8/31/2016

WhatquestionsshouldIasktoaidmeditationonScripture?|InstituteinBasicLifePrinciples

InstituteinBasicLifePrinciples
GivingtheWorlda"New"ApproachtoLife!

WhatquestionsshouldIasktoaidmeditationon
Scripture?
InvestigateScriptureWithKeyQuestions
observe,interpret,andapplyGodsWord
InScripturemeditation,yourgoalistounderstandthepassageaswellaspossible.
Tothoroughlyinvestigatethepassageyouhaveselected,youneedto:
1.Observewhatthepassageactuallysays,asopposedtowhatyouthinkitsaysor
whatyouveheardthatitsays.
2.Interpretthepassage.Determinethesignificanceofthepassage.
3.Applythepassage.DiscernwhatstepsofactiontheLordwantsyoutotakein
responsetowhatyouhavelearnedfromthepassage.
Tocarryoutyourinvestigationonthesethreelevels,itishelpfultoaskquestionsasyou
lookatthepassage.Writedownyourquestionsandthenlookfortheanswerswithin
theverses.Ifyoucantthinkofanyquestionsinitially,youwillprobablythinkofsomeas
youdowordstudiesandlookupcrossreferences.
TheHolySpiritmayremindyouofanotherpassageorversethatwillshedlightonthe
meaningoftheScripturepassageyouarestudying.IfHedoes,thenlookupthoseverses
andbealerttothetruthstowhichHeisdrawingyourattention.Askmorequestions.Look
formoreanswers.

QuestionstoAskattheObservationLevel
Contemplatethemeaningofthepassage.Observethethemesandideasit
communicates.
Asktheseandotherquestionsthatcometomind:
Underwhatconditionsdidtheoriginalreadersreceivethismessage?
Whattopicsarecovered?
Wouldknowledgeofthecultureofthedayinwhichitwaswrittenaddnewinsights
aboutitsmeaning?
Whatcommandsareissued?
Whatquestionsareposed?Arethosequestionsansweredwithinthepassage?
WhatfactsaboutGoddoesthispassagetellme?
Whatfactsaboutmankinddoesthispassagetellme?
Areanyspecificcharacterqualitiesmentioned?Whatarethey?
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8/31/2016

WhatquestionsshouldIasktoaidmeditationonScripture?|InstituteinBasicLifePrinciples

Whatpromisesarefoundintheseverses?
Whatkeywordsorphrasesarerepeated?

QuestionstoAskattheInterpretationLevel
RememberasyoustudythatapassageofScripturehasonlyonemeaning.Theone
validmeaningisthatwhichtheauthor(s)intended.Wearenotfreetoinjectviewsof
realityontothepagewhichGodandthehumanauthorofthetextdidnotintend.This
meaningistheinterpretationofthepassage.Thereisonlyoneinterpretation.However,
theremaybemanyvalidapplicationsofatext.(DougMcIntosh,GodUpClose:Howto
MeditateonHisWord,MoodyPress,Chicago,Ill.,1998,97.)
Asktheseandotherquestionsthatcometomind:
Whatarethedefinitionsofthekeywords?
Dothesequencesoflistsortopicshavesignificance?
Arethekeywordsinthispassageusedinotherpassagesaswell?Ifso,doesthat
additionalusageofthekeywordsprovidehelpfulinsightsaboutthepassage?
Whatisthesignificanceofwordsorphrasesthatarerepeated?

QuestionstoAskattheApplicationLevel
GodsWordcanmakeadifferenceinourlivesrightnow,today.Thegoalofmeditationon
Scriptureisnottoaccumulateknowledgeinourminds,buttoapplyGodstruthtoourlives.
SeektounderstandtheapplicationGodwantsyoutomake,andrelyonHisgraceto
liveaccordingtoHistruth.
Asktheseandotherquestionsthatcometomind:
WhatisGodsayingtometodaythroughthispassage?
HowshouldIapplythesetruthstomyliferightnow?
HowshouldIobeytheinstructionsfoundinthispassage?
WhichpromisesfromthispassagedoIparticularlyneedtoembrace?
WhatpracticalstepscanItaketoavoidfailuresthataredescribedinthispassage?
WhatgoodexamplesthataredescribedinthispassagecanIfollow?
Seekanswerstoyourquestionsbythoroughlystudyingthepassage.Learnmore>>

ForFurtherStudy
CommandsofChrist
CharacterQualities
BasicLifePrinciples

Command22:BeWiseasSerpents
Command24:HearGodsVoice
Command44:KeepMyCommandments
Command12:PracticeSecretDisciplines
Command5:HonorGod'sLaw

Topics
LifeRoles
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WhatquestionsshouldIasktoaidmeditationonScripture?|InstituteinBasicLifePrinciples

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