Understanding The Bible (Understanding The Bible)

Understanding
the Bible
METHODS OF BIBLE STUDY
by Dorothy L. Johns
AN INDEPENDENT-STUDY TEXTBOOK
Developed in Cooperation with

the Global University Staff
Global University
1211 South Glenstone Avenue
Springfield, Missouri 65804
USA
Address of the local GU office in your area:
First Edition 1978

Third Edition 1996
Reprinted 2001
Reprinted 2006 PN 03.09
© 2006 Global University S2321E-90
All Rights Reserved ISBN 978-0-7617-0737-X
Table of Contents
Page
COURSE INTRODUCTION ..................................................... 5
UNIT ONE: APPROACH TO

UNDERSTANDING
Lesson
1 Opening the Bible ........................................................................ 14
2 Approaches to Bible Study .......................................................... 34
3 Basic Principles of Interpretation ................................................. 56
4 Figurative Language in Interpretation .......................................... 76
UNIT TWO: STUDY BY BOOK—

HABBAKKUK
5 Composition—Knowing the Parts ................................................100
6 Synthesis—Putting the Parts Together ........................................122
7 Application—Studying by the Book Method .................................142
UNIT THREE: OTHER METHODS OF

STUDY
8 Biographical Method of Study ......................................................166
9 Topical Method of Study ..............................................................186
10 Devotional Method of Study .........................................................216
Glossary .............................................................................................238
Answers to the Self-Tests ...................................................................244
Unit Student Reports ..........................................................................248
Answer Sheets ...................................................................................260
THE GU CHRISTIAN SERVICE
PROGRAM
This is one of 18 courses (subjects) that make up
III
UNIT
the Christian Service Program. The symbol at

2
COURSE
the left is a guide for order of study in the series,

which is divided into three units of six courses each.
Understanding the Bible is Course 2 in Unit III. You will benefit
by studying the courses in the proper order.
Study materials in the Christian Service Program have been
prepared in a self-teaching format especially for Christian
workers. These courses provide a student with Bible knowledge
and skills needed for practical Christian service. You may study
this course in order to receive a certificate, or for personal
enrichment.
ATTENTION
Please read the course introduction very carefully. It is
important that you follow these instructions so you can achieve
the goals of the course, and be prepared for the student reports.
Address all correspondence concerning the course to your GU
instructor at the address stamped on the copyright page of this
study guide.
Course Introduction 5
Course Introduction
You are about to begin a very important activity: the careful,
methodical study of the Bible. This course is divided into three
parts, or units, of study. The first part will introduce you to
principles, terminology, and relationships that are essential to all
effective methods of Bible study. Then, a series of lessons will
emphasize a thorough presentation of the synthetic or whole-
book method of study. The last part of the course presents other
important methods of Bible study. While much in the course
is necessarily intellectual comment on how to study, constant
emphasis is placed on the student’s spiritual improvement as the
main purpose of the course.
To understand the Bible, you must do more than merely
read it. Reading it has value but often fails to make clear the
relationship between different parts of the Bible. When you
study the Bible with an organized plan in mind, you write down
important findings that help you to see the unity that is present
throughout the Scriptures. Furthermore, such study helps you to
remember God’s warnings and obey His commands. Obedience
to God is the result of personal application of devotional Bible
study. This application will build up your faith in Christ and
strengthen your spiritual life.
You may find it difficult to do the kind of study that this
course requires, but your reward for doing it will be great. The
Holy Spirit is with you wherever you are. As you ask Him to
help you, He will give you insight. May the Word of God dwell
in you richly as you study this course!
Course Description
Understanding the Bible is a course of study that interacts with
you on methods of carefully organized Bible study. You will learn
effective techniques for general study, then you will apply them to
the Bible by means of study questions. Many of the answers given
in the textbook to these questions are offered only as suggestions
6 Understanding the Bible
to guide you to your own answers. This study emphasizes the

value of skilled procedures of observation and interpretation
as aids to understanding the Bible and accomplishing the main
purpose of the course. This purpose is to help you apply Bible
truth to your own life and share it with others.
Course Objectives
When you finish this course you should be able to:
1. Describe the basic principles of Bible interpretation.
2. Describe the four methods of Bible study that are taught in
this course.
3. Use these basic principles of interpretation and the four
methods of Bible study in your own study of the Word.
4. Interpret meaningful questions as you study the Bible and
lead others in Bible study.
5. Value the Bible as authoritative for all Christian belief and all
Christian living.
6. Be sensitive to your need of the Holy Spirit to help you study
and share Scripture.
7. Feel more confident in sharing Scripture with others.
Textbooks
You will use Understanding The Bible: An Independent-
Study Textbook by Dorothy Johns as both the textbook and
study guide for the course. The Bible is the only other textbook
required.
Study Time
How much time you actually need to study each lesson
depends in part on your knowledge of the subject and the
strength of your study skills before you begin the course. The
time you spend also depends on the extent to which you follow
directions and develop skills necessary for independent study.
Plan your study schedule so that you spend enough time to
reach the objectives stated by the author of the course and your
personal objectives as well.
Lesson Organization and Study Pattern

Each lesson includes: 1) lesson title, 2) opening statement,
3) lesson outline, 4) lesson objectives, 5) learning activities, 6)
key words, 7) lesson development including study questions, 8)
self-test (at the end of the lesson development), 9) answers to the
study questions. Answers to each self-test are at the back of your
textbook before the unit student reports.
The lesson outline and objectives will give you an overview of
the subject, help you to focus your attention on the most important
points as you study, and tell you what you should learn.
Most of the study questions in the lesson development can be
answered in spaces provided in this study guide. Longer answers
should be written in a notebook. As you write the answers in your
notebook, be sure to record the number and title of the lesson. This
will help you in your review for the unit student report.
Do not look ahead at the answers until you have given your
answer. If you give your own answers, you will remember
what you study much better. After you have answered the study
questions, check your answers with those given at the end of
the lesson. Then correct those you did not answer correctly. The
answers are not given in the usual numerical order so that you
will not accidentally see the answer to the next question.
These study questions are very important. They will help you
to remember the main ideas presented in the lesson and to apply
the principles you have learned.
How to Answer Questions

There are different kinds of study questions and self-test
questions in this study guide. Below are samples of several types
and how to answer them. Specific instructions will be given for
other types of questions that may occur.
A MULTIPLE-CHOICE question or item asks you to choose an

answer from the ones that are given.
1 The Bible has a total of
a) 100 books.
b) 66 books.
c) 27 books.
The correct answer is b) 66 books. In your study guide, make a
circle around b) as shown here:
1 The Bible has a total of a
a) 100 books.
b) 66 books.
c) 27 books.
(For some multiple-choice items, more than one answer will be
correct. In that case, you would circle the letter in front of each
correct answer.)
A TRUE-FALSE question or item asks you to choose which of
several statements are TRUE.
Example
2 Which statements below are TRUE?
a The Bible has a total of 120 books.
b The Bible is a message for believers today.
c All of the Bible authors wrote in the Hebrew language.
d The Holy Spirit inspired the writers of the Bible.
Statements b and d are true. You would make a circle around
these two letters to show your choices, as you see above.
A MATCHING question or item asks you to match things that go
together, such as names with descriptions, or Bible books with
their authors
Example
3 Write the number for the leader’s name in front of each phrase
that describes something he did.
1
...... a Received the Law at Mt. Sinai 1) Moses
2
...... b Led the Israelites across Jordan 2) Joshua
2c
...... Marched around Jericho
1d
...... Lived in Pharaoh’s court
Phrases a and d refer to Moses, and phrases b and c refer to

Joshua. You would write 1 beside a and d, and 2 beside b and c,
as you see above.
Ways to Study This Course

If you study this GU course by yourself, all of your work can
be completed by mail. Although GU has designed this course for
you to study on your own, you may also study it in a group or
class. If you do this, the instructor may give you added instructions
besides those in the course. If so, be sure to follow his instructions.
Possibly you are interested in using the course in a home
Bible study group, in a class at church, or in a Bible school. You
will find both the subject content and study methods excellent for
these purposes
Unit Student Reports

In the back of your study guide are located the unit student
reports and answer sheets. These are to be completed according
to the instructions included in the course and in the unit student
reports. You should complete and send each unit answer sheet to
your instructor for his grading and suggestions regarding your
work. Send one when you complete each unit.
Certificate
Upon the successful completion of the course and the final
grading of the unit answer sheets by your GU instructor, you will
receive your Certificate of Award.
About the Author
Dorothy Johns taught in elementary schools in New York
and Missouri, USA. She also taught at Central Bible College in
Springfield, Missouri.
Mrs. Johns received a Bachelor of Music Degree from
Eastern School of Music in Rochester, New York. She received a
Master of Science Degree in Education from the State University
of New York at Brockport, New York. She did additional studies
at Drury College, Central Bible College, and Missouri State

University, all in Springfield, Missouri.
Your GU Instructor
Your instructor will be happy to help you in any way
possible. If you have any questions about the course or the
unit student reports, please feel free to ask him. If several
people want to study this course together, ask about special
arrangements for group study.
God bless you as you begin to study Understanding the Bible.
May it enrich your life and Christian service and help you fulfill
more effectively your part m the body of Christ.
Additional Helps
Other materials are available for use with this independent-
study textbook: an Instructor’s Guide, and an Instructor’s Packet
(for instructor’s use only). Consult the Evangelism, Discipleship,
and Training Manual.
1
Unit
Unit
Approach To Understanding
Lessons
1 Opening the Bible
2 Approaches to Bible Study
3 Basic Principles of Interpretation
4 Figurative Language in Interpretation
1Opening the Bible

LESSON
The Bible is a collection of 66 books divided into two parts,

the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Bible was
written over a period of several hundred years. Two languages
were used, Hebrew and Greek. It was written by many different
authors. But these authors were not just writing their own words.
They were writing what the Holy Spirit told them to write. They
were inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Peter states, “For no prophetic message ever came just from
the will of man, but men were under the control of the Holy
Spirit as they spoke the message that came from God” (2 Peter
1:21). Every Christian believer should have a time of daily Bible
reading and prayer to feed his spirit! But this kind of reading
should not take the place of disciplined study of the Word of
God. This course will teach you to study the Bible.
Opening the Bible 15
lesson outline
Need for Study of Scripture
Living
Faith
Service
Approach to a Revealed Book
Spiritual Qualification
Supernatural Qualification
Revelational Qualification
Foundational Guides to Understanding
Literal Meaning of Language
Progressive Revelation
Scripture Interprets Scripture
Basic Harmony of the Whole
Overview of This Course
Question and Answer Technique
Basic Principles of Interpretation
Bible Study Methods
lesson objectives
When you finish this lesson you should be able to:
Define disciplined study.
List three ways in which the study of the Bible changes people.
Explain the meaning of revelation.
List three qualifications which make the approach to the
Bible different from the approach to other books.
Define “literal meaning” with reference to language.
Explain the concept “Progressive Revelation.”

Define “context” with reference to interpretation of Scripture.
State the main theme that can be traced throughout the Bible.
List the three main topics of study that will be presented in
this course.
learning activities
1. Carefully read the preliminary section in this independent-
study textbook.
2. Read this lesson’s introductory section, outline, and
objectives.
3. Look over the key words. If they are not familiar to you,
check their meanings in the glossary.
4. Study the lesson development. Look up and read all
references to the Scripture, and answer in writing all of the
numbered study questions. You will get more out of this
course if you make it a practice to put something of your own
in writing before you look ahead to the answers.
5. Take the self-test at the end of the lesson. Check your
answers carefully. Review those items answered incorrectly.
key words
Understanding the key words we have listed at the beginning
of each lesson will help you as you study. You will find key
words listed in alphabetical order and defined in the glossary at
the back of this independent-study textbook. If you are in doubt
about the meaning of any of the words on the list, you may look
them up now or when you come across them in your reading.
Please take time to learn the definitions of any new words, since
they add to a complete understanding of this course.
biographical infinite study
context inspired supernatural
devotional literal synthetic method
figurative reincarnation topical
finite revelation
lesson development
NEED FOR STUDY OF SCRIPTURE

Objective 1. Define disciplined study.
Objective 2. List three ways in which the study of the Bible changes
people.
The ultimate intent of the Bible is to change lives. What
you learn from it should make a difference in your attitude and
actions. The Holy Spirit is not interested in imparting intellectual
knowledge only. His goal is to prepare a man of God spiritually
and intellectually for good works. Your goal in understanding
Bible truth, then, is to apply it to your life. The classic verse
declaring the inspiration of Scripture and the goal of Scripture
is 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Read it in your own Bible. Note the goal,
“That the person who serves God may be fully qualified and
equipped to do every kind of good deed.” The Word of God can
only do this for you as you study its pages. Disciplined study is
defined as diligent application of the mind, careful examination
of the facts, and deep thought about them. In thinking about the
facts, you will draw some conclusions and make some decisions.
When these decisions become part of your life, it will become
more based on scriptural principles, and you will be fulfilling
2 Timothy 3:16-17. Now let us discuss three ways in which the
Bible changes our attitudes and actions.
Life
Only the Bible can answer your questions about life. Left
to himself, man does not know how to live or how to die. His
behavior is filled with selfishness and greed. His lot is bitterness
and despair.
The entrance of the Word of God brings light. God’s rules for
living lead to peace, joy, and satisfaction. The second and third
chapters of Titus are beautiful chapters on Christian living.
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong.
We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We
spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we
hated them. But when the kindness and love of God our
Savior was revealed, he saved us . . . the Holy Spirit . . .
gives us new birth and new life . . . (Titus 3:3-5).
Study of Scripture should change our ways of living.
Faith
“To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be
certain of the things we cannot see. It was by their faith that
people of ancient times won God’s approval” (Hebrews 11:1-2).
Faith for forgiveness, for understanding God’s plan in the world,
for the reality of eternal life in Christ Jesus, all must come from
the words of the Bible. Jesus said, “The words I have spoken
to you bring God’s life-giving Spirit” (John 6:63). Without the
Bible to guide him, man puts his faith in wrong things such as
idols, forces of nature, or material possessions. Studying the
Bible will not only show you the living God who deserves and
commands your faith, but the Holy Spirit will use that study to
cause faith in God to develop and mature within your heart.
Service
Biblical knowledge of God and His ways brings us the
responsibility of sharing that knowledge with others. The world
is hungry for the truth of God. It is God’s plan that His kingdom
grow because of this principle of sharing. Jesus shared in this
way. He taught people, then He sent them to teach others. Luke
10:1 tells of His sending out 72 men ahead of Him into the towns
where He was about to go. They could share with others what
they had learned from Jesus. We too must share in this way.
Application
1 Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Use those verses to find the answers
for the following questions:
a The Scriptures, inspired by God, are useful for what four
purposes?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
b What are the two ultimate goals of the action of Scripture on

the life of the believer?
..................................................................................................
2 Circle the letter before each statement that is true:
a) Studying and reading are the same thing.
b) Studying takes more effort than mere reading because it
means that you must examine the facts and think deeply
about them.
c) The Bible should be studied to discover God’s will for living,
for faith, and for service to Him.
APPROACH TO A REVEALED BOOK

Objective 3. Explain the meaning of revelation.
Objective 4. List three qualifications which make the approach to
the Bible different from the approach to other books.
Revelation is changing divine truth that was formerly
unknown and unknowable to knowable and known truth. It is
when God makes known His truths to the minds of men. When
a Christian believer uses the word “Scripture,” he refers only to
the Bible. Christians believe that the Bible is God’s only inspired
message to man. Understanding this fact is the necessary starting
point for any study of the Bible. Revelation makes the approach
to the Bible unique (special, one-of-a-kind) in the three ways
listed below.
Spiritual Qualification
By spiritual qualification we refer to a spiritual quality that
anyone who wishes to correctly understand the Bible must have.
Usually, a knowledge of the language is all that is necessary
to understand a book. But the Bible is different. To understand
Scripture, a certain spiritual understanding is also necessary. God
Himself gives such understanding to each person who believes in
Jesus Christ as Savior.
Read 1 Corinthians 2:13-15. Answer the two following
questions on verse 14. Only one answer is correct for each question.
Application
3 Why is it impossible for the man who does not have the Spirit
to understand God’s gifts? Because
a) he does not try hard enough to understand.
b) he is not sincere in his desire to understand.
c) their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.
4 When the man who does not have the Spirit tries to understand
the truth of God, how does it seem to him?
a) As difficult but worth serious study.
b) As nonsense.
c) As brilliant new ideas.
Be sure to check your answers.
Supernatural Qualification
Supernatural means something which is outside of the
natural realm. If something is said to be supernatural, it belongs
to an order of things beyond our observable physical universe.
Miracles, happenings that cannot be explained by normal means,
are said to be supernatural. The Living God of the Bible is a God
of miracles. As the Creator of all, He is Lord of all.
The miracles you will read about in the Bible are not
imaginary events such as you might find in folk tales or Greek
myths. Bible miracles are serious, historical facts. The cloud that
led the Israelites (Exodus 40:36) was not an imaginary cloud.
When Jesus fed the five thousand (Matthew 14) with five loaves
and two fish, you can be sure that the people ate real food and
were satisfied, just as it is recorded.
The miracles of the Bible have nothing in common with
magic, sorcery, or witchcraft. They are not based on whim or
fancy. They always have a logical purpose. They are never done
to entertain or to flaunt power. Jesus is Lord. His acts are based
on His perfect intelligence. His Lordship extends to everything.
“For through him God created everything in heaven and earth,
the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords,
rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through
him and for him” (Colossians 1:16).
Application
5 (Circle the letter before each item that is true.) Why is the
supernatural element in Scripture so important to understanding
the Bible? Because
a) it is necessary to decide if the miracles are real or imaginary.
b) miracles in the Bible are to be taken as sober, historical facts.
c) God is the Creator of all things, and all things are subject to
His power, even things outside the natural realm.
Revelational Qualification
We have to approach the Bible with the understanding that
when God’s truth is revealed in ordinary words, these words
become richer in meaning. These common words are enriched in
meaning because the Spirit of God is using them to communicate
spiritual truth.
For example, the New Testament word love has been given
more than ordinary meaning in the light of the Cross. The love
of God which caused Jesus to die for our sins is a far deeper kind
of love than that which one ordinarily understands. Therefore, it
is important to your Bible study that you allow the Holy Spirit to
enlighten every word.
Application
6 The Bible is written in
a) uncommon words.
b) ordinary words with enriched meanings.
c) words that are not literal.
7 Match each kind of approach with the sentence that refers
most directly to it.
...... a Only a believing Christian can properly 1) Supernatural
understand Scripture. approach
...... b The miracles you will read in the Bible 2) Spiritual
are facts. approach
...... c The Holy Spirit has enriched the 3) Revelational
meaning of many words in the Bible. approach
FOUNDATIONAL GUIDES TO
UNDERSTANDING
Literal Meaning of Language
Objective 5. Define “literal meaning” with reference to language.
The Bible Follows Normal Rules of Language

The literal meaning of language is the natural or normal way
it is used. It follows the ordinary sense of the words. In Scripture,
this means that the words have ordinary meanings. The Bible is
not written in a secret code. You learned in the previous section
that the Holy Spirit gives language enriched meaning, but this does
not mean that the basic meaning of the words have been altered.
When in Mark 8:27 we are told that Jesus and His disciples went
away to the villages near Caesarea Philippi, we know that there
were villages in that area and that they did visit them. This is the
literal meaning of Scripture. It means what it plainly says.
Language can also be used in a figurative way. Figurative
means the expression of one thing in terms of another. It presents
pictures to the mind that illustrate other ideas. This is a perfectly
proper use of language and is illustrated in John 7:38. In this
verse Jesus says, “Whoever believes in me, streams of life-giving
water will pour out from his heart.” Figurative language is used
to explain a thing by picturing something to which it can be
compared. Jesus pictures a person with streams of water pouring
from his heart. A reasonable person can see that this is using
language in a somewhat different way than usual. John adds a
note of explanation, so there will be no doubt about the meaning.
“Jesus said this about the Spirit, which those who believed in him
were going to receive” (John 7:39). Literal and figurative language
will be discussed more fully in Lessons 3 and 4. But in general, the
Bible can be taken at face value to mean what it says in the normal
way that language is usually understood. God revealed it to man to
be a source of information to him, not to conceal truth from him.
Human Language Has Limitations

Every coin has two sides. On one side, the Bible is
understandable to ordinary people because it is written in ordinary
language. But on the other side, how can an infinite (limitless) God
explain infinite truth to finite (limited) man? Since man is finite,
his language is finite also. We say that God has accommodated
Himself to man. That is, He has put spiritual truth in as simple
a form as possible so we can understand some of it. You cannot
understand everything there is to understand about God. But, you
can understand the things that are important for you to know.
Romans 1:20 reveals that God created nature with the intent
that it would help man understand what God is like! And to help
overcome the limitation of language and human understanding,
the Bible uses figurative language to illustrate truth.
It is hard for us to understand what God is like! The Bible
says that God is Spirit (John 4:24). Yet God has unlimited power
to see, to act, to hear. Some translations of the Bible use the word
eyes when they really mean God’s power to see everything. They
use the words right arm when they mean God’s power to act.
These expressions are intended to help our understanding, not to
mislead us into thinking that God is physically limited as we are.
The Holy Spirit knows our limitation. He has used language in
ways that will help the human mind grasp His truth.
Application
8 Answer the following questions with words from this section
of the lesson.
a What is the word used to describe language in its usual or
normal use?
..................................................................................................
b The words of Jesus which said that streams of water would
pour out from a believer’s heart were being used in what way?
..................................................................................................
c What word describes the truth of God as being beyond our
understanding?
..................................................................................................
Progressive Revelation
Objective 6. Explain the concept “Progressive Revelation.”
God not only accommodated Himself to the language of man,
but to his sinful condition. The story of the Bible opens with
Adam and Eve in the presence of God in the Garden of Eden.
Their sin resulted in banishment from God’s presence. That
separation from God was, and is, very deep and far-reaching.
Man was sealed in a prison of his five senses. Nothing seemed
real to him unless he could see it, touch it, taste it, feel it, or hear
it. Sin had cut him off from God. The infinite love and patience
of the Holy Spirit worked slowly back into the consciousness of
men. The Israelites had to be chosen as a living object lesson.
The law had to be given. God’s plan had to be worked out over
long years of history. He had to find special men like Abraham
and Moses who were sensitive to His voice. He sent prophets
to preach His words. Finally, “when the time had fully come”
(Galatians 4:4, RSV) God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
By His death on the cross, Jesus made a bridge for man to come
to God once again.
Through all of this, God was giving man more and more
information about Himself. This had to be progressive
information for two reasons: (1) the human mind could only take
in so much truth at a time, and (2) sin had made man morally
unable to contact God. Isaiah understood this when he said
teaching had to be given, “line upon line, line upon line, here a
little, there a little” (Isaiah 28:10, RSV). Because of progressive
revelation the Redeemer God is seen more clearly in the New
Testament than in the Old Testament.
Application
9 Circle the letter before each statement that is true.
a) Man can understand everything there is to know about God.
b) The human mind has limited ability to understand divine truth.
c) God has eyes just like ours.
d) God has total, unlimited sight.
e) Throughout Bible history God has revealed more and more of
Himself to man.
10 Why is the Redeemer God easier to understand in the New

Testament than in the Old Testament?
........................................................................................................
Scripture Interprets Scripture

Objective 7. Define “context” with reference to interpretation of
Scripture.
One Bible teacher has said, “Scripture is its own best
commentary.” He meant that when a passage of Scripture seems
difficult, you should try to find other Scripture that sheds light
on it. The first place to look is in its immediate context. You
found in the glossary that context means “all the words around
a passage.” Needless to say, this is where familiarity with the
whole Bible comes in. We have stressed study in this lesson,
because it is that serious application of concentration that is
needed for digging into the Word. The more familiar you become
with all Scripture, the easier it will be to find verses and passages
that shed light on other passages.
Study is like a pebble dropped into still water. There are
ever-widening circles that ripple from it: single words must be
interpreted in the light of the sentence, the sentence in the light
of the verse, the verse in the light of the section of the chapter to
which it belongs, and so on. At the widest point, the whole Bible
sheds light on its parts. The total body of Scripture is the total
context and guide for understanding any specific portion of it. No
strong doctrines can be based on single verses for which no other
support can be found. This is not to say they are false, but simply
that not enough information is available.
Application
11 Define immediate context and total context with reference to
“Scripture Interprets Scripture.”
........................................................................................................
Here is a word of caution. It has been said that any theory

or doctrine can be proved from Scripture. People have tried to
“prove” false notions by looking through the Bible until they
found a verse that sounded like what they were thinking.
For example, a woman once told me that the Bible teaches
reincarnation. Since I knew that the Bible does not teach such
a thing, I asked her where she had found this. She replied by
quoting some verses (and misquoting others) which had to do
with life after death. She was bringing her own wrong meaning
to these Scriptures instead of examining them to see exactly
what they said. Careful reading and comparing of Scripture
with Scripture would have made clear that Jesus has saved us as
individuals (He knows all of His sheep by name). We will inherit
eternal life with Him after death. This bears no resemblance to
the false doctrine of reincarnation.
Basic Harmony of the Whole

Objective 8. State the main theme that can be traced throughout the
Bible.
Harmony of All Bible Books

You can use context to help you understand the Bible. All
the way from a single sentence to the whole collection of books,
there is one single system of truth presented. In fact, you must
use the whole system of truth to interpret any individual part of
it. This is one of the convincing evidences of revelation. The
writings of so many men, over such long stretches of history, are
in harmony with each other. The key, of course, is that the Holy
Spirit was the true author. Men were just the instruments.
Many themes can be traced throughout the Bible, but the
main one is Redemption through Christ. The Old Testament
pointed to Him in symbols and in prophecy. The New Testament
is the record of His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Jesus
said the Old Testament Scriptures taught about Him. After His
resurrection, He taught two disciples on the road to Emmaus:
“And Jesus explained to them what was said about himself in
all the Scriptures, beginning with the books of Moses and the
writings of all the prophets” (Luke 24:27).
Unity in Meaning
Unity in meaning reminds us that Scripture does not
contradict itself. We must be careful not to bring our own
meanings to Scripture when trying to find proof for them. The
correct approach is to let the words speak for themselves. As you
take a Scripture and examine it thoroughly, its true meaning will
emerge. It may or may not be what you expected to find. God has
inspired the authors. God does not contradict Himself. Therefore,
the Bible will not contradict itself. If there are passages that seem
to be opposed to each other, it is because of the student’s lack
of understanding or lack of information. In such cases, always
reserve judgment until further light can be shed on the problem.
Application
12 Circle the letter before each statement that is true.
a) There is one system of truth presented throughout Scripture.
b) The theme of Redemption can be found only in the New
Testament.
c) Jesus taught that the Old Testament contained truth about
Himself.
d) You should get meaning from a passage of Scripture rather
than bring your own meaning to it.
e) The Bible teaches reincarnation.
f) Scripture will never contradict itself.
OVERVIEW OF THIS COURSE

Objective 9. List the three main topics of study that will be presented
in this course.
We have titled this section of the lesson an overview because
its subsections present main topics of study in this course.

As you have worked your way through this lesson, you have
already used a little of the question-answer manner of studying the
Bible. (See Exercises 1, 3, and 4.) A very good way to get correct
meaning from a passage of Scripture is to “ask it questions.” The
Scripture then speaks for itself as the answers emerge. The secret
is in knowing how to ask the right kinds of questions. Question-
answer technique is a basic tool in all Bible study.
Basic Principles of Interpretation

Lesson 1 has already given you an elementary understanding
of interpretation of the Bible; Lesson 3 will deal with some of
the basic principles or rules of interpretation in more detail.
These basic principles have been discovered and used by serious,
dedicated Bible scholars over centuries of study. Their concern
has been to rightly divide or correctly teach the message of
God’s truth. It is important to thoroughly understand the basic
principles of interpretation so you will be able to apply them in
all of the Bible study methods.
Bible Study Methods

There are many Bible study methods, but this course will
deal with only four. The focus of the course is on the whole
book method, also known as the synthetic method. Because this
method is basic to all Bible study, it will be treated in detail. You
will study the book of Habakkuk using the synthetic or whole
book method in Lessons 5, 6, and 7.
The last three lessons will each center on a different method
of study. Lesson 8 will teach the biographical method, using
the Book of Amos. Lesson 9 will use the topical method in
Ephesians. Lesson 10 will apply the devotional method to
Philippians.
The study techniques and methods presented here should
become your tools for a lifelong interest in studying the
Scriptures.
Application
13 Match each description (left) to the topic (right) that it best
describes.
...... a Rules that help to understand the 1) Question and
Bible. Answer Technique
...... b Synthetic, biographical, topical, 2) Basic Principles of
and devotional. Interpretation
...... c Response of Scripture speaking for 3) Bible Study
itself. Methods
The Context
Word
Sentence
Verse
Chapter
Book
Whole Bible
self-test
After you have reviewed this lesson, take the self-test. Then
check your answers with those given in your student report.
Review any questions you answered incorrectly.
1 When in your reading you apply your mind diligently and you
carefully examine the facts, you will be
a) reading casually.
b) studying in a disciplined way.
c) working with very difficult books only.
2 Study of the Bible is important
a) for living, faith, and service.
b) only if you plan to be a minister.
c) only when a person gets old.
d) for intellectual betterment only.
3 What is the meaning of revelation as applied to Scripture?
a) God’s making known what was formerly unknowable.
b) Man’s discovery of God in nature.
c) Man’s understanding of God through his senses.
4 Which one of the following words does NOT describe a
qualification that makes the approach to the Bible different from
the approach to other books?
a) Revelational
b) Supernatural
c) Natural
d) Spiritual
5 Complete each sentence (left) by inserting the correct number

of the term from the list (right).
...... a Literal meaning of language refers 1) commentary
to the ................. meaning of its words. 2) progressive
revelation
...... b The Bible can be understood because 3) ordinary
of the Holy Spirit’s work in the
4) believer
.............................................................. 5) accommodated
...... c Since human language has limited 6) harmony
ability to transmit divine truth, God
has ....................................... Himself to
man through illustrations in figurative
language.
...... d The Redeemer God is seen more
clearly in the New Testament than in
the Old Testament because of
..............................................................
...... e Scripture is its own best
..............................................................
...... f The whole Bible has a basic
..............................................................
6 List the three main topics of study that will be presented in
this course.
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
answers to study questions

These answers have been mixed so that you will not
accidentally see the answer to the next question before you write
your own response. Please do not look ahead, but write your
own answer to each question before comparing it with the one
we have given. This will help you to remember what you have
studied.
7 a 2) Spiritual approach.
b 1) Supernatural approach.
c 3) Revelational approach.
1 a Teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and
giving instruction for right living.
b To qualify a person to do good deeds, and to equip him to
do them.
8 a Literal.
b Figurative.
c Infinite.
2 b) Studying takes more effort than mere reading because it
means that you must examine the facts and think deeply
about them.
c) The Bible should be studied to discover God’s will for
living, for faith, and for service to Him.
9 b) The human mind has limited ability to understand divine
truth.
d) God has total, unlimited sight.
e) Throughout Bible history God has revealed more and
more of Himself to man.
3 c) Their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.
10 Because progressive revelation has made Him more clearly
seen in the New Testament.
4 b) As nonsense.
11 Immediate context refers to all the words around a passage,
and total context refers to the whole Bible.
5 b) Miracles in the Bible are to be taken as sober, historical
facts.
c) God is the Creator of all things, and all things are subject
to His power, even things outside the natural realm.
12 a) There is one system of truth presented throughout

Scripture.
c) Jesus taught that the Old Testament contained truth about
Himself.
d) You should get meaning from a passage of Scripture
rather than bring your own meaning to it.
f) Scripture will never contradict itself.
6 b) ordinary words with enriched meanings.
13 a 2) Basic Principles of Interpretation
b 3) Bible Study Methods
c 1) Question and Answer Technique
2
LESSON
Approaches to
Bible Study
In the first lesson you were given an overview of many of the

topics that will be discussed in this course. You learned that the
Bible is a revealed book. As the Word of God, it must be studied
with more than ordinary diligence. Your whole Christian life and
faith depend upon a clear understanding of the Bible.
In this lesson you will deal more particularly with the process
of learning and the basic technique of asking effective questions.
This is a skill you will want to use when you have an opportunity
to lead a group Bible study.
As you move through these lessons you should keep in mind
two main purposes for which you study God’s Word: (1) for your
own personal spiritual knowledge and growth, (2) to be able to
share spiritual truths with others.
Approaches to Bible Study 35
lesson outline
Personal Preparation
Need for Methodical Study
Basic Steps in Bible Study
lesson objectives
Describe the spiritual and mental attitudes necessary for
effective Bible study.
List basic tools needed for effective Bible study.
Identify the characteristics of methodical Bible study.
List the six basic steps in Bible study.
Recognize correct examples of activities associated with each
step.
Identify four kinds of fact questions and relate them to the
basic steps in Bible study.
Identify three kinds of thought questions and relate them to
the basic steps in Bible study.
learning activities
1. Read the opening section, outline, and objectives.
2. Look over the key words. if any are not familiar to you, look
up their meanings in the glossary.
3. Work through the lesson development, writing your responses
to the study questions and checking your answers.
4. Get a notebook. You will need to start using it with the last
section of this lesson. You may want to make other notations
of your own in it from time to time.
5. Take the self-test at the end of the lesson.
key words
apply implicational rational
correlation interpret summarize
definitive methodical technique
evaluate observe
focus qualification
lesson development
PERSONAL PREPARATION
Objective 1. Describe the spiritual and mental attitudes necessary for
effective Bible study.
Objective 2. List basic tools needed for effective Bible study.
The first qualification for Bible study is spiritual
understanding. You discovered this in 1 Corinthians 2:14 when
you examined it in Lesson 1. God’s Word is not a dead book
but a living book. Our God is alive today! The same Holy Spirit
who gave the message hundreds of years ago speaks through His
Word today. Jesus Christ gives the Holy Spirit to each one who
accepts Him as Savior and Lord.
The second qualification for Bible study is spiritual
character. The spiritual person lives in obedience to God, in
close fellowship with his living Lord. This kind of living is
marked by deep reverence, sensitivity to the Spirit of God,
meekness, humility, patience, and faith. Prompt confession of
sin keeps you in fellowship with Jesus Christ. Disobedience to
spiritual light will result in taking away the light and replacing
it with darkness. Jesus said His friends are those who obey His
Word (John 15:14).
Study of facts requires an alert mind, a willingness to
concentrate. You must have a zeal, a passionate desire to study
the Word of God. Study is time consuming. It is work. Unless
you set your mind to think deeply about these things, the Holy
Spirit will not be able to reveal His truth to you.
In Lesson 1 we discussed the importance of extracting truth
from a passage of Scripture, rather than bringing preconceived
notions to it. Study of the Bible requires honesty. It requires an
open mind. You will want to let the Bible speak for itself.
Application
1 Read Mark 4:24-25. Especially note verse 25. What kind of a
man will be given more (from God)? The man who has
a) little.
b) something.
c) nothing.
2 Think of this Scripture (Mark 4:24-25) in connection with the
Holy Spirit’s enlightening His Word. The man who has something
is the man who has
a) knowledge.
b) possessions.
c) the Holy Spirit.
3 List at least five qualities discussed above that are found in a
spiritual person.
........................................................................................................
4 Concerning preparation for Bible study, words such as
alertness, concentration, desire, and honesty emphasize
a) mental attitude more than spiritual attitude.
b) spiritual attitude more than mental attitude.
c) neither mental attitude nor spiritual attitude.
The basic tools for Bible study are very simple. Pencil, paper,
your Bible, your eyes, and time are all that you need. It is important
to have time that is free from distraction. If possible, you should be
alone with the Holy Spirit and the Word when you study.
Application
5 For Bible study you will need
a) many books and charts.
b) to be in church.
c) very simple tools.
NEED FOR METHODICAL STUDY

Objective 3. Identify the characteristics of methodical Bible study.
The average Christian approaches the Bible in a haphazard
manner. The most common things that people believe and share
about God’s Word are things they have heard preached, things they
have heard others say, or perhaps what they have read in books
about the Bible. Study for most people—if they ever attempt it—is
perhaps a little reading in the Word. Often the same passages
are read over and over. People are timid about venturing away
from familiar portions into new territory. Unfortunately, many
Christians spend their whole life simply “locked in” to a small
section of the Bible which they consider to be “easier” than the
rest. They miss most of the treasures which the Holy Spirit would
like to share with them. But things do not have to be this way.
Ordinary people can study the Bible methodically.
A method is an orderly way of doing something. It is a
procedure, followed step by step, that is calculated to lead to a
conclusion. Method will not keep you from using your own ideas
but will serve as a framework to guide your study. Studying
methodically gives you a plan of action that focuses your efforts
on your goal.
Can the Holy Spirit use methodical study? He certainly can
and does. As you move into the synthetic method you will be
learning terms and ideas that may seem new to you. You will be
learning some steps to follow in your study. These are guides for
extracting truth from the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit enlightens
truth, not mistaken notions. The Holy Spirit’s illumination of
truth may be likened to the action of sun and rain that produces
the farmer’s crops from living seed. But just as the farmer’s
methodical work (planting, hoeing, reaping) will help the action
of sun and rain to produce crops, so our methodical study will
help us to receive truth through the Holy Spirit.
Application
6 Circle letters before items that describe methodical study.
a) An orderly way of study.
b) Study that focuses your efforts toward your goal.
c) Study of familiar passages only.
d) Study in a haphazard way.
e) A procedure that leads toward a conclusion.
BASIC STEPS IN BIBLE STUDY

Objective 4. List the six basic steps in Bible study.
Objective 5. Recognize correct examples of activities associated with
each step.
There are several basic steps in a Bible study that are basic
to all learning. These steps will be useful in every method of
study. They are: observe, interpret, summarize, evaluate, apply,
and correlate. Read these steps over several times and then write
them down to help you memorize them.
This section of the lesson will define these six basic steps
for you. The next section, Question and Answer Technique, will
explain them more in detail and show how they operate in actual
study of Scripture. Of the six steps, the first two are crucial;
that is, of greatest importance. If you get the first two steps
(observing and interpreting) done well, the other steps will work
themselves out very easily. For that reason, more emphasis will
be placed on these two steps.
When you begin to apply these steps to Scripture, remember
that there will be some overlapping. For example, application
and correlation are closely related, and sometimes they are
combined into one step. But we will take them separately for the
sake of clearer understanding.
Observation simply means asking yourself, “What does the
Scripture say?” Rudyard Kipling wrote the following quatrain:
I have six faithful serving men
Who taught me all I know
Their names are What, and Where, and When,
And How, and Why, and Who.
Now if you will take these six questions to Scripture, you will
get what you are looking for: facts! You need answers to what?
where? when? how? why? who?
Miles Coverdale was a great Bible scholar and translator. He
said of studying the Bible:
Not only will it greatly help you to understand scripture if thou

mark [note] not only what is spoken or written, but also to whom,
and with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what
circumstances, concerning what goes before and what follows.
Now that’s simple observation! You are not interpreting when
you are making these observations; interpretation is the second
step in learning. The first time through the passage of Scripture,
you must observe to see what the Scripture says. You will be
asking the Bible “fact” questions (which will be discussed in
the last section of this lesson). This is the groundwork of Bible
study. You will be finding out details. Sometimes it is tedious.
It takes discipline to simply observe and reserve judgment on
interpreting until you have all the facts in hand! It may seem a
bit tedious because you want to get to the interpretation.
Application
7 List the six basic steps in learning (in the order that we have
mentioned them).
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
8 From the list at the right, choose the word that best completes
each sentence.
...... a ............................ means asking 1) Correlation
yourself, “What does the Scripture say?” 2) Interpretation
...... b What? Where? When? How? Why? 3) Observation
Who? are questions that will help 4) Facts
you get the ................... from Scripture. 5) Application
...... c ............................ must be done right
after the tedious work of observation is
completed.
Once you have observed carefully, you have a body of facts

to work with. You have names, places, circumstances, reasons,
and know why things are said or done. After you get through
with your observing, you then ask: “Now what does this mean?”
(And unless you learn to ask yourself this question, you are
never going to answer it). Interpretation asks: “What does this
mean?” It tries to discern what the author meant by what he said.
The next section, Question and Answer Technique, will deal
more directly with asking interpretive questions. But “What does
this mean?” is the basis for all these questions. The idea here
is closely related to definition. I will just mention here that you
should make every effort to understand the ordinary meanings of
words in the Bible. If you have access to a dictionary, it can be
helpful. If you meet words you do not understand, make every
effort to discover their meanings.
Application
9 Interpretation is concerned most with
a) getting the facts.
b) finding out what the author meant.
c) asking Where? When? and How?
To summarize means to “sum up.” In Bible study it is to

present the main points and accompanying details in some brief
concluding way. The value of the summary is that it focuses on the
main principles of truth set forth in any given passage of Scripture.
In the summary you see the whole set forth in condensed form. It
is really the final step in the process of interpretation.
There are various ways of showing the summary. Sometimes
charts or diagrams are used. Once the findings from your
observations are written down, they can be organized in any
convenient form. The arrangement should show the main points
and details. This course is necessarily limited in length, so your
summaries will be done in simple outline form. These summaries
could at some time be shown as charts or diagrams.
Application
10 Circle letters before true statements concerning the summary.
a) It should always be put in a chart.
b) It should always show main points and accompanying details.
c) It may be shown in a chart or diagram.
d) It is the whole set forth in condensed form.
Evaluation in the sense used here ISN’T saying whether you

like something or not. When you are evaluating, you are trying to
determine whether what you are reading is an eternal principle
or a local custom or rule applicable only in the local Bible-time
situation. You are saying to yourself, “Am I reading something
that is an eternal principle, universally applicable to everybody?
Or is this something that is just for this particular instance?”
Suppose you are in 1 Corinthians and you come to the part
about the woman and her hair. Is it wrong for a woman to cut
her hair? Everywhere? At all times? Or is this something that
is culturally conditioned? That is, in the culture of Bible lands,
in Bible days, was this a custom that does not necessarily apply
universally? This is the kind of conclusion you must consider
in your evaluation. Or, in another passage, if you come to the
conclusion that idolatry is everywhere and always wrong, that
is something that is universal and eternal. These conclusions are
drawn on the basis of what you have found in your observation,
interpretation, and summarization. If you have any other
resources available to you, this would be the step where you
could consult other sources such as books on Bible customs and
Bible dictionaries or commentaries. If you do not have access to
such materials, you will not be able to draw conclusions about
marginal matters as firmly as you could with more information.
Fortunately, you will be able to make basic judgments, all the
necessary ones, on the basis of the Bible alone.
Even things which were meant for a specific local situation
are likely to have an eternal principle behind them. For example,
if in a study of 1 Corinthians 8 you conclude that eating or not
eating meat offered to idols is a matter of cultural understanding
and conscience in a given, local situation, it does not necessarily

follow that you can eat anything you want. In 1 Corinthians 8,
Paul’s attitude toward others involved NOT eating meat offered
to idols even though he said that as far as he was concerned it
didn’t matter. In this situation, the underlying eternal principle
is consideration for others. In every culture, there are situations
that involve consideration for others, situations wherein doing
something or refusing to do it is not an eternal principle but is a
matter of offense in that cultural setting. So to obey the eternal
principle of consideration for others, Christians modify their
behavior to avoid offense to their believing brethren.
Application
11 In evaluation of Bible-time situations, local customs apply
a) less directly to our own lives than eternal principles.
b) as directly to our own lives as eternal principles.
c) more directly to our own lives than eternal principles.
Application is closely related to evaluation. After you have

discovered an eternal principle in a given Scripture, you must
consider its relationship to us by asking yourself the question,
“How would we apply this principle to our own lives?” For
an answer to your question you will have to rely on your best
judgment and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit who most
certainly will guide you as you seek the Lord for His will.
Correlation is simply asking, “How does this fit in with the
total body of Scripture?” You learned in Lesson 1 that there is a
basic harmony in the whole of Scripture. You must consider the
whole system of truth to correctly interpret any part of it. The
amazing evidence of revelation is that the writings of so many
people, so widely separated from each other by time and space,
are all in accord with one another. Correlation is the step in study
where this basic fact must be used.
Faith says that everything in Scripture fits together. Now
if everything else in Scripture says a certain thing, and an
idea presents itself to you which seems to say something else,
something must be wrong. You will have to rethink the matter,

restudy it, and ask the Lord for more specific light on it. The step
of correlation tries to fit everything into the complete biblical
picture by asking such questions as, “How does Galatians
correlate with Romans?” and “How do Galatians and Romans
correlate with James?”
Application
12 Choose the correct answer for each question from the column
at the right (You may use the answers more than once).
...... a What step is closely related to 1) Correlation
evaluation? 2) Summarization
...... b What step tries to fit everything into 3) Application
the complete biblical picture?
...... c What step insists that an idea which
seems contrary to the body of
Scripture must be restudied?
...... d What step considers the relationship of
a given eternal principle to us today?
QUESTION AND ANSWER TECHNIQUE

Objective 6. Identify four kinds of fact questions and relate them to the
basic steps in Bible study.
Objective 7. Identify three kinds of thought questions and relate them
to the basic steps in Bible study.
Jesus used questions with masterful skill. You can find
an example in Mark 3. Before Jesus healed the man with the
paralyzed hand, He spoke to the people who were watching. He
knew there were those there who were watching Him, waiting
for a chance to accuse Him of breaking the Sabbath. “What does
our Law allow us to do on the Sabbath?” He asked. “To help or
to harm? To save a man’s life or to destroy it?”
His questions did two things. First, they showed how the
Jews had corrupted the original intent of the Law by forbidding
help to be given on the Sabbath. Second, His questions pointed
out an eternal principle: It is always good to help rather than to

harm, to save a man’s life rather than to destroy it. The people
were too angry to answer Jesus. He had made His point through
the use of questions.
Good questions call for particular answers. A question that can
be answered with “yes” or “no” is not very effective for learning.
“What does our Law allow us to do on the Sabbath?” was a
question that brought to the people’s minds the hundreds of trifling
rules they had made up over many years. The rules had been made
to seem like God’s rules, but they were really the traditions of men
and had nothing to do with God’s rules. One good question used
by the Lord was as effective as a whole sermon.
You will be shown seven basic kinds of questions (four
fact questions and three thought questions) which cover the
basic steps in Bible study. Their names may be new to you, but
you will see they are closely related to the principles you have
learned earlier.
As we begin this section on questioning and apply it to
Scripture, you will need to set up a notebook page with divisions
as follows:
Question and Answer Techniques

Kind of Question Reference Question Answer
In each of the next seven exercises you will be given a

definition of one of the seven kinds of questions, a sample
reference for each question, a question (or questions) on this
reference, and an answer for each question. You will fill in
your notebook page using these samples as a guide. It is very
important to write in your answers before looking up my
suggested answers.
ho ?
W
ha t? How ?
W
The fact questions are: (1) identifying, (2) modal, (3)
temporal and (4) locale. They ask WHO or WHAT, HOW,
WHEN, and WHERE.
(1) Identifying questions ask WHO and WHAT. These are
questions of observation, you will remember, questions that get
at the facts. There are variations on each of these questions that
will be given according to the passage you are working with. For
example, WHO can be: “Who is speaking?” “Who is listening?”
“Who is being spoken about?” “Who will be affected by what is
said?” The same can be said for WHAT. It can be: “What is being
said?” “What is being done?” “What is being accomplished?”
“What terms are being used?”
WHO questions in Scripture are not always identical and,
likewise, WHAT questions. Questions are tools for getting at
the facts. When you work with tools you use the ones that are
appropriate for the job. For example, if you have fruit to be
sliced, you use a small knife. If you want to chop branches off a
tree, you use something else. The fact questions are tools that are
available to you, but you won’t necessarily be using every one
in every instance. For example, if no place is named, you might
not use the locale question. You will use what is appropriate.
Our sample reference for the model notebook page is Philippians
1:12-14. This portion of Scripture is used because it has
possibilities for at least one example of each type of question.
Application
13 Under KIND OF QUESTION on your notebook page, write
Identifying—Who? and What? In the REFERENCE column write
Philippians 1:12. In the QUESTION column write these two
questions: Who is being addressed? What does the writer want
them to know? Now, read Philippians 1:12 and place your answers
in the ANSWER column.
(2) Modal questions ask HOW?: “How is this accomplished?”

“What mode was used?”
Application
Modal—How? In the REFERENCE column you need not write
Philippians each time after you have written it at the top of the
unit. From now until another passage is being examined, use
only the chapter and verse notation. So, write only 1:12-14. In
the QUESTION column write these questions: How (by what
means) has the gospel progressed? How is this evident? Now,
examine Philippians 1:12-14, and place your answers in the
ANSWER column.
(3) Temporal questions ask WHEN?: “When was this

accomplished?” “When did this take place?” WHEN does not
always have to be answered by a specific date. Sometimes it is
helpful just to know whether it is past, recent past, future, near
future, or if this event came before or after another event.
Application
Temporal—When? In the REFERENCE column write 1:12-14. In
the QUESTION column write When did this happen? Read the
verses indicated. You will notice that there is no date given, but
there is a clue as to whether this has happened in the distant past
or recent past. In the ANSWER column write which you think it
is, and what clues indicate the answer.
(4) Locale questions ask WHERE? This is the question of

place. Place can include the country, the community, someone’s
home, a geographical location such as mountains, desert, etc.
Question and Answer Techniques

Kind of Question Reference Question Answer
Identifying - Who? Philippians 1:12 Who is being addressed?
- What? What does the writer
want them to know?
Application
Locale— Where? In the REFERENCE column write 1:13-14.
In the QUESTION column write Where did this happen? In the
ANSWER column write where you think it may have happened
and why you think so.
Thought Questions have to do with the interpretation

of the facts, once you have raised the facts to your level of
consciousness. There are three basic kinds of thought questions:
(1) definitive, having to do with definition; (2) rational, having
to do with the reason why; and (3) implicational, having to do
with application to life today, with finding out what is suggested
beyond what is stated and correlating it with the Bible as a
whole. You see that these questions are really part of the basic
steps of Bible study discussed earlier.
(1) Definitive questions ask, “What does this mean?” You
have observed that something is said. The next question after
you get through with your observing is, “Now I see what has
been said, but what does it mean?” A definitive question calls
for an explanatory answer. It can be applied to words or terms,
to statements, to grammar, to literary forms, or to the tone or the
general atmosphere of the writing.
Application
Definitive—Meaning? In the REFERENCE column write 1:13.
In the QUESTION column write What is the meaning of the
phrase, palace guard? Now read verse 13 and think about what it
probably means. Write your answer in the ANSWER column.
(2) Rational questions ask WHY?: “Why is this said?”

Further, “Why is this said here?” You have defined the term and
found its meaning, but why is it used here? What position does it
occupy in the narrative? To answer this properly, you will usually
have to read longer portions, such as the chapter or the book, to
get a better perspective.
Application
Rational—Reason why? In the REFERENCE column write 1:12-
14. In the QUESTION column write Why is Paul telling them
this? Read verses 12-14. Answer the question from these verses;
write it in the ANSWER column.
Be sure to compare your answers with the suggested ones. Yours

do not have to be exactly the same, but they should be similar.
(3) Implicational questions ask “What does this imply?” Is
there a principle here to be discovered? Is there an application
that can be made? Notice again that these questions are definitely
related to basic steps in Bible study: evaluation, application, and
correlation. Implications are things not directly stated in the text
but which can be seen in addition to what has been directly stated.
Application
Implicational—what does this imply? In the REFERENCE
column write 1:12-14. In the QUESTION column write What two
implications might be drawn from this reference? Think about this
passage and about some conclusions or implications which you
might draw from it. Write them in the ANSWER column.
20 Now match the question on the left with the kind of question it
represents (on the right).
...... a How was it done? 1) Identifying
...... b Why is it said? 2) Modal
3) Temporal
...... c Is there a principle? 4) Locale
...... d Who is involved? 5) Definitive
...... e What is the meaning? 6) Rational
7) Implicational
...... f When did it happen?
...... g Where did it happen?
self-test
1 What is the first qualification for effective Bible study?
a) Knowledge
b) Spiritual understanding
c) Great intelligence
2 What are the two kinds of personal preparation necessary for
effective Bible study?
a) Spiritual and mental
b) Physical and mental
c) Social and spiritual
3 Which one of these items does NOT express a spiritual
qualification that is necessary for effective Bible study?
a) Deep reverence for God
b) Obedience to God’s Word
c) Perfect freedom from sin
d) Prompt confession of sin
4 Match each quality (left) with the attitude (right) which best
describes it.
...... a Meekness 1) Mental
...... b Alertness 2) Spiritual
...... c Faith
...... d Concentration
...... e Reverence
5 Your eyes and time are two of the five tools we mentioned in
this lesson for effective Bible study. What are the other three?
........................................................................................................
6 Methodical Bible study consists of an orderly procedure that
a) eliminates all other methods.
b) leads to an understanding of Scripture.
c) cannot be used by ordinary people.
7 Which one of the following items contains some of the basic
steps in Bible study?
a) Mental, spiritual, and physical
b) Procedure, method, focus, and goal
c) Observe, interpret, summarize, and evaluate
8 Observation asks:
a) “What does this say?”
b) “Is there an eternal principle here?”
c) “What does this mean?”
9 Interpretation asks:
a) “What does this say?”
b) “Is there an eternal principle here?”
c) “What does this mean?”
10 Match each class of questions (right) to its kinds of questions
(left) by writing the correct number in each blank.
...... a Definitive, rational, implicational 1) Fact questions
...... b Identifying, modal, temporal, locale 2) Thought questions
answers to the study questions

10 b) It should always show main points and accompanying
details.
c) It may be shown in a chart or diagram.
d) It is the whole set forth in condensed form.
1 b) something.
11 a) less directly to our own lives than eternal principles.
20 a 2) Modal
b 6) Rational
c 7) Implicational
d 1) Identifying
c 5) Definitive
f 3) Temporal
g 4) Locale
2 c) the Holy Spirit.
12 a 3) Application
b 1) Correlation
c 1) Correlation
d 3) Application
3 Any five of the following:
reverence, sensitivity to the Spirit, meekness, humility,
patience, faith, confession of sin, obedience to God.
13 Paul’s brothers; that the things which have happened to him have
really helped the progress of the gospel. (Wording may differ.)
4 a) mental attitude more than spiritual attitude.
14 Through Paul’s being in prison; through the brothers’
increased boldness to preach the gospel message.
5 c) very simple tools.
15 Recent past; because one of the “things that have happened”
of which Paul is speaking is evidently his being in prison, and
he is still in prison.
6 a) An orderly way of study.
b) Study that focuses your efforts toward your goal.
e) A procedure that leads toward a conclusion.
16 In prison in Rome. Paul’s being in prison is directly stated. At
Rome is suggested here because of the mention of the palace
guard (This conclusion is confirmed in 4:22).
7 Observe, interpret, summarize, evaluate, apply, correlate.
17 Paul states that he is in prison. A prison requires guards. These

guards are evidently connected with the palace security force
and, therefore, know of Paul’s imprisonment at the palace.
8 a 3) Observation
b 4) Facts
c 2) Interpretation
18 So that they will be encouraged at the way the gospel is
progressing. So they can rejoice over the fact that Paul’s
testimony in prison is encouraging the believers where he is.
9 b) finding out what the author meant.
19 Paul has been witnessing about Jesus Christ to his guards.
Jesus Christ can be glorified in any situation. The gospel can
be spread in difficult circumstances. Paul’s ill fortune was
actually the will of God at that moment. (Others may be found
but these are significant.)
3
LESSON
Basic Principles of
Interpretation
You were introduced to some foundational guides for

understanding Scripture in a section of Lesson 1. In Lesson
2 you discovered that interpretation is the second step of six
basic steps in Bible study. After you have observed, you have
a body of information; then, you interpret your information.
Lesson 3 will focus on some of the important aspects
of interpretation. Much of the body of Christian belief and
doctrine has been established through interpretation. What is
doctrine? Why is it so important? Why is interpretation such
a crucial step in learning? Let’s look at detailed answers to
these questions.
Basic Principles of Interpretation 57
lesson outline
The Importance of Doctrine
Literal Interpretation
The Related Whole
New Testament Reveals Old Testament
Scripture in Context: Caution in Using “Proof” Texts
Divine Disclosure Only in Scripture
Determining Doctrinal Truth
Only From Passages That Proclaim God’s Will for All Men
Only Scriptural Teaching Directly Binds Conscience
The Practical Nature of Scripture
Responsibility for Light
lesson objectives
Define “doctrine” and “theology” according to our usage of
these terms.
Explain the meaning and importance of literal interpretation.
Describe three principles involved in using the Bible as a
related whole.
Explain two general principles: one for identifying doctrinal
truth in Scripture and the other for guiding Christian behavior.
Recognize two aspects of the practical nature of Scripture.

Explain the importance of accurate sharing of the message of
the Bible.
learning activities
2. Be sure you understand the meanings of the key words. Look
up in the glossary those that you do not understand.
3. Answer in writing every question in the lesson development.
Always remember to check your answers.
4. You will not be asked to use your notebook in this lesson.
However, if you have time it would be valuable to try to use on
a new passage of Scripture the question-answer technique which
you studied in Lesson 2. The more you use the techniques and
methods you are studying, the more they will become yours.
Select a paragraph, a chapter, or a whole book for your study.
5. Take the self-test at the end of the lesson.
key words
assumption encyclopedia secondary
communication mystical theology
doctrine primary
lesson development
THE IMPORTANCE OF DOCTRINE

Objective 1. Define “doctrine” and “theology” according to our
usage of these terms.
In this lesson we use the word “doctrine” in reference to
Bible doctrine. It is “the substance and content of the Christian
faith.” Theology is closely related to it. For our purposes it will
be defined as “the study of God and His relation to man and to
the world.” Doctrine and theology include all the teachings of the
Christian faith.
People spend lifetimes dealing with these subjects, so it is not
the main purpose of this lesson to teach doctrine, but to tell you
what it is and to give you an idea of the importance of it. Jesus
affirmed that His doctrine came from God. “What I teach is not
my own teaching,” He said, “but it comes from God, who sent
me. Whoever is willing to do what God wants will know whether
what I teach comes from God or whether I speak on my own
authority” (John 7:16-17).
In writing to Timothy, Paul speaks of the uses of Scripture
(2 Timothy 3:16-17). The very first item on his list is that it is
useful for teaching the truth. And that, of course, is the key to
the importance of doctrine. Truth is sound doctrine because truth
is divine (John 14:6). You need to believe only “truth” and share
only “truth.”
Application
1 Match each term (right) with a definition of it (left).
...... a The substance and content of the 1) Theology
Christian faith. 2) A use of
...... b The study of God and His relation to man Scripture
and to the world. 3) Doctrine
...... c Teaching the truth.
Doctrine and theology are important because what you

come to believe about God and His program determines your
behavior, your decisions, your relationships; in short, the whole
of your life. Paul commended obedience to truth in the Roman
Christians: “For though at one time you were slaves to sin, you
have obeyed with all your heart the truths found in the teaching
you received” (Romans 6:17).
When you come to the Bible, you bring your assets: your
mind, your will, and your heart. God brings His assets to you. He
has given you the Holy Spirit to help you understand the words
He has already inspired.
Why then are there so many false doctrines in the world? There
are many reasons. People are perverse when it comes to obeying
God. They use the Bible in strange ways. I once knew a man who
said, “I believe Jesus was a great teacher and I live by the Sermon
on the Mount.” But this man was not a born-again Christian. He
did not believe in Jesus as the Savior of the world. He evidently did
not consider the fact that Jesus testified that He is the Savior, God’s
beloved Son. If Jesus was not telling the truth about that, you could
not trust the other things He said. It is possible to live by the Sermon
on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) only if Jesus lives in your heart.
False doctrines arise from a deliberate twisting of Scripture.
In the Old Testament book of Malachi, God denounces the
priests who are deliberately teaching false doctrine to the people
(Malachi 2:8). In the New Testament, Paul continually warns
Timothy to guard his doctrine with great care.
Application
2 Read 1 Timothy 6:3-5 in your Bible. Find the answers to the
following questions from examining this passage.
a What three things can be said about the person who teaches
false doctrine and does not agree with the words of Jesus?
..................................................................................................
b What does this type of person think that religion is?
..................................................................................................
The fact that false doctrine may also arise in the church itself
is even more disturbing. The Holy Spirit is present to help our
understanding, but many of God’s children are lazy, careless, and
indifferent about Bible study. Those who don’t study are easy
targets for false teachers who tell them what they like to hear
rather than God’s truth. A lazy mind and careless attitude put a
barrier in the way of the Holy Spirit. After all, He has to work
with your intelligence. Communication is a two-way operation.
God cannot reveal unless there is someone to reveal to, someone
who is making an effort to receive the communication. Paul said
to the Ephesian Christians, “Then we shall no longer be children,
carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind of
the teaching of deceitful men, who lead others into error by the
tricks they invent” (Ephesians 4:14).
Christians who are honestly seeking the will of God in the
understanding of divine truth must be very concerned about such
things as interpretation, theology, and doctrine. The principles
presented in Lessons 3 and 4 are to help you do what Paul said to
do in 1 Thessalonians 5:21. “Put all things to the test, keep what is
good.” As you study, you will have to weigh the ideas which come
to you. Are the ideas from God, or are they sometimes the workings
of your own mind? Therefore you must test your ideas to see if they
stand up. Principles of interpretation are really just tests to confirm
or verify truth and to weed out wrong ideas. Belief must be tested
by an alert, redeemed person who comes to the Word with his best
judgment. His judgment is acted upon by the Holy Spirit who then
brings understanding of truth (sound doctrine).
LITERAL INTERPRETATION
Objective 2. Explain the meaning and importance of literal
interpretation.
Literal interpretation is meaning that is based on natural
or normal usage of language, the ordinary sense of the words.
Figurative language is the expression of one thing in terms of
another. It presents pictures to the mind that illustrate other ideas.
Language is a complex and changing system. Over years of

use, words acquire connotations and shades of meaning. To say
that the Bible must be understood literally does not mean to put
the student in a rigid frame and say, “You can only understand
this word in one way.” But there has to be a starting point. This
starting point is the normal way in which words are used in their
natural and ordinary sense. Figurative language is used in the
Bible and will be the subject of Lesson 4. But even figurative
language depends for its meaning on the literal meaning of what it
represents. Jesus often used figurative language in His teaching.
Application
3 Circle the letter before each TRUE sentence.
a Literal and figurative mean exactly the same thing.
b Figurative language needs the literal meaning of words to
convey the idea it represents.
c Literal meaning is the natural, ordinary usage of language.
4 Read the parable of the weeds (Matthew 13:24-30) and
Jesus’ explanation of it (Matthew 13:36-43). Then answer these
questions based on it.
a What were the words Jesus used to picture Himself?
..................................................................................................
b What word did Jesus use to picture the world?
..................................................................................................
c What phrase pictures the people who belong to the Kingdom?
..................................................................................................
d What word pictures the people who belong to the evil one?
..................................................................................................
These questions give you a good example of how figurative

language is used. (You may want to ask a few questions of your
own on a figurative language passage and record your study
in your notebook, just for practice.) Can you see that normal
understanding of “seed,” for example, is absolutely necessary to
your understanding of what Jesus was illustrating? We do this in
all our reading. All communication is based on the assumption
that the one who speaks will be understood by the one who
listens or reads. This is what God intends. He is not trying to
hide His message from you; He is trying to reveal it. Therefore
you will not have to look for mystical or hidden meanings in
Scripture. Were that true, all would be confusion. People’s
imaginations would work overtime and nothing could be known
for sure. Belief must be tested by whether or not you are giving
the words their ordinary meanings.
Application
5 Complete these sentences with the word literal or figurative.
a The Bible must be interpreted in a ............................ sense,
otherwise nothing could be known for sure about its meaning.
b ............................ language was often used by Jesus to
illustrate His teaching.
c You do not have to look for mystical or hidden meanings in
Scripture because God speaks in His Word in a normal or
....................... way.
THE RELATED WHOLE

Objective 3. Describe three principles involved in using the Bible as a
related whole.
New Testament Reveals Old Testament

Belief must be tested by New Testament revelation. The
teachings of the Old Testament laid a foundation in history for
teachings in the New Testament. You remember from studying
“progressive revelation” in Lesson 1 that because of man’s
limited capacity to understand and his sinful, perverse nature,

God can reveal truth only a little at a time.
Jesus said, (Matthew 5:17) “Do not think that I have come
to do away with the Law of Moses and the teachings of the
prophets. I have not come to do away with them, but to make
their teachings come true.” The revelation of God the Redeemer
in the New Testament is the peak of God’s revelation to man. All
the teachings of the Old Testament must be seen in the light of
this final and highest revelation, the New Testament.
6 Read from your Bible, Leviticus 11:1-23 and Mark 7:17-19.
Explain in your notebook which of those teachings is correct for
today and why.
Scripture in Context: Caution in Using “Proof”

Texts
Belief must be tested by the meaning of any given passage of
Scripture in relation to all its context: the paragraph, the chapter,
the book, and the other books of the Bible.
A “proof” text is a verse that may be quoted to verify a point
of view or a point of doctrinal belief. It is all right to do this
provided that you have determined the accurate meaning of the
verse you are quoting. For example, in Exercise 6, Mark 7:17-19
is cited as a “proof” text for the teaching that it is permissible
now to eat all foods. Another text which is related to this
principle is Acts 10:9-15. The text in Mark is Jesus’ teaching
which is clarified in Mark’s comment that is added in verse 19 in
parentheses. The passage in Acts, which tells about Peter’s vision
of many unclean animals being let down in a sheet, teaches the
same thing but only as an illustration of its primary message. If
you read the chapter (context) carefully, you find that the main
idea is that Peter is to accept the Gentiles and not be afraid to
bring them the gospel. Food is the secondary consideration.
Remember the rational thought questions from the last
lesson: “Why is this said?” and “Why is this said HERE?”
When determining doctrine or an eternal principle to which all
believers everywhere must conform, these questions become all-
important. Scripture must be understood in its immediate context

and compared with other Scripture.
Application
7 Read 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 carefully. This passage is a
paragraph, which means it embodies a complete thought. Note
verses 19 and 20.
a In 5:19-20 what main topic is being discussed?
..................................................................................................
b In light of the main topic of the paragraph, what is the “kind of evil”
being referred to in this passage (verse 22)?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
First Thessalonians 5:22 is a verse often quoted to “prove”

that something should or should not be done. Other verses in the
New Testament speak directly to questions of specific wrongdoing
which must be avoided, but I feel that this verse should be
understood in the context of judging the ways in which gifts of
the Spirit are used in the church. A better text to use for proof that
the New Testament teaches a holy and separated life would be
Colossians 3:5-6, where a direct and specific command is given.
Divine Disclosure Only in Scripture

This time, our phrase about belief is changed a little. Belief
must be formulated or extracted ONLY FROM SCRIPTURE.
The recorded history of man dates back several thousands
of years. During that time the intelligence of man has given rise
to many noble thoughts. It has also given rise to many mistaken
notions, as man has observed his surroundings and tried to make
suitable explanations for them. Christian doctrine cannot be based
on writings of human inspiration. All Christian doctrine and
theology can have only one source, the Bible. You can find the
truth of God only by seeking to correctly understand Scripture.
Doctrine cannot come from any source other than the Bible.
Neither can it go beyond what the Bible specifically states. There
are many questions that are not answered in the Bible. You may
have questions, but God has given in Scripture all that He wants
you to know. He has given the important things. He expects you to
study and find out all that is there. But the walk of the believer is a
walk of faith too. Romans 8:25 concludes a paragraph that has been
talking about the future hope of the believers. It says that “if we
hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” God has
reasons of His own for putting some information in Scripture and
withholding some. Sound doctrine cannot be built on guesswork.
In all probability you will not be engaged in formulating
doctrines for the church. Yet every student of the Scripture is,
in a way, engaged in working out beliefs for himself and beliefs
he will be sharing. Remember, doctrine can come from no other
source but the Bible and can go only as far as the Bible goes.
Application
8 Match each Scripture passage with the principle it illustrates.
...... a New Testament 1) “If we hope for what we do not
reveals Old see, we wait for it with patience”
...... b Scripture in context (Romans 8:25).
2) “I have not come to do away with
...... c Divine disclosure
only in Scripture them, but to make their teachings
come true” (Matthew 5:17).
3) “Nothing that goes into a person
from the outside can really make
him unclean” (Mark 7:18).
DETERMINING DOCTRINAL TRUTH

Objective 4. Explain two general principles: one for identifying
doctrinal truth in Scripture and the other for guiding
Christian behavior.
Only From Passages That Proclaim God’s Will

for All Men
All of the Bible is the Word of God. All of it is truth. All
of it is useful to us. But it is not all useful in the same ways.
Determining doctrine does not imply that some of the Bible is
true and some is not. However, doctrinal truth (the passages
that declare God’s will for man now) is useful to us in a more
particular way because it demands something of us.
Application
9 Read 2 John 12, then answer these questions based on it.
a Does this verse express truth?
..................................................................................................
b If so, is it truth that has anything personal to do with you or me?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
c Write in your own words what this verse seems to express.
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
10 Read 2 John 9.
a Does this verse express truth?
..................................................................................................
b If so, is it truth that has anything personal to do with you or me?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
c If this verse has truth for us, what indicates that it does?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
Second John 9 is different from 2 John 12. Second John 9

proclaims an eternal principle that is as it was in the day John
wrote this letter: if you do not stay with the teachings of Christ,
but go beyond them, you do not have God. Second John 12 is
true also, but it does not proclaim eternal truth that has personal
implications for people today. So, doctrine is determined by
passages that proclaim God’s will for man for all time.
Only Scriptural Teaching Directly Binds

Conscience
At the beginning of this lesson we defined doctrine as the
substance and content of the Christian faith. A specific part of
that content is the group of commands that bear directly on
daily Christian behavior. You and your behavior are not easy
to separate. In Christian circles what you can do and can not
do are usually subjects of interest and discussion. Sometimes
the subject is also bound up with cultural practices that are not
related to Scriptural commands.
Your personal Christian behavior should be determined on
the basis of four guides: direct command, reasonable implication,
eternal principle, and conscience.
Direct command is the most clear. What is directly
condemned in Scripture, we have a right to condemn today. The
following exercise presents an example.
Application
11 Read Ephesians 5:3-5. List the things that are directly condemned.
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
Reasonable implication is not quite as clear as direct

command, but must be considered. For example, drunkenness
is condemned in Scripture. (See 1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:10;
Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:21.) It can be reasonably
implied from these Scriptures that the misuse of drugs is to

be condemned as well, because it interferes with the normal
conscious function.
Eternal principle is important though often less clear than
direct command. As an example, read Ephesians 5:1-2.
Application
12 State in your own words how two eternal principles in
Ephesians 5:1-2 have a direct bearing on your personal behavior.
........................................................................................................
In the discussion of the question of food offered to idols

in 1 Corinthians 8, you can see an example of both eternal
principle and conscience. The difference lies in the way you
view it. From Paul’s position you see an eternal principle: that of
consideration for others. The eating of the meat in question was
nothing, as far as he was concerned. But for the sake of those
around him who thought it to be sin, he did not eat. His motive
was to keep from offending someone who truly thought it to be
sinful (1 Corinthians 8:13).
In 1 Corinthians 8:10, conscience is seen operating in the
weak person: “Suppose a person whose conscience is weak in
this matter sees you, who have so-called ‘knowledge,’ eating
in the temple of an idol; will not this encourage him to eat food
offered to idols?” It is interesting to note that if you truly believe
something to be a sin (whether it is or not by the standards we
have discussed) and you go against your own conscience to do it,
it really becomes sin for you. Not because of the act itself in such
cases, but because the spirit of disobedience is its motivation.
Application
13 List four areas where Scripture directly binds conscience.
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
14 Match each type of Scripture (left) with the item that identifies
it best (right).
...... a Passages that proclaim God’s will 1) Determine personal
for all men. behavior
...... b Teachings of Scripture that bind 2) Determine doctrine
conscience. 3) Are truth with
...... c Personal messages of local incidental value
importance.
THE PRACTICAL NATURE OF

SCRIPTURE
Objective 5. Recognize two aspects of the practical nature of Scripture.
The Bible is not intended to be an encyclopedia of interesting
bits of information. It is not a science book. It has one main
theme which we have already found to be redemption by faith
in Jesus Christ. The content of the Bible is highly selective; it
has been specifically chosen to deliver and support this message
of redemption. Even concerning the activities of Jesus, John
wrote that if all were to be recorded, “the whole world could not
hold the books that would be written” (John 21:25). So as you
study Scripture, you should keep in mind its practical nature.
It contains much incidental information, but its main thrust is
very personal and practical: how to be saved, how to live as a
Christian believer, how to share the Gospel.
Application
15 Circle the letters before the statements that are TRUE.
a) The main theme of the Bible is informational.
b) The Bible contains only a record of what Jesus did.
c) The main theme of the Bible is redemption through Jesus Christ.
d) The practical nature of Scripture shows us how to live and
how to serve.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR LIGHT

Objective 6. Explain the importance of accurate sharing of the
message of the Bible.
The Bible is truly a book with a message that is a matter
of life and death! Sharing God’s Word is not a matter of
tickling ears with interesting facts or showing how much you
know. It must be motivated by a heart of love for God and for
His growing church. The Bible contains information that is
absolutely necessary for every person to know. It speaks of
eternal joy or eternal punishment after this brief life is over. The
Bible is the only place where accurate information about God
and the eternal destiny of human beings can be found. You have
it within your power to lead men to God with truth, or to mislead
them with false or careless information. God’s Word must be
proclaimed in truth!
Application
16 Why is it so important that the message of the Bible be
proclaimed with great accuracy?
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
self-test
1 Circle the letters before the correct answers. Which of the
following statements about doctrine and theology are TRUE?
a) Doctrine and theology include all the teachings of the
Christian faith.
b) Theology deals with the study of God and His relation to man
and the world.
c) All doctrine is acceptable if it is sincere.
2 What is meant by literal interpretation of the Bible?
a) That every word can have only one meaning.
b) The natural, normal, ordinary use of language.
c) The expression of one thing in terms of another.
3 Circle the letters before the correct statements.
a) Belief must be tested by New Testament revelation.
b) Belief must be tested by Old Testament Law.
c) Belief must be tested by the meaning of the context
surrounding the Scripture passage.
d) Belief must be tested by how reasonable it sounds to you.
e) Belief must be based only on the Bible.
f) Belief can be extracted from any moralistic book.
TRUE-FALSE. Write T or F in front of each statement to
indicate whether it is true or false.
...... 4 Only part of the Bible is true.
...... 5 All of the Bible is true.
...... 6 All of the Bible is for your personal direction.
...... 7 Direct command, reasonable implication, eternal principle,
and conscience have a bearing on Christian behavior.
...... 8 Direct command is the only consideration for Christian
conduct.
9 What are two things that the practical nature of the Bible
teaches us to do?
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
10 Why is accuracy extremely important in sharing God’s Word
with others? (Answer in your own words.)
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................

8 a 2) “I have not come to do away with them, but to make
their teachings come true” (Matthew 5:17).
b 3) “Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can
really make him unclean” (Mark 7:18).
c 1) “If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with
patience” (Romans 8:25).
1 a 3) Doctrine
b 1) Theology
c 2) A use of Scripture
9 a Yes
b No
c A final, personal message to the people to whom it was
written.
2 a He is swollen with pride, knows nothing, and desires to
argue and quarrel about words.
b That it is a way to become rich.
10 a Yes
b Yes
c Words of warning and words of comfort for us.
3 b Figurative language needs the literal meaning of words to
convey the idea it represents.
c Literal meaning is the natural, ordinary usage of language.
11 Sexual immorality, indecency; greed; obscene, profane, or
vulgar language.
4 a The man who sowed the good seed.
b Field
c Good seed
d Weeds
12 1) I must find out what God is like, and try to be like Him in
every possible way.
2) I must control my action by love in the same way as
Christ showed His love. (Wording will vary.)
5 a Literal
b Figurative
c Literal
13 Direct command, reasonable implication, eternal principle,
and conscience. (In any order.)
6 The teaching of Jesus in the New Testament, that all foods

are fit to be eaten, is the one that applies to today. It is correct
because the New Testament gives a fuller revelation of God’s
will for man than the Old Testament. (Answers will vary.)
14 a 2) Determine doctrine.
b 1) Determine personal behavior.
c 3) Are truth with incidental value.
7 a) Gifts of the Spirit.
b) Misuse of the gifts of the Spirit.
16 Because the eternal destiny in heaven or hell for all people
depends on the words of Scripture.
15 c) The main theme of the Bible is redemption through Jesus
Christ.
d) The practical nature of Scripture shows us how to live and
how to serve.
4
LESSON
Figurative Language
in Interpretation
This lesson is the second of two lessons on interpretation.

You have learned that figurative language explains one
thing in terms of another. This calls for some special skill in
interpretation! Lesson 4 will help you understand some of the
major ways figurative language is used in Scripture.
This lesson will give you an interesting overview of figurative
language as it is used in parables, prophecy, types and symbols,
and poetry in the Bible. These four categories represent a large
part of biblical writings. It is too valuable a part to neglect. You
need have no fear in your study of such parts of the Bible if you
learn to understand the uniqueness of each category.
Figurative Language in Interpretation 77
lesson outline
Parables
Definition
Purpose
Facts to Remember
Understanding Parables
Prophecy
Definition
Problems
Types and Symbols
Definition
Features of Types
Uses of Types
Symbols
Poetry
Where Found
Features of Hebrew Poetry
lesson objectives
Identify four important things to consider in understanding
parables.
Name the two kinds of prophecy.
Explain why prophecy that foretells future events is the
hardest kind of prophecy to understand.
Explain the use of types and symbols in the Bible.
State three characteristic features of types.
Describe three kinds of parallelism in Hebrew poetry and
identify examples in Scripture.
learning activities
2. Learn the meanings of key words that are new to you.
3. Study the lesson development and answer the study questions
in the usual manner.
5. Carefully review Unit 1 (Lessons 2-4), then complete the unit
student report for Unit 1 and send it to your ICI instructor.
key words
allegory parallelism
analogy prophecy
dogmatic symbol
parable type
lesson development
PARABLES
Objective 1. Identify four important things to consider in understanding
parables.
Definition
A parable is a short story drawn from nature or common-life
situations. It illustrates a moral or religious lesson. Parables were
used by teachers in ancient times. Jesus used parables in much
of His teaching. In the Master’s teaching the parable reached its
highest level of perfection. Most of the parables of Scripture are
to be found in the Gospels. There is no set length; they can be
short or long.
Purpose
Jesus used parables for two reasons: (1) to teach His disciples
and others who listened and were responsive to Him (for these
people, the parable illuminated the truth), (2) to veil the truth
from those who were not responsive to Him. The disciples asked
Jesus about this. In Matthew 13:10 they asked Him, “Why do
you use parables when you talk to the people?”
Application
1 Read Matthew 13:11-17. Find the answers to the following
questions.
a To whom has the knowledge about the secrets of the kingdom
of heaven been given?
..................................................................................................
b In verse 13, what does Jesus give as the reason for His use of
parables in talking to the people?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
Facts to Remember
First, parables always illustrate by means of an earthly
process or happening. Losing a coin, letting light shine in the
dark, a farmer with his seed, rich men, poor men, building
a house: all are themes familiar to most people. If they do
have ears to hear, understanding is not far away! Second, the
parable always contains a spiritual lesson that it is intended to
teach. Third, there is always an analogy between the spiritual
lesson and the earthly, or common, illustration. Analogy is
“resemblance, in some particulars, between things otherwise
unlike.” Fourth, both the illustration and the lesson must be
correctly interpreted.
There will be just one central truth in each parable. Actors,
elements, and actions will need identification, but they will
be real-life presentations rather than the difficult, abstract
presentations that are usually found in an allegory.
Application
2 From the list at the right, choose the word or phrase that
completes each sentence.
...... a Parables illustrate by means of 1) truth
........................ happening. 2) an earthly
...... b Parables always have ........................ 3) allegory
to teach. 4) analogy
...... c Each parable will teach one central 5) a spiritual lesson
........................
...... d There is always an ........................
between the earthly and the spiritual.
Understanding Parables
Let us consider four things in our approach to the
understanding of parables. First, parables in the gospels relate
to Christ and His Kingdom. The first question you should ask
yourself when studying them is, “How does this parable relate
to Christ?” Remember the parable of the weeds in Matthew 13?

When Jesus interpreted this parable He said that He, the Son
of Man, was the man who sowed the good seed (v. 37). Ask
yourself questions like the following: “Is there a character in the
parable that represents Christ?” “Is there teaching in the parable
about Christ or His mission in the world?” “How does the
parable relate to the Kingdom?”
The kingdoms of this world rise and fall. About many of
them, you can say they “have been,” meaning they have come
and are already finished. The Kingdom of God has already
come for those who are born again. It is continuing, for people
continue to be born again. It will come in its fullest sense at
the Coming of the Lord. When you study a parable then, the
important questions to answer first are, “How does this relate to
Christ?” and “How does this relate to the Kingdom?”
Application
3 Read Luke 15:1-7. This is the Parable of the Lost Sheep.
a How does this parable relate to Christ?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
b How does this relate to the Kingdom?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
Second, parables must be considered in the light of the place

and time from which they come. The ideal way to do this, of
course, is to study books about Bible customs and culture. It
adds some understanding to the Parable of the Lost Coin, for
example, to know that women of those days in that place had
very limited resources. They wore their personal wealth on their
persons in some form of jewelry. It represented security against
troubles that might come in the future. A woman would be
much more anxious and worried about losing such a coin than a
modern woman who might have simply lost one of several coins
that had no such crucial importance to her. So, learn all you can
from books. Whether or not you have other books to consult,
read as much and as often as you can in the Bible itself. For
example, you will find a lot of information in the Old Testament
books of Exodus and Leviticus that will help you understand the
New Testament customs, feasts, Sabbaths, and other aspects of
Bible life.
Third, look for Jesus’ own explanation of the parable.

Frequently, His explanation follows the parable, either
immediately or within a few verses. For example, Jesus explains
the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15:7. His explanation
follows the words, “In the same way. . .” as does His explanation
of the Lost Coin in 15:10. Jesus waited until He was alone with
His disciples to explain the Parable of the Sower (see Luke 8:4-9).
In this case the verse before the parable (Luke 8:4) helps us to
understand Jesus’ explanation of it.
Application
4 Read Luke 15:2-3 again. What circumstance led to the
parables about lost things?
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
Fourth, compare the teachings you seem to see in the parable

with the full context of the Scripture: the chapter in which the
parable is found, the book, and any Old Testament association
that would be helpful in understanding it. Matthew, Mark, and
Luke are called “Synoptic Gospels” because they deal with
similar material in the Lord’s life on earth. But, they give their
accounts from different viewpoints. Compare the accounts of a
parable if more than one gospel writer mentions it. Sometimes
you can find more detail in one account than in another. You will
be able to find doctrine in parables, but you must compare it with
other Scripture for confirmation.
PROPHECY
Objective 2. Name the two kinds of prophecy.
Objective 3. Explain why prophecy that foretells future events is the
hardest kind of prophecy to understand.
Definition
Prophecy can be defined as the inspired declaration of divine
will and purpose. Sometimes prophets of the Bible “foretold”
events that were to happen in the future, and sometimes they
“forth-told” or proclaimed God’s truth for the present. Somehow,
people are often more curious about knowing the future than
about knowing God’s will for their own time. But both types of
declarations made by the prophets were important.
Problems
Can prophetic portions always be literally interpreted
as are the great teaching passages of the Bible? Can you
understand Isaiah in the same way you understand the Sermon
On The Mount (Matthew 5–7)? No, Isaiah will be harder to
interpret. You might expect the answer to be “Yes,” since the
general rule for Bible interpretation is to use the literal or
ordinary meaning of words. Passages which declare God’s
truth as a “telling forth” of His will for man now can be
interpreted through the basic principles you have learned.
But prophecy that foretells future events is more difficult.
More figurative language is used, so more study must be done

to understand each symbolic word. (The next section of the
lesson tells more about this.) More reading must be done to
discover the time, the place, and the circumstances of the
prophetic message.
Of course when a prophecy has been fulfilled and its
interpretation is in the Bible itself, understanding is easy. One
example of this is in Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost
(Acts 2:25-33). Peter quoted a prophetic psalm (Psalm 16:8-
11) and showed, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, how it
had found its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. You will find another
example in the following.
Application
5 Read Acts 8:26-36. Read Isaiah 53:7-8 also. Answer the
following questions.
a In Acts 8:27-28, who was reading in the book of Isaiah?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
b In Acts 8:34, what did the Ethiopian want to know?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
c In Acts 8:35, Philip explained this prophecy to him under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. Who did Philip identify as the
subject of the prophecy?
..................................................................................................
..................................................................................................
But what of prophecies that are not interpreted for us in

Scripture? There are many of them. They are the most difficult to
interpret, and people have many different opinions about them.
There may be several reasons for this, but we will explore only three:
(1) The prophets often saw visions which revealed future
events to them. That is, they were given mental pictures of
these events. They wrote down what they saw, but it is hard to
explain what you have seen to another person. Think about how
you would explain to a blind person what a dog looks like. You
could give a true explanation, but his mental picture might turn
out to be quite different from what you were seeing. So it is with
prophetic visions. The book of Revelation is an example of this.
The vision came to John. He wrote it down. But it is hard for
us to imagine an accurate picture of the things he saw. We can
get the general message: the Lord is working out an awesome
program on the earth, the wicked will meet their doom, the
righteous will inherit the Kingdom, Jesus will be All in All (King
of Kings and Lord of Lords). But there is much difference of
opinion about the details of the book of Revelation.
(2) The sheer mass of prophetic material in Scripture would
require years of specialized study to master. In addition to the
last seventeen books of the Old Testament (which are prophetic
books), there is prophecy in the Psalms, in Revelation, and
scattered throughout most of the other books as well.
(3) The time element in prophecy is not usually clear. The
sequence of events may be given, but the time of fulfillment
and the time span between events are usually veiled. Some
prophecies were for the near future; some were for the distant
future. These two classes of prophecy were sometimes joined in
a way that makes them seem the same when they are not. The
following is an example of such a passage. We can be sure of its
interpretation because Jesus interpreted it Himself.
When Jesus read the Scripture in the synagogue at Nazareth
(Luke 4:16-21), He read from Isaiah 61:1-2. When He had
finished what He wanted to read, He folded up the scroll, handed
it to the attendant, and sat down. His words to the people were,
“This passage of Scripture has come true today, as you heard it
being read” (v. 21). But Jesus had not read all of the passage.
He had stopped in the middle of a sentence. The part He left
out spoke of judgment, of the Lord defeating the enemies of
His people. The first part was fulfilled as they listened. The last
half of the last sentence has not yet been fulfilled. No human
being reading Isaiah 61:2 would have been able to guess that the
fulfillment of what it was prophesying would be divided by the

time gap between Jesus’ first and second comings! So it is wise
not to be dogmatic about prophecy. There are too many things
we do not know.
Application
6 Circle the letter before each of the correct completions.
Prophecy that foretells future events is the hardest kind of
prophecy to understand because
a) it is usually an allegory.
b) it has more figurative language than other prophecy.
c) it often came to the prophet in a vision that is difficult to
communicate.
d) there is not much prophecy in the Bible to compare with it.
e) the time element is usually veiled in foretelling future events.
7 Read 1 Peter 1:10-11. Note verse 11. Whose spirit was in the
prophets, enlightening them?
........................................................................................................
This verse gives the correct perspective to prophecy. Jesus

is the center of it all. In the very last chapter of the book of
Revelation (22:6-10), Jesus is shown to be the person behind all
prophecy. Therefore, all prophecy must be seen as the Spirit of
Jesus giving us (His children) “hints” and “clues” along the way,
helping us understand that we are in an on-going program that
will have a conclusion and a glorious future beyond this life. In
spite of the difficulties surrounding interpretation of prophecy, it
remains a source of encouragement and faith to the believer. You
are in the forward-moving program of Jesus Christ. All prophecy
must be understood in that light.
TYPES AND SYMBOLS

Objective 4. Explain the use of types and symbols in the Bible.
Objective 5. State three characteristic features of types.
Definition
In the Bible a type is a person or thing in the Old Testament
which is believed to foreshadow another person or thing in the
New Testament. A symbol is something that simply stands for
something else and pictures it in some way, often without the
consideration of time found in a type. But a symbol is sometimes
connected with time, and a type is sometimes called a symbol.
Types are really God’s “object lessons.” He introduced
them in the Old Testament as a form of prophecy of things that
would be realized in actuality in the New Testament. Most of the
Old Testament types are seen in the tabernacle and wilderness
wanderings of the children of Israel. Some of the main types
of the Old Testament are explained in the book of Hebrews. In
Chapters 9 and 10 the writer of Hebrews explains many of the
arrangements in the tabernacle and then says, “The Holy Spirit
clearly teaches from all these arrangements that the way into the
Most Holy Place has not yet been opened as long as the outer
Tent still stands. This is a symbol which points to the present
time” (Hebrews 9:8-9). He then continues to show that Christ is
the perfect sacrifice of which the animal sacrifices were a type.
Features of Types
There are three features of a biblical type that are
characteristic: (1) It must really resemble the thing it
foreshadows. For example, the animal sacrifice foreshadowed
the shedding of the blood of the Lord Jesus. That was a “type” of
the atoning death of Jesus Christ. (2) The type must be indicated
in Scripture either directly or indirectly. Hebrews 3:7–4:11 is
an example of a direct explanation of a type. The rest promised
the people of God under Moses and Joshua was a type of the
rest we are promised in Christ, In fact there can be found a
whole series of types of rest. Disobedient Israelites could not
enter the land of rest (3: 10-11), just as a person cannot enter
into God’s rest if his heart is evil and unbelieving. In Hebrews
Chapters 8 and 9 there are examples of types that are indirectly
indicated. The tabernacle of the Old Testament is shown to have
significance but the writer of Hebrews does not spell out every
possible relationship. Because of what he says, we believe there
are some types to be seen in the furnishings and arrangements of
the tabernacle. (3) Types cannot be forced into correspondence in
every detail with what they foreshadow. For example, a number
of Old Testament men are designated as types of Christ. Moses
is one of them, but neither he nor anyone else was like Christ in
every way.
Application
8 Read Hebrews 3:1-6. Answer the following questions.
a What quality did Moses have that made him a type of
Christ (3:2)?
..................................................................................................
b Explain two things in Hebrews 3:3-6 which show that Moses
was not like Christ in every way.
..................................................................................................
9 Complete each of the following sentences.
a A person or thing in the Old Testament which foreshadows
another in the New Testament is usually called a
..................................................................................................
b Something that often stands for something else without
consideration of time is called a
..................................................................................................
c ....................................... were really a form of prophecy,
used by God as “object lessons” to teach about coming events
in His program.
10 List briefly in your notebook three characteristic features of types.
Uses of Types
God has used a wide variety of subjects as “object lessons” or
types. If you study this subject further, you will find people used
as types. Places, such as the Promised Land, are sometimes used
as types. Many events from creation to feasts and celebrations of
ancient Israel were used as types. Duties were used as types. These
included high priestly duties typifying Jesus Christ the Great High
Priest and the Levites’ manner of carrying the ark of the covenant
with such care, for to touch it with the hands meant death. This
taught respect for God’s holiness (2 Samuel 6:6-7). Material
objects such as the tabernacle and its furnishings were types.
The books that have been chosen for this course are short books
which you can study and learn principles to apply to any book in
the Bible. As you gain skill in Bible study, you will probably be
interested in applying methods you have learned to longer books.
Old Testament books which are rich in types and symbolism are the
books of Moses: Genesis through Deuteronomy.
The Passover Meal is designated as a type with true
significance by the Lord Himself (Luke 22:14-16). Because of
this designation we can expect to find several interesting types in
the event of the Passover.
Application
11 Read the following Scriptures to find the meaning of a type in
the Passover.
a Exodus 12:15. what material substance is commanded to be
removed from the house and the food?
..................................................................................................
b Matthew 16:5-12. What does the material substance (above)
typify in this passage?
..................................................................................................
c Who is using a material substance as a type in Matthew 16:5-12?
..................................................................................................
12 Read the following Scriptures to find the meaning of another

type in the Passover.
a Exodus 12:22. what material substance is commanded to be
placed on the posts and beam of the door?
..................................................................................................
b Hebrews 11:28. What caused Moses to order that the material
substance (above) be placed on the doors?
..................................................................................................
c Hebrews 9:19-22. Compare this passage with Exodus 12:22.
The sprinkled blood of the Passover seems to have been a
type of what ceremony in the near future for the Israelites?
..................................................................................................
d Compare Hebrews 9:12 with Exodus 12:22 and Hebrews
9:19-22. Both of these Old Testament uses of blood are types
of what?
..................................................................................................
Symbols
A symbol was defined for you at the beginning of this section
as something that stands for something else and pictures it in some
way. It is often different from a type in that it is not concerned
with foreshadowing the thing it represents. It simply stands for
it. You need to be careful both with symbols and types that the
interpretation of them comes from Scripture itself. The danger is to
let your imagination force comparisons that are not correct.
Symbols in Scripture sometimes have more than one
meaning. For example, Jesus is called “The Lion from Judah’s
tribe” (Revelation 5:5), but the symbol of a lion who goes about
seeking to devour is used of the Devil (1 Peter 5:8). The aspect
of the lion as a picture of the Lord Jesus is the strong, kingly
nature of the animal. Jesus is pictured as the Lamb of God, slain
from the foundation of the world. The lamb is also a picture of
a new Christian. A fig tree and salt are symbols of the people of
God. The harvest, a wedding, and wine were symbols of the end
of the age. Symbols can be found in the New Testament as well
as the Old.
Application
13 Read Matthew 26:26-29. The Lord’s Supper uses symbolism
familiar to every believer.
a What is the bread a symbol of? ...............................................
b What is the cup a symbol of? ..................................................
14 Read Matthew 9:35-38. Write in your notebook each symbol
in this passage and what it stands for. (List them in the order that
they are mentioned.)
POETRY
Objective 6. Describe three kinds of parallelism in Hebrew poetry and
identify examples in Scripture.
Where Found
Poetry is scattered throughout the Bible from Genesis to
Revelation. Exodus 15 gives us the beautiful songs of Moses and
Miriam; Luke 1 gives us Mary’s song of praise and Zechariah’s
prophecy which are in poetic form. As you study the Bible you will
find a great deal of Hebrew poetry. In the book of Psalms, of course,
you have the hymn book of Israel: lyric poetry meant to be sung.
Features of Hebrew Poetry

Hebrew poetry does not rhyme. The length of its lines is not
important. The Hebrew poem is built around a thought pattern.
The writer has great liberty in the structure of each line.
Hebrew poetry gets much of its style from parallelism.
Parallelism gets its meaning from “parallel.” In the sense used
here, it refers to the relationship between every two lines or
verses in Hebrew poetry. There are three kinds of parallelism
used in Hebrew poetry. I am going to give you the name and
explanation of each kind. You are not expected to remember
the technical names, but it would be well to note the kinds of
parallelism used. When you come to them in Scripture you
will, then, be aware that what is being said is not accidental but
planned as part of the structure of the poem. The three kinds of

parallelism are: synonymous, antithetic, and synthetic.
Synonymous parallelism means that the second line of the
poem REPEATS the TRUTH of the first line, in similar words.
You will find an example of this in Psalm 24:1.
The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord;
The earth and all who live on it are his.
Antithetic parallelism means CONTRAST. The second line is
contrasted with the first. Psalm 1:6 is an example.
The righteous are guided and protected by the Lord,
But the evil are on the way to their doom.
Synthetic parallelism BUILDS. The second line adds
something to the first. This can be seen in Psalm 19:7.
The law of the Lord is perfect;
It gives new strength.
Application
15 Match the kind of parallelism (right) with the description of
it (left).
...... a Builds by adding in second line new 1) Antithetic
truth to first line. 2) Synonymous
...... b Contrasts thought in second line with 3) Synthetic
thought in first line.
...... c Repeats in second line the truth in
first line.
16 See if you can recognize the kinds of parallelism in these
verses in the Psalms by matching one of the words (right) with
each verse (left).
...... a Psalm 19:1 1) Builds
...... b Psalm 19:6 2) Contrasts
3) Repeats
...... c Psalm 30:5
17 Hebrew poetry is featured by

a) a pattern of rhyme.
b) lines of even length.
c) a pattern of thought.
In Hebrew poetry feelings, thoughts, and emotions are

uppermost. It is usually written in the first person “I” and deals
with personal experience. The Hebrew author coupled concrete
facts and real experiences with figurative language that would
bring vivid pictures to the reader’s mind.
self-test
1 Match each question on biblical parables (left) with the one-
word answer to it (right).
...... a What kind of illustration does a parable 1) One
always use? 2) Spiritual
...... b How many major truths are found in 3) Earthly
each parable? 4) Three
...... c What kind of lesson is a parable intended
to teach?
2 Declarations made by the prophets included
a) nothing but prediction of future events.
b) truth concerning future events and present needs.
c) truth concerning present needs only.
d) prediction of exact dates of many future events.
3 Which one of these statements is NOT true?
a A type is a person or thing in the Old Testament that
foreshadows another person or thing in the New Testament.
b A type is always the same as a symbol.
c Often a symbol does not “foreshadow” anything but just
“stands for” something else.
d Types were used by God as “object lessons” to illustrate truth
about Jesus Christ and redemption through His blood.
4 Circle the letter before each TRUE statement.
a Hebrew poetry rhymes.
b Hebrew poetry has no set length to its lines.
c Hebrew poetry is structured around a thought pattern.
d Hebrew poets spoke especially to the feelings and emotions.
Before you continue your study with Lesson 5, be sure to
complete your unit student report for Unit 1 and return the
answer sheet to your ICI instructor.

1 a To the disciples of Jesus.
b That they look but do not see, and they listen but do not
hear or understand.
10 Resemblance to what they foreshadow, indication in Scripture
either directly or indirectly, and lack of correspondence in
every detail with what they foreshadow.
2 a 2) an earthly
b 5) a spiritual lesson
c 1) truth
d 4) analogy
11 a Yeast (leaven)
b Teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees (which is
understood to be false teaching).
c Jesus
3 a The person who has a hundred sheep represents Christ.
b Celebration over the lost sheep that was found represents
joy in heaven over those who are added to the Kingdom.
12 a Blood
b Faith
c The sprinkling of blood on the covenant tent and the
things used in worship.
d The sacrifice and blood of Jesus who took His own blood
into the Most Holy Place.
4 Grumbling of the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law about
Jesus’ association with outcasts. (Wording may vary.)
13 a The Lord’s body.
b The Lord’s blood.
5 a An Ethiopian eunuch who was an important official.
b If Isaiah was talking about himself or someone else.
c Jesus.
14 a Sheep without a shepherd: worried, helpless, people.
b Shepherd: leader.
c Harvest: people who need the gospel.
d Workers: people to proclaim the gospel.
e Owner of the harvest: God.
f Gather in harvest: work of bringing people to Jesus.
6 b) it has more figurative language than other prophecy.

c) it often came to the prophet in a vision that is difficult to
communicate.
e) the time element is usually veiled in foretelling future events.
15 a 3) Synthetic
b 1) Antithetic
c 2) Synonymous
7 Christ’s Spirit
16 a 3) Repeats
b 1) Builds
c 2) Contrasts
8 a Faithfulness to God.
b Moses is worthy of less honor than Christ, and he was
only a servant while Christ is the Son.
17 c) a pattern of thought.
9 a type.
b symbol.
c Types.
for your notes

2
Unit
Unit
Study by Book—Habakkuk
Lessons
5 Composition—Knowing the Parts
6 Synthesis—Putting the Parts Together
7 Application—Studying by the Book Method
5
LESSON
Composition—
Knowing the Parts
The three lessons of this unit will deal with aspects of the
synthetic or whole book method of Bible study. Habakkuk is the
book to be examined. The word synthetic need not alarm you! It
comes from two small Greek words that mean “together” and “to
put.” Thus synthetic means “to put together.”
You will find some other unusual words in this lesson and in
the next one. Don’t be discouraged if you can’t remember them.
The ideas behind them will be most important. If you remember
a few of the words too, so much the better. These lessons will
be foundational to all your future Bible study, so be sure you
understand each point before you go on to the next one.
Composition—Knowing the Parts 101
lesson outline
Whole Book Method Defined
Principles of Composition
Groups of Literary Devices
Comparison and Contrast
Repetition, Interchange, Continuity, Continuation
Climax and Cruciality
Particularization and Generalization
Causation and Substantiation
Miscellaneous Literary Devices
Instrumentation
Explanation
Preparation
Summarization
Interrogation
Harmony
Principality
Radiation
lesson objectives
Describe the synthetic or whole book method of study.
Name the main principles of composition and recognize them
in Scripture.
State why communication is the most important task of
composition.
Describe what comparison stresses and what contrast stresses.
Distinguish among the similar literary devices of repetition,
interchange, continuity, and continuation.
Describe the relationship of climax to a story and of cruciality
to a teaching passage.
Distinguish between the movements of thought in
particularization and generalization.
Distinguish between the orders of procedure in causation
and substantiation.
Define each of the literary devices in this section of the lesson.
learning activities
3. Study the lesson development, responding in writing to each
exercise as you come to it.
4. Have your notebook nearby as you move through the lessons.
There will be items to write in your notebook in addition to
personal notations you may wish to make.
5. Begin to do some personal reading in the book of Habakkuk.
When you begin your study in Lesson 7, it will be necessary
to read that book through in one sitting. If you are not in the
habit of reading the Bible in this way, it would be helpful for
you to begin reading shorter portions to become familiar with
the words and style of writing.
key words
analyze clue principle
archaeologist composition
association literary device
lesson development
WHOLE BOOK METHOD DEFINED

Objective 1. Describe the synthetic or whole book method of study.
When an archaeologist goes to an area to dig for remains of
ancient civilizations, he works from a broad, general survey of
the area down to the smallest particulars where the very dust
often is sifted for articles of interest. He goes into the plot of
ground and makes a survey of the land. He then marks it off
into sections. He and his team of workers never begin a “dig”
without this careful survey first; then, they really dig for details.
Every find is eventually examined thoroughly, photographed, and
registered. But the archaeologist does not get to the fine details
until he has measured and surveyed the entire hill or field where
he plans to work.
The synthetic method of Bible study corresponds to the broad
general survey first made by the archaeologist. The student of the
Bible will be able to find the treasure of richer meaning in the
details of Scripture when he first sees the book or major passage
he is to study as a unified whole!
Remember that synthetic means “to put together.” The
synthetic method (or whole book method) gives an overall
picture of the book, a “bird’s-eye” view. This method can be
used with a part of a book if the part is a unit (such as a Psalm or
the Sermon on the Mount) that can stand alone.
The first step in the synthetic method is whole book reading.
A short book has been chosen for this study so that you can read
it through at one sitting. When you arrive at the point of applying
the method, you will be looking for specific information as you
reread the book. When you have gathered the information in
some sort of written form, you will make a summary outline. You
may wish to try a simple chart. Whatever you do to summarize,
you will have a good grasp of the overall content and message of
the book. Then, like the archaeologist and his treasures, you can
examine every small section of the book you study. You will find
that the treasure of God’s Holy Word cannot be exhausted! As
long as you live, you can come to passages again and again and
find fresh inspiration every time.
Application
1 Circle the letter before each of these terms that could apply to
the synthetic method.
a) Whole book method
b) Overall picture
c) Study of particular detail
d) Bird’s-eye view
e) Put together
f) Dig for details
2 Your plan of action when you apply the synthetic method will
be to read
a) the whole book, write the chapter headings, and single out the
best verse.
b) certain portions, analyze each detail, and chart your findings.
c) the book through at one sitting, look for specific information,
and summarize it.
PRINCIPLES OF COMPOSITION
Objective 2. Name the main principles of composition and recognize
them in Scripture.
Objective 3. State why communication is the most important task of
composition.
A composition puts several parts together to make one
thing out of them, to make a whole. A composition may be a
painting, a musical work, poetry, or written language. Whatever
the composition, it will express unity. It will have a beginning,
middle, and end. If it is a piece of art, it will have several parts
that all merge to form a unit.
A composition of words must communicate thoughts. God

gave man language. With language comes the order, arrangement,
and principles that make communication possible. Each language
has order, though it may differ from other languages.
People usually do not consider that Bible authors had a
plan in mind when they sat down to write what we know to be
Scripture. Because we give so much attention to the inspiration
given to these men by the Holy Spirit, we neglect to understand
that the Holy Spirit used the writers’ own abilities. Scriptures are
Holy Spirit-inspired in content and message, and the Holy Spirit
used the writers, their language, their vocabulary, and the forms
of literature of their day. This had to be since the Holy Spirit was
communicating truth. You communicate with people by using the
language forms they know!
I am taking time to prepare you for learning the principles
of composition because they are important. I am sure you will
recognize many of the ideas that these principles represent.
Consider Paul. He knew he was writing letters. He used the
normal form for letters in his day. The greetings in his letters are
very much like greetings of letters archaeologists find from that
period. David knew he was writing poetry. We have discussed
some aspects of Hebrew poetry, and will discuss more in lesson
6. Moses wrote God’s Law with the full intent that it would
become Scripture that would be dear to the people as a blessing
and a warning. Consider Deuteronomy 31:24-26:
Moses wrote God’s Law in a book, taking care not to leave
out anything. When he finished, he said to the levitical
priests who were in charge of the Lord’s Covenant Box,
“Take this book of God’s Law and place it beside the
Covenant Box of the Lord your God, so that it will remain
there as a witness against his people.”
All the writers of both the Old Testament and the New
Testament wrote with full consciousness of writing something
that would communicate.
Now when you write something, you try to make yourself

clear. There are simple principles of arrangement which are good
to know because they make the whole more understandable.
You use them yourself, but you may not have learned their
names or realized that they were principles of composition! You
may compare something to something else. You may use an
illustration. You may repeat ideas if you really want the person
who reads to get the point you are making. You may warn.
You may say things another way to help someone understand.
You will use all these principles of writing if you really want to
convince someone of the importance of your words.
Well, Bible writers did the same thing. They warned,
illustrated, repeated, made comparisons, showed relationships,
and reemphasized. If you can see some of these principles as
clues to what the Bible writer was trying to communicate, you
can get in back of the principles and begin to see his motivation.
The eyes of your understanding begin to open as you observe the
Holy Spirit’s powerful use of these principles.
Application
3 Name four principles of composition mentioned above.
........................................................................................................
GROUPS OF LITERARY DEVICES

Comparison and Contrast
Objective 4. Describe what comparison stresses and what contrast
stresses.
Comparison involves the association of two or more things
which are alike or similar in some way. Sometimes the words
“as,” “even as,” or “like” will give you a clue that two or more
similar things are being compared. When you see this, you know
that similarity is being stressed by the author. When you become
aware that a comparison of two or more similar things is being
made, you say to yourself, “This is a device of composition—
comparison!” You may find comparison used for people, places,
things, or ideas.
Comparison is the first of twenty devices of composition
you will learn to recognize in this lesson. Each device will
be explained and illustrated with a numbered example from
Scripture. You are to write answers for these examples in
your own notebook. At the end of this section on Groups of
Literary Devices, there will be a matching exercise based on the
definitions for each of the 12 devices in this section. Then there
will be a similar matching exercise based on the remaining eight
devices under the section on Miscellaneous Literary Devices.
Application
4 EXAMPLE: 1 Samuel 13:5. What is the comparison made in
this verse? (Be sure to look for the key word “as.”)
Contrast involves differences between things. Sometimes

things contrasted have only small differences, but at other times
they are totally different. Contrast may be signaled by words
such as “but,” “or,” “else,” and “however.” The essence of
contrast is not in the word used to signal it, but in the fact that
unlike qualities are being stressed. So, you look for contrast!
Application
5 EXAMPLE: Psalm 1. The whole structure of this psalm is
based on contrast. The same two classes of people are contrasted
in verses 1 and 2, 3 and 4, and 6. What are these classes? What
words do you see in verses 2, 4, and 6 that signal contrast?
Repetition, Interchange, Continuity,

Continuation
Objective 5. Distinguish among the similar literary devices of
repetition, interchange, continuity, and continuation.
Repetition is reuse of identical words, phrases, or sentences
for emphasis. For example, five times in the second chapter of
Habakkuk, the warning “You are doomed!” rings out. In the
twenty-third chapter of Matthew, we find over and over these
words: “How terrible for you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees!
You hypocrites!” That’s forceful repetition. It brings unity of
thought to the passage.
Application
6 EXAMPLE: Isaiah 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4. What repetition do you
find in these verses?
In interchange you will see a special kind of repetition in

which an alternating pattern repeats itself. There is a beautiful
example of this in Luke chapters 1 and 2, where you will find
interchange or alternation between the topics of John the
Baptist and Jesus: the announcement of John’s soon birth and
the announcement of Jesus’ soon birth, the birth of John and the
birth of Jesus. The use of the device of interchange strengthens
contrast or comparison. It is a very good literary device when
used effectively, as Luke has used it.
Application
7 EXAMPLE: 1 John 2:12-14. Point out the alternating pattern
and its repetition in this passage.
Continuity is apparent in passages where there is repeated

use of terms that are “more or less” alike. Often is it seen in the
repeated expression of an idea in similar terms. There may be
movement toward a point in the passage. For example, in Amos
1:6–2:6 there is a repeated sentence: “The Lord says, The people
of . . . have sinned again and again, and for this I will certainly
punish them!” The same sentence is repeated for Gaza, Tyre,
Edom, Ammon, Moab, Judah, and finally Israel. The sins of each
group are somewhat different, but the pattern is the same. The
movement is that the condemnation gets closer and closer to Israel,
the people God is intensely concerned about. So continuity is reuse
of similar words or phrases to express the same idea.
Application
8 EXAMPLE: Hebrews 4:1-11. What is the theme, restated in
different ways, that brings continuity to this passage?
Now, continuation involves the extended treatment of a

particular theme. You develop your theme after introducing it.
The essence of continuation is progress through extension. You
have studied parallelism in connection with Hebrew poetry.
Continuation is closely related to “synthetic” parallelism where
a thought in one line is built upon or extended in the second line.
When you are studying a passage of Scripture, get in the habit
of asking yourself, “What is being done here?” When you see
that the author is taking an idea and moving it along, extending
and developing it, he is using the principle of continuation. You
will find this especially in narrative or story passages. The entire
book of Jonah displays the device of continuation.
Application
9 EXAMPLE: Jonah 1:1-6. Briefly summarize the progression
of separate actions of Jonah in verse 3.
Climax and Cruciality

Objective 6. Describe the relationship of climax to a story and of
cruciality to a teaching passage.
Climax involves reaching the critical point in a narrative
(story): the highest point of interest. The author builds from
lesser to greater and then to the greatest point of interest and

importance. Then, there is a little period toward the end where
things are tied together and the tension is released and you see
how everything comes out. But the climax is that critical point.
Exodus is arranged with a climax. Its highest point is in 40:34-
35. After all the narrative of leaving Egypt, the giving of the
Law, the instructions, the details of the tabernacle, finally the
cloud and the dazzling light of the Lord’s presence covers and
fills the Tent. That is the climax of the book!
Application
10 EXAMPLE: Mark 1:14-45. Compose a title for each of the
following parts of this passage: verse 14; verses 16-20; verse 26;
verse 28; verses 38-39; verses 41-42; verse 45. Your titles should
give you a picture of how this passage builds toward a climax.
(Your titles may be worded differently from those in the answers,
but they should have similar thought.)
Cruciality is related to climax, but it is found in teaching

passages more than in narrative or story-like passages. In a
teaching passage, it would be the pivotal point in the discussion,
the “hub” around which the matter under discussion turns.
In a book like Galatians there are a number of crucial points
because there are “sub-discussions” within the main discussion.
The crucial, pivotal point for the whole book is Galatians 5:1,
“Freedom is what we have—Christ has set us free!” The first
four chapters lead up to this crucial, pivotal point.
However, there are other crucial points throughout Paul’s
teaching in Galatians. One of these is found in 3:16. Paul has
been showing that the Law of Israel, not sufficient for salvation,
is indeed related to the death of Christ (3:13). Then he proceeds
to show how the promises God made to Abraham really were
directed toward Jesus Christ in whom all is fulfilled. The crucial,
pivotal verse upon which all this hinges, and without which it
would fall apart, is 3:16. The promises were made by God to

Abraham’s descendant (singular—not plural).
So, cruciality is the pivotal point or hub in teaching passages.
It can be found in narrative or story passages also, not as the
climax or high point but as a crucial point. In the book of Ruth,
for example, there is cruciality where Boaz sits at the gate and
negotiates with the other kinsmen. If things don’t go right at that
point, the whole thing will fall apart. That is a crucial point.
Application
11 EXAMPLE: John 11:45-54. In which verse of this passage
are you shown that the course of the ministry of the Lord shifted
drastically because He was no longer doing all that He had done?
(This verse is a pivotal point and demonstrates cruciality.)
Particularization and Generalization

Objective 7. Distinguish between the movements of thought in
particularization and generalization.
Particularization is the movement of thought from the
general to the particular, much like your synthetic study will
move from a survey of the whole book to study of details. In
particularization the movement is from the whole inward to its
parts, from the general to the specific. In other words, you may
have a generalization such as “All have sinned and come short
of the glory of God.” But “John Doe has sinned,” or “I have
sinned,” brings it down to the specific. That is particularization,
sometimes called deductive thought.
Application
12 EXAMPLE: Matthew 6:1-18. In what ways does Jesus
particularize His theme, the performing of religious duties?
Generalization is the inductive thought movement, going

from the specific example to the general principle. It is the
reverse of particularization.
Application
13 EXAMPLE: James 2. James starts chapter 2 with specific
examples of right Christian conduct: treating people with love
regardless of their clothing, honoring the poor, loving your
neighbor, obeying the Commandments. He moves from those
specifics to a general principle in the last verse of the chapter.
Write that generalized principle in your notebook.
Causation and Substantiation

Objective 8. Distinguish between the orders of procedure in causation
and substantiation.
The principle of causation proceeds from cause to effect; it
deals first with the reason for something, then with the result of
that thing. This is seen in Habakkuk 2:5. It says that “greedy men
are proud and restless . . . that is why they conquer nation after
nation for themselves.” Cause: greed! Effect: war!
Application
14 EXAMPLE: Habakkuk 2:17. In the first part of this verse,
what two cause-to-effect patterns can you find?
Substantiation is the reverse of causation. Substantiation

of cause moves from effect to cause. Something happens. The
reason for it is explained later. “Because” is a key word in the
use of this literary device. I say, “My finger hurts.” Someone
asks, “Why?” I say, “Because it was burned.” That is a simple
illustration but it shows the progression.
Application
15 EXAMPLE: Habakkuk 2:17. What example of substantiation
do you see in the last part of this verse?
16 Review the first twelve devices of composition that you have
learned. Match each device (right) with the phrase (left) that
defines it or describes its action.
...... a Involves likeness between things 1) Climax
...... b Involves difference between things 2) Interchange
3) Comparison
...... c Identical terms repeated 4) Particularization
...... d Repetition of similar terms 5) Continuity
...... e Extended treatment 6) Causation
7) Substantiation
...... f Effect to cause
8) Contrast
...... g Cause to effect 9) Generalization
...... h High point in the story 10) Continuation
...... i Pivot-point in the discourse 11) Cruciality
12) Repetition
...... j An alternating pattern
...... k General to specific movement
...... l Specific to general movement
MISCELLANEOUS LITERARY
DEVICES
Objective 9. Define each of the literary devices in this section of the
lesson.
Instrumentation
Instrumentation involves the means, tools, or instruments that
are used to make something happen. Key words are “through”
or “by” as in the last sentence of James 3:5, “Just think how
large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame!” In this verse, by
indicates that instrumentation will follow.
Application
17 EXAMPLE: James 2:21. What was the instrumentation by
which Abraham was put right with God?
Explanation
Explanation clarifies, analyzes, or explains. For example,
in Luke 2:4 we are told about Joseph going from Nazareth to
Galilee. His going is “because he was a descendant of David.”
Application
18 EXAMPLE: Matthew 13:58. This verse explains why Jesus
did not perform many miracles in His hometown. Relate that
explanation in your own words.
Preparation
Preparation is introductory material that is preliminary to
the rest of the section or book. For example in Luke 1:1-4, Luke
gives you that little preliminary introduction telling what his
purposes are and what his methodology is. It’s not a part of the
gospel narrative itself; it’s preliminary.
Application
19 EXAMPLE: Mark 1:1; 1 Corinthians 1:1; and 1 John 1:1.
Which one of these books starts with a preparation that best fits
our description of the term?
Summarization
Summarization is condensing information into a short form.
You summarize what you have already written or said. You are
terse. You are concise. You single out the essence of the thing. For
example, Genesis 45 is a summary chapter of the whole story of
Joseph. It states in short form what has led up to this point.
Application
20 EXAMPLE: Joshua 24:1-14. State briefly in your own words
what Joshua has summarized in this passage before he tells the
people in verse 14 to “honor the Lord and serve Him.”
Interrogation
Interrogation is asking questions. Sometimes Bible writers
ask a question and follow it with the answer. Paul does this often.
An example is found in Romans 3:31. “Does this mean that by
this faith we do away with the law?” He immediately follows it
with the answer: “No, not at all; instead, we uphold the Law.”
Other questions are rhetorical, meaning that the answer is so
obvious that the question doesn’t need to be answered. Galatians
3:5 is an example: “Does God give you the Spirit and work
miracles among you because you do what the Law requires or
because you hear the gospel and believe it?”
Application
21 EXAMPLE: Malachi chapter 1. List the verses in this chapter
which have instances of interrogation.
Harmony
Harmony involves unity by agreement or consistency. When
a point is made, the other points farther along in the passage
must agree with it! It is called a “law” of harmony, but actually
it is “truth”; it makes sure that all parts tell the truth. The whole
of Scripture illustrates harmony. And harmony is clearly seen in
passages where there is a problem and an answering solution:
disease and remedy, promise and fulfillment.
Application
22 EXAMPLE: Romans 3:21-31. This passage is part of an
example of harmony. It is the answer or solution to the problem
Paul describes in Romans 1:18-3:20. What is being described in
1:18-3:20?
Principality
Principality is not just a main idea standing alone, but
it involves a main idea supported by subordinate ones. It is
dominance and subordination. An outline is a good illustration of
principality. A main heading stands apart from its sub-headings,
but they contribute details. In Scripture, this literary device is
illustrated in the parables of Jesus. You have already learned
that each parable teaches one main or dominant lesson. The
lesson that the parable intends to teach is set in a background
of lesser details. All of it helps to make up the parable, but the
one dominant lesson stands out. In interpreting Scripture, it is
important to train your eye and your mind to focus on what is
a central or essential issue, and to be able to identify the things
that are secondary or subordinate.
Application
23 EXAMPLE: Matthew 13:47-50. What is the main point
in the lesson that this parable teaches? What are at least two
subordinate points?
Radiation
In radiation everything either moves or points toward a
certain thing or away from it. Branches of a tree and spokes of a
wheel are visual examples of radiation. In Scripture, Psalm 119
demonstrates this device in a beautiful way. Its 176 verses are
divided into 22 stanzas. They all radiate from the same point or
theme: the greatness and excellence of God’s Law.
Application
24 EXAMPLE: John 15:5. In what way does this verse use the
device of radiation?
25 Review the last eight devices of composition, starting with
instrumentation. Match each device (right) with the phrase (left)
that defines it or describes its action.
...... a Means by which something happens 1) Explanation
...... b Clarifies and analyzes 2) Interrogation
3) Preparation
...... c Introductory material 4) Radiation
...... d Condenses information 5) Harmony
...... e Asking questions 6) Instrumentation
7) Summarization
...... f Points that agree
8) Principality
...... g Main idea
...... h Toward or from a point
A further word about these literary devices: you will find that
they overlap. For instance, you may find the same question asked
several times. This would be an overlapping of interrogation and
repetition. Perhaps one or the other of them would be dominant.
Begin to notice these devices as you read. Finally, individual
aspects of composition are sometimes considered as principles of
composition and at other times as literary devices, as in the cases
of comparison and repetition in this lesson.
self-test
1 Which of these terms best applies to the synthetic method of
study?
a) Bird’s-eye view
b) Paragraph study
c) Particularization
2 The first step in the synthetic method procedure is to
a) read several portions of the book.
b) make a chart.
c) read the whole book through.
3 Illustration, repetition, and warning are main principles of
composition that are clues to what the Bible writer was trying to
a) say another way.
b) compare.
c) hide.
d) communicate.
4 Which device of composition associates things that are alike
in some way?
a) Cruciality
b) Comparison
c) Causation
5 Which device of composition has to do with introductory
material?
a) Continuity
b) Preparation
c) Summarization
6 Which literary device is being used in the Scripture, “I am the
vine, and you are the branches”?
a) Substantiation
b) Interrogation
c) Radiation
7 What literary device is used when movement of thought is
from general to specific, from the whole to its parts?
a) Particularization
b) Instrumentation
c) Harmony
d) Generalization
8 Which device of composition presents things that are unlike, as in

“The righteous shall inherit the earth, but the ungodly shall perish.”?
a) Principality
b) Continuation
c) Contrast
9 Which device of composition was John using when he wrote
to children, fathers, and young men (in that order) and then
immediately repeated this same pattern?
a) Explanation
b) Generalization
c) Interchange
d) Climax
e) Repetition

13 As the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without
actions is dead.
1 a) Whole book method
b) Overall picture
d) Bird’s-eye view
e) Put together
14 You cut down forests, now you will be cut down. You killed
animals, now animals will terrify you.
2 c) the book through at one sitting, look for specific
information, and summarize it.
15 The people will be cut down and terrified because of the
murders and violence they have committed.
3 c) Your answer may include any four of the following:
comparison, illustration, repetition, warning, showing
relationships, saying things another way.
16 a 3) Comparison
b 8) Contrast
c 12) Repetition
d 5) Continuity
e 10) Continuation
f 7) Substantiation
g 6) Causation
h 1) Climax
i 11) Cruciality
j 2) Interchange
k 4) Particularization
l 9) Generalization
4 The comparison being made is between the number of soldiers
and the number of grains of sand on the seashore.
17 His action of offering his son Isaac on the altar.
5 Good people are being contrasted with bad people in each
case. Instead and but signal contrast.
18 Jesus did not perform many miracles in His hometown
because the people there did not have faith.
6 The Lord’s “hand . . . stretched out to punish.”
19 1 Corinthians.
7 The alternating pattern from children to fathers, to young men
in verses 12-13 is repeated in verse 14.
20 Joshua has summarized what God has done for His people
since the time of Abraham.
8 The theme of rest.
21 Malachi 1:2, 6, 7, 8, 13.
9 Jonah set out to get away from the Lord; he went to Joppa; he
found a ship about to go to Spain; he paid his fare and went
aboard that ship.
22 Guilt and condemnation for sin.
10 Verses 14 Jesus Begins to Preach
16-20 Jesus Calls Disciples
26 Jesus Shows Authority
28 News of Jesus Spreads
38-39 Jesus Preaches in Villages
41-42 Jesus Heals Disease
45 People Come From Everywhere to Jesus
(climax)
23 Main point: Separation of good people from bad people at the
end of the age. Subordinate points: Information concerning
the fishermen, the net, the fish, and the buckets. (Although
these details illustrate what is taught in the parable, they are
not the essential teaching of it.)
11 Verse 54 shows that the Lord’s ministry shifted drastically
because He no longer traveled openly in Judea.
24 By picturing Christ as the vine or main stem to which
believers (pictured as branches of that vine) are fastened,
this verse uses the literary device of radiation to teach that
all believers must remain attached to Christ in order to bear
spiritual fruit.
12 By application of it to the specific duties of charity, prayer,
and fasting.
25 a 6) Instrumentation
b 1) Explanation
c 3) Preparation
d 7) Summarization
e 2) Interrogation
f 5) Harmony
g 8) Principality
h 4) Radiation
LESSON
Synthesis—
6 Putting the Parts

Together
The Holy Spirit gave each Bible author a distinct purpose for
writing. Your purpose for writing determines four things: (1) the
terms of your writing (what you say with the words you use),
(2) the structure of your material (how you arrange it), (3) what
literary form is best (the style of writing you choose), and (4) the
atmosphere or feeling your writing conveys.
Terms, structure, literary form, and atmosphere will be
explained in detail in this lesson. These features will have to be
separated to explain them clearly, but in actual practice there will
be overlapping. For example, the devices of composition you
learned in Lesson 5 will now be seen as “structure.”
S y n t h e s i s — P u t t i n g t h e P a r t s To g e t h e r 123
lesson outline
Terms As Words
Structure of Literature
Literary Atmosphere
Literary Form
Progression in Literature
lesson objectives
Define “terms” and explain their importance to the study
of Scripture.
Define “structure” and explain its importance to the study
of Scripture.
Define “literary atmosphere” and identify it in Scripture.
Identify main “literary forms” and explain how each of them
is used.
Identify kinds of “literary progression” and state what is
common to all of them.
learning activities
1. Take a little time before starting this lesson to review Lesson 5.
2. Read the opening section, outline, and objectives of this lesson.
4. Study the lesson development and answer the study questions
in the usual manner.
5. Take the self-test at the end of the lesson. Check your answers.
key words
category exhaustive vivid
chronological keynote
crucial routine
lesson development
TERMS AS WORDS
Objective 1. Define “terms” and explain their importance to the study
of Scripture.
In literature, terms are simply words as they are used in
a given context. All of the words in the Bible are important,
but not all of them are significant for the same reason. Some
words (such as “of,” “and,” “a,” etc.) are routine words with the
obvious function of holding sentences together. Other words are
important because knowing their meaning will make a difference
in the correct interpretation of the Bible. This kind of word
should act as a flag to you, signaling that it needs to be given
special attention.
What words should act as flags? Well, any word that you do
not understand needs special study. You should always study
with your pencil and notebook. Any word you come to that you
do not understand should be written down. Try to find out what it
means from a dictionary or in some other way.
Crucial words, names of things, actions, descriptive words,
these are all important to understanding the passage, so they need
to be noted especially. Crucial words are not always the longest
ones! As you will see shortly, sometimes important words are the
short ones because they indicate a change of action or mood or a
transition of thought.
Terms which express profound concepts need to be studied.
For example, what kind of “change” seems to have come over
Jesus in Mark 9:2? That needs to be explored further. You
need to be discriminating. Not every word will need special
investigation.
You need to notice also whether certain words are literal or
figurative. Remember that literal refers to the normal, ordinary
meaning of the word. Figurative refers to symbolic usage when a
word stands for something else.
Application
1 Read Genesis 2:16 and Romans 11:24. Note the word “tree” in
each passage. In which verse is the word “tree” figurative?
Even though you may not know grammar or parts of speech,

you can learn to recognize key words. Christian doctrines are
determined by how different kinds of words are used. Names
of persons, places, and things are important nouns. Actions are
important verbs. Descriptive terms that indicate “how fast,” “how
large,” etc. are key words. The six faithful serving men (WHO?
WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? HOW? WHY?) that you learned
about in an earlier lesson can help you find the key words. Notice
commands, advice, warnings, reasons, purposes, proofs, and
results. Watch for words that express these things and write them
down. They are often the key to understanding the passage.
There is a category of smaller words that is NOT routine.
They are known as connectives because they show relationship.
First, there are connectives that signal time; they tell when
something happened. Here are some of them: after, as, before,
now, then, until, when, while. You may think of others, but
these ought to trigger your attention. For example, if you see
“Then . . . but . . . now,” it should be obvious that some kind of
transition has taken place and maybe you should be looking for
progression. (You will learn about kinds of progression in this
lesson.) Second, the locale or geographical connective is mainly
the word “where” which signals place.
Application
2 Read the four Scripture references given here, then fill in the
blanks for b, c, and d in the manner that a has been filled in as an
example of a connective term.
SCRIPTURE CONNECTIVE TERM

SIGNALING
a Mark 1:23 Time “then”
b Mark 1:9 Time ............................
c Mark 1:14 Time ............................
d Mark 1:28 Place ............................
Third, you will learn to notice logical connectives: that is,

those that have to do with the reason for what happens, the
results of what happens, the purpose of what happens, contrast
of unlike things, and comparison of one thing with another. Let’s
take these one at a time.
Logical connectives that show the reason for what happens
are for, since, and because. If you see the words “I say this
for . . .” or “I say this since . . .” the author is giving a reason.
Now relate this to the devices of composition that you have
learned. Which literary device moves from effect to cause?
Substantiation. These words are all signals of substantiation and
this, then, becomes a clue to interpretation.
Logical connectives that have to do with results are so, then,
therefore, that is why, and thus. Do you notice that these words
go from cause to effect? Which literary device moves from cause
to effect? Causation. When you see so, then, therefore, that
is why, and thus, you will be looking for causation: one thing
causing something else.
Application
3 Find and list (in the order that we have given the Scripture
references) the connectives that signal reason in part a and those
that signal result in part b.
a Romans 1:11, 1:26, 1:28, and 2:15.
..................................................................................................
b Galatians 2:17, 1 Corinthians 8:11, 9:26.
..................................................................................................
Logical connectives that have to do with purpose are in order

that, so that, and so (or similar phrases).
Logical connectives that signal contrast are although, but,
much more, much greater, nevertheless, otherwise, yet, and
still. These lists are not exhaustive. You may find other terms
as you study that serve the same purpose but are different from
those listed here. These terms are suggestions to help you begin
thinking along these lines.
Logical connectives that signal comparison are also, as, as
this, so as, so that, in the same way, so then, and so also. There
are many combinations of these connectives.
Application
references) the connectives that signal purpose in part a, contrast
in part b, and comparison in part c.
a Romans 4:16.
..................................................................................................
b Romans 2:10, 5:15.
..................................................................................................
c Romans 11:31, 1:27.
..................................................................................................
We remind you that this study guide uses the Good News
Bible (Today’s English Version). The translation of the Bible
you are using will make a difference in the terms you will
be able to find. Therefore, the IDEAS of reason for, result of
purpose, contrast, and comparison will be more important than
the exact words used to express these ideas. The terms that have
been given should serve to help you know what to be looking
for. There are three more categories of connectives in addition
to the three you have had. So far, you have studied the “time”
connectives, “place” connectives, and “logical” connectives.
Now, the final three kinds of connectives signal series of facts,
condition, and emphasis.
The connectives that signal series of facts are such terms as

and, first of all. last of all, and or. The connective that signals
condition is usually if: “If this . . . then that.” Connectives that
signal emphasis are indeed and only. Sometimes a more forceful
word is used: for example, exclaims might be used instead of the
weaker says.
Application
references) the connectives that signal series of facts in part a,
condition in part b, and emphasis in part c.
a 1 Timothy 2:1, 1 Corinthians 15:8.
..................................................................................................
b Romans 2:25.
..................................................................................................
c 1 Corinthians 9:24, Romans 9:27 (two).
..................................................................................................
If you will be alert to these particular terms, they will help

you go beyond grammar and interpret the meaning of Scripture.
These are significant terms that I, myself, always watch for when
I study Scripture (or anything else) because they are clues to the
organization of thought.
STRUCTURE OF LITERATURE
Objective 2. Define “structure” and explain its importance to the
study of Scripture.
I am sure that you are coming to understand that books of the
Bible are not just a disorderly collection of unrelated thoughts.
You are seeing that they are structured wholes, with the parts
fitted together in reasonable ways. The author has had to select
and arrange. He has had to select the important things that need
to be included, and arrange the material in the clearest way
possible. John explains that in the writing of his gospel, he had to
leave out much that Jesus had done (John 21:25).
You can get lost in the details of the Scripture verses, as

important as they are, and never see the powerful message of the
book as a whole. The individual truths, found verse by verse, are
related to the whole. The whole is explained by the arrangement
of the parts. They are all interrelated. Structure is the skeleton,
framework, and underlying design that gives the book unity.
Words are the building blocks of language, the smallest units
that transmit meaning. Words are joined to form phrases, or partial,
incomplete units of thought. The sentence is the complete thought.
When sentences with related thoughts are joined together,

they form paragraphs. (Some Bibles are divided into paragraphs;
this makes studying easier.) In Bible study it is a good idea to
“THINK PARAGRAPHS.” That is, look for the main idea in the
paragraph and give it a brief, descriptive title. By listing the titles
(main ideas) you have found for all the paragraphs in a chapter
or book, you will have listed the main points for making an
outline. Within the paragraphs you will find the details that will
make up the subpoints for your outline. Now, you will practice
finding main points in paragraphs in the following exercise.
Application
6 Read each paragraph in Romans chapter 12 then write your
title for it in the blank space beside it. After composing your titles,
compare them with those we have given. (Your titles may turn out
to be as good or better than the ones given.)
Paragraph I. (12:1-2) .................................................................
........................................................................................................
Paragraph II. (12:3-8) .................................................................
........................................................................................................
Paragraph III. (12:9-13) ...............................................................
........................................................................................................
Paragraph IV. (12:14-16) .............................................................
........................................................................................................
Paragraph V. (12:17-21) .............................................................
........................................................................................................
We have indicated that through structure parts of composition

are related to one another. This relationship may be expressed
through any of the literary devices that you have studied. Not all
will be found in every passage. You should review these devices
in Lesson 5 until they become very familiar to you. If you can
begin to see how the whole is fitted together, how one passage of
Scripture relates to another, you will gain new understanding of
the whole. Become structure conscious.
Application
7 Circle the letter before the statement that is true.
a) Books of the Bible are a collection of unrelated thoughts.
b) Literary devices such as contrast, radiation, etc., are not
related to structure.
c) The smallest units of language that transmit meaning are words.
LITERARY ATMOSPHERE
Objective 3. Define “literary atmosphere” and identify it in Scripture.
Literary atmosphere is the underlying tone or mood that
is evident in the writing. What mood or moods does the
author convey? The mood or atmosphere might be despair,
thanksgiving, zeal, awe, urgency, joy, humility, tenderness,
anger, persuasion, condemnation, questioning, concern, or
encouragement. The entire range of human feelings can be found
to make up the atmosphere of literary works.
Application
8 The book of James varies in its atmosphere or tone. Read
the following passages and assign to each one a word that
describes atmosphere.
a James 5:1 .................................................................................
b James 4:10 ...............................................................................
c James 2:14 ...............................................................................
LITERARY FORM
Objective 4. Identify main “literary forms” and explain how each of
them is used.
Literary form refers to the kind or type of writing the author
uses to get his material across. All the main types of literature
can be found in the Bible. If the author has needed to express
deep personal feelings of praise, sorrow, rejoicing, or repentance,
he has used poetry. If he has needed to explain background
information to people, he has used prose. If he has wanted to
teach important eternal truths or give logical reasons for the
argument he was presenting, he has used discourse. If he has
wanted to illustrate truth for receptive people while veiling it
from others, he has used parables. If he has wished to disclose
a little about the future without giving away too many divine
secrets, he has used apocalypse.
Discourse is a type of literature that is intended to set forth

truth in a logical, reasoned way that will appeal to the intellect.
Many of the epistles use this style. Jesus used it in His teaching,
as did the prophets in some of their writings.
Prose-narrative is a biography or story. It can be found in
Genesis, the Gospels, and wherever events and situations are
described in chronological order. Stories appeal to the imagination
and emotion. They usually include interesting details. In this kind
of literature, you should not press every detail for a spiritual lesson.
For example, the story of Peter’s vision, in Acts 10, is valuable
truth. But there are some details such as whose house Peter was in,
and the time of day his vision occurred that help in understanding
the story but are not important as far as doctrine is concerned.
Poetry is a form of literature found throughout the Bible. In
some Bibles, all the poetry is printed in poetic form (with lines
indented, and each new line beginning with an upper case letter).
This makes it all as easy to identify as the Psalms.
You have learned a few things about Hebrew poetry already.

You know it is deeply personal and emotional. It does not rhyme.
Every two lines, or two stanzas, are related by some kind of
parallelism. Either the second line repeats the thought from the
first line, or it builds on the first line by adding something new,
or it is in contrast with the first line.
Poetry uses a great deal of figurative language in order to
say things in a more expressive way. Here are four kinds of
figurative language (or figures of speech) that are often found in

Bible poetry:
1. Simile. A comparison of two things through use of the
word like or as. “They are like trees” (Psalm 1:3).
2. Metaphor. A comparison of two things without use of like
or as. “Ephraim is my helmet” (Psalm 108:8).
3. Hyperbole. Exaggeration for effect, exaggeration beyond
reason. “I am like those who died long ago” (Psalm 143:3).
4. Apostrophe. Speaking to things that are not alive. “What
happened, Sea, to make you run away?” (Psalm 114:5).
It is especially important for the Bible student to understand
figurative language. In John 6:51-52, Jesus said, “I am the
living bread.” The Jews interpreted His words literally and were
offended. You may make similar mistakes unless you observe
carefully and interpret fairly!
Application
9 Complete the following sentences using each of the words
once: discourse, poetry, prose-narrative.
a Literature that appeals most strongly to the emotions is
..................................................................................................
b ............................ is intended to set forth truth in a logical,
reasoned way.
c A story about events or people is called ..................................
10 Match each figure of speech (right) with its Scripture
quotation (left).
...... a “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23:1). 1) Simile
...... b “God seizes me by my collar and twists 2) Metaphor
my clothes out of shape” (Job 30:18). 3) Hyperbole
4) Apostrophe
...... c “We have escaped like a bird” (Psalm 124:7).
...... d “Praise him, sun and moon” (Psalm 148:3).
Parables are a distinct type of literature known as parabolic,

or parabolic prose. You have already studied about them. If you
need to review the section on parables in Lesson 4 in order to be
sure you understand how they differ from ordinary prose, do it at

this time.
Drama or dramatic prose is related to poetry in that it appeals
to the emotions. It personalizes the story in a manner that the
words of the characters in the story are usually spoken in the
first person. People respond to each other in the same words
they would use if they were actually living through the story.
Quite often dramatic literature contains vivid descriptions that
appeal to your imagination. Job is a book like this. It reads like a
play. The Song of Songs is also in the style of drama. So, when
you find portions of Scripture in which the people are speaking
directly to one another in the first person, you will say, “this is
drama,” or “dramatic prose.”
Apocalypse is the last of the literary forms. Apocalypse
means “uncovering” or “revelation.” This kind of literature is
perhaps the hardest to understand. You met some aspects of it
when you studied about prophecy and symbolism in Lesson 4.
Apocalyptic literature is made of prophecy and symbolism. It
is rich in figures of speech, symbols, types, and descriptions of
visions. Revelation is the classic example of this type of writing.
Here is a simple chart which points out examples in Scripture
of various literary forms you have studied in this section. There
is some overlapping of these forms, but you will profit by
reading these passages with the form in mind that we have listed
for it.
CHART OF LITERARY FORMS
Form Example
Discourse Matthew 5:17-48
Prose-narrative Acts 16:16-38
Poetry Jeremiah 9:21-22
Parable Luke 14:16-24
Drama Job 32:5-14
Apocalypse Ezekiel 1
PROGRESSION IN LITERATURE
Objective 5. Identify kinds of “literary progression” and state what is
common to all of them.
The idea behind progression is CHANGE. As you read a
passage of Scripture for study, you are looking for change! What
are some of the things that might change within a passage? Focus
on a person’s life might move from one stage to another, or from
his life to the lives of his descendants. That would be biographical
progression. The story might move from event to event. That
would be historical progression. If the story is presented in terms
of when the events happened (first, second, third, etc.), you have
chronological progression. In a teaching passage where truth is
being set forth you might find doctrinal progression. If events are
related in terms of places where they happened, it is geographical
progression. Changing thoughts or ideas themselves may be the
basis of a Scripture passage. That is called ideological progression.
You can sometimes find a complete change of subject. This drastic
change is called subject progression.
Progression is actually a pattern an author uses to extend a
theme in a given passage of Scripture. The pattern may extend
through one or more paragraphs or it may extend throughout
the entire book. The progression may move toward a climax,
but that isn’t necessary. One help in identifying a progression, if
identity is not obvious, is to compare the first and the last items
in a series. If there is a relationship between them, you have
progression. And of course the main means of identification is to
look for some of these kinds of changes.
Application
11 What kind of progression is found in Genesis 12–50 where the
lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are featured?
........................................................................................................
12 What kind of progression is found in Exodus which centers on
the events of the move of the Israelites from Egypt to Canaan?
........................................................................................................
13 What kind of progression do you find in the book of Romans

where Paul is giving a logical argument for the case of Christianity?
........................................................................................................
An understanding of progression in literature should help

us to a better understanding of the spiritual progression that is
necessary to spiritual growth. Change is the keynote of spiritual
progression too: “We all . . . are changed . . . from glory to glory
. . . by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18, KJV). Let
us yield to the Holy Spirit so that He may change us into the
likeness of Christ.
self-test
1 List the routine words or terms from the following sentence:
“And every day the Lord added to their group those who were
being saved” (Acts 2:47).
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
2 Connectives are small but important words that signal
relationships. Which of these words signals time?
a) If
b) After
c) Where
d) Indeed
3 Which of these logical connectives signals reason for what
happens?
a) That is why
b) So that
c) Much greater
d) Because
4 Which of these logical connectives signals contrast?
a) But
b) In the same way
c) For
5 The framework or underlying design that gives a book unity is
a) terms.
b) structure.
c) atmosphere.
6 Which of these words best describes atmosphere?
a) Radiation
b) Contrast
c) Mood
7 Which of these kinds of writing teaches in a logical,
reasoned way?
a) Discourse
b) Prose-narrative
c) Poetry
8 Which of these kinds of writing describes the book of Revelation?
a) Parables
b) Drama
c) Apocalypse
9 “The tongue is like a fire” (James 3:6). This is an example of:

a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Hyperbole
d) Apostrophe
10 Which of these words best describes progression?
a) Atmosphere
b) Change
c) Drama
11 What kind of progression is shown in the Genesis account of
the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph?
a) Biographical
b) Historical
c) Ideological

7 c) The smallest units of language that transmit meaning are
words.
1 Romans 11:24
8 a Despair
b Humility
c Concern
2 b Afterward
c After
d Everywhere
9 a poetry.
b Discourse.
c prose-narrative.
3 a For, because, because since,
b Then, so, that is why.
10 a 2) Metaphor
b 3) Hyperbole
c 1) Simile
d 4) Apostrophe
4 a In order that.
b But, much greater.
c In the same way, in the same way.
11 Biographical
5 a First of all, last of all.
b If.
c Only; exclaims, only.
12 Historical
6 I. “Offer Yourselves”
II. “Use Gifts With Modesty”
III. “Live With Christian Attitudes”
IV. “Live With Concern for Others”
V. “Live at Peace With All”
13 Ideological
LESSON
Application—
7 Studying by the
Book Method
You are now ready to begin the actual application of synthetic

study to Habakkuk. Once you have done a synthetic study,
you can then go into as much detail in each verse as you have
time for (intensive study), and you can relate and compare the
book with other books in the Bible (extensive study). So, the
synthetic method is not an end of Bible study, but a beginning.
Our purpose is to teach you to do independent synthetic Bible
study. This lesson will be a pattern to follow, and I hope you will
choose another book of the Bible when it is completed and make
the same application of your skills to that book.
Perhaps you should plan to do this lesson in more than
one sitting. It involves repeated readings, note taking, and
summarizing of material. The directions may look short, but
they will take time to do. Just follow step by step and take as
much time as you need to finish each step before going on to the
next. Be sure to try to answer the study questions before looking
up the answers we have given. There is more than one correct
answer to some of them. Do not change your answers to conform
to ours unless yours really need revising.
Application—Studying by the Book Method 143
lesson outline
Steps in Observation
Step 1: Discovering the Main Theme
Step 2: Development of the Main Theme
Step 3: Terms, Atmosphere, and Literary Form
Step 4: Literary Devices and Progression
Outlining Habakkuk
Application
lesson objectives
Follow the appropriate steps in observation for a synthetic
study of Habakkuk.
Identify the main theme of Habakkuk by reading the entire
book at one time.
Trace the development of the main theme of Habakkuk by
reading the entire book at one time.
Point out terms (that need further study), atmosphere, and literary
form in Habakkuk by reading the entire book at one time.
Use your knowledge of literary devices and literary progression
to increase your understanding of the message of Habakkuk.
Make a preliminary outline of Habakkuk, and then develop it

into an integrated outline.
Practice obedience to divine truth that you have discovered in
order to gain a fuller understanding of God’s Word.
learning activities
2. Learn the meanings of the key words that are new to you.
3. Follow each direction carefully as you study the lesson
development and answer the study questions. There is no short
cut to Bible study. The Bible has to be read to be studied.
4. Take the self-test at the end of the lesson. Check your answers.
5. Carefully review Unit 2 (Lessons 5-7), then complete the unit
student report for Unit 2 and send it to your ICI instructor.
key words
arrogant emerge thematic
complaint integrate transition
lesson development
STEPS IN OBSERVATION
Objective 1. Follow the appropriate steps in observation for a synthetic
study of Habakkuk.
The steps of the synthetic method are a repetition of the
pattern: read, observe, make notes as you go; read, observe,
make notes as you go. This continues until you have found all the
information you set out to find, regardless of how many readings
it takes. The whole idea is to gain familiarity with the book you
are studying. Reading it through at one sitting each time you
come to a reading step is the way to gain that familiarity.
Our instructions may tell you to read the book once to find
certain information. If you do not find that information the first
time, you may need to read it another time. The opposite is also
true; you may be reading to find certain information, and at the
same time see some other facts that are important to the study.
You can note what you see at that time and perhaps omit one
of the readings. You are going to be reading the book a number
of times, anyway, so that you begin to live in the book. The end
result of your study should be that the book becomes a part of
you—both in your Christian living and in your sharing of the
Word with others.
Now if you read slowly, just plan to take more time than
might otherwise be necessary. Actually, if you are a slow reader,
it is a good idea to read the book more, not less. In that case, you
may want to read Habakkuk through a time or two before you
really start hunting for information, just to become familiar with
the words and style of the book.
You are now ready to prepare a notebook page on which to
write your observations as you read Habakkuk. Divide a sheet
of notebook paper into four vertical columns, as you see in the
drawing that follows. List the following items along the left side
of the page, leaving about four lines of space between items: 1)
Main Theme of Book; 2) Development (where the main theme
appears); 3) Announcements Concerning Content (where the

author says ahead of time what is coming next); 4) Terms; 5)
Structure; 6) Atmosphere; 7) Literary Form; 8) Literary Devices;
9) Progression.
These items are the things you will be looking for as you
read Habakkuk. As you find them, you will write them on this
notebook page. Anything you find in chapter 1 will be placed
in the chapter 1 column. Anything you find in chapter 2 will be
placed in the chapter 2 column. Anything you find in chapter 3
will be placed in the chapter 3 column.
Step 1: Discovering the Main Theme

Objective 2. Identify the main theme of Habakkuk by reading the entire
book at one time.
Prayerfully read the book of Habakkuk through at a single
sitting to discover the main theme. This theme can be found as a
thread running through all the chapters. You may need to read the
book more than once before this theme becomes apparent to you.
It is very important that you read it at a single sitting because it
is in the single sitting that the theme begins to emerge in your
consciousness. Sometimes if you break up your reading, you
won’t get the full impact of the book. So it is a good procedure
to read the book through at a single sitting to discover the main
theme. Now, lay aside this study book and read Habakkuk
through. When you are finished, continue in this study book.
If after reading Habakkuk you are not sure of the main theme,
answer these questions: What topic or theme do the following
verses all have in common: 1:2, 6, 8, 9, 12; 2:4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 15,
16, 17, 19; 3:1-15? What key verse in 2:1-4 supports the theme?
Application
2 Before you look ahead to the answer that is given, write the main
theme of Habakkuk and reference for its key verse in your notebook.
Step 2: Development of the Main Theme

Objective 3. Trace the development of the main theme in Habakkuk by
reading the entire book at one time.
Application
3 Trace the development of the main theme in Habakkuk as you
look for references to judgment and punishment. Make notes of
these references in your notebook. Condense what you find to a
few words for each verse you list.
Announcements concerning content help to trace the main

theme. Such announcements are statements that the author makes
ahead of time, telling what is coming next. For example, the
Gospel of Matthew begins with such an announcement: “This
is the list of the ancestors of Jesus Christ, a descendant of . . .
Abraham” (1:1). Here is an announcement concerning content
and you are not surprised to find genealogy following it.
In 1 Corinthians 7:25 Paul says: “Now, concerning what you
wrote about unmarried people.” That’s an announcement concerning
content. It helps you to prepare for what’s coming, and gives you
a clue as to the thematic development of the book. Now, read
Habakkuk through again at one sitting, looking for announcements
concerning content. Then do the following exercise.
Application
4 Write, in the proper rows of the columns on your notebook
page, four brief announcements concerning content with their
chapter and verse indications; then, compare your answers with
ours. (If you did not find these announcements concerning content
as you read Habakkuk again, check verses 1:1; 2:1; 2:4; 3:1
before doing this exercise.)
These announcements will help you (later in the lesson) to

divide the book into meaningful sections for the outline.
Step 3: Terms, Atmosphere, and Literary Form
Objective 4. Point out terms (that need further study), atmosphere,
and literary form in Habakkuk by reading the entire book
at one time.
Answering the questions in this section may help you to focus
on terms, atmosphere, and literary form. Read these questions
before you read Habakkuk. Then, read Habakkuk through
again at one sitting, looking for terms (that need further study),
atmosphere, and literary form. Next, write out (in the proper
rows and columns on your notebook page) answers to questions
5, 6, 7, and 8 and compare your answers with those suggested.
Application
5 Terms. Have you found any terms you do not understand?
Have you found any terms that need special attention? Have you
found any profound concepts that require further study? List them
with their references in your notebook.
6 Atmosphere. Have you noticed any difference between the
atmosphere of the first two chapters and the last chapter? If you
have not, read Habakkuk again and look specifically for the
difference. Choose a word that describes for you, the atmosphere
or feeling you get from chapters 1 and 2, and then another word
for chapter 3.
7 What is the literary form at the beginning of the book?
8 Where does the literary form change? To what does it change?
Step 4: Literary Devices and Progression

Objective 5. Use your knowledge of literary devices and literary
progression to increase your understanding of the
message of Habakkuk.
You are going to be looking for literary devices that we
discussed in Lesson 5. You will have some questions to guide
your observation. You’re not going to be expecting to see every
one of those devices, but you will find some that might help
you understand Habakkuk as a whole. For example, if there is a

pattern that you begin to notice throughout the book, it’s obvious
that to see its relationship to the whole book is important.
Consider the book of Colossians for a moment. In that epistle
you have, in a very marked way, the pattern of interchange
or alternation. Notice this pattern in these four passages from
Colossians 2:20–3:10 which I have labeled A, B, A, B:
A. “You have died with Christ” (2:20).
B. “You have been raised to life with Christ” (3:1).
A. “You must put to death . . . earthly desires” (3:5).
B. “You . . . have put on the new self” (3:9-10).
These passages show implications of death with Christ
and being alive with Christ. You can’t understand the book of
Colossians unless you see the device of interchange in it. This
device is vital! You have to see that A relates back to a former A,
and that B relates back to a former B.
When looking for progression in literature, remember to look
for change. You have learned about historical progression through
the events of Israel’s journey from Egypt into the wilderness of
Sinai. There are examples of ideological progressions from death
to life. Habakkuk will have several ideological progressions. You
will be looking for broad, overall changes from the beginning to
the end. Now that you have read the book a number of times, you
are beginning to become a little bit familiar with it!
The questions that follow will help you focus on literary
devices and progression. Write the answer to each question in
the correct row and column on your notebook. (If you need more
space, continue on another page.) Read the questions before or
while you read Habakkuk. Look at the answers after you have
arrived at your own conclusions.
Application
9 What literary device is prominent in the first part of paragraph
1:2-4 and in the last part of paragraph 1:12-13?
10 Who is asking the questions in 1:2-4 and 1:12-13?
11 Who answers these questions and where (give references)?
12 What literary device is prominent throughout the question-

answer-question-answer sequence that is found in 1:2-4; 1:5-
11; 1:12-17; and 2:2-20?
13 The book of Habakkuk begins with a questioning complaint
(1:2-4). Try to compose one brief question in your own words
that sums up this complaint.
14 Compose a brief statement in your own words that sums up
the answer in 1:5-11 to this questioning complaint.
15 A second questioning complaint is found in 1:12-17.
Remembering that evil was present even among the Israelites,
compose a brief question in your own words that sums up this
second complaint.
16 Compose a brief statement in your own words that sums up
the answer in 2:2-20 to this second questioning complaint.
17 State the literary device and the words that express it in 2:6, 9,
15, and 19. Then state the words that express the same literary
device in 3:17.
18 Name a literary device in 2:5 and another literary device
in 2:8, explaining how the movements of these devices are
opposite to each other.
19 What literary device does “but” suggest in 2:7?
20 Throughout chapter 3 there is an example of the literary device
of continuation, with reference to the prophet’s personal
outlook. 3:1-15 has a certain feeling or tone. 3:16 is a transition
verse with a different tone, and 3:17-19 also changes. Read
chapter 3 with these three divisions in mind. See if you can think
of three words which describe the desirable development in this
continuation.
21 Try to state a practical, spiritual lesson we can learn from the
development of the device of continuation in chapter 3.
22 From the first part of the book to the last, there are at least four
ideological progressions that can be seen. From your readings
in Habakkuk thus far, can you complete the progressions that
are found in the following passages?
a 2:4, 3:8, 3:l8 From sin to ...........................................................
b 2:2, 3:16 From questioning to ...................................................
c 2:4, 2:15-17 From wrong judgment to ......................................
d 2:2-4, 2:17, 3:2 From a call for wrath to ...................................
OUTLINING HABAKKUK
Objective 6. Make a preliminary outline of Habakkuk, and then
develop it into an integrated outline.
Outlining Habakkuk will involve another reading of the book.
Now, your goal is to develop a preliminary outline. The structure
of a book can be most easily found by writing a brief title for
each paragraph of the book and noticing the relationship among
those titles. For the purpose of our outlining, I have divided
Habakkuk into 19 paragraphs and have listed the chapter and
verse designations for these paragraphs in the following exercise.
Application
23 List each of the following paragraph references on a separate
line in your notebook. Read each paragraph carefully and think
of a brief title that contains the “kernel” of meaning for that
paragraph. Write the title next to the reference. (Write your title
for each paragraph before looking at our title for it.)
1:1 1:12-17 2:9-11 3:1
1:2-4 2:1 2:12-14 3:2-15
1:5-7 2:2-4 2:15-17 3:16
1:8 2:5-6 2:18-19 3:17-19
1:9-11 2:7-8 2:20
Notice how the life of the righteous (2:4), the knowledge of

God’s glory (2:14), and His presence on earth (2:20) provide a
bright thread of faith that is woven into this tapestry of doom:

faith that gives blessed hope for every believer.
In order to put your preliminary outline of paragraph titles
into integrated outline form, look over these titles to see which
ones will serve as main topics, which ones can be combined
under a main topic as subtopics, and which ones can be
combined as details under a subtopic (write combined topics in
sequence—not on same line). Here is our pattern of designations
and indentations for your finished outline:
I. Main Topic
A. Subtopic
1. Detail.
Note: There should be at least two designations at each level of
indentation. If you can’t find a B. to go with your A., then try to
combine A. with the main topic; if you can’t find a 2. to go with
your 1., try to combine 1. with the subtopic.
Just in case you have access to other sources of Bible
information, such as Bible dictionary or commentary, this would be
an appropriate time to consult them and compare your outline with
theirs. If you do consult another book, you are not wanting to find
a reason to throw your outline away! You do not want to substitute
someone else’s outline, you want your own! If you compare your
outline with another, you simply want to modify yours in places
where it can be strengthened. The same applies to comparing the
outline you make with the one in the textbook. Do not think yours
has to be exactly like our example in the answer section.
Prepare a notebook page for your integrated outline. You will
need about 18 lines. Usually, each of your paragraph titles will fit
into one line of the outline; some will be main topics, some will
be subtopics, and some will be details. Answering the questions
in the next exercise should help you distinguish between main
points and sub points. Reread each passage in Habakkuk and
the paragraph title you have composed for it as you answer the
question concerning it (write your answers in your notebook).
Application
24 Consider 1:1; 2:1, and 3:1.
a What did you find in Exercise 4 that these verses contain?
b Since each of these three verses begins one of the three main
sections of content in the book, what would be the obvious
place in your integrated outline of the paragraph titles for them?
c What relationship do you think 1:8 and 1:9-11 have to 1:5-7?
25 Looking at your paragraph titles for chapter 1 and keeping your
answers to b and c of the preceding exercise in mind, write your
outline for chapter 1 in your notebook. Then compare it with ours.
26 Consider your paragraph titles for chapter 2.
a What are the verse references for the two paragraphs in this
chapter that concern the greedy?
b Counting both paragraphs in chapter 2 on the greedy as one
line in your outline, how many detail items will you have
under the subtopic “Evil Destroyed but Righteous Saved” and
what are they?
27 Looking at your paragraph titles for chapter 2 and keeping your
answers to a and b of the preceding exercise in mind, write your
28 Keeping your paragraph titles for chapter 3 in mind, write your
The outline on your notebook page is now completed. If you

want to extend this basic outline later, you have a good start.
Details can be added as you come across them in your study.
APPLICATION
Objective 7. Practice obedience to divine truth that you have discovered
in order to gain a fuller understanding of God’s Word.
In Lesson 2 you learned that the basic steps in Bible study
are: observe, interpret, summarize, evaluate, apply, and correlate.
The lessons you have completed have centered on developing the
skills you need for the early steps in study. Application is a little
different from the other steps in that it involves more than skills
you use. It involves attitude, will, relation to the Lord, and motive.
You have also learned that you should come to the Word of
God with a reverent, prayerful attitude. It is God’s message to man
in general, but it is also God’s message to you personally and to
me personally. The Bible is different in that respect from all other
books. Your intelligence and skill must be coupled with the help
of the Holy Spirit to correctly interpret and apply the Scriptures.
You must be born again through faith in Jesus Christ to be able
to understand the Bible correctly. God’s message is made clear
through the enlightening of your heart by God’s Spirit.
Application
29 Circle the letter of the correct ending. To correctly understand
Scripture you must
a) know Greek.
b) be born again by faith in Jesus Christ.
c) always rely on what other people say about it.
30 How are the following words related: observe, interpret,
summarize, evaluate, apply, correlate?
a) They are random words taken from Lesson 1.
b) They are six steps in Bible study.
c) They are interchangeable terms for leaning.
If you are born again, and you have given these lessons
thorough treatment, you have probably seen many ways in
which the Scriptures apply to your life and circumstances. This
application is a large part of the work and ministry of the Holy
Spirit to you and for you. Jesus said: “The Helper, the Holy
Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you
everything and make you remember all that I have told you”
(John 14:26). “When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the
truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth. . . he will take
what I say and tell it to you” (John 16:13-14).
Because God speaks to you personally as you read and study
Scripture, no course you might take could lay before you all the
situations and circumstances in which a given Scripture would
apply to your life. God has something fresh to give you every
time you open His Word!
There are ways in which you can cooperate with the Holy
Spirit to understand the personal application of the Scriptures.
It is that personal application of the Word that must be the end
result of your study.
Application
31 Circle the letter in front of each true statement.
a) By studying a Bible course such as this one, you can learn the
answers to all your questions about life.
b) Any good Bible study course will reveal the solutions to all
your problems.
c) A Bible study course should show you how to get into
the Word of God so that the Holy Spirit can speak to you
personally through the Scripture.
Let’s consider some ways in which you can cooperate with

God in receiving His personal message to you. There are positive
things you can and should do to increase the flow of God’s
enlightenment for your personal need, both recognized need and
unrecognized need. This should be the end result of Bible study.
Ask yourself questions. Ask the Lord questions. Ask yourself
questions that will purify your life, motives, and attitudes.
Am I living up to the light (understanding) I already have?
You should be able to say “yes” to this question. If the Holy
spirit reveals His will in your life and you refuse to obey
His will, you will darken your heart. But, if you will live in
obedience to the Word of truth you discover, you will always find
more truth quickened to your heart. You will begin to understand
deeper truth. The reason God reveals truth is because He is
looking for obedience to it.
Application
32 Read the following Scriptures: James 1:23, 25; John 15:14;
Matthew 5:19; 23 :3. What common theme do each of these show?
........................................................................................................
So, it is in obedience to the understanding of Scripture that

more understanding is obtained. This obedience includes a
frequent confession of sins to the Lord. Yes, even believers must
continually come to Christ for cleansing. First John 1:9 assures
us that when we come, Jesus cleanses us. This cleansing removes
barriers that would hinder us from understanding God’s truth.
The next questions you need to ask yourself are these: When I
come to the Scriptures, do I have a believing attitude? Do I have
a seeking attitude? Do I have an accepting attitude? Is my motive
pure in seeking truth for my own life, rather than just being able
to tell others what to do? These are important questions. Some
people who study God’s Word like to pick and choose what they
will believe. They foolishly refuse those truths that would make
some changes in their way of living. Do not be like them. Accept
all of God’s truth, even when it means you must conform your
life to it in new ways.
Application
33 Fuller understanding of spiritual truth always comes through
a) obedience to truth already known.
b) concentrated study of obscure Scriptures.
c) acceptance of selected parts of spiritual truth.
Ask the Lord questions and ask the Bible questions that will
help you find the practical applications you need.
God’s Laws and attitudes about things do not change. Since
in the Old Testament God declared Himself to hate divorce
(Malachi 2:16), you can be sure that He hates it just as much
on the very date that you are reading this as He did when He
spoke through Malachi. So, as you study Scripture, ask the
Lord to show you the eternal truths that have been revealed
in the passage. Ask the Lord these specific questions: “Is this
something I should believe? Is this something I should believe
and act upon? Is this something I should apply in any way to
my living?” One well-known Bible teacher uses the phrase
“comparable equivalents.” By this he means, “What is there in
my life situation today that corresponds to the biblical situation?”

When studying the Bible, continually ask yourself, “HOW
DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?”
Work through the following exercises to see some ways in
which this search for practical application can be applied to
Habakkuk. Answer in your notebook.
Application
34 Write a brief descriptive paragraph of life today in which
you show comparable equivalents (as explained above) between
situations we face and those described in Habakkuk 1:2-4 and 2:5.
35 Read Habakkuk 1:6; 2:2-4; 2:20; 3:19. What assurances can
the child of God of our time receive from these verses?
36 Read Habakkuk 1:12; 3:16; 3:18; and 3:19. In order to be
comforted by God as Habakkuk was, what heartfelt affirmations
made by him in these verses must you make in your own heart?
(Express your answer in your own words.)
self-test
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Circle the letter in front of the item in
each question which is the best answer.
1 Steps in observation for a synthetic study of a book include
a) reading but not writing.
b) writing but not reading.
c) reading and writing.
d) neither reading nor writing.
2 The main theme of Habakkuk is
a) limited to the first chapter.
b) found in the second chapter only.
c) limited to the third chapter.
d) found in all of the chapters.
3 The thematic development of a book is anticipated through the
author’s announcements concerning
a) atmosphere.
b) content.
c) progression.
d) form.
4 Routine terms need
a) less attention than other terms.
b) more attention than other terms.
c) as much attention as other terms.
d) no attention at all.
5 Literary form in Habakkuk changes from
a) poetry to drama.
b) drama to poetry.
c) parable to poetry.
d) poetry to parable.
6 Atmosphere in Habakkuk is
a) more positive at the end than at the beginning.
b) less positive at the end than at the beginning.
c) as positive at the beginning as at the end.
d) not positive in any part of the book.
7 From questioning to confidence is a literary progression that is
described as
a) doctrinal.
b) biographical.
c) ideological.
d) historical.
8 A preliminary outline of a book consists of titles for

a) each chapter.
b) the first and last chapters.
c) the first paragraph in each chapter.
d) all of the paragraphs.
9 The basic step in Bible study which deals most with personal
relation to the Lord is
a) observation.
b) evaluation.
c) application.
d) summarization.
Before you continue your study with Lesson 8, be sure to
complete your unit student report for Unit 2 and return the
answer sheet to your ICI instructor.

1 Your answer. (Instructions for making your answer are in the
study textbook.)
36 Lord, you are not only God but you are My God, Holy and
eternal. I will quietly wait. I will be joyful and glad—not
because things are right as yet but because God is my Savior.
The Lord gives me strength and keeps me safe.
2 Answers may vary. Suggested main theme: Judgment, key
verse: 2:4
35 The assurances that God is in control, will eventually make
wrong situations right, and will give you strength to endure
just as He gave it to Habakkuk.
3 Suggest answer (your answer may be different but just as
good as this example):
1:2 “Save us.”
1:6 “Marching . . . to conquer.”
1:8-9 “Attacking . . . advance in . . . conquest.”
1:12 “So . . . they can punish.”
2:4 “Evil will not survive.”
2:6 “Conquerors . . . are doomed.”
2:9, 12, 15 “You are doomed.”
2:16 “Shame . . . drink . . . stagger.”
2:17 “You will be cut down.”
3:7 “People of Cushan afraid.”
34 In life today there is violence and trouble, just as then. There is
quarreling and fighting. Laws often do not seem to be effective.
Justice is often not done. Evil men seem to prosper. Greedy
men are still proud and restless and wealth is still deceitful.
4 1:1 “The message that the Lord revealed.”
2:1 “Answer . . . to my complaint”
2:4 “This is the message.”
3:1 “This is a prayer.”
33 a) obedience to truth already known.
5 Suggested terms for further study. (You will undoubtedly think
of others.):
1:4 “Justice . . . perverted.”
1:6 “I am bringing the Babylonians.”
2:1 “Watchtower.”
2:2 “Tablets.”
2:6, 9, 12, 19 “Doomed.”
32 It is important to do what God’s Word says to do. (Answers
may vary in wording but the idea should be similar.)
6 Atmosphere for chapters 1 and 2: concern, fear, or questioning.

Atmosphere for chapter 3: faith or positive attitude.
31 c) A Bible study course should show you how to get into
the Word of God so that the Holy Spirit can speak to you
personally through the Scripture.
7 Literary form at the beginning of the book: drama.
30 b) They are six steps in Bible study.
8 In 3:1 the literary form changes to poetry (poetry that
expresses prayer).
29 b) be born again by faith in Jesus Christ.
28 III. Introduction to Habakkuk’s Prayer (3:1)
A. Fear Expressed (3:2-15)
B. Fortitude Replaces Fear (3:16)
C. Faith Emerges (3:17-19)
9 Interrogation
27 II. Waiting for God’s Answer (2:1)
A. Evil Destroyed but Righteous Saved (2:2-4)
1. The Greedy (2:5-8)
2. Arrogant Schemers (2:9-11)
3. Murderous Crime (2:12-14)
4. Punishment of Criminals (2:15-17)
5. Uselessness of Idolatry (2:18-19)
B. God’s Presence (2:20)
10 Habakkuk or “man” is asking these questions.
26 a 5-6 and 7-8.
b Five: the greedy, arrogant schemers, murderous crime,
punishment of criminals, and uselessness of idolatry.
11 God answers in 1:5-11 and 2:2-20
25 I. Introduction to God’s Message (1:1)
A. Complaint Against Evil men (1:2-4)
B. The Conquering Babylonians (1:5-7)
1. Babylonian Horses (1:8)
2. Babylonian Armies (1:9-11)
C. Greater Evil of Babylonians (1:12-17)
12 Interchange
24 a Announcements concerning content.
b Paragraph titles for 1:1; 2:1; and 3:1 will serve as the main
topics of the outline.
c 1:8 and 1:9-11 seem to be details of the subtopic in 1:5-7,
The Conquering Babylonians.
13 Suggested answer: Why are the wicked not punished?
23 1:1 Introduction to God’s Message

1:2-4 Complaint Against Evil Men
1:5-7 The Conquering Babylonians
1:8 Babylonian Horses
1:9-11 Babylonian Armies
1:12-17 Greater Evil of Babylonians
2:1 Waiting for God’s Answer
2:2-4 Evil Destroyed but Righteous Saved
2:5-6 Greedy Men
2:7-8 Greedy Men Plundered
2:9-11 Arrogant Schemers
2:12-14 Murderous Crime
2:15-17 Punishment of Criminals
2:18-19 Uselessness of Idolatry
2:20 God’s Presence
3:1 Introduction to Habakkuk’s Prayer
3:2-15 Fear Expressed
3:16 Fortitude Replaces Fear
3:17-19 Faith Emerges
14 The wicked will be punished.
22 a salvation.
b confidence.
c right judgment.
d a plea for mercy.
15 Why is it that the “more” wicked are used to punish the
“less” wicked?
21 What is feared must be endured through faith in God!
16 The “more” wicked will also be punished.
20 3:1-15 fear, 3:16 fortitude, 3:17-19 faith.
17 In 2:6, 9, 12, 14, and 19, repetition is seen in “you are
doomed”; in 3:17 repetition is seen in “even though”.
19 Contrast
18 Causation in 2:5 moves from cause to effect while
substantiation in 2:8 moves from effect to cause.
for your notes

3
Unit
Unit
Other Methods of Study
Lessons
8 Biographical Method of Study
9 Topical Method of Study
10 Devotional Method of Study
8
LESSON
Biographical
Method of Study
Characters of the Bible were real people. Yet somehow they

often seem less real than the people you see every day. You have
never seen them. You meet them only in the pages of a book.
Your life is probably very different from theirs. Archaeologists
dig up bones of those who lived long ago; they find artifacts
(tools and utensils used by people) which help us imagine what
life was like hundreds (or thousands) of years ago. But this is
still the dim past and is difficult to accept as real.
How can you get to know people of the Bible better? How
can you really learn from the mistakes they made? How can you
profit from their godly lives so that you inherit the promises they
have inherited? How can you come to appreciate them as real
though imperfect human beings like yourself? Studying Bible
people will be the subject of this lesson.
Biographical Method of Study 167
lesson outline
Introduction to Bible Biography
Kinds of Biography
Simple Narrative
Narrative Exposition
Character Exposition
Argument
Summary of Biography
Procedure for Biographical Study
Collection of Data
Interpretation of Data
Organization of Data
Biographical Study of Amos
lesson objectives
Use New Testament accounts to describe the present life of
Old Testament people.
List four basic kinds of biography in the Bible and explain
the author’s reason for using each kind.
Define three basic steps in the procedure for biographical
study and point out the sequence of them.
Make a textual biographical outline of the known life of Amos.
learning activities
3. Read the lesson development and answer the study questions

as you come to them.
4. Take the self-test at the end of the lesson, and check your answers.
key words
capsule exposition
conspiracy incidental
contemporaries paradox
environmental pertinent
lesson development
INTRODUCTION TO BIBLE
BIOGRAPHY
Objective 1. Use New Testament accounts to describe the present life
of Old Testament people.
Listen to the words of Jesus as He spoke to the crowd one
day. “I assure you that many will come from the east and the
west and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the feast in
the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 8:11). On another occasion,
Jesus told the unbelieving Sadducees that God said, “I am the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”
(Matthew 22:32). He is the God of the living, not of the dead.
Since this lesson is about the biographical method of Bible
study, you are going to be studying about the lives of Bible
people as they lived long ago. One way to help you think of
Bible people as real people is to consider some Bible facts.
The godly people you will meet in the pages of Scripture are
still living today. This is the exciting message of Jesus Christ!
Because He lives, He gives eternal life to all who come to Him
(see John 5:24-26). Old Testament saints (godly people) as well
as all those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are given eternal
life by Him (read Romans 4). I often think it is not quite fair to
study the lives of Bible people as they lived long ago (in all their
imperfection, just like you and me) without understanding that
they are not fixed in the state in which we read about them in the
Bible. They have had centuries of eternal life, as earth time is
figured, in which to learn, develop, and grow to perfection with
the Lord Himself.
How do we know this? Well, the words of Jesus quoted
above give us some clues. And there are other clues sprinkled
throughout the New Testament. On one occasion, Jesus, speaking
to the unbelieving Pharisees, was telling them some facts about
Himself. He told them He was the light of the world. He told them
that He came from above. He told them many things they did not
want to hear. You can read about all this in John 8. In the next few
paragraphs, we will emphasize some things in that chapter.
The Pharisees boasted to Jesus that they belonged to the family
descended from Abraham. Jesus showed them that while they were
Abraham’s physical descendants, they were not really Abraham’s
children (vv. 33-39). Finally He said to them, “I am telling you the
truth: whoever obeys my teaching will never die” (v. 51).
At this, they accused Him of having a demon! They insisted
that their father Abraham had died (v. 53). Everyone knew that!
But Jesus continued to speak of Abraham, showing that his life
did not end with his physical death: “Your father Abraham,” He
told them, “rejoiced that he was to see the time of my coming; he
saw it and was glad” (v. 56).
The Pharisees asked, “You are not even fifty years old—and
you have seen Abraham?” Jesus replied: “I am telling you the
truth . . . before Abraham was born, ‘I am’” (vv. 57-58). These
facts so infuriated those who did not believe that they tried to
stone Jesus (v. 59).
Another time, Jesus revealed a little more about the activities
of Abraham after his physical death. Luke 16:19-31 records a
story Jesus told which is not like the parables because Jesus
actually named the people involved. In this account, Jesus told
of a conversation between Abraham and an unbelieving rich man
who saw the beggar Lazarus being entertained by Abraham at a
feast. So, as you study about Abraham from the Bible, keep in
mind there is more to the story!
Moses and Elijah are living people. Hundreds of years after
they left the earth, they were seen talking with Jesus on a hill.
They talked with Him on that occasion about His coming death.
“Suddenly two men were there talking with him. They were
Moses and Elijah, who appeared in heavenly glory and talked
with Jesus about the way in which He would soon fulfill God’s
purpose by dying in Jerusalem” (Luke 9:28-31). As you study
about Moses and Elijah from the Bible, remember that there is
more to the story!
Hebrews 11 gives many “capsule” life stories of Old

Testament believers who lived and died in faith. The statement
“it was in faith that all these persons died” (v. 13) indicates that
these persons are still living.
No book could contain the accounts of all the life stories that
started on earth and are continuing in heaven. But we find in
Hebrews 12:22-24 a summary of life in heaven:
“You have come to Mount Zion . . . the city of the living
God, the heavenly Jerusalem with its thousands of angels
. . . the joyful gathering of God’s first-born sons, whose
names are written in heaven . . . to God, who is the judge of
all mankind . . . to the spirits of good people made perfect
. . . to Jesus, who arranged the new covenant, and to the
sprinkled blood.”
As a believer, you are already a citizen of that great
community! With these facts in mind, learn how to study about
the people of the Bible. Learn faith from their faith. Learn from
their earthly experiences as God intends for you to do. Follow in
their footsteps to inherit eternal life as they have!
Application
1 Which of these statements is true?
a) Jesus spoke of life after physical death as being in the future only.
b) Jesus spoke of Abraham as a presently living person.
c) Jesus never referred to life after physical death.
2 Which of these statements is true?
a) Moses and Elijah were not conscious persons after leaving
the earth.
b) Bible characters were storybook figures only.
c) Hebrews 11 emphasizes faith above all else.
KINDS OF BIOGRAPHY
Objective 2. List four basic kinds of biography in the Bible and explain
the author’s reason for using each kind.
Simple Narrative
Biographical information is in Scripture because of specific
purposes the authors had in mind. Second Timothy 3:16 teaches
that all Scripture is useful. God has inspired the writers to
include information that He intends should be included. There
appear to be four basic reasons why biblical authors included
biographical information in Scripture.
The first reason is simply to list the facts as a matter of
record. This is called simple narrative. It is simply telling the
facts in story form. This is a common kind of biographical
information found in Scripture, and it can be readily studied with
reference to many different Bible characters. As you proceed,
you will notice that the four aims an individual may have for
making a study of the life of a Bible character are directly
related to the same four aims the author had for including the
information in the first place.
Narrative Exposition
The second reason for the author’s inclusion of biographical
information is to use the narrative (the story of a person’s life)
as a means of teaching a historical lesson. In this case, the facts
are more than a simple record. They are there to teach. The entire
span of the person’s life is studied, with special attention given
to the way God’s dealings in his life affect his nation. When
teaching a historical lesson is the purpose of the biographical
information, the story of the person being studied becomes
incidental to the main theme of God’s interest and care for His
own people. There are fewer examples of this kind of biography
to study because the number of people with crucial roles in
history is limited. However, people like Daniel, Paul, Abraham,
Isaac, Joseph and others can be included in this group.
Character Exposition
The third reason for the author’s inclusion of biographical
information may be to teach character. This is closely related to
narrative exposition, but with a different slant. In this case the
author is primarily interested in presenting the facts as they relate
to the spiritual progress and character of the person being studied.
The kings of Israel and Judah lend themselves to this
kind of study. The details of their lives are given in a very
thorough manner along with God’s pronouncements about
them. These pronouncements are praise in some cases and stern
condemnation in others. Many Bible people can be used for this
type of study: disciples, prophets, and godly people from many
walks of life whose stories are included in Scripture.
Argument
The fourth (and least common) reason for the author’s inclusion
of biographical information in Scripture is to prove a point. The
facts of the individual’s life are used to convince someone of
something. Occasionally you will see this aim in evidence in the
gospels concerning the life of Jesus, or in Paul’s writings.
Application
3 Scripture contains facts about the lives of individuals
(biographical information) because of
a) the element of chance.
b) specific aims the author had in mind.
c) their interest for readers.
4 Match each kind of biographical information (right) with the
author’s reason for using it (left).
...... a Simply to record facts 1) Character exposition
...... b To teach historical lessons 2) Simple narrative
3) Argument
...... c To teach character 4) Narrative exposition
...... d To prove a point
Summary of Biography
The basic steps for any kind of biographical study you do will
be the same. The difference will be in how much material you
can find, and what kind of material you can find. The author’s
purpose, which dictated what he saw fit to include, will strongly
influence your purpose for study.
For any of the four types of biographical study you must read,
observe, and make notes. Then, you should outline your notes to
help you interpret the information you have collected. What you
find, and how it lends itself to organization, will determine the
main points in your outline.
If you were doing a simple narrative, just to cite the facts as a
matter of record, the main points of your outline might be:
I. Birth and Early Life
II. Conversion and Ministry
III. Relationships with Others
IV. Character Evaluation
V. End of Life Experiences and Death
VI. Author’s Purpose for Writing
Subtopics and details would be organized around this
framework. You might not find facts for each of these categories
available, but you would use whatever you could find.
The outline for the other types of biographical study will
follow the same pattern. The emphasis will be different. In an
argument, you will seek to understand what point the author was
trying to prove. What was he trying to convince someone of?
Who was he trying to convince? In a character exposition, the
person’s spiritual life and influence on others will be the main
focus, and the rest of the information will be incidental.
Sometimes the same person is mentioned in more than
one Bible book. In that case you almost need to have access
to a Bible concordance to find all the information. A Bible
concordance lists words of the Bible in alphabetical order, along
with places in Scripture where each word listed is used. If you do
not have a concordance, you will have to use the book method.
That is, get all the information that is given in one book and
build your study around that.
Application
5 Write T in the blank space before the following statements if
the statement is true. Write F if the statement is false.
...... a There appear to be four main purposes Bible authors had
for including biographical information in the Bible record.
...... b There are four completely different methods for studying
about the life of a Bible character.
...... c The basic steps in study are about the same for each kind
of biographical study of a Bible character.
...... d A Bible concordance is absolutely necessary for
biographical study.
...... e The basis for any study of a Bible character is very careful
reading of the text, observing, and writing notations of
what you find.
PROCEDURE FOR BIOGRAPHICAL

STUDY
Objective 3. Define three basic steps in the procedure for biographical
study and point out the sequence of them.
Collection of Data
The first part of the first step in a biographical study is careful
reading. If you have access to a computer Bible program, you
can simply run a search on the name of the person you want to
study. The program will locate all places in the Bible where the
name is found. If you do not have access to a computer Bible
program, you can use a Bible concordance or simply read to
collect information. Your skill in observation will be important
also at this step. The information you find must be written down.
One author has suggested writing all the bits of information

you find on small pieces of note paper. When it is time to
organize the material in some form or other, the pieces can be
shifted to suit the outline. The outline can be refined from the
grouping of the papers. Whether you use that method or simply
write in your notebook, the items discussed in the next two
paragraphs items are those you will look for.
Note every mention of names. Not just the name of the
person you are studying, but the names of people and places
with which he is associated. Write down all the actions (verbs)
associated with the individual or those connected with his story.
You will need to note the nature of the person’s friendships and
the period in which he and his contemporaries lived.
You should note any information about your subject’s
parents and other relatives. Write the circumstances of his
birth, early training, home life, and the significance of his name
or names. Your subject’s later life is important too. Consider
journeys, teachings, successes, failures, influence on his own
or later generations. Find out all you can about the individual’s
personality traits, character, crises of life, and effectiveness in
work. Observe, also, details about the lives of his children.
As you can see, the list of possibilities is long. You will not
find complete information about every individual. In some cases,
the information is so abundant that several kinds of study can
be done. Other Bible characters are only mentioned, so no real
study can be made of their lives. Some have well documented
periods in their lives, but the rest of the information is missing
from the record.
Application
6 To do a biographical study of a Bible personality, you need to
read the book and make notes about
a) all that has a bearing on his life or influence.
b) all nouns and verbs whether related to him or not.
c) what is said concerning him in nonbiblical books.
7 What is the first part of the first step in a biographical study?

........................................................................................................
Interpretation of Data
The data that you have collected in the first step of your
biographical study must be interpreted in the second step. The
kind of material you have been able to find will determine what
kind of study you can complete.
You may have a list of facts that are in the Bible just for the
record. In that case, you will make your biographical study a
simple story with the facts presented in an informative way. That
kind of study is called simple narrative.
If the details of your subject’s life are bound in some way to
larger historical events, you will plan a narrative exposition. This
would be a study where the narrative or story part of a person’s
life is used to teach a historical lesson.
If you find that the author has included a lot of information
about the person’s character, whether good or bad, his purpose
will influence the purpose of your study. His purpose to teach
something about character will guide you in learning (and
perhaps teaching) something about character. This kind of study
is called character exposition.
In a few places, you may find that the author has included
biographical information to prove a point. Remember that we
have called this kind of information argument.
Organization of Data
Organization of data is the third step in the procedure for
biographical study. For a simple narrative, you will classify the
facts by categories. You were given the main points for a sample
outline in an earlier section of this lesson. The subtopics and
details will be organized around those main points.
Application
8 Look back to the section on Kinds of Biography; find the
sample “main-point” outline suggested and copy it in your
notebook. (If you wish to expand it or revise it in some future
study, feel free to do so. Any outline is only a suggestion.)
For a narrative exposition, organize the material in terms of

categories within each of the major periods of time in the person’s
life. Each period would have a main heading. Anything that
happened to him during a given time period would come under
that period’s heading. For instance, in the life of Joseph (Genesis
37–50), a possibility would be to divide his life into three main
sections: his early life with his family, his life as a servant in
Egypt, and his life as a ruler in Egypt. The end point for each
period would be the crisis that ushered in the next period. For
Joseph, the section on his early life with his family would end with
the crisis event of his being sold as a slave to the caravan heading
for Egypt. The servant period would end with the crisis of his
being able to interpret the dream for the king of Egypt.
Application
9 Narrative exposition is the kind of biographical study where
the information is organized according to
a) major periods in the person’s life.
b) the person’s friends and relationships.
c) birth and early training of the person.
Character exposition is written for the purpose of exploring

a person’s character and spiritual development. Therefore, it
should be organized around categories related to character.
The main topics might be centered on decisions made by
the individual which were clues to his character. Subtopics
under those major decisions might be personal influences or
environmental influences that had a bearing on the decisions.
Other headings might be his dominant personal traits, his major
accomplishments, his religious experiences, and clues that might

be found in his relationships with other people.
Application
10 A character study is primarily concerned with the
a) major phases of a person’s life.
b) individual’s moral and ethical traits.
c) birth and early training of the person.
If you make a study of a person’s life and you suspect that the
author’s biographical aim was argument, you will first want to
try to find the answer to these questions: “What is the conclusion
to which the author is trying to lead the reader?” “What is he
trying to prove?” Then, you should try to answer these questions:
“Are the biographical facts used to illustrate the argument?
Are they used to accent the argument? Are they used to prove
the argument?” Finally consider whether the sequence (order
of events) of the narrative, the moral of the narrative, and the
character of the person, in any way strengthens the argument.
Application
11 Read Acts 22. In this chapter Paul defends himself by giving
his life story. When you have read it, answer the following
questions in your notebook.
a What is the conclusion to which Luke the author is trying to
lead the reader? Does this differ from Paul’s aim in making
the speech?
b At the time of this incident, who were the people Paul was
definitely trying to convince?
c Are the biographical facts Paul sets forth used to illustrate,
accent, or prove the argument?
d Does the order of events have anything to do with the argument?
e Does the moral of the narrative have anything to do with the
argument?
f Does the character of the person have anything to do with the
argument?
BIOGRAPHICAL STUDY OF AMOS

Objective 4. Make a textual biographical outline of the known life of
Amos.
This section emphasizes application of biographical study.
The outline which you will make for the book of Amos is
different from the sample outline you were given in the section
on Kinds of Biography. This will be a textual outline which will
follow the Scripture references in sequence as they occur. The
steps will be the same as for any of the biographical studies.
Step 1: Read the book of Amos to collect the information
(data) that was discussed in the procedure section. Be sure to
record the reference for every item of pertinent information you
find, along with the item itself.
Step 2: Using your notes made in Step 1, try to decide what
the purpose of Amos might have been for including biographical
statements in his book which is primarily prophecy.
Application
12 Write purpose in your notebook. After purpose, write what
you think caused Amos to tell a little about his life in this book.
Step 3: Organize your textual outline. Divide a page of your
notebook into four columns as you see here.
The column headings really explain themselves. As you

work through the following exercises, place your answers in the
appropriate place on your notebook page.
Application
13 Write Amos 1:1 in the references column of your textual
outline. Write six factual observations from this Scripture in the
facts column.
14 What questions can you think of from these observations that
are unanswered and you would like to find out more about? Write
them in the questions column.
For answers to your questions, you go to whatever sources

are available to you. You may find some answers in a week.
Some may take you years to find, especially if you do not have
books or maps to study from. Does this mean you should not ask
the questions? No, if you wish to become a serious Bible student
you must learn to ask questions. This may mean frustration if
you don’t have places to find the answers, but some day you
may be able to locate more source material to use. The greatest
scholar still has unanswered questions. So write your questions
even if the answers are not available to you at the time. For
questions in the following exercises you will find answers in the
textbook. Write your answers for these questions in the answers
column, next to the questions. Then compare your answers with
those we have suggested.
Application
15 Write Amos 3:8 in the references column.
a Write in the facts column an observation based on Amos 3:8.
b Read Joel 3:16 and Amos 1:2 then write this question in the
questions column: What effects upon nature did Joel and
Amos associate with God’s speaking to man? Now, in the
answers column write your answer to this question then
compare it with ours.
16 Write Amos 5:1 in the references column.
a Write in the facts column an observation based on Amos 5:1.
b With reference to the observation we have made in this
exercise, write this question in the questions column: Why?
Now, read Amos 5:3; then in the answers column write your
answer to this question.
17 In Amos 7:1, 3, 7; and 8:1 there is mentioned four times

something which gives us personal information about this
prophet. Write this information in the fact column.
18 Write Amos 7:10 in the references column. Now write in the
facts column an observation based on this verse.
19 Read Amos 7:14 carefully. Find three facts from your
observation of this verse and list them in the facts column.
What kind of biography does Amos 7:14 seem to be? Is it

simple narrative, narrative exposition, character exposition, or
argument? Primarily, it seems to be argument.
Application
20 In the questions column next to the facts you listed for Amos
7:14, write this question: What is Amos trying to prove in his
argument? Now, in the answers column write your answer to this
question.
self-test
Circle the letter in front of the item in each question which is the
best answer.
1 Which of the following statements accurately describes
characters of the Bible?
a) They never did live in reality.
b) They are not living now.
c) They are still alive today.
2 Which of the following items is NOT one of the basic kinds of
biography in the Bible?
a) Collection of data.
b) Character exposition.
c) Argument.
d) Simple narrative.
3 The primary emphasis of narrative exposition is to
a) prove a point.
b) teach historical lessons.
c) teach character.
4 In the procedure for biographical study, you begin to read the
material when you begin to
a) organize your data.
b) collect your data.
c) make your textual outline.
5 The chronological order in which you will work with your
information in a biographical study is
a) collection, organization, interpretation.
b) organization, interpretation, collection.
c) interpretation, collection, organization.
d) collection, interpretation, organization.
6 Our study of the book of Amos in this lesson has emphasized
most the
a) application of biographical study.
b) introduction to biographical study.
c) kinds of biography.
d) sequence of steps in biographical study.
7 The outline that you have begun to make of the book of Amos
is called a
a) reference outline.
b) factual outline.
c) textual outline.

10 b) individual’s moral and ethical traits.
1 b) Jesus spoke of Abraham as a presently living person.
11 a Both Paul’s speech and Luke’s recording of it purposed to
show by Paul’s life and experience that Jesus Christ is the
fulfillment and completion of the religion of the Jews.
b The Jews, “brothers and fathers” (verse 1).
c In Paul’s case, all three seem to be factors. He uses facts
from his life to illustrate his zeal as a Jew by birth and
education. He uses his personal testimony to prove that he
knows what he is talking about.
d Yes, Paul’s early life as a devout Jew led up to his later
experiences.
e Yes, the moral points out that Paul assented to the stoning
of Stephen and persecuted Christians out of a mistaken
sense of moral responsibility.
f Yes, Paul was hoping his reputation as an educated, trained
Jew with ethical standards would help him win his case.
2 c) Hebrews 11 emphasizes faith above all else.
12 A possible purpose Amos may have had for including facts
about his life in his book is as follows: Perhaps Amos wanted
to show his integrity, his trustworthiness as a prophet. By
telling something of his former life and how he came to be
a prophet, Amos made it known that he had not asked for the
job of being a prophet (7:15). The fact that God ordered Amos
to prophesy indicated that he was prophesying the truth.
3 b) specific aims the author had in mind.
13 1. Amos was a shepherd.
2. Amos was from the town of Tekoa.
3. God revealed things to Amos.
4. This revelation was about Israel.
5. An earthquake happened two years after this revelation.
6. Uzziah was king of Judah and Jereboam was king of Israel.
4 a 2) Simple narrative
b 4) Narrative exposition
c 1) Character exposition
d 3) Argument
14 Suggested questions for more study: 1) Where was Tekoa?
2) When were these men kings? 3) What was the date of this
earthquake? Is it mentioned anywhere else?
5 a T
b F
c T
d F
e T
15 a The Sovereign Lord speaks to man. (This is not the only
correct answer.)
b Trembling of earth and sky, and drying up of pastures and
grass
6 a) all that has a bearing on his life or influence.
16 a The Lord sings a funeral song over Israel.
b Because nearly all of Israel’s soldiers are dying in battle.
7 Careful reading.
17 Amos was given visions from the Lord.
8 I. Birth and Early Life
II. Conversion and Ministry
III. Relationships With Others
IV. Character Evaluation
V. End of Life Experiences and Death
VI. Author’s Purpose for Writing
18 Amos is accused by Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, of conspiracy.
20 That he is not a religious professional who does prophesying
for a living.
19 1. Amos does not prophesy for pay.
2. Amos is a herdsman.
3. Amos takes care of fig trees.
9 a) major periods in the person’s life.
9
LESSON
Topical
Method of Study
A topical Bible study is a study that deals with a specific

subject in the Bible. The main topic or subject of the Bible is
redemption through the blood of Christ! The Old Testament
explains how God related Himself to our fallen human race
through Israel. Israel’s sacrifices, feasts, and offerings all
pictured, in one way or another, Christ the Savior to come. He
came when the time was right. The New Testament is the record
of His coming. It tells of the events that followed His coming
and those which will follow as time moves on. Other Bible
topics support and explain the main topic.
You learned in Lesson 8 that people are topics in biographical
study. But there are other topics besides people in the Bible.
In Scripture you can read about music, occupations, customs,
plants, animals, politics, geography, right rules for living, and
many, many other topics that are both interesting and valuable to
study. Learning the procedure for a topical Bible study will help
you gain a better understanding of the Bible.
To p i c a l M e t h o d o f S t u d y 187
lesson outline
Introduction to Topical Study
Examples of Topical Studies
Nature Topic: the Sparrow
Theological Topic: God’s Nature
Ideas for Further Study
Procedure for the Topical Method
Step 1: List Occurrences
Step 2: Classify into Categories
Step 3: Examine Context
Step 4: Summarize Each Category
Step 5: Compare Summary Statements
Step 6: Summarize Entire Outline
Topical Study of Ephesians
lesson objectives
Describe the relationship between visible things and invisible
qualities in topical Bible study.
Describe “things” and “qualities” as topics for Bible study

and give examples of each of the two categories.
List and explain the six steps in making a topical study.
Make a topical outline from Ephesians 4, 5, and 6, using the
topic: “Acceptable Words.”
learning activities
1. Read the opening section, outlines, and objectives.
3. Read the lesson development and respond by following the
instructions in each question as you come to it.
4. Many of the answers will require more space than can be
allowed in your textbook; you will need your own notebook
for all except the very short answers.
5. Take the self-test at the end of the lesson and check your answers.
key words
accountable occurrences random
erroneous preconceived
lesson development
TOPICAL METHOD OF STUDY

Objective 1. Describe the relationship between visible things and
invisible qualities in topical Bible study.
Our list of Bible topics in the first part of this lesson included
both the visible and the invisible. We find in Romans 1:20 a
relationship between them which is valuable to topical Bible
study: “Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities,
both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly
seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So
those people have no excuse at all!” This Scripture explains
that God created the very nature that surrounds us, with the
intent that we could learn about Him through our observation
of it. God planned Israel’s location in Palestine (Deuteronomy
1:8). He planned its building materials (stones that would last
for centuries to witness to the truth of His word). He planned
its natural resources, the lay of its land, and even its climate.
All these things have been used by God to illustrate truth in His
power and nature.
The early and latter rains which water the crops of Palestine
are the autumn rains (early) and spring rains (latter). These rains
are used as significant illustrations in Scripture. (See Proverbs
16:15, Zechariah 10:1, James 5:7.) Any topic that is treated or
mentioned in the Bible is a possible topic for you to study. This
would include not only such things as clothing, housing, foods,
etc. but also words; that is, how certain key words are used in
Scripture. Your study would include themes such as faith, prayer,
the second coming of Christ, and topics concerning Christian
living. The study you will be making in the last section of this
lesson, in the book of Ephesians, is of the last type. It is a study
on an important aspect of Christian living: acceptable words.
Application
1 Write T in the blank space before the statements that are true
and F before false statements.
...... a God has created nature in a haphazard or unplanned way.
...... b There is no relationship between God’s eternal truth and
what can be seen in nature.
...... c God purposely created nature in such a way that it would
illustrate both His power and His divine nature.
...... d The homeland for the people of Israel was chosen in a
random way.
...... e God particularly planned and selected Palestine as the
homeland for His people Israel.
...... f James 5:7 uses the autumn and spring rain of Palestine to
illustrate the value of patience.
There will be great differences in the amount of information

available about various topics in the Bible. For some, there may
be a wealth of information in just a chapter or a passage. For
others, it may be necessary to glean information from many books
in both Testaments to get the fullest possible meaning from the
study. The more comprehensive your study, the longer it will take.
I have heard of a man who is doing his own study of the Holy
Spirit, using all of the Bible. This kind of study would be done
using steps similar to those you will learn to use in this lesson. The
study will probably take the man several years or a lifetime to do,
depending on how detailed he makes it. So, the length of a topical
study will depend on the amount of information to be found and
the amount of time you wish to spend on it.
Application
2 Circle the letters before the correct completions to this sentence:
The length of a topical study will depend on
a) the length of the book where the topic is mentioned.
b) the amount of information to be found on the topic.
c) the amount of time the student spends studying the topic.
A long, complete study is made much easier if you have

access to a Bible concordance or a Bible dictionary. Bible
software is also available to speed up searches. In these
concordances and dictionaries, words and topics mentioned
in the Bible are listed in alphabetical order along with their
Scripture references. These helps allow you to save time in
finding all the places where a topic is mentioned. If such books
are ever available to you, you will want to make use of them.
However, topical studies can be done without such helps.
In fact, it is better in shorter topical studies to do your own
reading and searching for occurrences of the topic you wish
to investigate. This is true because in doing your own reading,
you will not only find DIRECT references to the topics, but
INDIRECT references as well. Direct references are those which
actually contain the specific word or phrase you are looking for.
Indirect references are those which refer to the theme or general
idea of your topic. These indirect references are important for a
more complete understanding of your topic.
Application
3 Write direct after the definition of a direct reference, and
indirect after the definition of an indirect reference.
a A reference which alludes to the theme or general idea of the
topic
..................................................................................................
b A reference which contains the specific word or phrase you
are looking for
..................................................................................................
a) You have to have other reference books to do a topical Bible
study.
b) Reference books such as a Bible concordance or a Bible
dictionary can be helpful when doing a topical Bible study
but are not necessary.
c) In a topical Bible study, you will look only for the places
where the topic is mentioned directly.
d) In a topical Bible study, you will look for all the places where
the topic is mentioned directly or indirectly.
EXAMPLES OF TOPICAL STUDIES

Objective 2. Describe “things” and “qualities” as topics for Bible
study and give examples of each of the two categories.
Nature Topic: the Sparrow

You saw, in your reading of Romans 1:20, that God uses
nature to teach lessons to the human family. The lowly sparrow,
or sparrow-like bird, which is so common around houses and
gardens in many places of the world, is used a number of times
in Scripture to illustrate truth.
Scholars tell us that the word sparrow is a translation of the
Hebrew tzippor, which seems to have been a general term for all
small birds or sparrow-like species. If you had time to investigate,
you would find this word used more than forty times in the Old
Testament—not always translated sparrow. Sometimes it appears as
bird or fowl. A corresponding Greek word occurs twice in the New
Testament. These small birds are used in Scripture to illustrate how
very much God cares for His children. Consider Matthew 10:29-31:
For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one
sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s consent.
As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been
counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth much more
than many sparrows!
God is interested in sparrows. They are part of His creation.
How vitally important it is for every child of God to have
complete confidence and trust in the care of the Heavenly Father!
The Psalmist uses the little bird as an illustration of sorrow
and loneliness. He writes, “I am like a lonely bird on a house-top”
(Psalm 102:7). These small birds are known for their congregating
in groups, noisy and chattering. To illustrate the intensity of his
grief, the writer has contrasted the normal surrounding of these
birds to that of the one alone on the housetop.
Theological Topic: God’s Nature

The following is an outline of a topical study, similar to the
kind of outline you will be making in your notebook for the study
in Ephesians. At this point, just read the outline and look up the
verses that are mentioned as you read. Notice the observations that
are made for each reference. Notice the summary statement at the
end. (All the references are from the book of Habakkuk.)
Topic: The Nature of God
REFERENCE OBSERVATION
1:2 Habakkuk cries to the Lord, but the Lord does
not answer. Since God is righteous, what does
failure to answer imply? That God answers
when ready and only then.
1:5-6 God is working; God is raising up
Babylonians. What does this imply with
regard to Habakkuk’s complaint? That God
has been in the process of answering even
before Habakkuk’s cry.
1:12 God is from the Beginning.
God is holy, eternal. He is Habakkuk’s protector.
1:13 God’s eyes are too holy to look at evil.
God cannot stand the sight of people doing
wrong.
2:1 Habakkuk expects an answer from the Lord.
What does this imply? That God is accountable.
2:13-14 The Lord must be the ultimate end of all effort.
Knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth.
2:20 The Lord is in His holy temple.
He is worthy of reverence.
3:3 God is holy and full of splendor.
3:5-6 The Lord is powerful.
3:13, 18 The Lord is concerned about salvation of people.
3:19 The Lord is strong.
Summary: By nature God is personal, eternal, holy, and

righteous. He is supreme in power, fair in judgment, and patient
in His administration of justice, and He is the Savior.
Ideas for Further Study

In the two subsections of the lesson that you have just read,
you have examples of two kinds of topical study. As you can see
they are quite different, yet both deal with a specific topic. The
first example, the short study on the sparrow, is representative
of the many topics of interest that can be found in the area of
nature. Plants, animals and minerals are sometimes used in the
Bible as illustrations and sometimes as symbols. These terms
can sometimes be used interchangeably, but we will point out
differences of usage between them that will help you to better
understand the Bible.
An illustration of a truth pictures that truth in a way which
makes it easier to understand. The mustard plant is an example
of such an illustration. Because the mustard plant is known for
growing an unusually large plant from a very small seed, Jesus
used it to illustrate truth about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew
13:31-32) and faith (Matthew 17:20). A symbol is something that
stands for something else. A symbol has one or more qualities
that remind you of the object it stands for. For example, in
Daniel 2 the “head of gold” was revealed to be a symbol of King
Nebuchadnezzar himself (v. 38). In Daniel 8:1-8, a ram and a goat
were used as symbols of kingdoms and kings who were to come.
When studying topics of this type, you will use the same
steps that are outlined in the next section of the lesson. In
addition, you will especially note the qualities of the topic which
made it appropriate to use as either an illustration of truth, a
symbol, or something else.
Application
5 Consider the following topics. Read the reference given
for each one. Write either illustration or symbol in the blank
following each example.
a The ant (Proverbs 6:6-8) ..........................................................
b The Lamb (Revelation 6:1, 3, 5, 7) .........................................
c Locusts (Nahum 3:15) .............................................................
d The bear (Daniel 7:5, 17) .........................................................
In addition to those already mentioned in this lesson, some

possible topics from nature might include light, water, grain,
herbs (such as cumin, Matthew 23:23) and many others.
The second example of a topical study that you have read,
The Nature of God, deals with a topic that is a quality rather than
a thing. Additional qualities that can be investigated are hope,
love, faith, forgiveness, repentance, and eternal life.
Application
a) Topics taken from nature are often used in the Bible as
illustrations or symbols.
b) Topics that are qualities rather than things are often used in
the Bible as illustrations or symbols.
c) Bible topics for possible study are quite limited.
d) Bible topics for possible study are many and varied.
7 List four or five possible topics that you can think of for study
that have not been mentioned so far in this lesson.
........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................
PROCEDURE FOR THE TOPICAL

METHOD
Objective 3. List and explain the six steps in making a topical study.
Step 1: List Occurrences

In this step you will make a textual outline similar to the one
you made in the preceding lesson for biographical study. It will
have to be made every time you do a topical study. You must
choose a topic. You then select a book or passage of Scripture
(or several passages) in which you have found some material
related to the topic you have chosen. You read the Scripture with
a pencil and paper at hand. Your paper should be divided into
two sections, as you noted in the outline on The Nature of God.
On the left is the section for the reference, and on the right is the
section for your observation.
Each time you come in your reading to some information
about your topic, you will list the reference along with the
information you have found. (Leave space between items on
this list for addition of later observations.) You may have found
a direct reference to your topic (where the word or phrase you
have chosen is actually used), or you may have found an indirect
reference to your topic (where just the theme or general idea is
given). Direct or indirect, you will list in order of appearance all
occurrences of the topic.
Application
8 Copy in your notebook the italicized part of the last sentence
of the preceding paragraph. (This is Step 1.)
If the information you find is a direct reference to your

topic, you will simply write it opposite the Scripture reference.
If what you find is an indirect reference, you will write it,
followed by the question: “What does this imply concerning my
topic?” Always remember that in Bible study, the Holy Spirit
is ever present with you to reveal His truth to your mind. No
matter what the method of Bible study, Scripture must always

be approached with a prayerful attitude and an open, receptive
mind. You never study God’s Word alone! He is with you.
Note: If you are not sure about information that you have read
thus far, go back and work through this study textbook again.
Step 2. Classify Into Categories

In Step 1, you were directed to list all the appearances of your
topic in the order of their occurrence. That means that in your first
list, the Scriptures are in order as they come in the text. Now your
task will be to examine all the information you have discovered
about your topic, noticing how the information can be fit together
in a logical or reasonable way. The information itself will suggest
categories to you as you look at it. For example, if your topic
were Furniture In the Temple, your information might be grouped
according to areas within the temple; these areas would serve as
categories. If your topic were from nature, your categories might
be the different ways the topic is used in the Bible. What kinds of
information are given about the topic? Is it used to illustrate some
truth? Is it used as a symbol of something else? Historical topics
would suggest categories of time: a beginning, a middle, and an
end period of time. Each topic will probably have two or more
categories which can be used to organize the information you find.
So, Step 2 can be stated this way: Classify each occurrence
of the topic according to the way it is used. Use categories that
grow naturally out of the material you have found. When you
get into Ephesians in the application section, you will be looking
for instances of the topic that concern words that are acceptable
to God. You will discover that Paul often gives opposites in the
same sentence: “Don’t say this . . . but do say that . . . ” When
you have noted several of these references, your mind will begin
to think in terms of two main categories for that particular topic.
Your categories might be: “Wrong Words” and “Right Words,”
or “Words to Shun” and “Words That Please God”. The finished
outline will break down into four or five categories, but they will
be related to the two that immediately come to mind.
Application
9 Copy in your notebook the two sentences from the paragraph
above which summarize Step 2.
10 The purpose of Step 2 of the procedure for the topical method
of Bible study is to always
a) list each occurrence of your topic as you find it.
b) organize your information into logical categories.
c) organize your information into categories of time.
Step 3: Examine Context

Back in Lesson 1 you learned that context means “all the words
that surround a particular word you are considering.” In this course
you have also learned the importance of careful observation when
studying God’s Word. Step 3 will put your powers of observation
to the test. You will have listed all the occurrences of your topic
(Step 1). You will have organized them into several categories,
according to the ways they are used (Step 2). And now you will
not only read the verse or sentence where your topic is mentioned,
but you will read the verses which surround it in order to be sure
to have the correct meaning intended by the Holy Spirit.
As you read the context (surrounding sentences) you may
need to adjust, or add to, your original observations. Step 3,
then, is to examine carefully (analyze) the various usages of
your topic, taking the context into account. If you see changes
or additions that should be made in your original observations,
write them down on your Step 1 outline.
Application
11 What is the meaning of context?
........................................................................................................
12 Write Step 1, Step 2, or Step 3 after each of the following
sentences:
a Where your topic is mentioned, read the verses that surround
it, to arrive at the correct meaning
..................................................................................................
b Make a list of all the occurrences of your topic

..................................................................................................
c Organize your list by grouping related items together
..................................................................................................
Step 4: Summarize Each Category

To summarize means to reduce information to a shorter, more
concise way of saying it. It means to use fewer words while
keeping the essence of the meaning.
In Step 4, you will read all the observations you have made for
each grouping (or category) and summarize each one in as brief a
way as possible. For example, let’s suppose your topic was sheep.
Your list of references would be long, for sheep are very prominent
in Scripture. After making this list in your first step, your second
step would have been to group the items you had found into
categories according to usage. In other words, references that
are related in some way would be grouped together. Some of the
headings you might have chosen for references to sheep probably
would have simply described them as animals. “Livestock” and
“Habits and Characteristics of Sheep” are examples of such
headings. You would also probably have found references where
sheep are used as sacrifices, symbols, and illustrations of God’s
people. Jesus called Himself “the good Shepherd” (John 10:11).
Your third step would have been to examine the context of each
reference to get its complete, true meaning.
Your fourth step is summarizing each category. If your
topic is sheep, you will state in condensed form all of your
observations concerning sheep as animals. You will do the
same for the references that discuss sheep as sacrifices. You
will summarize all the information about sheep as they are used
symbolically, and then summarize the ways sheep are used as
illustrations of Bible truth. Step 4 is to make for each category of
your outline a summarized restatement of the observations you
have made in previous steps.
Application
13 To summarize means to
a) list according to time.
b) explain meaning.
c) state in condensed form.
14 In Step 4 of the topical method of study, you will
a) list all occurrences of the topic.
b) examine usage, taking context into account.
c) summarize each category of the topical outline.
Step 5: Compare Summary Statements

Step 5 is not primarily a writing step, but a looking and
thinking step. It is a time for considering what has emerged from
your study. It is a time for meditating upon the truth you have
seen in the Scriptures. It is a time when you prayerfully consider
all the information you have gathered, allowing the Holy Spirit
to help you to see all of the details and their relationship to the
total impact of the verses.
In the looking and thinking you do in Step 5, you will
decide on the best order in your topical study outline for your
categories. In Step 1, you listed all the occurrences of the topic
in the order in which they came in the passage you studied. Now
when each category has been summarized, it may seem better
to have one certain category come before or after another for
reasons of time sequence, or because of relative importance. You
may want to put the most important category at the end.
Application
15 Write T in the blanks before true statements and F before false
statements.
...... a In Step 1 you list the occurrences of your topic as you
come to them.
...... b In Step 4 you look and think, but do not write.
...... c Step 5 is not primarily a writing step, but a prayerful
looking and thinking step.
...... d Step 2 involves a listing of occurrences in the order that

they appear in the text.
...... e In Step 2 all the references that are closely related are
grouped together under a heading known as a category.
...... f Step 3 is a step in which you study each category carefully
by considering the context of each category.
...... g In Step 4 you summarize each category.
16 In your notebook, list very briefly the first five steps used in
making a topical study.
Step 6: Summarize Entire Outline

In Step 6 all findings are tied together. You draw conclusions
in a master statement that includes the summaries you have made
of each category. It is a master summary that is the outgrowth
of your thinking and meditation in Step 5. In this final step you
will synthesize, or put together, a master statement from your
summary definitions.
There are two cautions to keep in mind, however. First, avoid
overgeneralizations. A generalization is a broad, overall conclusion,
rule, or statement that is not detailed but is made to apply generally.
When summarizing Scripture, it is easy to be “carried away” by the
wonderful insights that come, and make statements that go too far.
Draw your conclusions only as broad as Scripture permits. Try not
to make them say more or less than Scripture says.
Second (and this is related to the first caution), keep in mind
the limitations of Scripture. There are two kinds of limitations:
implicit (something that is implied or understood, but not directly
expressed), and explicit (something directly stated). Scripture
limits us both ways. The Bible directly states many things. Direct
statements limit us because we cannot change those things to
suit ourselves. The Bible limits our conclusions by its implicit
teaching also, ideas that are implied but not directly stated. When
something is implied in Scripture, you can say that it is implied.
But you must limit yourself to that, unless other references give
direct teaching on the subject.
Application
17 Write very briefly in your notebook what is to be done in Step 6.
18 Write implicit or explicit in the blank after each item here.
a Ideas that are implied but not directly stated ............................
b Ideas that are directly stated ......................................................
19 What are the two cautions which must be observed when
putting together your final summary statement? Write them in
your notebook.
TOPICAL STUDY OF EPHESIANS

Objective 4. Make a topical outline from Ephesians 4, 5, and 6, using
the topic: “Acceptable Words.”
You will need your notebook and Bible for this section of the
lesson. The learning activities presented here will help you to
apply the six steps in the procedure for a topical study. You will
be working in Ephesians 4-6.
Note: It is very important that you do the exercises
independently before you look at the answers! Your findings
do not have to be exactly like the ones in the textbook to be
correct. When you do finally compare your answers with the
ones given, feel free to add to your information or adjust it in
whatever way you desire, but try to retain your own words and
your own insights as much as possible. Our aim is to help you
have confidence in your own study of God’s Word. God speaks
to us as individuals. He will speak to you just as surely as He has
spoken to others. The more you study, the more insight you will
receive. The key is to give time to methodical study.
The topic for this study is Acceptable Words. The theme is
taken from Psalm 19:14, “May my words and my thoughts be
acceptable to you, O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer!” In the
book of Ephesians, the Holy Spirit has used the apostle Paul to
give us much detail about the kinds of words that are acceptable to
God. (It also reveals some kinds that are not acceptable to Him.) If
you wonder just how important this topic is to spiritual life, think
about what James says: “The tongue is like a fire . . . spreading

evil through our whole being. . . . it is . . . uncontrollable” (3:6, 8).
For more about the tongue, read James’ entire passage (James 3:1-
12) on the subject. Of course in this passage, the tongue is used
symbolically of the words we speak. It is evident that only when
we are made new creatures in Christ Jesus (and follow Him in
obedience) can the tongue begin to be pleasing to God.
Your first preparation for Step 1 is to divide about three sheets
of notebook paper into two columns each, the wider column
on the right. Write REFERENCE at the top of the left column
and OBSERVATION at the top of the right column. Now read
Ephesians 4, 5 and 6 with pencil in hand. As you come to any
reference to the topic words, you will write the reference in the left
column and your observation about it in the right column. If the
reference is a direct reference, just write your observation down
and go on. If the reference is an indirect one, write your observation
down, followed by the question, “What does this imply concerning
words?” Then try to answer your own question briefly. Some of the
later steps will give you opportunity for reflection and meditation;
so don’t spend too much time at this point, trying to extract every
bit of meaning from the text. You can do that later.
Be sure to include instances of unacceptable words as well
as acceptable words. They can teach what is acceptable through
the literary device of contrast. If a verse has both positive and
negative ideas in it, use “a” then “b” with the verse to distinguish
between these ideas.
Application
20 Step 1. List all occurrences of your topic in Ephesians 4, 5,
and 6 (as we have just explained).
When you have finished the reading and outlining necessary to

complete the preceding exercise, compare your outline for Step 1
with the one that is given for this exercise in the answer section.
Now in Step 2 you will arrange the items you have discovered
into some meaningful organization based on “usage.” You will
group related items together to form categories. In almost any
body of information, there will be more than one logical way
of grouping ideas together into categories so that the whole can
be understood more clearly. You will be shown one suggested
way to organize this material. Other ways might be different but
are not necessarily wrong. If you like your heading better, use
it! (Use a separate sheet of paper in your notebook for answers
to the next six exercises of Step 2. Leave about 5 lines of blank
space between answers.)
Application
21 Read Ephesians 4:14 and 5:6 carefully. What idea do these
verses have in common? Write your answer.
22 Think of a short heading you could give these two references.
Write it.
23 Read Ephesians 4:11-12. This passage is in a special category,
because it speaks of people who speak words that are used by
God to build up the body of Christ. Think of a short heading you
could give these two verses. Write the heading.
24 Read and compare the following references in Ephesians
4:25a; 4:26; 4:29a; 4:30; 4:31; 5:3; 5:4a; 6:4a; 6:9. Decide how
these verses seem to be related and write a heading that would be
suitable for them.
25 Read Ephesians 4:2; 4:15; 4:25b; 4:29b; 4:32; 5:3; first part
of 5:19; 5:33; 6:2; 6:4b; 6:7. Decide on and write a heading that
would show how these verses are related to each other.
26 Read Ephesians 5:4b; last part of 5:19; 5:20; 6:18. Notice
what kind of words these verses explain and toward whom these
words are to be directed. Then write a suitable heading for them.
Upon completion of the preceding exercise, you should have

a notebook page containing five headings or categories that are
similar to these and in this order:
UNACCEPTABLE WORDS: DO NOT LISTEN
WORDS TO LISTEN TO
UNACCEPTABLE WORDS: DO NOT SPEAK
ACCEPTABLE WORDS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER
ACCEPTABLE WORDS TOWARD GOD
Now in Step 3, you will go back to your textual outline
made in Step 1. Read each reference you have listed as well
as its context (verses before and after it). Write down in the
observation section of this outline any additional insights that
come to you from the contexts of these references.
As you begin to work with the texts you have selected, it is
very important to adhere (stick closely) to what the Scripture
actually says about the topic. If you go beyond what the text
really says, you are being unfair. Furthermore, you must correctly
interpret what it really does say! We have heard others voice
opinions which are not really based on the Word of God. As you
begin to interpret Scripture, it is vitally important never to bring
preconceived ideas into your statements. If you find that the Bible
does not agree with some of your previous ideas, you will have to
search the Scriptures and find out where you are in error. Your task
is to find out what the Bible says, and stick to that.
Application
27 Now read Ephesians 4:17-24, part of the context for 4:14. Do as
you have learned to do in earlier lessons, ask the Bible questions!
Here are some suggested questions. Write the answers to them in
your notebook, or on your Step 1 outline if you have room.
a) What are these deceitful men like?
b) Why are their words like shifting winds and full of error?
c) Why are they so dangerous to the child of God?
d) What power will help you speak that which pleases the Lord?
Continue in this manner, examining each reference and

extracting from the Word of God as much detail and meaning as
you can. The more time you have to spend, the more complete
your study will be.
Now in Step 4, you will prepare a summary statement for
each the five categories you formed in Step 2. Keep in mind that
a summary attempts to include all the important points, stating
them in as brief a way as possible. Write your own summaries
before looking at those listed in the answer section.
28 Write the summary for each category, on the notebook page
where you listed that category in answer to an exercise on Step 2.
(Remember to work with your outline of Step 1 in order to refer
to the references and observations for each category.)
Now in Step 5, you will compare your five summary
statements. Remember that this is not primarily a writing step,
although you may add to your notes if necessary. It is mainly
a step of prayerful, careful meditation as you consider what
has emerged from your study. Reread your original outline and
each observation you have made. Note the categories you have
chosen and the summary statements you have made. Notice how
Paul’s material builds toward his concluding remarks. Notice
how he has used the contrast of bad words with good words to
strengthen his teaching.
Application
29 Decide on the best order in your completed outline for your
five categories, and write them accordingly in your notebook.
Now in Step 6, you are ready to synthesize a master

statement from the five summaries you have written. Avoid
overgeneralizations. Keep in mind the limitations, implicit or
explicit, imposed by the context and by the text itself. Write
your own master summary statement about acceptable words, as
taught in Ephesians 4, 5, and 6. Keep in mind that yours does not
have to be exactly like ours in order to be correct.
Application
30 Write a master summary statement based on the five summaries
of categories you have made, arranging this statement according to
the rearranged order of your summaries. Then compare your master
summary with the one given in the answer section.
self-test
Circle the letter in front of the item in each question which is the
best answer.
1 God created visible things in such a way that
a) His divine nature illustrates them.
b) they illustrate His divine nature.
c) they are unrelated to His divine nature.
2 Which one of the following items will NOT help to determine
the length of a topical study?
a) The amount of information to be found on the topic.
b) The length of the book where the topic is mentioned.
c) The amount of time the student studies the topic.
3 Topics that are qualities rather than visible things are
a) not used in the Bible as illustrations or symbols.
b) used in the Bible as illustrations rather than symbols.
c) used in the Bible as symbols rather than illustrations.
4 In the procedure for topical Bible study, examination of
context is done in
a) Step 2.
b) Step 5.
c) Step 3.
5 The best order for the headings or categories in the completed
outline of a topical Bible study is determined by
a) classification of observations into categories.
b) comparison of summary statements of categories.
c) listing occurrences of the topic in a textual outline.
6 In later steps of your topical study, observations that you make
in your outline of Step 1 will be
a) increased but not rearranged.
b) rearranged but not increased.
c) both increased and rearranged.

1 a F
b F
c T
d F
e T
f T
2 b) the amount of information to be found on the topic.
c) the amount of time the student spends studying the topic.
16 1. List occurrences
2. Classify into categories
3. Examine context
4. Summarize each category
5. Compare summary statements
3 a Indirect
b Direct
17 Draw conclusions in a master summary statement. (Wording
may vary, but the answer should be essentially same as this one.)
4 b) Reference books such as a Bible concordance or a Bible
dictionary can be helpful when doing a topical Bible study
but are not necessary.
d) In a topical Bible study, you will look for all the places
where the topic is mentioned directly or indirectly.
18 a Implicit
b Explicit
5 a Illustration.
b Symbol.
c Illustration.
d Symbol.
19 First, avoid overgeneralization; second, keep in mind the
implicit and explicit limitations of Scripture.
6 a) Topics taken from nature are often used in the Bible as
illustrations or symbols.
d) Bible topics for possible study are many and varied.
20 ACCEPTABLE WORDS
4:2 Be humble, gentle, patient, tolerant. What does
this imply concerning words? That my words
should be humble, gentle, patient, tolerant.
4:11-12 He gave gifts to mankind (apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors, teachers) to prepare God’s
people for Christian service and to build up
the body of Christ. What does this imply
concerning words? That words which teach the
truth of Scriptures are God’s gift to His people.
4:14 Do not be blown about by every shifting
wind of the teaching of deceitful men who
lead others into error. What does this imply
concerning words? That we should not allow
the words of false teaching to lead us into error.
4:15 Speak the truth in a spirit of love.
4:25a No more lying!
4:25b Tell the truth!
4:26 If you become angry, do not let your anger
lead you into sin. What does this imply
concerning words? To avoid angry words.
4:29a Do not use harmful words.
4:29b Use only helpful words that build up, that
provide what is needed, that do good to those
who hear you.
4:30 Do not make God’s Holy Spirit sad. What
does this imply concerning words? That
harmful words sadden God’s Holy Spirit.
4:31 No more shouting or insults.
4:32 Instead, be kind and tenderhearted to one
another and speak forgiveness to one another.
5:2 Your life must be controlled by love just as
Christ loved us and gave His life for us as a
sweet smelling offering. What does this imply
concerning words? That our words must be
controlled by love just as Christ loved us.
5:3 The following should not be mentioned among
you: sexual immorality, indecency, or greed.
5:4a It is not fitting for you to use language which
is obscene, profane, or vulgar.
5:4b You should give thanks to God.
5:6 Do not let anyone deceive you with foolish
words.
5:19 Speak to one another with the words of psalms,
hymns, and sacred songs (words to one
another). Sing hymns and psalms to the Lord
with praise in your heart (words to the Lord).
5:20 Always give thanks for everything to God the
Father.
5:33 Every husband must love his wife. Every
wife must respect her husband. What does
this imply concerning words? That words
between husbands and wives must be those of
love and respect.
6:2 Children must respect father and mother. What
does this imply concerning words? That words
of children to parents must be those of respect.
6:4a Parents do not treat your children in such a
way as to make them angry. What does this
imply concerning words? That parents must
not speak to their children in a way that will
make them angry.
6:4b Raise children with Christian discipline and
instruction. What does this imply concerning
words? That parents must speak words of
Christian discipline and instruction to their
children.
6:7 Slaves, do your work cheerfully as though
you served the Lord. What does this imply
concerning words? Cheerful words in your work.
6:9 Stop using threats.
6:18 Do all this in prayer, asking for God’s help.
Pray on every occasion as the Spirit leads.
Pray always for all God’s people.
7 Your answer. (Suggestions: tents, flowers, idolatry, sheep, coins.)
21 Both of them indicate that we should not listen to
unacceptable words.
8 List in order of appearance all occurrences of the topic.
22 Suggested heading: UNACCEPTABLE WORDS: DO NOT
LISTEN
9 Classify each occurrence of the topic according to the way it
is used. Use categories that grow naturally out of the material
you have found.
23 Suggested heading: WORDS TO LISTEN TO
10 b) organize your information into logical categories.
24 Suggested heading: UNACCEPTABLE WORDS: DO NOT
SPEAK
11 All the words that surround a particular word you are considering.
(Answers may vary but should be similar to this one.)
25 Suggested heading: ACCEPTABLE WORDS TOWARD ONE
ANOTHER
12 a Step 3.
b Step 1.
c Step 2.
26 Suggested heading: ACCEPTABLE WORDS TOWARD GOD
13 c) state in condensed form.
27 a) They are heathen (v. 17), completely ignorant and stubborn

(v. 18), and have lost all feeling of shame (v. 19).
b) Because their thoughts are worthless and their minds are
dark (vv. 17-18).
c) Because they have no part in the life that God gives
(v. 18), give themselves over to vice, and do all sorts of
indecent things without restraint (v. 19).
d) The power of your new life in God (vv. 23-24).
14 c) summarize each category of the topical outline.
28 Suggested summary statements for each category:
Unacceptable Words: Do Not Listen: Refuse to listen to the
error of false teachers. The Christian no longer has any part of
their darkened minds and worthless thoughts. Refuse to listen to
foolish words. They are not acceptable to God.
Words to Listen To: Listen to those who faithfully teach the
Scriptures. God uses those words to build up the body of Christ,
and to prepare His people for Christian service.
Unacceptable Words: Do Not Speak: Do not use lying words,
angry words, harmful words, words that sadden God’s Holy
Spirit, shouting insults, or hateful words of any sort; do not
mention sexual immorality, indecency, or greed; use no obscene,
profane, or vulgar words; make no threats.
Acceptable Words Toward One Another: Use words that are
humble, gentle, patient, tolerant, truthful, and helpful; use words
that build up and do good, that are forgiving and loving; use
psalms, hymns, spiritual songs; use words of love and respect to
spouse, respect to parents, discipline and instruction to children;
express cheerful words to all.
Acceptable Words Toward God: Sing hymns and psalms to God
with praise in your hearts, give thanks to God for everything, ask
for God’s help, and pray always for all God’s people.
15 a T
b F
c T
d F
e T
f T
g T
30 Christians must not listen to the erroneous, foolish words

that are produced by the darkened minds of false teachers
and are not acceptable to God. Furthermore, the Christian
must not use any words that are harmful and degrading to
other people because such words sadden the Holy Spirit and
are unacceptable to God. Christians must listen to words
that present the truth of Scripture because such words will
prepare them for Christian service and are acceptable to God.
Also, Christians of all categories—husbands, wives, parents,
children, and all others—must speak helpful words to each
other that will build up the body of Christ. These words must
be inspirational as well as loving and forgiving. Finally,
Christians must constantly speak to God words of praise to
Him and prayer for His people.
29 Suggested order:
Unacceptable Words: Do Not Listen
Unacceptable Words: Do Not Speak
Words to Listen To
Acceptable Words Toward One Another
Acceptable Words Toward God
for your notes

10
LESSON
Devotional
Method of Study
A tired, hungry traveler in a desolate place finds a beautiful

tree, laden with delicious fruit. His one desire is to eat a piece of
the fruit, to be nourished and refreshed by it. After he has eaten,
he may consider the tree. He may note where it is growing, the
shape of its leaves and branches, its color and fragrance. No
matter how much he satisfies his curiosity about the lovely tree
itself, however, it is his eating of the fruit that satisfies his hunger
and nourishes his body. The part of the tree that you eat is the
part that gives you life.
So it is with God’s Holy Word, the Bible. Every aspect of it
is intriguing. No human mind ever can reach the depths or the
heights of it because, like its Author, it is eternal and infinite.
New aspects of familiar verses will continue to unfold as long as
you study Scripture. Like the beautiful tree and its fruit, the part
of the Scripture that you eat, is the part that gives you life.
How can I eat Scripture? I must begin by reading it, but I
must do more than that. I must internalize it through devotional
study. I must make its teachings my own. When I do this,
Scripture becomes my spiritual food and gives me spiritual life.
Jesus said, “The words I have spoken to you bring God’s life-
giving Spirit” (John 6:63).
Devotional Method of Study 217
lesson outline
Introduction to Devotional Bible Study
Devotional Study of a Verse
Devotional Study of a Paragraph
Devotional Study of a Longer Segment
lesson objectives
Describe the spirit and textual composition of devotional
Bible study.
Apply observation and interpretation to a devotional study of
Philippians 2:1.
Philippians 2:1-5.
Philippians 2:1-11.
learning activities
3. Read the lesson development, answering each study question
as you come to it.
4. Use your notebook for all except the very short answers.
5. Open your heart to the Holy Spirit as you study, so that the
Word of God can truly become the Bread of Life to you.
6. Take the self-test at the end of the lesson and check your answers.
key words
amplified intriguing segment
internalize procedure vice versa
lesson development
INTRODUCTION TO DEVOTIONAL
BIBLE STUDY
Objective 1. Describe the spirit and textual composition of devotional
Bible study.
One author has said of devotional Bible study,
“[It] is not so much a technique as a spirit. It is the spirit of
eagerness which seeks the mind of God; it is the spirit of
humility which listens readily to the voice of God, it is the
spirit of adoration which rests in the presence of God” (H.
F. Vos, Effective Bible Study, Zondervan, 1956, p. 172).
Throughout this course, you have been urged to make your
studies more than intellectual exercises. You have become aware
of the devotional attitude each time you have entered into the
study of Scripture with an open heart and found it speaking to
you personally. There really are no new techniques to present in
this lesson. Devotional study is accomplished by combining all
the tools and skills you have been learning. What is important to
learn here, however, is purpose.
The main purpose of devotional Bible study is to personally
feed upon God’s Word, allowing it to become life to you! It is
seeking the mind of God. It is listening to the voice of God. It
is pursuing the will of God. It is resting in His holy presence in
praise and worship. This is accomplished by using every possible
means to understanding what the Scriptures are saying, and then
responding to the Lord in loving obedience.
Devotional study should be a part of every Christian’s daily
activity. It is intensely personal. While there may be times when
a devotional study is prepared to be shared with others, its main
purpose remains personal. What is the Holy Spirit saying to me?
Devotional study will help me find the answer.
Because Christians have an enemy who tries to keep them
from knowing and doing God’s will, you may find more
hindrances to your study when you are studying in this manner.

Peter warns us:
Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around
like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be firm
in your faith and resist him, because you know that your
fellow believers in all the world are going through the same
kind of sufferings (1 Peter 5:8-9).
Application
1 Write T in the blank space preceding these statements if the
statement is true. Write F if the statement is false.
...... a A devotional Bible study should be prepared only when
you have to speak to a group.
...... b Devotional study should be done every day by every
believer in Jesus.
...... c Devotional study should primarily interest the intellect.
...... d Devotional study should primarily feed the spirit.
2 Review the first paragraph of the lesson development. Use it to
complete the following sentences concerning devotional Bible study.
a It is the spirit of .........................................................................
b It is the spirit of .........................................................................
c It is the spirit of .........................................................................
The text for devotional Bible study can be a word, a verse, a

paragraph, or a longer segment of Scripture. In this lesson you
will not make a devotional study based on just one word because
such a study would require access to reference materials which
could give you further insight into the ways specific words are
used in the original Greek and Hebrew texts. This sort of study
cannot be covered in this course. Your studies will be based on a
verse, a paragraph, and a longer segment—all from Philippians.
Verse and chapter division. Verse and chapter divisions are
not found in the original Greek and Hebrew texts of the Bible.
Scripture has traditionally been divided that way by translators to
break up the text into smaller portions for better understanding.
Once in a while you may find that the first verse of one chapter
would fit better if it were the last verse of the previous chapter,
or vice versa. The choice of just where to begin and end the
chapters was made several centuries ago. The great convenience
of having Scripture divided into easy-to-handle sections far
outweighs any problem about which verse should end the
chapter! You always are free to start or stop your study at any
logical place. Just be sure that your starting or stopping does not
alter the meaning of the passage. Include all the words that make
the thought complete.
Paragraphs. Usually, modern translators include not only
chapter and verse division but also divide the Scripture into
paragraphs. A paragraph is grouping together of sentences
that relate to the same main topic. The first line of that group
of sentences is indented to show transition from one thought to
another. A paragraph is a convenient unit to study.
These small “bites” of Scripture will be important to
devotional study. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He quoted
the Scripture which says, “Man cannot live on bread alone, but
needs every word that God speaks” (Matthew 4:4). Jesus was
quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3. You will be studying small
portions of Scripture intensely as though you were looking at
them under a microscope. You will try to understand each phrase
as thoroughly as possible. You will be asking the Bible questions
as you learned to do in Lesson 2 and Lesson 5.
Longer segments. Sometimes you may want to use longer
segments such as several paragraphs or more than one chapter.
The length of the text is not as important as the “listening heart.”
Application
3 The most likely text for a devotional study would be
a) a book of the Bible.
b) a paragraph of Scripture.
c) a group of books such as the four Gospels.
4 (Circle the letters before all the correct endings.) Verse and
chapter divisions of the Scripture
a) are a convenience for reading and understanding.
b) are of no value to a student.
c) were found in the original Greek and Hebrew texts.
d) were decided upon by translators, centuries ago.
e) have recently been added by modern translators.
f) always mark where a study should begin or end.
DEVOTIONAL STUDY OF A VERSE

Objective 2. Apply observation and interpretation to a devotional
study of Philippians 2:1.
It is true that in devotional study, heart attitude is more
important than intellectual technique. It is true also that
methodical study is more valuable than random or haphazard
study. A good Bible scholar will combine right attitude of heart
with best method of study. You will be responding to God’s
Word to feed your spirit, and you will bring to bear all you have
learned about Bible study.
In this section of the lesson, you will consider three
convenient steps in making a devotional study. Then you will be
asked to apply the last two of them to Philippians 2:1. The steps
are: Choose the Text, Observe the Facts, Interpret the Facts.
Choose the Text. The first step is to decide on the verse to be
studied. You will rely heavily on the Holy Spirit to direct your
attention to His Word for you at that particular time. This reliance
is difficult to explain to anyone because it is so personal. But if
you are a Christian and you spend time with the Word of God, you
probably are aware of the way the Holy Spirit quickens your mind
to certain Scriptures. I have heard Christians say such things as
“the letters just seemed to jump off the page,” or “it seemed like
that verse was printed in letters of gold.” Each of you who seeks
God for guidance in the study of the Word knows that the Holy
Spirit has His own special way of attracting your attention!
So, one way to choose a verse is to pay close attention to a

given passage of Scripture. You may be especially drawn to a
verse as you read. Any time you read the Bible, make a note of
verses that are interesting to you. The verses that lend themselves
to devotional study are those which contain directions to follow
or warnings to heed.
What if you receive no “special” guidance? Does that mean
you should not study the Word? By no means! “All Scripture is
inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error,
correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living” (2 Timothy
3:16). So, if you are not drawn especially to any verse, just choose
one that contains directions to follow or warnings to heed.
Observe the Facts. The second step is to read the verse
thoughtfully many times. As you read, think this question to
yourself: “1f I had to give this verse a three or four word title,
what would it be?”
By thinking of a title for the verse, you will grasp the main
idea in it. When you have the main idea of the verse, read it
through and list all the facts you can find in it. Look for facts
that are either directly stated or implied by this verse. Look for
answers to the questions you learned to ask in Lesson 2: WHO?
WHAT? HOW? WHEN? WHERE? (You will not be able to find
answers to all five of these questions in every verse you study.)
Make a note of the names of things, the action words, the words
that describe things. All of these observations should be written
in your notebook.
Interpret the Facts. The third step is to interpret the verse by
writing the meaning of it in your own words. By doing this, you
will be answering the question that is the key to interpretation:
“What does this mean?” For your devotional study you will ask a
second question: “What does this mean to me?”
In preparing a devotional study you will be more interested
in finding truth to feed your spirit than in technical matters.
However, all the skills you have learned should be brought to
bear on the text whenever you study the Bible. Let me illustrate
what I mean.
You learned in Lesson 5 that repetition is a principle of

composition. You learned to notice repetition as you study
Scripture because it is a forceful literary device in the hands of a
skillful writer. Repetition brings unity to a passage of Scripture.
It indicates emphasis.
The reason for repetition is what makes it important! When
you learn to recognize repetition, it is not just so you can say,
“That truth must be important because the Holy Spirit has
stressed it by repetition!” Your technical knowledge should help
you handle truth more accurately. The skills you have learned all
through this course will become tools to help you recognize and
understand truth for your personal benefit!
Application
5 Circle the letter in front of each correct statement.
a) Verses of the Bible that lend themselves to devotional study are
those which contain directions to follow or warnings to heed.
b) You should study only verses you feel especially attracted to.
c) All Scripture is useful for teaching the truth and giving
instruction for right living.
d) The second step in preparing a devotional study is interpretation.
e) The key question in interpretation of Scripture is: “What does
this mean?”
Review Lesson 2 in this Study Guide. Especially note what

you learned about the observing and interpreting steps in the
study of Scripture.
Application
6 Repetition is important primarily because it
a) is a principle of composition.
b) is “technical” knowledge.
c) indicates emphasis.
7 Which one of these statements concerning preparation of a

devotional study is true?
a) Since you are seeking spiritual food, you can ignore the study
skills you have learned.
b) You discover and understand truth by using in a prayerful,
thoughtful way all the skills you have learned.
c) It is of primary importance to be able to say you can
recognize the principles of composition.
Now you are ready to apply a devotional study to one

verse: Philippians 2:1. Throughout the following exercises, it is
extremely important that you follow each direction on your own,
writing down all your findings in your notebook before you look
at the answers in the study textbook. Expect your answers to be
somewhat different from those given. Do not feel that you must
change yours unless they are obviously wrong. Step one, choosing
the text, has already been done for you. Write the reference,
PHILIPPIANS 2:1, at the top of a page in your notebook.
Application
8 Read Philippians 2:1 many times. You should memorize it.
Write a three or four word title for this verse.
9 Observe the facts as you read Philippians 2:1 over again. Write
brief answers to the questions: WHO? WHAT? HOW? and WHEN?
10 Interpretation of facts. In your own words, write an amplified
statement on this verse, using the pronoun “I” instead of “you.” Write
thoughtfully and prayerfully, keeping in mind the two key questions:
“What does this mean?” and “What does this mean to me?”
DEVOTIONAL STUDY OF A
PARAGRAPH
study of Philippians 2:1-5.
Devotional study of a paragraph is very similar to devotional
study of a verse. The paragraph you will study in this section
is Philippians 2:1-5. First, you will read each verse carefully

and assign a short three or four word title to it as you did for
Philippians 2:1.
Second, you will observe the facts. That is, reread as many
times as necessary to find answers to the five fact questions: WHO?
WHAT? HOW? WHEN? WHERE? Note the verbs or actions, the
statements of truth, the commands and warnings. When you begin
to clearly understand the message of the paragraph, you will write a
three or four word title for the paragraph.
The third step will be interpretation. It will include the
writing in your own words of a statement of meaning on this
paragraph. This statement will bring all your observations and
interpretations together in a unified whole.
The following questions will guide you through a study of
Philippians 2:1-5. Write your answers to them in your notebook
before you look at the ones in the study textbook. The answers
may vary, so do not think you have to change your answers
unless they seem to need correction.
Application
11 Read each individual verse of Philippians 2:1-5 several times.
Give each verse a two or three word title that briefly summarizes
the main thought of the verse. Write these titles on your notebook
page as though they were the main headings of an outline. Leave
several spaces between them so that factual observations can
be placed under each verse title, as you develop this outline.
(Review the outlining procedure in the section of Lesson 7 titled
“Outlining Habakkuk.”) At the top of this page, write a short title
for your outline that summarizes the ideas in the paragraph.
12 Reread each verse of Philippines 2:1-5 with the five fact
questions in mind: WHO? WHAT? HOW? WHEN? WHERE?
(You will not find answers to all of them in every verse, of
course.) You will be looking also for statements of truth,
commands, warnings, and principles of composition that are
clues to what the Holy Spirit intended to emphasize. With all this
in mind, write subtopics under each of the five verse titles and
details under your subtopics for verse 3 only.
Note: Space did not permit a complete outline of every

observation in our answer to the preceding exercise, but please
note in verse 2 of the following phrases: “same thoughts . . .
same love . . . being one in soul and mind.” What literary devices
do you see in use here? Repetition? Continuity? Yes. There
also is continuation, which is the extension of an idea. When
a passage is built up in this way, it becomes very forceful. It
lets us know that the idea being presented is one which is very
important to God. The suggested outline in the answer section
to the study textbook will not contain all of these kinds of
observations, but be sure that your own notes are complete with
all the observations you can make.
Application
13 Now you are ready for the third step which is interpretation.
Remember the key questions, “What does this mean?” and
“What does this mean to me?” In your own words, write an
amplified statement of meaning on Philippians 2:1-5 using “I”
and “my” instead of “you” and “your.” (After all, this devotional
study is for personal benefit and it helps to put it in the first
person.) Your statement should include all the highlights of the
passage that you have found. As you write it prayerfully, the
Lord’s Holy Spirit will make it life to you!
DEVOTIONAL STUDY OF A LONGER

SEGMENT
study of Philippians 2:1-11.
The procedure you have used for studying verses and
paragraphs can be extended to longer passages. For devotional
study you will want to choose passages in which all the verses
are related in some way. This could be several paragraphs or a
whole chapter, but for this kind of study you should be able to
see continuation of a topic throughout the passage. Here, the
passage for study has been chosen for you.
Philippians 2:1-11 has been chosen so you can see how the
study of a single verse and paragraph can relate to the study of
the longer passage of which they are a part. We can save time
and space by building on the study you have just completed,
making it part of the study of the longer passage. In this section,
you will examine verses 6-11. Write your findings in your
notebook immediately following your study of verses 1-5. The
steps will be the same as before, except in a longer passage you
may want to find a key verse. Remember the following steps.
First, read each verse carefully, assigning a brief title to it.
Second, observe the facts. Reread as many times as necessary
to find answers to the five fact questions: WHO? WHAT? HOW?
WHEN? WHERE? Note the verbs, or actions, the statements
of truth, the commands and warnings. Be sure to find out the
meaning of any words you do not know. In a longer passage it
is likely that you will see more principles of composition and
literary devices you have learned to look for. Write all your
observations. Use an outline form as you did for Philippians 2:1-
5. Choose a short new title for the entire passage.
Third, interpret and write your findings, answering the
important questions What does this mean? and What does this
mean to me?
Write the answers to the following exercises in your notebook
in such a way that they will be a continuation of your study of
verses 1-5.
Application
14 Read the entire passage (Philippines 2:1-11) several times. By
now you are becoming familiar with the first part of the passage,
but you will need to read it again to see how it relates to verses
6-11. When you see the entire passage as a whole, choose a key
verse for it and write the reference to this verse. This verse should
be one that seems to sum up the main idea of all the verses, or one
that is basic to all the ideas.
15 Examine again the title you chose for Philippians 2:1-5. Keep
the same title, or modify it if necessary, for use with the whole
section, 1-11. Now, write the title you have decided on for the
whole section.
16 Since you have already completed a study of the first five

verses, start with verse 6. For verses 6-11, read each verse
carefully. Write down a three or four word title that briefly
summarizes each one. When you have finished, compare your
titles with those in the study guide. (Answers may vary.)
17 Now, choose and write a title (based on our key verse, 2:5) for
verses 6-11.
18 You are ready to observe the facts in Philippians 2:6-11. Use
your verse titles as main points in an outline of this section, as
you did for verses 1-5. Review the directions in Exercise 12.
Because the study of verses 6-11 is to be a continuation of the
passage, continue numbering your main points where you left
off at verse five. Your next main point will be VI. Now write
subtopics under each of the six verse titles for verses 6-11.
The study textbook contains only a basic outline. Your

own outline should contain every detail of observation that
comes to you as you carefully and prayerfully look for what
the words actually are saying. Now you are ready to write
your interpretation for 2:6-11. This section is one of the most
profound, meaningful passages in all of Scripture. We will never
be able to understand the full significance of what Jesus Christ
did for us when He entered our world as a man, went to His
death on the cross, and then received the highest name and the
greatest honor from the hand of God the Father. Yet we are to
have “the attitude . . . that Christ Jesus had” (verse 5).
Application
19 Review the directions for Exercise 13. Prayerfully consider
verses 6-11. Write your answer for them to these questions:
What does this mean? What does this mean to me? Answer these
questions to the best of your ability as the Holy Spirit helps you.
20 Finally, write a master statement of meaning for the entire
passage, Philippians 2:1-11. (This statement will explain how
Philippians 2:6-11 relates to 2:1-5.)
self-test
1 The main difference between devotional Bible study and other
kinds of Bible study, is in
a) skills used.
b) technique.
c) purpose.
2 The primary purpose of devotional Bible study should be
a) intellectual discovery and understanding.
b) to get personal strength from God’s Word.
c) to apply study techniques to Scripture.
3 Devotional Bible study can be accomplished best by using
a) verses, paragraphs, or chapters.
b) a whole book.
c) several related books.
4 Devotional study should be
a) part of every Christian’s daily activity.
b) done only when preparing to speak to a group.
c) reserved for special seasons of the year.
5 When studying just a single verse of Scripture
a) a simple reading is sufficient.
b) methodical study is better than haphazard study.
c) Bible study skills are not important or used.
6 When studying just a single verse of Scripture,
a) any Bible verse is as good as another.
b) choose an especially long verse.
c) decide on a verse that has directions to follow or warnings to
heed.
7 What is the key question in interpretation of Scripture?
a) Who is the main person?
b) What does this mean?
c) Where did this take place?
8 What is the final step in devotional Bible study?
a) Interpretation.
b) Assigning a title.
c) Observation.
9 Skills in Bible study should
a) become tools to help you handle truth accurately.
b) make you a better Bible teacher than most people.
c) be ignored when you do devotional study.
10 The purpose of writing a short title for each verse in a

paragraph is to
a) keep the study brief.
b) keep you from being concerned with details.
c) help you grasp the main idea in each verse.
11 You write your interpretation in a statement of meaning to
a) shorten the passage.
b) unify all your observations and interpretations.
c) tell the most important thing in the passage.
12 Whether a devotional study is based on a verse, or a
paragraph, or several paragraphs will
a) completely change the steps for the study.
b) change very little the steps for the study.
c) greatly change the steps for the study.
13 In devotional study of a longer passage,
a) only the general, overall thought is important.
b) each verse is important for what it contributes to the whole
passage.
c) one reading can usually reveal all there is to see.
14 When you are choosing a longer passage for devotional study,
a) it helps to have many topics introduced in it.
b) choose a passage in which all verses are related to one
another in some way.
c) the passage must start or stop with the chapter divisions.
Be sure to complete your unit student report for Unit 3 and return
the answer sheet to your ICI instructor.
answers to study questions

l a F
b T
c F
d T
10 In Jesus Christ I have all that I need to keep me steadfast and
secure as a person, and make me more than a conqueror as
a believer! The fact that my life is in Christ is my source of
strength! He never fails! When I need comfort, I find it in His
love. I have fellowship with the Spirit so I am never alone!
Fellowship implies communication and sharing of interests.
The more I conform my life to Jesus Christ, the closer this
fellowship can become. Kindness and compassion should
describe my attitudes and actions toward fellow believers and
theirs toward me.
2 a eagerness which seeks the mind of God.
b humility which listens readily to the voice of God.
c adoration which rests in the presence of God.
11 CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIPS
I. Verse 1 GOD, SELF, OTHERS
II. Verse 2 CHRISTIAN UNITY
III. Verse 3 CHRISTIAN MOTIVE
IV. Verse 4 CHRISTIAN CONCERN
V. Verse 5 CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE
3 b) a paragraph of Scripture.
12 CHRISTIAN RELATIONSHIPS
I. GOD, SELF, OTHERS
A. Strength from Life in Christ
B. Comfort from Christ
C. Fellowship with Holy Spirit
D. Kindness and Compassion for One Another
II. CHRISTIAN UNITY
A. Have Same Thoughts
B. Share Same Love
C. Be One in Soul and Mind
III. CHRISTIAN MOTIVE
A. Wrong Motives
1. Selfish Ambition
2. Cheap Desire to Boast
B. Right Motives
1. Humility Toward One Another
2. Always Consider Others Better than Yourself
IV. CHRISTIAN CONCERN
A. Not Just For Your Own Interests
B. Concern for One Another’s Interests
V. CHRISTIAN ATTITUDE
A. Attitude that Christ Jesus Had
B. The Believer Needs It
4 a) are a convenience for reading and understanding.
d) were decided upon by translators, centuries ago.
13 Philippians 2:1-5 shows that the foundation for all right
personal relationships is my life in Jesus Christ. Only when
I am strong in the Lord can I relate rightly to others. As the
completeness of Christ’s life flows through me, I have inner
strength, comfort, and fellowship. Then His love shining
through me can show kindness and compassion to others.
The goal for me and other Christian believers is more than
kindness and compassion, it is that we all will be one in
thought, mind, soul, and love toward each other and toward
the Lord. (See the prayer of Jesus, John 17:21-23.) This may
seem difficult, but verses 3-5 help me see what I can do to
bring about this desire of God for His family. I must guard
my spirit against selfish ambition or a cheap desire to boast.
If I notice this weakness in myself, I must immediately
recognize it as displeasing to the Lord. Instead of boasting,
I will cultivate humility toward other believers. Each one is
better than I am in some way. I must think about that and be
concerned for the interests of other believers as well as my
own interests. My attitude must be the same as the attitude
Jesus Christ had. I will remember that this is my goal, and
I will discipline my spirit to be this kind of person. I can
succeed only because it is that life of Jesus Christ and my
union and fellowship with Him (verse 1) that make it possible!
5 a) Verses of the Bible that lend themselves to devotional
study are those which contain directions to follow or
warnings to heed.
c) All Scripture is useful for teaching the truth and giving
instruction for right living.
e) The key question in interpretation of Scripture is: What
does this mean?”
14 Key verse: Philippians 2:5.
6 c) indicates emphasis.
15 (Answers will vary.) Our suggested new title for Philippians

2:1-11: THE MIND OF CHRIST IN ME.
7 b) You discover and understand truth by using in a prayerful,
thoughtful way all the skills you have learned.
16 Verse 6: NATURE, FORCE, AND EQUALITY
Verse 7: WILLINGLY TOOK SERVANT’S NATURE
Verse 8: HUMBLE OBEDIENCE UNTO DEATH
Verse 9: GIVEN THE HIGHEST NAME
Verse 10: EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW
Verse 11: JESUS CHRIST IS LORD
8 All I Need, or Completeness In Christ. (Answers will vary.)
17 THE ATTITUDE OF JESUS
9 WHO? You, Christ, the Spirit, and other believers.
WHAT? Strength, love, fellowship, kindness, and
compassion.
HOW? Strength in Christ, His love comforts you,
fellowship with the Spirit, kindness and compassion for other
believers.
WHEN? Now (all action verbs are present tense).
(Answers will vary.)
18 VI. NATURE, FORCE, AND EQUALITY
A. Always Had God’s Nature
B. Forced Equality Unacceptable
VII. WILLINGLY TOOK SERVANT’S NATURE
A. Of His Own Free Will
B. Gave Up All
C. Became Like Man
D. Appeared in Human Likeness
VIII. HUMBLE OBEDIENCE UNTO DEATh
A. Walked Path of Obedience
B. Path Led to Crucifixion
IX. GIVEN THE HIGHEST NAME
A. God Raised Him to Highest Place
B. God Gave Him the Highest Name
X. EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW
A. All Beings in Heaven
B. All Beings on Earth
C. All Beings in World Below
D. To Honor the Name of Jesus
XI. JESUS CHRIST IS LORD

A. All Will Openly Proclaim It
B. To the Glory of God the Father
20 The Holy Spirit clearly shows how the attitude of Jesus Christ
(vv. 6-11) corresponds to the attitude I must have in this world
(vv. 1-5). Because Paul urges certain kinds of actions and
attitudes in verses 2-4, I understand that my will is involved. I
must choose to be like Jesus. My decisions in day to day living
must be made by my own will, and that will must be obedient
to Jesus. Jesus is my example in that He willingly, “of His own
free will” (v. 7), became completely obedient to God.
To be like Jesus, I must renounce selfish ambition (v. 3).
Those who allow it to rule them become crazed with lust for
power, wealth, and fame. They become insensitive to the
welfare of others. I must never become that kind of person.
Jesus showed me the way when He refused the idea of
achieving personal gain by force (v. 6). I learn from verse 3
that I must shun the “cheap desire to boast,” and deal humbly
with other people. Verse 8 tells me that Jesus Himself was
humble. Verses 3 and 4 urge me to be considerate of others
and their interests, to consider others better than myself.
Jesus showed me how to do this also. He took on Himself the
nature of a servant (v. 7). Jesus walked the path of obedience
all the way to death. I must obey the command of verse 5
to have the same attitude that He had. It is evident that the
attitude Jesus had was pleasing to God.
Verses 9-11 show me the great power and glory that Jesus has
received from the Father for a certain reason (v. 9). For what
reason? For His humble obedience of His own free will to the
will of the Father (vv. 6-8). When I consider the true nature
of Jesus Christ, how ashamed I am of my failures! But that
shame must not defeat me. Jesus wants to strengthen me so I
can be the kind of person He wants me to be. My strength for
living like Jesus comes from the union of my life with Him
(v. 1). Obedience to Him can only result in future glory!
19 (Suggested answer; answers will vary.)
Philippians 2:6-11 gives me a little insight into the nature of
Jesus Christ and the true meaning of His coming to the earth.
There was never a time when Jesus did not have the nature
of God. This nature was against the use of force for personal
gain. Jesus freely gave up all, took the nature of a servant,
became like a man, and took human form. Jesus Christ’s
giving up all He had as God and coming to live on earth as a

human being is beyond understanding, but there is more still.
Becoming a man in humble obedience to the Father’s will
led Jesus to His death on the cross. He knew where giving
up all would lead, yet He did it “of His own free will” (v. 7).
The magnitude of His act caused the Father to raise Him to
the highest place above and give Him the name that is greater
than any other name. In honor to the name of Jesus, all beings
whether in heaven, on earth, or in the world below will fall on
their knees and openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord to
the glory of God the Father.
The meaning of verse 10 is clear. All will bow one day to Jesus
Christ. Either we will bow to Him while living and receive His
pardon and eternal life, or we will be compelled to bow and
acknowledge His lordship in the future when it is too late for
salvation. Every knee eventually will bow to Him. The great
significance of this passage for me is to be sure that now, while
I am living, I make Jesus Christ LORD of my life. Jesus freely
chose to walk in humble obedience to the Father’s will. Even
so, I choose to walk in humble obedience to Jesus, no matter
what happens to me personally. My life is His to command,
just as His life was the Father’s to command.
for your notes

Glossary
The right-hand column lists the lesson in the study guide in
which the word is first used.
Lesson
accountable — responsible, trustworthy 9
allegory — symbolic representation that is often 4
difficult and abstract
amplified — made longer by closer analysis 10
analogy — resemblance in some but not all ways 4
between things
analyze — to determine the nature and 5
relationship of the parts of something
apply — put into practice 2
archaeologist — one who scientifically studies material 5
remains of the ancient past
arrogant — very proud 7
association — process of bringing things together 5
assumption — considering something to be true 3
biographical — pertaining to written story of a 1
person’s life
capsule — very brief 8
category — class, sort, kind 6
chronological — having to do with past events in their 6
order of time
clue — something that guides through 5
difficulties
communication — exchange of information 3
complaint — act of expressing dislike 7
Glossary 239
composition — act of putting together in written form 5

connotations — suggested meanings in addition to 3
main or direct meaning
conspiracy — secret plan to do an unlawful act 8
contemporaries — people who lived at the same time in 8
history
context — all the words around a passage 1
correlation — pertaining to how things fit together or 2
depend on each other
crucial — very important 6
definitive — serving to define precisely 2
devotional — pertaining to giving wholly to God or 1
other good work
doctrine — what is taught 3
dogmatic — pertaining to fixed teaching that 4
is accepted without reasoning or
questioning
emerge — to come out or appear 7
encyclopedia — book or set of books in which all 3
branches of knowledge are dealt with
environmental — pertaining to conditions that affect 8
growth and character
erroneous — mistaken, not correct 9
evaluate — to examine and judge a matter 2
exhaustive — complete 6
exposition — explaining of a thing 8
figurative — expression of one thing in terms of 1
another
finite — limited 1
focus — to fix on an object or objective 2
implicational — pertaining to suggestion of meaning 2

that is not directly stated
incidental — of minor importance 8
infinite — unlimited 1
inspired — illuminated 1
integrate — to bring parts together into a whole 7
internalize — to incorporate within the self as 10
guiding principles
interpret — explain the meaning of 2
intriguing — pertaining to arousing interest, desire, 10
or curiosity
keynote — fundamental or central fact or idea 6
literal — according to actual meaning of the 1
words
literary device — something in a literary work designed 5
to achieve a particular effect
methodical — pertaining to orderly procedure 2
mystical — secret 3
observe — to notice (in a special sense: to notice 2
what rather than why)
occurrences — appearances 9
parable — short story that teaches a lesson about 4
God or goodness
paradox — something contrary to what would 8
normally be expected
parallelism — usually similarity but sometimes 4
contrast between ideas
pertinent — relevant or applicable to the matter in 8
hand
Glossary 241
preconceived — pertaining to an idea or opinion 9

formed before one had actual
knowledge
primary — first in importance 3
principle — rule that underlies the working of 5
something
procedure — a series of steps followed in a regular 10
order
prophecy — declaration of God’s will to men 4
qualification — requirement 2
random — without order or plan 9
rational — pertaining to the reason for something 2
reincarnation — idea of rebirth in a new body or form 1
of life
revelation — making that which was unknown and 1
unknowable knowable and known
routine — commonplace, ordinary 6
secondary — less important than something else 3
segment — portion 10
study — use of the mind to obtain knowledge 1
summarize — to present main points with only 2
necessary details
supernatural — pertaining to something outside the 1
natural realm
symbol — something that stands for or suggests 4
something else
synthetic method — “whole book method” when used with 1
reference to Bible study
technique — skilled way or art of doing some 2
special thing
thematic — relating to a theme 7
theology — study of God 3

topical — pertaining to topic or subject matter 1
transition — change from one condition or subject 7
to another
type — person or thing that prefigures another 4
person or thing
vice versa — the other way around 10
vivid — full of life 6
Glossary 243
Answers to Self-Tests
Lesson 1
1 b) studying in a disciplined way
2 a) for living, faith and service.
3 a) God’s making known what was formerly unknowable.
4 c) Natural
5 a 3) ordinary
b 4) believer
c 5) accommodated
d 2) progressive revelation
e 1) commentary
f 6) harmony
6 Question and Answer Technique, Basic Principles of
Interpretation, Bible Study Methods.
Lesson 2
1 b) Spiritual understanding
2 a) Spiritual and mental
3 c) Perfect freedom from sin
4 a 2) Spiritual
b 1) Mental
c 2) Spiritual
d 1) Mental
e 2) Spiritual
5 Pencil, paper, and Bible. (In any order.)
6 b) leads to an understanding of Scripture.
7 c) Observe, interpret, summarize, and evaluate.
8 a) “What does this say?”
9 c) “What does this mean?”
10 a 2) Thought questions
b 1) Fact questions
Lesson 3
1 a) Doctrine and theology include all the teachings of the
Christian faith.
b) Theology deals with the study of God and His relation to
man and the world.
A n s w e r s To S e l f - Te s t s 245
2 b) The natural, normal, ordinary use of language

3 a) Belief must be tested by New Testament revelation.
c) Belief must be tested by the meaning of the context
surrounding the Scripture passage.
e) Belief must be based only on the Bible.
4 F
5 T
6 F
7 T
8 F
9 To live and to serve
10 Because the Bible deals with eternal matters of life and death.
(Answers will vary.)
Lesson 4
1 a 3) Earthly
b 1) One
c 2) Spiritual
2 b) truth concerning future events and present needs.
3 b A type is always the same as a symbol.
4 b Hebrew Poetry has no set length to its lines.
c Hebrew poetry is structured around a thought pattern.
d Hebrew poets spoke especially to the feelings and emotions.
Lesson 5
1 a) bird’s-eye view
2 c) read the whole book through.
3 d) communicate.
4 b) Comparison
5 b) Preparation
6 c) Radiation
7 a) Particularization
8 c) Contrast
9 c) Interchange
Lesson 6
1 And, the, to
2 b) After
3 d) Because
4 a) But
5 b) structure.
6 c) Mood
7 a) Discourse
8 c) Apocalypse
9 a) Simile
10 b) Change
11 a) Biographical
Lesson 7
1 c) reading and writing.
2 d) found in all of the chapters.
3 b) content.
4 a) less attention than other terms.
5 b) drama to poetry.
6 a) more positive at the end than at the beginning.
7 c) ideological.
8 d) all of the paragraphs.
9 c) application.
Lesson 8
1 c) They are still alive today.
2 a) Collection of data.
3 b) teach historical lessons.
4 b) collect your data.
5 d) collection, interpretation, organization.
6 a) application of biographical study.
7 c) textual outline.
Lesson 9
1 b) they illustrate His divine nature.
2 b) The length of the book where the topic is mentioned.
3 a) not used in the Bible as illustrations or symbols.
4 c) step 3.
A n s w e r s To S e l f - Te s t s 247
5 b) comparison of summary statements of categories.

6 c) both increased and rearranged.
Lesson 10
1 c) purpose.
2 b) to get personal strength from God’s word.
3 a) verses, paragraphs, or chapters.
4 a) part of every Christian’s daily activity.
5 b) methodical study is better than haphazard study.
6 c) decide on a verse that contains directions to follow or
warnings to heed.
7 b) What does this mean?
8 a) Interpretation
9 a) become tools to help you handle truth accurately.
10 c) help you grasp the main idea in each verse.
11 b) unify all your observations and interpretations.
12 b) change very little the steps for the study.
13 b) each verse is important for what it contributes to the
whole passage.
14 b) choose a passage in which all verses are related to one
another in some way.
Understanding
the Bible
UNIT STUDENT REPORTS

AND
ANSWER SHEETS
DIRECTIONS
When you have completed your study of each unit, fill out the
unit student report answer sheet for that unit. The following are
directions how to indicate your answer to each question. There
are two kinds of questions: TRUE-FALSE and MULTIPLE-
CHOICE.
TRUE-FALSE QUESTION EXAMPLE

The following statement is either true or false. If the statement is
TRUE, blacken space A.
FALSE, blacken space B.
1 The Bible is God’s message for us.
The above statement, The Bible is God’s message for us, is
TRUE, so you would blacken space A like this:
B C D
1
Unit Student Reports And Answer Sheets 249
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION EXAMPLE

There is one best answer for the following question. Blacken the
space for the answer you have chosen.
2 To be born again means to
a) be young in age.
b) accept Jesus as Savior.
c) start a new year.
d) find a different church.
The correct answer is b) accept Jesus as Savior, so you would
blacken space B like this:
A C D
2
STUDENT REPORT FOR UNIT ONE

Answer all questions on Answer Sheet for Unit One. See the
examples on the DIRECTIONS page which show you how to
mark your answers.
PART 1—TRUE-FALSE QUESTIONS

The following statements are either true or false. If the statement is
1 I have carefully read all of the lessons in Unit One.
2 God revealed His total plan all at once.
3 Truth can be illustrated by figurative language.
4 A sincere Christian doesn’t need to study the Bible
methodically.
5 The groundwork of Bible study is interpretation.
6 Ungodly teachers misuse Scripture to make false
doctrines.
7 Most words in the Bible have hidden, mystical meanings.
8 Many times Jesus explained His own parables.
PART 2—MULTIPLE-CHOICE
QUESTIONS
There is one best answer for each of the following questions.
Blacken the space on your answer sheet for the answer you have
chosen.
9 Studying the Bible is different from studying other books
because the Bible
a) has a lot of difficult and long passages.
b) is not written in ordinary human language.
c) was written a very long time ago.
d) is God’s special and unique message to people.
10 Many words in the Bible have enriched meanings because
they
a) reveal spiritual truth to us.
b) aren’t found in other books.
c) come from Hebrew and Greek.
d) are found in parables and types.
11 The harmony of the Bible means that the Bible is

a) very easily understood.
b) never misinterpreted by people.
c) one single system of truth.
d) only for pastors to read.
12 A Christian who studies the Bible methodically will
a) miss the Holy Spirit’s illumination.
b) understand it better than one who doesn’t.
c) not be able to use his own ideas.
d) need to be a special kind of person.
13 In John 4:4 Samaria is mentioned. The question Where is
Samaria? is a question of
a) observation.
b) correlation.
c) interpretation.
d) evaluation.
14 Which sentence below gives an implication that can be drawn
from Philippians 1:12-14?
a) The palace guards know that Paul is a Christian.
b) Even bad circumstances can help the church’s witness.
c) Paul’s brothers are growing more bold.
d) Paul is in prison because he is Christ’s servant.
15 In explaining to someone the parable of the lost sheep in Luke
15:3-7, it would help to begin by
a) reading to them all the verses that have the word sheep.
b) pointing out other parables about sheep and shepherds.
c) telling them that the meaning is mystical.
d) describing what real sheep and shepherds are like.
16 The teaching in Mark 7:17-19 about foods should be followed
by believers today rather than the one in Leviticus 11:1-23
because
a) Leviticus 11:1-23 was written to the Jews.
b) none of the Old Testament applies to us today.
c) the New Testament is God’s final revelation.
d) Jesus did away with Old Testament laws.
17 We can decide that a passage of Scripture has a doctrinal truth
if the passage
a) gives God’s will for man now.
b) has reasonable implications.
c) is found in the New Testament.
d) has a direct command in it.
18 When interpreting parables in the Gospels, it is important to

remember that those parables
a) teach about Christ and His kingdom.
b) present several central truths.
c) have many hidden meanings.
d) are abstract spiritual allegories.
19 In John 15:1 Jesus says I am the real vine. The word vine in
this passage is a
a) type.
b) symbol.
c) parable.
d) prophecy.
20 Read Luke 1:52. What kind of parallelism is expressed in
Mary’s words?
a) Synonymous
b) Synthetic
c) Antithetic
END OF REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIT ONE. Follow the
remaining instructions on your answer sheet and return it to
your GU instructor or office in your area, then begin your study
of Unit Two.
STUDENT REPORT FOR UNIT TWO

Answer all questions on Answer Sheet for Unit Two. See the
mark your answers.

1 I have carefully read all of the lessons in Unit Two.
2 Interpreting Scripture involves separating central issues from
secondary issues.
3 Cruciality is more often found in narrative passages.
4 Not all of the smaller words in the Bible are routine.
5 It is not important to notice which words are being used
figuratively.
6 Progression can be found in some doctrinal passages.
7 The literary form of Habakkuk is the same all the way through.
8 Habakkuk has more than one ideological progression.
PART 2—MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

chosen.
9 In studying a book of the Bible synthetically, the first step is to
a) read the whole book through.
b) make a careful outline.
c) notice the literary style.
d) find announcements of content.
10 A writer who describes how two things are alike is using the
literary device of
a) climax.
b) cruciality.
c) comparison.
d) continuity.
11 In Psalm 1, the writer contrasts the two classes of people by

using
a) introductory preparation.
b) narrative form.
c) geographical progression.
d) antithetic parallelism.
12 The literary devices of climax and cruciality both deal with
a) forceful repetition.
b) the critical or pivotal point.
c) details that are subordinate.
d) announcements of content.
13 First John 5:13 says I am writing this to you so that you may
know that you have eternal life. The phrase which is the logical
connective of purpose is
a) am writing.
b) to you.
c) so that.
d) may know.
14 In order for a book to have structure, the writer of it must
a) select and arrange his material.
b) include many parables and types.
c) avoid figurative language.
d) use the same literary form throughout.
15 In Habakkuk 1:2-4 the literary atmosphere is one of
a) encouragement.
b) discourse.
c) substantiation.
d) questioning.
16 In writing his Epistles, Paul often used discourse because he
wanted to
a) tell an interesting story.
b) express feelings of sorrow.
c) teach important truths.
d) include interesting details.
17 In the book of Habakkuk, a simile is used in
a) 1:11.
b) 2:1.
c) 2:4.
d) 3:18.
18 Synonymous parallelism is found in Habakkuk

a) 2:9.
b) 3:12.
c) 2:20.
d) 1:16.
19 The fate of the Babylonians is emphasized in Habakkuk 2:5-
19 by the literary device of
a) progression.
b) parable.
c) repetition.
d) drama.
20 We find a truth we can apply to our lives today in Habakkuk
a) 2:4.
b) 1:6.
c) 3:7.
d) 2:13.
END OF REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIT TWO. Follow the
remaining instructions on your answer sheet and return it to
your GU instructor or office in your area, then begin your study
of Unit Three.
STUDENT REPORT FOR UNIT THREE

Answer all questions on Answer Sheet for Unit Three. See the
mark your answers.

1 I have carefully read all of the lessons in Unit Three.
2 In character exposition, the main purpose is to present an
argument.
3 Interpreting biography involves understanding why the author
wrote it.
4 An example of a topical study is the life of King Saul.
5 In studying a Bible topic, there are two limitations.
6 Devotional study should be done methodically.
7 The interpretation step in devotional Bible study involves
asking one key question.
8 Fact questions are unimportant in devotional Bible study.
PART 2—MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

chosen.
9 The kind of biography in which the person’s life is secondary
to how he influences his nation is
a) argument.
b) character exposition.
c) narrative exposition.
d) simple narrative.
10 When the question is, What is the author trying to prove by
telling about this person? the answer would be that the type of
biography is one of
a) argument.
b) character exposition.
c) narrative exposition.
d) simple narrative.
11 The verses in Amos below that have to do mostly with

biographical argument are
a) 1:1-2.
b) 3:9-10.
c) 7:4-6.
d) 7:10-15.
12 Suppose you want to prepare a Bible study that will teach
about a person’s spiritual life and how he affected others. Which
kind of biography should you choose?
a) Argument
b) Character exposition
c) Narrative exposition
d) Simple narrative
13 Topical studies from the Bible about nature can teach us about
God because
a) there are many such topics in the Bible.
b) nature is a familiar thing to everyone.
c) His power is seen in nature, which He created.
d) nature is God’s only revelation to us.
14 If you wanted to study the idea of God’s grace, the best
approach would probably be the
a) whole book method.
b) devotional method.
c) biographical method.
d) topical method.
15 The step in the topical method that is concerned with
organizing the material is step
a) 2: Classify into Categories.
b) 6: Summarize Entire Outline.
c) 1: List Occurrences.
d) 3: Examine Context.
16 Step 4 of a topical study of acceptable words in Ephesians 4,
5, and 6 would be
a) state what is said about WORDS TO LISTEN TO.
b) summarize what is said about acceptable words.
c) decide how many groups of ideas there are.
d) carefully note all the direct and indirect references.
17 A passage for devotional Bible study should include
a) a complete thought or thoughts.
b) only one chapter.
c) several long paragraphs.
d) a number of illustrations.
18 Which of the following verses in Romans 16 would be good

for a devotional Bible study?
a) 2
b) 16
c) 17
d) 27
19 In Philippians 3:17-21, the literary device Paul uses to make
his point is
a) preparation.
b) interrogation.
c) cruciality.
d) contrast.
20 Which sentence expresses an interpretation of Philippians 2:1-
11?
a) The key verse of Philippians 2:1-11 is verse 5.
b) I need to have the same attitude Jesus had.
c) Jesus always had the same nature as God.
d) Verse 3 could be titled Christian Motive.
END OF REQUIREMENTS FOR UNIT THREE. Follow the
remaining instructions on your answer sheet and return it to your
GU instructor or office in your area. This completes your study
of this course. Ask your instructor to recommend another
course of study for you.
Answer Sheets 259
CS2321
Congratulations on finishing your study of the lessons in Unit 1!
Please fill in all the blanks below.
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(Leave blank if you do not know what it is.)
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ANSWER SHEET FOR UNIT ONE

Blacken the correct space for each numbered item. For all
questions, be sure the number beside the spaces on the answer
sheet is the same as the number of the question.
1 A B C D
8 A B C D
15 A B C D
2 A B C D
9 A B C D
16 A B C D
3 A B C D
10 A B C D
17 A B C D
4 A B C D
11 A B C D
18 A B C D
5 A B C D
12 A B C D
19 A B C D
6 A B C D
13 A B C D
20 A B C D
7 A B C D
14 A B C D
Write below any questions you would like to ask your instructor
about the lessons.
........................................................................................................
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Now look over this student report answer sheet to be sure you
have completed all the questions. Then return it to your *8
instructor or office in your area. The address should be stamped
on the copyright page near the front of your study guide.
For *8 Office Use Only
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Answer Sheets 261
CS2321
We hope you have enjoyed your study of the lessons in Unit 2!
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ANSWER SHEET FOR UNIT TWO

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15 A B C D
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9 A B C D
16 A B C D
3 A B C D
10 A B C D
17 A B C D
4 A B C D
11 A B C D
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5 A B C D
12 A B C D
19 A B C D
6 A B C D
13 A B C D
20 A B C D
7 A B C D
14 A B C D
about the lessons.
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have completed all the questions. Then return it to your GU
For GU Office Use Only
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Answer Sheets 263
CS2321
We hope you have enjoyed your study of the lessons in Unit 2!
Your Name ....................................................................................
........................................................................................................
City ................................................................................................
Cut this page and send to your GU instructor
Province/State ................................... Postal/Zip.........................

Country .........................................................................................
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

The GU office in your area will be happy to send you information
about other GU courses that are available and their cost. You may
use the space below to ask for that information.
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ANSWER SHEET FOR UNIT THREE

1 A B C D
8 A B C D
15 A B C D
2 A B C D
9 A B C D
16 A B C D
3 A B C D
10 A B C D
17 A B C D
4 A B C D
11 A B C D
18 A B C D
5 A B C D
12 A B C D
19 A B C D
6 A B C D
13 A B C D
20 A B C D
7 A B C D
14 A B C D
about the lessons.
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C H R I S T I A N S E RV I C E S E R I E S
Understanding the Bible

III
UNIT
2
COURSE
Studies in Christian Leadership
Understanding the Bible
This course will help you...
 see the value of Bible study.
 learn methods of Bible study.
 learn to share with others your knowledge of the Bible.
Other titles in the Christian Service Program include:

Cornerstones of Truth
Alive in Christ
Counselor, Teacher, and Guide: A Study of the
Holy Spirit
Contact your Christian Service representative for more

information on how to obtain these other courses.
Understanding
1211 South Glenstone Avenue, Springfield, MO 65804
www.globaluniversity.edu
the Bible
CS2321
PN 03.09 3C
S2321E-90
ISBN 978-0-7617-0737-X

Understanding The Bible (Understanding The Bible)

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What are the main topics covered in the textbook?

What are the main topics covered in the textbook?

What are the three units that the textbook is divided into?

What are the three units that the textbook is divided into?

Understanding

Developed in Cooperation with

First Edition 1978

UNIT ONE: APPROACH TO

UNIT TWO: STUDY BY BOOK—

UNIT THREE: OTHER METHODS OF

the Christian Service Program. The symbol at

the left is a guide for order of study in the series,

to guide you to your own answers. This study emphasizes the

Lesson Organization and Study Pattern

How to Answer Questions

A MULTIPLE-CHOICE question or item asks you to choose an

Phrases a and d refer to Moses, and phrases b and c refer to

Ways to Study This Course

Unit Student Reports

at Drury College, Central Bible College, and Missouri State

1Opening the Bible

The Bible is a collection of 66 books divided into two parts,

Explain the concept “Progressive Revelation.”

NEED FOR STUDY OF SCRIPTURE

b What are the two ultimate goals of the action of Scripture on

APPROACH TO A REVEALED BOOK

The Bible Follows Normal Rules of Language

Human Language Has Limitations

10 Why is the Redeemer God easier to understand in the New

Scripture Interprets Scripture

Here is a word of caution. It has been said that any theory

Basic Harmony of the Whole

Harmony of All Bible Books

OVERVIEW OF THIS COURSE

Question and Answer Technique

Basic Principles of Interpretation

Bible Study Methods

5 Complete each sentence (left) by inserting the correct number

answers to study questions

12 a) There is one system of truth presented throughout

In the first lesson you were given an overview of many of the

NEED FOR METHODICAL STUDY

BASIC STEPS IN BIBLE STUDY

Not only will it greatly help you to understand scripture if thou

Once you have observed carefully, you have a body of facts

To summarize means to “sum up.” In Bible study it is to

Evaluation in the sense used here ISN’T saying whether you

and conscience in a given, local situation, it does not necessarily

Application is closely related to evaluation. After you have

something must be wrong. You will have to rethink the matter,

QUESTION AND ANSWER TECHNIQUE

out an eternal principle: It is always good to help rather than to

Question and Answer Techniques

In each of the next seven exercises you will be given a

(2) Modal questions ask HOW?: “How is this accomplished?”

(3) Temporal questions ask WHEN?: “When was this

(4) Locale questions ask WHERE? This is the question of

Question and Answer Techniques

Thought Questions have to do with the interpretation