LAST EVENING MY WIFE, DORY, AND I HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT BIBLE STUDIES
~ And while we both agreed on the necessity for, and importance of,
weekly Bible studies, we disagreed on how they should be, or could be,
led. She suggested that most Bible studies today use Pre-Written Bible
Study Guides and I am strongly opposed to the use of Pre-Written Study
Guides for leading an effective Bible study.
The funny thing is that we both agree that the most effective and most
enjoyable Bible studies we have attended in past years have been
Expository Bible Studies, where we take a book of the Bible and study
through it verse by verse. Whereas most Pre-Written Study Guides are
Topical studies.
Typically the way our past studies have been led is
that the Bible Study Leader will open in a short prayer, then give a
very brief description of the book to be studied. Then starting with
the study leader, we each read a verse, or possibly a short passage when
appropriate, and the that person will share what he/she believes God is
telling us in that verse/passage.
At that point others may offer an expansion of the readers comment, or
may have a different understanding of that verse/passage. Others may
offer agreement, expansion, or even another view. The beauty of this
style of reading, then discussing verse by verse is that everyone, from
Youth to Senior, may participate in open discussion with no criticism of
any participants views.
Then the Bible Study Leader should bring the
discussion back into focus, i.e., look again at what is written
in the Bible. That is why this person is called a Bible Study Leader
and not a Bible Study Teacher. He/she "leads" the discussion, but does
not take the role of teacher, as in a sermon style study.
That is how a Conversational Bible Study is conducted. True, if a group
has been accustomed to having a Bible Study Sermon for a long time - it
may take a few sessions for everyone to become comfortable with a study
where we each participate and not just listen, while trying not to fall
asleep. Once the transition has been undertaken, your group will
become a truly dynamic Bible Study Group.
Now let's discuss some of the pros and cons Dory and I discussed, or was suggested, last evening:
1. Using a Pre-Written Bible Study Guide: My main objection with this style of Bible study is that ALL Pre-Written Bible Study Guides are written to be a "one size fits all" guide. That is rather like schools which "grades on a curve"
- so that no one is left behind, and everyone gets a good grade.
That
does not work in real life, nor does it work in effectively studying
God's Word. In such study guides the questions are dumbed down to the
simplest form to include everyone, instead of causing everyone to dig
deeper into the meaning of a verse or passage.
Do some, at times, get left behind in a discussion style Bible study?
Possibly, for a moment. That has happened to me. In 1991 I was a
relatively new believer who had not delved into prophecy, especially End
Times Prophecy. In 1991 Iraq invaded Kuwait during the Gulf War and in
their retreat, Iraq set the Kuwait oil fields on fire - causing the
skies to be black with smoke.
Those darkened skies caused Bible study
leaders around the globe to jump into the study of End Times. And our
study did just that. Our study leader, Tom Fletcher, began our study
talking about the Rapture, the Tribulation, etc., taking us knee deep into End Times Prophecy, while I was still wading in an ankle deep understanding of prophecy.
That evening I was totally lost, having no idea what Tom meant by the
Rapture, Tribulation, and other such teachings. I kept my mouth shut
all evening, rather than show my level of Biblical illiteracy. BUT, I
went home that night determined to understand End Time Prophecy. And
for the past 30 years I have been studying, and at times leading Bible
studies, on End Times Prophecy.
That style of Conversational / Discussion style Bible study worked for
me, causing me to dig deeper into Scripture. And it can work for
everyone the same, if given a chance. Using a Pre-Written Bible Study
Guide seldom, if ever, gives such an effective result. One size does
not fit all. And a sermon style Bible study only helps cure Insomnia.
2. Bible Study Guides help those Leaders with limited time to prepare:
Then they should step aside and let someone else who has more time lead
the study. I had a similar situation at our IBBC-Riverside church.
Danny Garcia and I were asked to lead the Seniors Sunday School Class
which I was happy to do, not realizing I faced one big obstacle:
Filipino Seniors, even though they speak English, are more comfortable
studying the Bible in their Tagalog language.
We found that Danny
leading in Tagalog was much more effective and had better participation
than me leading in English. I stepped aside and not to be a distraction
in the Seniors Class, I went to sit, as a participant, in the Adult
Sunday School Class led by Ben Gallardo.
But that makes me wonder, are Seniors not considered Adults? Just
curious why Seniors, Adults, and Youth have to be segregated instead of
studying together. And many church fellowships break the study of God's
Word into many more distinctive groupings. I have seen some churches
with as many as 20 different Bible Study / Sunday School Class groups.
Dory get aggravated when I ask if God has authored a Men's Bible, a
Women's Bible, a Youth Bible, etc. But I feel that is a valid
question. Has God authored 20 different Bibles - or has man written
those distinctions into God's Word? Think about it!
3. A Bible Study Leader Does Not Have To Be A Bible Scholar,
only a person who will take the time to prepare for the upcoming
study. I am reminded of a seminar I attended in the early 1970s,
presented by a large brokerage firm, I believe Merrill Lynch, to recruit
new sales persons, aka, financial planners. Several guys in
blue suits were presenting the seminar, while a local vice president
stood on the sidelines.
During the Q&A session I raised the question: "Is it illegal for
a Merrill Lynch sales agent, financial planner, to invest in the same
investment properties he/she is recommending?"
The vice president fielded my question, and with a laugh said, "You
are suggesting that we have inside information. If we did, we would be
out on our yacht instead of in this seminar. Right? We do not have
any more information than you do." And of course, my first thought then was, "If that is true, why should I trust you to invest my money?" Investing your money is one thing, investing in your eternal salvation is very much another.
4. You Want A Bible Study Leader Who Has The Time To Prepare - using the only "One Size Fits All"
book, the Bible - and does not depend upon a Pre-Written Study Guide as
a crutch for not being prepared. Would you take your car to an auto
mechanic who is using an "Auto Repair For Dummies" book?
Studying God's Word is very important, for both the leader and the
participants, meaning that both should prepare ahead of time.
No, Dory and I did not go into this level of discussion last evening.
But our discussion led me into deeper thoughts on the subject of Bible
Study. Your Bible study evenings should cause you to have deeper
thoughts on the meaning of God's Word also.
In a Bible study, it is okay to disagree if we are discussing
Non-Essential Christian Doctrines. But we should never disagree on the
Essential Christian Doctrines. And prayerfully, at the end of a good
Bible study, most disagreements will have been worked out.
But if not,
as long as the Essentials are correct - the Non-Essentials will not
affect one's eternal salvation. They merely give good points for
discussion - and they are important in digging more deeply into God's
Word, which will make YOU a more effective Christian witness.
Usually
when a person holds a different view of Eschatology, i.e., End Times Prophecy, than me - I do not argue, I merely tell that person, "On the way UP, we both will know the Truth" - and leave it at that. That leaves us good Christian brethren, both looking toward that final promotion into eternity.
If you are not sure which Christian Doctrines are Essential to your eternal salvation - and which are Non-Essential, i.e., do
not determine your eternal salvation, these two short videos will
help. Over the years I have created and refined them to be useful in
personal studies and possibly in small group studies. Each frame can be
halted for discussion:
New Bible Study Intro Videos - Essential and Non-Essential Christian Doctrines
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_YT3Rttutri61xd6wmbOD7y0uibrt8KD
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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