Lesson 2 | Learning to slow down: making observations, comparing versions
Make careful observations
Give it a try
Pull out a pad of paper and see how many observations you can make from 1 Peter 1:1-9. Then, play the video to see how many I came up with.
A few encouragements about making observations
Don’t be afraid to state the obvious. Nothing is too minor to make note of.
Don’t merely restate the text. For example, the following are not adequate observations from 1 Peter 1, true and accurate as they may be.
God caused us to be born again to a living hope.
He did so according to his great mercy.
Our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.
Be patient and persevere.
How do you dig deep? One shovel full at a time.
A word of caution
Recognize the difference between observations, interpretations, applications.
At this point, we need to make an important distinction. Making observations from the text is a process of discovering what is there, in the text itself. Interpretation on the other hand is asking, “What does this mean?” Making good observations is indeed a vital part of the interpretation process but we need to guard against running too quickly to interpretive conclusions. At this stage, we are still gathering information, coming to an understanding. Interpretation is still a work in progress, we are not yet ready to draw conclusions.
Moreover, though we are already beginning to see and consider the implications of what we are reading, we are not yet fully equipped to make sound application of the text into our own world. There is more work to be done and great danger in the misapplication of a half-understood passage.
Let’s explore these distinctions with a quiz…