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Great questions to ask when you’re studying the Bible

You may want to ‘probe it!’ differently

In the 40 days’ programme there’s a way of studying called ‘probe it!’ in which we ask questions of any Bible passage we’re reading. It works on the acrostic S.P.A.C.E.P.E.T.S. and give you some good questions to ask of the passage, each of the beginning with a new letter.  I’ve discovered some people are finding S.P.A.C.E.P.E.T.S. hard work, and I understand that. Other people have told me that just using these questions leaves important parts of the message of the text uncovered so in this short blog I’m going to give you an alternative.

When you area studying one of passages, don’t forget that there may not be a part of the text which refers to every one of the S.P.A.C.E.P.E.T.S. questions. If you look at my blog (here)  you’ll find one example of me only answering a few if the questions because there didn’t seem to be clear answers of the others. That’s OK! The 40 days outlines are intended to be guidelines not a straight-jacket.

So now for an alternative that I’ve been using for years. I first encountered this method on a old seven inch 45rm vinyl record owned by my parents. It had a distinguishing feature that made me want to play it, more out of curiosity than expectation, it was bright orange. In a world of black vinyl records, this little vermilion gem stood out from the crowd. I can still remember the first time I played it. The record player needle was worn down to a stub and the voice was a monotone, but through the crackles I heard an unknown speaker show me how to get the most out my Bible. It felt like a brand new discovery, as if he was telling me a secret I’d always wanted to hear. I was hooked, and played the record over and over again until I could almost recite every word of his script. Since then I’ve modified the method somewhat to suit my own needs, but I will always be grateful to the now forgotten producer who decided to press that record in bright orange.

So what is the method? At first sight it seems so simple but as you use it you will discover yourself asking probing question of the scriptures and, I hope, discovering the God of the scriptures in a new way.

It takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master.

First, find the passage of the Bible you want to explore and read it a couple of times. Then ask these questions:

What does this passage tell me about God?

Does it show one of His attributes or an aspect of His character? At this point there’s no need to apply it to yourself, just jot it down and move on.

What does this passage tell me about Jesus Christ?

Does it help me to grasp who he was (in time past), who he is (as of today), who he will be (in the future)? There may also be passages which refer to him prophetically by describing him or something that was to happen to him hundreds of years before it took place.

What does this passage tell me about the Holy Spirit?

Did he change things in this passage? was there a person or a situation that was transformed because the Holy Spirit was active behind the scenes. I sometimes think of the Holy Spirit as God’s covert ops. He can’t always be seen, but he’s always carrying out God’s will

What does this passage say about people?

It may be wisdom about mankind in general or the people of God in particular. IN the Old Testament the people of God were identified as the children of Israel (or at least the people who were faithful to the Lord) . In the New Testament we’re looking out for the church here or followers of Jesus Christ in the gospels. If it’s not an insight about mankind in general it could be about a particular individual person. There are a huge variety of people referred to in the Bible and they are there for us to learn from.

Are there other passages which parallel or expand on this one?

A Bible with footnotes is useful here. Those footnotes will take you to places in the Bible where the same words or the same subject appear. Personally I only look up the footnotes on verses that I feel speak to my heart in a special way, otherwise I could be flicking through pages all night!

What kind of writing is this?

If it’s history I treat it as someone’s account of what actually happened. If it’s poetry I might see poetic licence, expansive language and extravagant metaphors to convey what God is saying. If it’s fiction (Jesus’ parables for example) what is the story telling me? If it’s biography, what am I being told about the person in the text?

Now we can start applying it…

Is there an error or sin for me to avoid?

Here we need to be fearless in our analysis of where we are. Try not to drag up things that have nothing to do with the passage, but let the story speak to me in places where there is a clear connection between what’s going on in my life and what is there in the scriptures.

Is there a good example to follow?

Being a follower of Jesus is all about moulding my life on His, so is there a principle for me to take on board or a good example for me to follow.?

What is the Word for me today?

By this time, I hope, it will be obvious, although sometimes this is initially more of a hunch than a clear message. When You’ve discerned what you think is God’s word for you today, it’s always good to write it down somewhere. That way it won’t get lost.

Pray

Often a very simple prayer, or a prayer from a book that is meaningful to you. I believe our heavenly Father delights to answer the prayers of His children, especially when they come from the direct study of His word.

God bless you as you try this out.

Ian.