How to Study Bible - Observation

    Observation is to summarize the facts read. Some useful guidelines for making observations are listed below:

    A) Stick to the facts. Don't add your own interpretation at this stage. Interprete facts only after you've made all the observations.

    B) Pay attention to repeated words or phrases. Important messages in the Bible are often repeated.

    C) Look for parallelisms and similarities between verses. Sometimes, the author would use the same phrase to begin or end parallel verses.

    Example: Using Mark 2:1 to 3:6 as an Example, the observations are summarized in the following tables.

    It is useful to tabulate the facts using tools like the Five Ws (plus how and results). 

    Table 1- A table of observation (Parallelisms are marked with same color)
     
      Paralytic Levi Fasting Working on Sabbath Healing on Sabbath
    Who Jesus 
    Paralytic

    Four men

    Crowd

    Teachers of the law
     

    Son of Man
    God

    Jesus
    Levi (son of Alphaeus)
    Tax collectors & Sinners
    Crowd

    Teachers of the law 
     
     
     

    Disciples

    Jesus
    Disciples
     
     
     
     

    Some people - Pharisees and his disciples
    Disciples of John
    Bridegroom

    Guests of Bridegroom

    Jesus
    Disciples
     
     
     
     

    Pharisees
     

    Son of Man
    God

    David and his companions
    Abiathar the high priest

    Priests
    man

    Jesus
    Man with a shriveled hand
     

    Everyone

    Pharisees
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Herodians

    When A few days after he healed a man with Leprosy   John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting On Sabbath, Jesus was going through the grain fields On Sabbath
    Where Capernaum 1.Beside the lake

    2.Collectors booth

    3.Levis house

    Not Known Grain fields Synagogue
    What 1.Crowd gathered.
     
     
     

    2. Men made an opening in the roof and lowered the paralytic on a mat.
     
     

    3. Jesus said, 'Son, your sins are forgiven' and 'I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.'

    4. Teachers of the law thinking to themselves, 'Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?

    5.Jesus said, Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier to say; your sins are forgiven or get up, take your mat and go home.

    1.A large crowd came to Jesus. Jesus taught them

    2.Asked Levi to follow him. Levi got up and followed him
     
     

    3.Ate with tax collectors and sinners
     
     
     

    4.Pharisees asked, Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?
     
     

    5.Jesus said, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners.

    1.Johns disciples and the Pharisees were fasting
     
     

    2. Some people came and asked Jesus, How is it that Johns disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not? 

    3.Jesus answered, How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

    1.Pick heads of grain.
     
     

    2.Pharisees said to him, Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?

    3.Jesus answered, Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.

    1.A man with a shriveled hand was there.
     

    2.Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath..

    3.Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, Stand up in front of everyone and stretch out your hand.
     

    4. Jesus asked them, Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or kill?
     
     
     

    5. Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

    Why  2. Men could not get the paralytic to Jesus because of the crowd.

    3. Jesus saw their faith

    5. 'The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'

    3.For there were many who followed him. 3.No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins. 3.He said to them, The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.  
    How 2. Men lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. 

    5. Man got up, took his mat and walked out

          3.The man stretched out his hand and his hand was completely healed.
    Results 5. No Answer 5.No Answer 3.No Answer 3. No Answer 4. No Answer

    began to plot w/ the Herodians to kill Jesus

    Sometimes, it is useful to group observations by common structure, setting, theme, repeated phrases, and contrasts.

    Table 2- Grouping Observations
     
      Healing Paralytic Eating With Sinners Fasting Working on Sabbath Healing on Sabbath
    Verses Mark 2:1-12 (12 verses) Mark 2:13-17 (4 verses) Mark 2:18-21 (3 verses) Mark 2:23-27 (4 verses) Mark 3:1-6 (6 verses)
    Setting (King James Version And again he entered into Capernaum

    It began with the teacher of the law accusing Jesus of blasphemies.

    And it came to pass, that as Jesus sat at meat in his house.. And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields And he entered again into the synagogue

    It ended with the Pharisees plotting with the Herodians to kill Jesus.

    Structure          
    Action / non-action by Jesus Jesus said, 'your sins are forgiven' Jesus dined with tax collectors and sinners Jesus' disciples not fasting Jesus and his disciples picked some heads of grain Jesus healed the man with shriveled hand
    Lead to Criticisms
    Pharisees thinking to themselves that Jesus was blaspheming Pharisees asked why Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. People asked why Jesus' disciples not fasting. Pharisees asked why Jesus and his disciples did an unlawful thing on Sabbath People watched to see if Jesus would heal the man with shriveled hand on Sabbath
    Jesus Rebuked Them
    'Which is easier to sayBut that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.' 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.' 'How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.'  'Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.' 'Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?'
    Theme          
    Apparent
    Healing man Dining with Tax Collectors and Sinners Fasting Can Get Us Closer to God Working on Sabbath Healing on Sabbath
    Actual
    Son of Man's Authority to Forgive Sins All who Repent will be Accepted by God God Came to Us Calling for Us to Repent and Eventually Die for Our Sins The Sabbath was made for man, not man for Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath The spirit of the law overrides it's formality. 
    Repetitions Thinking (3)

    Sins Forgiven (2)

    Forgive Sins (2)

    Tax Collectors (4)

    Sinners (4)

    Fasting (2)

    Fast (2)

    Bridegroom (2)

    Old (3)

    New (3)

    Sabbath (4) Sabbath (3)
    Contrasts     Old vs. New    

    Back to How to Study Bible
    To Interpretation About the author.




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