INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY TECHNIQUES

By Dennis Schmidt 1/2020

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This is a guide on how this Inductive Bible study is done. There are no right or wrong ways to do Inductive Bible studies. These are tools to derive more information from your Bible studies.

Looking at the inductive Bible book pages use of colors, symbols, & groups (lists) immediately shows more insight to what God is teaching. The reader will be able to visually see God's word.

The advantage of this Bible study technique is no other book, other than the Bible, or reference book is required. However, a concordance is helpful to find the location of all usage's of the word in the Bible book. Inductive Bible techniques can be used for word, topic or people studies also.

Other ministries, that use similar Inductive Bible study techniques, are Precept Ministries (Kay Arthur's) and Josh McDowell's (from his book: "Guide to understanding your Bible").

See below (also the last page) examples of words/lists/groups with their colors used to mark the information so that a consistent chapter to chapter & book to book methodology is applied.

STEP 1: Prayer (Ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes & ears to show scripture truths.)

STEP 2: Read the entire Bible book & mark "KEY WORDS/PHRASES" with color pencils.

KEY WORDS/PHRASES show important issues which are used multiple times in the Bible books. Below see the word/phrase consistently colored the same for every usage in all scriptures.

Examples: [ Gospel ] [ Heaven ] [ Holy Spirit ]

EXAMPLE:

Galatians 1:6 "I marvel that ye are [ so soon ] removed from him that [ called ] you into the * [ grace ] * of

T [ Christ ] T unto another [ gospel ]:" WHEN: SO SOON

TIME WORDS such as (before/after/while/when/until/then/soon) should be placed in [ ] black brackets at both ends of the words and color them pink.

[ TIME WORD ]

CONCLUSION WORDS/PHRASES such as (therefore/finally/in-conclusion/wherefore) should be placed in [ ] blue brackets at both ends of the words and color them red.

Ephesians 6:10 "[ Finally ], my brethren, be strong in the M Lord M, and in the power of M his M might."

[ CONCLUSION WORD/PHRASE ]

EXPRESSIVE WORDS such as (faith/hope/love/grace) should be placed in red stars * at both ends of the words and color them the correct color assigned for the word.

*[ Faith ]* *[ Hope ]* *[ Love ]* *[ Grace ]*

KEY WORDS such as (God/Jesus/law/love/repent) should be placed in symbols at both ends.

GOD ( /\ triangle) "NOUN (Christ/God/Paul)/PRONOUN (I/you/him/she) WORDS"

Ephesians 1:3 "[ blessed ] be the /\ God /\ & /\ Father /\ of our /\ Lord /\ M Jesus M T Christ T, who hath [ blessed ] us with all spiritual [ blessings ] in [ heavenly ] places in T Christ T:"

EXAMPLES:

JESUS: ( T cross for suffering/ M crown for king) "NOUN/PRONOUN WORDS"

GOD /FATHER: ( /\ Triunity Godhead)

LAW: ( [][] tablets)

LOVE: ( (^) heart)

REPENT: ( <- arrow for turn around)

STEP 3: Read the entire Bible book, a second time, & mark "KEY GROUPS" with different colors pencils and under-lines/[ ] brackets around text.

KEY WORDS/PHRASES GROUPS show important issues which are used multiple times in the Bible book. Place [ ] red brackets at both ends of "KEY WORDS GROUPS" & color red.

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[ KEY WORD ]

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LISTS (look at the key words/topical/others to make lists number on how it is described in the items: 1, 2 & on. Add the location.) Place [ ] purple brackets at both ends of "LISTS"/color purple.

Place dash lines above/below the groups, write the key element & scripture locations.

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[ LIST ]

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EXAMPLE:

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[ LISTS: Paul's Calling #1-4 {Galatians 1:15-16}]

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(1) Seperated to God's purpose

(2) Called me by His grace

(3) Revealed Jesus in me

(4) I preach Jesus to Gentiles

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"CONTRAST ITEMS" Different or opposite such as (good/bad). Look for "but". Place [ ] blue brackets at both ends of "CONTRAST OR COMPARISONS" & color blue.

Place dash lines above/below the groups, write the key element & scripture locations.

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[ CONTRAST OR COMPARISONS ]

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"COMPARISONS" Similarities such as (Godhead to human family order). Look for "like/as".

Place [ ] blue brackets at both ends of "CONTRAST OR COMPARISONS" & color blue.

Place dash lines above/below the groups, write the key element & scripture locations.

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[ CONTRAST: - Gentile - Liberty/ Peter - Jew - Circumcise {Galatians 2:11-14}]

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"MAIN CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES OF APPLICATIONS" presented. Place [ ] green brackets at both ends of "PRINCIPLES OF APPLICATIONS" & color green.

Place dash lines above/below the groups, write the key element & scripture locations.

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[ MISCELLANEOUS: PRINCIPLE ]

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[ MISCELLANEOUS: Faith in Jesus - Justification / Works & law - No Justification {Galatians 2:16}]

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STEP 4: Read each chapter & ask "NINE "W's". Underline & bold scriptures for the following.

Use a large size red color for each of the nine W's. Shown below are examples of Nine W's.

WHO: (author writing book, who is the story about, main person, who did action);

Philippians 1:1 "Paul and Timotheus, WHO the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi WHERE, with the bishops and deacons:" WHOM

WHOM: (book written to, whom had action);

WHEN: (time-frame book written, time event occurred);

Galatians 1:6 "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:" WHAT WHEN

Philippians 1:5 "For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;" WHEN

WHERE: (book written from location or to whom written location, event located);

WHY: (book purpose, function);

Galatians 5:3 "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law." WHY

WHAT: (book key element, subject, event, what is taught: instructions, history);

Galatians 5:1 "[ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. ]" WHAT BOOK THEME

WAY: (methods, modes, means, techniques used);

Galatians 1:9 "As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." WAY

WANT: (desired outcome, end result);

WAIT: (was there a delay, should a period of time occur before event, results: when and way).

Romans 4:17 "(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were." Abraham's 25 year wait for his child Issac. WAIT

Not all W's will be in every chapter or Bible book. If the subject of a chapter changes, you should ask the nine W's a second time & mark with a new subject.

In a word study such as resurrection, ask: who was resurrected, way the resurrection was done, what affects do the resurrection on others, why was there a resurrection, etc.

STEP 5: Read each chapter for its "THEME" using "WHAT and WHY" statements should be helpful to finding the themes. Also mark the "MAIN PRINCIPLE OR APPLICATION" taught. Mark "KEY WORDS/PHRASES" to make LISTS of these scriptures.

STEP 6: Fill in a form showing each chapter and book THEME; purpose of book; & book structures and other references God shows you.

The texts of your Bible, should be covered with comments of different colors, symbols, and boxes of groups, etc. No other Bible reference books are required. However, you may want to use a Study Bible and/or concordance to help find the key words and their location. It is God showing you a large number of in-depth details right from the Bible book and chapter scriptures.

COLOR CODES USED IN THIS INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY

GROUPS

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[ CONTRAST OR COMPARISONS ]

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[ LIST ]

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[ MISCELLANEOUS ]

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[ KEY WORD ]

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CHAPTER/BOOK KEYS

BOOK THEMES

CHAPTER THEMES

CONCLUSION WORD/PHRASE

TIME WORD

NEW SUBJECT

KEY WORDS/COLORS

[ Faith ] [ Hope ] [ Love ] [ Grace ] ETC.