Knowable Word

Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

  • Home
  • About
    • About this Blog
    • Why Should You Read This Blog?
    • This Blog’s Assumptions
    • Guest Posts
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • OIA Method
    • Summary
    • Details
    • Examples
      • Context Matters
      • Interpretive Book Overviews
      • Who is Yahweh: Exodus
      • Wise Up: Proverbs 1-9
      • Feeding of 5,000
      • Resurrection of Jesus
  • Small Groups
    • Leading
      • How to Lead a Bible Study
      • How to Train a Bible Study Apprentice
    • Attending
  • Children
  • Resources
  • Contact

Copyright © 2012–2025 DiscipleMakers, except guest articles (copyright author). Used by permission.

You are here: Home / Archives for Tom Hallman

Bible Study Leader Tip #33: Let the Spirit Lead

June 16, 2023 By Tom Hallman

Back in college I led a number of Bible Studies, each very well-intentioned and some even mildly well-done. One of the biggest struggles I had, however, was that I led the studies as though I were the one on whom everything depended.

Dumb.

Here are three suggestions for how to be smarter than I was by letting the Spirit lead:

Suggestion #1: Pray

You’d think this would be obvious, but I neglected it often. Rather than acknowledging on my knees that I was a Bible Study leader in desperate need of grace, I’d spend hours preparing, I’d use free time for recruiting and I’d survey people afterwards for feedback. Notice the repeated word? I…

Dumb.

Did I author these verses…?

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.
(Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV)

Nope. The Spirit did (2 Peter 1:20-21). So pray, then let Him lead.

Suggestion #2: Be satisfied with who shows up

I remember one time a guy I’d been inviting to come to the study for weeks finally showed up. In fact, he was the only one who came that night. Know what I did? I canceled it.

He never came back.

Dumb.

If only one or a handful of people show up to your study, take full advantage of the dynamics and relational opportunities that avail themselves to small groups. Don’t assume that a group of 5 or 13 or 20 will mean that you’re godlier somehow or that you’ve arrived. Jesus had a Bible study of 5000+, but not many of them panned out.

And don’t forget the corollary to this suggestion: Be satisfied with who doesn’t show up – even if you’ve been inviting them for months or years. If the Spirit is leading, He’ll bring just who He wants just when He wants them.

Suggestion #3: Throw out the script

I used to spend a ton of time trying to come up with just the right sequences of questions to help those in my study really “get” the Bible. Yet without fail, by the time I got about two questions in, someone would make a comment or ask a question that steered me off my “script”. I’d usually end up frustrated and/or staring like a deer in headlights as I tried to come up with a way to get the study back on my agenda.

Dumb.

If the Spirit is working in the hearts of those who come, you needn’t rely on your perfect planning. Yes, you should lead them through the basics of observation, interpretation and application, but the specifics of what that looks like needn’t be precisely pre-planned. After all, the Spirit has already been working to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8 ESV). You’re basically just along for the ride.

One sure-fire way to see what the Spirit is revealing to the group after reading the text is to ask the simple question, “What stood out to you?” You might assume it would be verse 2, but someone says, “Wow… verse 4 is amazing… I never realized that God loved me that much…” In those moments, you’ll be delighted that you weren’t the One “leading”.

 

Your turn: what other suggestions would you give in regard to letting the Spirit lead?

Filed Under: Leading Tagged With: Being Dumb, Holy Spirit, Leading Bible Study, Patience, Prayer, Questions

Bible Study Leader Tip #12: Use The Text

June 9, 2023 By Tom Hallman

Bible lapAs we’ve noted previously, good Bible Study involves making observations, interpreting those observations and then making applications based on those interpretations. Thus the key to unlocking Bible-based life-change begins with making Bible-based observations. To do this, we need to utilize the Scripture text itself.

That may sound obvious, but it is often overlooked. To see what I mean, take your study group to Matthew 13 and ask them, “Why does Jesus speak in parables?” Then take note of how many people look down at the text for the answer. Of those, how many reference the actual text in their answer?

Lord willing, all or most of your study group will do this – and especially if they have been well-trained in understanding the importance of careful observation. However, many times I have noticed that people stare at me or off into space. The unchurched rarely do this; rather, they rightly assume that the answers are in the Bible itself. This is what you ought to encourage!

Note that this is most critical in the observation phase. It may also be important for interpretation and application phases if the text itself offers those answers, but it doesn’t always.

Some practical suggestions:

  • If you find someone staring at you rather than diligently searching the text, direct them there instead.
  • If someone gives you an answer (correct or not) without reference to the text, ask them where they got their answer from.
  • If you’re feeling sneaky, you can occasionally ask questions that the text does not answer. See if they notice! (Note: I wouldn’t recommend this when working with young or frightened believers… let them get used to studying the Bible first.)
  • Make sure that you yourself are not contributing to the problem~ When you ask a question, is the answer in the text itself?

What would you add to that list?

Filed Under: Leading Tagged With: Bible Study, Leading Bible Study, Observation

Finding repeated words and themes

April 9, 2021 By Tom Hallman

My two-year-old son David has entered the stage where he’s quite the chatterbox. As soon as I get home from work, he’ll happily tell me everything that’s on his mind. Here’s an only-mildly-edited recent quote: “David and Mama and Jimmy go to the pool and I SPLASH in the pool and Mama splash David in the pool and I have green ball in the pool and… and SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH green ball in the pool. Daddy, may I have please go to the pool now?”

So here’s your quiz: what’s on David’s mind?

How did you know?

While usually not quite as pervasive as the rambling thoughts of toddler, one of the easiest techniques to use in doing good Bible study is that of observing repeated words and themes. Authors didn’t have bold and italics back then, so a common way to emphasize a point was to repeat it multiple times. It’s like saying, “Hey, don’t miss this!”

One of my favorite passages that makes generous use of repeated words is Amos 4. Consider these verses:

[6] “I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD.

[7] “I also withheld the rain from you when there were yet three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would have rain, and the field on which it did not rain would wither; [8] so two or three cities would wander to another city to drink water, and would not be satisfied; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD.

[9] “I struck you with blight and mildew; your many gardens and your vineyards, your fig trees and your olive trees the locust devoured; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD.

[10] “I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword, and carried away your horses, and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD.

[11] “I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were as a brand plucked out of the burning; yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 

(Amos 4:6-11 ESV, emphasis mine)

Note how often the phrase, “yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD, comes up. That’s the author’s (and God’s) way of saying, “This is really important! This is what I want you to do!”

Another repeated theme is the varied forms of judgment. The LORD is deliberately using all kinds of pain to get the attention of Israel so they might return to Him: starvation, dehydration, frustrated work, disease, defeat in battle, death, and even fire from heaven! Sadly, it seems that Israel persisted in running from Him time and again. It’s repeated often so we wouldn’t miss the repeated theme – even though Israel did.

Want to try looking for more repeated words and themes?

  • Consider Colossians 2:6-15. Notice how many times “in Him” / “with Him” appear. What is Paul trying to get across to the Colossians?
  • Consider Genesis 1. How did God go about creating? What is the author trying to tell us about the works of God?
  • Consider 1 John 3:11-24. See how many repeated words you can find!
Thanks for visiting Knowable Word! If you like this article, you might be interested in receiving regular updates from us. You can sign up for our email list (enter your address in the box on the upper right of this page), follow us on Facebook or Twitter, or subscribe to our RSS feed. 

Filed Under: Method Tagged With: Amos, Observation, Repeated Words

Difficult texts: Colossians 1:24

March 12, 2021 By Tom Hallman

Recently I led a Bible Study in Colossians 1. It’s a fantastic chapter that radically exalts Christ and informs us of His absolute preeminence in all things.

Well, at least until you hit verse 24…

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (Colossians 1:24 ESV, emphasis mine)

Wait a minute… did Paul really just say that? In Paul’s flesh he is filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? How could he say that after what he had just written previously, that Jesus had made “peace by the blood of His cross.” (Colossians 1:20 ESV)?  What could possibly be lacking in Christ’s afflictions?

When we come upon such difficult texts, we’re left with several choices:

  1. Ignore the text: While that’s sometimes the best thing to do temporarily so that you can keep moving forward in trying to understand the rest of a passage, it’s neither good nor wise to ignore any teaching of Scripture (See 2 Tim 3:16-17).
  2. Guess its meaning: Sadly, this is what we tend to do all too often, and it means that what we come up with is at best unreliable – and quite possibly much worse. For example, it would be very wrong to conclude here that Christ’s atonement requires the work of another to be effective! Whenever in doubt, it’s better to say, “I don’t know” than to assume something false in Scripture.
  3. Use Scripture to interpret Scripture: While God does not give us every answer to every question in Scripture, He has nonetheless given us His knowable Word. So we ought to ask ourselves if Scripture answers this question itself. Let’s consider this option further.

Sometimes we need only look a verse or two away to find the meaning. In this case, however, we need to flip a couple pages back to Philippians 2. At the very end of that chapter we find this text:

I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. (Philippians 2:25-30 ESV, emphasis mine)

Here Paul writes of Epaphroditus that he risked his life to complete (or fill up) what was lacking in the Philippians’ service to Paul. That’s very similar language to Colossians 1:24, but what does it mean?

Paul tells us a few verses earlier that Epaphroditus was a messenger sent from the Philippians to minister to Paul’s needs. So Paul is certainly not complaining of their deficiency of service. What else could it mean? It appears that because the Philippians could not themselves physically be present with Paul to minister to him, they sent a representative: Epaphroditus. So that is what Paul means by “what was lacking”.

With that in mind, let’s return again to Colossians 1:24:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. (Colossians 1:24 ESV)

As was the case in the Philippians passage, Paul is not making up for some deficiency in Christ’s atoning work (as if one existed). Rather, because Christ has ascended to be seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven, He cannot be physically present to minister to the Colossians. So He sent a representative: Paul. Mystery solved!

Now, that’s only a tiny sampling of what can be gleaned from Colossians 1:24, but at least we’re safely back in line with the teaching of Scripture. We can confidently rejoice in the completed work of our knowable Savior, Jesus Christ, as demonstrated in His knowable Word.

Filed Under: Sample Bible Studies Tagged With: Colossians, Difficult Texts, Philippians

What makes the Bible different – According to the Bible

January 1, 2021 By Tom Hallman

Like many Christians, I have a lot of Bibles. Most of them sit on my bookshelf next to all kinds of other books. However, the Bible could not be more different than those other books. Here are several reasons why, according to the Bible itself:

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17 ESV)

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63b ESV)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

Let’s observe several things about those texts. The Bible is…

  • Truth: Not just true, but truth. Many books on my shelf may be true, but the Bible alone is truth.
  • Spirit: There are powerful things happening in the spiritual realm that we usually can’t see, and that is where God’s Word resides. The fact that the Bible exists in the physical realm at all is a great grace to all God’s people.
  • Living: Most of my books are made from dead trees. While the Bible may also be printed on paper, it is just as alive, if not more so, than you and I are. I don’t claim to fully understand that, but I do marvel greatly at it!
  • Active: When I read the Bible, it is not full of passive words on a page. Unlike my other books, the burden of changing my life when reading the text does not rest on me, but on the Scriptures themselves.

The next time you hold your Bible and open it, take a moment to thank God for the very nature of His Word. It is truth, spirit, living and active – terms that do not apply to any other words that have been or ever will be written. This is why we not only do observation and interpretation of Scripture, but we seek to faithfully apply it as well!

May our response be like Simon Peter’s, who saw Jesus’ words for what they truly are:

After this many of [Jesus’] disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:66-68 ESV, emphasis mine)

Filed Under: Method Tagged With: Bible, Hebrews, John, Life, Truth

Saying, “I don’t know”

November 27, 2020 By Tom Hallman

I remember the first time he said, “I don’t know.”

The setting was my very first Bible study, or at least the very first one I took seriously.  The group was small; maybe 4 or 5 of us.  The book was John.  The “he” I mentioned was Dave, the Bible study leader who was teaching us all how to know Jesus through the Scriptures.  I was just a baby Christian at the time, but I knew that Dave knew everything about Jesus.  Everything!

And that’s when it happened.

Somebody asked a question about the text.  I don’t remember exactly what it was.  Maybe it was why Jesus responded the way He did to His mother in John 2:3-5.  Or whether John 3:16-21 was spoken by Jesus or was John’s commentary.  Regardless, Dave’s answer astounded me.

“I don’t know.”

That impacted me for several reasons.  First, Dave was suddenly more human.  I now had the slightest bit more hope that maybe one day I could lead like he leads (though to this day he’s still a lot better at it than I am!)  Second, most of my experience with Christians involved watching them get offended, angry, and/or frightened when they didn’t know something.  Instead, here was Dave modeling real humility! And third, it was simply an honest answer to a good question!  No shame in that.

Now, this blog is called Knowable Word, and we really do believe (and plan to show why we think this) that the Bible is knowable, that Jesus is knowable, and that you can experience a great deal of joy as you grow in knowledge of God.

However, I do hope we can also be humble enough to say, “I don’t know.”  There’s a lot of hard-to-understand stuff in the Bible.  The apostle Peter says that Paul is hard to understand in 2 Peter 3:15-16. Paul says that God is hard to understand in Romans 11:33.  Are we wiser than they?  Aren’t there many passages where we too scratch our heads and basically have to confess, “I don’t know”?

Perhaps this is what the author of Proverbs 3:5 had in mind when he penned,

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (ESV)

Maybe!  I don’t know.

Filed Under: Leading Tagged With: Difficult Texts, Humility, Leading Bible Study

Book Review: The Most Misused Verses in the Bible

March 19, 2013 By Tom Hallman

inigo-montoyaHas someone ever encouraged you to ask for something in Jesus’ name because He’s promised to give it to you (according to John 14:14) ? Or perhaps you yourself have wondered what Jesus meant when He said in Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” (Isn’t Jesus always with us, according to Matthew 28:20?) Or it may be that you’ve heard a motivational speaker emphasize the importance of vision-casting leadership by quoting Proverbs 29:18 in the King James Version: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

If you have experienced these or similar scenarios, you’ve probably scratched your head and wondered what you were missing. Does the Bible really say those things?

The answer is often yes and no – yes, the Bible [sorta] says those things, but no, it doesn’t mean what you think it means.

misused

I recently finished reading a very helpful book that addresses some of the most misused verses in the Bible, appropriately entitled, The Most Misused Verses in the Bible. Author Eric J Bargerhuff does a masterful job of graciously explaining the importance of placing all Bible verses in their proper context – and he works through this by dedicating one chapter to each of these “misused verses”.

The chapters are short, clear and filled with helpful explanations that don’t require a theology degree to understand. Bargerhuff also humbly offers examples from his own life that give the book a warm and approachable tone.

Two quotes to whet your appetite:

[Referencing the temptation of Jesus in Luke 4] What’s interesting here is that Satan not only knows and uses the Word of God, but this time (unlike in the garden), he chooses to quote it correctly.  In other words, it is not a misquote or an incorrect citation of the verse, but it is a misuse of it.

We have no right to hold God hostage to a promise that we have misunderstood.

If you’ve enjoyed reading Knowable Word, you’ll likely also appreciate reading The Most Misused Verses in the Bible. Check it out!

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: Counterfeits, Eric Bargerhuff, Interpretation, Misinterpretation

Can’t I just skip over the geneologies?

March 8, 2013 By Tom Hallman

BibleMesh posted an article yesterday entitled, Can’t I just skip over the genealogies in the Bible?  It’s a short read with some good examples of why you should read over those names with thankfulness and hope.

Check it out!

Filed Under: Check it Out Tagged With: Geneologies

How NOT to read your Bible

December 31, 2012 By Tom Hallman

As you consider what your time with God will look like in 2013, Matt Smethurst of The Gospel Coalition has some sage advice about how NOT to read your Bible.

Check it out!

Filed Under: Check it Out Tagged With: The Gospel Coalition

We Three Kings… Sorta

December 19, 2012 By Tom Hallman

Christmas in the Hallman household always comes with an abundance of some of my favorite things, including my mom’s holly candy, incredible Christmas light displays, and, of course, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

One of TSO’s lesser-known songs is this fun tune [link no longer available] about “what really happened” when the three wise men showed up looking for the baby Messiah. It’s obviously a work of fiction but is bound to make you smile knowingly and say, “That’s creative, but we all know that’s not what actually happened!”

3 Kings

Image courtesy of Vectorportal.com

Do we?

Let’s take a closer look at what Matthew records in his gospel to see how our nativity traditions measure up! First, refresh your memory by reading over Matthew 2:1-18. Okay, ready for a quiz?

How many kings were there?

If you guessed “three”, you might be right, but that’s the most we can know. Matthew never tells us how many there were; he only tells us that there were at least three kinds of gifts offered (gold, frankincense and myrrh.) In fact, since these guys could obviously afford to offer some nice presents to young Jesus, they probably also traveled with a large company of servants and/or guards.

Were they actually kings?

Matthew doesn’t call them “kings”. Some translations call them “wise men”. The best word is probably “magi”, but there are many theories about who “magi” actually were.

One possible clue to their identity is way back in Daniel 2:48: “Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men (magi) of Babylon.” It’s entirely possible that Daniel went on to teach these Babylonian magi all about Yahweh and His coming Christ such that generations later, wise men in the east were expectantly watching for the star of the promised King.

When did they arrive?

If your favorite nativity characters happen to be our magi friends, I have sad news for you: they weren’t there!

We know from Matthew 2:7 that Herod asked the magi when the star had appeared. We also know from Matthew 2:16 that Herod, in his rage when the magi do not return to him, has all children under age 2 killed “according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.” It seems likely therefore that the magi had noted the star two years earlier but hadn’t made the trip for some time. By the time Mary welcomed these foreign visitors, Jesus was probably a toddler! Also, Joseph’s little family had upgraded to a house during that time (Matthew 2:11).

Application… sorta

So, consider this blog post your permission to have a new “nativity” where 2-year-old Jesus is getting piggy-back rides from a couple dozen Babylonian decedents. It’s at least as Biblical as the traditional nativity scene, and perhaps a bit more fun.

Filed Under: Sample Bible Studies Tagged With: Characters, Observation, Questions

Next Page »

Find it here

Have It Delivered

Get new posts by email:

Connect

RSS
Follow by Email
Facebook
Twitter
Follow Me

Learn to Study the Bible

Learn to Lead Bible Studies

Popular Posts

  • Method
    Summary of the OIA Method

    I've argued that everyone has a Bible study method, whether conscious or un...

  • Sample Bible Studies
    Why Elihu is So Mysterious

    At a recent pastor's conference on the book of Job, a leader asked the atte...

  • Sample Bible Studies
    Context Matters: Mary and Martha

    Perhaps this story about two sisters and Jesus means more than we've always...

  • Check it Out
    Just Keep Reading

    Erik Lundeen has some surprising advice for those who come to something in...

  • Sample Bible Studies
    Top 11 OT Verses Quoted in NT

    I recently finished a read-through of the Bible, during which I kept track...

  • Exodus
    What Should We Make of the Massive Repetition of Tabernacle Details in Exodus?

    I used to lead a small group Bible study in my home. And when I proposed we...

  • Sample Bible Studies
    Context Matters: You Have Heard That it was Said…But I Say to You

    Perhaps you’ve heard about Jesus' disagreement with the Old Testament. The...

  • Sample Bible Studies
    Overlooked Details of the Red Sea Crossing

    These details show God's hands-on involvement in the deliverance of his peo...

  • Sample Bible Studies
    Top 10 OT Books Quoted in NT

    I recently finished a read-through of the Bible, during which I kept track...

  • Sample Bible Studies
    10 Old Testament Books Never Quoted in the New Testament

    I recently finished a read-through of the Bible, during which I kept track...

Categories

  • About Us (3)
  • Announcements (65)
  • Check it Out (675)
  • Children (16)
  • Exodus (51)
  • Feeding of 5,000 (7)
  • How'd You Do That? (11)
  • Leading (119)
  • Method (297)
  • Proverbs (126)
  • Psalms (78)
  • Resurrection of Jesus (6)
  • Reviews (76)
  • Sample Bible Studies (242)
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT