Making the Bible more than a Subject

Pair Up

Discuss a particularly impactful Bible study you’ve attended. What what it an impactful study?

The Divine Origin of Scripture

2 Tim.3:16a “All Scripture is breathed out by God...”

This fact alone makes it different from any other text we read.

Deut.4:33 “Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and still live?”

Scripture has a Purpose

Isa.55:10-13 ““For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.””

Notice that this isn’t a blank promise, which is how we sometimes quote it, right?

The Four-Fold Purpose of Scripture

2 Tim.3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,”

The first two, teaching and reproof, deal with our thinking…with our knowledge…with our understanding.

Teaching: communicating right and true thoughts about God and His creation.

Reproof: exposing and convicting us of untrue thoughts about God and His creation.

The second two, correction and training in righteousness, deal with our response to truth.

Correction: improving something according to a standard.

Training in righteousness: discipline that corrects disobedience.

To sum it up, Scripture is teaching us how to think about God and creation and how to live according to this truth.

So, this is a little more of the theoretical, but let’s turn to the practical.

What Type of Text are we Teaching?

Narrative text?

Think in terms of literary structure — Context/setting, Rising Action, Climax, Resolution.

Prophetic text?

Remember that prophecy can have “near and far” fulfillments.

Has the prophecy been fulfilled?

How is Jesus the fulfillment?

Poetic text?

Look for parallel ideas.

There will often be pictures and images. (Easterners think in pictures, westerners think in logic)

Wisdom literature functions similarly.

NT letters?

Typically arranged in main point, sub-point, and supporting thought structures.

Apocalyptic?

Highly symbolic, using drastic images to communicate actual truth.

How do we Bridge from Theory to Response

Try and find the main idea of the text.

Summarize the main idea of the text in an applicable truth.

Concentrate on emphasizing how the text communicates this point.

Effective Communication

If you aren’t convinced of the truth, it will be difficult to lead others to embrace it.

Ask questions that led people to discover truth for themselves.

Be comfortable with silence.

Affirm correct conclusions and gently correct wrong conclusions.

Invite others to speak.

Show value to everyone by listening and understanding them.

Relate spiritual truths to everyday life, and include personal examples when possible.

Model truth.

Feel free to use emotion, but don’t fake it.

Consider using object lessons.

Lecture isn’t always the best option.

Don’t be fake…students see it a mile away.

Draw or write, use media, etc.

Be clear and specific about the demands of Scripture.

Give clear assignments and challenges.

Lesson organization:

Excite

Explore

Experience

Now You Try

Let’s pick a passage of Scripture...

Let’s work through the model together.