Introduction to the Study

Lesson 1

In general, I prefer a verse-by-verse approach to Bible Study. This format ensures several things. First, you can’t skip the difficult passages. Everything must be addressed. Second, Context is hugely important. “if you torture the data long enough, it will confess to anything.” Meaning that taking things out of context can help you manipulate text to say whatever your presuppositions prefer.

Taking in the “whole counsel of God” denies lies. This includes not only a specific context, but everything is confirmed across scripture. This helps us to not misinterpret things. Whether on purpose or accident. For example, if we are discussing baptism and a point that we find disagrees with the other areas of the word that we investigate, we need to reevaluate what our inclinations are in the first scripture.

The only certain barrier to truth is the assumption that you already have it. And sometimes we do have it! But we should continue to investigate God’s word with an openness of heart. Approaching God with the heart that you are an unteachable and all-knowing person blocks Him from delivering a truth to you but also puts you in a position of omnipotence, and therefore, assumption that you are god. Approaching God as a teachable servant, even (and especially) in areas you feel very studied and established in allows you to hear a new aspect or understanding or grasping that you may have never known or grasped before. If you did already correctly grasp an item of God’s word, then an open mind will twice over confirm your faith in the humility that God chose to remind and refresh you again in it.

In this study we will be less on the verse by verse but more on the account-by-account approach to the gospels simultaneously. We will also be spending significant time in confirming scriptures outside of the gospels. We will investigate how and why God acts to fulfill His plan “A” for us and all of humanity. God does not use work arounds or re-routes. He also does not operate like the human mind. He operates outside of time constraints. He does not reveal without purpose. He does not love haphazardly. He trains and equips and trains again. When He does reveal and train, He expects action in faith on our part. Yet He is patient and kind. He is the sum of the fruit of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit. Let us taste and see that the Lord is good!

As we go, it is your duty to invest in your relationship with your savior. Spend time, give thought, invest financially, if necessary, deal with difficult things, do it with friends and brothers in Christ, and most of all, grow in Love! Question and confirm what you believe and question what others tell you, especially me! I don’t want to make a mistake in my understanding and spread that error to you or anyone.