WHAT IS INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY::
The Pitfalls of a Deductive Study of the Bible
Let’s be honest: Have you ever had to lead a Bible study, and Google-searched for verses to support your ideas in order to communicate a specific truth?  Or in a discussion with a friend, have you ever picked up a concordance to help you find Scriptures you knew would support your point, desperate to show how the Bible proves your beliefs?  I know I have. This way of studying the Bible may work to an extent, but in the long run what we are doing is just proving what we think to be true rather than letting the Bible speak for itself.

The goal of inductive Bible study is to be taught by the Word, letting it guide us into truth. In the inductive method, we want to allow the Holy Spirit to be our teacher as we let our conclusions evolve from what we observe.  We do not want to approach the Scriptures with a thesis in hand that we attempt to support by searching its pages (which is a deductive approach).  Therefore, preconceived ideas (beliefs that we have come to accept from sources outside of the Word) must be laid aside as they may blur our vision from seeing what the Bible may really be saying. In this way, we become listeners of the Scriptures rather than dictators to them.

The Advantage of Inductive Bible Study
You may be wondering, “So what exactly is the advantage of using the inductive method in Bible study?”  A very fundamental aspect of the answer to this question is that it acknowledges that the study of God’s Word is not isolated from our relationship with Him.  It’s an act of submission, letting the Holy Spirit guide us into the truth of what God is saying to us through the Scriptures.

Students who come through the SBS look at the Word for themselves and are dynamically changed by the power of God attached to His Word.  Bible study becomes more connected to one's relationship with God.  As a result, our relationship with God becomes built on what He has shown us in His Word rather than on other peoples' opinions.

The Method Itself
So here’s the part you’ve been reading along patiently in order to get to a definition.  The inductive method of Bible study (in contrast to the deductive approach of approaching the text with pre-drawn conclusions) is outlined as follows: 

1. Pray, the Holy Spirit is your teacher
2. Independent - no helps (commentaries are great...but they may keep us from letting the Bible speak to us)
3. Let the text speak for itself
4. Let your conclusions evolve out of what you have observed:
   • Lay aside your preconceived ideas and let the Bible speak for itself
   • Try to be impartial
5. Become a listener and hearer of the Scriptures. A thorough examination of the content becomes the basis for one's conclusions

The 3 basic steps of inductive Bible study are:

1. Observation: What does the text say?
2. Interpretation (exegesis): What did it mean to the original hearers and original readers?
3. Application (hermeneutics): How does the truth of this book apply to my life in the 21st century?

These three steps should be done in consecutive order. Observation should be done first, followed by interpretation and ending with application. Thorough observation leads to good interpretation and good interpretation leads into life-changing application.