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InstudyingabookoftheBible,webeganwiththebooksurvey,whichexaminedthebookasawholeandcameupwithatentativeoutlineofthebook.Thenweexam-inedthebookcarefullychapterbychapter,analyzingeachverseineachchapter.Nowwecometothethirdofthemethodsinthisthree-partapproachtostudyingabookoftheBible.Thisthirdmethodwillhelpyousummarizeandcondensewhatyouhavelearnedfromtheprevioustwomethods(chaps.9and10).

Definition

TheBookSynthesisMethodofBibleStudyinvolvesstudyingabookasawholeunitofthoughtbyreadingitstraightthroughmanytimesandsummarizingitscontentsonthebasisofthepreviousstudyandtheanalysisofeachofitschapters.Thewordsynthetic.isderivedfromtheGreekprepositionsyn,whichmeanstogether,andtheverbalrootthe,whichmeansto.put,sothattheresultantmeaningisaput-tingtogether.Syntheticistheoppositeofanalytic,whichmeansatakingapart

11THe BOOk sYnTHesis

MeTHOD Of BiBLe sTUDY

How to Tie a Whole Book of the Bible Together

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(MerrillC.Tenney,Galatians:.The.Charter.of.Christian.Liberty,Eerdmans,p.26).Insynthesisweignorethedetailsandlookonlyatthewholepicture.Inthismethodweputtogetherwhatwetookapartinthepreviousone(chap.10).

Why this methoD of BiBle stuDy

TheBookSynthesisMethod is thenatural conclusion toan in-depthstudyofasinglebookoftheBible.Usedincombinationwiththeprevioustwomethods,thisstudyenablesyoutoseethebookasawholeagainafterhavinglookedatitspartsindetail.Youputthebookbacktogethersoyoucanseeallofthedetailsofthebookintheproperperspective.Youdothisbyrereadingthebook,producingafinaloutline,findingadescriptivetitleforit,summarizingyouroverallconclusionsaboutthebook,andwritinganapplication.

tools you Will neeD

YouwillneedthesametoolsforthismethodasfortheBookSurveyMethodfoundinchapter9.

Step One Reread the Book

Step twO Write Out a Detailed, Final Outline

Step three Write Down a Descriptive Book Title

Step FOur Make a Summary of Your Insights

Step Five Write Out a Personal Application

Step Six Share the Results of Your Study with Others

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20

simPle stePs on Doing a Book synthesis

TheBookSynthesisFormhassixsteps.Besure tohavehandyyourpreviouslyfilled-inBookSurveyFormandtheChapterAnalysisFormsforeachchapterofthebooksoyoucanrefertothemoften.

StepOne Reread the Book

rereadthebookseveraltimes.readitatonesitting,inarecenttranslation,rapidly,repeatedly,prayerfully,withoutreferringtocommentaries,andwithpenorpencilinhand(seetheinstructionsforStepOneinchapter9).

SteptwO Write Out a Detailed, Final Outline

Comparethehorizontalchartandtentativeoutlineyoucreatedinyourbooksurveywiththepassagesummariesyoucreatedinyourchapteranalysisstudies.Basedonthiscomparisonandyourrecentreadings,writeoutadetailed,finaloutlineofthe book.Merrill Tenney gives an excellent example in his book onBible studymethods(Tenney,Christian.Liberty,p.35).

Stepthree Write Down a Descriptive Book Title

Fromyourhorizontalchartinthebooksurveyandyourdetailed,finaloutlineinStepTwo,writedownadescriptivetitleforthebookyouhavejuststudied.Thinkupanoriginaltitlethatdescribesinafewwordswhatthebookisallabout.Youmightalsoconsultyourchaptertitlesandformasynthesisofthem.

StepFOur Make a Summary of Your Insights

review and compare the concluding thoughts in each of your chapter analysisstudiesandsummarizewhatyoubelievearethemajorthemesandconclusionsofthebook.Donotrefertocommentariesatthispoint,fortheseshouldbeyourowninsights intoGodsWord.These insightscouldalso includeobservationsgainedfromyournewreadings.

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StepFive Write Out a Personal Application

reviewall thepersonalapplicationsyoumade inyourbooksurveyandchapteranalysisstudiesandthepossibleapplicationsyou listedforeachchapter. Ifyouhaventfulfilledsomeofthewrittenapplicationsyet,writethosedowninthisstepandmakespecificplans tocarry themout immediately. Ifyouhavedonethem,choose another possible application from the chapter studies or one from yoursyntheticstudyandwriteitouthere.refertochapter1ofthisbookforthewaystodothis.

StepSix Share the Results of Your Study with Others

BiblestudyshouldnotjustbefoodforyoursoulandincreaseyourunderstandingoftheWordofGod.Itsresults,includingyourapplications,needtobesharedwithothers.Youcandothisintwoways:

1.SharewithyourTimothy(orTimothette)inaone-on-onesituation.Whenyougettogether,sharewhatyouarelearningfromtheBiblestudy,whatapplica-tionsyouhavebeenworkingon,andhowheorshetoocanprofitfromtheirownstudy.Themoreyougiveout,themoreyouwilllearnyourself.

2.SharewithyourBiblestudygroup.Ifyouarenotinonealready,youmightwanttoformasmallgroupinwhichallofyouarestudyingthesamebookoftheBibleandsharingyourfindings.Thiswayyouwillstrengthenandhelponeanotherinareasofthestudiesthatmaynotbecleartosomeinthegroup.

HOWTOFILLINTHEBOOKSYNTHESISFOrM

Usetheformattheendofthischaptertoaidyouinyourstudy.Ifyourunoutofroom,attachadditionalblanksheetstotheformsoyoucankeepallofyourfind-ingstogether.

Filling Out the Form

Writethenameofthebookyouintendtostudyintheappropriateblank.Thenfol-lowthesixstepsofthestudyasyoucompletetherestoftheform.

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Sample Filled-out Form

SeethesampleonthebookofEphesiansattheendofthischapter.

Assignment

referbacktotheAssignmentsectioninchapter9(BookSurveyMethod)forsug-gestedbiblicalbooksyoumightstartwithtopracticetheselastthreemethods.

For Further Reading

Inaddition to thebooks listed in theForFurtherreadingsectionsof the twoprecedingchapters,herearetwoexcellentresources:

Galatians:.The.Charter.of.Christian.Liberty.byMerrillC.Tenney(Eerdmans)How.to.Read.the.Bible.Book.by.Book.byGordonFeeandDouglasStuart(Zondervan)

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1.nuMBerOFtiMeSreaD 5

2.DetaileD,FinalOutline

Introduction(1:12) 1.Theauthor(1:1) 2.Therecipients(1:1) 3.Thesalutation(1:2) I. GodsPlanfortheChurch(1:33:21)

(WhoweareinthesightofGod) A.TheSelectionoftheChurch(1:323) 1.TherevelationofthepurposeofGod(1:314) a. Thesummarystatement(1:3) b. ThebasisofoursalvationtheworkofGodtheFather(1:46) c. ThebenefitsofoursalvationtheworkofGodtheSon

(1:712) d. ThebestowmentofoursalvationtheworkofGodtheHoly

Spirit(1:1314) 2.TheresponseofprayertoGod(1:1523) B.TheSalvationoftheChurch(2:122) 1.TheworkofChristinregeneration(2:110) a. Whatwewere(2:13) b. Whathedid(2:49) c. Whathemadeofus(2:10) 2.TheworkofChristinreconciliation(2:1122) a. Whatwewere(2:1112) b. Whathedid(2:1318) c. Whathemadeofus(2:1922) C.TheSecretoftheChurch(3:121) 1.Therevelationofthemystery(3:113)

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Outline (Continued)

a. Allsavedpeopleareheirstogether(3:16) b. Thisneedstobepreachedtoeveryone(3:713) 2.TheresponseofprayertoGod(3:1421) a. Prayingforotherstoknowthis(3:1419) b. Thedoxology(3:2021) II.TheConductoftheChurch(4:16:20)

(WhatourresponsibilitiesAreBeforeGod) A.TheresponsibilitiesoftheChurch(4:15:21) 1.Tohaveaunitedwalk(4:116) 2.Tohaveanunderstandingwalk(4:1732) 3.Tohaveanunselfishwalk(5:14) 4.Tohaveanunsulliedwalk(5:521) B.TherelationshipswithintheChurch(5:216:9) 1.Maritalrelationships(5:2133) 2.Familyrelationships(6:14) 3.Employmentrelationships(6:59) C.TheresourcesoftheChurch(6:1020) 1.Theadmonition(6:10) 2.Theadversaries(6:1112) 3.Thearmor(6:1317) 4.Theaccess(6:18) 5.Theambassador(6:1920)

Conclusion(6:2124) 1.Themessenger(6:2122) 2.Thegreeting(6:2324)

3.DeScriptivetitle

Christian,YouAreSomebody!NowLiveIt!

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a. GodistheAuthorofsalvationheplannedit fromtheverybeginning.Andbecauseitishisplan,itworks!

b. JesusChrististheonewhoredeemsusfromoursinsandreconcilesustoGodandtooneanother.Thereisnowaythatpeopleofvaryingback-grounds,races,religions,cultures,etc.,canbereconciledtooneanotherexceptthroughChrist.

c. TheHolySpiritistheonewholivesinusandenablesustounderstandwhatweareinChrist.HeistheGuaranteeofoursalvationandtheEnablerforustoliveourlivesGodsway.

d. BecauseofwhoweareinGodssight,wehavetheresponsibilitytoliveholyliveswehavetheresponsibilitytobecomelikehim.WhatGodhasdone isdescribed in chapters13;whatweare todo isdescribed inchapters46.Wemusttaketheseresponsibilitiesseriously.

e. TheplanofGodisforALLhispeopletobeinvolvedintheworkofthemin-istry.Becauseallofushavebeengivenspiritualblessings,allofushavetheresponsibilityofministrytootherssharingtheGospel,leadingthemtotheLord,andthendisciplingthem.

f. GodexpectsacertaintypeofbehaviorfromallChristiansinourmostintimaterelationships.Thisincludesmarriage,raisingafamily,andwherewework.Thus theresponsibilities forallof theserelationshipsarecarefullyspelledout.Ourfaithistobeexpressedthroughthebasicrelationshipsoflife.

g. ItisimpossibleforusinourownstrengthtolivethewayGodwants.ThatswhyhegaveustheHolySpiritandhisarmor.TheresourcesofGodareoursaswellastheblessings.Wemustputonthewholearmorinordertolivevictoriously.

h. Thisbookistremendouslyhearteningtouswheneverwebeginfeelingsorryforourselves.HereGodtellsuswhathethinksofus.TherecanbenohigherorgreaterrecommendationthanGodsintermsofwhathethinksofus.

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5.perSOnalapplicatiOn

ThisbookspellsoutwhatmyresponsibilitiesasaChristianareinallareasoflife.InowknowthatGodexpectsmetobeagoodanddiligentworker.IamtoobeyhimandsubmittohiminthenameofChrist.

Ihavenotalwaysbeenthebestworker.Thispassage(Ephesians6:59)hasconvictedmeofmyresponsibilitytobeabetteremployee.Iwilldetermine,bythehelpoftheLord,tobethebestemployeepossibleformyboss.Also,whentheopportunityarises,IwillsharewithhimthegospelofJesusandwhythisGoodNewshaschangedmylife.ButhesgoingtohavetoseeitinmefirstbeforehewilllistentowhatIhavetosay.

So that Iwill carry out this application, Iwill askCharlie, aChristianwithwhomIwork,tohelpmebethekindofworkerGodwantsmetobe.Iwillaskhimtomeetwithmeeachweektopraythatbothofusmighthavethatkindoftestimony.ThismaybeanopportunityformetobeginworkingwithCharlieonaone-on-onebasis.

6.peOplewithwhOMtOSharethiSStuDy

CharlieJohnson

BudFredricks

ThepeopleinmyBiblestudygroup

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1.nuMBerOFtiMeSreaD

2.DetaileD,FinalOutline

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Outline (continued)

3.DeScriptivetitle

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BOOk sYnTHesis fORM4.SuMMaryOFinSightS

BOOk sYnTHesis fORM

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5.perSOnalapplicatiOn

6.peOplewithwhOMtOSharethiSStuDy