JD: David for those who may not be familiar with how Bible study methods work could you just first give us the overall big picture?
DJ: I start out with an introduction and it’s something that I do to tell them things to get started to kind of get us all on the same page so we can actually get into the three main steps of Bible study. And for those who might be familiar the three main steps of inductive Bible study methods is first observation, second interpretation, and the third is application.
The first step observation your answering the question what does the text say. And then the second one is interpretation and the question is what does the text mean. And then the third step is application what I should do with it? You know the observation step you’re observing the Bible text with the next step in mind. So, I’m making observations with the hope of being able to understand the Bible text better when I get to that step. Then I interpret so I know how to actually apply the Bible in my life because you know the Lord did not give us his word simply to make us smarter he gave it to make us wiser and through that to be conformed to the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
JD: What would you say is the most important principle when it comes to interpreting a passage of scripture?
DJ: Well if you’re going to boil it down to one thing it would be this idea that I say all over the world and the idea that context isn’t the main thing context is the only thing. So again recreating that context and so I try to overcome the contextual barriers through observation again to get into the mind of the original author. Along with that I’m asking the question what does this text mean to God?You know a lot of people they’ll ask the question what does passage mean to you or what does this passage mean to me; that’s not what is important. The question is what does this text mean to God and then my task as a student of the Bible is to figure out what that means to God so I can understand what it means for me. Interpretation is what it means to God, application is what it means for me today.
JD: David James with very practical Bible study methods.
We report this information because it is setting the stage
for Bible prophecy to be fulfilled.
II Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is given by
inspiration of God and it is profitable. II Timothy 2:5 says that we should
study this God breathed book to become a good workman. By the way one-third of
the Bible in other words one in every three pages is Bible prophecy. We must
study Bible prophecy to see God’s plan for the future. Remember Jesus is the spirit
of Bible prophecy, that’s Revelation 19:10.
