The Bible is to be read and studied by those who believe in God.  In all of our reading and studying of the Bible, we should be able to gain something from the Bible.  We should be able to gain insight and inspiration.  We should be able to gain wisdom and knowledge of what God wants for us and what God wants from us.  We should be able to gain an understanding of who God is and who we are in relationship with God.

 

To truly study the Bible, we will incorporate certain techniques and methods that assist us in our interpretation of the Bible.  We will use methods like an inductive Bible study method that would help us to understand what lies within the biblical passage of study.  One of the main techniques for such a Bible study would be observation.

 

If we say we are going to observe something, we usually mean that we will watch and examine what happens without interfering with it actually happening.  The realm of forensic science like crime scene investigation gives us an excellent example of the methodology of observation.  Forensic scientists will often utilize observation in their study of a particular environment or circumstance.  They will simply observe if anything present and what appears out of place without any interference on the scientist's part.  They simply keep their eyes on the details and what is present on the scene.  

 

Much like these forensic scientists, we should be engaged in biblical observation.  We should take on the biblical passage of study and take it in by reading it over.  However, we should also look at the passage in context.  We should observe the passage's contents, seeing what is contained in the verses within the passage.  Also, we should examine the passage's structure, taking into account how it is formatted and how it may relate to similar formats in the Bible.

 

Unfortunately, at times during our Bible study, we move from observation to actually interfering with the biblical text.  We tend to attempt to helpit along or even insert our own opinions, ideas and interpretations rather simply state what is in the text and observe how its contents relates within the context of a passage or a book of the Bible.

 

Look at a passage of the Bible and see what it shows you.  The question is not about what the text tellsus. The question is about what we see within the contents of the text.  What do we observe in the text? Remember, it is about observation.

 

Context

We have to keep our observation as an observation of what is in the text.  You have to observe the text within its context.  Keep in mind of what surrounds the verses or the passage of scripture.  Ask questions about the text.  Find your answers within the context of the text and its surroundings.

 

The Pauline Epistles give us a good place to look at observation.  Who is speaking to whom? Paul is speaking to the churches of believers.  What is being said? Paul is addressing Christian conduct.  Is there anything that leads into this passage that gives us an indication of the passage's background? Some of the events and incidents within the Book of Acts provide some of the background information into the missionary journeys of Paul where he set up churches with Barnabas and Silas.  These correlate with the passage of study for further observation.  These and other questions should help us in looking at the passage in context.

 

Contents

You need to take some time to identify what the text has as its contents. Look at the words and phrases utilized by the author.  Make note of words, terms or concepts repeatedly referenced throughout the text.  Incorporate the usage of Bible study tools and reference materials that will help you understand the words used within the text such as Strong's Exhaustive Concordance or Vine's Interlinear Bible. 

 

Keep the contents in contextual perspective.  Do not try to isolate the contents from the context.  You cannot try to do a side-by-side comparison of the Gospels with the Pauline Epistles.  The contents in concept may be similar, but the contents must be viewed in context for an accurate interpretation of the text.  Otherwise, you run into the danger of trying to understand a biblical passage outside of its contextual place within the Scriptures.

 

Structure

The Bible is the Word of God in literary form.  It is composed in a variety of literary formats and structures due to its construction and compilation over centuries with various writers from multiple cultures and with at least three different major languages.  Therefore, the structure of a biblical passage may be observed in study. 

 

For instance, most of Paul's writings within the New Testament are letters that we tend to refer to as "epistles." These epistles all tend to have similar formatting, greetings, address of spiritual matters, personal acknowledgments and a doxology or conclusion.  However, these same epistles also tend correlate with some event or incident within the Book of Acts, providing for some form of background information into the text or passage, giving the reader the story behind what is being study.

 

This type of Bible study technique should help with gaining an understanding of the biblical passage.  It should aid you in reading and studying the text for teaching, preaching or spiritual development.  Utilize such a strategy to expand and enhance your personal Bible study and strengthen your own perception of the Bible's contents.