Going Deeper

Orientation What is the general situation?Purpose = to understand what I am looking at. ▪ Who wrote it?▪ Who was it written to?▪ Why was it written?▪ When was it written?▪ What kind of literature is it?History? Poetry? Narrative? Parable? Letter? Prophecy? Read...

Examination What are the particular details?Purpose = to ask questions about the text. ▪ What are the important terms, words, or ideas in the passage? Any that are repeated? Mind the conjunctions, conditionals, and time-markers. ▪ “Therefore” ▪...

Interpretation What does all this mean?Purpose = to answer my questions about the text. Study the contexts of the passage, working “outward.” ▪ What’s the context of the chapter/story?▪ ...context of this biblical book?▪ How does this passage fit in the...

Application What difference should this make in my life?Purpose = to apply timeless truth towards life-change. Until now, we have been dealing with the past, asking what this all meant (past tense). Now we transition to asking what does in mean now. It is not that the meaning of a Bible...