The inductive study method is executed by searching for answers to the six questions: Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why? and How? Of course, it is not always possible to answer all of the questions especially when studying a short passage or a single verse.

We will begin by applying the Inductive Study method to a short passage from Matthew 7. It was toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus declared:

13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.

14 “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Since the words printed on the pages of the Bible mean what they say, we can and should try to extract as much from them as possible.

Matthew 7:13-14 contains important facts that are useful in obtaining understanding. A study of these verses, could begin by asking and answering some or all of the six inductive study questions per the following example:

Q. Who is speaking?

A. Jesus Christ.

Q. Who is Jesus speaking to?

A. A group of people including the disciples.

Q. What is Jesus describing?

A. To answer this question we have to go back to something Jesus said near the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount discourse.

Jesus said:

“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17)

This verse provides us with the answer to the above question, but also points to the theme of the entire Sermon on the Mount. With this simple, direct statement Jesus answers the ‘What’ question by declaring that His mission is not to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them. Jesus’ words in this verse seem to be saying, “I did not come to abolish but to fulfill, and I’m going to show you what that fulfillment looks like.” Jesus follows the statement in Matthew 5:17 with many descriptions of what life in the fulfilled Law is like. So the ‘What’ of the Sermon on the Mount is an explanation of what the fulfilled Law, or Old Covenant, is like. And Matthew 7:13-14, in particular, tells us that the way to enter into that fulfilled life is quite narrow and there aren’t many who will find it.

This is just a brief sample of how the Five W’s and an H method of interpretation is employed. We have looked at only three verses from the Sermon on the Mount and quickly discovered the goal of the entire sermon.

A Useful Habit

When I begin studying a particular passage or verse I set out to extract as many facts (acquire knowledge) as possible from the text. I often begin a study by reading the material several times. It is amazing how many of the six questions can be answered on the third, fifth or even tenth reading of the text being studied. This is a good way to begin a study because it does not require knowledge of the original languages or any special reference materials. While I am re-reading the text being studied, I am looking for answers to the six questions.

This questioning method is one I learned as a college student long before I ever opened a Bible for the first time. As an English major focused on creative writing, I learned the Inductive method in reverse. Rather than looking for answers to the questions to understand something I was reading, I learned to provide the answers to the same six questions for those who would read the article I was writing. This technique is especially useful when writing a news article. The factual information provided readers with an accurate description of the event being reported.

Years after completing my college studies, when I became a student of the Bible, I was already in the habit of looking for answers to the who, what, when, where, why and how questions. Therefore, I was employing the Inductive Bible Study questioning technique before I knew what it was called. It wasn’t until I purchased a Bible called The International Inductive Study Bible that I discovered that this technique had been developed into a Bible study system called the Inductive Study Approach.

The method described in the study Bible I had purchased was compiled by Kay Arthur and the staff of Precept Ministries. One of the main features of this Bible (which drew me to it in the first place) was its one and a half inch wide margins on each page of the Bible text. The front of the Bible contains a full explanation of the inductive study method. The system is divided into three sections or steps: Observation, Interpretation and Application. Observation is learning to see exactly what a passage is saying. This is where the five W’s and an H questions come into play. Interpretation is to determine what the passage means. And Application is where you ask what does the passage mean to you and how can you put the truth that has been revealed into practice? A detailed method for marking your findings in your Bible is also explained. A chart is included at the end of each book of the Bible where you can record your findings for future reference.

Let me say for clarity that I have no relationship with Kay Arthur or Precept Ministries other than owning the International Inductive Study Bible, and I am not compensated in any way from Kay Arthur or Precept Ministries. Also, I am not endorsing her particular theological point of view, in fact, I do not even know what her views or those of Precept Ministries might be. I do very much like the study method developed by Kay Arthur and Precept Ministries which is free of any theological persuasion. My only purpose here is to provide you with information on what I believe is an excellent Bible study method if you are interested in obtaining accurate interpretations.

After reviewing the study approach in the Bible, I realized I had been using an inductive approach long before I learned about Kay Arthur’s method, and I had already developed my own Bible marking system so I haven’t employed the method presented in the Inductive Study Bible. If you would like to start using inductive study, you could try Kay Arthur’s method or you could modify it to suit you. You can find an explanation of the study method at the Precept Ministries website or by purchasing your own copy of The International Inductive Study Bible. Of course, you can choose to start your own system by asking and answering the six questions as you read and study your Bible. If you begin using the five W’s and an H method you will probably find it initially takes some effort to stay focused, but stick at it and it will become a habit before long and eventually you will employ the method without thinking about it. Whatever you choose to do, it is imperative that you develop the habit of reading and studying the Bible every day.

Read The Word Daily

There is one more Bible study essential that is so obvious it probably does not need to be mentioned. But I feel I would be remiss if I finished this article without even a mention. I am speaking of simply reading your Bible … every day. And I would add that the goal for your reading should be to read through from Genesis to Revelation.

The obvious reason for daily reading of your Bible is you can’t know what is in it if you don’t read it. And if you don’t know what is in it, you can’t be guided by it and you won’t gain understanding.

But there is something else. What I am going to say next may sound outdated, but I am going to risk it: Listening to the Bible (especially while walking, jogging or driving) or reading it on a laptop, tablet or smartphone are not the same as reading a book. There is just something special about interacting with a book you hold in your hands or sit on your lap. You get involved with it, become immersed in it in a way not possible with more modern, trendy electronic devices. I am not against such devices, I have been using a computer for business and personal use since 1987. Before you discard my view, let me say I believe I am not alone in the idea that there is something special about reading a book. Many people seem to feel the same way though they may not be aware of it. I say this because I have noticed that every time I go into a Barnes and Nobel book store (to shop for a book) there are always a lot of other customers in the store who also shopping for books. It is probably safe to assume that many of these shoppers have at least one electronic device on which they could read just about any book, magazine or newspaper they desire. Why then they are in a book store shopping for books? I think it is because there is something truly special about reading a book. So I recommend that you use your electronic devices for many Bible-related activities, I surely do, but use a Bible in the form of a book for daily reading and study. Of course, that is my opinion and you can accept it or not.

There are other reasons for daily Bible reading. First and foremost, the Bible itself instructs us to read it every day. Consider the following where God issues instruction for the king the Israelites will have some day in the future:

18 “Now it shall come about when he [the future king] sits on the throne of his kingdom he shall write for himself a copy of this law [today we have the law written in books called Bibles and upon our hearts] on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.

19 “It shall be with him and he shall read it ALL the days of his life [that means every day], [and reading every day keep us humble and steadfast] that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by carefully observing all the words of this law and these statutes,

20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his countrymen and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may continue long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.” (Deuteronomy 17:18-20)

Daily Bible reading keeps us on a steady course so we may not divert our thoughts and beliefs away from God’s truth. Also reading your Bible every day, with the goal of reading through from Genesis to Revelation, safeguards against unfounded interpretations.

The Old and New Covenants of English Bibles contain about one million words. And we human beings (except for a few with super intelligence) simply cannot remember everything we read in in the Bible. I know this to be true because even after reading through numerous times I still read a passage and question whether or not I have read it before. I know I have read it because I never skip any book, chapter or verse and yet it seems like the passage is new to me. And continually reading through the Bible is critical to gaining an accurate understanding of the Bible, the most wonderful book in the world. Reading every day refreshes our memories over and over again. When you read every day, you will find that you receive fresh insights from parts of the text you have read before.

Reading every day is a check against developing false doctrines, insuring that your interpretations are accurate and Biblically sound. I believe my interpretations are accurate because the core of my Bible study method is to read the Bible from beginning to end over and over again. For me that means starting in Genesis and reading through Revelation, being sure to read every word of every book. It is important not to skip any passages, chapters or books, and especially not to skip over dull or difficult books such as Numbers or Chronicles. These two books in particular can require effort to get through, but God placed them in the Bible for a reason, and that should be enough cause to read them in their entirety.

When I complete Revelation, I go back to Genesis and again begin reading through to Revelation. My practice is to read through over and over. I haven’t keep count so I cannot tell you how many times I have read through the Bible in this manner. This practice has many times prevented me from developing wrong interpretations. Of course, I have developed wrong interpretations and make no mistake so will you. It has happened to me more than once, I study a certain passage and form a conclusion, and I think, wow, this is really significant. Then a short time later on my daily reading I come to a passage or verse that completely contradicts my conclusion. When this has happened I immediately discard my conclusion because it is clearly not accurate.

My strategy for reading through the Bible is to read some amount every day. I have never been able to adhere to a pre-established read-through-in-a-year plan that requires reading a predetermined amount each day. Such plans are simply too rigid for me. Also, with those plans, if I miss a day or two guilt can start to move in, not to mention that the reading requirement can become lengthy if several days have to be made up. My method has no daily length of reading requirement and no goal for how long a complete read through will take. Reading some amount every day eliminates the requirement of a certain amount to read each day, and it means the predetermined date to complete the read through is also eliminated. A complete read through might take more or less than a year, whatever it takes is what it takes. Also, there is no guilt if a day or two is missed because of special circumstances in my life such as unusual family situations or a bout with the flu. Rather than feel guilty because life gets in the way, when there is a pause in my reading I get started where I left off as soon as possible and keep on going until I have read all of Revelation. My study Bible has a ribbon that I use to mark the place of my current read through. I believe you should be reading through the Bible if you are not already doing so.

Some reading systems have you read a passage from the Old Covenant, Psalms and the New Covenant. However, I prefer reading through from Genesis to Revelation because I believe the books of the Bible are in the order God wants them just as He selected the books themselves. Thus, I believe it is best to read the books in the order in which God has placed them in the Bible.

One additional point: You should be reading and studying a reputable translation of the Bible instead of a paraphrase. A paraphrase of the Bible is different from a translation. GotQuestions.org describes a paraphrase as follows:

A paraphrase is a retelling of something in your own words. A paraphrase of the Bible is different from a translation in that a translation attempts (to varying degrees) to communicate as “word-for-word” or as “thought-for-thought” as possible. A paraphrase takes the meaning of a verse or passage of Scripture and attempts to express the meaning in “plain language” – essentially the words the author of the paraphrase would use to say the same thing.[1]

The Living Bible, Good News for Modern Man, and The Message are examples of Bible paraphrases. While a paraphrase can be used as a resource for adding insight to a passage or verse, I recommend a good translation for daily reading and study. The King James Version, New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version and the New International Version are examples of well known, accepted translations. I am not recommending any particular translation. You should use one that is good for you.

I hope this article has provided you with some reasons and a few tips on the why and how of starting a regular Bible reading and study program that works for you. I assure you that once you get started you will find daily reading and regular study to be a very satisfying and rewarding undertaking.

[1] GotQuestions.org, https://www.gotquestions.org/paraphrase-Bible.html