Customer Reviews

How to Study Your Bible : The Lasting Reward of the Inductive Approach

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just a few months ago I came to the sudden and perhaps not-so-startling realization that although I have been reading the Bible for more than twenty years I had never really been taught how to study it. I have been told of the importance of spending time each day reading God's Word, meditating on it and even memorizing it, but I do not ever recall being taught how to systematically study it.

After explaining this predicament to a friend of mine, she recommended the inductive Bible study approach, which she had only just discovered through buying the New Inductive Study Bible. Kay Arthur edited that version of the Bible and knowing she was a proponent of the inductive method, I decided to read How To Study Your Bible by Arthur.

I do not intend to go into detail about the Inductive method of Bible study. There is any number of resources available in bookstores and online that can outline the method in detail. Essentially, though, it begins with understanding the context of the big picture (the Bible) then works to the smaller picture (a specific book of the Bible) and so on until the study leads to specific words. The method relies heavily on note-taking and Bible marking. There is a whole system of Bible marking that Arthur recommends which helps in identifying themes and patterns. The appendices are filled with useful information about how to best use concordances and expository dictionaries. They even go into some detail about the tenses, moods and voices of Greek verbs!

Although the book sometimes appears as an advertisement for the New Inductive Study Bible, it does a fantastic job of outlining the method and rationale for the inductive approach to Bible study. This book is a valuable resource and I highly recommend it.

I've been a Precept student for over a decade now, and there's nothing like this. In fact, this tool is so good (as are Precept's study courses) that seminarys across NA recognize it as solid... some will even transfer Precept courses for accreditation towards a degree. If you want to get serious about your time in the Word and want to find meat instead of fluff, then this is the best place you could start - learning how to interpret and apply the Scriptures for yourself. The methods that Precept Ministries teach are solid and true - the novice to the scholar can can benefit from this form of study method. This book shows you how to do everything from word studies to structured analysis of text. Excellent stuff through and through and highly rewarding for the serious Bible student. Get a copy and dig in!

Promoting the Inductive Method of Bible study where the scriptures are allowed to speak for themselves, Kay Arthur's book puts the Bible back at the center of Bible study--where it should be.

Arthur's book outlines the Inductive Method step-by-step and explains how to use several Bible study tools that will greatly enrich your study time.

Many times, Christians go to Bible study tools too early and miss out on "treasure" that they could have discovered on their own. Only after you have done your initial studies should you refer to other Bible study tools to compare and contrast what you have found.

This book is highly recommended as any book promoting the Inductive Method should be.

If you are looking for a tool to build some spiritual muscle- the inductive study method is one heck of a workout! Kay Arthur trancends denomination and gets you into the meat of the word with a challenging and detailed series of steps. If you really put the time and effort into learning this method, no other study will seem quite enough. You will learn to let scripture interpret scripture and learn the rule of context (which is that "context rules!"). Like any fitness goal, with time and persistance you will attain such a level of spiritual fitness that you will be able to dicern whether the pastors you hear, and the commentaries you read, are grounded in the truth of God's word or not. It will help you filter whatever teaching you encounter through the eyes of personally learned truth. Kay Arthur isn't self promoting, she's bible promoting. And as far as spiritual fitness goes- in my opinion she's the Arnold Schwartzenager of bible study!

We hear all of the time how difficult it is to understand the scriptures. This difficulty leads to feelings of discouragement and often a lack of sincere study in the Word. Those that are walking through life without the Word are walking a dark path without the assistance that God intends for each of us (Ps 119:105).Without God's Word we cannot understand either the boundaries or freedom that God expects in our lives.

It is so important to know the difference between reading and studying God's Word. Ms. Arthur's study resource offers a plan to extract the important truths of the Bible and allows you to see where and how to apply them tour life. If you've ever struggled to understand what you're reading from God's Word, plunge into this helpful book. You won't be disappointed.

I purchased this book because it was required reading for one of my Bible School courses. Prior to picking up this book, I never gave much thought to my approach to Bible study. Actually, I really didn't have much of a systematic approach. I mainly relied on study guides as my companion to Bible reading. All that changed after coming across this book. After being exposed to the inductive method of digging, questioning, color coding, linking key words and phrases and summarizing paragraph and chapter themes, I don't think that I can ever go back to my old approach to Bible study. Now, when I come across a passage, my inquisitive mind turns on and I "go to digging" for the meaning of the passage in context with the entire theme(s) of that book as well as the Bible as a whole. In addition to this obviously highly recommended book, I would like to suggest another one of Kay Arthur's, that really compliments this work. It's titled "God, Are You There?" In this book, she slowly takes you by the hand and teaches you how to apply each concept taught in the "How to Study . . ." book, by studying the Gospel of John.

If you are really interested in digging into the Word and finding out for yourself the full meaning of God's Word, please do not hesitate to get this book (as well as "God, Are You There?"--as a supplement).

I am not a bible school student, however I have been studying scripture for more than 15 years. I sure wish I had found this book 15 years ago. It has been extrmely helpful to me.I appreciate the author mentioning other study helps she has taken the time to produce. Although I would not use her study bible because I am a KJV reader. I sure wish she had it in the KJV rather than, or I should say as well as, the American Standard verison, because that would give more space to work.I feel that her heart is in getting peple to properly study scripture, not in selling books.Praise God for authors like this. If you are ready to "dig in" and work at it you will get more out of your bible using this method, I do.

After reading the reviews posted to "balance out" the 5-Star rating I gave this book I took the time to re-read it. I found that the phrase International Inductive Study Bible was used infrequently in the book, as a whole, and not "once every several pages" as the reviewer accused. A number of these occurences appear as footnotes which are obviously added by the publisher, Harvest House. I did not find the mentioning of any products, including the International Inductive Study Bible, distracting in any way. Neither did I find that it impuned the character of the author, Kay Arthur. It is quite obvious that this book is designed to help the beginning Bible study student in their technique of inductive study. To point out that a Bible exists which is already arranged in a format conducive to inductive study is in no way offense to the student-reader. I, in fact, found it very helpful as I strived to apply the study techniques taught in this book. The reviewers failed to mention that Mrs. Arthur also recommends a number of other books/resources which are neither published by Harvest House nor Precept Ministries. Finally, please note that Mrs. Arthur is the spokesperson for the International Inductive Study Bible. If mentioning this excellent tool a dozen times in her book will spur one person on to study the Word of God then more power to you Kay Arthur! You can read and read and read about how to study your Bible but the rubber meets the road when you pick up your Bible and DO IT! I am not blinded by how much "I like this book" but I am persuaded by the tremendous impact that a disciplined, personal study of God's Word has had on my walk with Him. I again give this book 5-Stars!

Arthur's title is an excellent supplement for anyone who wishes to know more about the Holy Bible.

Among the many points covered in the book include:

1. Basic principles of observation, interpretation, and application.
2. Be sure to understand the context of a Bible passage.
3. 7 principles for accurate Bible interpretation.
4. Word study tools.
5. Principles in overviewing a book of the Bible.
6. Different literary devices (parable, allegory, etc.).
7. Different ways writers of the Bible presented their thoughts.
8. Outlining a book of the Bible.

All in all, an excellent supplement for helping you learn more about the Bible!

Read and enjoy!

I just completed reading this book and I can't get enough! If you are ready to roll up your sleves and study the truth of God's Word this is for you. It gives you pratical and sound skills for digging deep into the vast riches of God's word. I have studied for years but this is a systematic approach to Bible study and it allows you to first search out the scriptures for themsselves and then refer to other resources such as comentaries and word study guides as a source of enrichment rather than a foundation to you understanding and interpretation.