In my last blog post, we concluded the observation stage of the inductive method with a look at the Samaritans. In this post we will begin the interpretation stage by outlining the structure of Luke 10. “How is outlining interpretation?” you ask. In essence, you are interpreting what you read,…
This week we'll wrap up the observation stage of our study of the Parable of the Good Samaritan. We'll do so by taking a closer look at the single most important note we made as we read through Luke 10. Just who were the Samaritans? This task is not as…
Last week we looked at the remaining five cities among the eight we discovered in Luke 10. This week we’ll take a look at most of the other significant concepts we noticed through the chapter. We'll begin with the Greek word Hades. What in the World is Hades? In Greek…
In contrast to the three relatively unimportant towns of Galilee in my last blog post are the five major cities. All of these cities of Luke 10 span the pages of the Old and New Testaments. We’ll divide the cities into two groups for our discussion. Benchmarks for Sin The…
In my last blog post, I asked you to look up the three cities in Galilee Christ condemned. This request was part of your assignment to look up the cities, people and customs in Luke 10. I did not mention, though, that not all of the information we gather pays…
In my last blog post I introduced the inductive method of Bible study and asked that you read through the Parable of the Good Samaritan (and the rest of Luke 10) six times, jotting down your initial observations. These should include anything that seems particularly noteworthy. I also asked that…
My first four blog posts demonstrated the importance of context. We looked at elements in the story of Samson that are better understood in their textual, historical, cultural and geographic context. They illustrated why we need a systematic approach to Bible study, but they did not tell you how to…
If you’re not careful, you might miss a couple of little words sprinkled throughout the story of Samson. Paying attention to these words—up and down—can enhance your understanding of geography and how it affected Israelite life during the period of the judges. The first verse of Judges 14 tells us…
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more tragic story of seduction and betrayal than that of Samson and Delilah in Judges 16. If you’ve already read chapter 14, you already know of one of Samson’s great weaknesses. It’s in that chapter that Samson’s new wife pesters him for the answer…
Throughout the story of Samson, we run into the Philistines. In Judges 14 alone, we read that Samson married a Philistine woman, lost an unfortunate wager to 30 Philistine wedding guests, and killed another 30 Philistines from Ashkelon to pay his gambling debt. Just who were the Philistines? That question…
Has anyone ever told you that you’ve taken her words “out of context”? You’re probably nodding, at least mentally, because almost all of us are guilty of this annoying little habit. Like me, you could be guilty because you’re not completely focused on what you’re hearing. One striking statement might…