Six Steps to Biblical Observation
Purpose and Use of the method: This method is not an exact science but a compressive filter for your subjective observation. That is it focuses your contextual thinking through objective means resulting in the most accurate perspective on the passage with the least amount of human error.
Situation Clues: Identifying situation clues takes much thought and a little time getting involved into the Biblical text. A Situation Clue is a word or phrase that enlightens us to the situation. That is anything in the text that indicates in some way the situation of, who, what, when or where the Biblical writer is writing to, from or about. Situation clues deal with...,geographical matters, historical matters, cultural matters, spiritual matters, physical matters, emotional matters, and temporal matters. Focus mainly on clues that assist us in the interpretation of the Biblical text. Some situation clues are irrelevant to the understanding of the passage or may be restatements of clues that are already given. Situation clues a recoded in yellow highlighter.
Making Situation Clues Observations: Documentation should be in complete sentences and write all observations in third person, keep all clues as objective as possible (avoid words, "I feel," "I think" and use phrases like "appears;" "it seems like," "clearly states" etc). See example handout. Summarize all situation clues. Write one to two paragraphs the places all the clues together.
Purpose clues: Identifying purpose clues takes much thought and a little time getting involved into the Biblical text. A purpose clue is a word or phrase that enlightens us to the writer’s purpose for writing. A purpose clue is any statements in the text that indicate the Biblical writers purpose or what he/she wants to accomplish and what seems to be God's purpose and desired goal. To find "Purpose Clues," the student seeks to find and asks the following questions: What is the writer’s purpose? What is he/she trying to accomplish? What is the purpose of this here? What does it appear to be God's purpose or goal for including this account in the Scriptures? Some examples are strong verbs (imperatives)that are found in the text; any kind of commands that are given; strong appeals like: "I want you to...""Oh that you might...," "So that you might...," "In order that...," "Therefore..." (About 50%), "So...,""Since...," "If/then...," (Like in Phil 2:1), and words like "Because..." Purpose clues are ... obvious, subtle & implied, and they are often emphatic--saying the things over and over again. Possible purpose clues: usually give information. Like in Romans chapter Six, which demonstrates repentance, "Mourning and weeping," encouragement; or like in Eph. & I Cor. "Do not grow weary in well doing...” The urging to worship or obey. Like in Psalm150 "Praise the Lord” This is a direct imperative verb. Submission/writing to serve, they can insight the believers to services and obedience. The student then looks at what the passage says in light of the situation and the writer’s purpose then and there. Purpose clues are coded in blue highlighter. In the event that a situation and purpose clue overlap yellow and blue makes Green and should be noted as a possibly significant part of one's interpretation of that particular passage.
Making Purpose Clues Observations: Document them out in complete sentences and write all observations in third person, keep all clues as objective as possible (avoid words, "I feel," "I think" and use phrases like "appears;" "it seems like;" "clearly states" etc). See example handout. See example handout. Summarize all situation clues. Write one to two paragraphs the places all the clues together.
Paragraph Breaks: Selecting a paragraph is like finding a main idea that stands by itself within a passage. In order to determine where the paragraph breaks and where it stops. It takes lots of time and much repeated reading and thought of the entire passage. It is consisting of one major development of truth or idea in the passage. Learn to recognize each main
clause as they are developed in the passage. A paragraph could be one sentence long if it were one major point. In narratives, paragraph breaks are broken up by scenes or snapshots, much like how movies are made today and at times much longer in length. In a Bible mark all passage breaks with a slash or back slash: \ or /or. Remember that in paragraph breaks are broken apart in scenes (snapshots) when it comes to Biblical narratives.
Making Paragraph Observations: This is not interpretation it’s justification of paragraph structure. Justify the train of thought throughout the paragraph. Explaining why these verses fit together. Documentations should be in complete paragraphs and write all observations in third person, keep all observations as objective as possible (avoid words, "I feel," "I think" and use phrases like "appears;" "it seems like"). Demonstrate how and why every verse creates the paragraph.
Paragraph Points: The one central truth of the entire paragraph! After determining where the paragraph breaks are, then evaluate the paragraph to find the paragraph points. This too takes lots of time and much repeated reading and thought of entire paragraph. The paragraph points in each paragraph are what the key center (described below) is to the passage. It unites it together that is it culminates the one central thought of the paragraph. It is a word or phrase in the Biblical text that expresses the key idea of the paragraph, which is found in the Biblical writers own words. It expresses the main central truth and/or point of the paragraph. In the Bible text mark all paragraph points by underlining them once.
Making Paragraph Point Observations: This is not interpretation it’s justification of paragraph points. Justify the train of thought throughout the paragraph. Document your reason why everything in the paragraph is directed back to the paragraph point phrase/verse. Documentation should be in complete paragraphs and write all observations in third person,keep all observations as objective as possible (avoid words, "I feel," "I think" and use phrases like "appears;" it seems like").
Passage Boundaries: Finding the passage boundary is not an exact science, but there are some important points to consider when deciding where to place the boundaries for the text! Selecting a passage is like finding a main idea that stands by itself, within a book. It takes lots of time and much repeated reading and thought of the Biblical text. All passages vary in length, however, they are shorter in the Epistles, and usually consists of a group of verses or paragraphs that deal with one major idea, teaching, or truth. In the Bible text mark all passage breaks with a solid line drawn through the text, from on end of the page to the other end.
Making Passage Boundaries Observations: This is not interpretation it’s justification of passage break. Document your reason why all the paragraph breaks and paragraph points to he points come together. Explain clearly why the train of thought transitions to another subject matter. Documentation should be in complete paragraphs and write all observations in third person, keep all observations as objective as possible (avoid words, "I feel," "I think" and use phrases like "appears;" "it seems like").
Key Center: The one central truth of the entire passage! Finding the key center takes much thought and a close look at the context of the passage and much repeated reading and thought of the passage. It is a word or usually a phrase in the Biblical text that expresses the key idea of the entire passage, which is found in the Biblical writers own words. The key center unites the passage together, that is, it serves as the focal point for everything that is in the passage. The key center can be found anywhere in the passage. However, all paragraph points must directly relate to the key center. Everything in the passage, then, must be seen through the eyes of the "key center." There are times when a paragraph point can also function as the key center as well. Be willing to evaluate the paragraph points as well. In the Bible text mark all key centers by placing [brackets].
Making Key Center Observations: This is not interpretation it’s justification of Key Center. Document you reason why all the paragraph points directly relate and come together in the Key Center verse. Explain clearly how all the paragraph points reinforces the Key Center. Documentation should be in complete paragraphs and write all observations in third person, keep all clues as objective as possible (avoid words, "I feel," "I think" and use phrases like "appears;""it seems like").
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