OIA | Knowable Word

Ask These Questions When Joining a Small Group

June 1, 2015 By Ryan Higginbottom

Joe Shlabotnik (2008), Creative Commons License

Some choices in life are simple, like the choice between gloves and mittens. (Gloves, obviously.) Other decisions are far more difficult. Chocolate or mint chocolate chip ice cream?¹ And some choices can show you just how deep the rabbit hole goes.

Easy or not, your choice of a small group Bible study is important. You will study the Bible, seek the Lord, and share your life with these people. It’s a big deal!

Some readers of this site may have no decision to make. Perhaps you know of only one small group in your area. Or maybe there aren’t any other Christians nearby who are committed to the Bible. Those of us living in communities with abundant opportunities and resources should remember our lonely or isolated brothers and sisters and pray for their strength and encouragement. Theirs is a difficult providence.

But a good percentage of readers have options: a small group offered by your church, a community fellowship, a parachurch ministry, or an informal troop of friends. Which gathering should you choose? Consider these three questions.

Where can I study the Bible?

Not all that glitters is gold, and not every “Bible study” group gives attention to the Good Book. Instead, some groups discuss a specific topic or read a best-selling Christian author. Such gatherings can be dynamite, but they aren’t what we mean by a Bible study. Simply put, Bible studies should study the Bible.

So, if you are thinking about joining a small group Bible study, here is your first task: determine whether or not they study the Bible. A few specific questions about the group meetings should do the trick.

Where can I serve?

In proposing this second question, I’m assuming you are not the small group leader. (Though we have many resources for Bible study leaders!) I maintain that, in every small group setting, you can both grow and help others grow. There are oodles of ways you can serve others in a small group.

Do you know of a small group with a young or inexperienced leader? Join and look for ways to pile on the encouragement.

Is there a local group in search of a meeting place? Offer to play the role of host/hostess.

How about a group with several new Christians? Step in and help with discipleship and training.

Have you heard of a group that is stagnant? Strengthen the group by attending and recruiting new members.

What about your friend who is sharing the Bible with unbelievers? Attend the group, help field questions, and introduce people to Jesus!

Even if you’re not filling one of these roles, just your participation in a small group can be a great service. As you contribute your Spirit-led observations, interpretations, and applications, God builds up his people. (Look for a longer discussion of this point in a future post.)

Where can I learn?

Serving in a Bible study group and learning in the group are not mutually exclusive. In fact, because the Bible is written by our infinite, perfect God, we can learn whenever we turn our attention to his knowable Word.

A small group offers a unique environment for learning from the Bible. In a small group, you can harness the power of interaction to sharpen one another and see Jesus more clearly. There are ways you can learn in a small group that cannot be replicated in private or in larger gatherings.

Consequently, you should ask about the format of any group you plan to join. Is it dominated by a leader’s lecture or by group discussion? There are times when instruction is helpful, but you lose one of the main benefits of the small group setting if teaching replaces dialogue.

Default to Your Local Church

There is no perfect small group, so please don’t let less-than-ideal answers to these questions keep you in isolation. Seek the Lord, consider the opportunities, and step out in faith.

Here is one final guiding principle. All other things being equal, give preference to the small group(s) offered through your local church. Your elders have responsibility to shepherd God’s people, so your church’s small groups should fit your leaders’ vision for building God’s kingdom. It may be that part of joining your local church involves participating in its small group ministry.

Trick question: the answer is “yes.” ↩

When Bible Study Meets Real Life

April 6, 2015 By Ryan Higginbottom

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you’ve observed that we advocate for a specific method of personal Bible study. (We call it the OIA method—Observe, Interpret, Apply—though it goes by other names elsewhere.) You may have interpreted our repetition to mean we think you should adopt this practice. At this point, I hope the application is clear.

Nick (2008), Creative Commons License

But bringing OIA Bible study into your life might sound difficult, especially if you haven’t done much personal Bible study before. This approach to God’s Word is deliberate and thorough, so studying a portion of Scripture will take time, especially if the passage is lengthy.

But who has extra time?

Your schedule is already full. Your calendar might resemble an old wineskin containing new wine, set to burst (Matt 9:17). How can you find time for personal Bible study if this method demands so much time?

Bible Intake

Instead of an exclusive focus on Bible study, I suggest you think in terms of Bible intake. With this term I include all the ways we interact with the Bible: reading, studying, memorizing, meditating, and hearing the Bible preached. The lines between these activities can be fuzzy, since starting with one practice might overlap with or lead into another. But all of these categories are important.

Think of Bible intake like the food you eat. The U.S. government urges a balanced diet consisting of foods from five groups, and your Bible intake should also be varied. Your bones might weaken if you ignore dairy, and you may show a spiritual deficiency if you neglect (for example) Bible memorization.

So you should be studying the Bible, because that’s part of a healthy diet of Bible intake. But this doesn’t mean you need to break out the OIA worksheets during every devotional opportunity. Some mornings you could read longer passages of Scripture and meditate on specific truths or promises. Other times you might work on Bible memorization.

What Might This Look Like?

Your devotional life will likely be different than mine. My own practices happen with far less frequency and passion than I would like, but I record them here in case they are helpful.

During the two weeks each month when my small group meets, I study the Bible in the morning using the OIA method. I don’t separate my learning from my teaching. I shoot for 30 minutes at a time.
In other weeks, I read other parts of the Bible. I follow along with my pastor’s preaching texts or dive into another section of Scripture.
Whenever I have devotions, I spend 10 minutes on Bible memorization. I cycle through a review of the chapters I’ve memorized and work on new verses at the end.

Make some time to think seriously about your own devotional practices. What are your priorities? Have you been ignoring any aspect of Bible intake? It’s one thing to read a blog about Bible study, but it’s far more important to make appointments in your life to meet with, learn from, and worship God in his Word.

Strive for Bible intake as often as possible. Make sure not to neglect Bible study. When you study the Bible, I suggest using the OIA method.

Three Final Pieces of Advice

First, remember that there is no Scriptural command to read through the Bible every year. I’m not against reading great quantities of the Bible (or doing so quickly), but I’ve found this goal tends to dominate many Christians’ devotional practices. It produces guilt and crowds out other forms of Bible intake.

Second, our weeks are far more similar to each other than our days are. Establishing weekly devotional rhythms (including devotions-free days) can be more helpful than setting high daily expectations.

Finally, remember the gospel in your devotional life. Consistent devotions do not endear you to God, and inconsistent devotions do not turn the Father away. If you are his child, God’s love for you is full and perfect—he cannot love you any more or less than he does right now. The perfect life and death of Jesus—not any obedience of your own—has secured this for you once and for all.

Why You Should Consider a “Markup Bible”

January 26, 2015 By Ryan Higginbottom

Every scientist worth his safety goggles has a laboratory. Professional athletes have personal gyms. In the same way, if you’re serious about studying God’s word, you should consider using a markup Bible.

George Bannister (2008), Creative Commons License

Define Your Terms, Sir!

By a markup Bible I mean a Bible set aside for study. This is not a Bible for church or an heirloom to leave to your children. Like the gym or the lab, a markup Bible is an intense work environment. If you plan to be a lifelong student of God’s word, this Bible will contain your Spirit-guided efforts for years to come. But be warned: this book may end up unreadable.

When an expert chef pours himself into a special meal, he isn’t worried about the mayhem he creates along the way. At the end of the evening, there may be flour on the counter and batter on the cabinets. But the messes don’t matter if the dishes are delicious. A markup Bible is your chef’s kitchen, and the fare you prepare (by God’s grace) is a loving heart and obedient life which point to your Father in heaven (Matt 5:16).

What is the Advantage?

If you study the Bible using the Observation-Interpretation-Application (OIA) method, you must get your hands dirty. You need to grapple with the text again and again. What does it say? What does it mean? How should I change?

To answer these questions, you should interact with Scripture carefully and vigorously. You might do this in a notebook, in a word processing document, or even on a smart phone. I prefer to write, draw, underline, and circle directly on the Bible text. This helps me boomerang back to God’s word instead of getting caught in my own speculations.

To make applications personal and memorable, I often end my study times by writing in a notebook. But I move through the OIA stages more easily if I begin by marking up the relevant Bible passage.

Do I Need to Spend Money?

To be honest, you probably don’t need another Bible. Most first-world homes contain more Bibles than Bible students. Instead of a new purchase, consider converting one of your old or current Bibles into a markup Bible.

You may not need a separate Bible at all. I’ve often used print-outs from Bible Gateway for my initial studying and marking. Since printer ink and paper cost money, this approach is not free, but buying another book is not necessary.

However, as I have written before, when people enjoy their tools they are more likely to use them. Having a Bible devoted to markup and study may set this activity apart as special for you. For this same reason, some people designate a chair, notebook, or bench for the purpose of prayer. (If you are considering making a purchase, stay tuned for my next post.)

How Should I Use a Markup Bible?

J.A. Medders (2014), used by permission

Getting started with a markup Bible is easy. Make observation and interpretation notes in your Bible. Highlight and underline. Draw circles, boxes, and arrows. Locate repeated words and connectors. Use a color code, so that all repetitions of the same word share a color. Diagram the structure of the passage and tease out the main point. There is no single correct approach to follow, and each person will develop their own system of symbols and marks. (Note: a markup Bible doesn’t negate the usefulness of these OIA worksheets. I suggest using them to summarize and organize your thoughts after first marking up the passage.)

A markup Bible eliminates the need to preserve the book you are studying. You don’t have to treat it gingerly. Focus on the words of God instead.

How’d You Do That? (9/16/12)

September 18, 2012 By Peter Krol

From time to time we like to “show our work” and explain what principles drive our Bible study.

In Sunday’s post, we examined Proverbs 1:10, ESV (“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent”) and saw how the Bible commands us to reject easy money. Here’s how we got there.

Observation

By observing the grammar of the verse, we noticed that the main sentence is a command: “Do not consent.” Also, we observed the words: the thing we ought not consent to is enticement from sinners.

Interpretation

In my study, I started with a question: what is the enticement from sinners that we ought not consent to? Is it just anything, or does Solomon have something specific in mind?

Answering that question led me to observe the whole section (Prov 1:10-19) in its context. This examination led me to observe the final verse (Prov 1:19), which makes clear that the chief enticement Solomon has in mind is toward “unjust gain.”

What is “unjust gain”? Acquiring money or possessions through any unlawful means. Since most of the section describes a gang recruiting someone to violence against another person, it would appear that Solomon considers “unjust” any means of gaining money that will hurt other people.

Thus, my conclusion of the main idea: “the pursuit of a quick buck, at the cost of serving others, will always keep us from being wise.”

Application

From here, we merely had to consider what it looks like in our generation to gain more money at the cost of serving others.

The chief heart application is that we allow ourselves to be sucked into money-making schemes (like going into more credit card debt, getting a new car like the neighbor’s, or spending too much time at the office).

By way of head application, we must know which things will tempt us, and we must choose in advance to watch out for them.

For hands application, we should make different choices when the temptation comes. We should reject easy money.

See here for an explanation of these three types of application.

My hope in walking through this process is that you will be able to duplicate it in your own study of the Bible!

Why OIA is the Best Bible Study Method

August 12, 2012 By Peter Krol

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

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

1. It works for any person anywhere of any age

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

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

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

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

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

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

3. It’s how Jesus interpreted the Bible

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

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

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

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

Summary of the OIA Method

August 10, 2012 By Peter Krol

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

Ryk Neethling (2011), Creative Commons

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

The acronym OIA summarizes the method:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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