Suggestions for Inductive Bible Learning

Note: The following is about a way I have been logically formatting Scripture since September
1977. Many of my Bible study courses have it because it causes reasoning which helps
for better retention. After reading the directions, try your favorite Bible chapter. The
man I learned this from even did his personal letters this way.

Proper Bible study is so important because it is the best way to discover

“the mind of Christ” (Philippians 2) or how Jesus Christ thinks.
That is the way to get to know Jesus Christ intimately
which the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3 is so important.

Studying and using Scripture suggestions:

First in responding to any Bible verse or Scripture passage you hear in a sermon,
skim the verse or passage and then check the verses before and after
to make sure that was is being said really relates to the verse quoted.
Sometimes after the sermon and I am at my computer,
I will download any meaningful verses' passages
and at least do the indent formatting to them
to understand better the logic of them.
If you are just typing Scripture without using Bible software to copy/paste from,
be very careful and double and triple check what you have written.
One letter missing or one letter added can change the meaning of a verse.

Back in 1977-78, I learned to do a special logical formatting.

The above and the below are sort-of samples of it.
There are many good samples at
0A-- My favorite Bible studies-- http://www.humyo.com/9538789-1136308005 .
This method of Bible study
will help the formatter learn new understanding of God’s Word
and can be used
for inductive teaching for Bible study discussion groups and
for easier memorizing of Scripture.
This way of writing Scripture can be done using any translation of the Bible
but please show respect in and capitalize the first letter of
deity pronouns,
Earth (for God’s special planet),
Christian, and
other words that indicate uniqueness (like “Bible” and “Apostle”).
This will almost look sort of like the outline format
with the verses or groups of verses that seem to be of equal importance
indented the same positions from the left of the page.

For producing inductive study for a Bible chapter or passage:

Copy the Bible chapter or passage from a Bible software
and paste it into a MS Word document.
Type the reference title above the first verse.
Press the Enter key and that is where the first verse number goes.
If the verse number is one digit, put a space in front of it.
Then press the space bar 4 times.
1
 Determine how much of the first verse should be on the first line.
Most likely there will be a comma or semi-colon at the end.
In most cases, you will want to get as much on each line as possible,
but any equal important phrases usually should be separate lines
indented the same positions from the left of the page.
Be in the frame of mind as Proverbs 3:5-6 in order to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
He is the perfect teacher and guide, especially for logical decisions.
The main need is to logically indent any line
that seems like a continuation from or an understanding for the previous line.
Each non-first line of the study Scripture passage and non-first line of a paragraph is
a continuation of the previous line (like in a narrative)
which should be indented 3 more spaces to the right than the previous line
a equal important concept or idea as a nearby above previous line
and then should be indented the same position as the just indicated line is.
Phrases or verses that seem to be just a clarification of a word in a previous verse
most likely should be indented at least 7 spaces to the right
compared to the previous line,
so that the next line can start as it is a continuation of the non parenthetical line.
Such is called a parenthetical thought
and the passage could be read without it.
A definite paragraph should have a blank line above its first line.
Then sometimes I make the studies better Bible study tools or even courses
by doing the following.
I will bold or/and underline important verses or phrase or/and
I will insert thought provoking questions.

For producing subject studies:

After I sense a need (from the Holy Spirit, a sermon, a TV program, a conversation, etc.),
I use a Bible software to download verses using a key word to search with.
I usually have to such several times using different tense forms of a key word
and synonyms of that key word.
The software I usually use is from the free e-Sword downloads
(usually KJV red letter edition)
or from the Lockman Foundation downloads of the Amplified and NASB Bibles.
Two other good sources for subject study verse references are
the Naves Topical Bible and Thompson Chain Bible References.
Then for each verse I think is appropriate for the study,
I download any verses before or/and after needed for explanation-- the proper context.
I do the special logical formatting of each chosen verse or passage.
By then, the Holy Spirit gives me
a good subtitle for a new group
or reminds me of a previous group that I created already in the study.
Sometimes I also get a good thought provoking question for each group.
The best Bible discussions I have been in went verse by verse.
For each verse, we were asked to think:
“Does it just tell me something I believe already
or does it indicate something I should change in my life to be more Christ-like?”
If it is the latter, I suggest that you copy it onto a 3 x 5 card
in your own words in a commitment form for future reference or memorizing.