Knowable Word

Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

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A Plan for Reclaiming Bible Literacy

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I am very grateful for Jen Wilkin’s recent article at Christianity Today about “The Great Omission” in our churches’ discipleship efforts.

…we have forgotten that discipleship requires learning. We have reduced its definition to attendance, service, giving, relationship-building, and mostly peer-led, feelings-level discussions. But at its most fundamental level, discipleship is a process of learning—of renewing our minds to no longer conform to the world.

We tend to view the Great Commission as a call to make converts, when in fact it is a call to make disciples—learners. It explicitly requires teaching those converts to be learners who obey all that has been commanded. According to Jesus, we are to replicate by passing along the good deposit that was passed along to us.

Conversion happens in an instant. Discipleship, on the other hand, is the work of a lifetime.

We have raised a generation of people who don’t know the Bible. And this biblical illiteracy has dramatic theological consequences, such as 28% of evangelicals believing that ““Jesus was a great teacher, but he was not God,” and 47% of them believing that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.”

Wilkin issues a much-needed challenge to our normal ways of conducting Christian growth, along with a wise 5-point plan well worth considering.

Check it out!

Detalles del Método OIA

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Publicación original de Peter Krol, traducida por Sarah Oiler.

Edward Louie (2011)

La frase “estudio bíblico” puede tener un significado diferente para gente diferente. Algunos usan el término para describir una discusión en grupo que quizás hable de la Biblia o algún otro libro inspirador. Estudios bíblicos incluyen cuadernos de trabajo que te ayudan a conectar con las ideas de los textos bíblicos. Otra gente considera que “estudio bíblico” se refiere a estudios académicos y teológicos sobre la Biblia. 

En Knowable Word, yo uso el término “estudio bíblico” para describir a la persona promedio con la Biblia abierta en la mano. Tienes la Palabra de Dios, un deseo de conocerle, y te sobra el tiempo. ¿Ahora qué? ¿Qué haces con este texto antiguo para ayudarte a conocer a Dios mejor? Esto es el estudio bíblico.

¿Querrías aprenderlo conmigo? ¿Querrías desatar el poder de Dios para la salvación en nuestra generación? ¿Querrías entrenar a otros así que pueden ser administradores efectivos de la Palabra? 

Mi misión es ayudarte a hacer exactamente eso.

El propósito de esta publicación es darte un esquema para el proceso. Cada enlace debajo te lleva a una publicación que explica un paso del método del estudio bíblico OIA (Observación, Interpretación, Aplicación). Para aprender más sobre dirigir grupos pequeños de OIA, ve la serie de cómo dirigir un estudio bíblico.

Introducción

Por qué estudiamos la Biblia
Todos tienen un método de estudiar la Biblia
Resumen del método del estudio bíblico OIA
Por qué OIA es el mejor método de estudio bíblico
6 razones por qué no estudiamos la Biblia

Observación

El peor enemigo de la observación es la familiaridad
5 cosas para observar (Evangelio blog)

  1. Las palabras
  2. La gramática
  3. La estructura
  4. El género
  5. Estado de ánimo

4 más consejos para la observación

Interpretación

¿Por qué deberíamos interpretar?
El peor enemigo de la interpretación es la observación
Otro enemigo de la interpretación es el relativismo
3 pasos para interpretar la Biblia (Evangelio blog)

  1. Hacer preguntas
  2. Contestar preguntas
  3. Determinar el propósito principal

La diferencia entre el propósito principal y un resumen
La importancia del contexto (Parte 1 y Parte 2)
Cómo ver a Jesús en cualquier pasaje bíblico
4 errores al usar comentarios

Aplicación

La transición desde la interpretación hasta la aplicación
El peor enemigo de la aplicación es conocimiento
10 razones por qué deberías aplicar la Biblia a tu vida
Aplicación: el arte de producir cambio (Evangelio blog)

  1. Dos direcciones para la aplicación
  2. Tres esferas de aplicación
    1. La cabeza
    2. Las manos
    3. El corazón

Cómo aplicar la Biblia: resumen
Recuerda Jesús en tu aplicación
Sé específico en tu aplicación
Mi ejemplo de la aplicación de Lucas 2

Conclusión

Correlación: entender toda la Biblia
3 consejos por la correlación saludable (Parte 1 y Parte 2)
Ya estás aprobado para estudiar la Biblia

Using AI for Bible Study Misses the Point of Bible Study

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James Harrison (2020), public domain

Large language models (LLMs) have been making big waves for years. Their use has been embraced with open arms and promoted to the tune of billions of dollars.

For Christians who are convinced that Bible intake is good and healthy, the promises of AI agents are loud and potentially persuasive. If LLMs can make work and correspondence easier, why not Bible study? It would be the work of seconds to query an AI chatbot and ask for help studying the Bible.

As the headline to this article (hopefully) makes clear, I urge you to reconsider. If you’re leaning on an LLM for Bible study, you might have forgotten why we study the Bible.

Personal Study

If Bible study were just about information, this website would not exist. Instead, we could recommend good Bible commentaries and call it a day.

Many picture the outcome of Bible study as a tidy summary of a chapter or passage of Scripture. They primarily think of understanding as the goal. And while understanding is essential to Bible study, stopping at this stage is like heading off to work in your underwear—a good start, yes, but far from complete.

The goal of Bible study is to glorify God by loving him and our neighbors. In other words, we study the Bible so that we might be transformed (Hebrews 4:12, Romans 12:1-2).

In OIA Bible study, the O (observation) and I (interpretation) steps are primarily intellectual. The A (application) step is often the hardest because it is personal. It requires repentance, faith, and change.

The Holy Spirit changes Christians. One of the major ways this happens is by studying and applying the Scriptures (Psalm 19:7-11).

LLMs may do a passable job summarizing a Bible passage. But they are unlikely to get at the main point, and they cannot, by definition, help us any further.

Let’s be clear. Artificial intelligence cannot transform you into the image of Christ.

Bible study should produce new and renewed people, not merely people who are smarter or more informed. This happens in application, but observation and interpretation are not incidental. The Scriptures will land on us with their proper weight and force when our hands are dirty. We are far better equipped to apply a passage after studying it ourselves instead of reading a summary. What is more nutritious to body and soul, a warmed-up Italian frozen dinner or a lasagna prepared with love in the kitchen?

The process of studying the Bible is the entire point of studying the Bible. When we advocate for ordinary Christians to study the Bible, we are not claiming the world needs more summaries or commentaries on Scripture. Instead, we insist that the world needs more people who have studied and been changed by the Bible.

Leading Bible Studies

My co-blogger Peter has written about his concern with the presence of AI in Logos Bible software. I am also troubled by this development.

Moving from personal Bible study to leading a Bible study is challenging, and writing good questions is especially hard. I understand the impulse to offload this task.

However, just like with personal study, the process is part of the point. The skills of asking questions and mapping the logical steps toward the main point of a passage are crucial for leaders. We miss out on this development when we look to an LLM for direction. (The same is true when we consult other pre-packaged Bible study curricula.)

There’s another danger when using AI for Bible study group preparation. Small groups need their leaders to blaze the trail of change and give a preview of the terrain. Transformed people point the way to transformation.

Not that everyone will have the same applications! But a leader who is being transformed shows group members that change is desirable, possible, and a natural outcome of Bible study. The specific applications a leader shares will prompt others to apply the text specifically.

Further, no Bible study aid knows your group members like you do. Ideally, our questions and comments will be specific to the people in our group. LLMs are just next-word prediction engines; they don’t know any humans, much less the ones you are called to love.

A Place for AI

I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet, but I suspect there may be responsible, wise uses of artificial intelligence that emerge over the next months and years. For now, I will approach AI with what I hope is healthy skepticism. I fear that as a people we are handing too many character-shaping, skill-building tasks over to LLMs in the name of efficiency.

Christians are not called primarily to be efficient. We are called to be holy and to point others toward the One who can make them holy. When this involves studying God’s word, we lean on artificial intelligence agents to the detriment of our souls and the souls of our neighbors and friends.

Logos Bible Software: The Subscription Model Seems to be Working

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About a year ago, I reviewed some major changes undergone by Logos Bible Software in switching to a subscription model. The biggest complaints against Logos over the years have been 1) affordability and 2) the huge learning curve required. It appears that the subscription model is truly working to address that first issue. And the second issue is largely addressed by the huge library of tutorials and training videos accessible not only on the web but also through the software.

As a reminder: You can select which tier of access you want to the software, including the size of resource library you want access to. And the truth is that only full-time Bible scholars really need the highest tier. A bottom- or middle-tier plan is more than sufficient for the average Bible student.

Why I still love Logos

For years, I have used Logos every day. So it was a no-brainer for me to agree to write an honest review for you in exchange for another year’s complimentary subscription. Now in no particular order, here are the reasons why I love Logos:

  • Access to the Scriptures on laptop, tablet, and phone.
  • I can pull up a quick search or library resource on the fly to help during a conversation or discipleship time with someone.
  • I click on a word to automatically all instances where that word is repeated in the text.
  • The Sermon Builder is a wonderful word processor designed from the ground up with preaching and preachers in mind.
  • I preach and teach from the Logos app on my iPad.
  • I read church history and theology in Logos like an ebook reading app.
  • I regularly watch videos from courses in Logos mobile ed.
  • I mark up my text in a certain way, which Logos saves. I can turn those highlights on when I want to revisit my work, and I can turn them off when I want a clean text.
  • I make use of a lectionary and a prayer book in Logos for personal devotions.
  • The Sermon Manager enables me to maintain a database of everything I’ve ever taught, when and where I’ve taught it, and how many times (and in what scenarios) I’ve taught the same text.
  • I can check many English translations of the text I’m studying in a few instants.
  • I can search my entire digital library and my entire print library for anything. Topic? Text? Quotation? You name it. Logos will find it, and even give me the exact page number for a print resource sitting on my shelf so I can get to the right spot instantly.

What I don’t love about Logos

I’m frankly concerned with the extent to which Logos has incorporated AI into the software, without granting users a setting to opt out of it. As with most other software available today, AI is being pushed on us whether we want it or not.

Some of the AI features are wonderful, such as Smart Search. To perform a robust search in Logos, I used to have to spend lots of time looking up the proper search syntax for what I was seeking. But AI now enables me to search for anything in plain language, and the search results come clearly footnoted with sources in my library, so I can click on any source to verify the AI is not hallucinating on me.

However, the AI incorporation into the Sermon Builder is nothing short of troubling. So far, I have been repulsed by handing my work in teaching and preaching over to AI, but it is only becoming easier for students and teachers of the Bible to do so, with few safeguards. It’s packaged in Logos as mere suggestions for outlines, discussion questions, or illustrations. But with a single click, you can then insert those “suggestions” right into your notes or manuscript, presenting them as your own work.

To get more specific: With a few keystrokes, you can submit a Scripture text, audience demographic, and general theme you want to cover. Logos AI will then spit out a full sermon outline, with summaries of sections, suggested applications, teaching objectives, and a main point. All you’ve got to do is take that with you into a small group or class, and you can lead a discussion or present a lecture that is just as soulless and Spirit-empty as the machine that disgorged it onto your screen.

This is not good for humanity, especially for the church of Jesus Christ, and we need heartier speed bumps for such dangerous tech.

Conclusion

I don’t refuse to ever use AI in my life. It just requires self-discipline and thick boundaries. So if you’ve got the self-discipline and boundaries for it—and you’d better, no matter what software you use these days to do anything—and you want to give Logos a try, feel free to shop plans here and test it free for 60 days. If you buy a subscription after clicking this link, our blog will receive a small commission, which enables us to cover the fees associated with maintaining the blog. Thank you!

How the OT Presumes Resurrection

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Bruce Henning asks a fascinating question: When defending the doctrine of resurrection against the Sadducees from the Old Testament, why does Jesus appeal to Exodus 3:6: “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”?

He casts doubt on common answers, such as the assertion that the Sadducees recognized only the books of Moses as authoritative. Then he offers an alternative from the Old Testament’s more basic logic of resurrection.

The covenant wasn’t about a bodiless existence in heaven but a physical one, living in the tangible land. And this land prophetically anticipates the entire world (Rom. 4:13). Since God promised the land personally to Abraham and he hasn’t received it, Jesus expects his audience to conclude he must be raised from the dead and receive his inheritance (see also Heb. 11:19).

If Henning is on to something, it’s worth considering how much of God’s old covenant promises similarly presume the fact of bodily resurrection.

Check it out!

How Exodus Confronts our Generation

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Crossway recently posted an excellent overview of the book of Exodus by Mark Dever, where Dever identifies three major themes that are directly counter-cultural in our generation:

  1. God works sovereignly
  2. God works sovereignly to save a special people
  3. God works sovereignly to save a special people for his own glory

How are such ideas counter-cultural? Here is one example:

In fact, Exodus directly challenges the idea that God does everything for humanity’s sake. Humans are not the ultimate purpose of creation. God’s own glory is!

Check it out!

How to Find Answers in Your Bible Without Leaving the Page

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This is a guest post by John Davison, the founder of Christian Wake-Up Call, a ministry dedicated to helping Christians develop biblical discernment. Having studied Scripture across multiple denominational contexts, he’s experienced how different interpretive approaches can lead to different conclusions about the same biblical texts. His systematic approach to Bible study emphasizes letting Scripture provide its own interpretive framework. You can read more about his commitment to biblical authority at Christian Wake-Up Call, where he explores why Scripture alone must serve as our ultimate authority for understanding God’s truth.

If you’d like to write a guest post for Knowable Word, please see the guidelines page.

I used to panic when I hit a confusing Bible verse. My instinct was to immediately grab a commentary or search online for explanations. But I discovered something liberating: most of the time, the Bible passage itself contains the clues I need to understand it.

back view of woman looking at the bulletin board
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

The Bible was Written to Be Understood

Here’s an encouraging truth: biblical authors wrote to communicate, not to confuse. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians or when Luke recorded Jesus’ parables, they intended their original readers to understand their message. This means the clarity we need is often right there in the text itself.

The key is learning to slow down and look more carefully at what’s already on the page.

Start with What You Can See

When you encounter a difficult passage, resist the urge to immediately jump elsewhere. Instead, ask yourself: “What can I observe right here in this text?”

Look for the author’s own explanations. Biblical writers often define their terms or clarify their meaning within the same passage. For example, when Paul uses the word “flesh” in Romans 8, he explains what he means by contrasting it with “spirit” in the surrounding verses.

Notice repeated words and phrases. If an author uses the same word multiple times in a passage, that repetition is usually significant. The repeated word often carries the main theme or emphasizes what the author wants you to catch.

Pay attention to connecting words. Words like “therefore,” “because,” “but,” and “however” show you how the author’s thoughts flow together. These little words often unlock the logic of the entire passage.

Let the Immediate Context Guide You

The verses right before and after your difficult passage are your best friends. They provide the natural flow of thought that helps explain confusing statements.

When Jesus says something that seems puzzling, look at what prompted him to speak and how his listeners responded. When Paul makes a theological statement that’s hard to grasp, check if he provides examples or applications in the surrounding verses.

I remember struggling with Ephesians 2:8-9 about salvation by grace through faith, wondering exactly what “this” referred to in “this is not of yourselves.” Instead of immediately consulting a commentary, I read the entire paragraph. The flow of Paul’s argument in verses 1-10 made his meaning much clearer.

Ask Questions the Text Can Answer

Train yourself to ask questions that the passage itself might answer:

  • Who is speaking, and who is the audience?
  • What situation prompted these words?
  • How does this statement connect to what came before?
  • Does the author provide any examples or illustrations?
  • What is the main point the author seems to be making?

Often, reading just a few more verses will answer these questions without requiring any outside resources.

Use Your Bible’s Built-In Helps

Most Bibles include helpful features that keep you focused on the text itself:

Chapter and paragraph divisions might show you natural thought units. When you’re confused about a verse, read the entire paragraph it belongs to.

The author’s own cross-references matter most. When Paul says “as I wrote before” or when Jesus refers back to Old Testament passages, those internal connections are significant.

Headings in study Bibles can help you see the broader flow of thought, though remember these are added by editors, not the original authors.

The Joy of Discovery

When you learn to find answers within the text itself, Bible study becomes much more satisfying. Instead of fostering dependence on experts, you develop confidence that God’s Word is accessible to you as an ordinary reader.

Start small. Pick a familiar passage that has always puzzled you slightly, and spend 10 minutes just observing what’s actually written on the page. You might be surprised by what you discover when you slow down and look carefully at what God has already provided in His Word.

The Bible was written for ordinary people like us. With careful observation and a little patience, we can often find the answers we’re looking for right there in the text itself.

Take the Obvious Step

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steps

Mahkeo (2017), public domain

If you need refreshment or encouragement, schedule some time with a new Christian. The recently-reborn often have a clarity and passion lacking in those who are older in the faith.

A friend was recently telling me about a new Christian he knows. I was thrilled to hear the steps this young man was taking! He heard biblical teaching on stewardship and finances, and he asked for helping making a budget. He was convicted about church membership, so he looked for a local body to join. He read the Great Commission and began inviting his unbelieving friends to an evangelistic Bible study.

For this young man, there is great power in recognizing and submitting to Jesus as Lord. When the master’s commands are clear, there is no room to argue.

How We Mangle Application

As we study the Bible, we often come up short when it comes to application. This is both understandable and regrettable.

Our flesh is fiercely resistant to the Spirit, so it is natural to omit application. It’s the hardest step in the Bible study process precisely because it is the most personal. Application requires repentance and faith and change, all of which are hard.

But stopping short of application is also a great tragedy. In fact, many unbelievers would be comfortable observing and interpreting the Bible. We show and pursue the fruit of the Holy Spirit when we apply God’s truth personally and corporately.

Even those familiar with solid Bible study principles may wriggle out of applying God’s word. Seasoned Christians, tired of “read more, pray more” mantras, may dig and brainstorm instead. They end up distracted by a countryside hunt when the treasure was sitting on their doorstep.

Different Kinds of Application

In an effort to seem original or deep, our chase for applications can dodge the undeniable thrust of a passage of Scripture. We approach the gold mine with a shovel and end up buried under a pile of nuance.

It’s worth re-orienting ourselves. Peter has urged us to consider two directions (inward and outward) as well as three spheres of application (head, hands, and heart). Though this makes six total combinations (our worksheet can help), not every passage will land on every person or group in all six ways.

However, dividing possible applications into these categories may lead you away from actually applying the main point of a passage. Resist this temptation! Sometimes the next steps are obvious, and instead of spending time checking boxes, we should direct our prayer and planning toward the clear application.

There may be something obvious we should believe (head application).

There may be something obvious we should embrace or love (heart application).

There may be something obvious we should do (hands application).

A Recent Example

My small group is studying Luke, and at a recent meeting we read Luke 14:1–24. In part of this passage (verses 7–11), Jesus tells a parable about a wedding feast. Jesus insists that his followers should not assume a place of honor but rather the “lowest place.” This way, if anyone is in the wrong chair, the public re-seating would be honoring instead of shameful. Jesus ends the parable with his main point: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

In our meeting, we talked about humbling ourselves. How can we remember our standing before God on a regular basis?

In the moment, I thought of an obvious application: confessing my sins. In remembering my sins and taking them to God, seeking and receiving his forgiveness because of Jesus’ work, I have a plain application of this passage. I have been trying to work this into my regular devotional life.

Find the Next Step

Not all passages have obvious applications, but some do. If you have been following Christ for many years, you may instinctively resist what seems easy and obvious. However, these applications are abundant in Scripture for a reason: We need to hear them. Often.

And, as always, remember Jesus as you apply his word. Walk toward that application in the Spirit’s power and with the understanding that—as a Christian—you are already loved and forgiven.

This was originally posted in 2019.

3 Essential Ingredients for Understanding the Bible

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bread dough

Nadya Spetnitskaya (2018), public domain

It’s not popular these days. So many people are counting carbs and dodging gluten. But it’s true: I love bread.

Bread is one of God’s great gifts—a gift so great that even someone with my paltry cooking skills can throw together a passable loaf.

While there are thousands of variations, the core bread recipe is remarkably simple: flour, water, yeast, and salt. That’s it.

Experts can punch up the flavor with add-ins and fancy baking techniques, but those four ingredients are essential. Without them, you might whip up something delicious, but you don’t have bread.

It’s the same way with understanding the Bible. There are a few essential elements that must be present if we’re to learn from God’s word.

The Bible

This may be obvious, but it must be said. In order to understand the Bible, we need to actually read the Bible!

We don’t need to be Hebrew or Greek scholars. God has been generous in providing plenty of quality English translations. And for most of us, these translations are easy to access.

But we do need the actual words of the Bible. Not study notes or a friendly devotional or a commentary. Not at first. We need time to read, hear, and meditate on the words of God.

The Bible is meant for Christians to read and understand. God is not trying to hide its meaning from you. You are smart enough to read and study the Bible.

Humility

If we aim to understand the Bible, we must approach it with humility.

What is true in our personal relationships is also true in our approach to the Scriptures—in order to learn, we must be convinced that we have things to learn! When we draw near to the Bible, we are submitting to an authority. We approach the bench in handcuffs, we do not bang the gavel. The posture of the Christian disciple must be one of open hands, bowed head, well-worn knees.

As we meet with God in his word, we acknowledge that we are naive and foolish. Ignorant and forgetful. Frail. Incomplete in our understanding.

But God is wise. He is experienced. All-knowing. Never forgetting. Strong. On top of all that, he loves to communicate about himself and his world through his word.

When we call the Bible “God’s word,” this is not just a synonym. This is a reassuring, bulls eye-accurate description. We must come humbly to the Bible because the God of the universe stands behind these words.

The Holy Spirit

Finally, we need help to understand the Bible. This is help that God loves to give, but we cannot understand the Bible on our own.

God helps us grasp the Bible by coming to us himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. We need the Spirit’s work and power to give us both insight and the gift of repentance.

The Holy Spirit is described as our helper and teacher (John 14:26). Paul writes that we have received the Spirit of God “that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12), and that, because of the Spirit, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. Pray and ask for his help as you read the Bible.

Closing

There is more to say about studying the Bible, of course. This website is devoted to saying more about studying the Bible! But this article is about the essentials.

Remember this the next time you seek out God in the Scriptures. Read the Bible. Approach with humility. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help. And God will give you hearty, nourishing, sustaining food that will bring deep satisfaction to your soul.

This was originally published in 2019.

How Old and New Testaments View the First and Second Comings of Christ

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Tommy Keene summarizes the differences between how Old and New Testament authors viewed the first and second comings of Christ.

The idea that the Messiah Jesus would come twice was a surprise to his disciples. The Old Testament is clear that a Messiah would come, and it is also clear what the Messiah would do when he did. God’s servant-king would have mercy on the repentant (Mic. 7:18-20), save the oppressed, poor, and persecuted (Ps. 146:7-8), heal the sick (Isa. 35:5-6), preach and teach the righteous way (Dtr. 18:15-19), make atonement for his people (Isa. 53:4-6), and bring justice to the world (Isa. 11:1-5)—in sum, he would establish a perfect version of God’s kingdom, which would bring blessing to God’s people and against all His enemies (Ps. 2). When the Old Testament discusses theses things, it often looks like it happens all at once, but in fact a complete fulfillment would require two visits.

Check it out!