I was introduced to the IBS (Inductive Bible Study) method over 30 years ago, and perhaps I explain it best on my site…

From the About section on my site-

I had been in Bible classes from childhood every Sunday and Wednesday Night. When I was old enough to be in the adult class, there were only two basic methods being used to teach. One was the class book method which I was used to in the children’s classes while growing up. Using this method, the student usually answered questions during the week which would be discussed the upcoming Sunday or Wednesday Night. Some questions would be fill-in-the-blank types of various Bible verses. The other questions might be from the text composed by the book’s author. Sometimes it was hard to figure out what the author meant. Sometimes he might refer to an event that the general brotherhood knew about (like some highly visible issue) when the book was being written. In the years following, as those issues declined in prominence, the ability to follow those thoughts and issues became more difficult.

The other method was the verse-by-verse study. Most times these would be frequented by comments all over the board including, “It says what it means and it means what it says”, after which heads nodded in agreement and the next verse was read and ‘approved’ by the class. Occasionally, some helpful comments were invoked, but the class usually went from one topic to another or stayed on someone’s pet issue.

The above comments are not meant to be critical of individuals, but of the methods. Wandering from topic to topic was unavoidable. Further, it was static and uninspiring.

At that time I was about to enter college. And, that was another transition that took some getting used to…

While in College, I had the great fortune of studying under some great professors. One was John Clark. He was famous for his teaching ability. It was almost as if, during registration, if the students could have held picket signs, they would have said, “John Clark for Freshman Bible” – he was that popular. Well, I couldn’t get him for Freshman Bible, but I did for Humanities. And, he gave copious amounts of notes, but he taught you how to learn and think.

When I came back home, that’s about when someone gave me a copy of Irving L. Jensen’s Independent Bible Study. That was an epiphany for me. In this little book (now out of print) a whole new way of looking at the Bible was unfolded before my eyes. When I read Jensen’s book, I was challenged to rethink how to study the Bible. It seemed tedious, but the rewards were great. Study became deep and involved. It was work, but it was fantastic. I kept the Jensen book and kept coming back to it. And, the more I studied in this way, the more I began to realize that this way held an advantage over other methods and that I would be missing something by not studying in the ways outlined in Jensen’s book. I read it and became more and more familiar with it and the method. Soon, a small group began to meet and study or attempt to study using the method. Bible Study became the serious endeavor it should be and I became a serious student.

In a few years, I began to teach occasionally, then more. I taught the inductive method. Soon, a preacher asked me if I had ever considered a web site for Bible Study-a new challenge. That was 1998.

I came across your site, and it looks really cool. I’m learning IBS through http://www.e-sbs.net. I wanted to do an SBS on location (www.sbsinternational.org), but have been delayed, so it was cool to learn on an online course.

I am very curious how you learned about IBS, and where you learned it. I hope to be an IBS teacher someday.

But anyway, I am happy to see the IBS is becoming more and more common!

serve the King!
from
michael
servant of Jesus