The document provides a summary of a workshop on independent Bible study. It outlines seven steps for Bible study: have basic attitudes of dependence on the Holy Spirit and prayer; make your own factual study; make an outline; make an introduction to the book; make divisions of the book; make Bible study questions; and how to work together. It emphasizes an inductive approach to start with close observation of the text before moving to interpretation and application. The goal is to let the meaning and message of Scripture emerge from a careful study of the text itself.

1. Independent Bible Study Workshop By Mark Yang “ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” ( Ps 119:105 ) University Bible Fellowship University Bible Fellowship

2. “ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Ti 2:15)

3. Seven Steps For Bible Study Workshop Basic Attitudes Make Your Own Factual Study Make Outline Make an Introduction to the Book Make Divisions of the Book Make Bible Study Questions How to Work Together

4. Basic Attitudes Depend on the Holy Spirit Pray for the Holy Spirit’s help Lk 11:13 Ask the Holy Spirit Jn 16:13 The Holy Spirit is our Bible teacher

5. Basic Attitudes Prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit Eph 1:17,18 The Spirit of wisdom and revelation Jas 1:5 Ask God’s wisdom

6. It should be sincere and reverent , with deep respect for God and prayerful dependence on the Holy Spirit, without whom we cannot understand God’s word (1Co 2:14).

7. Basic Attitudes Try to find “treasures” Mt 13:44–46 Treasures are hidden Be an explorer of the text Be a miner looking for diamonds

8. Basic Attitudes

9. Matthew 13:52 He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

10. Basic Attitudes Read the text with a fresh outlook Try to learn from the text without prejudice or preconceived ideas (Isa 55:8) Try to put aside my past knowledge and experience in studying the passage

11. Basic Attitudes (conclusion) Do not read commentaries first; just read the Bible itself many times, depending on the Holy Spirit, and observe carefully what the Bible says. Read the passage again and again with a prayerful heart until the morning star rises in your heart (2 Pe 1:19).

12. What is inductive Bible study? (Based on Methodical Bible Study by Robert A. Traina) There are two basic types of reasoning: deductive and inductive. Deductive reasoning starts with general principles and uses them to derive individual facts. Inductive reasoning begins by accumulating facts and, from there, develops general statements and conclusions. Both types of reasoning are useful. Mathematics, for example, is based on deductive reasoning, whereas natural sciences like biology and chemistry should be inductive.

13. The Bible should be studied inductively, from the author’s point of view. Many people approach the Bible subjectively, interpreting Scriptures in their own way. But the Bible is an objective body of literature; it contains objective meaning and truth waiting to be discovered. The best way to discover its meaning is to study whole passages and books of the Bible inductively.

14. Inductive Bible study should be direct and independent. The main text is the Bible itself, not commentaries or books about the Bible. Drawing upon the Bible to reinforce your own ideas—even if those ideas are true—is a misuse of God’s word. The Bible warns us not to add anything to Scripture or to take away from it (Rev 22:18-19). Inductive study is the best way to approach and handle the Bible with respect as the word of God.

15. Inductive Bible study has three main steps: observation, interpretation and application.

16. Make Your Own Factual Study Need to come out of the box (fixed mentality) – approach things very freshly Factual study is very important to get rid of pre-conceptions, let interpretation and application come out of observation Making factual study is 50% - laying the foundations; making questions are equally painful

17. Make Your Own Factual Study Purpose of Factual Study: To understand the meaning in a very detailed way, very precise, take away preconceived ideas and listen to what the Bible says. The message becomes clearer and more concrete; attention given to each word and sentence Hearing “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (spiritual ears) (Mk 4:3a,9,20,23,24)

18. Make Your Own Factual Study Put the sub-title in detail Don’t try to make the perfect title from the beginning Just try to understand what the passage says

19. Make Your Own Factual Study Combine sub-titles based on the flow of the passage and make a new title Try to have birds’ eye view of the book Try to find out the main theme

20. 1 Samuel Factual Study Chapter 1: 1-2: Elkanah and his wives Hannah and Penninah 3-8: Year after year Penninah provoked Hannah during annual worship 9-11: Hannah’s weeping prayer with a vow 12-14: Eli the priest’s lack of spiritual understanding

21. 15-18: Hannah’s plea and Eli’s blessing: no more weeping 19-20: God answers Hannah’s prayer: the birth of Samuel 21-28: Hannah kept her vow and dedicated Samuel to God

22. Chapter 2: 1-2: Hannah rejoices in the Lord 3-10a: God’s ways of working 10b: Hannah’s vision 11: the boy Samuel serving under Eli 12-17: Eli’s sons treated the Lord’s offering with contempt 18-21: God blessed Hannah

23. 22: Eli’s sons’ sexual immorality 23-25: Eli’s mild rebuke and God’s death sentence 26: Samuel grew healthy in body and spirit 27-29: a man of God rebukes Eli’s sin 30-34: God punishes Eli’s family 35-36: God’s promise to raise up a faithful priest

24. Chapter 3: 1-3: the spiritual condition of the times: the word of God was rare; Eli’s sight almost gone, lamp of God not yet gone out 4-7: God calls Samuel but Samuel keeps going to Eli 8-10: Eli helps Samuel recognize God’s calling

25. 11-14: God reveals to Samuel his judgment on Eli and his family 15-18: Samuel tells Eli everything 3:19-4:1a: The Lord reveals himself to Samuel and all Israel through his word

26. Combine sub-titles Combine sub-titles based on the flow of the passage and make a new title Try to have birds’ eye view of the book Try to find out the main theme

27. 1:1-11: Hannah’s weeping prayer with a vow 1:12-20: The birth of Samuel 1:21-28: Hannah dedicated Samuel to God 2:1-11: Hannah’s prayer of praise to God 2:12-17: Eli’s wicked sons 2:18-21: The boy Samuel’s ministry and God’s blessing on Hannah 2:22-26: Eli’s mild rebuke to his sons and Samuel’s growth 2:27-36: Prophecy against the house of Eli 3:1-4:1a: God calls Samuel as his prophet

28. Make Outline * Outline of 1 Samuel I. Samuel, a Spiritual Father of Israel (1:1-7:17) A. The birth and call of Samuel (1:1-4:1a) 1:1-11: Hannah’s weeping prayer with a vow 1:12-20: The birth of Samuel 1:21-28: Hannah dedicates Samuel to God 2:1-11: Hannah’s prayer of praise to God

29. 2:12-17: Eli’s wicked sons 2:18-21: The boy Samuel’s ministry and God’s blessing on Hannah 2:22-26: Eli’s mild rebuke to his sons and Samuel’s growth 2:27-36: Prophecy against the house of Eli 3:1-4:1a: God calls Samuel as his prophet

30. B. The ark of God (4:1b-7:1) 4:1b-22: The ark of God captured and the death of Eli and his sons 5:1-12: God’s heavy hand upon Philistine cities that kept the ark 6:1-6: The Philistines decide to return the ark to Israel with guilt offerings 6:7-18: The cows take the ark to Beth Shemesh 6:19-7:1: The ark of God settles at Abinadab’s house

31. Find the key verse and make a title of the book Key Verse: 13:14 “ But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’S command.” Major Title: THE LORD SOUGHT OUT A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART

32. Make Introduction to the Book In preparing a study of a book of the Bible, an introduction is necessary. The introduction should include author, date & place of writing, audience, background—including names mentioned, theme, unique features, point of view, outline/structure

33. Make an Introduction to the Book a. Author, Date & Place Written b. Audience c. Type of Book/Place in Scripture d. Historical Context e. Background f. Consult a map and make a chart

34. Make Introduction to the Book e. Features f. Motive and Purpose in Writing g. Main Theme h. Make a Table i. The Purpose of Study j. Outline

35. Make Divisions of the Book Find the key verse of each lesson Criteria for choosing key verse? Based on factual study and outline. We should be crazy for God, what he has done for us, the love of God, the grace of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit. Our job is to proclaim the gospel, so whatever passage we study should focus on the gospel.

36. Make Divisions of the Book Make a major title of each lesson When we divide into parts, each part should have a message Sometimes the division of the passage for the sake of questions may not necessarily follow the outline.

37. Make Bible Study Questions Why do we need to make questions? Making questions is like building a house. To build a house we need blueprint. First establish the framework of the lesson, then key verse and major title. Usually make subtitles (part 1, part 2…). Subtitles should be fitted to the major theme, producing continuity from the first to the end.

38. Make Bible Study Questions Questions should include some application – not only an analysis of the passage but also application should be selective. Questions should touch on observation, interpretation and application (to ourselves, our community, our nation, our world).

39. What is the purpose of making questions? To reveal word of God To help people studying to come to God, come to the Bible To provoke our thinking, make us think deeply about the passage.

40. The purpose can be different when the questions are for group study before a message vs. one-to-one study. It can also be different depending on the audience: newcomer vs. seasoned believer.

41. Principles for Making Bible Study Questions Observation Examine the text carefully based on certain criteria: Don’t jump into talking about its meaning and application before observing what it actually says Try to spend the majority of your study time in observation

42. Powers of observation There is a famous story about Louis Agassiz (1807-1873), professor of zoology at Harvard University and one of the most prominent natural scientists of the nineteenth century. A young man came to his lab and asked if he could begin to study insects. Dr. Agassiz said, “Very well.” Then he gave him a jar containing a fish. He said, “Take this fish and look at it, and then tell me what you have seen.” He was not allowed to use any instruments except his eyes. The student looked at the fish for about ten minutes, then went in search of Dr. Agassiz to tell him what he had learned.

43. But Dr. Agassiz had left the lab and would not return for several hours. The student waited and waited. In his boredom, he picked up a pencil and started to draw a picture of the fish. Then he began to see countless details which he had overlooked before. The professor returned and asked him what he saw, and he recited a number of facts. Dr. Agassiz frowned and said, “Look again, look again,” and left for the day. That student stayed awake all night thinking about the fish, looking it over in his mind, and the next day mentioned a few more things. Dr. Agassiz said, “Look more! Look more!”

44. For three days, the student was forced to sit at the table doing nothing but looking at the fish. On the fourth day, Dr. Agassiz brought out another fish of the same group, and told the student to find the similarities and differences between the two fish. After a while, he brought out another fish, and then another. This went on and on. After eight months, Dr. Agassiz finally put the fish away and allowed him to begin work on what he wanted to do, the study of insects. That student never forgot what he learned from Dr. Agassiz about the importance of careful observation.

45. We need to apply those same principles of observation to Scripture. We should become like CSI detectives, searching for clues that will unlock the mysteries of the Bible.

46. Principles for Making Bible Study Questions Observation What to look for (basic facts)? Person : characters Place : geography, country Period : era, historical setting, specific time(s) in the passage

47. Principles for Making Bible Study Questions Observation What to look for (basic facts)? d. Repetition: word(s), phrase(s); idea(s) e. Contrasts and Parallels f. Continuity : how the passage fits in with the previous and following paragraphs

48. Principles for Making Bible Study Questions Observation What to look for (basic facts)? g. Natural divisions & proportions of the text : how many verses/ paragraphs/ chapters devoted to persons, topics, dialogues, genealogies, etc. h. Turning point(s), climax .

49. Principles for Making Bible Study Questions Interpretation the basic question is “Why?” (Mk 4:24): Identify the type of Bible passage (history, poetry, letter, prophecy, etc.) Think about the correlation(s) of your observations (people, place, period, repetition, contrasts, etc.)

50. Principles for Making Bible Study Questions Interpretation the basic question is “Why?” (Mk 4:24): Based on these correlations, ask the questions, “Why?” and, “What does it mean?”; Try to discover the principles, themes, and the main point;

51. Principles for Making Bible Study Questions Interpretation the basic question is “Why?” (Mk 4:24): Study how the theme or main point is developed throughout the rest of the Bible. Search for the theme in both Old and New Testaments; for example: Ge 3:15; 12:7; 13:15; 22:18; Gal 3:16.

52. Principles for Making Bible Study Questions Application Think about how the passage applies to my: family relationships personal life (inner attitudes, worldview, values, behavior, relationships) campus, society, country and the world ministry.

53. Principles for Making Bible Study Questions Take special note of a passage’s teachings about the love of God, the grace of our Lord Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit. Take special note of any commands in the passage that we are to obey, and any promises we are to claim.

54. Observation: exercise 1 “ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Col 1:13-14) What are the things that God has done for us? Find contrast

55. Observation: exercise 2 “ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11) Know what?

56. Study Principle Analysis  synthesis  analysis  synthesis : repeat this cycle Look at the whole, then examine the parts. Then look at the whole again.

57. How to Work Together In any team sport, the purpose is to win. To win, building a team spirit is crucial. Christian life is like a team sport. God’s work is never a one-man show. Psalm 133 says, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!....For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”

58. How to Work Together Respect other’s opinion Don’t insist my own idea Listen to other’s opinion very carefully Produce the best result through brain storming (synergy effect) for the glory of God and for the benefit of God’s flock

59. Music: Nightengale Serenade Friendship Bouquet

60. You are special and unique. Someone you don’t even know – loves you.

61. Good friends are like stars, you don’t always see them – but you know they are there.

62. Happiness keeps you sweet, Trials keep you strong. Sorrows keep you Human, Life keeps you humble.

63. Success keeps you glowing, But, only Friends keep you going.

64. References NIV Study Bible -International Bible Society TNIV Study Bible -Kenneth L. Barker (General Editor) -Zondervan NIV Quest Study Bible -International Bible Society -Zondervan ESV Study Bible -A publishing ministry of Good News Publishers -Crossway Bibles NET Bible: net.bible.org Methodical Bible study by Robert A. Traina