Observation

Dr. George Guthrie

Please Log in to Attend this Lecture

Please log into your free account so you can attend this lecture.

Lesson

Careful observation is critical because you can't interpret or apply what you never see. Dr. Guthrie also discusses how to distinguish between the backbone of a passage and its support material. Make sure to write out the definition of observation that Dr. Guthrie gives at the 9 minute mark of the lecture.

Also, before you listen to the lecture, read Psalm 1 and write out what you think are the main ideas, what you learn about your relationship to God and how you will apply it to your life. Then see how it compares with Dr. Guthrie's comments in the lecture.

Outline

Basics of Observation

I. Introduction

A. Sometimes we don't always see the things around us.

B. The most important aspect of Bible Study is observation because you can't interpret or apply what you don't see.

C. Observation: Doing a very close reading of the text so that we see, become familiar with, and hear the important details of the passage.

II. How to observe the backbone over against support material.

A. The two main points of any passage:

1. Determining the backbone

a. Identify the main verb or verbal ideas

i. Main actors - Give action to the ideas.

ii. Connectors - These main verbal ideas are connected in some way.

iii. Conjunctions.

iv. Patterns of verbs that serve like threads

v. Logic relationships

2. Support material

a. How do you identify support material?

i. Prepositions

ii. Pronouns

a) Relative pronoun - who, which

b) These introduce a section with a verb and give us a further description

iii. Adjectives

iv. Adverbs

B. A breakdown of Psalm 1

C. Things to look for in poetry

1. Figures of speech

a. Metaphors

b. Similes

c. Human attributes of God

2. Parallelism

3. Key emotions