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OIA Under Another Name

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I regularly try to clarify that what makes our Bible study useful is using not OIA terminology but OIA principles. So when I claim that OIA is the best Bible study method, I’m not saying that “OIA” is the secret pass code that unlocks all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I’m merely saying that we have to pay attention to what’s said, understand what it means, and connect it to our lives.

Case in point: Marshall Segal writes a great post about “Six Questions to Ask When Studying the Bible in a Group.” And his six questions are really helpful not only for small groups but also for personal study. And someone might work through the steps Segal presents and wonder, “Why are there so many methods out there, and how do I make sure I’m following the right one?”

But please consider. Notice that Segal’s “Swedish Method” is the same as the OIA process, just with different labels.

Of course, we might explain each step with slight differences, but the substance remains the same. By all means, if you find “the Swedish Method” helpful, then please use it. It’s far more important to use the method than to label everything the same way I would.

I recommend Segal’s helpful article to you. Check it out!

The Bible Teaches Us to Use the Bible

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When we want to figure out how to use the Bible, we don’t need to complicate the process. The Bible itself tells us how to use the Bible.

Jesse Johnson quotes W.H. Pike, who writes of the many instructions the Bible itself gives about how to use the Bible:

  1. Read it (Neh 8:8)
  2. Believe it (Rom 10:8)
  3. Receive it (James 1:10)
  4. Taste it (Heb 6:5)
  5. Eat it (Jer 15:16)
  6. Hold it fast (Titus 1:9)
  7. Hold it forth (Phil 2:16)
  8. Preach it (2 Tim 4:2)
  9. Search it (John 5:29)
  10. Study it (2 Tim 2:15)
  11. Meditate on it (Ps 1:2)
  12. Compare it (2 Cor 2:13)
  13. Rightly divide it (2 Tim 2:15)
  14. Delight in it (Ps 119:92)

Pike’s article explains each point in a few sentences. Check it out!

Tweetable Bible?

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Aaron Armstrong posts some helpful thoughts on tweeting the Bible. In a generation when we’re trained to memorize, think about, and teach the Bible in single-verse chunks, a communication tool like Twitter presents some real challenges. Most Bible verses can fit in fewer than 140 characters, but do we use them properly when we remove them from the context their paragraph, chapter, section, or book?

As Armstrong suggests, think before you tweet your Bible.

Check it out!

Memorizing Books of the Bible

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Andy Naselli wants to persuade you and me to memorize entire books of the Bible, and I think he has some great things to say. Check out his two articles on the topic:

14 Reasons to Memorize an Entire Book of the Bible

11 Steps to Memorizing an Entire Book of the Bible

Naselli explains that memorizing entire books gives us a better idea of God’s thoughts in context, which puts us in a better position to meditate on those divine thoughts.

Naselli says he spent 45 to 75 minutes each morning to memorize 1 Corinthians in 16 months’ time. I doubt many people will have that kind of time every day, but the task is still well worth pursuing. I can still have a sweet time in Scripture when I don’t have a Bible in front of me, but I get to rehearse (and meditate) on chapters or large sections I’ve memorized.

Check it out!

Infographic Comparing Study Bibles

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I’ve reviewed a number of study Bibles this year, and I was planning to write a post comparing and contrasting them so you’d have the basic info all in one place. But Tim Challies beat me to it, and his infographic is much prettier than mine would have been.

Challies compares the following 7 study Bibles (links go to my reviews):

I’ve also reviewed the following volumes:

In the next few weeks, I’d like to create a chart evaluating each study Bible in light of the overall blessings and curses of study Bibles. But the Challies infographic gives you most of the basic information (translations available, number of pages and articles, etc.) at a glance.

Check it out!

Choosing Good Bible Study Material for Women’s Groups

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Mary Willson has a very good article with 5 Questions for choosing Bible study material for women’s groups. Her questions:

  1. Will this material equip women by encouraging them to study and teach the Bible for themselves?
  2. Will this material equip women by demonstrating the centrality of Christ and his gospel?
  3. Will this material equip women by applying God’s Word to real life, showing the Scriptures’ relevance and power to transform hearts?
  4. Will this material equip women by supporting the overall discipleship strategy I’ve prayerfully developed for this group?
  5. Will this material equip women by coming under the teaching ministry of my pastor(s) and elders? Does it align with my church’s vision and doctrinal convictions?

Willson has very helpful things to say on each point, and I recommend you check out her article.

And I can’t help but ask a few questions: Why do we assume we must choose good Bible study material? Why can’t we just have good Bible studies? “This year’s women’s study will use Luke.” Would we not inspire people with deeper confidence to study God’s word, if we showed them how to do it? If every study uses another resource, another study guide, or another workbook, don’t we perpetually reinforce the idea that they need the experts to do the Bible study for them? Thus we might unintentionally undermine the first question Willson asks.

Imagine a women’s group (or men’s group, or co-ed group) that sat down with their Bibles, read their Bibles, and discussed what they read. Of course they’d want to reference supplemental materials from time to time to help with the thorniest parts. But what if they helped each other simply to open, read, and discuss? Soon enough, they’d each be able to do it on their own. Then they’d teach others who would teach others. And something truly amazing would take place in our churches and communities.

Re-Ignite Boring Bible Reading

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David Murray writes about a common struggle:

We’ve all been there. Reading the Bible can become boring. Our eyes are on the page but our minds are everywhere else; because everywhere else is just so much more interesting. That black book without pictures just isn’t quite so exciting as the black device that can show us anything in the world in just a click.  We may pick up our Bibles, open the pages, and scan the lines, but our hearts just aren’t in it. We force ourselves to read our chapter(s) or fill up our allotted time, but we really can’t wait to finish and get on to much more fascinating and enjoyable things.

And he has some great ideas for coming out of the slump:

  1. Develop a routine
  2. Get enough sleep
  3. Ban the cell phone
  4. Read a different translation
  5. Read more slowly (or more quickly)
  6. Read a devotional first
  7. Use a study Bible (but be careful with it)
  8. Find accountability
  9. See your need
  10. Remember who is speaking
  11. Pray
  12. Serve your church

All Murray’s ideas are great and worth trying. I especially appreciate #12, as we often fail to realize our “boredom” comes from focusing on ourselves, and the solution doesn’t lie within ourselves. As Murray rightly suggests, getting out there and doing something for others will exercise our souls, make us hungry, and make visible our need for strengthening and guidance – thus leading us to “devour God’s Word more greedily.”

Check out Murray’s article for a fuller explanation of each suggestion.

If You Use a Study Bible, Do it Well

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After taking a few posts to explain both the blessings and curses of study Bibles, I recently wrote about how to get the best out of your study Bible. I gave the following suggestions:

  1. Treat it as a reference work, not as your main Bible.
  2. Go heavy on overviews (book introductions) and historical background.
  3. Wrestle with the biblical text without your study Bible.
  4. Refer to the study notes when you have a specific, impenetrable question—then set them aside again.
  5. Read the articles and genre introductions.

Within a week, two other posts appeared on the internet saying very similar things. I want you to know I’m not the only one holding these opinions.

Exhibit A: Andy Naselli, Assistant Editor for the NIV Zondervan Study Bible. Writing at Desiring God, he gives these tips:

  1. Don’t use poor study Bibles.
  2. Use quality study Bibles.
  3. Don’t use the notes as a crutch or shortcut instead of wrestling with the text itself.
  4. Don’t combine the authority of the God-breathed text with the notes.
  5. Use a study Bible in the same way that you would responsibly use other resources that help you better understand and apply the Bible.

Exhibit B: Justin Taylor, Managing Editor for the ESV Study Bible. Writing at the Gospel Coalition, he makes these suggestions:

  1. Use your study Bible discerningly. (“The most important feature in a study Bible is the horizontal line that divides the biblical text from the biblical interpretation. Everything above the line is inerrant and infallible. Everything below the line is filled with good intentions but may not be true.”)
  2. Use your study Bible for more than just the notes. (“I am convinced that the most underutilized and yet important parts of a good study Bible are the introductions to each biblical book.”)
  3. Use more than one study Bible.
  4. Use your study Bible as an opportunity to interpret the Bible with the communion of saints. (“The best study Bibles don’t present startling new interpretations. They put you in dialogue with the best interpreters—teachers who are gifts of God to the church—to help us rightly handle His Word.”)

There you go. The point is not whether there should be 4 rules or 5, nor how exactly to state the rules. The point is that even the study Bible editors (who want to sell you their study Bibles) don’t want you to over-rely on their study Bibles.

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Great Deal on ESV Thinline Bibles

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Westminster Books is currently offering 40-47% off all ESV thinline Bibles. If you want one, now is the time to get one. I use the “value thinline” edition as the Bible I preach from. Thin, simple, cheap.

Offer ends Oct 5, 2015.

Check it out.

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4 Reminders About the Word of God

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This week’s “check it out” post comes from Collegiate Collective, a blog for encouraging and training collegiate ministers. But even if you’re not involved in campus ministry, Lance Crowell’s reminders get at the foundation of what we believe to be true. When you’re tempted to grow weary or be discouraged in your family, small group, church, or other ministry—remind yourself of these things.

  1. God’s words have the power to change everything.
  2. God’s words do not change.
  3. God’s words are always available and beneficial.
  4. God’s words will be our hope and strength in the days to come.

May these facts never feel like sentimental tripe. May they grip our hearts and strengthen us to press on.

For more explanation, check out Crowell’s full article!