and so you’re constantly bouncing away from your abbreviated text in order to fill the air space with fully fleshed-out theological or ethical reflections.

Conclusion

The answer to the second distraction is to realize (and believe in your bones) that without observation, you cannot interpret or apply. At least, not in alignment with the will of God recorded in Scripture. Observation lays the foundation for all else. If your observation is poor, your interpretation won’t be any better, and your application will fall to the ground. Any power your conclusions or instructions might have comes more from your personal persuasiveness or charisma than from the Spirit of God.

The answer to the first distraction is to realize (and believe in your bones) that your purpose in Bible study is not to impress people or thrill yourself. Your purpose is to help people—beginning with yourself—know God through his Son Jesus Christ and be transformed into the image of Christ by the Spirit who inspired this text. Observation lays the foundation for all else. If observation is your end game, it’s like living your spiritual life on a cement slab in a half-acre plot, without erecting the rest of the house. You’re ready for a tempest to rise against you, but the wifi doesn’t really work.

With trained and habitual observation, we plug into the power of God found in Scripture. We’re thereby locked and loaded for productive interpretation and application to help lead people to their Creator and King.

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