When I drive through a scenic area, I like to drive slow enough to see things. Yeah, I’m a “lookie-loo.” I may get on the nerves of the person in the car behind me, but I get to see things that I wouldn’t otherwise. I’ve also had the experience of having driven by the same place for years without noticing something until one day, I’m stuck in traffic, sitting still, and I look over and see something and think, “I never noticed that before!” It happens as a result of slowing down.
Many times I’ve read a passage of Scripture and discovered something I had never seen before and wondered, “How did I miss that?” More often than not, it’s when I read slowly that God brings these things to my attention. If you take nothing else away from this post, let it be this: Make an effort to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n when you read. You’re objectivity will increase and you will see much more during your study time.
Similar to driving by the same place numerous times before noticing the seemingly obvious, reading and re-reading the same passage multiple times in one sitting increases the likelihood of seeing something previously unnoticed. When I select a chapter or specific passage to study, I generally read it 8-10 times. It’s often the seventh or eighth time that God opens my eyes to something awesome.
The next thing that helps with objectivity is that of “observation.” In the close of the previous post, I mentioned approaching the Bible with a “careful, intentional study method.” The “careful” part is largely what we covered above – the pace at which we read as well as re-reading. The “intentional” part is a considerably larger topic based on observation.
Webster’s dictionary defines observation as “An act of recognizing and noting a fact or occurrence.” For Bible study, observation is noting what the text actually says, not what we think it means (that’s interpretation, which happens later.). By intentionally observing the text, we begin to be more objective and less subjective. The question then is how and what are we to observe while studying the Bible?
There are many things to intentionally observe, but here’s a few to start with: people, places, events, identifying the type of literature (poetry, narrative, discourse, history, prophecy, etc.), keywords (words or phrases that repeat), lists occurring within the text, the tone of the writer, commands for the recipient to obey, conditional statements, comparisons and contrasts, grammar usage, and how the writer structures his argument including the flow and division of the text.
Using a passage below, let’s make a few observations.
1 John 2:15–17 (NKJV)) 15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
Repeating Words: Did you see which words repeat in this passage? How many times is the word “world” used? How about the word “love”? By taking the time to observe words the writer uses repeatedly, we start to develop an idea about what the passage is emphasizing; what it’s context is.
Lists occurring within the text: Check out verse 16. There are 3-things that John groups together concerning the world.
Comparisons and Contrasts: There are several contrasts in this passage. The word “but” is helpful in identifying contrasts. In verse 17, there are two things that are being contrasted: The “world” with the individual and “passing away” with “abiding forever.”
Commands: Are there any commands that the Apostle John gives to his audience? How about verse 15?
Type of Literature: What type of literature does this passage best represent? Narrative? Prophecy, Discourse (teaching), History or other?
Conditional Statements: These are basically “if….then” type statements. Often, the word “then” will be left out, but the sentence structure shows itself to be a conditional statement. With that in mind, does verse 15 contain a conditional statement?
These are just a few examples of how and what to observe. By taking the time to make observations on facts stated in the text, we begin to see what God wants us to see instead of putting our own presuppositions onto the text.
If you have never tried this study method before, but want to begin incorporating with your own study, I would suggest starting your observations with the easy things first, such as People. If you’re reading a N.T. book for example, begin by noting all of the facts about the writer and the recipient(s). Remember to limit your lists to only what the text actually says about them.
A helpful way to go about this is to mark in a distinctive way each time the writer or recipient is mentioned (including pronouns). You might choose to underline the writer each time his name or a pronoun referring to him is used and you might draw a circle around every mention of the recipient. Then go back and read each occurrence while noting what the text says about each one. When finished, read the lists you made. I think you’ll be impressed with how much you will learn. Don’t forget to read s-l-o-w-l-y and re-read the chapter or passage several times.
[A closing sidebar: For both reading and studying, I find that a Bible formatted with single-column paragraphs to very helpful. The reason is that it’s easier to read, which is why most books are formatted like this this. It also helps with maintaining context, as paragraphs are “groups of thought.”]
May your time in His word be enriched.
I started reading part 2, need to read part 1. Good details for study. I find that slowing down and asking questions leads to a flood from the Spirit. One may break out in a sermon for self. I love it when I'm in the zone. It's all from His throne!
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