This is adapted from the book Inductive Bible Study by Dr. Kenneth Acha.
| Inductive Spirit and Mindset | Deductive Spirit and Mindset |
| Is humble, | Is prideful, |
| Is teachable, | Is unteachable, |
| Radically open-minded; shows radical openness to the evidence and will follow it wherever it leads. | Radically close-minded; shows little commitment to the evidence |
| Always leaves room for the possibility that more evidence exists than we can now see or understand. So, willingly considers new evidence. | Closes the door for the possibility of new evidence. |
| Seeks to let the facts of the Bible speak for themselves, | Has an agenda and wants to make the Bible support it, |
| They seek the truth even if it contradicts what they initially thought, | They seek to get the Scriptures to say what their itching ears want to hear, |
| Are like the Berean Jews (Acts 17:11), | Are like the Thessalonian Jews (Acts 17:11), |
| Willingly gathers and fairly and fully considers all the evidence (both that which supports their view and that which doesn’t), | Only seeks evidence that supports their views, |
| Consult/engage in discussion with others, including through commentaries. Consider carefully the interpretations of others (including those with whom they disagree) to see if they can learn something from them. | May not consult, and when it’s done, they only choose teachers who say what their itching ears want to hear (2 Tim. 4:3). They seek to silence any dissenting voices. |
| They are not afraid of what the text may say if allowed to speak for itself because they know that the truth, and nothing but the truth, is what sets free and saves, | They are afraid that the truth might wash away the foundation of sand that their lives are built on and cause their lives to come crashing down. So, they try to control Bible study to arrive at the conclusions that keep them safe, |
| Acknowledges (with action) that we all have presuppositions that can creep into our interpretations and consciously works to mitigate them. | Often acts as though they are free of presuppositions. |
| Willing to change their mind if new, clear evidence becomes available, | Unwilling to change their minds even if the evidence says so. They often hide their close-mindedness under a cloak of faith. They think faith is being unteachable. |
| Inferences/conclusions are evidence-based and tentative/conditional, | Inferences/conditions are dogmatic/dictatorial and unchangeable, |
| Talks in a way that shows that they allow room for the fact that they could be wrong. They could have interpreted the evidence wrongly, or there might be another Bible passage that provides more evidence that they didn’t know or consider. | They speak in absolute terms as though they are sure they are right, and nothing can change that. |
| Speaks in terms of probability. If the probability of their conclusion is so high, they speak with certainty. If it is low, they reserve judgment. | Speaks in absolutely certain terms on most issues. |
| This mindset promotes growth | This mindset hinders growth |
| These leaders lead and encourage communities where people can share different views and be allowed to show from the Scriptures why they hold that view. | Leaders lead communities that ostracize or persecute those who believe that biblical evidence points in a different direction than the leader or church community is taking. They often brainwash followers into believing that those who believe differently are simply blinded to the truth, which is only discerned spiritually. In some cases, followers are afraid to engage, assess different viewpoints, and examine the Scripture for themselves for fear that they may lose their faith or become tricked into following what is unbiblical. Trapped in this state, the leader is the only interpreter of truth. That is the kind of stuff that cults are built from. |
