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Observation
What Does it Say?
Observation
You see, but you do not observe. Sherlock Holmes
Observation Test: How many stairs are there to the second story of your house?
Observation
to watch carefully esp. with attention to details or behavior for the purpose of arriving at a judgment.
to come to realize or know esp. through consideration of noted facts.
to take notice.1
Inc. Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary., Eleventh ed. (Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003).
1
Observation
This is indeed a mystery, [Watson] remarked. What do you imagine that it means?
I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theorise, instead of theories to suit facts.2
2 Sir
Where Do We Observe?
Sentence Level
Paragraph Level Section Level
Book Level
Where Do We Observe?
Words Phrases
Sentence Sentence
Paragraph Paragraph
How Do We Observe?
Interpretation
What Does it Mean?
How Do We Interpret?
We Interpret Literally (Normally)
We Interpret Historically We Interpret Grammatically
We Interpret Historically
To interpret historically is not seeing how everyone else interpreted a passage.
To interpret historically is to take into account the history and culture of a passage/book.
To interpret historically is to determine what the words meant when the authors used them.
We Interpret Grammatically
Since the Bible is inspired (verbal, plenary) then God has placed a high emphasis on the words used within Scripture.
Grammar is the meanings of words and sentences and the way they are put together.3 If we are to understand Gods message, which is given using words and sentences, then we must turn to the study of those words and sentences, namely, grammar. Grammar gives us the rules for language. And we cannot understand what is being said in a language without the rules.
3
Roy Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 1991) 98.
Application
How Does it Apply to Me?
Application
How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. Psalm 119:9
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:1617 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22, 25
The Gulf
Biblical Meaning
Present-day Situations
The Gulf
Biblical Meaning
Present-day Situations
What is Application?
Application can be defined as relevance (both general and specific) plus response.6
Relevance + Response = Application
6 Roy
B. Zuck, Application in Biblical Hermeneutics and Exposition in Rightly Divided ed. Roy B. Zuck (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregal, 1996) 282.
How Do We Apply?
Sins to confess
Promises to claim Examples to follow
Commands to obey
Stumbling blocks to avoid
Books to Consider