As I mentioned in a previous post, I am currently working on a Master’s Degree which has a data analytics element. Last week, I listened to several lectures on data visualization tools and how you can use them to notice patterns in the data. One of the data visualization tools mentioned was “word clouds.” Word clouds are particularly helpful for extracting the most commonly used words in textual data. This got me thinking: are there Bible word clouds out there? And if so, how could I use them in my Bible study?
What are word clouds?
You might not be familiar with word clouds, so here is a quick definition I found that clarifies what I am talking about:
Word clouds or tag clouds are graphical representations of word frequency that give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in a source text. The larger the word in the visual the more common the word was in the document(s).
By doing this data visualization, I can quickly find the most frequently used words in the post without having to go through each paragraph and find repeated words myself. In this case, “worldview”, “worldview-confronting”, “God”, “culture”, & “beliefs” seem to be words I used repeatedly. From this, I can start to generate hypotheses about the post, even if I have never read it.
For example, I could reasonably assume from the collection of most-used words that the post focuses on how God’s word confronts the beliefs of the culture. Or I could hypothesize that when the post says “worldview-confronting”, it means the Bible addressing beliefs commonly held in the culture. Notice I said “hypothesize”. My conclusions based on mere word frequency could be wrong. So after looking at the word cloud, it is imperative that I then read through the full text to understand the context and to check the conclusions I came to based on the word cloud alone.
Where can I get Bible word clouds?
Thankfully, Bible word clouds already exist online for you to use. Blue Letter Bible has created word clouds for each book of the Bible as well as the Bible as a whole, the Old and New Testaments, and difference sections of the Bible. They are very visually appealing and the best part is you don’t have to create your own Bible word clouds by importing Biblical texts into an online tool.
You can find all of these Bible word clouds here. Take some time to look through them. Maybe pull up a word cloud from a book you are studying. Since the word clouds already exist and are made for you, this could not be easier for you.
How can I use Bible word clouds?
As I have mentioned before, repetition is one of the ways a Biblicalauthor communicatesto you, the reader. Repetition can be for emphasis or point to a main theme or draw your attention to something that is important to a Biblical author. Therefore, one of the most important things you need to do when you study a book or a passage of Scripture is to look for repetition.
This is manageable for small passages or books, but oftentimes it can become time consuming to go through a longer book of the Bible to find the repeated words. This is where Bible word clouds can help. Just quickly glancing at a Bible word cloud for Isaiah, for example, will give you at least a starting idea of the main themes in Isaiah without having to go through each of the 66 chapters by hand and find what repeated words.
Now, it is important to keep in mind a Bible word cloud is simply a visual tool to find repeated words. It will not interpret the text for you and it won’t even tell you which words are important or not. All it is doing is bringing the most used words to the surface for you to look at. You as the Spirit-empowered interpreter need to analyze the results, think about what the word repetition means, and then continue studying to see if the conclusions you hypothesized were correct.
This is especially important with Scripture since a word cloud takes all the words out of their original context. The last thing you want to do is come to a conclusion from Scripture without taking the context into account. With that said, I think there are a couple use cases in which Bible word clouds shine:
You are about to start studying a book of the Bible and you want get an idea of what words you should look out for as you work through the book.
If you are trying to figure out the main themes of a book, you can start by looking at a Bible word cloud and hypothesize some main themes based on the most used words.
If you want to compare two books of the Bible based on their emphasis, comparing the most frequently used words in each book will give you a starting point.
Conclusion
A Bible word cloud is a great starting point in your study or as a supplement to help you think through the main themes of a book. Don’t treat it as a magic bullet or expect it to interpret a text for you. Always remember: it is a visual tool, nothing more.
However, using a word cloud for a Biblical text could not be easier. Blue Letter Bible has Bible word clouds already created and ready for your use. So look at a couple for different books of the Bible. Try to deduce main themes from these clouds and then go into the text to see if you were correct or not. Used properly, word clouds can become useful tools in your personal Bible study or sermon preparation.
I recently started my Master’s Degree and one of the classes I am taking this quarter is “Introduction to Data Analytics.” It is shaping up to be one of my favorite courses, and I find that some of the concepts in data analytics are helpful for the average Christian studying his or her Bible. One of the goals of data analytics is to extract patterns from a set of data to get actionable insights. This got me thinking: Christians do the same thing by extracting patterns from Scripture and then meditating on how those insights impact their lives.
But what patterns should a Christian look for as they study a Biblical text? A helpful answer comes from one of my recommended readings for my Master’s class: “Data Science” by John D. Kelleher and Brendan Tierney. If you want a high level introduction to data science, I highly recommend it. Early on in the book, the authors give four different types of patterns that data analysts look for in a data set. These four categories of patterns are helpful to keep in mind when extracting patters from scripture.
Clustering- “identifying groups…exhibiting similar behavior”
Association-rule mining- identifies connections
Outlier detection- “identify strange or abnormal events”
Prediction- “identify patterns that help us classify things…it is best to think of prediction patterns as predicting the missing value of an attribute rather than as predicting the future.”
These four different pattern types are listed in a section of the book which asks “What is Data Science?” The authors answer this question by arguing data science analyzes data to find patterns that are not obvious to then turn into actionable insights for a business. These four different pattern types are given as typical patterns one notices when analyzing a set of data.
“Clustering” is an easy concept to understand. It is simply grouping data points together based on their similarities. The example the authors give is a business (like a grocery) analyzing their customers. “Clustering” might show which customers buy the same things or shop at the same times or behave similarly. Another term the authors give for “clustering” is “customer segmentation.”
“Association-rule mining” is a related pattern, but deals with connections between data points rather than finding large clusters in the data. In our grocery store example, if customers frequently bought eggs when they bought milk, you could conclude that those two items are associated. “Outlier detection” is probably the easiest pattern to recognize: you simply find any strange or abnormal data points. Maybe in your grocery store one customer buys a high percentage of your inventory of one of your products. This customer exhibits abnormal purchasing behavior compared to your other customers.
Finally, “prediction” is a pattern which I had trouble wrapping my mind around at first. Typically, prediction means forecasting a conclusion about the future. But these authors use “prediction” to mean the ability to fill in missing attributes of some data based on other data you have. In the grocery store example, if you have a person who is a 30 year old male and you know that in the past 90% of 30 year old males purchase pretzels when they shop, you could predict that this other 30 year old male would do the same.
Why it is important
Pattern recognition is essential to Biblical exposition.
Rarely do you hear a Pastor speaking about extracting patterns from Scripture, but practically speaking, a lot of expositional tools rely on the Pastor noticing patterns in the text, bringing those patterns to the congregations attention, and then showing how those insights impact their Church member’s lives. In one sense, every single Christian who studies their Bible is a “data analyst.”
Now, Scripture is so much more than a mere data set: it is the living, inerrant, and active word of the sovereign, all-knowing God. But the Bible does contain patterns and some of these patterns are exactly the same as the ones given in “Data Science:”
There are “clusters” of texts which deal with a single topic. Systematic theologians often use “clustering” to see what the Bible teaches on a certain topic.
Texts “associate” with other texts. Biblical theologians are often interested in how a phrase used in one section of the Bible is associated with that same phrase used in another section. Additionally, Biblical authors often associate different concepts together, like how faith in Christ produces a changed life.
There are verses in Scripture which the Biblical authors cause to stand out (i.e. an outlier). Pastors oftentimes look for these “outliers” because they often reveal the main point of the original author. An example of an “outlier” would be the Song of Moses in Exodus after Israel parts the Red Sea. The “Song of Moses” is an outlier because it is a poetic section contained within a narrative.
Finally, “pattern recognition” makes sure that Scripture interprets Scripture. When you see “God is love” in a text, you also should “Fill in” the idea that “God is just” from other texts in Scripture. Your knowledge of Scripture as a whole enables you to fill in patterns as you study other texts.
At the end of the day, you as a reader of Scripture want to gain insight into who God is and what true reality is from the text. Whether you notice a connection between texts, or whether you remember something you read in a different section of Scripture and use that to fill out a passage you are currently studying, pattern recognition is a vital tool for seeing and understanding the truths given in the Bible. Therefore, if you want to study Scripture better, you must become better at extracting patterns from Scripture.
Takeaways
Today’s takeaways will turn the four different patterns given above into four questions you can ask of a Biblical text:
1. What other passages in Scripture address this same topic?
As an example, if you are studying a text of Scripture which deals with the holiness of God, you should ask where else in Scripture the holiness of God is discussed.
2. Where else in Scripture is this same language used?
This question allows you to trace a theme or an idea throughout Scripture. An example would be the crushing of the serpent from Genesis 3. You might trace this language of God crushing the serpent through the entirety of Scripture to see how the idea develops through time.
3. What stands out in this passage of Scripture? Why? What is the significance?
Oftentimes, if a phrase is repeated over and over again in a passage, that probably means the author is emphasizing something. Repetition is one way Biblical authors create “outliers” in the text, but there are other ways. Look at the passage to find what things stand out and why.
4. What truths from other places in Scripture fill out/clarify/expand on the truths given in this text?
This question is non-negotiable for Pastors who preach expositionally. To “expound” a text, you must fill out and clarify it with other Scripture. The Puritans did this excellently in the way they structured their sermons. An example of this might be when you are teaching the Philippians 3 text “Our citizenship is in heaven.” A text which expands on this idea might be “Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth.” Using the second text to expand on the truths given in the first text is a necessary skill for any teacher or preacher of God’s Word
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As an engineer, I read scientific papers quite frequently. I am convinced most people do not know how to read scientific papers intelligently. This doesn’t need to be the case: you don’t have to be an expert to think critically about a study and its results. In a society which is obsessed with scientific discovery and “scientific truth,” Christians in particular need to be wise when engaging with modern science.
If you want to better engage with scientific findings, you are going to know certain questions to ask as you read scientific papers. Additionally, you are going to have to get a good grasp of the uncertainty inherent to any good science. Recently, I read a book that gives both a series of questions to ask of a scientific paper as well as a good analysis of the uncertainty inherent to science in general.
The book is called “Science Fictions: How Fraud, Bias, Negligence, and Hype Undermine the Searchfor Truth” by Stuart Richie. Although written by a non-Christian, it is an essential read for any Christian working in a STEM field and is useful for any believer who finds themselves looking up the latest “scientific study.” For today’s Book Quote of the Week, I want to look at questions Stuart Richie says you should ask when reading a scientific paper.
Is everything above board? Authors from reputable universities, companies, labs? Journal published in look professional?
How transparent is it? Can you find data set online anywhere?
Was the study well designed? How was the control group treated? When seeing headline claim, should ask “compared to what”
How big is the sample? How many subjects were included from the final sample and why?
Are the inferences appropriate? Causal language when only a correlation study? Experiments on animals jumped to humans?
Is there bias? Does the study have obvious political or social ramifications and do the scientists write about these in such a way that seems less than impartial? Where was the study funded?
How plausible is it really? If study involves human participants imagine yourself having taken a part…did the environment of the study even approximate the setting that the scientists want to know about?
Has it been replicated? Stop relying so heavily on individual studies
These questions come at the very end of “Science Fictions.” The entire book looks at the ways researchers intentionally or unintentionally publish results which are misleading in one way or the other. The results can be over-hyped, they can ignore important data, or the conclusions can be impossible to replicate in a future study. All of these questions laid out by Richie are designed to help you as you read scientific papers to ask the simple question “is this true?”
Some of these questions are harder to answer if you don’t have a STEM background. But the basic questions of “how was the study designed? Who were the people who did the study? What were the conclusions of the study and do they make sense?” are always useful to have in the back of your mind when reading a “scientific conclusion.”
Now, the goal of these questions isn’t to cause you to never trust another scientific conclusion again. Rather, they are tools for you to more intelligently discern whether an article like “10 Superfoods which reduce aging instantly” is something you should read and take to heart, or not. These questions help you sort the “wheat from the chaff” so to speak.
Why it is important
The scientific method is a gift of God’s common grace. Many of the good things in the modern world would not be possible without science and scientific discovery. As Christians, it is important to remember one of the assumptions of the scientific method is that the universe is designed in such a way that observation and testing is possible and yields valid conclusions.
It is the Christian worldview that has the foundation for scientific discovery.
However, like all of God’s good gifts, humans make science an idol. Unbelievers consider scientific discovery “the way, the truth, and the life” rather than Jesus. A practical outworking of this is a society that accepts any sort of “scientific discovery” at face value. And if you aren’t in a STEM field and familiar with the uncertainty and approximations inherent to the scientific method, it is easy to think “science says it, that settles it.”
Christians value science as a useful tool God has given mankind. But Christians do not get their wisdom and insight exclusively from scientific conclusions.
All things must be compared with infallible Scripture. And what I think “Science Fictions” does best is show that science really isn’t infallible and was never meant to be. Scientists are humans like anyone else with motivations for funding and to publish “breakthroughs” in order to climb in their field. That doesn’t mean you should never trust a scientist. It just means you accept that science is oftentimes fallible and an always changing body of data.
Therefore, if you are a Christian, you should leverage the questions Richie gives to better engage with scientific papers. Again, the goal is not to discredit any scientific discovery. Many great scientists in the past were Christians who understood that the universe was created by a glorious, powerful, wise Creator.
Takeaways
1. Christians should not reject science. Rather, they should model intelligent, thoughtful engagement with scientific research
In a culture that idolizes science and elevates it over the Word of God, it is easy for Christians to simply reject it outright. But there is a better way.
The scientific method is not the problem: sinful human hearts are.
Therefore, Christians, especially those in STEM fields, should model humble engagement with scientific findings. Christians should not pretend that science is a perfect, objective, infallible source of truth. But they also shouldn’t have cynical attitude every time a scientific discovery is made.
Again, Christian scientists in the past have seen the theological foundations of the scientific method. It is a good gift from God, although it should never be elevated over God’s revelation. If you want to live in this tension practically, use the questions from “Science Fictions” to start thinking through different scientific conclusions you read. As you read scientific papers, write down answers to the questions above so you can model thoughtful engagement with the findings, rather than blind acceptance or blind rejection.
2. For the Christian, science is an avenue for worship of God
I really don’t know how anyone in STEM disciplines can remain cynical about the idea of God. When you see the order, the beauty, the detail in the world around you, it really is “awesome” in the most literal sense of the world. To think that people can live in the scientific world amongst wonders every single day and still attribute those wonders to “random chance” is beyond my comprehension. But Romans 1 clarifies what is going on:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Romans 1:18-20 ESV, emphasis added
Truly any scientist who does not see evidence for God all around him is without excuse. But what about for the Christian in a STEM field? Don’t ever think your job in a scientific field is separate from your Christianity. As you carry out the scientific method in your job, you should be worshiping God every step of the way.
Stand in awe at the creation God has made
Thank the Lord that He allows scientific breakthroughs to benefit sinful humans
Mediate on how your specific work displays God’s “eternal power and divine nature”
When you see the chaos and curse within the created order, remind yourself of the new heavens and new earth God will create free from the effects of sin
Ask yourself “what kind of Being could and would create something like this?”
Christian, read scientific papers intelligently. The questions “Science Fictions” gives are a helpful starting point. And as you see God’s glory revealed in Creation, let that lead you to worship and to giving God thanks. Being a Christian employed in STEM is a high calling and a difficult one in our current culture. But it is truly a glorious field to be in as a believer in Christ.
My wife and I have always enjoyed Jane Austen books. While “Pride and Prejudice” will always be a favorite, I personally really enjoy the story of “Emma“. I recently watched the most recent movie adaptation with my wife and it brought to mind the many reasons I thoroughly enjoy the story. As a Christian, I think there are several valuable life lessons from Emma.
As for a quote to analyze, I can’t do much better than the opening line from the book. Austen had a habit of writing some of the wittiest and most enjoyable opening lines of any author I have read. This opening quote tells the reader a great deal about the book’s main character in a single sentence.
Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.
Emma by Jane Austen
What the quote means
If you have not read Emma, I suggest you make time to do so. Like all of Austen’s books, there is a ton of analysis written about Emma, it’s characters, and every detail you could think of. For this post, I want to focus on lessons from Emma the character. One of the great benefits of reading fiction is you can learn from characters going through experiences that you have never gone through yourself. Emma is no exception.
This opening quote really sets the stage for who Emma is. In the first half of the quote, you read that Emma seemingly has all that a person could want: wealth, comfort, beauty, and a great personality. What is the result of these blessings of station and personality? Emma had lived her life with very little suffering or difficulty.
As the story continues, you see that who Emma is and her life circumstances cause her to make several mistakes and poor judgements with respect to those around her. She has an inflated view of herself and limited life experience, so she ends up hurting people around her while trying to help them. It is only when she is confronted with how she has treated those around her that she finally sees herself for who she truly is.
Why it is important
The dangers of self-satisfaction are rarely emphasized in our culture. According to the culture, most of your problems are caused by not having high enough self-esteem, not believing in your dreams enough, not having enough money or power or whatever else you might think of. Reading a story like Emma is helpful because it shows having every life advantage will not make us behave rightly towards others.
Due to her station and power, Emma is incredibly self-satisfied for most of the book. This self-satisfaction is not a neutral thing or a virtue; her high view of her self causes her to hurt others. It is only after Emma is humbled and confronted with how she was treating those around her that she grows up as a person. The pathway to her growth was not more pleasure or higher self-esteem. It was humility. Only when the mirror was held up to her and Emma saw how she was treating those around her did she begin to evaluate herself soberly.
This is a valuable lesson for you and I today. If you have a high view of yourself and your abilities, if you live a life devoid of suffering and growth then you will not treat others better by default. Self-satisfaction makes you proud and pride causes you to treat others poorly. It was only after Emma was humbled and “repented” that she could move forward and grow. There are several lessons from Emma and her character progression that Christians should make note of.
Life Lessons from Emma
1. Cultivate humility or the Lord will humble you
One of my all time favorite hymns is “I asked the Lord that I might grow“. Each verse contains profound insight on the Christian life. The basic thrust of the hymn is God uses suffering and difficulty to break our dependence and love of self.
I asked the Lord that I might grow In faith and love and ev’ry grace, Might more of His salvation know, And seek more earnestly His face.
(God speaking)
“These inward trials I employ From self and pride to set thee free And break thy schemes of earthly joy That thou may’st find thy all in Me.”
I Asked the Lord that I Might Grow, John Newton
You and I are always fighting self and pride. Just like Emma, in our modern ease and comfort, it is easy to think very highly of ourselves and to be very self-satisfied. But such an attitude causes us to behave poorly towards God and towards those around us. So, our loving Father brings us through trials to humble us.
Like Hebrews says, no discipline is pleasant at the time. But if you and I don’t cultivate humility in our hearts, then God will grow it through suffering. Each time you come to the end of yourself or each time you are confronted with a sin or each time you realize you hurt someone or think you can’t go on, it isn’t pleasant. But these situations remind you that you aren’t God. You don’t have all wisdom, power, knowledge, insight, or goodness.
It is only when you see how weak and sinful you really are that you stop relying on yourself and run to the all-powerful God.
Don’t despise His discipline. Each time He humbles you, it is out of love so that you become more like Christ. Just like Emma, you and I need to see ourselves for who we are so we don’t have an inflated view of ourselves.
2. How you view yourself will affect how you treat others
Having a high view of yourself is a virtue in modern culture. Everyone is obsessed with “living my truth” and being their “authentic selves.” The Christian worldview sees the fundamental danger in this: your authentic self apart from Christ is a sinner who rebels against God in word, deed, motivation, and feeling. So your probably don’t want to live your authentic self out. But beyond the theological problems with having a high view of yourself, one of the lessons from Emma is pride will cause you to hurt those around you.
In the case of Emma, she hurts her best friend multiple times and insults a lady who considered herself a friend of Emma. Emma’s high view of herself causes her to treat the people around her almost like toys rather than real people with feelings. How easy it is for us all to fall into the same trap!
Pride can make you view people as characters in your own personal life story rather than individuals made in the image of God.
How did Christ view people? He came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. He washed His disciples feet. When a leper asked to be healed, Jesus was moved with compassion, touched the leper, and cleansed him. Jesus and His disciples were going to go away and take a break but when Jesus saw the crowd around Him, He stopped and ministered to them.
Jesus actually was all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-wise. Yet Jesus used that power to directly show love to those around Him and to point them to Himself, the fountain of living water. Rather than comparing yourself to those around you or cultivating a high view of your own abilities or status, compare yourself to Christ. See how Jesus treated those around Him.
When you look at Jesus and who He is, you will be humbled like Emma was and start seeing yourself properly.
For the Christian, it is looking to Christ that causes growth.
I don’t think I need to argue that human beings are naturally self-centered. It isn’t for nothing that the Bible says to “love your neighbor as yourself” and “in humility consider others more important than yourself”. Our natural bent is to self-love and preoccupation with our own needs. So how do you cultivate an others-centered mindset?
It is not easy. But this past week I read an excellent little book that has a chapter which speaks to this issue. The book is called “The Hidden Art of Homemaking” by Edith Schaeffer. Don’t let the title fool you: the book is a marvelous study of how everyday activities can become God-honoring, creative expressions for the Christian. It addresses both men and women and I highly recommend you read it. One of the latter chapters contains an excellent quote which I want to look at today:
We produce the environment other people have to live in.
Edith Schaeffer
What the quote means
Your behavior has a definite effect on others
What I love about this quote is it awakens a new awareness: your behavior directly affects other people. Your behavior makes part of the world other people have to live in. The main point of this chapter in “The Hidden Art of Homemaking” is you can positively and creativity add good to another person’s life. How you act, your attitude, what you value all create an environment other people have to live in.
Put another way, nothing you do is “neutral”. Everything you do, everything you are, affects the people you come in contact with. If you are always sad or dour or depressed, it isn’t just “your problem”. Edith Schaeffer gives the example in the book of a coworker who is always complaining. After talking with such a person, do you ever feel motivated in your own work?
On the other hand, if you interact with a joyful person, a motivated person you yourself often start to feel motivated and more joyful. You daily, moment by moment create a little “world” by your behavior, character, and values which other people enter and interact with you in. Your life has an active role in the lives of other people.
Why it is important
An others-centered mindset means noticing how your behavior affects other people
If you are aware that your personal behavior creates an environment for other people to live in, it becomes easier to become others-centered. The awareness that you are moment by moment having an impact on other people’s lives (whether you like it or not) causes you to start asking the question “What kind of environment am I creating for this other person right now?“
As Christians, the type of environment you should want to create is clear: a Christ-centered, God-glorifying, holy and beautiful environment. It can become very easy to not even think about how your life affects other people. But once your mind grabs on to the idea that you are continuously creating the environment other people live in, you can start actively and intentionally shaping that environment.
An “others-centered mindset” starts with realizing other people exist around you and that your behavior impacts them.
Personally, this quote from “The Hidden Art of Homemaking” has made me more aware of people around me. Rather than just thinking of myself and how I feel in every single social interaction, I start asking myself “Am I creating a Christ-centered environment for this person? How can I better this person’s life in a small way with this interaction?”
Takeaways
1. Remind yourself that you are commanded to love others as yourself
It is not enough to simply realize your life affects others. You must also remember Scripture’s commands with regards to how you treat others:
Love your enemies.
Outdo one another in showing honor.
Forgive as you have been forgiven.
Cultivating an others-centered mindset does not just stop with creating a “positive environment” in interacting with others. There is nothing overtly Christian about a “positive environment.” Your interactions with others must be in obedience to Scripture’s commands in order to truly have a “positive” effect on those around you.
Don’t settle for “positive interactions.” Pursue loving, Christ-centered, God-exalting interactions.
And I don’t think it is a stretch to add that loving, Christ-centered, God-exalting interactions often include explicit discussion and sharing of Scripture.
2. Take a thoughtful and active role in your interactions with others
I am more and more convinced that having an others-centered mindset means taking the initiative when interacting with other people. You pursue the other person. You start the conversation. When there is a lull, you keep the conversation going. You ask insightful questions to get to the heart whatever issue you are discussing.
If it is true that you and I create the environment other people live in, then we probably should become more thoughtful when we interact with others. Personally, I have thought more about how my daily behaviors (even in the little things) affect my wife. How are my actions creating a Christ-honoring environment for her? Am I acting in a way that is making it easier for her to live in obedience to Christ or harder?
And once you do that reflection, you can actively pursue an environment you desire. In the case of my wife, it might mean asking her spiritually-focused questions. Or it might mean giving up my own desires to serve her around the house. An others-centered mindset takes responsibility for the part you play in the lives of others. I would argue this mindset starts and primarily plays out in the home: how you interact with your spouse and children.
3. Realize every interaction is a God-given opportunity
Probably my favorite takeaway from this Edith Schaeffer quote is the exalted perspective it gives to the mundane. You interact with dozens of people daily. Oftentimes, they are not “important” people like Presidents or world leaders. They are also often not “important” interactions. It might be a few minutes here, a conversation there, or a chat over a meal.
But once you realize you are creating the environment other people live in, even little interactions become opportunities. You stop going from one thing to the next aimlessly. Every single time you cross paths with another human being, God is giving you an opportunity. The question is will you take advantage of the opportunity or not? If you truly believe that God is absolutely sovereign, there are no accidental interactions.
So have thoughtful and prayerful interactions with others. Don’t let opportunities pass you by. Every day you contribute to the life, environment, and world of other people. Choose, in obedience to Scripture, to make that world more holy and God-glorifying through your actions, values, and words.
One of the reasons The Average Churchman exists is to provide you with tools, methods, and ideas to help you better understand and live out Scripture. Today, I want to give you the easiest, most practical tip to improve your Bible reading that I could think of. It isn’t complicated. No master’s of Divinity is required. Simply applying this to your daily Bible reading will have profound effects on your life long-term. And the best part: you can start it today without any difficulty.
The simple process to improve your Bible reading
Let’s say you just picked up your Bible for your daily “read through the Bible in a year” plan. Here is a simple and profound method to use:
Read the passage
Pause and stop reading
Think about the passage for 10 minutes straight
That’s it. It could not get simpler. Read your passage and then stop to think about what you just read for 10 minutes. Not 5 minutes. 10 whole, uninterrupted minutes of pure reflection. It might be tempting to let your mind wander or to keep reading. Don’t: read a section of Scripture and then let it sit.
Why does this simple method work? To use a metaphor, America is a fast-food culture. We want things right away and then it is on to the next task. Sitting down and savoring a meal takes time. Fast-food might not taste all that great, but at least it is convenient and saves us time.
I fear that this mentality of “cheap, fast, and mediocre” has affected how you and I read our Bibles. Sure you want to hear from God’s word, but only if it is quick, easily applicable, and done in time for you to move on to your next task. If you want to improve your Bible reading, the first step is to savor Scripture.
The Bible is a feast of profound truth. So take some time to savor and enjoy what God has prepared for you in His word.
Taking just 10 focused minutes to think about a Scripture you read helps counteract this fast-food mentality. Rather then reading as much as you can before moving on with your day, taking a reflective pause allows you to engage with the truths you just read. So, when planning out your Bible reading time, plan for 10 minutes of reflection and non-reading. Taking this pause every time you read Scripture will allow you to remember and apply more of what you read in Scripture.
The question is, what kinds of things should you think about as you take your 10 minute pause? Here are a couple ideas
Think about other Scriptures that connect with your passage
A lot of times, improving your Bible reading is about seeing how your text fits in with the rest of Scripture. Taking a 10 minute reflective pause gives you time to think about other Scriptures that relate to that passage you just read. What passages deal with the same topic? Where does this passage fit in with God’s plan of redemption? Are there any passages alluded to in your text?
10 minutes of reflection lets you “connect the dots” and think about how your passage relates to other parts of Scripture.
A lot of times, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind several passages you read earlier that week or heard in a sermon or another believer talked about. Taking a 10 minute pause can give you the time and space to make those connections. One of the benefits is you might see a common theme the Lord is trying to teach you.
Think about situations in your own life which relate to your passage
The 10 minute pause not only gives you time to connect your passage to the rest of the Bible, it also gives you time to examine your own life. What events in your life illustrate the truths in this passage? When have you experienced something similar to what is discussed in the passage? What is going on in your life currently that the Lord might want you to change based on your passage?
Comparing your current life to Scripture is a great way of starting to apply a text. Rather than simply jumping to “what do I need to do”, you start by simply comparing yourself, your character, your life to the realities in your passage. Taking a 10 minute pause gives you enough time to think about your own life in light of truth. Don’t just run to the next passage: let a truth permeate your life.
Parts of Scripture can seem impractical until you pause and examine your own life in light of a passage.
If God is sovereign, then even the passage you read for your daily Bible reading was chosen by Him. Improve your Bible reading by stopping to think about why God might have led you to a particular passage today.What is going on in your life that God might be speaking to?
Think about the ways a passage drives you to prayer
Finally, taking a 10 minute pause gives you space to respond to a text with prayer. What is there to thank the Lord for? Are there any requests that should be made based on your passage? Perhaps a sin needs to be confessed, a promise pleaded, or a song of praise sung. Don’t let your 10 minute pause end without praying your passage back to the Lord.
Scripture should drive you to worship. And one of the simplest acts of worship that you can do “without ceasing” is praying in response to the Word.
Don’t make the mistake of disconnecting your prayer life with your Bible reading. They are integrally related. If you can’t think of anything else, end your 10 minute reflection thanking the Lord for providing you His word. For sustaining you “not by bread alone” but by “every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Improve your Bible reading by setting aside 10 minutes for reflection
Taking 10 minutes to reflect on your Bible reading is not complicated or difficult to understand. You can start doing it today. The biggest barrier is often time and focus: you feel like 10 minutes might be too much time or you don’t think you can spend 10 minutes straight thinking solely about a text of Scripture. But here is the good news: the Bible was meant to be meditated on.
In taking 10 minutes to simply pause and reflect, you are reading the Bible the way it is meant to be read. Not as a box to check or a “quick read.” But as God’s life-changing, eternal truth that has countless connections and infinite implications for your life. Start today. Discipline yourself to slow down and savor God’s word. Through daily 10 minute pauses, you will train your mind to meditate on God’s word. And this in turn will make you like “a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither.”
I am convinced many people have the wrong view of Bible study. They think Bible study is simply a matter of sitting down, looking at a text, and understanding it almost immediately. This mentality works for certain texts that are clear in interpretation and application. But when confronted with more difficult texts, an “understand this text in the first read through” mentality can become very discouraging. The solution? Something I like to call “Iterative Bible Study.”
How I came up with this concept
What is an “iteration”?
There are three sources I used to come up with this concept: my engineering background, the Feynman technique, and a quote I read on non-fiction writing. I am personally surprised the word “iteration” is not used more often in Christian circles. It is a word used all the time in STEM fields, and it is a helpful concept to apply to other aspects of life. What does the word “iteration” mean?
Iteration is the repetition of a process in order to generate an outcome. The sequence will approach some end point or end value. Each repetition of the process is a single iteration, and the outcome of each iteration is then the starting point of the next iteration.
This concept is used in mathematics and computer programming all the time. But once you take this definition and apply it to Bible study, it becomes a powerful tool to understand a difficult text of Scripture. Iteration is a sort of incremental action you repeat until you reach the goal. Each time you repeat, you learn a little more.
Feynman’s method for learning
Where the idea of Iterative Bible Study really started formulating in my mind, however, came after reading about Richard Feynman. Feynman was an incredibly interesting person, but what stuck out to me was his method for learning new things. He learned by following a simple cycle (or you could call it, an iterative process).
Visual representation of Feynman Technique
Essentially, Feynman would start with a topic and try to explain it at a child’s level. Why a child’s level? Because if you can’t explain something clearly and briefly without resorting to too many complicated words, you probably don’t understand the concept that well yourself. After trying to explain a concept or topic at a child’s level, Feynman would make a note of where his knowledge was lacking. Then, Feynman would go to try to acquire the knowledge he lacked.
This process was then repeated until he could clearly articulate a complex concept clearly. Now, Feynman used this technique as a physicist. But as I read about his method, I couldn’t help but think this is a perfect way of approaching Bible study. The best part of this technique is helps you clearly see what you know and what you don’t know. Once you see what you don’t know, you have the starting point for the next round of study. Feynman used an iterative process to learn and it is a powerful tool that needs to be applied to Bible study.
A quote on non-fiction writing which also helped me
A final source which helped me formulate this idea of “iterative bible study” is a quote found in the book Tools of Titans (I don’t particularly recommend this book. Some parts were helpful but on the whole I would suggest Christians not spend their time reading through this volume.”
You don’t have writer’s block when writing non-fiction. It is you not having enough research to write with power and knowledge on that topic.
Tools of Titans
The quote comes from an interview with a non-fiction writer. Essentially, anytime you start struggling to write something in non-fiction, that is evidence you need to cycle back and do more research. Not being able to communicate a concept indicates you yourself do not understand it fully. That sounds almost exactly like what Feynman said.
How does this quote apply to Bible study? Gaps in communication are caused by gaps in understanding. As you work through a Bible passage, if you cannot clearly communicate what a part of that Bible passage says, you likely have more study to do. Iterative Bible Study is about cycling back through to fill those gaps in understanding.
You don’t need to have all the answers write away when studying Scripture. But you do need to note those places where you don’t understand a text. Then, you need to cycle through to answer those questions.
A Visual Aid
Before actually going through a step by step walk through of Iterative Bible Study, I want to provide an easy visual reference. Seeing the concept is easier than reading it described.
Now I will walk through each step one by one. It is important to note there is a number of ways you can use the concept of “iterations” in your personal Bible study. I have designed this tool to mainly focus on studying the text from the get go. In other words, these steps are for when you just start looking at a text of Scripture.
Step 1: Read through the text
This is an obvious first step but a necessary one to state. Whether you are studying a verse or a longer passage, the first step is to read through the text. Start noting any clues you find that the author has left for you. Particularly focus on the flow and structure of the passage. What are the repeated phrases? Where are the changes in tone?
I personally find it helpful to underline and circle any key components of the passage as I go. I draw arrows in between connections and note any important textual features directly in my Bible. If you prefer not to write in your Bible, I recommend using a notebook or computer to write out the important things you see as you go through.
Step 2: Write out a rough outline
Now that you have some initial insight into what the passage says, it is time to start writing an outline. I give an example of how to do this later on in this post. Essentially, you are looking at the passage and organizing the pieces of it under heading. Oftentimes, an outline takes the following form:
Main point 1
Sub-point 1a
Sub-point 1b
Main point 2
Sub-point 2a
Sub-point 2b
Etc.
Let the structure of the text determine the structure of your outline. Don’t stress too much about getting everything right immediately. This is only a rough outline. You have to see what you know before you can see what you don’t know.
Step 3: Write questions you want answered into the rough outline
This is truly where Iterative Bible Study begins. Now that you have your rough outline, you start injecting questions you have into the outline itself. If you don’t understand a certain part of a passage or the passage brings out a question you have, write that underneath the corresponding heading. It will look something like this:
Main point 1
Sub-point 1a
Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
Sub-point 1b
Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
Main point 2
Question 1 about Main point 2
Sub-point 2a
Sub-point 2b
Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
Etc.
As you can see, you can have questions about main points, and sub-points. You can have several questions about one point or no questions about a point. Putting your questions in bold is probably a good idea so you can distinguish between what is from the text and what is a question you have.
It is also important to note, you don’t just have to put questions into the outline. You can also note key terms you need to define, metaphors you need to study to understand, or other passages you think are relevant to the text at hand.
This is the most crucial part of Iterative Bible Study. If you don’t figure out what questions you have or what the gaps are in your understanding of a passage, you will not make progress.
A good rule of thumb is if you cannot explain a certain point of a Bible passage to a 1st grader, you probably have some gaps in your understanding of that point.
Step 4: Go back to the text and other Scripture to answer those questions
Now you get back to work. By writing the questions and knowledge gaps you have, you have revealed the next steps you must take for your Bible study. Go back to the text you are studying or search other parts of the Bible to answer the questions you have. If you singled out terms you need to define, using a software such as Blue Letter Bible is helpful.
You might have noticed you are now approaching the text a second time. This is your first iteration. You are using your first look at the text as a way to see what else you need to study to understand God’s Word. As you work to answer the questions you wrote out in Step 3, I find it helpful to put the answers right back into the outline.
Main point 1
Sub-point 1a
Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
Answer 1
Answer 2
Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
Answer
Sub-point 1b
Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
Answer
Main point 2
Question 1 about Main point 2
Answer 1
Answer 2
Sub-point 2a
Sub-point 2b
Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
Answer
Etc.
You can see that your outline is now filling up. Even in a single iteration, you should have a much better understanding of the passage you started studying. Simply by identifying questions you have and gaps in your knowledge of a passage, you were able to direct your Bible study. Iterative Bible Study is all about making little steps forward in your understanding of a text.
Step 5: Repeat Steps 3-4 until satisfied with your study
Now, the reality is your further study could have revealed more questions you have. That is perfectly fine. The whole point of Iterative Bible Study is to keep asking questions and getting them answered. If after your first round of study you still have questions, repeat Steps 3-4 until you are satisfied. If you go this route, your outline might start looking like this:
Main point 1
Sub-point 1a
Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
Answer 1
Follow-up question for Answer 1
Answer 2
Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
Answer
Sub-point 1b
Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
Answer
New Question about Sub-point 1b
Main point 2
Question 1 about Main point 2
Answer 1
Answer 2
Follow-up question for Answer 2
Sub-point 2a
Sub-point 2b
Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
Answer
Etc.
The hope is that in your second round of going through Steps 3-4 you have less questions and gaps in your knowledge. You can repeat this process until you are out of time to study, until you understand the passage, or until you are satisfied with the current depth of your Bible study.
Why is Iterative Bible Study helpful?
Now that you have seen how to do Iterative Bible Study, the question remains of why you would choose to approach a text this way. Certainly this method of Bible Study is one of many. I believe, however, that Iterative Bible Study is one of the best tools you can have in your toolbox when seeking to understand a text. Three benefits come to mind of adopting this method:
You don’t have to get everything completely right the first time
I have met many Christians who freeze at certain passages of Scripture. Whether because the passage is long and difficult or they are afraid of misinterpreting a text, I believe a lot of Bible Study is quenched because of fear. And somewhat rightfully so: God’s word is powerful and must be interpreted properly.
However, I think such a fear also comes from not knowing how to start. Even more than this, a lot of Bible Study doesn’t happen because people don’t know where and how to start.
Iterative Bible Study helps because there is not a pressure to get the passage completely right the first time. The whole point of starting your study is to see what parts of a passage you understand and which parts you do not understand. This method gives you a clear, easy way to start studying a text. And from there, it gives you a path forward to progressively seeing what God’s word is saying.
Helps you distinguish between what you know and what you don’t know
Clear thinking is important for Bible Study. And nothing helps you think clearer than distinguishing between what you know and what you don’t know. Iterative Bible Study gives you a powerful method to seeing what things you know and what parts of a passage you need to work at further to understand.
If you don’t know what is missing from your understanding, you won’t know where to look. By putting questions directly into your outline, you not only see what you need to answer, you also see what parts of the passage are causing you the most difficulty. Simply putting questions into a rough outline helps you think more clearly.
Gives you more questions to answer with each iteration
A lot of Bible Study is simply asking the right questions of a text. Not all your questions will be relevant, not all your questions will get answered in the ways you expect. Iterative Bible Study forces you to constantly ask questions of the text and then seek for answers from Scripture. This process allows Scripture to interpret Scripture because you are seeking answers to your questions by going to the Bible.
The more questions you have, the more Bible you will read. The more Bible you read, the more it shapes your thinking. That process is built into Iterative Bible Study and once you get in the habit of asking good questions of Scripture, the more rich your study will become.
An example of Iterative Bible Study
Before closing this post, I think a brief example of this method is helpful. I am actually currently using this method to prepare a sermon on Romans 1:11-12.
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:11-12, ESV
So after reading the text, the first step is to create a rough outline.
Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
The outline pretty basic, but it breaks down the two verses a bit. Now, I start adding the main questions I have into the outline.
Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
What is the definition of “strengthen”?
What is the definition of “spiritual gift?”
Why is encouragement called a “spiritual gift?”
How does mutual encouragement of faith strengthen a Church?
Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
Why is mutual encouragement important to Paul?
What do Paul and the Church in Rome have in common?
The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
How can someone’s faith be an encouragement?
What is the definition of “encouragement”?
You see that even from a short outline, questions cause the study to build outward. Some of the questions are a little redundant, but that is okay at this stage. This outline is not the outline for the sermon yet, it is simply a tool to aid my Bible Study.
The next step is answering these questions by studying Romans 1:11-12, other passages of Scripture, and using a tool to help me define the words I need defined. I would then start adding those answers to the outline.
Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
What is the definition of “strengthen”?
What is the definition of “spiritual gift?”
“Charisma” -“a divine gift” points to the origin of the gift
Why is encouragement called a “spiritual gift?”
The encouragement of other believers is a gift from God
How does mutual encouragement of faith strengthen a Church?
Strong faith sets an example (Abraham)
Strong faith points us back to God (Hebrews 11)
Seeing faith in action in someone’s life encourages us to stay the course
Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
Why is mutual encouragement important to Paul?
Paul’s letters are full of encouragement to local Churches (1 Thess 5:11, Phil 2:1, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Scripture contains a number of “tools” to help Christians grow…one of those is encouragement
Church in Rome was a minority, persecution was coming
What do Paul and the Church in Rome have in common?
Same fundamental need
Need righteousness from Christ
Same ethical implications from Gospel
The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
How can someone’s faith be an encouragement?
Strong faith sets an example (Abraham)
Strong faith points us back to God (Hebrews 11)
Seeing faith in action in someone’s life encourages us to stay the course
What is the definition of “encouragement”?
I didn’t bother answering all the questions for this example, but you get the point. Now I could go back through and ask further questions of the text. With each iteration, my outline fills out and my understanding grows. But you see that even after one iteration, the depth of my understanding of Romans 1:11-12 has grown by leaps and bounds.
In conclusion, Iterative Bible Study is a powerful tool to add to your personal Bible study. It gives you a place to start even when studying the most difficult of texts. You can slowing understand a text and then move on to meditating on how it applies to your life.
Open up your Bible to any text. Immediately, you as a reader are confronted with a textual forest. Complex arguments. Poetic language. Parables and Proverbs. Narrative. What is your first step to understanding this text? How do you get to the core of a bible passage?
In many ways, analyzing a Bible passage is like doing detective work. And the Biblical authors have left you a bunch of different clues to help you understand the truth God is communicating. This post will go through a list of those different clues. By knowing what to look for, you won’t miss important clues the author gives to help you out.
1. What style of literature is the passage?
This first clue the author gives you is essential to interpretation. Books have been written on the different literary types of the Bible and how to approach each type. If you have taken a literature class growing up you are familiar with different literary types: poetry, narrative stories, plays, etc. One of the things which makes Scripture difficult to interpret sometimes is there are several different literary types contained in it.
Your first step to understanding the Bible passage is simply to identify the type of literature you are dealing with. Does the passage record a historic event? Then it is likely narrative. Does the passage discuss the future using metaphorical language? Then it is likely prophecy. Does the passage fit within a stand-alone book with a sender and a receiver? Then it is likely a letter.
Discerning the type of literature of a Bible passage sets your expectations as a reader. A narrative passage which says “He ate locusts and wild honey” you might take literally, while a passage of poetry which declares God’s word is “sweeter than honey” must be understood as a metaphor.
2. What is the structure of the passage?
After figuring out the type of literature, it helps to examine the structure of the passage. What I mean by this, is simply to look at what happens in the passage. Are there distinct sections in the passage? Or does it all flow together? Are there different “scenes”? Is there a break in flow or a something unexpected which appears in the passage? Look in particular for any shifts in tone or focus.
Answering this question can be difficult at the start. You might need to look at other clues in the passage before answering the question. But understanding the structure of the passage helps you see the “big picture”. Oftentimes, if you just straight into defining words or breaking down metaphors, you end up losing sight of the passage as a whole.
Each part of the passage contributes to the whole. Don’t get overly focused on any one part without understanding how it fits into what the author is saying
3. Is a word or phrase repeated?
This is one of the easiest things to look for and might be one of the most helpful. Looking for repeated words and/or phrases helps you discern what is the emphasis of this passage? One of the common pitfalls you can make in your Bible study is emphasizing whatever you think is important without asking what does the author think is important?
Repetition is a simple clue Biblical authors leave to say “Here is my point! Don’t miss this!”
Now, not every repetition emphasizes the “main point.” But oftentimes a repeated phrase should clue you in to how you should interpret a passage. For example, the other day I was reading through Genesis 39. It is the passage which describes Joseph as a slave in Potiphar’s house and then getting sent to jail after getting falsely accused. As I read, I noticed the passage kept repeating the phrases “The Lord was with Joseph,” “The Lord blessed Joseph” and kept mentioning “Joseph’s authority”.
Just from seeing those repetitions, I could start interpreting the significance of the passage. The author is trying to emphasize Joseph’s success was a product of God’s blessing. What specifically did God bless Joseph with? Authority. More study needs to follow to understand the text fully, but let textual repetition shape your thinking early on in your study.
The text often repeats what is most important.
4. Are any emotional words used in the passage?
I have elsewhere argued that figuring out the emotion an author is trying to convey is vital. Passages of Scripture aim to have a definite effect on the reader. The Bible wants to change the way you think and act, but it also wants to shape your emotions. One of the ways to discern what the author wants you to feel is to look for “emotional words”.
What I mean by “emotional words” are adjectives, verbs, exclamations, or other words which strongly point towards a particular emotion. If I yelled out “ow”, you would immediately assume a negative emotion. If I say “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!” there is a strong positive sound to the phrase. “There is no fear of God before their eyes”, on the other hand, sounds like a negative appraisal.
The emotional words in a passage help you hear the author’s tone. You have had this experience before if you have ever written someone an email. Because you cannot show the recipient your facial expressions, you have to choose certain words to convey positive, negative, or neutral emotion. It is the same thing with Biblical texts. The emotional words in a passage give you a clue to how you should feel after reading it.
5. Are there any important words to define?
You often don’t have time to go through and define every single word in a bible passage. Nor is it always helpful to do so. A lot of times, the essential reality a text is pointing to is dependent on a few key words. Sometimes those words are the repeated words in the passage or the emotionally charged words. But as you read through the passage, ask yourself after each sentence “do I understand what this means? If not, is there a word that, if I understood it, I would understand the passage?”
Key words are exactly that: words that unlock your understanding of the sentence or phrase. If a sentence is using simple words that you understand at first glance, maybe there are no key terms to define. But if you run into a sentence that you have to read through multiple times to understand, there may be a word that you could define. A good practice is to simply list out those key words and then go through one-by-one and define them in their biblical context.
Oftentimes, if you don’t understand a bible passage, you really just don’t understand a few key words. Study those, and you’ll understand the whole passage.
It is important to use an online tool like Blue Letter Bible or software like Logos to define the words. What you really want to do is understand what the word could mean in the original language, and then see how it is used throughout scripture. Whatever you do, don’t simply use an English dictionary to define the key words. If you do this, you are translating a translation. Original languages are vital for this step. Better to go to a commentary which discusses the original languages than an English dictionary.
6. Are there any metaphors in the text and what do they mean?
Metaphors are essential to communication. Bible passages make frequent use of metaphors regardless of the genre. I consider understanding metaphors to be so crucial to understanding scripture, I created a whole tool to help you understand them. I invite you to go read that post if you want a deeper understanding of how to get your mind around a Biblical metaphor.
For the purposes of this post, you must know how to identify a metaphor. This is where knowing the type of literature comes into play. If you are studying a Psalm or prophetic literature, expect more metaphorical language. Metaphors simply explain a complicated, abstract concept by comparing it with a concrete, easily understood concept. A righteous man is compared to a tree. God’s word is compared with gold and honey. Locusts become a picture of God’s judgement.
You will not fully grasp a Biblical text until you identify the meaning of its metaphors.
7. Is anything contrasted in this passage?
Contrast often goes hand-in-hand with metaphors. A contrast is simply taking two things and emphasizing their differences. A good example is Psalm 1. In this Psalm, the righteous man is contrasted with the wicked man. You as the reader are meant to see the differences between the two. Another classic example of a contrast is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus contrasts a wise man who builds his house on a rock with a foolish man who builds his house on the sand.
When analyzing contrasts, ask “what differences should I be seeing between these two things?”
8. Are there any if-then statements?
The fancy title for these is “conditional clauses.” If this thing happens, then this other thing happens. If-then statements are found throughout the Bible. It is helpful to divide them up between the “if” and the “then”. The “if” answers what needs to happen and the “then” answers what will happen as a result. Sometimes the words “if” and “then” appear in the passage, other times they do not. You have to be discerning and thoughtful to notice if a condition is present.
For example, the verse “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” might not seem to be an if-then statement. But you could rewrite the verse as “if the Lord does not build the house, then those who build it labor in vain.” You see that the originally verse is actually a conditional clause in disguise. Be on the lookout for if-then statements in whatever bible passage you are studying. Oftentimes, an if-then statement will hold the key to interpreting the passage.
9. Are there any logical arguments in the passage?
In the future, I will write an extensive post on logical arguments and how to analyze them. Suffice to say, logic is a tool you must have to read and grasp any text. Biblical authors use logical arguments explicitly and implicitly in their writings. A logical argument draws a conclusion from premises. In other words, a logical argument wants you to accept something as true because of other things which are true. I highly recommend every Christian take a course or read a book on logic. The payoffs to your Bible study will be exponential.
There are a number of words which indicate premises and conclusions. I will give you them in a different post. For now, look for the word “therefore.” “Therefore” is a word which almost always indicates a conclusion. And where there is a conclusion, an argument is almost certainly nearby. So look for logical progressions, arguments, & conclusions. They often reveal the point of a passage.
I will go as far as to say you cannot study the Bible without understanding logic. It is fundamental to understanding language & communication.
Conclusion
There are dozens of ways Biblical authors communicate truth. Some are easy to understand but most require thought and work to grasp. This post has given you a few important parts of bible passages to look for. There are certainly more. But if you start your Bible study looking for the clues given in this post, you will most likely have a much easier time understand the author’s intent. Understanding a bible passage takes time, but if you are equipped with the right tools and know what things to look for, you will always find a truth about the Lord to excite you.
