Knowable Word

Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

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2 Words That Kill Effective Bible Study

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At For the Church, Zach Barnhart writes of those two small words that could potentially undermine everything you seek to accomplish in Bible study. Those words are “to you,” as in, “What does this passage mean to you?”

Those two words turn a glorious question into gobbledygook. They mistake the authority of the text as the authority of the interpreter. And in the name of application, they cut away observation and interpretation. Such application has no power.

“To you” seems like an innocent way to invite everyone’s voice to the table for discussion, but I contend that it’s a surefire way to kill effective Bible study. Of course, some fiction books, for example, are written for the sole purpose of leaving their interpretation open-ended. But this is not the way of historical, bona fide Scripture, the words of God Himself. Though nuance and opinion has its place at the table, the problem with “to you” is that the phrase elevates a reader’s interpretation over the author’s intention.

Barnhart goes on to suggest ways we can avoid the “to you” chaff without shutting down room for disagreement or different perspectives.

Check it out!

Beware the Instagram Bible

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Jen Wilkin makes a critical point about context and reading, when she writes of “The Instagram Bible” at her blog. Here is a taste:

Beware the Instagram Bible, my daughters – those filtered frames festooned with feathered verses, adorned in all manner of loops and tails, bedecked with blossoms, saturated with sunsets, culled and curated just for you.

Beware lest it become for you your source of daily bread. It is telling a partial truth.

I saw in my vision by night, and behold, I dreamed of a world in which every copy of the Bible was gone, except those portions we had preserved on Instagram. Consider this Bible, my daughters, if you will:

Its perfect squares are friend to the proverb, the promise, and the partial quote, leaving laws, lists, land-allotments, and long-stretching lessons to languish off-screen.

It comforts but rarely convicts.

It emotes but rarely exhorts.

It warms but rarely warns.

It promises but rarely prompts.

It moves but does not mortify.

It builds self-assurance but balks at self-examination.

It assembles an iconography whose artists, by spatial necessity, are constrained to choose

brevity over breadth,

inspiration over intellect,

devotion over doctrine.

Beware its conscribed canvas, where calligraphy conquers context.

Beware.

Click here to see the full post. And please take this to heart as you post verses, share verses, or even memorize verses. All such verses are but a nibble of a larger passage, a broader argument. If we don’t get that argument, we misuse the verse.

Check it out!

You and Your Pastor Could Win a Free Copy of Logos 7

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LogosFor the month of October, Logos Bible Software would like to honor pastors who work hard and serve well to care for the flock of God. They invite people to publicly thank their pastors for their labors. And, by thanking your pastor, you will enter both yourself and your pastor to win a free copy of Logos 7 Gold.

Logos 7 is an amazing bit of software, which I use extensively every day. I recommend it highly. Click to see my review. Click here to get a 10% discount on a new base package (and send a small commission our way). Or, go thank your pastor and enter to win a Gold package for free.

Three Tips for Teaching OT Narratives

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David Murray reflects on a a sermon he recently heard, and how the preacher excelled at preaching the narrative of Naaman the leprous Syrian, in 2 Kings 5. When the preacher shared his secrets, the following suggestions came out:

  1. Develop a love for reading stories.
  2. Ask the right questions (especially “why” questions).
  3. Delay theologizing or applying until you get the story’s drama.

These are great suggestions for anyone who wants to teach biblical narratives, whether through sermons, classes, or small groups. Murray’s brief reflections are worth reading, and he embeds a video of the sermon that triggered his reflections.

Check it out!

Ask Better Questions in Small Group Bible Study

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This week, the Logos Talk blog published a guest post Ryan and I worked on together, called “How to Ask Excellent Bible Study Discussion Questions.” The post abridges some of the lengthier material from our series on how to lead a Bible study. If you’d like to lead a small group discussion well, we recommend you master these four kinds of questions:

  1. Launching questions
  2. Observation questions
  3. Interpretation questions
  4. Application questions

Check it out!

More Reasons to Read the Entire Bible Quickly

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For a few years, I’ve promoted the idea of reading the entire Bible as quickly as possible. I’ve made it my annual practice beginning on New Year’s Day for 6 years now, and it shows no sign of slowing.

What do I get out of the practice?

  1. It helps me grasp the overall story of the Bible.
  2. It reminds me the Bible is a work of literature.
  3. It gets me through the difficult parts more easily.
  4. It heightens my anticipation for Christ.

Now I have some more reasons to offer you, courtesy of Jordan Standridge:

  1. It caused me to understand that I exist for the purpose of glorifying God.
  2. It caused me to believe in the absolute sovereignty of God.
  3. It caused me to see that the sovereign God of Scripture was sovereign over my personal life as well.
  4. It was clear that God called His people to stick out from the world.
  5. It showed me that I am totally depraved.
  6. It showed me that people need God.

Standridge writes of his experience reading the entire Bible quickly in an article at The Cripplegate. Check it out!

Free OIA Summary Booklet

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OIA Bible study is a wonderful tool. With this tool, anyone can get to know the Lord Jesus by learning to study his word.

Perhaps you’ve worked through our series of posts walking you through the full process of observation, interpretation, and application. Perhaps you’ve read the book Knowable Word, which gives clearer examples and practice exercises in a manageable package. These resources have helped you to learn the OIA process, but you’d like something more.

What you could really use is a shorter booklet that merely summarizes the key principles. You don’t need all the drama or the fluff; there’s no need to pierce your ear with an awl just to prove how committed you are (Ex 21:5-6). You, like the Apostle Peter facing Ananias and Sapphira, just want the facts (Acts 5:7-9). You might use such a booklet as a reference guide to help you practice OIA, as it reminds you of the main concepts and the steps. You don’t want to have to go back to the complete book every time you have a specific question. And you don’t want to have to sift through page after page on this website to get a speedy answer or reminder. So what is there for you?

Yesterday, I would have sadly turned you away, like a bridegroom at the door of his wedding feast (Matt 25:10-12). But not today. Today, I am happy to welcome ye who are weary and heavy laden. May you find some rest for your soul.

Basic Bible Study SkillsWe’ve had a project in the hopper for many months, and I’m delighted to finally release it for general consumption. We have a short booklet outlining basic Bible study skills, and we’ve uploaded it for you to use at no cost.

You could keep this booklet on your desk as a handy reference. Or you could print it out for your study group or church book table. The booklet focuses only on the principles; it gives almost no illustrations or practice exercises. The point is simply to have all the concepts in a short reference guide.

Without further ado, you can find the booklet here:

Basic Bible Study Skills Booklet

I’ve also put these links up on the blog’s resources page, so you can find them easily in the future. Happy studying!

Many, many thanks to my colleagues who made this project come alive:

  • Jenny Carrington took the original blog material and edited it into concise form.
  • Dan Miller did the booklet design and typesetting.
  • Ryan Higginbottom scrutinized the project to make sure it was something we could cheerfully offer to our readers.
  • Caleb Olshefsky did the last-minute troubleshooting to ensure we could deliver usable formats to our readers.
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More KW Articles in Spanish

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A few more articles from this blog have been translated and posted in Spanish. Thanks to Armando Valdez for taking on this work!

I created a new page that links to all the articles on Armando’s Spanish site. I’ll keep that page updated as he posts more. You can navigate to that page right from the bottom of the Resources page if you ever want to check back for more.

Check it out!

Two Things Not to Say When Leading Bible Study

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Erik Raymond writes of “A Couple Phrases I Wish Preachers Would Stop Saying So Often.” And though Raymond directs his comments at pastors, Bible study leaders would be wise to listen in:

In recent years I’ve noticed an uptick in a couple of phrases from preachers and teachers. I don’t want to go so far as to mark them as homiletical cuss words, but I do want to draw a circle around them and ask why we are saying them so much. These two phrases are “I think” and “I feel.”

Let me explain. Suppose someone is preaching through Colossians and they come to chapter 3. They then read the following words aloud:

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:1–2)

Then they say, “I think what Paul is saying here is that we need to be seeking the things above.” After a pause, he goes on to say, “I feel like this is especially hard for us today because of all of our temptations for distractions.” Later he says, “I feel like too many of us, myself included, are really susceptible to this. I think it can really hinder our walk with Christ.”

Now what’s wrong with this phrasing? On one level, nothing. He is not saying anything wrong. But, at the same time, he is not saying it like he could. If he is not completely declawing the passage he is at least filing down its nails. He is saying it in a less authoritative and offensive way. And while he may still be bouncing the ball to his congregation for application it is a bit of a deflated ball, or at least not as pumped up as it could be.

To see how Raymond would revise such comments to sharpen their claws, you’ll have to read the full article. Check it out!

However, I will make one disclaimer. When we are not (or cannot be) certain about the meaning of a passage, “I think” would be a perfectly reasonable thing to say. Or if we move off the main point into the sub-sub-sub-points of the passage, we should also avoid confident bluster and bravado. Remember, the main points are the ones worth fighting for. And they are the points whose claws must never be pared.

One Very Good Reason to Read Your Bible

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Tim Challies writes of “One Very Good Reason to Read Your Bible.” And he’s absolutely right. This is about the best reason I can think of.

One of the great dangers in the Christian life is living first for self. One of the associated dangers, then, is seeing personal devotion as a practice that goes no further than my own mind, my own heart. But nothing could be farther from the truth. Your intimacy with God, your knowledge of God, your time with God, works its way outward to everyone around you. The good you can do them every day is the good of spending time with God.

Challies expands on how your daily Bible reading will benefit your spouse, your children, your neighbors, and your fellow church members. If you think you are not smart enough, or you are too busy—or if you ever struggle with finding the Bible too boring or Bible study too complicated—please lift your eyes off yourself and consider the good God would have you do for those around you. There is too much to lose if you don’t read your Bible.

Challies’s article is excellent and worth full consideration. Check it out!