Intended Meaning
People must first look at the intended meaning of a passage. They use study tools to discover the context and history of a chapter, parable or verse. During this time they seek to understand why God inspired this text to be written and share their discoveries with one another. This knowledge is crucial as it prevents any miss-interpretation of scripture as they dig deeper.
Implied Meaning
At this stage people look at other connecting passages of scripture and begin to look for any overarching principle of theme that can be found. In discovering this we are able to apply the scripture to a larger part our own life as opposed to a particular point for one particular instance.
Interpreted Meaning
At this point in the study people begin to think more deeply about the motivation of either, who wrote the passage, or the actions of those involved in the passage. They will also think about why God said the words he spoke or acted the way he did. As each person’s interpreted motivation is shared they begin to discover something about themselves and what motivates them.
Inspired Meaning
During this section time is created to allow God’s word to permeate deeper into an individual. Inspiration is sought that will bring purpose to the words studied and strength is provided to change lives so that what has been found in the previous three levels can truly be acted out in their life.
