Inductive Bible Study

There are two ways in which a person can read the Bible: to study it and to read it devotionally. You have already learned about the devotional reading of the Bible. I now want to share with you about “Bible study”. 

A big difference between devotional reading and Bible study is this; Bible study focuses more on the intellectual side of things, while the devotional reading of the Bible is more focused on touching the heart. In devotional reading, we are seeking to discover what God wants us to hear for that day and how to apply what we hear to our life.

 “Bible study” refers to analyzing the contents of the Bible. 

Dr Dave Smith, a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University will be sharing with you about Inductive Bible Study, which is an approach to God’s Word using three basic steps. Through these three steps, one applies inductive reasoning, which is defined as the attempt to use information about a specific situation to draw a conclusion. 

Study and devotional reading of the Bible are both very important if you really want to understand the Bible well and apply it to your life. After you watch the “Dr Dave Smith Video” you will be given an opportunity to try doing an Inductive Bible Study. 

Instructions

For this activity, you will:

1. Start by viewing the Interpreting Ecclesiastes video above.  
2. Next, review the following materials:
   • Studying the Bible (pdf)
   • Inductive Bible Study Notes (pdf)
   • Video: Reading the Bible with David Smith
3. Complete an inductive bible study of Philemon using the Inductive Bible Study Worksheet (docx).
4. Submit your Inductive Bible Study using the submission option below.