week seven bible study reading

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31 Apply: How to Live Out What You Learn Video The final step in studying a passage of Scripture is application. In this step, our goal is to explore how we will live out the meaning of the passage. Many approaches have been suggested. Almost all these approaches take the form of questions. One popular method is to examine a series of nine questions as they relate to the numerous relationships of your life. Another method of application is the creation of an application narrative. In this approach, a contemporary story is crafted to highlight how the meaning of the Bible passage connects with the similarities of present-day Christians. A third method of application compares the needs of the biblical passage and my personal needs to the answer provided by God that meets my needs. This combination of people’s needs or problems, God’s actions or solutions, and the people’s response is addressed through the lens of personal and present- day application. When these three methods are examined, they reveal a thorough yet complicated plan for making application. Each one will move the student of God’s Word to the point of application, but they may experience confusion frequently. There is a simpler application method. Pastor and Bible scholar Daniel Doriani believes that application must address the four basic questions that every human being has. According to Doriani, when the Bible is analyzed, it reveals that there are four types of questions, and these are the only kinds of questions that Jesus ever answered. These questions are related to one’s duty, one’s character, one’s goals, and one’s ability to discern the truth. Application does not need to address each of these questions. However, the experiences we share as human beings and the breadth of these questions mean that there will always be more than one way to live out the meaning of a passage.

Doriani’s simple method of practical application creates a clear way forward for the student of God’s Word. Doriani addresses his four-question method and the logic behind using it in two places: Putting the Truth to Work: The Theory and Practice of Biblical Application and Four Views on Moving beyond the Bible to Theology.22 We will use Doriani’s four questions as the framework for learning how to apply the meaning of a biblical text. Four Questions for Applications The Question of Duty: What Should I Do? The question of duty is the call to action and obedience. This question looks at the meaning of the passage and asks, What are the actions that I must practice or avoid? Most often, these actions are found within the text. For example, Paul’s list of the works of the flesh in Galatians 5 creates an action item for practices to avoid. Similarly, Paul’s emphasis on the inability to earn righteousness in Gal 2:21 means that any actions that I take out of duty must not be considered a personal attempt to earn the righteousness that only God can provide through Christ. This is often the easiest route of application. The clear dos and don’ts of the Bible not only provide a general framework for duty, but they also address how I ought to act toward God and toward other people. However, a few words of caution should be noted when using the question of duty for application. First, the question of duty can lead to a legalistic mind-set in which the Christian life is about following a prescribed list of things to practice and things to avoid. Balancing the question of personal duty with the work of Christ is the antidote to this dilemma. Second, connecting questions of duty to contemporary situations may not always be easy. There may not be a modern action that corresponds to a biblical action to avoid. The prohibitions of sexual immorality, hatred, and drunkenness in Galatians 5 are certainly simple enough. However, is there a

direct one-to-one correlation for Paul’s instructions on eating meat sacrificed to idols? How about his instructions on the relationship of slaves to masters and vice versa? Does Paul’s advice to Timothy on stomach pain challenge our use of medicine as a method to alleviate a similar ailment? Addressing application through the question of duty must take both of these concerns into account. The Question of Character: Who Should I Be? The question of character addresses the kind of person I should become. This application question focuses on becoming the type of individual who chooses to do right. There are two areas of emphasis that should be covered by this question. First, the question of character acknowledges the work of Christ in the life of a believer. Christians become like Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit as believers work out their own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil 2:12–13). This means that the question of character is about what God is doing in me through the Holy Spirit. The desire and capacity for obedience is not something that I can drum up in my own strength. Rather, through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, my desire for obedience will affect my character. Second, the question of character is about the choices believers make. As I hear and respond to God’s Word, I am developing the kind of character that responds appropriately to situations where I am challenged to do what is right. Thus, as I walk by the Spirit and as the Spirit leads me, I am empowered by the Spirit to avoid the desires of the flesh. As a result of the work of the Spirit and the implications of my choices, the fruit of the Spirit is present in my life (Gal 5:16–26). The question of character addresses the type of Christlike person I should become through the enabling work of the Holy Spirit and the character-building choices that I make. The Question of Goals: What Causes Should I Pursue? The question of goals examines the things that drive us. What passions consume our energy? What are the ambitions that shape our lives? What are

the desires that determine our direction? Our goals or causes ought to be defined by the Scriptures and God’s calling on our life as Christians. To ambitiously pursue a cause or goal that runs counter to Scripture ought to be immediately rejected. Therefore, as we move from meaning to application, from thinking through the Scripture to living out the Scripture, we ought to examine the things that drive us. Are they the kinds of motivations that the Bible would call “good”? Our goals and causes also ought to line up with God’s call on our lives as Christians. Are the things we are chasing and expending our energy on the kinds of things that are becoming of a follower of God? Are they consistent with the character of Christ? Are they the kinds of things that will result in hearing the pronouncement, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt 25:21, 23)? Paul’s encouragement not to become tired of doing good because of the eventual reward of our labor is a challenge to commit ourselves to the good cause of God. The practice of doing good and working for the good of the household of faith is the kind of goal that ought to inspire every Christian (Gal 6:6–10). The Question of Discernment: How Can I Distinguish Truth from Error? The final question deals with developing the ability to see things as God sees them. Discernment is being able to survey the sweep of culture and make a decision that fits the perspective of God. A discerning person is able to examine his surroundings and identify the things that are aligned with the viewpoint of God. It is this person who can determine an appropriate action without having a list of things to do or things to avoid. He sees life as God sees it and responds in that manner. The summons to discernment in Galatians lies in an appropriate response to Christian liberty. The discerning Christian recognizes the viewpoint of God in the way he enjoys the freedom he has in Christ. He lives his life as Paul wanted the Galatians to live their lives. He does not use his freedom as an opportunity to satisfy the flesh. Instead, he uses his Christian liberty to serve others through love (Gal 5:13).

Conclusion Doriani’s four questions are asked, whether consciously or subconsciously, by every believer. At the heart of each question is a desire that permeates our being. We want to do right things. We want to be right people. We want to pursue causes that have eternal significance. We want to see the world as God sees it. When we properly apply a passage of Scripture, we are letting God speak to these desires. His living and active Word is having its way with our lives. We are being shaped and molded into the image of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit as he works through the Word of God. Video Study Questions 1. How does the question of duty provide an avenue for application? 2. What is one danger in the misuse of the question of duty? 3. How does the question of character provide an avenue for application? 4. How does the question of goals provide an avenue for application? 5. Which of the four application questions do you believe is the most important to answer when it comes to application? Explain.

40 How to Develop the Main Idea of a Bible Passage Video A question you may have at this point is, So, what do I do with all this now? There is no great value in knowledge for knowledge’s sake. Learning how to study the Bible more effectively is, however, intrinsically valuable in that knowing God’s Word is part of knowing God. Our burden, though, with this book is not merely to help you have a more effective personal quiet time. While learning to study the Bible effectively can help you grow in the Lord, it also offers a ministry outlet: learning how to communicate God’s Word more effectively to others. This section of the book (chapters 31–33) is designed to help you learn how to communicate God’s Word to others. In this chapter, we will focus on taking the material you have amassed in your study of a passage and developing a main idea and outline that can serve as the basis for a teaching outline, sermon, or written article. There are many approaches to developing outlines. This chapter will focus on developing an expositional outline—that is, one that will be developed from the text itself. The main idea will be a summary of the content of the text, and the main points that develop the main idea will also come from the text. I firmly believe that this is the best place to start. Bible study that is done well is the foundation for teaching and preaching done well. We will not abandon that process now! The Main Idea

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