H How does this book work? Introduction
Field Notes
story of Scripture. We see all the general aspects that provide us the information we need to appreciate the significance of the text once we start our excavation. Our survey requires the right tools: a compass to know in what direction we are going and a map to understand the lay of the land. Our biblical survey will explore issues related to the historical background of the book, date of composition, author, and intended audience. We will also learn the significance of the book in the Bible, its literary style, and the necessary information for a detailed understanding. Essentially, we will learn all we can to understand what the original audience already knew when they received the writing. This way, as we read the biblical text, we will be closer to thinking the same thoughts as the original audience, and therefore have the same understanding they did. This guides us in correct interpretation.
Step two: Excavate the site Once we have surveyed the general details of our site, that is, of the book of the Bible we are studying, we proceed with a series of excavations of the land. This will mean hard work with the pick and shovel and sometimes delicate work with a brush or cloth. We will divide the book into units of thought generally composed of a few verses and in some cases, a few paragraphs that make up a single Field Study. We will dig into the details of the biblical text in order to unearth its treasures.
Discoveries Each Field Study ends with several pages of Discoveries. These are questions and exercises to help you remember and apply what you have learned from the biblical text. Discoveries have been designed to meet all learning styles. We learn by seeing, by hearing, and by doing. There are questions to discuss, exercises to write down, correlation between various biblical texts to make, and activities to do. They are provided to create the most effective learning experience for you.
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We will use specific tools to discover the truth and significance of each passage. In most cases, the following elements will be the tools of our trade: •
A structural analysis chart of the text. This tool will help us ask and answer the question, how is the text arranged? We will focus on how the author structured the biblical text under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The arrangement of the unit we are studying is fundamental to discover the author’s thought and purpose. It will help us to discern patterns, contrasts, emphases, progressions, conflicts, and arguments.
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An explanation of what the passage says. Here we will ask several different questions pertaining to our particular text. We will begin by asking, what are the key terms? We will examine key terms and phrases, identifying those elements in the passage which contribute most significantly to its meaning and message. We will then consider the question, what is the explanation?