Inductive Bible Study

June 8, 2012

The Restoration Movement has a plea to go back to the Bible. But what does that mean? All Christians claim Bible authority in some way. Everyone has their own proof texts. Yet, there is a problem that can exist with proof texts. The problem has to do with context.

We can easily understand the problem. Politicians and celebrities at times complain that their remarks have been taken out of context. Maybe we have even experienced it ourselves. A sound-byte of words sounds like the person is saying one thing, but when you hear or read the larger context, it means something totally different. The same problem can occur with proof texts.

How did the Restoration Movement propose to overcome this? They after all challenged their own assumptions about many beliefs. What gave them the ability to correct their own approach to the Bible? I think at least two things guided them.

First, they realized the Bible was to be read and interpreted as you would any other book. At first blush, this may sound a little disrespectful. Christians believe the Bible is inspired of God. Shouldn’t it get special treatment? The answer is that God has chosen to communicate in words, sentences, paragraphs, and books just as we would. There are no special rules for inspired writings. We have to ask the same questions as we would of any other text. What genre or kind of writing is this? We have to ask the typical reporter’s questions: who, what, when, where, and why? We must understand what is said in context.

Second, they spoke of inductive Bible study. Both J.S. Lamar in his The Organon of Scripture (1860) and D.R. Dungan in his Hermeneutics: A Text-Book (1888) spoke of inductive Bible study. In fact, the phrase is part of the subtitle of Lamar’s book. In logic, induction means reasoning from the particulars to the general. The inductive method as applied to Bible study means that you gather all the facts in the text before you draw your conclusions. That way you are allowing God to speak in context.

One of the clearest examples of this has been in our approach to becoming a Christian. Many stop at belief. Some may say belief and repentance. The Restoration Movement leaders, however, did an inductive study of the Bible. They gathered all the facts before arriving at a conclusion. When we look at all the conversion accounts in Acts and all that is said in the epistles, we conclude that one needs faith, repentance, confession of Jesus, baptism, and regeneration or new birth (which occurs at baptism when done in faith). The difference in the answer comes from gathering all the evidence.

Note: the books by Lamar and Dungan can be read online at http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/.

Leave a Comment » | Bible study, Restoration Movement | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

“Light from Above”

June 1, 2012

It was spring semester of my first year of graduate studies. A friend had called and offered me a summer job of preaching at a country congregation in his absence. I had spoken on occasions at churches since high school, but had never before had the weekly responsibility of delivering a sermon and teaching a class. I agreed to the offer, and then the dreams began. Nightmares. Recurring nightmares.

What was the dream? In the nightmare, I was standing before a group of people with nothing to say. Suddenly having the responsibility of speaking regularly, it was a dream that left me with a cold sweat and wondering if I was doing the right thing.

Some of that fear went with me into full-time work. Saturday nights for a long time were tense. It didn’t matter that an outline was written and in my desk. The tension was there. Sundays and Wednesdays have a way of being relentless. No sooner are you finished with one and another one looms ahead with its deadline.

Over the years though, I have discovered something. The nightmare is true. I don’t have anything to say. I certainly don’t have anything worth saying three or four times a week. Yet, I am convinced that God does have plenty of things to say to us from His Word. The task of the preacher is to let the congregation hear the Word of God through the things he says. The task is to let scripture speak clearly.

On a trip to West Virginia, I had the chance to visit Alexander Campbell’s home. Campbell was an outstanding 19th century Restoration Movement leader. I stood inside the study that he had built away from his house. It’s a small hexagonal shaped building with a later addition that added some space and a fireplace. Originally, the only windows in the study were in a small cupola on the top. Campbell considered it a metaphor for his work, “light comes from above.”

God is the source of revelation and wisdom. The preacher in his study is attempting to clearly understand God’s message, so that it can be shared with others. God is the one with something to say—a message worth our time and attention.

“Light from above” – what a wonderful motto!

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17, ESV)

Source of the photo: www.therestorationmovement.com/lightfromabove.htm

Leave a Comment » | preaching, Restoration Movement, Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden