Some thoughts on Col 2:8-23

The attitude of Biblical Counseling Biblical Counseling leads the counselee in an invitation from God to be in a relationship with God. The main goal of the counselor is to facilitate the meeting. Biblical Counseling views the problems and issues as the symptoms and surface issues rather than the root of the true problem. By connecting the counselee to God, God heals and restores the counselee from inside out. Connecting with God means creating a relationship with God. In a relationship, the two parties engage in revealing personal things, and as the relationship deepens, the sharing becomes deeper. By establishing a relationship with God, the counselee can view their lives in God's perspective and begin to understand God's will in their lives. BiblicalCounseling views the counselee's problems and issues as a derivate of the real issue the counselee is facing; spiritual issues. Jesus came to this earth to heal the sick, free the oppressed, and proclaim the Kingdom of God. Jesus fulfilled the will of God perfectly on the earth. Jesus wants us to model after him, even in the arena of Biblical Counseling. Jesus' healing power came from the HolySpirit's work, and Jesus was always concerned and connected with the will ofGod. Biblical Counseling views the deviation from God as the root of the problem. Thus, the counselor's remedy to resolve the issues and problems focuses on God's mercy, grace, and compassion. For the counselee to receive God's mercy, grace, and compassion, the counselee must have faith. Therefore, the counselor facilitates the counseling session to build up the counselee's faith with Scriptures and real-life examples and provides an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to strengthen the counselee's faith. The healing and restoration from Biblical Counseling is a natural byproduct of the work of the Holy Spirit. Therefore the counselor does not focus on the problems and issues. Instead, the problems and issues are resolved as a byproduct of the counselee increasing in faith and building a relationship with Jesus. Love and trust as the building blocks One of the counselor-counselee relationship's main characteristics is built upon the trust and love of the parties. Encountering God is a personal experience, and the counselor facilitating the counselee's encounter with God is personal but has to be intentional. The counselor must love and trust the counselee. It has to be communicated to the counselee for the counselee to encounter God. The reason for it is because the counselee relies heavily on the counselor to resolve the issues and problems of the counselee while being weak. Love and trust go hand-in-hand. Without love, there can be no real trust. Without trust, there can be no real love. Therefore, during Biblical Counseling, the counselor and the counselee will begin to develop a love relationship in trust based on Scripture. This love is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. The counselor is playing a role as a type of Christ for the counselee during the process. Through the love and trust in the counseling session, Jesus Christ is manifested onto the counselee through Scripture, and the Holy Spirit heals and restores the counselee. Scripture as the main tool The content of the counseling session is based on Scriptures and the truths established in the Scriptures. Secular and some Christian counselors use Scriptures out of context and without faith. They view the Scriptures as not the main tool but some good and encouraging phrases to help the counselee feel comfortable based on their religious belief. Even Christian counselors use the Scriptures in conjunction with tools from secular psychology to resolve the issues and problems. However, the problem with this is that secular psychology's root and goal fundamentally different from Biblical Counseling. At the outset, the counselee develops the ability to handle the problems and issues. However, the root of the problems and issues have not been resolved; sin and its consequences. Scripture rarely deals with the symptoms of the counselee's issues and problems. Instead, the Scripture relentlessly accuses the problems and issues that stem from the heart of the counselee, and without fixing the heart, the issues and problems will continue. Thus, it is where Biblical Counselingdiffers from secular and Christian Counseling. Biblical Counseling's foundation is on the Scripture for removing the counselee's sinful roots, and restoration of the counselee through the restoration of the heart is the focus. Thus, the counselor's extensive biblical knowledge and experiences are extremely beneficial to the counseling session. Speak out the real issue Once the counselor and the counselee discover the real issues and problems, the counselor must help the counselee confront the real issue, the sin revealed through Scripture. It can be difficult for the counselee to admit it, but the counselee must confront it. This is the crucial part of Biblical Counseling, as the confrontation of Scripture to the counselee's true sinful-self reveals the grotesqueness of their true self. Without faith, this part is impossible, as the counselee will flee from facing such a horrendous self-image. Most people have high self-esteem and do not view themselves as problems and issues. Instead, most blame others and the environment they are situated in. However, true healing and restoration start from accepting that truths revealed through Scriptural application into the counselee's heart bring illumination to undisclosed perception on the counselee's self. To tell the counselee that the counselee's heart is the main problem, the counselor and the counselee must be in a love and trust relationship. To get to this point, the counselor must intentionally utilize previous counseling sessions to build trust and love in the reflection of Jesus Christ. The counselor must not allow the counselee to focus on the counselor but Jesus Christ in the Scripture reflection. When the counselor facilitates the meeting between the counselor and Jesus through Scripture, the Holy Spirit brings hidden things to light, causing the counselee to face the real issue. Action leads to restoration Once the counselee is confronted with the real issue, the counselor encourages the counselee to act on it. The action must be based on what the counselee learned from applying Scripture. The action must be something that the counselee can do so that the action reflects the exercising of the counselee's faith. The counselor must continue to encourage the counselee to live and exercise the counselee's faith in daily life. When the cycle of exercising faith continues, the restoration begins from the inside of the counselee. Through exercising the faith, the counselee begins to develop a relationship with God, and the Holy Spirit begins to lead the counselee's life. The process builds the counselee's character to Christ-likeness. As this process continues, the counselee lives under the Holy Spirit's influence, and Scripture becomes the guide.

Biblical Counseling is a different approach than traditional Christian Counseling to solving a counselee's issues. It does not focus on individual counselee's problems or wounds. Rather, the approach to resolving the problem comes from the shifting of the counselee's perspective. Secular psychologists and counselors focus on identifying the problem and how to deal with it while interacting with others. It helps a counselee manage the symptoms of a particular problem from a behavioral science perspective. It helps the counselee function as a member of society using various methods, including drugs, in its therapy sessions. Biblical Counseling views the past emotional pains and scars under God's sovereignty. Biblical Counseling views the counselee's past emotional pains and scars in conjunction with the Kingdom of God and how it affects God's glory. Through the past emotional pains and scars, the counselee has the opportunity to restore a relationship with God through God-centered and Scripture-centered approach. It deals with the internal change of the counselee, not external changes. The goal of Biblical Counseling is defined in Colossians1:28 that the counselee to become perfect in Christ through restoring and rebuilding the image of Christ in the counselee's life. The job of a Biblical Counselor is to facilitate Christ'smeeting through the manifestation of Scripture in the counselee current situation. The Counselor's job is to allow the counselee to discover the roots of sins in the counselee's life and allow Holy Spirit to convince the counselee to repent from the counselee's sins and return to God. There are seven principles in Biblical Counseling that we must explore before going deeper into the methods and operations of BiblicalCounseling. I. Human beings are created in the image of God The foundation of Biblical Counseling begins with the creation account of Adam and Eve. Instead of focusing on the counselee's problems, the counselee can view the counselee's problems from the creation perspective. The first man, Adam, was created in the image of God. The image of God is full of God's glory, and Adam was like God in many of his attributes but was not God. Adam had nothing lacking and was full as long as he was in communion with God. God made Eve out of Adam's rib, and God sent Eve as the helper to Adam. Although Adam was created in God's image, Adam was not God; he needed a helper to do his work. Adam was perfect, but God saw that it was not good that Adam was alone, so God gave Eve to Adam. God wanted to reign over all the creation through Adam. God made Adam ruler over all creation, and Eve was there to help Adam. Adam was truly the glorified image of God on earth. However, when Adam fell, the human deficit came as its result. II. Human beings fell because of sin Biblical Counseling basis all problems that all human faces rooted from the fall of Adam. In the garden of Eden, Satan, the crafty counselor, came and counseled Eve. Satan convinced Eve that disobeying God by eating the fruit of knowledge will make Eve and Adam like God. The Bible does not explain what happened when Eve ate the fruit of knowledge. However, when Adam ate the fruit of knowledge, both of their eyes opened up and saw that they were naked, and they hid their bodies with fig leaves. Biblical Counseling directly charges the counselee that the issue is not the past emotional pains and scars, but the problem's root is from sin. Until the sin problem is resolved, the counselee will continue to suffer from sin's effects in the counselee's life. As previously discussed, Inner Healing does not address the issue of sin in the counselee's life as the counselee's main problem. Instead, inner healing makes the counselee think that it is not the counselee's fault, but others were the cause of the counselee's problem. Thus, removing the responsibilities of the counselee in resolving the counselee's sin problem. III. The human problem is a heart problem The secular psychology or Christian counseling sessions that base their foundation on secular psychology focus on changing behavior or emotional fluctuations or making sense of the past wounds to resolve the counselee's issues. Sometimes, Christian counselors do not know how to resolve the issue at hand because they do not believe that the fallen human heart is the root of the problem. Instead, these secular psychologists and Christian counselors believe that the human heart is good and passive; it was the external factors and influences that caused the evils in the world. However, the Bible states that the human heart is evil and is not passive. Proverbs 23:7 states, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee." The Biblical Counseling perspective on the human heart is fundamentally different from all other counseling perspectives. Since the fall, all of the human heart actively defies against God and actively seeks after sin. No one teaches their young children to lie, but all children know how to lie. It is a common phenomenon that everyone experiences, and no matter how much we try to solve it, it is impossible with human will. All secular psychology-based counseling goals, even Christian Counseling, change the counselee's behaviors or environment to make sense of it so the counselee can manage the environment and themselves. However, Biblical Counseling's goal is not to change the counselee's behaviors or environment. Instead, biblical Counseling aims to change the person's heart, as it believes the heart's transformation is the root solution to the problems. Biblical Counseling asks this fundamental question, "what controls this person's heart?" When that is identified, the biblical Counselor can assist the counselee in digging into their own heart with Scripture and finding their true intentions that may be hiding underneath. Thus, even the perspective of identifying the problem differs from all secular psychology-based counseling models. IV. The major counseling tool is Scripture Biblical Counseling's goal is to equip the counselee as a person of God. Thus, the main tool it uses is found within Scripture. All other tools and methods that other secular psychologists use are ancillary. The Biblical Counselor can assist the counselee in opening up and allow Scripture to become the mirror to the counselee's heart condition. Inner healing and other secular psychological counselors sometimes use hypnosis to identify and treat the counselees. However, biblical counselors do not use hypnosis at all, as it is prohibited in Scripture, and all the tools and methodologies are found within Scripture. We will discuss further in the application part of Biblical Counseling chapters ahead. V. The best example of Biblical Counseling is JesusChrist Jesus Christ was the best Biblical Counselor. He was able to communicate with everyone and counseled them with Scripture. Jesus was an attentive listener who observed what others were telling him but read all non-linguistic expressions that others were showing. Every word out of Jesus' mouth was valuable and useful for Counseling and guiding the listeners. Jesus listened to the cries of following him. There are numerous examples of this in the Bible. The Lazarus' death account showed one of the main examples of Jesus' attentive listening. When Jesus arrived at Bethany, it has been four days since Lazarus died. Yet, when Jesus saw the wailings of Jews and the two sisters, Jesus was compassionate about their sorrows, and he cried. Not only was Jesus the best Counselor, but he also sympathized with all the souls of the earth, for he lived on the earth under the sorrows of mankind. Jesus not only preached the gospel, but he preached repentance and forgave sins. When the paralyzed man descended to Jesus from the rooftop, Jesus forgave their sins for the faith they had. Jesus knew that the solution to the paralyzed man's problem was physical healing and spiritual healing of the heart through the forgiveness of sins. Jesus preached forgiveness of sins through repentance, as he knew the root of the problem in everyone's heart was the sin. Ultimately, Jesus was died on the cross to resolve the problem of the sin of humanity. He was the ultimate Counselor and propitiator between God and man. VI. The human being is tormented in the world Whether the counselee's problem originated from self, others, or environment, Biblical Counseling observation is done under one viewpoint; all are under God's sovereignty. When the counselee comes to belief and acceptance ofGod's sovereignty, then the counselee's heart begins to heal. Unfortunately, secular psychologists will not acknowledge God's sovereignty because its foundation is that mankind has a good passive heart, and God does not exist. Unfortunately, some Christian counselors blindly accept some of the methods and beliefs that the secular psychologists incorporate into their counseling session, unintentionally leading the counselee astray from the truth. VII. True change comes from the work of the Holy Spirit Romans 8:26 states, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." the Holy Spirit is the ultimate Counselor that all mankind needs. The Counselor is a facilitator for the counselee to meet the Holy Spirit and encourages the counselee to live in the Holy Spirit. The change of the heart occurs when the counselee lives not according to the gratification of sinful nature but under the Holy Spirit'sinfluence. The Biblical Counselor helps the counselee put off the old self and put on a new self; the new image of Christ is imprinted on the counselee. The counselee's daily submission onto the Holy Spirit'scounsel must be effectuated in the counselee's life. Therefore, the Biblical counselor facilitates Scripture into the counseling session. Most Christian counselors think this means telling the counselee to live by Scripture. It is partly true but partly false. The Biblical Counselor approaches this matter in perspective of not condemning for not living by Scripture. Rather, a delicate balance between allowing the counselee to open their heart and allowing Scripture to administer its principles onto the heart of the counselee. Because BiblicalCounseling depends upon the Holy Spirit's work, the Biblical counselors must incorporate prayers and Scripture in the counseling session. We will discuss this further in the application section.

What is Biblical Counseling? When someone hears the word Biblical Counseling, most will think it is counseling done with the Bible. This assumption is partly true but partly false. To better understand what Biblical Counseling is, we must look into other types of counseling and reflect upon it to truly value and appreciate BiblicalCounseling. The field of psychology is vast, and we will not look deep into all of it. However, we will observe and analyze common counseling methods used by Christian leaders and counselors compared to Biblical Counseling. Once you have a general understanding of current methods used by Christian leaders and counselors, you will discover why BiblicalCounseling is needed in the fourth industrial revolution and the benefits it can have once you incorporate it into discipleship training. inner healing Ministry Inner Healing Ministry or movement was a good intent grassroots effort among the Christian lay counselors among various Christian denominations. It primarily focuses on past wounds through self-revelation using prayers, forgiveness, repentance, rejecting lies, replacing them with truth, and processing painful memories. Although it uses some Biblical tools in conjunction with counseling tools, it often emphasizes past wounds. The counselor helps the counselee remember the past pains and wounds by bringing up painful memories of the counselees. This method relies too much on the emotional aspect of self-revealing and focuses on healing the counselee's memories may not be accurate or true. Inner Healing has its roots with Agnes Sanford during the 1940s. Sanford coined the term Inner Healing as what she experienced as the healing of memories. She began teaching her views at the School of Pastoral Care started by her husband in 1958, and Sanford has influenced manyInner Healing teachers and authors. Much pastoral counseling practice is modeled after Inner Healing as it became popular among the middle class during the third industrial revolution period. Inner Healing counselors begin their counseling session with the counselee's experienced phenomenon. Based on what the counselee discussed, the counselor looks for Scriptural support to validate the counseling session. If the Scripture does not assist with the counselee's inner Healing, the counselor uses other secular psychological tools and methods until inner Healing is finally experienced. It focuses only on healing the counselee's memory aspect rather than dealing with the counselee's original problem. The counselor uses all methods available, even hypnosis, to discover the counselee's subconscious memories, which may or may not be true. Inner Healing ministry is encouraged among the lay counselors to use it as one of its tools that counselors can use. Unfortunately, it can and has led to dangerous "mob theology" where the powerful influences the usage of such a method rather than Biblical view. The church stays silent because the power shift has been transferred to the great majority. Lay counselors can and should counsel those who are in need. However, without proper training and equipping in Biblical theology and doctrine, they can do more damage than good to those who seek them. Problems with Inner Healing stems from the humanistic practice based on humanistic principles to resolve past emotional issues superficially. Also, Inner Healing does not allow the counselee to take responsibility for their behavior and does not allow the counselee to integrate negative past as their past but segregate them without fully resolving them. The Freudian view of consciousness is the foundation of Inner Healing, as Inner Healing basis past experiences determine current conscious actions. It deals with negative past events in isolation to make it not affect the present conscious state. This foundation dismisses the very idea of the present encounter with the Word of God can heal and restore the counselee at the conception with the Word of God. The err of Inner Healingstems from the counselee's behavioral observation to find a resolution, rather than focusing on Biblical Foundations. Inner Healing brings forth what the counsel deemed to remember using various non-orthodox methods, even hypnosis, to identify the past emotional pains and scars then apply Scriptures to it. It is a human-centric approach to resolving spiritual and emotional problems, which dwells in the spiritual domain. Instead of guiding the counselee to the Scripture and allow Scripture to reveal itself to the counselee in resolving the past emotional pains and scars, it brings subconscious emotional pains and scars that may or may not be true to the surface, allowing the counselee to endure through another trauma. Inner Healing is viewed as effective because once the counselee is exposed to the past emotional pains and scars, the obvious response of emotional tears and expelling is visible to both the counselee and the counselor. However, it does not necessarily mean the past emotional pains and scars have been resolved; rather, it is a poor response more encountering what the counselee perceives as the painful past event. Inner Healing focuses on the past painful memories; once the emotional reaction to the encounter passes, the counselee and the counselor are fooled into thinking that the issue has been resolved. Unfortunately, it did not resolve the original issue the counselee sought a counselor after; it exacerbated the problem by bringing the past emotional pain and scars without an adequate remedy. Hence, the counselee is left to believe that the counselee is free from the past emotional pains and scars. When the counselee experiences another episode, both the counselor and the counselor are perplexed. As they try to discover the root of the issue, they run into a wall as they believe the original problem has been resolved. Biblical Counseling is different from InnerHealing, as Biblical Counseling does not excessively emphasize past wounds of the counselee. Instead, Biblical Counseling session deals with past emotional pains and scars by listening to the counselee but does not focus on it. Later we will discuss the foundation of Biblical Counseling, and it will create a framework for you to understand and apply Biblical Counseling in the discipleship training.

We live amid the fourth industrial revolution. The third industrial revolution brought agricultural workers to cities, developing various industries geared toward manufacturing various goods to increase economic activity. The church benefited from the third industrial revolution and increased its influence in various aspects of society. However, it failed to make a great impact in philosophy and science and lost many youths to secular ideology in the field of education, entertainment, and value. The secular ideology crept into the church without much resistance. Many of the church leaders were influenced under the liberal theological doctrines and worldly values during their early years of lives being influenced by television and the liberal public elementary education system. The fourth industrial revolution is based on the aggregation of various data calculated to derive various conclusions. These calculated data are used to study and control various human behaviors, as most people live in routines. The fourth industrial revolution removes the routine duties of humans by delegating it to machines, resulting in humans' inability to do even simple calculations and tasks. These types of changes can be beneficial to mankind, but at the same time, it creates new issues that mankind has never faced before. The third industrial revolution created manufacturing jobs for many unskilled agricultural workers; however, because the enterprise viewed these workers as "human resources," the value of a person diminished to replaceable resources. The original man, Adam, was created in the image of God, and all his offsprings have the image of God in them. The third industrial revolution enterprise's view of mankind as human resources birthed many new problems that mankind have never faced before. Many people began to suffer from emotional and spiritual problems that they did not have before. Before the third industrial revolution, agricultural society members did not have to worry too much about have no work to do. There was too much work to do in an agricultural society. Children were an asset to the family to do various farming duties and an asset to society as soldiers to fight against common enemies. In an agricultural society, everyone can contribute to its society with labor. However, as more people left agricultural society to benefit from the third industrial revolution, people began to face new problems; economic cycles. During the boom phase of the economic cycle, industrial enterprises hire many workers. Many workers equate to more items being produced, and as the demand outweighs the supply, the workers had plenty of jobs. Industrial enterprises hired unskilled workers and trained them to do a simple operation of operating various machines. They sent smart workers to craftsman classes to advance their skills while sending skilled craftsmen to schools to manage the workers. The process led to an educational boom during the third industrial revolution. However, when the great depression happened, many of the unskilled workers lost their jobs and began to worry about finding work and making a living. Some unskilled workers went to school to gain skills while many suffered from various psychological and spiritual issues. The Western churches responded to these issues by ramping up the social and public benefits programs both in and outside the churches. However, most of these programs came short of winning converts by merely helping them with physical needs. The needs of people were too big, and the churches were able to tackle only the issues that they faced at hand. They hired professionals to manage the business operations of the church's philanthropic works. These professionals were trained only in the business aspects, and their values and philosophy began to influence the church secularly. As the church's philanthropic programs grew in size and influence, it began to control the church politics. It ultimately began to secularize churches, resulting in liberalism taking control over the church businesses and theological beliefs. The fourth industrial revolution is a new opportunity for the church to influence society's value system and win many converts. Covid19 caused even greater isolation in our societies, and the fourth industrial revolution will greatly isolate and divide many people. It will undoubtedly bring forth new psychological and spiritual problems that mankind will suffer, and mankind will desperately seek solutions. The church can provide not just solutions but salvation to these fourth industrial revolution problems. The church is on a mission to make disciples of Jesus of all nations. A disciple of Jesus is a person who is capable of doing the type of ministry that Jesus has done. Jesus has healed the sick, drove out demons, and proclaimed the gospel to the poor. Who are the sick, demon possed, and the poor in the fourth industrial revolution? How can churches approach them, and what can we offer to them that is as attractive as Jesus? One area that is still in development among the reformed scholar is the area of Biblical Counseling. When most hear the word Biblical Counseling, they think it is counseling based on the Bible. It may be half correct, as the Biblical Counseling is not throwing Bible at the counselees and telling them to obey it. Most pastors and church leaders gravely misunderstand what the Biblical Counseling is. Telling counselees to live by the Bible is preaching, not Biblical Counseling. The next few chapters will identify Biblical Counseling, specific methods to do Biblical Counseling, and how it can make disciples of Jesus Christ from counseling. The fourth industrial revolution is a great new opportunity for the church to reflect upon the past mistakes it made during the third industrial revolution and make great progress in the expansion of the Kingdom of God in the psychological and spiritual realms of the people. It can greatly benefit those who participate in the discipleship training by better equipping them and resolving many issues and problems that the fourth industrial revolution brings to mankind. The Word of God is true, and it never changes, and it will be the solution to mankind facing new problems in the fourth industrial revolution.

1. It took at least four days to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee. If it takes at least four days to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee, why did John left out the details of the journey? There may be many reasons why John did not include the traveling details of the journey. This journey and many journeys that Jesus took to and from Jerusalem to other parts of Israel were left out. John 21:25 states, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” John already recorded Jesus’ journey from Judea to Galilee, crossing Samaria in John chapter 4. This is the chapter where Jesus meets the woman at the well, and through her, the entire town came to Jesus and believed in Him as the Messiah for his teachings. Thus, Jesus must have made numerous trips to and from Judea to Galilee, crossing Samaria. John does not mention all these trips because he probably healed the sick, drove out demons, and taught along the way in Samaria. The Samaritans welcomed him and his acquaintances because they believed Jesus to be the Messiah. How did the Jews travel in those days? Ordinary Jews traveled the region on foot during those days. They packed food and prepared for the journey. Sometimes they take donkeys to carry their luggage. The great multitude that followed Jesus traveled on foot to Jerusalem and followed Jesus into Samaria on foot in a great multitude. Why did Jesus travel so much from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee to go back to Jerusalem at a later date for the feasts of the Jews? We can speculate why Jesus traveled so much, going North and South in Israel. Everywhere Jesus went to preach the good news of the gospel, cast out the demon, and healed the sick. These were Jesus’ ministry. Jesus paired his disciples in two and sent them out to do the same throughout Israel. From these accounts, we can imagine that Jesus wanted to reach as many people as possible. He traveled by foot, and all his followers eagerly followed him on foot. Everywhere Jesus went, there was a great multitude of followers. Some wanted to make him a king, while others wanted to hear what he has to say. During the three short years Jesus ministered in Israel, he traveled throughout Israel on foot, reaching as many as he could physically. 2. Jesus had great multitudes who followed him because Jesus healed all of them How do we know that Jesus healed all of them? Jesus had great compassion towards all who sought him. The woman who touched the edge of his garment in faith to heal her infirmities were healed, and even the woman’s daughter, who Jesus harshly criticized as a “dog, which does not deserve the blessings of Abraham,” were delivered because Jesus had compassion on them. During his three years of ministry, he was full of compassion, and the only time he marveled because he could only heal a few in a town was when he visited his hometown because of their unbelief. Who are these great multitudes? These great multitudes went up to the feast of the Jews in Jerusalem and met Jesus there. We discover that these great multitudes followed Jesus because Jesus healed the sick among the multitudes from verse two. These multitudes came to Jerusalem to observe their religious duties and customs, and there they met Jesus healing the man who was sick for 38 years and arguing and teaching against the Jews. Were these multitudes mainly the Jews? Since John 5 occurred during the feast of the Jews, most likely, the multitudes were Jews who traveled from other parts of Israel who came to Jerusalem to observe the feast of the Jews. In addition, some who were not Jews came to Jerusalem to conduct business in Jerusalem as many people were gathered in Jerusalem. Were the great multitudes related to one another? During the three feasts of the Jews, all males are to appear before the Lord in Jerusalem. Samaritans cannot go to Jerusalem, so they go to Mount Gerizim. Because all males are to appear during the three feasts of the Jews, the father would take their sons and, at times, take their entire family to Jerusalem. Also, this was done in groups within the villages. Thus, we can find the account of Jesus when he went up to Jerusalem for the first time, and Mary and Joseph thought Jesus was with the crowd on their way back to their town. Most likely, the multitudes were related to one another as relatives and or knew each other very well as their neighbors. How big were the great multitudes? Later part of chapter 6, we find that Jesus feeds five thousand males with two fishes and five barley loaves. Israelites did not count women and children in their numbering, and many scholars believe that the account in chapter 6 was over 20,000+ if women and children were included. Perhaps, the many multitudes might be greater than 20,000+ in chapter 6 verse 1, as Jesus went through Samaria, some might decide not to follow Jesus into Samaria while others went their ways. What were the interests of these multitudes? From verse 2, we find that they were following Jesus because Jesus performed many miracles, and it resulted in healing those who were diseased among them. They were interested in Jesus because Jesus healed the sick. So the multitude followed Jesus from Jerusalem across Samaria and to the Sea of Galilee. Jesus healed all those who came to him for healing. Some followed him from the time Jesus healed the man who was ill for 38 years, while others followed him as Jesus argued against the Jews. Later in chapter 6, we find out that the multitude filled with the bread and fish wanted to make Jesus king by force. Not only Jesus healed all the sick, fed them, and taught well, he was speaking against the rulers and authorities that were oppressing the commoners. Even the twelve disciples were fascinated by Jesus. They followed him because they believed Jesus would free them from Roman occupation and establish a new Jerusalem where the twelve disciples will rule. Did they work? The multitudes were on their way back to their home towns after the feast of the Jews was over when they followed Jesus. Most of them were farmers and shepherds. The feast of the Jews was done after the harvest, so they could spend some time following Jesus before they replant the seeds. Why were they in Jerusalem? They were in Jerusalem to observe the feast of the Jews, as prescribed by God by the Law of Moses. Some may have come to Jerusalem to conduct business, but during the feast of the Jews, Jerusalem was a bustling city packed with people. What caught their attention that they followed Jesus? Jesus healing the man who suffered infirmities for 38 years caught everyone’s attention. Then, Jesus spoke among the Jews in the temple about the things of God, and people were captivated by Jesus’ teachings. Finally, the great multitude followed Jesus because they saw Jesus completely healed their friends’, neighbors’, and relatives’ sicknesses through Jesus’ miracles. They followed Jesus from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee. Where were the twelve disciples of Jesus? John did not give any information about what the twelve disciples were doing when these things were happening. The twelve disciples were mentioned in chapter 4 as they went to Samaria to look for food, and in chapter 6, they were ordered by Jesus to sit the multitude in the grass area to feed them. In the accounts between chapter 4 and chapter 6, we discover that John is highlighting Jesus’ actions and hides the disciples to focus on Jesus’ teachings. The twelve disciples were not the main character that John wanted to illustrate because Jesus was conducting the core of his ministry. Also, the twelve disciples were Jews who had to present themselves before the Lord during the feast of the Jews. Thus, their visit to Jerusalem was a common event for them since their youth. They did what the traditional Jewish customs required them to do, and as Jesus left Jerusalem, the disciples followed Jesus, and the great multitude followed them into Samaria. 3. Jesus must have gone through Samaria, a shorter route than the usual way that the Jews take, because of the account in John 4. Did Jesus take the shortest route cutting through Samaria? In John chapter 4, we find Jesus talking with the Samaritan woman at the well, which dumbfounded the twelve disciples. The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans, especially Samaritan women. From other accounts of Jesus, Jesus often visited the home of Lazarus of Bethany and even resurrected Lazarus. From the four gospels, we can find that he liked to visit the same place multiple times and spend time with those he especially loved. The logical conclusion that we can draw from the Samaritan woman in John 4 is that every time Jesus went to and from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee, he went straight across Samaria, visiting the town where he ministered in chapter 4. The Jews did not have anything to do with the Samaritans, and because the Samaritans were mixed with other races, they were not allowed to go to Jerusalem during the three feasts of the Jews. So instead, they went to Mount Gerizim to celebrate the three feasts of the Jews. If he did, why did he do that? After chapter 4, Jesus broke the barrier between the Jews and the Samaritans, and Jesus has no reason to use the traditional route that the Jews used to avoid Samaria after his ministry in chapter 4. What effect did the account of John 4 of the woman at the well in Samaria have on this journey for Jesus and his disciples? In chapter 4, we find that when the twelve disciples came back to where Jesus was, they saw Jesus speaking with the Samaritan woman and were shocked. But after Jesus spoke with her, and she brought out the people of Samaria to Jesus, they all heard Jesus’ teachings, and they all accepted Jesus as the Messiah. When Jesus visited Samaria in this journey, the content of the journey is not recorded, but this was the first time Jesus visiting Samaria after his ministry in Samaria in chapter 4. The twelve disciples were the eye witness to Jesus’ previous ministry in Samaria, and they probably were one of the first few Jews to enter Samaria. The second visit of Jesus into Samaria with the great multitude must have surprised the Samaritans, and the Samaritans must have welcomed them with great hospitality. Why did the Jews avoid the Samaritans? Josephus reports several unpleasant events; the Samaritans harass the Jewish pilgrims traveling through Samaria between Galilee and Judea. Also, the Jews hated the Samaritans as the Jews did not condone their religious practice. Therefore, when the Jews go to and from Jerusalem to Northern Israel, they will take a longer journey around Samaria to not come in contact with the Samaritans. How would the Samaritans react to the Jews hating on them? The Samaritans, too, hated the Jews, even though they are blood-related. They did not have any dealings with the Jews and also attacked the Jews traveling around Samaria. If the woman at the well in Samaria was the reason for Jesus going through Samaria, did Jesus visit this place often? From the journeys that Jesus took during his three years of ministry, we can easily see that his trips went across Samaria many times. He spent a lot of his time in the Sea of Galilee, but as a Jew, he went down to Jerusalem during the feasts of the Jews. Jesus must have crossed Samaria often, and every time the Samaritans welcomed him and his disciples and wanted to hear from him. Then, why did John not record these journeys in detail? John 21:25 states, “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” John seemed to have selected which accounts to be put into the records while leaving some out redundant. Jesus’ three-year ministry was short but was full of impact and covered large areas of Israel. Jesus traveled all corners of Israel to heal the sick, cast out the demon, and taught the Word of God to the people. Instead of recording each journey in detail, John highlights an account, for example, in chapter 4, the Samaritan woman at the well. Instead of repeating similar reports, he states, “After this,” and moves on. 4. The Samaritans warmly welcomed the great multitudes, and Jesus healed and taught there before going over to the Sea of Galilee. Were the great multitudes Jews? Most likely, the vast multitudes of John 6 were Jews. In chapter 5, we find that the vast multitudes followed Jesus after they had observed the feast of the Jews. Jews who were visiting Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Jews met Jesus and followed Jesus from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee. If they were, why did they go through Samaria following Jesus? When the great multitude followed Jesus into Samaria, they were perplexed at the route Jesus took. Some might have gone back to their home town while others hearing Jesus is going to the Sea of Galilee, took the long journey around Samaria to reach there. But those who followed Jesus ended up enter Samaria. Jesus must have taught them along the journey and healed those who were sick and demon-possessed. This confirmed the great multitude’s belief that following Jesus even into Samaria is something they should do. If they followed Jesus into Samaria, it must have been their first time in Samaria. What were the responses of the Jews and Samaritans in their first interaction? Jews do not have any dealings with the Samaritans, and the same goes for the Samaritans. However, when the great multitude arrived in Samaria with Jesus, they were welcomed by Samaritans. Generally, Middle Eastern culture welcomes anyone who visits them with a warm welcome and takes care of the visitor until they leave. The Samaritans must have seen large dust forming at the horizon as Jesus was bringing the great multitude into the city. As the Jews came into the city, some might have thought about building a defense against them, but this quickly dissipated as they saw the great multitude following Jesus. The Samaritans must have welcomed the Jews with a great warm welcome and gave them water to wash their feet. The water they drew from the well that Jesus met the woman in John chapter 4. As the Jews saw the Samaritans giving them a warm welcome, they were refreshed with the food and drinks that the Samaritans gave them. Jesus gave them teachings and healed all sick and in need before departing to the Sea of Galilee. What were their prejudices against the Samaritans that were shattered when they come into the town? The Jews believed the Samaritans as the savages and were uncleaned. However, as they saw Jesus teaching, healing, and ministering to them, they must have let their guards down. The Jews were welcomed with the same warm welcome that Jesus received, and even though a great multitude in the city was a constraint to the city, the Samaritans greeted them with a warm welcome until they departed out of the city. What did Jesus do in Samaria? Most likely, Jesus did what he did in all other towns: heal the sick, drive out the demons, and teach them about the Kingdom of God. If Jesus healed the sick, cast out the demons, and taught in Samaria, what were the responses of the mixed crowd of the Jews and the Samaritans? Perhaps, in the beginning, the Jews might have felt uncomfortable that Jesus, who was a Jew, ministering onto the Samaritans. But as they received food and hospitality from the Samaritans, their prejudices were shattered, and good relationships began to form. Did the Samaritans harbor hate against the Jews that they did not feed or shelter them, or they welcomed the Jews because of Jesus? In John 4, the Samaritans received Jesus’ teachings and accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Jesus was a Jew, and the fact that the Samaritans accepted him shows that the Samaritans began to open their hearts towards the Jews. When they saw the great multitude of the crowd coming towards their city from the direction of Jerusalem, perhaps they might have thought they need to defend their city. However, when they saw that the front was Jesus, they quickly began to prep the city for the great multitude. The Samaritans welcomed the great multitude of Jews, who were weary from the journey from Jerusalem and must have shared the food they had prepared for their feast at the Mount Gerizim. By sharing such food and spending time together, Jesus brought the two opposition to unity. After this event, did the Jews return to Samaria and visit them, as they have become friends? After this event, some Jews had to return to Jerusalem from the Sea of Galilee. Some followed Jesus, and Jesus went back to Jerusalem after his ministry in the Sea of Galilee for the feast of the Jews, Passover. The Jews probably crossed Samaria from that time forward, and they have become friends. Although the Samaritans cannot come to Jerusalem to worship or to celebrate the feasts of the Jews, the Jews who visited Samaria shared their experiences in Jerusalem worship. The Jews who came into Samaria continued to go through Samaria when they went to Jerusalem or revert to their old ways of avoiding Samaritans? Some traditional Jews might have refused to go through Samaria. However, Jesus traveled across Samaria many times during his three years of ministry, and his followers and the great multitude must have followed him through Samaria.

John 6:1-2, analysis From the observation of John 6:1-2, we have discovered many hidden things that were not apparent. The following are the summary of the observation: 1. It took at least four days to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee 2. Jesus had great multitudes who followed him because Jesus healed all of them 3. Jesus must have gone through Samaria, a shorter route than the normal route that the Jews take, because of the account in John 4. 4. The Samaritans warmly welcomed the multitudes, and Jesus healed and taught there before going over to the Sea of Galilee. To an in-depth analysis of the passage, you reflect on the observed facts. 1. It took at least four days to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee. If it takes at least four days to get from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee, why did John left out the details of the journey? How did the Jews travel in those days? Why did Jesus travel so much from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee to go back to Jerusalem at a later date for the feasts of the Jews? 2. Jesus had great multitudes who followed him because Jesus healed all of them How do we know that Jesus healed all of them? Who are these multitudes? Were these multitudes mainly Jews? Were the great multitudes related to one another? How big were the many multitudes? What were the interests of these multitudes? Did they work? Why were they in Jerusalem? What caught their attention that they followed Jesus? Where are the twelve disciples of Jesus? 3. Jesus must have gone through Samaria, a shorter route than the usual way that the Jews take, because of the account in John 4. Did Jesus take the shortest route cutting through Samaria? If he did, why did he do that? What effect did John 4 account of the woman at the well in Samaria have on this journey for Jesus and his disciples? Why did Jews avoid Samaritans? How would a Samaritans react to the Jews hating on them? If the woman at the well in Samaria was the reason for Jesus going through Samaria, did Jesus visit this place often? Then, why did John not record these journeys in detail? 4. The Samaritans warmly welcomed the great multitudes, and Jesus healed and taught there before going over to the Sea of Galilee. Were the great multitudes the Jews? If they were, why did they go through Samaria following Jesus? If they followed Jesus into Samaria, it must have been their first time in Samaria. What were the responses of the Jews and Samaritans in their first interaction? What were their prejudices against the Samaritans that were shattered when they come into the town? What did Jesus do in Samaria? If Jesus healed the sick, cast out the demons, and taught in Samaria, what were the responses of the mixed crowd of Jews and Samaritans? Did the Samaritans harbor hate against the Jews that they did not feed or sheltered them or they welcomed the Jews because of Jesus? After this event, did the Jews return to Samaria and visit them, as they have become friends? The Jews who came into Samaria, did they continue to go through Samaria when they go to Jerusalem or did they revert to their old ways of avoiding Samaritans? These are some of the obvious questions that we can derive from the observation of the passage. During the analysis phase of the inductive process, the qualities of the questions asked will determine the qualities of the analysis you will do, resulting in quality application and conclusion. When you first begin the analysis phase, your questions might not be as good as you want them to be. There may be many reasons why this may be the case. One of the main reason for it is that you did not spend enough time and energy observing the text. Good observations lead to good analysis.

The first part is the observation process. The observation process is the most critical part of the inductive process. During this process, the observer should try to approach the given text with an objective non-bias view of the given passage. This can be especially difficult for theologically trained with a preconception of the given passage. However, to do an excellent inductive study of the given passage, you must let go of your prejudices of the given passage and try to let the text speak for itself. What does it mean to allow the text to speak for itself? The Bible can speak to us on a personal level through the works of the Holy Spirit. The Scripture was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and it is interpreted through the work of the Holy Spirit. If you have a preconception about a passage, it is difficult for the Holy Spirit to interpret the Scripture as the Holy Spirit wants to. Thus, when we approach a given passage in the Bible, we must read with anticipation that the Holy Spirit speaks through the passage and reread the passage as many times as possible until the Holy Spirit speaks to us. Other than letting the Holy Spirit speak to us through the text, we must learn how to observe the text. The observation of the given text starts by observing the relationship between the pronouns, the nouns, and the verbs. When we glance over the passages in the Bible, we miss many of the hidden meanings and underlying background information that can help us to understand the situation better. By carefully parsing out the individual pronouns, nouns, and verbs, you discover the relationship between each of the parsed out words. John 6:1-2, observation Let's observe John 6:1-2 together. 1. After these things, Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. 2. And a great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. In verse one, we can find that “things” is a noun, “Jesus” and “sea of Galilee” “sea of Tiberias” are pronouns, and “went over” is the verb. From parsing these out and through careful observation, John 6 is a continuation from an event that occurred previously by the word “After.” Each word has a meaning and background information. It is helpful to take time to search the Bible dictionary and supplemental materials to do separate research of each word. To better understand the background, you would have to read the events of John 5. In John 5, Jesus healed a man suffering from infirmities for 38 years and argued with the Jews in Jerusalem. After the confrontation with the Jews, Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee. John did not record the accounts of the journey, but from Jesus’ ministry, we can easily imagine that Jesus healing the man who suffered infirmaries for 38 years and arguing with the Jews stirred up the crowd. The crowd who were in Jerusalem during the feast of the Jews discovered the miracle of Jesus and those who were suffering from their diseases came to Jesus to be healed. This greatly angered the Jews, and after the feast of the Jews, Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, a one to two-week journey along with his disciples and a great number of multitudes. During Jesus’ times, the Romans lay the highways for their soldiers to travel to conquer the known world. Other than the highways, the paths people and animals walked on became a road. These roads were dusty and did not have any shades. People traveling on these roads would depart early to reach the next town What you have to observe in verse 1 is that Jesus was in Jerusalem and went over the Sea of Galilee. The distance between Jerusalem and the Sea of Galilee is over 100 kilometers. If Jesus went straight across Samaria, it would have taken three to four days to reach the Sea of Galilee. Most Jews did not go through Samaria but instead went around Samaria, avoiding that part of the land. It took five to seven days to take this route. In John 4, we find out that Jesus went to Samaria to meet the woman at the well. From the previous account, it is easy to assume that Jesus went straight through Samaria rather than take the long journey around Samaria. When Jesus visited Samaria on the journey to Galilee, the woman at the well and the entire town most likely have greeted him with a warm welcome and all of his multitudes. The Jews who followed Jesus from Jerusalem to Samaria were probably shocked that Jesus went to Samaria, and for most of them, this was their very first trip to Samaria. Jews did not have dealings with the Samaritans, and this was the accepted norm. The Samaritans did not like the Jews, and the Jews did not like the Samaritans. But by Jesus going through Samaria with his disciples and the multitudes, it must have begun to spark a friendship between Jews and Samaritans. The act of visiting itself was a radical act by Jesus, and it disturbed the Jewish order of life. The people who have visited the land of Samaria for the first time must have told their family and friends about the account and what Jesus did while he was there and how the Samaritans welcomed them with the warmth of Middle Eastern welcome. These Jews began to realize that the Samaritans are just like them, and after this event, there must have been open dealings between the Jews and Samaritans. In verse 2, it states that “And a great multitude followed him because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.” From this observation, we can quickly discover that the Jews who followed Jesus followed from Jerusalem to Samaria and the Sea of Galilee. The multitudes followed him after seeing Jesus healed the man who suffered infirmaries from 38 years and arguing with the Jews. Jesus must have healed from Jerusalem to the Sea of Galilee. These multitudes followed Jesus because of the miracles he did on to the multitudes. The multitudes were friends, families, and acquaintances that they knew very well. The multitudes knew their diseases, how long they suffered, and how it was not curable with the medicine that they had. These multitudes were fascinated by the way Jesus taught and argued against the Jews, who were the elites at the time. They saw how Jesus was greeted by the Samaritans and the multitudes of people in Samaria, believing him as the Messiah. There were no diseases that Jesus could not heal and no demons and infirmities that Jesus could not cast out. Jesus healed those who believed on him. During the four day journey to the Sea of Galilee, Jesus may have spent some time at Samaria, replenishing supplies and healing the remainder of Samaria. The event must have been like a great revival where everyone gathered from all corners of Samaria to hear the words of Jesus and to be healed by him. The multitude saw this and was fascinated by Jesus. They usually return to their home town after the feasts of the Jews in Jerusalem. Instead, they followed Jesus to Samaria and were welcomed by the Samaritans because of Jesus. They continued to follow Jesus as sheep without a shepherd.

Although there are some different approaches to inductive analysis, one of the best method of using inductive analysis are as follows: observation, analysis, application, and conclusion. If you were to dedicate one hour into studying a passage inductively, you would allocate about 50-60% of the time in observation, 20-30% of the time in analysis, and 10-20% on both application and conclusion. Each of the steps is to be taken in order. In-depth observation of the passage leads to a richer understanding of the background of the text observing. The reason for spending the bulk of the time in the observation process is because the quality of observation will determine the quality of the analysis and application of the passage. Context is critical in studying the word of God; it helps us to interpret it correctly. The first step into the inductive approach is to study the context of the Scripture. Taking the time and studying the context in detail helps to relieve a lot of the burden of inductive analysis. If you rush into analysis without adequately taking the necessary time to study the context, whether it is background information or the historical events that led up to the given passage, the trainer has a high chance of coming to a wrong conclusion and incorrect application of the Scriptural teaching. A Bible dictionary or history book showing the historical background of the passage that you are trying to make the inductive approach helps you get a better picture of the context of the passage.

Inductive reasoning has been around for centuries. In modern times, attorneys use it to shape an argument before the jury makes various inferences to the event to draw a conclusion that attorneys desire. Of course, the conclusions may not be correct as of the flaws of the inductive argument nature, but a skillful attorney uses the inductive argument to win his case whether the case has any merit or not. Inductive storytelling brings the event into life to the crowd that is hearing it for the first time. It helps to fill in the gaps and voids in the storytelling. Unless you have a camcorder recording the events in 360 degrees in a real-time format, inductive storytelling is the best available format to convey the event. Everyone viewing the same video may differ in their understanding of the event, as their past experiences, memories, and other influences dictate their perception and understanding of the event. For example, one person who has suffered from severe illness may look close to the body movements of the people involved in the video and have a different interpretation than a detective who looks for clues to draw inferences to potential crime captured in the video. Inductive storytelling requires a vivid imagination. God gifts everyone to have an imagination. All buildings and the things that we use daily were created by someone imagining that item from their imagination. An iPhone is an imagination that Steve Jobs and his team imagined into existence in this world, and it has a significant impact on the way the world functions due to its application. We live in an age of information where the world's information is available at our fingertips through our smartphones and digital media. No generation on earth had this much access to information. But, unfortunately, one of the most significant flaws of this generation of information is that too much information caused many people to lose imagination. Television programs, social media, and other digital mediums have replaced our imagination with sensory-stimulating motion pictured media. Instead of using our imagination, we are accustomed to the colorful display of videos and pictures on our screens, numbing our ability to use one of the greatest gifts that God has given us, imagination. When God created the world, I believe that He first imagined what the world would look like and said it into existence. As such, the teacher's ability to create vivid images and pictures into the students' minds dictates the students' level of understanding and comprehension. Likewise, we have the creative ability in our minds to imagine things that are not in existence, and with our imagination, we can create things into existence through the gifts and talents God has given to us. A good teacher who uses inductive techniques can manipulate the student's mind to think outside of the student's normal thinking process through the narrative process. The teacher's creative ability to unlock the imagination in the student's mind to think beyond what the student was able to comprehend dictates the student's success.