The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 9, 2 (2026)

The latest issue of the Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies is available online, with the below articles and their abstracts. Individual essays are available from here, and the journal is available in its entirety as a pdf here.

Frederick J. Long

From the Editors

Shishou Chen

Can AI Perform Inductive Bible Study? A Case Study and Implications for Applying AI in Biblical Studies

This article explores the potential of employing generative AI in biblical studies, focusing on ChatGPT’s strengths and limitations to perform Inductive Bible Study (IBS). Using the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:3b–9) as a case study, the author evaluates ChatGPT’s ability to carry out core IBS tasks, including division and the identification of Major Structural Relationships (MSRs) in Matthew and in Matthew 13, as well as interpreting Matt 13:3b–9. The study concludes that ChatGPT can serve as a valuable research assistant but cannot replace human scholars. It also proposes a responsible human-AI collaboration model, explores pedagogical applications, and outlines future directions for AI’s application in broader biblical studies.

Daniel J. Hanlon

“Where Shall Wisdom Be Found?”: Seeking the Place of Wisdom in Biblical Theology

This article explores the place of biblical wisdom literature within biblical theology, challenging the claim that wisdom resists integration into theological frameworks. Using Klink and Lockett’s taxonomy, it surveys five approaches—historical description, history of redemption, worldview-story, canonical, and theological construction—showing that each successfully incorporates wisdom in distinct ways. Rather than privileging a single method, the article argues for the primacy of inductive study of the biblical text. Close attention to wisdom books reveals key epistemological, ethical, and theological dimensions, which provide a flexible framework for integrating wisdom literature into biblical theology across diverse interpretive approaches.

Abbie F. Mantor

Does Eliphaz Begin Gently? Utilizing Inductive Study of Scripture to Analyze the Tone and Message of Job 3:3–5:7

While scholars generally concur on the divisions within the book of Job, the message of those sections is highly debated. One example is the first speech cycle (chs. 3–11) where commentators disagree on the tenor of the speeches. Are the friends offering support or critique? The Inductive Method of Bible interpretation offers helpful insight. This paper will offer a detailed analysis of the chiastic structure of Job’s opening lament and Eliphaz’s response in Job 3:3–5:7. The analysis will illuminate the interrelatedness of the two speeches, providing insights into the tone and message of the speeches.

W. Creighton Marlowe

Splitting Heirs: When the Land was Divided (Genesis 10:25)

Shem’s genealogy (in Gen 10:2–30) records that “Two sons were born to Eber: One was named Peleg [ גֶלֶפ ], because in his time the earth was divided [ הָ֣גְלְפִנ ]; his brother was named Joktan” (10:25; NIV). What this “division” was has generated a few popular views, but none has reached consensus. The major interpretations to date are that the division was: (1) geographically, the patriarchal partitioning of territories to Noah’s three sons, or (2) a second distribution of these territories after the first by Noah; or (3) the split of the Pangaea continent into the modern continents or some other geological event; or (4) linguistically, the scattering of people after the confusion of the people who built the tower in Babel. This fresh and focused look at this genealogy results in added support for a new and more satisfying interpretation. A plausible answer is a theological split between these brothers, since Joktan and his lineage are connected to Canaanite settlements (Gen 10:30).

Samuel Ken-En Gan

Who Are the Sons of God and Nephilim in Genesis 6?: An Exegetical, Theological, and Scientific Evaluation

Scholars debate the meaning of bene ha-elohim and Nephilim in Gen 6:1–4, interpreting the former as either spiritual or human, and the latter as giants or hybrids. Using historical exegesis, linguistic analysis, and genetic insights, this study concludes “sons of God” in Gen 6 refers specifically to humans, aligning with the biblical creation mandate of “kind after kind.” Although elsewhere the term may denote spiritual beings, this paper argues for a context-specific human interpretation in Gen 6, while acknowledging the broader biblical usage covering both angels and humans.

David B. Schreiner

An Enduring Foundation: A Journey with Inductive Bible Study

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 9, 1 (2024)

The latest issue of the Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies is available online, with the below articles and their abstracts (where available). Individual essays are available from here, and the journal is available in its entirety as a pdf here.

David R. Bauer

From the Editors

Robert A. Traina

Method in Bible Training

This seminal article is re-published material of Dr. Traina’s that had only recently been published postmusously in 2019.1 When preparing to teach the Bible, one ought to consider general and specific aims, how best to structure the lessons, what are the sources and types of questions asked and discussed, as well as consider the how to introduce and illustrate materials. Traina methodically discusses such matters in addition to how to design student exercises with a variety of general and specific aims of the Bible teaching.

Benjamin J. Aich

Learning from D: Reading Pentateuchal Law with a View Toward Moral Instruction or Catechesis

This paper investigates Deuteronomy’s (‘D’) reading of Exodus (‘C’) in order to hear from the Mosaic voice through D, so that today’s interpreters would apprentice themselves to this author of pentateuchal law. The result of this apprenticeship might be the church’s growth in the Lord through moral instruction and catechesis, for D read C intending to promote obedience for the life of Israel. A second but equally important result of this apprenticeship might be a more profound understanding/reading of pentateuchal law rightly and sufficiently among God’s people.

Dorothy Jean Weaver

The Last and the First (Matt 21:16; 19:30): Women and Empire in Mathew’s Narrative

To reflect on the role of empire within Matthew’s narrative is to ask a question which spans the Gospel from beginning to end. And the language of imperial power within Matthew’s narrative functions above all to depict a male-oriented world and the actions of men vis-à-vis men. Accordingly, the interface between empire and women has been a question largely overlooked within Matthean scholarship. This article will highlight and assess the rhetorical interface between the powers of empire depicted by Matthew and numerous women within Matthew’s narrative, both women of empire and women identifiably subject to empire. And I will demonstrate not only the extraordinary presence of women vis-à-vis the powers of empire within Matthew’s narrative but also the heavily ironic character of most of these encounters between empire and women.

Suzanne Nicholson

An Exegetical Charcuterie Board: My Journey with Inductive Bible Study

Ruth Anne Reese

Preparation for Preaching: “Who is this King of Glory?”

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 8, 2 (2022)

The latest issue of the Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies is available online, with the below articles and their abstracts (where available). Individual essays are available from here, and the journal is available in its entirety as a pdf here.

Fredrick J. Long

From the Editors

Daniel Harris

The Slaughtered Lamb Shepherds with a Rod of Iron: The Use of Psalm 2:9 in Revelation

With Revelation as the book of the New Testament that refers most frequently to Ps 2, and with Ps 2 as the Psalm to which Revelation alludes most often, John repeatedly invites hearers and readers to give attention to his usage of the second Psalm as a tool for conveying his apocalyptic understanding of the role and identity of the Messiah. Recognition of John’s recurrent utilization of the verb from the LXX of Ps 2:9 (“to shepherd”) rather than the Hebrew (“to break”) forms a verbal thread through which John subverts militaristic expectations of a messiah who conquers through violence by the shocking identification of the victorious Messiah as the slaughtered lamb. This essay explores this verbal thread in detail, including considerations of its implications for understanding the nature of God’s wrath and the importance of clarity on Revelation’s portrayal of Christ’s messianic character for the ongoing spiritual formation of Christians.

W. Creighton Marlowe

Ten Commandments or Prohibitions? Numbering the Ten Words

Exodus 34:28 established, ostensibly, that Moses recorded “Ten Words” (known as the Ten Commandments) revealed by Yahweh. What is in question is not how to number but how to name these Ten. Since Origen, different sets of ten commands have been proposed. Opposing Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant traditions exist. Logical, theological, and linguistic arguments have been offered as justifications for how to best divide the texts (Exod 20:3–17 and Deut 5:7–21) into two distinct commands and eight prohibitions. Most variations center on how to combine or split the several directives contained at the beginning and end, which respectively focus on idolatry and coveting. No consensus has been reached, although one list has become popular. Jewish exegesis includes a proposal for only nine. Some interpreters have proposed more than ten commands (12-14). Is a new approach possible? This article suggests there are ten clear prohibitions that leave aside the positive commands to keep Sabbath and honor parents. The proposal is made that these two could be seen as adjunctive to the prohibitions that precede, so do not function technically as two of the Ten negations intended.

Shishou Chen

Paul’s Eschatological Joy in Philippians in Its Jewish Background

Jewish literature regarding eschatology is one of the backgrounds for Paul’s eschatological joy in Philippians. While the OT emphasizes the future joy of a national eschatology, and the Pseudepigrapha develops the moral element, Paul presents a unique triangular concept of eschatological joy between him, the Philippians, and God, emphasizing the communal aspect within believers. His focus shifts from national and moral joy in the Jewish literature to Christ/mission-centered joy. In his already-not-yet eschatological framework, Paul smoothly connects the present joy with the future joy, which is a sharp distinction in the OT, stressing that joy is possible and obligatory for the present, even during suffering.

G. Richard Boyd

A Journey with Inductive Bible Study: From Ignorance to Practitioner

Alan J. Meenan

A Tribute to WILLIAM J. ABRAHAM (1947-2021)

Jason E. Vickers

A Good Steward: William J. “Billy” Abraham (1947-2021)—A Tribute delivered at Asbury Theological Seminary, October 15, 2021

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 8, 1 (2021)

The latest issue of the Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies is now available online, with the below articles and their abstracts (where available). Individual essays are available from here, and the journal is available in its entirety as a pdf here.

David R. Bauer

From the Editors

Suzanne Nicholson

The Two Spotlights of Inductive Bible Study and Narrative Criticism

Narrative criticism and inductive Bible study share many key features, such as intensive investigation of textual details, recognition of the importance of viewing a book as a whole, and specific techniques for analyzing passages. Biblical narratives do not simply describe the events in the lives of Israelite kings, prophets, or Jesus and the early church. Rather, these highly crafted narratives lead the reader to theological conclusions through creative plot structures, characterizations, point of view, and other tools. Theological truth springs from literary art. When IBS intentionally includes narrative criticism as part of its analysis of biblical narrative, a deeper understanding of the text will emerge. This paper will focus on examples from the Gospels and Acts, with a more detailed look at Acts 15.

Wilbert Webster White

The Resurrection Body “According to the Scriptures,” Chapter Four

Wilbert Webster White

The Resurrection Body “According to the Scriptures,” Chapter Five

Dorothy Jean Weaver

On Serving and Sitting: A Curious, Upside-Down Story about Discipleship (Luke 10:38–42)

This sermon presents the biblical text of Luke 10:38–42 and offers a “traditional” interpretation of this text. This “traditional” interpretation hinges (1) on Jesus’ rebuke of Martha (10:41) and (2) on Jesus’ commendation of Mary (10:42). Such an interpretation, however, leaves the almost unavoidable impression that Jesus is ungrateful for Martha’s efforts in doing the “women’s work” and cooking a meal for a large crowd of people. The sermon then deconstructs this “traditional” interpretation as it re-examines the text of Luke 10:38–42, paying special attention to the broader Lukan usage of the key vocabulary here, namely “serve” (diakoneo): 10:40a/b) with regard to Martha and “listen/hear” (akouo: 10:39) with regard to Mary. This reexamination leads to the paired conclusions that (1) Mary the contemplative will be called to active response to her “listening/hearing” (cf. Luke 6:46–49; 8:19–21; 11:27–28), while (2) Martha the activist – whose “service” reflects nothing less than the “service” of Jesus himself (22:25–27; cf. 12:37) – is even now called to “listening/hearing” as the foundation for her life of activism (cf. Luke 10:42).

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 7, 2 (2020)

The latest issue of the Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies is now available online, with the below articles and their abstracts (where available). Individual essays are available from here, and the journal is available in its entirety as a pdf here.

Frederick J. Long

From the Editors

Drew Holland

An Alternative Approach to the Dilemma of 2 Kgs 3:27

King Mesha’s sacrifice of his son and the subsequent retreat of the Israelite army from Moab in 2 Kgs 3:27 has proven to be a puzzling text for interpreters from rabbinic Judaism to the present. Modern historical analysis has fallen short in providing a coherent explanation for the events of this verse. This article attempts to seek a new and cogent interpretation for this passage based upon support from other texts and lexemes within the Old Testament. In keeping with the theme of Omride disobedience found throughout the Old Testament, this article deduces from intertextual evidence that Israel participated in Mesha’s burnt offering after securing victory over Moab. This cultic impropriety led YHWH to drive the Israelite army from its newly regained territory.

Matthew R. Peterson and Dain Alexander Smith

Ancient Literary Criticism and Major Structural Relationships: A Comparative Analysis

The texts of the New Testament (NT) emerged during an era that produced robust literary and rhetorical criticism. This article draws from works produced during that period to investigate similarities and differences between the figures discussed by ancient literary theorists and the Major Structural Relationships (MSRs) identified by David R. Bauer and Robert A. Traina. Ultimately, this article reveals that the MSRs proposed in their Inductive Bible Study (IBS) handbook are not merely an invention of modern literary critical reading strategies but reflect devices incorporated into ancient literature and identified and discussed by ancient literary theorists.

Wilbert Webster White

The Resurrection Body “According to the Scriptures,” Chapter Three

If we suppose Intelligence, with an organism answering in its characteristics merely to the properties of the ether, we have a being conforming very nearly, if not quite, to the notion the mystics had of the indwellers of the supersensual world. With bodies more dense than steel, though unamenable to earthly sight or touch, these creatures would see the fleshly forms as a shadowy garment, and a matter at large but as a film thinner than air which offered no bar to their passage. And, exempt from the laws of gravitation which hold prison bound the frame of clay, they might levitate at will, and with the swiftness of light transport themselves from planet to planet. From the sun’s flame they could take no harm and even the chill of absolute zero would leave their bodies unscathed.

Fredrick J. Long

“Arise ‘n’ Shine, Daughter Zion of the Messiah Jesus!”: A Sermon at Asbury Theological Seminary, Aug 19, 2020

Joseph R. Dongell

My Journey with Inductive Bible Study

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 7, 1 (2020)

The latest issue of the Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies is now available online, with the below articles and their abstracts (where available). Individual essays are available from here, and the journal is available in its entirety as a pdf here.

David R. Bauer

From the Editors

David Schreiner

“Now Rehoboam, Son of Solomon, Reigned in Judah”: Considering the Structural Divisions of Kings and the Significance of 1 Kgs 14:21

This essay discusses the main divisional breakdown of the Book of Kings. After detailing a disconnect in scholarly discourse over the main units of Kings, I argue that the first major literary unit spans from 1 Kgs 1:1–14:20. Moreover, I argue that any chiastic arrangement of the material within the first literary unit is eventually found wanting. As an alternative, I argue that the sub-divisions within the first unit are best determined by grammatical and comparative considerations. With this established, this essay concludes with commentary on the three major literary units that organize the presentation of Kings.

Lindy D. Backues

Construing Culture as Composition—Part 3: Traina’s Methodology Culturally Applied

We come now, in Part 3 of the series, to employ Traina’s inductive Bible study method, as discussed in the earlier articles in the series, to the sociological issue of slums. If, then, we are to discuss slums, we need to remind ourselves, at the outset, that we are not talking about overcrowding, lack of amenity, poverty or want as such; but about the relationship of such conditions to a context of meaning that changes with your point of view. Unless we remember this constantly, any proposal in terms of slums becomes unconscious ideological imposition.

Wilbert Webster White

The Resurrection Body “According to the Scriptures”—First Installment: Foreword and Chapters One and Two

William J. Abraham

Robert A. Traina: Teacher, Scholar, Saint

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 6, 2 (2019)

The latest issue of the Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies is now available online, with the below articles and their abstracts (where available). Individual essays are available from here, and the journal is available in its entirety as a pdf here.

Frederick J. Long

From the Editors

David R. Bauer

Streeter Versus Farmer: The Present State of the Synoptic Problem as Argument for a Synchronic Emphasis in Gospel Interpretation

The dominant method for Gospel interpretation over the past several decades has been redaction criticism, which depends upon the adoption of a certain understanding of synoptic relationships in order to identify sources that lie behind our Gospels. Yet an examination of the major proposals regarding the Synoptic problem reveals that none of these offers the level of reliability necessary for the reconstruction of sources that is the presupposition for redaction criticism. This consideration leads to the conclusion that approaches to Gospel interpretation that require no reliance upon specific source theories are called for.

Lindy D. Backues

Construing Culture as Composition—Part 2: Robert Traina’s Methodology

The present essay is the second of three articles that re-purposes Robert A. Traina’s exegetical/hermeneutical methodology, designed primarily for the study of the biblical text, to illustrate how methods in theological hermeneutics can cast light on the growing field of cultural hermeneutics and symbolic anthropology. This article summarizes Traina’s hermeneutical methodology, especially how it allows the exegete to uncover the embedded, fundamental structure of a given biblical text. Traina’s methodology also helpfully isolates exploratory interpretive questions tied to the now uncovered structure of the passage and subsequently leads the exegete to engage in a deeper and more accurate meaning of the text in question.

Biographical Sketch

James (Jim) C. Miller

My Journey with Inductive Bible Study

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 3, 2 (2016)

The latest issue of the Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies is now available online, with the below articles. Individual essays are available from here, and the journal is available in its entirety as a pdf here. (Apologies that I can’t get the Hebrew to work for me in the first main article.)

Fredrick J. Long

From the Editors

David B. Schreiner

ֵנר , Symbolism, and Understanding the General Materials of the Book of Samuel

This brief article considers the impact that the נר passages of 1 and 2 Samuel (1 Sam 3:3a; 21:17; 2 Sam 22:29) have upon understanding the General Materials of the Samuel narrative. It is argued that these three passages cooperate to establish a complex metaphor that communicates an important socio-political and theological principle for the community. These passages also constitute an inclusio, which simultaneously provide a hermeneutical lens for the Samuel narrative and deepen one's understanding of a biographical classification. An explanation for this phenomenon may reside in Samuel’s literary diachrony.

Kei Hiramatsu

The Structure and Structural Relationships of the Book of Habakkuk

Despite the fact that some scholars consider God’s proclamation in 2:4 as the climactic statement of the book of Habakkuk based on their diachronic study, synchronic study of the structure and structural relationships of the book as a whole reveals that the apogee of Habakkuk’s confession of faith is actually found in 3:16–19. Nevertheless, synchronic study is never meant to replace diachronic study. Therefore, this article first investigates how the findings of a historical-critical research of the book can be incorporated into a synchronic study, and then analyzes the structure and major structural relationships of the book.

Howard Tillman Kuist

Chapter IX The Results of St. Paul’s Pedagogy

Daniel Nii Aboagye Aryeh

Inductive Biblical Interpretation and Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics: A Proposal for Pentecostal/Charismatic Ministries in Ghana Today

This article seeks to discover a common goal between inductive Bible study and “Mother-Tongue Biblical Hermeneutics” and will propose a viable biblical interpretation for Pentecostal/Charismatic ministries in Ghana. African Christians accept the Bible as the “Word of God” without critically engaging in some of the issues raised in Scripture. Biblical interpretation is a critical enterprise in biblical studies and is the essential element that nurtures the Christian church. However it is often influenced by denominational biases and the priority of the interpreter. Pentecostal/Charismatic ministries in Ghana attempt to interpret the Bible by seeking to find internal evidence and support for their interpretation. My thesis is that in view of the fact that Pentecostal/Charismatic ministries do not consciously interpret the Bible to agree necessarily with ecclesiological council decisions or dogmatic philosophies, but respond to the existential needs of their audiences, the adaption of inductive biblical studies or mother-tongue biblical hermeneutic would be appropriate. 

David L. Thompson

My Pilgrimage in Inductive Bible Study

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 3, 1 (2016)

The latest issue of the Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies is now available online, with the below articles. Individual essays are available from here, and the journal is available in its entirety as a pdf here.

Creighton Marlowe

Patterns, Parallels, and Poetics in Genesis 1

Debates over the purpose and propositions of Genesis 1 continue to be concerned with its poetic nature. This issue is related to how “poetry” is defined, formally in terms of forms or patterns or informally in terms of function and powerful, persuasive language. This article is focused on the more structural aspects of poetry in Genesis 1 (i.e., parallelismus membrorum and other structural patterns and parallels). The purpose is to demonstrate that this chapter, while not a poem per se, contains poetic features not previously emphasized. While the text remains in its present form elevated prose, the nature of this elevation is greater than often admitted. Some evidence exists for speculation of an original poem on which the extant Hebrew version is based. What is suggested is a text with repetitions that remind one of a song with stanzas. That a rigid, literal hermeneutic is not the only valid option for reading this text becomes clear. The answer to why the author employed a normal week of seven days (six creational ones) may be as much functional or theological as mechanical or temporal. The mere presence of waw consecutive or use of yom as a normal day does not prove that the author’s purpose was the time of creation. Also the use of numerous poetics does not prove that the purpose was non-historical or only theological or symbolic; but as shown, the text is highly poetic in style as well as substance.

Gareth L. Cockerill

The Invitation-Structure and Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark

The structure of Mark facilitates the Gospel’s invitation to follow Jesus on the path of discipleship by identifying with those whom he calls. The four sections that follow the prologue (1:1-13) each begin with a significant interaction between Jesus and his disciples—1:14–3:12 begins with the call of the first disciples; 3:13–6:6 with the appointment of the twelve; 6:7–8:21 with the sending of the twelve; and 8:22–10:52 with Jesus’ questioning the twelve about his identity. Each represents a new phase of discipleship. Mark 1:14–3:12 describes the public demonstration of Jesus’ authority in Galilee that provides the occasion both for the call of his first disciples and for the arousal of official opposition. In 3:13–6:6 those who follow are instructed in the importance of “hearing” reinforced by exposure to much greater demonstrations of Jesus’ authority. In 6:7–8:21 Jesus’ followers actually participate in his authority, and yet seem unable, despite what they have experienced, to grasp his identity as Christ, the Son of God. Mark 8:22–10:52 begins with Peter’s apparent overcoming of this problem by confessing that Jesus is the Christ. This section shows the disciples’ inability to grasp the new conundrum that Jesus puts before them—the necessity of his suffering as the Christ and of its implications for his disciples. Jesus’ public presentation of his claim in the Jerusalem Temple (11:1–13:37) and subsequent passion (14:1–16:8) reaffirm his authority and reinforce the necessity for his followers to follow him by carrying their “cross.” Those who follow embrace both Jesus’ identity as the Son of God and his suffering.

Timothy J. Christian

A Questionable Inversion: Jesus’ Corrective Answer to the Disciples’ Questions in Matthew 24:3-25:46

This article explores the interrogatory relationship between the disciples’ two questions in Matt 24:3 and Jesus’ twofold answer in Matt 24:4–25:46 (divided 24:4-35 and 24:36–25:46). First, concerning how these questions and answers relate, Jesus answers inverted forms of their questions that imply the form, “what will be the signs of these things?” and “when will your coming and the consummation of the age happen?” Second, concerning why they relate in this way, Jesus does this to correct the disciples’ wrong views about the destruction of the temple and eschatology. Lastly, the article offers a corrective to the various eschatological positions which are often superimposed upon Matt 24–25.

Howard Tillman Kuist

Chapter VII Psychological Elements in St. Paul’s Appeal (Continued)

Dorothy Jean Weaver

My Journey to JIBS: An Autobiographical Reflection

The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies 1, 1 (2014)

Those familiar with the method of inductive Bible study – most fully and recently outlined in David R. Bauer and Robert A. Traina, Inductive Bible Study: A Comprehensive Guide to the Practice of Hermeneutics (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011) – may be interested to know about a new, open access publication, The Journal of Inductive Biblical Studies.

Individual articles from the first issue (with abstracts below) are available from here, and the whole volume can be downloaded as a pdf here.

William J. Abraham

Inductive Bible Study, Divine Revelation, and Canon

Drawing on encounter with the teaching and work of Robert A. Traina this paper develops a constructive account of his contribution to inductive bible study by responding positively to two objections that naturally arise. On the one hand, it answers an objectivist worry by noting that Traina’s work readily fits into the tradition of Geisteswissenschaft and takes with radical seriousness a metaphysics of personal agency and action. On the other hand, it deals with a subjectivist worry by showing that Traina’s central concerns transcend his relatively conventional theology of scripture. Through these strategies we can see that inductive bible study is a dynamic research agenda in hermeneutics that depends on crucial insights into the nature of observation and interpretation. Given the validity of these insights, inductive bible study is now poised to enter a new phase of its life as it moves forward into more conventional forms of academic research.

Fredrick J. Long

Major Structural Relationships: A Survey of Origins, Development, Classifications, and Assessment

A central feature to Inductive Bible Study (IBS) are Major Structural Relationships (MSRs), despite some variation in the number, identification, descriptions, and organization of them. These relationships are endemic to human communication; hence, their description is vital for accurate and holistic observation of biblical materials. The origin of MSRs is traceable to the 19th century art instruction of John Ruskin. He himself was aware that his insights into composition extended beyond artistic to musical and literary composition. Practitioners of IBS have continued to develop and describe rigorously methodologies surrounding the identification of MSRs, especially at Asbury Theological Seminary. A survey and review of the development of MSRs within the IBS movement reveals that stability of their identification as well as an openness to refine them (even adding to them) has been an asset for practitioners of IBS. The genius of IBS has been its major practitioners’ conceiving MSRs as central in the quest for truth, and especially the truth of God’s Word.

Stanley D. Walters

Twain Heights: Spirit and Word in Biblical Prophesying

The place-name “Ramathaim,” a noun in the dual number, found in Samuel’s ancestry 1 Sm 1:1 and nowhere else, is an allusion to a pair of narratives each set in Ramah, namely 1 Sm 19:18-24 and Jer 40:1-6, which together show the Spirit and the Word as essential features of biblical prophesying. Elkanah thus appears as part of a trans-generational movement of study and spiritual revitalization, to which the canonical book of Samuel continues to call us.

Thomas Lyons

Interpretation and Structure in Joel

Despite renewed interest in the book of Joel and its relationship to the “Book of the Twelve,” scholarly opinions still significantly diverge on the structure of the book of Joel itself. This article surveys recent significant and representative proposals for Joel’s structure before arguing for an alternative unified structure based upon grammar, literary markers or “catchwords,” and structural relationships (as described by David R. Bauer and Robert A. Traina in Inductive Bible Study).

Joseph R. Dongell

Discerning Segment Boundaries within John 1:19-4:54

Bible commentators have traditionally supplied hierarchical outlines for the books they interpret under the assumption that texts are semantically structured, and that valid interpretation flows in part from accurately discerning textual structure. The disciplines of narrative criticism and discourse analysis have significantly advanced our understanding of textual structure, and have crossed paths by way of mutual influence with the IBS movement, which has given sustained attention to formalizing the study of textual structure. Against this backdrop, John 1:19-4:54 invites closer scrutiny in terms of the logic of its composition. The nearly universal agreement that 1:1-18 forms a clear literary unit, and that 5:1 begins another, contrasts with a lack of agreement about how to construe the intervening material. One popular view, that 2:1-4:54 is gathered as a literary whole by virtue of a Cana-to-Cana inclusio, falters under careful examination. According to the conclusions and introductions supplied by the narrator, 1:19-2:22 stands forth as cohesive unit devoted to presenting the Disciples as those who come to full and stable faith in Jesus. Likewise, 2:23-4:54 stands forth as a cohesive unit devoted to presenting Jesus as the Savior of all: Jews, Samaritans, and gentiles.