Session Four: Study

“Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides would from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (NRSV) “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

“… the central purpose is not doctrinal purity… but inner transformation. We come to the Scripture to be changed, not to amass information.” ~Richard Foster

teaching, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “… the central purpose is not doctrinal purity… but inner transformation. We come to the Scripture to be changed, not to amass information.” ~Richard Foster

teachingcorrection “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “… the central purpose is not doctrinal purity… but inner transformation. We come to the Scripture to be changed, not to amass information.” ~Richard Foster

teachingcorrection “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and training for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “… the central purpose is not doctrinal purity… but inner transformation. We come to the Scripture to be changed, not to amass information.” ~Richard Foster

teachingcorrection training equipped “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “… the central purpose is not doctrinal purity… but inner transformation. We come to the Scripture to be changed, not to amass information.” ~Richard Foster

“Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides would from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (NRSV)

“Indeed, the word of God is living and active, piercing sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides would from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (NRSV)

piercing judge “Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides would from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (NRSV)

… devotional … analytical … relish a word … explicate & clarify “Study provides a certain objective framework within which meditation can successfully function.” ~Richard Foster

hyssop “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7 “Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood of the basin. None of you shall go outside the door of your house until morning.” Exodus 12:22 “… and shall take the cedar wood and they hyssop and the crimson yarn, along with the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slaughtered bird and the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times.” Leviticus 14:51

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: This shall be the ritual for the leprous person at the time of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest; the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall make an examination. If the disease is healed in the leprous person, the priest shall command that two living birds and cedarwood and crimson yarn and hyssop be brought for the one who is to be cleansed.” (NRSV)

“Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7 “Study provides a certain objective framework within which meditation can successfully function.” ~Richard Foster

EXEGESIS Trying to uncover the author’s intent – this is our goal in studying the Bible. EISOGESIS Imposing a preconceived or foreign meaning onto a text, even if that meaning could not have been originally intended at the time of its writing.” SELECTIVE HEARING

HERMANEUTICS HERMANEUTICS – understanding the author’s culture and context (before applying the writing to our own) EXEGESIS Trying to uncover the author’s intent – this is our goal in studying the Bible. EISOGESIS Imposing a preconceived or foreign meaning onto a text, even if that meaning could not have been originally intended at the time of its writing.” SELECTIVE HEARING

in context 1) Read in context genre 2) Pay attention to genre reference notes 3) Use Bible reference notes commentaries, dictionaries, atlases and maps 4) Refer to commentaries, dictionaries, atlases and maps

1) Stop – Be still, “dial down” 2) Think – Read the text 3) Observe – as much as possible 4) Plan – Application questions 5) Go – Pray in gratitude 6) Obey – Implementation

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden?’” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”

“Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.”

“As thou are in church or cell, that same frame of mind carry out into the world; into its turmoil and its fitfulness.” Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warning us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto Itself.