Note:The following is about a way I have been logically formatting Scripture since September 1977.Many of my Bible study courses have it because it causes reasoning which helps for better retention. After reading the directions, try your favorite Bible chapter. The man I learned this from even did his personal letters this way.
Proper Bible study is so important because it is the best way to discover "the mind of Christ" (Philippians 2) or how Jesus Christ thinks.That is the way to get to know Jesus Christ intimatelywhich the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3 is so important.For your e-mail ministry, you can share any of my Bible studies (which are free for the asking)or even uses parts of them in counseling or for your website.But if you want to develop your own inductive Bible studies or Bible study tools, below are some advice from me.Studying and using Scripture suggestions:First in responding to any Bible verse or Scripture passage you hear in a sermon,skim the verse or passage and then check the verses before and after to make sure that was is being said really relates to the verse quoted.Sometimes after the sermon and I am at my computer,I will download any meaningful verses' passages and at least do the indent formatting to themto understand better the logic of them.If you are just typing Scripture without using Bible software to copy/paste from, be very careful and double and triple check what you have written.One letter missing or one letter added can change the meaning of a verse.For each verse, think:“Does it just tell me something I believe alreadyor does it indicate something I should change in my life to be more Christ-like?”If it is the latter, you should copy it onto a 3 x 5 cardin your own words in a commitment form.Back in 1977-78, I learned to do a special logical formatting.The above and the below are samples of it:This method of Bible studywill help the formatter learn new understanding of God’s Wordand can be usedfor inductive teaching for Bible study discussion groups andfor easier memorizing of Scripture.This way of writing Scripture can be done using any translation of the Bible but please show respect in and capitalize the first letter of deity pronouns,Earth (for God’s special planet),Christian, andother words that indicate uniqueness (like "Bible" and "Apostle").This will almost look sort of like the outline formatwith the verses or groups of verses that seem to be of equal importanceindented the same positions from the left of the page.A definite paragraph should have a blank line above its first line.For producing inductive study for a Bible chapter or passage:Download the Bible chapter or passage into a MS Word document.Type the reference title above the first verse.Press the Enter key and that is where the first verse number goes.If the verse number is one digit, put a space in front of it.Then press the space bar 4 times.
1
Leave a Comment