Is it a transgression
of the law and command that we should avoid?
Is it a promise from
God that we can entrust?
Is it a warning that we
should be cautious?
Is it a teaching that
we should keep?
Is it a truth that we
should believe in?
Is it something that
requires our praying, praising, or repent?
2) Note the generic or peculiar nature of the
teaching.
Ask the following questions?
Does the message
reflect a broader principle of theology or truth?Does the same message appear elsewhere
(e.g., Levi 19:9-10)
Is the message limited
to the special circumstances of the time, or is there a more generic
principle?(e.g., 1 Col 11:14)
Is a former message
constrained by a latter one?Note
the progression of the message.
Does a message
contradict another one in the Bible? If so, one of the messages must be true only in special
circumstances.(e.g., Mose allowed
Israelites to divorce, Deut 24-1-3, but God hates divorce, Mal 2:16, click
here for more on divorce)
Are there special cultural
aspects of the message that don't apply to us? (e.g.,
Deut 25:5-10)
Does the cultural
aspect ascribed in the Bible still exist nowadays? If so, do they have the same meaning?(e.g., 1 Thess. 5:26)
Are there direct or
indirect conditions for the application of a teaching?
3) Apply the teaching in our daily lives
Use the method outlined in this article to observe, and interpret the Bible and come up with the universal truth in the teaching.Then we can apply that to our daily lives.
