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Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

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Bible Study Isn’t Just for Yourself

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Jonathan Parnell’s beautiful piece reminds us that we don’t read the Bible for ourselves alone. We read and study for our children, for the watching world, and for future generations.

The goal of Christian maturity is not merely that I might get along better in life, but that I might, being glad in the glory of Jesus, love more like Jesus did. The aim behind Bible-reading, after all, is not some kind of black-hole holiness — that theoretical moralism that envisions character in isolation from others — but rather, that we might learn how to roll up our sleeves for the people God has placed in our lives. In other words, we don’t just read the Bible to read, we read it to walk.

Check it out!

Teach Bible Study to an 8-Year-Old

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Last week, I asked my class what God had taught them so far this year through our study of Romans. Here’s what I got:

I’ve learned that I can’t please God by keeping the law, doing good deeds, or through church rituals.

I learned that Abraham was justified by faith.

Everyone is sinful and needs righteousness from Jesus.

I learned what circumcision means.

No joke. These four remarks came from a group of 3rd-to-5th grade boys in our local AWANA club class. My friend Jeff and I have had the honor of teaching these boys since the beginning of September. The AWANA program focuses on Scripture memory, and our 30-minute teaching time gave us the opportunity to develop the boys with the skills not only to memorize verses but also to read and study larger passages.

Third grade classWhen I asked them what they’ve learned so far, I honestly had low expectations about what they’d say—and shame on me. Their answers delightfully shocked me and showed me evidence of God’s powerful work through his word.

And here’s what I’ve learned in the process.

1. Read the Bible

These kids can handle more than we brilliant adults usually think they can handle. So Jeff and I decided not to use a specialized curriculum to drive our class. We’d simply read the book of Romans and talk about it with the kids. We started at Romans 1:1. We’d read a verse, ask some questions, read the next verse, and continue week after week. It’s tempting to think these children need pre-packaged guidance from experts who have never met them. But we wanted them to get used to hearing the voice of their God who knitted them in the womb.

On the first week of class, I told the boys we’d have a special visitor with us every week. “He’s an old, old teacher. His voice breaks the oak trees in Park Forest, and he moves Mount Nittany out of his way to get here. He will speak to us in this very classroom. You can’t see him, but a silly thing like that won’t stop us from hearing him.”

Wide-eyed, they took a minute to figure out who this teacher would be. But once they realized it, they were ready to hear him. From time to time, I could quiet rowdy chatter by asking one of them to read the next verse to the class. I’d then project my voice and say, “Quiet! God is about to speak to you through [reader’s name]. You’ll want to hear this.”

2. Know the main point

Classes went well when we came prepared with a clear main point to focus on. And by “main point,” I mean the main point of the passage and not the main point of whatever we decided the children needed to hear that day. The lessons that stuck (see the first three quotes above) were the ones where they could see the main point right from the text. It made those lessons clear and memorable, and it gave the boys something to return to every time they read Romans from here on out.

3. Observe the structure

The structure of the passage gives them a summary of key lessons. The children struggled in classes when we didn’t have a clear structure, because a long verse-by-verse stream of consciousness wouldn’t hold their attention. But when we could show them, paragraph by paragraph, what Paul was saying—breaking down the argument into simple chunks—they were much more engaged.

4. Make them observe the text

The children loved to answer questions. And they loved to shout out whatever answers came to mind. But we refused to accept any answer that didn’t have a verse number attached to it. Week after week, we had to remind them that the answer to every question was right in the passage we had just read. Now that the year’s almost over, they’ve gotten it. Most questions produce a corporate nose-dive effect, where most heads in the room bow down to examine the text.

5. Define terms

We didn’t use children’s Bibles or work books. We wanted to give each child the confidence to open, read, and understand his own Bible. Most of them had the NIV, so that’s the version we taught from.

This means we had to deal with “atonement,” “righteousness,” “justification,” “Gentiles,” “reconciliation,” and “circumcision.” We had great fun on the day we dealt with that last term, which is why it showed up in quote #4 above. Though some boys won’t stop giggling at the term, most have learned from it how earthy and relevant the Bible is.

6. Illustrate everything

I need to work on this one more. Our application time had some rough spots. But one highlight came when we discussed Romans 6:15-18, and we talked about the start of soccer season. Sin is like your coach from last year. Jesus is like your new coach this year. Choosing to sin is like scoring goals on your own net just because the opposing team is led by the coach you played for last year.

 

We didn’t complete the book of Romans, as I had expected. We’d cover 2-3 verses per week at first, but now we’re up to 10-15. I hope we can cook through chapter 7 in these next few classes and land on Romans 8:1 in the last week. But it was worth it to adjust my expectations to give the boys time to really get it.

And we haven’t discussed OIA principles at all; we’ve merely practiced them every week. Our intention has been to inspire them with confidence to read and study the Bible on their own. We can give them helpful terminology for the process another time.

It’s great fun to see them learning to study the Bible. Next year, Jeff and I might get to teach the girls’ class, and we’ll have to reconsider how to handle “circumcision” then… Suggestions are welcome.

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Making Use of the Sermon to Teach Bible Study to Kids

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Parents, you have a weekly opportunity to train your children to study the Bible. It’s taken me some time to realize it. Perhaps this nudge will help you take advantage of it as well.

Erik Raymond writes about “Helping Children Benefit from the Sermon.” He offers tips for both parents and pastors. Parents, have you considered:

  • Reading the sermon text before church?
  • Asking the children questions about the text?
  • Praying together for the preacher?
  • Asking and expecting your children to take notes or draw pictures about the sermon?
  • Reviewing the children’s notes after church?
  • Praying together for what God taught you?

Raymond’s ideas challenged and encouraged me. I encourage you to check it out.

How to See Clearly When Looking for Jesus in the Old Testament

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James Demetrie (2010), Creative Commons

James Demetrie (2010), Creative Commons

When you read the Old Testament, I hope you’re looking for Jesus. Otherwise, you’re in danger of sucking from the fountain without first pushing the button to get the water flowing (John 5:39-40).

But many are afraid of getting it wrong, and for good reason. We see no lack of grumpy scholars waiting eagerly to dispense demerits to the simple, uneducated folk who draw superficial conclusions and chase christological apparitions through the pages of Hebrew Scripture. We outgrew the Alexandrians long ago, and we’re tired of hearing about the blood of Jesus—I mean Rahab’s scarlet cord—every time a newbie gets a hankering to Jesusify his devotional life.

I’ll confess I’ve served my time as one of the grumps. And I’ve been known to chase an apparition or two. Is help available?

Help!

I recently came across a valuable quote about the nature of biblical typology. Before I give you the quote, however, let me define a few terms. Trust me; it’ll be worth it.

  • Typology is the technical term for what we’re talking about. It’s the process of recognizing specific pictures or shadows of Jesus (or his attributes) in the Old Testament.
  • Types are the Old Testament pictures or shadows. Something is typical if it serves as a type.
  • Antitypes are the New Testament realities pictured by the types.
  • To typify is to purposefully put those pictures or shadows there, intending to communicate a deeper reality of something to come.
Len Matthews (2014), Creative Commons

Len Matthews (2014), Creative Commons

So, when Paul says “the Rock was Christ” (1 Cor 10:4), he recognizes typology. The rock from which Moses drew water was a type that pictured Christ the antitype who gives living water. Paul suggests that Moses wrote of this typical Rock in order to typify what Jesus would later do.

Now that you have the lingo, you’re ready for the quote:

A type can never be a type independently of its being first a symbol. The gateway to the house of typology is at the farther end of the house of symbolism.

This is the fundamental rule to be observed in ascertaining what elements in the Old Testament are typical, and wherein the things corresponding to them as antitypes consist. Only after having discovered what a thing symbolizes, can we legitimately proceed to put the question what it typifies, for the latter can never be aught else than the former lifted to a higher plane. The bond that holds type and antitype together must be a bond of vital continuity in the progress of redemption. Where this is ignored, and in the place of this bond are put accidental resemblances, void of inherent spiritual significance, all sorts of absurdities will result, such as must bring the whole subject of typology into disrepute. Examples of this are: the scarlet cord of Rahab prefigures the blood of Christ; the four lepers at Samaria, the four Evangelists. (Geerhardus Vos, Biblical Theology, Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1948, pp. 145-6)

Vos goes on to use the example of the tabernacle in Exodus. The tabernacle clearly symbolized God’s presence among his people, and this symbol was clear to the original audience of Exodus. We can take that symbol (God dwelling with his people) and look to the New Testament for its development and fulfillment. Jesus is the new tabernacle, the Word become flesh who dwells among us (John 1:14). His body is the new temple (John 2:19-22). He is Emmanuel, God with us (Matt 1:22-23). He is with us to the end of the age (Matt 28:20).

And with his Spirit in us, we are also God’s new tabernacle/temple, both individually (1 Cor 6:19) and corporately (Eph 2:21-22, 1 Tim 3:15). So the Old Testament tabernacle is a type of both Christ and his body, and the pathway to recognizing the type is to first recognize the original symbol.

How do we do this?

Vos is on to something here, but I think he overstates it a bit. He goes too far to require a type to first be a symbol in the Old Testament passage. By his definition, Paul would be wrong about the Rock in 1 Cor 10:4 (since it doesn’t clearly symbolize anything in the book of Exodus).

However, Vos uncovers useful boundaries that prevent us from befriending the deep end of typological interpretation.

  1. Consider the history. OT characters really existed, and OT events really happened. Our interpretation of the OT will go wrong if it treats the history as irrelevant.
  2. Consider the original context. Always ask what the OT passage meant to the original audience. If your interpretation takes you to Christ in a manner wholly divorced from the original meaning, you’re out of bounds.
  3. Fight for the main point. When the main point of the OT passage leads you to Christ, many of the details are sure to follow. But when you lead with the details, you might leave the point behind. And when you find Jesus, he’ll send you back where you came from with his trademark “Have you never read…?” (Matt 12:3, 5; 19:4; 21:16, 42; 22:31; Mark 2:25, 12:10, 26; Luke 6:3).

 

Don’t Neglect the Lesser-Known Commands of God

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I spend most of my time on this blog focusing on the main points of passages. I’ve said we should fight for them and move our study groups toward them. I’ve even promised to follow this practice on point #2 of this welcome page. But in the interest of balance and completeness, I must take some time this day to highlight some of the lesser-known commands of God.

These commands are no less inspired than the biggies. Of course we should love God and love our neighbor; nobody denies this. But that’s not all God wants us to do! The problem with most churches today is that we’ve lost our commitment to God’s word, and we run afoul of God’s explicit will for our lives. And not only do we practice such things, but we also give hearty approval to those who flout these plain imperatives with a high hand. I’m speaking of all those supposed “Christians,” “pastors,” and “disciples” who ignore the clear and plain sense of commands such as:

  • “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Drink, be drunk and vomit, fall and rise no more'” (Jer 25:27).
  • “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Set on the pot, set it on'” (Ezek 24:3).
  • “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom” (Hos 1:2).
  • “Come to Bethel, and transgress; to Gilgal, and multiply transgression” (Amos 4:4).
  • “You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so” (1 Kings 22:22).

I mean, who really does these things? I wish I could join a truly faithful church, but I have yet to find one. And we can’t simply claim ignorance of the prophets, either. Jesus was just as clear:

  • “Leave the dead to bury their own dead” (Luke 9:60).
  • “Why were you looking for me?” (Luke 2:49).
  • “Go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up” (Matt 17:27).
  • “Take nothing for your journey” (Luke 9:3).

The Bible is full of imperatives that couldn’t be any clearer. I’d love to hear what other commands have impacted you over the years, so we can encourage one another to greater faithfulness.

And may this first day of April inspire a new season of fruitful Bible study for those among the chosen remnant. “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah” (Rom 9:29).

Please Help Me Decide What to Do Next

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Spring sprung a leak in Happy Valley this year, and a snowstorm was our reward. No joke. But by faith, I trust new life is on its way. “All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come” (Job 14:14).

I’m trying to figure out what to blog about next, and I’d like your help. What sorts of posts have you found most helpful? What would you like to see more of? What would help you learn to study the Bible better?

I’ve done longer series on the following topics:

I’ve written some shorter series as well:

I have some more ideas, but I’d like to know what would be most useful to you:

  • Sample Bible studies through another book of the Bible
  • Big Bible concepts made simple (tracing major themes through the Scripture)
  • How to train others to lead Bible studies
  • How to use commentaries and other resources well
  • Recommended commentaries that promote OIA (observe, interpret, apply) Bible study

Do any of these ideas resonate with you? Do you have any others? What would you like to see on the blog that would help ordinary people learn to study the Bible?

Feel free to comment below or on the Facebook page. Your ideas may trigger further ideas for others. If you’d prefer to keep your suggestions private, however, please use the contact form.

Thank you for your help!

John Piper’s Advice for Reading the Bible

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I don’t hesitate to assert that OIA (observe, interpret, apply) is the best method you can use to study the Bible. But in asserting this, I must make clear that it is not the terminology that matters but the substance. Many Bible teachers do excellent OIA Bible study without calling it “OIA Bible study.”

Case in point: John Piper. In this article entitled “How to Read the Bible for Yourself,” he explains his methodology for reading the Bible. And he never uses the words “observe” or “interpret.” He uses “apply” one time.

But he speaks of reading, understanding, noticing, and asking questions. He pushes for life change. And he packages his ideas in a few simple points:

  1. Read for the author’s meaning, not your own
  2. Ask questions to unlock the riches of the Bible
  3. At every page, pray and ask for God’s help

I commend Piper’s summary to you as another angle on how to study the Bible. Check it out!

 

A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible

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As a young missionary and student of the Bible, I once received counsel to check out certain commentaries written by scholars who didn’t believe the Bible to be true. This counselor wasn’t trying to lead me away from the true faith but toward it, because he suggested, “Many liberal scholars are more willing than conservatives to take the Bible at face value. Since they don’t care what the Bible says, they have nothing to lose by being honest about its message.” Having grown tired of endless word studies and thin defenses of dogmatic opinions on every page of some conservative commentaries, I gave it a try.

And I began learning to read the Bible as a work of literature.

(Please note: Not all commenters are created equal. Some unbelieving scholars take offense at the Bible’s message and seek to undermine it at every turn. I’m not writing about them, but about their colleagues who approach the Bible with more indifference than aggression.)

This approach helped me for a time, leading me to learn from brilliant (though spiritually foolish) writers how beautiful and well-written the Scriptures are. I learned how important structure was to ancient authors. I gained a keener eye for devices like characterization, comparison and contrast, inclusio (bookends), and repetition. I realized how important the original audience is to our interpretation. I learned to set aside my preconceptions, since I often had to suspend my disgust for the commentator’s assumptions in order to sharpen my ability to observe the text and delight in the ancient artistry.

Enter Leland Ryken.

Dr. Ryken showed me that I didn’t have to simmer in unbelieving scholarship in order to read the Bible for what it is: literature.

One of my earliest “wow” experiences was being required to read selections from Ryken’s Words of Delight: A Literary Introduction to the Bible for a seminary course. The book was so good, I finished it on my own as soon as the course ended. And I’ve returned to it regularly ever since.

Ryken teaches college-level English and trusts God’s word. I praise God for his service to the kingdom of God in our generation, through his teaching career and long list of published works. And I was delighted when this man I deeply respect was willing to endorse Knowable Word.

Crossway caught my eye when they offered me a copy of Ryken’s recent work, A Complete Handbook of Literary Forms in the Bible, in exchange for an honest review. This handbook appeared to be a useful tool for any student’s library.

And Ryken’s Handbook delivers on a grand scale. Ryken gets literature, and he gets the Bible.

The Handbook lists about 270 different forms Bible passages follow and gives definitions, explanations, and examples for each form. The handbook’s introduction explains why literary form matters: Writers communicate meaning through form. If we ignore form, we often miss the meaning. There is no content in the Bible communicated without a form. And a biblical understanding of inspiration requires us to recognize the inspiration of not only words and content but also the shape those words take.

Ryken explains:

The most obvious lesson that this handbook reveals is that the Bible is much more infused with literary forms and techniques than we realize. In fact, I predict that anyone who browses in this book for ten minutes will be shocked by the extent to which literary forms and techniques are present in the Bible. (Kindle loc. 381)

Dr. Ryken is a prophet indeed. The Handbook will help you understand forms like soliloquy, three-plus-one motifs, parody, insult, irony, hero stories, fantasy, foreshadowing, envelope structure, apostrophe, coming-of-age stories, stories of villainy, and lament psalms, to name but a small percentage of forms.

I would imagine using this reference often, except for one significant flaw that undermines its usefulness to average Bible readers like me. It has no Scripture index. This handbook is useful only to those already familiar with the extensive literary terms. If I’m reading Job 3, and I want to learn more about how soliloquies work, this handbook offers a marvelous explanation. But if I’ve never heard the term soliloquy, the handbook will be of no use to me.

I would give this book 5 stars if it had a Scripture index tying Bible references to the names of literary forms found in them. Without such an index, unfortunately, I can’t see most readers benefitting from this handbook—unless they’re either steeped in the terminology of literature or reading other reference works making use of that terminology.

You can find the Handbook at Amazon.

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Amazon links in this post are affiliate links. If some people care about this blog by reading it, how much more do those care who click the links and thus support the blog at no cost to themselves. That’s an example of an a fortiori literary form, which I learned about from Ryken’s Handbook.

A Simple Guide to Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament

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Kevin Halloran offers a simple guide to seeing Jesus in the Old Testament. He offers two simple steps and three helpful questions to guide us.

Two steps:

  1. Study the passage in its original context.
  2. Look for connections and work to understand it in its broader context.

Three questions:

  1. Does the New Testament say anything about this topic or passage?
  2. How does this passage connect with a main theme that points me toward Christ?
  3. How does this passage aid my understanding of Christ and what he has done?

This short article is well worth your time. Check it out!

Making Sense of Deuteronomy

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Deuteronomy is a difficult book. It’s old. It’s long. It’s full of super-specific laws that don’t exactly fit our historical situation. For example:

You shall have a place outside the camp, and you shall go out to it. And you shall have a trowel with your tools, and when you sit down outside, you shall dig a hole with it and turn back and cover up your excrement. Because the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and to give up your enemies before you, so that he may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you. (Deut 23:12-14)

How do you lead a Bible study on that? What must God think about my infant daughter’s intestinal blowout in the middle of church a few weeks ago?

At Reformation 21, Bruce Baugus’s excellent article will help you get your bearings in Deuteronomy. A few key points help those of us in the 21st century to understand why this book would have been so foundational and exciting for ancient Hebrews:

  1. Moses structured Deuteronomy just like an ancient treaty. This book ratified the covenant treaty between God and Israel before Moses departed and handed things off to the next generation.
  2. Ancient treaties always contained a section for the terms of the covenant (what was expected of each party to this treaty).
  3. The long section of laws in Deut 4-26 describes those terms in painstaking detail. It begins with the summary: the Ten Commandments. Then it proceeds to explain what each of those commandments should look like in the lives of the people.
  4. We’ll best understand the specific case laws if we see them as commentary on the Ten Commandments, in the very order of the Ten Commandments.

Baugus then takes up the particular question of where exactly the commentary on the 9th commandment begins and ends, which is a fine question to ask. But I think the best value of the article is in the overview of the larger framework.

With these tools in hand, you’re ready to tackle Deuteronomy.

Check it out!