Bible Study | Knowable Word

Application: the Art of Producing Change

January 11, 2013 By Peter Krol

We call our Bible study method OIA to help us remember the steps: Observation, Interpretation, Application. It’s not quite perfection, but we think it’s much more than just a good idea.

In approaching any passage of Scripture, we must first observe what the text says. If we’ve had a keen eye, we can move on to interpret what the author meant. We’ve allowed the passage to lead us to Jesus so we could see his beauty and glory and mercy. We’ve discovered the main point that the author wanted to communicate.

"What's Down Your Hall?" by Ian Burt (2006), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Ian Burt (2006), Creative Commons

Now we’ve come to the threshold of Application. We’re ready to take what we’ve learned and put it into practice.

The biggest problem is…we don’t know how.

We see people do it all the time. Maybe you’ve got a friend who always seems excited by the Bible. She’s often quoting verses and sharing what God is teaching her. She makes connections you wouldn’t have dreamed of making. She’s delightful to learn from. But you’ll never be able to duplicate her success…

Maybe you have a favorite preacher whose sermons you download onto your iPod. You can’t get enough of this great Bible teacher, because he’s just so good at making the text sing. When you hear him preach, your awareness sharpens and your conscience springs to life. You’re motivated to make changes, and you’re captivated by a vision for God’s glory. But you just can’t stimulate those same feelings in your personal Bible study…

I’m writing this post to encourage you.

Although rich application is a serious art, and some people are just natural at it, it is also a muscle that anyone can exercise and shape. If you are a Christian, you have the Spirit of God (Rom 8:15), who is able to help you understand God’s words (1 Cor 2:12-13). The Spirit glorifies Jesus (John 16:14) and brings conviction of sin (John 16:8-11). The Spirit empowers you to obey Jesus and make significant changes to your life (Eph 3:14-21).

You are able to learn how to apply the Bible in exciting ways. Over the next few weeks, we’ll unpack some specific steps, but here’s a quick overview.

We can apply a Bible passage in two directions: inward and outward. In other words, we can change our own lives to be more like Christ (inward), and we can become influencers who help others learn how to change to be more like Christ (outward). We are both slaves and ambassadors to King Jesus.

We can apply a Bible passage to three components: head, hands, and heart. In other words, a passage can address any or all three areas of conviction/doctrine, competence/skills, and character.

While a passage likely has only one main point (although there’s almost never one “right way” to phrase it), it can have almost an infinite number of applications. Since the Bible applies to any person living in any place at any time, it must be pretty versatile when it comes to specific application.

What do you find most difficult about applying the Bible to your life?

The Greatest Enemy of Application is Insight

January 4, 2013 By Peter Krol

Application happens when we understand the meaning of a Bible passage (i.e. we see Jesus and our need for him) and conform our lives to it. This conformity to Christ is the great purpose of God from the foundation of the world (Rom 8:29).

But the chief obstacle to vigorous application is insight. As we gain more insight into the Bible, we become more prone to revel in the insight itself and not in the life-change that ought to result from that insight.

“Debate Sobre” by Secom Bahia (2010), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

For example, have you ever read a verse like Romans 8:29 (which I referenced above) and turned it into a theological debate? What does this verse mean about the predestination/free will controversy? Which side is right? Who has the best insight into what Paul meant by the word “foreknew”?

I’m prone to feel good about myself if I can answer these questions. I really want to win such debates. I’ve invested much time fighting my way through them.

But the chief question shouldn’t be whether predestination or free will is right. The chief question is: How is my life becoming more and more conformed to Christ? It doesn’t matter which side of the debate I fall on; God’s purpose in my life remains the same. What must change in order for me to be more like Jesus, so he can have pre-eminence as the first-born?

Insight can get in the way of application in other ways too. Have you ever felt disappointed after reading the Bible because nothing new and fantastic had occurred to you?

In contrast, have you ever felt the warmth splash over your heart when you see something you’ve never seen before in God’s Word? Maybe you found an allusion to another Bible passage that wasn’t immediately obvious. Perhaps a repeated word or idea became clear. Maybe you felt like you could relate to a Bible character due to some recent experience of your own. Perhaps you just started to get the hang of this OIA stuff, and you’re amazed at the beauty and joy that results when you can find an author’s main point.

Such insight into the Bible can be invigorating, but don’t let it distract you. The task isn’t complete until you change. Keep moving forward into Application.

Jesus warned us of the danger of insight when he used the image of architecture (Matt 7:24-27). The one who hears the Word, and stops there (possibly rejoicing in his keen insight), is like a foolish builder constructing a beach hut in a hurricane zone. The wise builder is the one who hears the Word and does it.

What other hindrances to Application can you think of?

The Transition from Interpretation to Application

December 28, 2012 By Peter Krol

To study the Bible, we ought to observe, interpret, and apply. We must first see what the passage says before we can figure out what it means. Once we know what it means, we’re ready to conform our lives to God’s will.

Sometimes we stop with interpretation and never go ahead to application. Jesus said we’re in danger of flash flooding (Matt 7:24-27).

At other times, we’re quick to change, but we apply the wrong things (we haven’t interpreted carefully). Jesus said we’re in danger of missing the point (Matt 23:23-24).

How can we succeed at transitioning from Interpretation to Application? Here are 2 tips to help you build a good bridge.

“Bridge” by Umair Mohsin (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Tip #1: Work from the main point

It’s important to understand the main point of a passage before beginning to apply it. Working from the main point gives your application some teeth, since it focuses you on what God considers most important. Such application is both effective and satisfying.

Note: If you’re in the Old Testament, there’s an extra step. Once you’ve determined the author’s main point, remember to connect the passage to Jesus before launching into application.

Tip #2: Ask good “So What?” questions

During the Interpretation stage, we asked lots of questions. The main types are What? Why? and So What? That third type of question can be the most difficult, but it provides the bridge between Interpretation and Application.

Let’s demonstrate this transition as we continue our study of Luke 2:1-21.

We determined the main point to be: “God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.” Now we ask, “So what?”

So what difference does Jesus’ birth make? The lowly can be saved. Their new King is a gracious King.

So what kind of people will be saved? Lowly people.

So what brings God highest glory? Saving and ruling the lowly. Humbling the great and mighty of the earth.

So what kind of person am I if Jesus has saved me? I have not done anything to earn my salvation. I am simply one more example of God using the weak to shame the strong. I am a lowly servant with a great and gracious King.

So what should I expect the Christian life to be like? Since God is in the business of glorifying himself by saving the lowly, he will constantly deepen my understanding of my lowliness and his greatness. This process might be painful, but it will generate a lifestyle of praise and thankfulness. It’s nothing less than what Jesus experienced in his birth and life.

We’ve built our bridge, and we’re now ready to apply the passage more specifically. Over the next few weeks I’ll unpack how to do this Application effectively.

What Les Miserables Taught Me about Bible Study

December 24, 2012 By Peter Krol

Tomorrow, Tom Hooper’s film adaptation of Schoenberg & Boublil’s Les Miserables opens in theaters. If you haven’t yet made plans to see it, do so now. It will spread sweet icing on your Christmas season.

A poster for “Les Miserables.” / Universal Pictures

Les Miserables, the musical, is based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel of the same title and successfully retains its key themes.

The main theme is the conflict of law versus grace, and the show’s two primary male characters represent the two sides. Javert, a policeman/investigator, always plays by the rules, and he expects everyone else to do so as well. Valjean, a convict-turned-entrepreneur, dedicates his life to serving others as he has been served. The two forces conflict throughout the tale.

Javert identifies how the two cannot peacefully coexist:

Damned if I’ll live in the debt of a thief,
Damned if I’ll yield at the end of the chase.
I am the law, and the law is not mocked.
I’ll spit his pity right back in his face.
There is nothing on earth that we share.
It is either Valjean or Javert!

This tension between law and grace marks human existence and is not foreign to the Bible.

The Law of God is holy and righteous and good (Rom 7:12) in that it shows us how life works best. The problem is that sinful people can’t keep it perfectly; the Law exposes their need for rescue (Rom 3:20-21).

However, if we refuse to acknowledge our need for rescue, we’ll do one of two things: Either we’ll lower God’s standard just enough so we can (pretend to) keep it, or we’ll lower God’s standard all the way and pretend there is no standard. The first approach is called legalism; the second is called license. Legalism and License are not opposites but cousins. In either case, we use the Law for something it was never meant to do. We attempt to gain God’s favor through it. This approach will never work (Gal 2:16).

God holds us to a standard of perfection (Matt 5:48). When we fail, he rescues. Jesus came for this very purpose (Acts 4:11-12). We use the term “Grace” to label God’s great favor given through Christ to those who deserve his curse. Such grace cannot coexist with a faulty “law” approach.

So Javert and Valjean will conflict. One, being transformed by grace, will lavish grace on others. The other… Well, just go see the movie.

Don’t read the Bible because you have to. Read it because you get to. And when you read it, notice how often God directs people away from their performance and toward his mercy. Will you trust in his rescue?

The Difference between a Main Point and a Summary

November 30, 2012 By Peter Krol

A main point is not the same thing as a summary.

In Bible study, it’s important to find the author’s main point. If you miss the main point, you’ve missed the main point. You’ll get caught up in secondary issues, questionable interpretations, or divisive doctrines.

One of the most difficult struggles for people in learning to study the Bible is to figure out the author’s main point. It requires them to learn how to think. They must learn how to ask good questions, and how to get the answers they need.

In addition, it requires them to learn how to figure out why the passage is there.

The most common counterfeit of the main point is the summary. It’s not all that difficult to read a passage and summarize it. We do it all the time. We summarize news articles, blog posts, novels, and movies.

Note, however, that a summary is not a main point.

A summary may be the climax of observation, but it is not the same as interpretation.

A summary captures what was said, but not why it was said.

A summary restates a passage; a main point explains the passage.

Let me give an example.

In Hebrews 7:1-28, the author writes a profound theology of Jesus’ high priesthood. There’s your summary: “Jesus is a high priest like Melchizedek.” He contrasts Melchizedek with Aaron. He engages with a few obscure Old Testament texts. He provides fodder for our debates on Bible interpretation, the relationship between old and new covenants, and the relevance of the law.

However, he is crystal clear about his main point. Look at Heb 8:1, ESV:

“Now the point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest…”

The theology serves a purpose. It ought to inspire hope and confidence. Those who fear God’s displeasure ought to rest assured in Christ. Those who presume on God’s graces ought to tremble at their indifference.

The author desires to move his audience to action. He doesn’t seek to inform their thinking (and then stop there). He wants to inspire them to set their hope on the only one who can give what he promises.

What does he say? Jesus is a great high priest, greater even than the Levitical priests.

Why does he say it? So you might trust him more confidently and draw near to God through him.

Do you see the difference? Do you see why it’s important to understand the main point (and not just the summary)? Unless we really hit the main point in Bible study, application remains far off and obscure or disconnected from the text.

The good news is that, once you have a summary of the passage, it’s not complicated to get to the main point. Just take your summary and ask “Why?”

How to Interpret: Determine the Main Point

November 23, 2012 By Peter Krol

This week I’ll explain the third of 3 steps for interpreting the Bible.

Step three was Determine the Author’s Main Point:

As you answer all your questions, pull them together into a big picture. Your job is to understand the main thing the author is communicating through the passage (2 Pet 3:15-18).

Most theological disagreements among Christians take place when people focus on things other than the main points of passages. I’m not saying that theology is bad (in fact, it’s very important). I’m simply saying that it’s important to focus on the main points of the Bible and not on secondary, questionable, or implied points (Matt 23:23-24).

Here are a few ideas to help you get to the author’s main point:

Take note of the author’s flow of thought. How did he get from the first verse to the last verse? One way to do this is to break the chapter into paragraphs. Then determine the main point for each paragraph. String them together to see what might be the main point of the whole chapter. If you’re still not sure, you could break it down further into sentences before putting it back together.
Outline the essential grammar. This requires careful observation of the passage. You can distill narratives to their basic plot structure. You can outline instructional texts by writing out just the subjects and verbs of each sentence. Often, noticing the shape of this skeleton helps with identifying the main point.
Consider what the passage says about Jesus. We know he’s the main point of the Bible (John 5:39), so we should expect each section to say something about him. I believe Luke 24:46-47 provides a helpful template. Every passage of Scripture reveals Jesus by explaining at least one of the following truths:
1. The Messiah would suffer (die).
2. The Messiah would rise from the dead.
3. We must repent of our sin and be forgiven.
4. This message (that the Messiah’s death and resurrection make forgiveness possible) must be preached to all nations.
Always ask “Why?” We’re after more than a summary of what the author wrote. We want to do our best to figure out why he wrote it.

Your analysis of the main point of Luke 2:1-21 might look something like this:

verses 1-7: in contrast to the might of Rome, Jesus, the heir of King David, is born into great obscurity.
verses 8-14: heavenly soldiers herald his birth to the lowly, not the powerful. Jesus is not presented as a conquering king, but as a savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
verses 15-21: the lowly serve the true King by racing, viewing, and testifying.

So far, so good. We could summarize the passage by calling it “The Birth of Jesus Christ.” But we must move beyond summarizing to ask why it is here. What does Luke want to teach us?

I’d suggest something like: God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.

Is understanding a movie different than understanding the Bible?

November 17, 2012 By Tom Hallman

Recently a Christian friend said to me, “I’m not able to understand the Bible when I read it.”

I asked, “Are you able to understand movies you watch?”

My friend replied, “Yes, but that’s different!”

Is my friend right? Do we use a different set of skills to understand movies vs the Bible?

There certainly are some differences! You can more easily convey some things in writing than you can in visual media (and vice versa). Also, the Bible generally doesn’t come with a soundtrack nor does a movie come with cross-references.

However, a majority of the skills you use to watch and understand a movie are actually quite similar to how you’d read (and understand, and apply) the Bible. That’s what we’d expect, after all, from a God who desires that His Word be truly knowable.

Consider the following:

#1: The Bible often uses repeated words and themes in order to point out when something is important and should be remembered. Movies do the same thing. How many times has the last line of a movie simply been a repeated phrase from earlier? How many romantic comedies climax with the girl repeating the exact phrase the guy had said back on the first date? Even this memorable movie quote comes as a direct result of repeated words!

#2: The Bible is full of stories about people. As you read, it is expected that you’ll love them (e.g. Jesus, Joseph, Daniel), hate them (e.g. Eli and his sons, the Pharisees, just about all Israelite kings), learn from them (e.g. Paul, Peter, Jethro), empathize with them (e.g. the woman caught in adultery in John 8, the Psalmists) or avoid them (e.g. the “fool”, the sexually immoral, the Judaizers). Movies make heavy use of this same technique. You get drawn in, identify yourself with some character, and are are often meant to change your life as a result. Consider your favorite movie characters. Don’t you in some ways try to be more like them?

#3: The Bible is full of stories about how the world works and what is true. The Bible talks about the worth of life, of family, of work, of rest, and countless other topics. Movies address the same things. For example: What is reality? What is perseverance? What is worth fighting for? What is it to be falsely accused? What is it to sacrifice? The answers to those questions are meant to teach us more about how to live.

#4: After you watch a movie with a friend, you can discuss what the movie was about. While not everything is easily explained the first time through and may require thinking for a while, you know for a fact that the writer, actors, director and producer fully intended to communicate something. They had a main point that they wanted you to understand and wrestle with. So it is with the Bible. The author (and Author) intended it to be understood and applied.

Much more can be said here, but my conclusion is that the friend I spoke of above can indeed understand the Bible. Moreover, as one who watches many movies, I suspect my friend actually knows a lot more about Bible study than either of us even realizes!

The next time you watch a movie, ask yourself how you know what you know about it. Then determine how you knew that, and try the same technique on the Bible.

How to Interpret: Answer Questions

November 16, 2012 By Peter Krol

This week I’ll unpack the second of 3 steps for interpreting the Bible.

Step two was Answer the Questions from the Text:

Once you’ve asked your questions, answer them. There’s one critical rule, though: answer questions only if they are answered (or clearly implied) in the text (Prov 30:5-6).

Don’t go on rabbit trails. Don’t use minor details to make the text say what you want it to say. Don’t build a whole theology from one verse. Instead, answer only those questions that are either assumed or addressed in the text. Let the rest go.

Two kinds of answers are “in the text”:

Some answers are assumed in the text. The original audience would have known these answers, but they’re lost on us because of the thousands of years that separate our lifetime from theirs. We need websites or Bible dictionaries to help us understand what scholars have learned about ancient cultures. We can also reference related Scripture passages to illuminate the one at hand.
Some answers are addressed in the text. The author made these explicit for his audience.

From Luke 2:1-21, here are some examples of answers assumed in the text:

What was it like to experience upheaval for a census?
- Some in Luke’s original audience may have remembered this very census that occurred during Quirinius’s governorship. We should look it up. (On the link, scroll down to point (2) “Census of Quirinius.”)
What does it mean that Jesus is called “Christ”?
- We need help from passages like Psalm 2:2 to provide the necessary background.
How long was Joseph and Mary’s trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem? How did people view shepherds at this time?
- Most of the original audience would understand what it was like to travel from Galilee to Judea, or to interact with shepherds. We need tools like websites or Bible dictionaries to help us understand such things.

Here’s an example of answers addressed in the text:

Why does Luke contrast Jesus’ glory with that of the Roman rulers?
- Because God deserves the highest glory (Luke 2:14). He is saving the world through Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).
So what does Luke want us to do about Jesus?
- In contrast to the Might of Rome (Luke 2:1-2), Mary treasured up these things (Luke 2:19), and the shepherds gave God highest praise & glory (Luke 2:20). Luke implies that we should have similar responses to Jesus.

Finally, here are some possible questions not assumed or addressed in the text. We ought to let them go (at least for now):

Did Mary walk or ride on a donkey?
Was Jesus born in a stable or a cave?
Do angels have wings?
Who are those “with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14), and what does this tell us about predestination?

What other answers to your questions can you find in the passage?

How to Interpret: Ask Questions

November 9, 2012 By Peter Krol

Last week I introduced 3 steps for interpreting the Bible.

Step one was Ask Questions of Your Observations:

Take your observations and ask questions of them. Lots of questions. Tackle those observations from every direction.

Be as inquisitive as possible. Get better at asking questions, and you’ll get better at interpreting the Bible.

Note that your questions should be about your observations of the text. Don’t ask just any old questions. Don’t feel the need to be particularly clever. Your job is not to innovate, but to uncover. (Note how the disciples didn’t observe well, and so asked the wrong questions in John 21:22-23.)

The main questions to ask are What? Why? and So What?

What? questions define the terms. (“What did he mean?”)
Why? questions uncover the author’s purpose. (“Why did he say that?”)
So What? questions draw out the implications. (“So what does he want me to do about it?”)

For example, let’s say you’re studying Luke 2:1-21. You just observed that there’s a repeated idea of power and authority. You saw lots of words like, “Lord,” “governor,” “decree,” “Caesar,” and “glory.” Now it’s time to ask questions:

What kind of authority is Luke concerned with? What was a “governor” in Ancient Rome? What was the extent of Caesar’s power? What will Jesus do that’s different? What are angels?
- How questions often fit into this category as well: How long was the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem? How did people view shepherds at this time?
Why is Luke so concerned with power? Why did Caesar make this decree? Why does the author contrast baby Jesus’ glory with the Roman leaders’ authority? Why were the shepherds filled with fear at the sight of an angel?
So what does this mean about where true authority lies? So what should we believe about Jesus? So what should we expect when Jesus comes into conflict with the world?

What other questions can you think of from your observation of Luke 2:1-21? See if you can identify whether your question is a What? Why? or So What? question.

Eugene Peterson & Desiring God

November 7, 2012 By Peter Krol

Here’s a short video with Eugene Peterson, where he discusses the difference between “studying” the Bible to master it and “reading” it so it can master you.

Although we wouldn’t use the same terminology (as though “studying” the Bible is unhelpful), we agree with the sentiment. Check it out!