In Part 1 of this series we looked at the question of Is Studying God’s Word Worth My Time? In Part 2 we looked at the Three Steps of Bible Study. In this article, we will provide details on the first step of bible study which is Observation.
In the previous article, I mentioned that observation begins by reading the passage under study while intentionally looking for the answers to specific questions. You need to know what to look for and then comprehend what you see before you can make a valid interpretation.
Consider this analogy… if you tell me that your car engine is making a strange noise, I could pop the hood and take a look. However, I really have no idea what to look for to determine the cause of the noise. I would not know the first thing to check. Not only do I not know what to look for, but I wouldn’t comprehend what I was seeing if I did look. Now, if a mechanic gave me instructions and told me to look specifically at a particular part and what specifically to note about that item, I’d have information that could be used to determine the source of the noise. It takes knowing what to look for to make an accurate diagnosis/interpretation. The “what to look for” when you study the Bible is what I hope to provide you in this article.
Also note that it is important to start your observation by reading the Bible itself and NOT commentaries written by others. Reading commentaries is a step that will come later. If you read other’s interpretations first it may taint what you discover and what God wants to reveal to you personally. It will put pre-conceived notions into your mind and you might miss something important that God wants to reveal to you.
Okay, are you ready for the questions to be thinking about as you begin your study of God’s Word? Here they are!
The five basic questions to ask in this step are:
Who? What? Where? When? and Why?
As you’ll see in the following sections, I suggest asking the questions both in regards to the entire book of the Bible where the passage resides and in regards to the specific passage being studied.
Who Questions
There are several standard “who” questions to be asked, and as you ponder specific verses, you may think of others.
When thinking about the book as a whole, look for the answers to:
Who is the author of the book?
Who was the author writing to?
These questions are important because it reveals the perspective the author is coming from. Knowing who the author is and his intended audience will help you understand why he wrote what he did and why he wrote it the way he did. It will uncover the author’s objective for the writing.
For example, if studying a passage in Romans you will discover:
- Who wrote Romans? Paul (Romans 1:1)
- Who was he writing to? The church at Rome (Romans 1:7) who were predominately Gentiles (Romans 11:13) and whose faith was widely known (Romans 1:8)
Having a good study bible is useful for this step. If the answers about the author are not explicitly stated in the book itself, most study bibles will have an introduction to the book which provides this information.
Once you’ve explored the “who” questions in regards to the book as a whole, next look at the specific passage you are studying.
Who is the passage about?
Who are the characters in the story?
Who is mentioned in the passage (both explicitly and implicitly)?
List everyone mentioned and everything that you learn about each of them from the passage.
For example, if you are studying a passage such as Ezra 7:10 and ask “who is this passage about?” you’ll see that there are three entities:
- Ezra, who comes from the lineage of Aaron (Ezra 7:1-5), was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses (Ezra 7:6) and who the hand of the Lord was upon (Ezra 7:6 and 7:9)
- The Lord, who the law comes from
- Israelites (implicit), who Ezra had set his heart to teach the Lord’s statutes and ordinances to
Simply capture all the “who’s” that you see in the passage and all that is revealed about them.
What Questions
Similarly, when asking “what” questions think about the book as a whole and also the particular passage you are studying.
What is the book as a whole about?
What is the style of writing (Is it a letter? Is it history? Is it a poem? etc.)
If studying Romans you will see that it is a letter (also called an epistle) rich in basic Christian doctrines (Romans 1:19-20; 3:9-20; 3:24; 3:25; 4; 5:12; 6; 9-11; 12:3-8; 13:1-7). Romans is full of theology along with practical applications.
If studying Exodus, you’d note that the genre is history. It tells about the Israelite’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt, Moses receiving the Ten Commandments, and the construction of the Tabernacle, among other things.
When turning your focus to the particular passage you are studying, think of “what” questions like:
What is the passage about?
What action are occurring?
What are the characters thinking and feeling?
Answers to “what” questions when studying Romans 12:1 might include:
- What type of writing is this? A letter written to Gentile believers
- What does Paul urge the brethren to do? Present their bodies as a living sacrifice to God and instead of being conformed to the world, be transformed by the renewing of their mind
- What kind of sacrifice does Paul say they should be? Living and holy, acceptable to God
- What does Paul say presenting your body is an act of? Spiritual service of worship
Again, explore all the different ways you can ask “what” that are relevant to the passage.
Where Questions
When considering where questions include “where was the author when the book was written?” For example, several of Paul’s letters were written from prison. In the case of Romans, Paul was writing from Corinth where he was collecting for the poor in Palestine. This may not be known for every book, but is helpful information when it is available.
Where does the passage occur?
Where did the characters just come from/where are they headed?
The type of “where” questions you’ll find will depend upon the particular passage you are studying.
In the case of Ezra 7:10, two questions I see are:
- Where did Ezra just come from? Babylon
- Where did Ezra go to teach? Israel
Sometimes, the only “where” question you may see is something like “where do these truths apply?”
Ask all the “where” type questions you can think of based on the contents of the passage.
When Questions
“When” questions to ponder include:
When was the book of the Bible written?
When does the passage occur?
When in the day do the events occur (morning, night, etc.)?
When in the year do the events occur (during a festival, harvest season, etc.)?
When do the events occur on a historical timeline (Just after the crucifixion of Jesus, etc.)?
If the particular passage is not telling a story, then the “when” questions can be more along the lines of “When does this passage apply?”
If studying Mark 4:35-41 you may note “when” questions/answers as:
- When does the event in this passage occur? The same day Jesus told the parables of the Sower, the Lamp, the Seed and the Mustard Seed (“on that day”)
- When in the day does it occur? In the evening
- When does the storm come? After they head to the other side
- When do they wake Jesus? After the storm comes and the boat is taking on water so that they think they are going to die
- When does the wind die down? After Jesus told it to be still
Why Questions
Why questions might include:
Why did the author write the book?
Why was this particular passage included?
Why did the characters do and/or say what they do in the passage?
If studying Mark, you may discover that the book of Mark was written to encourage the Christian community that was experiencing persecution due to falsely being blamed for the A.D 64 destructive fire in Rome.
Specific “why” questions you might ask of Mark 4:35-41 include:
- Why did Jesus tell them to go to the other side?
- Why was He sleeping?
- Why did they wake Him?
- Why did Jesus calm the storm?
- Why did they become afraid after He calmed the storm?
Notice I didn’t provide any answers this time. I wanted to leave some of the discovery to you!
Additional Things to Look For
Along with asking the five “WH” questions, there are other things to look for during the Observation phase.
Look for repetition. This includes any words, phrases or actions that are repeated.
Look for cause and effect. Are there promises or outcomes that result from a specific action?
Look for comparisons and contrasts. Are there items or events of a similar nature discussed in the passage? Are there items or events that are distinctly different or opposing?
Looking at Romans 12:1-2, here are some things that jump out at me:
- Contrasts – Conforming to the world versus being transformed
- Cause/Effect – Renewing of the mind results in transformation
- Cause/Effect – Transformation proves what the will of God is
- Comparison – Will of God described as that which is good and acceptable and perfect
Summary
The first step to bible study (after prayer) is to read and reread the content. Observe the details of the passage. Ask Who, What, Where, When and Why and also look for repetition, cause and effect, contrasts, and comparisons. A study bible is a great resource for this step.
How much time you spend studying the Bible is up to you, but as stated previously, the more time spent in observation, the more accurate the interpretation and the broader of an understanding you will have. No detail is trivial, but don’t stress over it. God will open your eyes to what He wants to reveal to you for this particular point in time. If you study the same passage a year later the odds are you’ll see something that never even crossed your mind the first time. God knows what you need at this very moment.
Remember, the goal of this step is to uncover the pieces of the puzzle so that you have the information needed to start laying the framework of interpretation and ultimately applying God’s truth to your life. Keep that goal in focus as you ask the questions.
Write down any unanswered questions that you have. The answers may be revealed as you perform the second step that we will cover in the next article. If not, God will reveal them to you in His perfect timing.
Note that the example questions and answers provided in this article are just to give you an idea of what to look for and are not exhaustive by any means. I believe bible study is a very personal experience and God will lead you to the puzzle pieces that He wishes for you to discover.
Ready for the next step? Be sure and read The Second Step – Interpretation.
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