KEY SCRIPTURE: Mat 28:19 KJV “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”

We continue with our discussion on teaching the new convert. I am majoring on various ways of making the new convert know how to take in the word of God. God’s word is the means by which He works through us. Without the word no one can relate with Him (God). God and His word are one.

 The strength of every child of God is dependant on how much he lives by the word.

Many new converts do not last in the faith because they do not focus on the word in their early life in Christ. Please encourage the new believer to have a desire for the sincere milk of the word, which would definitely make him grow.

We move to another level of taking in the word of God. This is bible study. Please introduce this aspect after the new convert has successfully practised some of the earlier disciplines. Bible Study takes various forms and shades. One may choose to study a verse of scripture, a chapter or a whole book. One can also study certain words in the bible. The new convert may have to start with studying the books in order to have a broad view of the scriptures. He can later move on to some specialities like character study etc.

Dear teacher you must first study and apply this kind of approach to studying the bible, so you can teach it well. In this study I want the new convert to employ the bible study system called the inductive bible study approach. Inductive means a kind of reasoning that proceeds from considering the general facts, and then drawing conclusion out of the facts observed.

An inductive study has three main aspects or areas

1. Observation

2. Interpretation

3. Application

 OBSERVATION

Under observation you use the fact-finding questions to observe the facts within the passage. The fact-finding questions are who, where, why, how, when, what? In every verse of consideration, look out for any general facts within the verse.

For an example let’s consider a verse of scripture John 3:16.

John 3:16 KJV” For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.

Who are the persons in this verse? Our answer is

1. God,

2. The world, every human then and now.

3. Jesus, who is the only begotten Son

4. those who would believe in Jesus.

Who was speaking in the verse? The Lord Jesus.

What was he saying? He talked about God’s love for the world, that made Him give his only begotten Son. Any one who believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. To find who he was speaking to, you must read from the beginning, and the answer is Nicodemus.

We could ask further, what is everlasting life? This can be answered by looking for other scriptures that talk about everlasting life or eternal life. We could also look for the meaning in a bible dictionary. (Studying God’s word may not be a daily issue but one may have it according to his time schedule, probably once a week)

 INTERPRETATION

After gathering the observed facts, we go to the interpretation of these facts.

1.The Lord was very patient even with one individual to go that length in explaining all these things to him.

2. God is not partial but has made a provision for the salvation of every man. Every body is very important to God.

3. The only way for salvation is to believe in Jesus, not any good works.

4. It is only those who would believe in the Son who would be saved.

 TO BE CONTINUED

THOUGHT:  A GOOD STUDY OF THE WORD GIVES YOU A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR A SUCCESSFUL LIFE

FURTHER STUDIES

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV” Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.

Hebrews 4:12 KJV “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”