Re-Write

Outline

Scripture Reading

Dive Deep

Go Long

Build Up

Re-Write

Prayer

Pray Your Heart

Air It Out

Take a Walk

Pray The Scriptures

Journal

The What

Although most you you could probably guess what this Bible Reading method is, we are still going to talk about the what.

This one, along with Go Long, are probably the simplest methods.

The Re-Write method is exactly what it sounds like. Re-writing Scripture.

The How

All you have to do is pick a book of the Bible, grab a pen and paper or journal, and you’re going to re-write everything, word for word until you finish the book.

That’s it. That’s the method.

Now just some quick tips before I move on to talking about the why of this method.

From people I’ve seen do this method, I have often seen people make apply this plan to the 4 gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

While you can use this plan for any book of the Bible, I do think there is something particularly unique about applying this to the 4 gospels. But let me say why as we talk about the why of this method.

The Why

The what and the how were really quick and simply but I think the why is most important

The first reason as to the why of this plan is a word we have used before - Context

Now I use that word context for two reasons:

Scriptural

Historical

Scriptural

When I say Scriptural context, I am referring to the verses of Scripture and how the correspond and relate to one another within the contexts of an authors thought, an authors letter, or an author entire body of work.

For instance, if you were to examine on a surface level, the Biblical author John he used the phrase “the world” quite often.

The three areas of Scriptural context would refer to

What does John mean by world in this thought

What does John mean by world in this letter

How does john use the phrase the world throughout all his letters, and is this one different

Now all of that to say this about this particular method. Using the Biblical author John, you could take this plan and embark to re-write all of John’s body of work

That is:

The Gospel of John

1,2,3 John

Revelation

This method helps with Scriptural context simply by the intentionality this plan takes. By re-writing, word for word, what the author wrote, you can begin to see the authors thought process and intent in writing this.

And what I just said actually moves us to an important point and its context point number 2

Historical Context

This method I think, is one of the best for teaching a Christian, at any stage in their journey with Christ, the historical context of Scripture

You see, sometimes we can either believe, or we have never actually heard how we got this thing called the Bible.

Now this isn’t going to be a full history lesson on that - that’s a topic for its own video

However, sometimes it can seem like this Bible was just descended from the clouds, just as it is in front of you but that’s just not the case.

Each book of the Bible has a both a human and divine author. The Divine author - God

The human author however, was a person living in a particular time in history, writing to a particular people for a particular reason.

Take our example of the Biblical author John

In his Gospel, he sat and penned that book, originally as a letter. As something to be read and distributed to others.

How do we know this? John tells us. Like any good writer of a letter, he tells us why he wrote the letter

John 20:30-31

John 20:30–31 CSB

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

So when we talk about why the re-write method is important, it’s in part because this places you, in the best place to understand how this book your are reading came to be and how to understand what you are reading.

To sit and re-write the authors words, word for word is to help understand that when they wrote this, they wrote it for a reason with a particular meaning.

This then loops back around and helps with Scriptural context

For instance, a verse that almost everyone knows including people who aren’t Christian is Philippians 4:13

Philippians 4:13 CSB

I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.

This verse has been applied to “say” and “mean” many different things.

But if you were to apply this plan, you would recognize, Paul didn’t write this to mean that I can excel in this sporting event, he didn’t write it as some general encouraging statement to put on a coffee mug to encourage you to be able to finish all your work and chores that are stacking up for the day.

By re-writing Paul’s own words, you would see that He is in prison and suffering dearly as a result, yet he can be content, that is he can be at peace with his hard situation because Jesus has given him strength to be able to. To be able to be at peace, suffering in prison with little food and non of the comforts of this life.

The Re-write method is a method that