P.O.W.E.R. Bible Study
This method of Bible Study is developed from Robert Traina’s Methodical Bible Study, both in the book
itself and from the videos from ThriveU Asbury Theological Seminary, and most
important for my purposes, from his student and co-laborer, David Bauer, who
was my professor during my time at Asbury.
While the original steps are:
I.
Pray
II.
Observe and Ask
III.
Answer questions (Interpret)
IV. Evaluate
and Apply
V.
Coorrelate
I find these steps to be lacking, not in the content of what
they are – NO! But lacking in my ability
to remember them for myself, and also for helping others to remember them. Although Robert Traina is no longer with us,
but is with the Lord, I believe that he would encourage, in fact, did
encourage, all of us to use and adapt these steps and methods for those whom we
teach and minister to. I also believe,
were my professor David Bauer to read through this P.O.W.E.R. Bible study
method, that though he would certainly find errors and inconsistancies, he would
be pleased at my attempt, or any of his students’ attempts, at teaching people
to study the Bible.
P.O.W.E.R. Bible Study is a Bible study method with 5
steps. This is not copyrighted or owned
by anyone but our Good Lord, so feel free to use this – in fact, I hope that it
could be used over and over again.
1. Pray – come to
the One who inspired the very Scripture that you are reading. Talk to Him.
Listen to Him. Ask for help. “Open my eyes to see, Lord.”
2. Observe – try to notice things like a
birdwatcher notices a bird. “It’s flying
south.” “It flies in a bouncy up and
down way.” “It has a thick bill.” Begin to notice things from what you read –
not noticing what others have told you about the text, but from what you
yourself observe.
3. Who? What? When?
Where? Why? – asking these questions turns us into children again. Do not assume you know it all – ask questions. If it is hard to ask these kind of questions,
ask a child for help. “Who is the
Christ?” What does the term Christ mean?” “Why did the Christ have to suffer?”
4. Explain – Begin to try to explain the
answers to these questions from the text itself. This may necessitate more of steps 1-3. “Christ means Anointed One.” The eplanations may lead to more
questions. “What does Anointed One mean?” Eventually this can lead to being able to
explain the passage – even better, the book as a whole.
5. Relate – Relate the explanations to
life here and now. In what ways to the
explanations relate to our life today?
This is truly the hope of Bible Study – that it would be for us the word
of God today, and that it could be our food.
Pray
Observe
Who? What? When? Where? Why?
Explain
Relate
