Observation
This step answers the question, “What do I see in the passage?”
What is observation?
This word means “the science of interpretation.”
What is hermeneutics?
James 1:22 says believers must be this, not hearers only.
What are doers of the Word?
This section includes the sender, recipient, and greeting.
What is the opening?
The Epistles are written in this literary genre.
What are letters?
In James 1:1, this person is identified as the author.
Who is James?
This word means “drawing meaning out of the text.”
What is exegesis?
This question helps identify timeless truth: “What ______ is drawn here?”
What principle?
Romans 16 is an example of this part of an epistle.
What is the closing section?
Paul wrote his letters to encourage, correct, and do this for believers
What is teach?
These five investigative words guide observation.
What are who, what, when, where, why?
According to 2 Peter 1:20–21, Scripture has only one of these.
Who were the Bereans?
According to Philippians 2:13, this Person empowers believers to obey.
Who is God / the Holy Spirit?
This is the largest part of an epistle, containing teaching, correction, and encouragement.
What is the body?
Understanding the original audience and situation is called this.
What is context?
Repeated words, transition phrases, and paragraph breaks are part of this skill.
What is careful observation?
This group in Acts 17:11 examined the Scriptures daily to understand the meaning.
Who were the Bereans?
Application must be these three things: personal, practical, and ________.
What is Spirit‑led?
This final section often includes greetings, prayer requests, and blessings.
What is the closing?
This New Testament book provides background for many of Paul’s letters.
What is Acts?
This book of the Bible shows believers how to respond to trials with joy, beginning with clear observation of their situation.
What is James?
This Old Testament verse says the leaders “gave the sense” so the people understood the reading.
What is Nehemiah 8:8?
Romans 15:4 teaches that Scripture was written for this purpose.
What is our instruction / encouragement / hope?
Paul often begins his letters with these two blessings.
What are grace and peace?
This phrase describes the goal of the Epistles: to shape a believer’s thinking according to Scripture.
What is a biblical worldview?