Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible
David Mathis continues his excellent series of short videos on Bible study with this entry on the English Bible. He encourages us to read our English Bibles with confidence; we are not missing out on God’s word if we don’t know Greek or Hebrew.
https://vimeo.com/219701127
According to the book of Proverbs, the chief difference between wisdom and folly lies in how willing a person is to listen to God’s instruction. In other words, are you teachable and open to counsel from the lips of God? I blogged my way through the first 9 chapters of Proverbs a few years ago to show this is so.
On his blog, Kevin Halloran recently summarized, in a few key principles from Proverbs, how to be teachable:
Halloran lists specific proverbs for each point, along with many helpful suggestions and a closing prayer for teachability. He does a great job showing us how to apply these truths from Proverbs in personal and specific ways.
Rod Long (2017), public domain
Advent is right around the corner. It begins on December 3, and it will be here before you know it.
If you’ve thought of shifting your devotional life for the Christmas season, read on. Like many churches that put their sermon series aside, individual Christians can find great blessing in focusing on Jesus’s birth.
There are no shortage of Advent devotional offerings, with scores of new volumes published each year. Some of these are excellent. (Some, of course are not.) But even good devotional books are no substitute for personal Bible study.
When you study the Bible on your own, you encounter God’s word directly. You’re not relying on an author or teacher to tell you what the Bible means; you’re reading and thinking and searching and praying yourself. Will that take longer? Of course! But wrestling with difficult and glorious truths on your own is worth it. The commands and promises and works of God will sink down more deeply into your soul—taking root both to form and strengthen you—if you uncover them yourself.
This is not a screed against devotional books, just a plea not to rely on them.
If you’d like to mix up your Scripture study for Advent, I have four plans listed below. There’s nothing monumental in the plans themselves; I’ve simply listed some relevant sections of the Bible that could be covered in the listed time period.
If you’ve never studied the Bible before, let me suggest some resources before you begin. It’s our aim at Knowable Word to help ordinary people learn to study the Bible, so we’ve written much about the three primary areas of Bible study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application. Start here to see an overview of this OIA method, and read the details here. We’ve collected some worksheets that you may want to use on our Resources page.
I’ve planned each of these studies to take four weeks. (So even though Advent is not technically four weeks, these plans take you from November 27 through Christmas Eve.)
Matthew gives two chapters to the birth and early days of Jesus.
This study takes you from the beginning of Luke’s gospel through the second chapter, when Jesus is twelve years old.
Each gospel writer begins his book differently. Matthew and Luke include narrative about Jesus’s birth, but Mark and John do not. In this study, you’ll compare how each of the gospels begin.
Here is an option to read long portions of the Bible instead of studying small portions. Isaiah is full of messages about how the coming king/servant/anointed one will redeem Israel and the world. Luke writes about how Jesus was rejected by Israel and is offered to the Gentiles. They make a great Advent pairing.
Whether or not you use one of these plans—whether or not you change your devotions for Advent at all—I hope your celebration of the Savior’s birth is full of joy and wonder. As you ponder the One who gave his life to bring sinners to God, give yourself to reading and studying the Bible. This is how we see the magnitude of our need and the fullness of God’s provision. This is how we fight against sin, how we repent and believe. This is the revelation of God, and this is life.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
John saw fit to introduce his portrait of Jesus in this way, and you might be among those blessed for believing it, without having personally seen it (John 20:29). But do you know what this means? Do you? It means you are ceremonially pure and holy, without trace of defilement from your past choices. It means you were not irrevocably disqualified by the abuse you suffered. It means God remembers you daily and singles you out for particular affection. It means you shine with his glory, your nakedness has been adequately clothed, and your life is never really in question.
But how can this be so?
In the prologue to his Gospel, John clearly has two things in mind: the creation of the world and the tabernacle of Moses. I’ll come back to the creation in a bit, but let me list the evidence for my latter claim:
So John clearly has Moses’ tabernacle in mind from the start, at least in the paragraph of John 1:14-18.
John doesn’t stop alluding to the tabernacle after that intro paragraph. Not only does he make explicit reference to Jesus’ body as a new temple (John 2:19-21), but he also develops many themes from the tabernacle description in Exodus. I’ve been working through the book of Exodus with some sample Bible studies. Now that I’ve gotten to the end of the tabernacle instructions, it’s a good time to reflect on how John uses this material for his purposes.
Many have taken note of the seven “I am” statements throughout John’s Gospel. But have you ever noticed their connection to Moses’ tabernacle, at least for the first few?
Eric Golub (2012), Creative Commons
I confess the connection is either absent or much less clear with “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25-26), “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) and “the true vine” (John 15:1). But the Exodus/tabernacle imagery never really goes away in the narrative.
And then, at the story’s climax, John paints a picture of a new Holy of Holies, with a new mercy seat—the place where Jesus’ body had lain—all decked out with two angels, one on one side, and one on the other (John 20:12). Don’t miss the allusion to the ark of the covenant! Full access has now been granted to God’s people. Not to a high priest on a high holy day, but to a woman who loved her lord (and to the rest of us who likewise love him). We have now truly seen his glory, full of grace and truth.
I write these things not to amaze you with elusive mysteries or secret knowledge. I do it simply because we’re usually not familiar enough with the tabernacle narratives to catch the allusions.
And let me take it one more step. Through my study of Exodus, I’ve been arguing that the tabernacle is pictured as a re-creation of the world, a starting over of God’s people in relationship with their Father. If we were already familiar with this idea from Exodus, we would quickly see John trace out the same connection.
John is concerned from chapter 1 with not only the tabernacle but also the creation.
So when we reach the story’s climax, we have not only a new Holy of Holies (John 20:12), but also a new Man and a new Woman in a Garden, drawing near to God and preparing to rule and subdue the earth (John 20:15-18).
Please let these things motivate you when you hit the hard parts of the Bible, such as the tabernacle instructions. They’re here for a reason, and, if you have eyes to see, they will explain marvelous things about the person and work of Christ. When you read that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, make sure to step back and get a clear handle on what it really means.
When I first learned how to study the Bible, I heard the story of Professor Agassiz, telling his student to look, look, and look again at a fish. The story tells of the wonder and amazement that comes from simply learning how to observe. And it shows how difficult it is to overcome our assumption of familiarity which prevents us from observing as we ought.
It’s a classic illustration, and John Piper tells it beautifully in this short video from Desiring God.
https://vimeo.com/208846470
Let this spur you to keep looking at the Scripture. You might think you already know it, but you’ll be amazed at how much more there is to see of the beauty and glory of Christ. Check it out!
HT: Andy Cimbala
When our Bible study focuses intently on each passage, one after another, we may find it difficult to step back and see how they fit together. But we must remember the Bible is a work of literature. It was not written to be scrutinized in bites; it was written to be devoured in gobbles. We should remember to read the Bible as we’d read any other book: moving through it at a reasonable pace and recognizing ongoing themes, climax, resolution, and character development. When we hit milestones in the text, we should take the opportunity to survey where we’ve been and how it fits together.
So, now that we’ve heard all the Lord’s detailed instructions for his dwelling place among the Israelites, it’s a good time to catch our breath. From this point in Exodus, we’ll see what happens when a righteous God tries to live among a sinful people. But where have we been so far?
Let me list the main points I’ve proposed for each passage in this section:
In addition, my overview of the whole book led me to this overall main point:
Who is Yahweh, and why should you obey him? He is the God who 1) demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1-15), 2) prepares to rebuild (Ex 16-18), and 3) builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).
The main idea of Act I (Ex 1:1-15:21) was that Yahweh demolishes the house of slavery. He does this in two parts:
The main idea of Act II (Ex 15:22-18:27) was that Yahweh prepares the house of his people by showing them they need his law to know him.
And Part 1 (Ex 19:1-24:18) of this third act shows us God preparing the conditions for a perfect paradise with his people, where they can draw near to him through the blood of a substitute.
Now what do these things show us about the flow of thought in chapters 25-31? We are in between the making of the covenant and the breaking of it. In giving the tabernacle instructions, how does God build his house?
These chapters are presented in a series of 7 speeches, linking the tabernacle instructions to the creation of the world. I’ll put the clearest connections in bold text.
In building this tabernacle, the Israelites will recreate the world in God’s image. It represents a fresh start, a new relationship. The closeness with God we’ve always wanted. And it all begins with these extensive words spoken from the mouth of Yahweh.
Jase Hill (2008), Creative Commons
Act I: Yahweh demolishes the house of slavery (Ex 1-15).
Introduction: Nobody can prevent Yahweh from keeping his promises, but we’re not sure how he’ll do it (Ex 1).
Part 1: Yahweh appoints a mediator and ensures he is fully qualified and trained for the task of deliverance (Ex 2:1-7:7).
Part 2: Yahweh delivers a deserved destruction to his enemies and a frightful joy to his people (Ex 7:8-15:21).
Act II: Yahweh prepares to rebuild by exposing how deeply his people need his law to know him (Ex 16-18).
Act III: Yahweh builds his house in the midst of his people (Ex 19-40).
Part 1: God architects a perfect paradise for the community of his people, so he can bring them near through the blood of a substitute (Ex 19-24).
Part 2: God explains how his people can re-create this paradise on earth (Ex 25-31).
Of course, the main thing here is not the tabernacle itself, but what it represents. God wants to dwell with his people, and he will surely do it. Therefore Jesus, the Word, “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). “They shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us)” (Matt 1:23). His parting word was “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matt 28:20). And we now live, not in a cloth tabernacle in the wilderness, but in the New Jerusalem. “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man” (Rev 21:3).
John’s Gospel is saturated with showing us how Jesus is the full and final tabernacle of Yahweh. I will dedicate next week’s post to tracing this out.
Head: Don’t glaze over when you hit the detailed architectural stuff in Exodus. Consider how many pieces must fall into place for a righteous God to dwell among his sinful people!
Heart: Do you long for any other paradise, besides drawing near to the Father through Christ?
Hands: Be the tabernacle. As an individual, be a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:15-20), with a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith (1 Tim 1:5). As a community of believers, be a special place for God, unlike any other place on earth (2 Cor 6:16-7:1).
Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.
Every Wednesday, I encourage you to check out something on the web (not on this site) to show that we’re not the only ones talking about or employing the OIA Bible study method. In particular, I’m eager to show you that I didn’t invent this method, and that I’m not the only one using it with great profit.
This week I am delighted to refer you to the keynote messages from our recent DiscipleMakers Fall Conference. (DiscipleMakers is the campus ministry organization I serve with.)
In these messages, the main speakers walked through John’s account of the last few days of Jesus’ passion week. We aimed to observe the text, interpret what John meant to communicate, and apply it practically and specifically. These men have been some of the most influential teachers in my life, and I’m eager to commend their messages to you.
Mark Fodale on the arrest of Jesus:
Brian Parker on the trial of Jesus:
Rhys John on the crucifixion of Jesus:
And I closed the conference with the resurrection of Jesus. In this talk you’ll notice many themes from my recent studies in Exodus. John has much to say in applying tabernacle imagery to the work of Christ:
If you’d like to see more such teaching, getting more models of OIA Bible study in action, you can find our library on the DiscipleMakers website. Check it out!
Ingela Skullman (2017), public domain
The digital Bible is a game changer.
When I was in college in the late 1990s, I was thrilled to receive a NASB concordance one year for Christmas. I hit the jackpot—there was no Bible study obstacle I couldn’t overcome.
This behemoth weighed about 35 pounds and was roughly the size of a Dodge Neon.
The world of Bible lookup is drastically different now, with the landscape shifting techtonically by the widespread use of digital search.
It’s so easy—open up e-Sword or Logos, go to Bible Gateway, or use any one of dozens of Bible mobile apps, and you can search the Bible in seconds. We have enormous power at our fingertips, power that our spiritual ancestors of even 30 years ago couldn’t have imagined.
There are so many benefits to digital search! You can locate that passage that’s been sticking in your brain by punching in a few keywords. You can find all the occurrences of the names Gideon or Melchizedek with a click. You can jump right to the crucifixion passages.
But, like most good tools, there are misuses we must avoid. And I’ll warn you—they’re mighty tempting.
The careless “word study” is one of the most common mistakes made with a Bible search tool. If you haven’t been part of a study like this, you’ve heard about it. A leader or teacher decides to explore “the real meaning” of a single word in the Bible—like “hope,” “peace,” or “lord.” Then he dashes through the first 15 hits on Bible Gateway for that word and draws a once-for-all conclusion.
I’m not here to shoot down all word studies. I think they can be done well. But they are so, so easy to do poorly! And the results of a poor word study can be disastrous. Christians are left skimming the surface, missing out on rich, deep truths in the Bible. And even worse—those surface-level “facts” might just be wrong.
The main problem with bad word studies is that they mishandle the Scriptures specifically and language in general.
If you’re an English speaker, consider the words “hold,” “watch,” or “run.” Each of these words can be used as multiple parts of speech and has several possible meanings in each case. You’d never take a book, collect the search hits for “run,” and claim to know the meaning of the word by this grab bag approach.
But this describes bad word studies in a nutshell.
The safeguard against bad word studies is interpreting the Bible in context. Do the hard work of understanding a passage before you connect it to different chapters, books, or authors. The process of connecting disparate parts of the Bible is called correlation.
When putting different parts of the Bible together, it’s best to connect ideas instead of just words. If you know what the original author meant, you can fit that idea together with the main point from a different passage.
My advice boils down to this. Start small (understanding individual passages) and then go big instead of the other way around. Let the Bible itself—not the results from a search engine—form the basis of your small group study.
This week we complete the instructions for the tabernacle. Only two short speeches (out of seven total) remain.
Most repeated words: all (8 times), Sabbath (6x), work (6), day (5), Lord (5), holy (4), people (4), son (4)
Speech #6: Spirit-filled men will create the tent complex according to Yahweh’s plan – Ex 31:1-11
Puzzle Monkey (2014), Creative Commons
Speech #7: Keeping the Sabbath day of rest – Ex 31:12-17
Ex 31:18 is the conclusion to all the instructions of Ex 25-31
Some possible questions:
My answers (numbers correspond to the questions):
Train of thought:
Main point: For God’s new creation dwelling place with his people, the climax comes when the right people join the work and demonstrate the unique ability of God to get them through.
Connection to Christ: Jesus is the faithful Son, the builder of God’s house. He trusted his Father fully so we who tend to trust ourselves could become his family.
When it’s time for me to get busy doing the work of God on behalf of the people of God (preaching, leading Bible studies, writing, discipling, parenting, etc.), it’s so easy for me to trust in my effort to carry the day. But this passage helps me to understand God’s glorious paradox: he appoints and uses me for his purposes, and I can trust him to do the heavy lifting. In other words, I work with all my strength, and I trust in God to make it happen. I can plant and water, but only God can cause the growth.
This paradox is at the heart of all faithful kingdom work. We work as though it were all up to us. Then we pray and trust as though it’s all up to him. In God’s universe, we shouldn’t choose one or the other. We do both.
“He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess 5:24).
Click here to see what I’m doing with this sample Bible study and why I’m doing it.
At the Gospel Coalition, Sara Wallace has two principles and three questions to help us teach our kids to read the Bible.
The principles:
The questions, for the kids to consider when they read:
It’s really that simple. Whether you try these three questions, or our devotional page, or any other way to frame these issues—the best thing we can do for our kids is inspire them to drink from the fountain of delights which is this book, the word of God. Whatever makes most sense to you and to your kids, do it!
