Knowable Word: Helping Ordinary People Learn to Study the Bible

by Peter Krol

Learn the basics of inductive Bible study in a few minutes, gain valuable skills for a lifetime.

Knowable Word offers a foundation on why and how to study the Bible. Using a running study of the first chapter of Genesis, this Revised and Expanded second edition illustrates how to Observe, Interpret, and Apply the Scripture—and gives the vision behind each step. It also shows how to read each Bible passage in light of salvation history. But besides being just a how-to on Bible study, it fuels the desire to learn and grow through studying the Scriptures.

Building on the foundation of the first edition of Knowable Word, released in 2014, this new edition offers further help on following an author’s argument, identifying the weightiest segment of a passage, and thereby discovering the main points more clearly. In addition, new material has been added on the topics of literary form, structure, and context.

This book will appeal to beginners, mature Christians who want to improve their Bible study skills, and leaders who long not only to teach but to equip.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Faith, Nonfiction, Discipleship, Spirituality, Christianity

136 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

I have taught the Bible since 1996 both as a collegiate missionary with DiscipleMakers and as an elder in both Presbyterian and Independent churches. I've trained dozens of people to study the Bible. Many of them now train others who, in turn, have begun training a third generation.

With each new year, I read nothing but the Bible until I finish it. I do this, not because it makes God any happier with me, but because it makes me happier with him in Christ.

Reviews

[Peter Krol]

I'm not going to rate this one, but I logged it because my children recently had the privilege of listening to the live audio version read by the author. There are no extant recordings of it, however. Sorry.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my pastors recommended this book while we were teaching through hermeneutics in our adult Sunday School class. We'd been working through seminary-level course materials, that we were paring down for a lay audience. The material itself was good, but was not really suited to our audience. He encountered this book and recommended it.

I've now read it and found the method much simpler and much more useful for its simplicity. The methods are simple and relatively easy to do for most any reader. The real trick, of course, is in the actual doing. Doing it yourself, or encouraging others in your congregation to actually do it are the challenging part.

Krol has done a great job of laying out the principles and actually showing how the work is done. I highly recommend this for just about everyone. It will help your own understanding and study of Scripture, and prepare you to help others do the same.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The OIA method for studying the Bible has completely changed the way I study the Word... for the better!

As a visual learner, I am so thankful to have been taught this method while I was in college. This method, I think, is learned best, when it's taught step-by-step and demonstrated visually. If that's not an option, I recommend doing as many of the 'Your Turns' as possible to put the method into practice.

All in all, I love the content of the book and stand behind the OIA method and its effectiveness. The read itself is a little dry and hard to get through at times.

[Neil Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

While useful for all believers, this book will be especially effective for new believers to gain the confidence of Bible study.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely clear, well-organized, and helpful. Enjoyed it more than other approaches for inductive studies. Going to recommend it to my teenager, and incorporating it into our daily devotions.

[Mitchell Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book on the OIA method. Helpful refresher.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

Why wasn't this book around when I was 20? I am a student of scripture, and have read several books about how to study Scripture. They were all okay, but lacking. Some were too technical and opaque, others were like Bible study lite. Others attempted to be simple, but weren't clear.

This book is simple, clear, and even better helpful! Very helpful. You can download study sheets from their website to help you as you study the Bible. Obviously you will use sheets less as you understand how to study better, which is the point.

I cannot say enough good things about the riches to be found here. Do by all means obtain this book and mine it's wealth for a you are worth. The effort will reward you.

[Nathan Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This this a short little book about the OIA method of Bible study. Though this is the second edition, I found this to be a mixed bag. The strength is that there are some excellent insights and some practical steps for how to use the OIA method. I really appreciate the free worksheets and resources available on the web at https://www.knowableword.com/resources/. However, there were times where the book felt convoluted and lacked clarity. Krol's formulation of the Interpretation phase I found to be especially busy. There is some good stuff here, but it needs to be supplemented.

[Marguerite Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finish my 18th book that is Knowable Word by Peter Krol published by Cruciform Press. Great book to read. I do have that in e-book format and wishing that is in book form format for myself as a tool to go back to remind myself. This book would be a lot better in book form format for those who are new at OIA (Observation, Interpretation, and Application) and those who are rusty at it (like me). For those who are an pro at OIA, they can read this book in e-book format.

[Jonathan Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good refresher of the Observe, Interpret and Apply Bible Study method. I liked how the author expounded on the method and then gave practical methods to do it. I am thinking of using this in a Bible study methods class. I think I will make use of one more aspect (the author talks about it but I will probably make it the fourth part to keep focus where it belongs) and that is context. I think this book will add a lot to my church’s Bible study experience. Good stuff

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second time reading this little book by my friend Peter. Good stuff! Many helpful tips on observing, interpreting, and applying God's Word. Now, the biggest challenge is to take all of these great tips and actually put them into practice. This time through, I've jotted notes to myself that should help guide me through passages of the Bible.

[Katie Krombein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great straightforward little book that outlines the Observation-Interpretation-Application of studying the Bible with questions and examples of how to do so.

pg 75: …insofar as I honor God with my lips, I live as a hearer. But insofar as I also repent and believe the gospel, I live as a doer. For example:
-To go to church is to hear. To practice the truth that was preached is to do.
-To love theology is to hear. To attempt to persuade others about theology, et without quarreling, is to do.
-To identify what you’ve learned speaks of hearing. To identify how you’ve changed speaks of doing.
-Asking questions about scripture is about hearing. Acting on the right answers is about doing.
-To talk about obeying the civil authorities is proof of hearing. To refuse to conceal taxable income is proof of doing.
-A sense of conviction over sin is about hearing. To make changes is about doing.
-To know who Jesus is, is to hear. To cooperate actively with God in the daily process of being conformed into his image, is to do.

p. 83: one simple way to apply effort (pressure) and provoke change (overcome inertia) is by considering three spheres: head, heart, and hands. The spheres represent three aspects of human life where we can both change and be changed.
p. 84: The head represents everything we think and believe…being a hearer of the word. This sphere involves thinking God’s thoughts after him and believing what he says.
…The heart represents who we are. Heart application is the first and foundational part of being a doer of the Word. …walking in righteousness, desiring the Lord above all, and showing godly wisdom and selfless character.
…The hands represent everything we do. Hands application is the second part of being a doer of the Word…laying aside old patterns of selfish behavior, imitating the Lord and his ambassadors, and becoming more effective at building God’s Kingdom.

[Rudy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't let the 3 star review fool you—the content of this book is actually quite good. In Knowable Word, Peter Krol lays out practical methods for proper interpretation, transformation, and execution of biblical principles through methodical reading of God's Word. Essentially, this is a reading comprehension 101 course for folks looking to understand the bible better and apply its instruction to daily life. If the book is solid in these areas, what's up with the 3 star assessment?

The short answer is that I found many areas of the book to be redundant and maybe even long-winded, which is a surprise given its relatively short length. Everything here is presented in a very basic format, making it easy to understand for all skill levels. It's just a shame that multiple portions of the book feel like a retread of precious talking points, often with multiple examples that could be expressed in a single example. Again, redundant.

I could see this book being very helpful for many folks, especially if you work through the question and answer portions. If you're new to the bible and want to understand it properly, absolutely read Knowable Word! But for others who've gone through a number of reading comprehension courses, this book may feel a bit dry and unnecessary at times.

[Blake A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book that outlines what he calls the “OIA method” (Observation, Interpretation, Application) of studying the Bible. It’s very similar to the Inductive method we’ve learned with the same categories and processes. He provides some worksheets that might help organize, though I think the straightforward pages we use are easier to use.

The points he adds that I like are including the authors mood, tone and structure of the passage. Those are just harder to teach because they are mire subjective than looking for key words.

He fails to include types of statements. He has a section on “grammar” that would probably include these but is more vague.

The other benefit of his method is an emphasis on how to connect the interpretation/application to the big picture of the Bible and Christ’s redemption.

Overall, there isn’t that much new to those who have learned Inductive but it’s a simple, helpful tool for those trying to learn it for the first time.

[Troy Nevitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Krol has done something excellent in this book. I think it does what many other hermeneutics texts do, but it feels so much more naturally approachable in the way it's presented. It's still a book that makes you do some pretty heavy lifting. I would compare this to Grasping God's Word by Duvall and Hays (also reviewed) and The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies (also reviewed).

What I really appreciated about this book was that the steps of other books are simplified into three steps: Observe, Interpret, Apply (OIA). This book does an incredible job of showing the importance of all three, but I appreciated the observe section especially. I, in fact, loved all three elements. I highly recommend this text to those who want to lead a group in studying Scripture, or learning how to study it better for yourself.

[Erika Forrest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic guide to learning to study the Bible, including some "worksheets" to help guide. I found this very edifying as the leader of an OIA Bible study and encouraging in my personal study. This is very applicable to individual study and personal study (and NO, you don't have to formally walk through the phases/steps every time; the form just guides and provides structure that starts to come naturally with more practice).

[Nathan Battey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some very helpful and practical insights for teaching basic hermeneutics of Scripture. Yet at the same time, the author’s Calvinistic worldview hindered some aspects of his writing - for instance, in applying the method to specific Texts, or his overarching premise of the essentiality of the direct illumination of the Holy Spirit. The end result is a mixed bag of some helpful parts, and some problematic. Helpful on some levels, but flawed.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot of good information here, but it also managed to take what is a relatively common and simple Bible study method and make it seem really complicated and involved. I read this as part of a class on studying the Bible at church. We all felt overwhelmed reading the book but then realized it was pretty simple in practice.

[ME · Rating 3 out of 5]

Krol's presentation of study methods is clear, concise, and practical. This would be a great book to work through with a small group. There's nothing that replaces just digging in and doing the work, and this gives the novice a great path forward in doing that. Some important principles are clearly defined here that many older tutorials omit. I would recommend it.

[John Lundberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short and practical introduction for how Christians can interpret and apply the Bible, I would recommend this book to any Christian wanting to increase their confidence studying Scripture.

Some of its biggest strengths are the resources given to aid Bible study and the examples of Bible study done well. The author also identifies many bad habits Christians can fall into when reading.

[Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps the best book on how to read, interpret, and apply Scripture that I have read. Approachable enough for a teenager to read, and yet rich enough for the seasoned minister to gain wisdom and expertise in reading and applying Scripture.

[Daniel McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a clear, helpful read. Working on developing better observation, interpretation, and application skills is a must for any committed student of Scripture. This is a resource I'll return to regularly, especially in helping others to develop personal Bible study skills.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent little book and process

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to inductive Bible study (OIA). Recommended!

[John Deissler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read, taught about how to study Scripture. The author used the way I was taught at school, so it was almost like hearing the same thing over again in a way

[Carrie]

The book used in Berea as we studied Malachi. It lays out a really useful and straightforward method to study scripture.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful, short book.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid, practical overview to basic Bible study methods.

[Angela Witte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful Bible study aid.

[Austin King · Rating 4 out of 5]

A more challenging read and a lot of information but certainly helpful for personal study