Inductive Bible Study

The historical gap highlights the distance between contemporary (modern) readers and the events depicted in Scripture, while the geographical gap emphasizes the unfamiliarity of biblical locations. The cultural gap reflects the differences in societal norms between biblical times and today, complicating interpretation. We see a language gap, noting that the Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, which can obscure meaning in translation.

The literary gap points to the need for understanding various genres within the Bible to interpret it accurately.

The theological gap underscores the necessity of recognizing the Bible as God's self-revelation, which requires a faith-based approach to understanding its supernatural elements.

Finally, the appropriation gap highlights the challenge of applying biblical teachings to modern life, as not all instructions in Scripture are directly transferable. Despite these challenges, the text encourages readers (us) to engage with the Bible, assuring us that with effort and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can bridge these gaps and grow in our understanding of God's Word. The ultimate goal is to foster a deeper relationship with God through Scripture.

The Time Gap

The events depicted in Scripture occurred in a historical context far removed from the twenty-first century.

The Geographical Gap

The events recorded in the Bible took place in lands far removed from that of most Bible students.

The Cultural Gap The cultures reflected in the Bible are drastically different than our own.

The Language Gap The languages of the Bible are far different than English. The Old Testament was primarily written in Hebrew with small segments in Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Koine (pronounced; koinay. Meaning common, mutual,public) Greek.

The Literary Gap There are many genres and subgenres utilized by the biblical authors. To properly handle the text, we have to learn to navigate the diverse literary genres represented in Scripture.

Just as like you shouldn’t read an opinion page the same way you read actual news, different rules apply to the interpretation of law code, historical narrative, prophetic oracle, proverbial wisdom, epistolary discourse, and apocalyptic vision.

The Supernatural Gap The Bible presents supernatural realities and miraculous events, things not normally experienced in the natural world.

The Theological Gap

The Bible is God’s self-revelation in his Word and must be read with the expectation that it communicates truth to humankind.

The Appropriation Gap Even once we bridge the gaps to interpretation, we still must transfer the message from interpretation to application. This is often a greater challenge than interpretation, but absolutely necessary.

The Bible is a divine, contemporary book. By “divine” I mean that the Bible is inspired by God and reflects the perspective of divine authorship. By “contemporary” I mean that the Bible is eternally relevant for every generation of God’s people.

It is one thing to expect the miraculous in the Bible, but it’s another to read Scripture with an eye trained to discern the self-revelation of God through the history, literature, and theological message of the Bible. It’s not that God is merely active in the pages of the Bible. Through Scripture, He is actually revealing to us truths about himself and His relation to creation, whether explicit or implicit, propositional or circumstantial.

Explicit refers to information that is expressed in the words of a discourse. 

Implicit (also referred to as implied) is a term used to describe information that is not formally stated in a discourse but is assumed to be known by the recipient or can be inferred from the context. An example provided in the articles is the phrase "the other son," which implicitly suggests the existence of another son besides the one mentioned.

Propositional is a statement expressing a judgement or opinion. A statement expressing a concept that can be true or false.

One of the primary challenges facing us today is not correct interpretation but appropriate application.

Hard work and study alone will never bridge the appropriation gap. Only the Spirit of God working effectively in the life of the believer will transfer the message of the text from the mind to the heart.

Seven essential hermeneutical principles are outlined to guide interpretation: the Literal Principle, Contextual Principle, One-Meaning Principle, Exegetical Principle, Linguistic Principle, Progressive Principle, and Harmony Principle. Each principle serves to ensure accurate understanding, emphasizing the importance of context, authorial intent, and the original languages of the Bible.

Authorial intent(ion). n. In biblical interpretation, the perceived aim of the author. For some, recovering the author’s intention in a text is the goal of interpretation. It is interpretation. However, to what extent the interpreter must be concerned about the original intention of the author is a matter of debate.

The Literal Principle Take the words of the Bible at face value. Avoid reading into the text what is not there.

The Contextual Principle Always strive to understand the text within the confines of its historical, literary, and theological context.

Concerning accurate interpretation, perhaps the most important principle to remember is the contextual principle. The contextual principle simply affirms that the text of any portion of Scripture must always be understood within the confines of its historical-cultural, literary, and theological-canonical context.

The One-Meaning Principle There will normally only be one correct interpretation of a text, although there may be multiple applications.

The Exegetical Principle The meaning of any biblical text must be drawn from the text rather than be ascribed to the text.

The Linguistic Principle The original languages of the Bible always take precedence over any given translation.

The Progressive Principle. Later revelation may clarify, complete, or supersede earlier revelation.

The Harmony Principle Any given portion of the Bible can have only that meaning which harmonizes with the doctrine of the Bible as a whole. There will be continuity between books of the Bible.