Application | Knowable Word

How’d You Do That? (7/31/12)

August 3, 2012 By Peter Krol

On Monday and Tuesday, we examined Solomon’s third purpose for writing the book of Proverbs and sought to apply it. How did I get to those specific applications?

Whenever we study a passage of the Bible, I find it helpful to think in the three categories of Head, Hands, and Heart. Each of these categories represents a way in which I can respond to a text.

Head applications identify ways I need to believe what is true. They help me to identify false beliefs so I can repent of them and choose to adopt God’s perspective. Examples are “God is more powerful than my enemies,” “Jesus is God and became a man to die for my sins,” or “God wants his people to be part of a church.”

Hands applications identify ways I can act upon what is true. They help me to identify ungodly behaviors so I can repent of them and live in obedience to God’s will. Examples are “I shouldn’t gossip about or attack my enemies,” “I can take steps to get to know my neighbors better and reach out to them,” or “I should join a good church and get involved in the community there.”

Heart application identify ways I must become more like Jesus. They help me to identify wicked or foolish desires so I can repent of them and develop more Christ-like character. Examples are “I must love my enemies as Christ did for me,” “I can trust other people because Jesus knows what it’s like to be misunderstood,” or “I must stop trusting in myself and instead find ways to serve others.”

The first three purposes of Proverbs correspond to these three areas. Solomon wants us to know wisdom (head), do it (hands), and always improve at both knowing and doing (heart).

When you read and study the Bible, are you growing in all three areas?

Don’t fall into the trap of overly theological (head), ethical (hands), or pietistic (heart) reading of Scripture. Keep a good balance of all three, and see how much God will do in your life through his Knowable Word!

And don’t feel like you have rely on yourself alone to grow as a Christian. Join a Bible study, or get more involved at your church! Others can help you in all three areas in ways you never expected.

How’d You Do That? (5/16/12)

May 19, 2012 By Peter Krol

In Wednesday’s post, I continued listing some counterfeits to wisdom present in our day. All I tried to do here was apply the introductory material by dealing with some issues that may hopefully hit closer to home for some of us.

How many times have you heard (or said) the following?

“You’ll understand when you’re older.”
“Once you get a few gray hairs (or some more experience under your belt), then you’ll earn more respect or influence.”
“Why should I do what you’re saying?” “Because I’m your father!”

One way to apply Bible passages is to consider what we ought to believe. I’ve heard this called the “Head” realm of application (as distinct from the “Hands” or “Heart” realms, which refer more to skills or character). In this case, we ought to believe the right thing (and not the wrong thing) about how to become wise. Let’s not fall for the subtle but unbiblical assumptions that exist all around us.

One more thought: in this post, I considered some common misconceptions about how one becomes wise. I tried to reflect what was good before identifying what I thought was bad.

Even if we disagree with someone or some idea, we should always first aim to find what is good, true, and beautiful about it. After we build agreement there, we can move toward addressing areas of disagreement. I think Paul had this approach in mind when he wrote Philippians 4:8, which is in the context of helping two women deal with a conflict in Philippians 4:2. I encourage you to study Philippians 4:2-9 and follow the steps listed there the next time you are in a conflict with another person and want either the peace of God or the God of peace to be with you.

How’d You Do That? (5/3/12)

May 7, 2012 By Peter Krol

Everybody loves show and tell. It’s that time in elementary school when you get to show all your friends something that really excites you, and then explain why it’s so exciting.

That’s why some of our blog posts will be given to showing you how to study the Bible, and others will focus on telling you how to do it. Our hope is that by frequent showing and telling, you will be encouraged to practice these skills in your own study of God’s Knowable Word.

On Thursday, I began a series of posts on the Wisdom of Proverbs. Even though Thursday’s post was a broad introduction, it still involved some weighty Bible study techniques. So I want to briefly comment on the key principles of Bible study demonstrated there.

1. Know what the Bible says about the Bible.

We should read the Bible the way God wants us to read it. Therefore, as we approach any passage of Scripture, we ought to know what the Bible says about the Bible. On Thursday, I referred to 2 Timothy 3:16, which tells us that every passage of Scripture is useful. Thus any Bible study we do ought to provide some sort of practical instruction, correction, or training in righteousness. A Bible study that fails to provide practical help is incomplete.

Also, Jesus himself clearly stated in Luke 24:44-47 that the entire Bible was about Him. He specifically referenced four components: his death, his resurrection, the forgiveness of sins, and the proclamation of these things to all nations. So every Bible study ought to lead us to Jesus by illuminating one or more of these four areas. If we haven’t seen Jesus, we haven’t rightly understood the text.

These two things are not all that the Bible says about the Bible; they’re just the two points I focused on in Thursday’s post. Please feel free to leave a comment below about other sections of God’s Word that can help us in our study of any passage.

We’ll pick up two more principles tomorrow.

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