Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible
Kevin DeYoung posted a great article last week on leading small groups. His tips are:
I wrote some similar things in my posts “How to Lead a Great Bible Study” and “5 Practices for Preparing Effective Bible Studies,” so I highly recommend the full article. Check it out!
Discussions of Proverbs 9 often settle on a list of contrasts between the feasts of Wisdom and Folly, and I couldn’t resist beginning my study there. But observing contrasts merely gets us started. Interpretation compels us to ask a “What” question and a “Why” question:
The second question is pretty easy, and we’ve covered it many times: Wisdom offers life (Prov 9:6), while Folly offers death (Prov 9:18). Wisdom seeks our good; Folly seeks no good.
Ron Cogswell (2012), Creative Commons
That answer does us no good, however, unless we have a clear answer to the first question. If Wisdom provides life through her feast, how do we get that life? What is the feast, and when can we start eating? If we get this wrong, we’ll waste our time. We’ll fill up on salad and have no room left for dessert.
We could answer the question by saying, “Wisdom is the feast.” We could support our answer by references to poetry, figurative language, and devices like personification. We’d be careful not to push the imagery too far, and we’d come away believing that wisdom is the feast. Wisdom (poetically personified) invites us to come and partake of (God’s spiritual) wisdom.
And while I’m sure there’s some truth here, I’m unsatisfied by this answer. I find it so abstract and mystical that I’m left feeling hopeless. How do I know if I’m drawing on wisdom’s well deeply enough? How do I know whether it’s changing me? How do I know whether I’m consuming the right supply of nourishment?
And how do I get it? Must I listen to the voices inside my head? Will I feel a peace about it? Will God confirm my choices by making circumstances line up just right?
A better way forward is to observe the passage at hand. We can answer our interpretive questions from the text.
Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts;
she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.” (Prov 9:1-6, ESV)
Notice especially how the text gives more space to the feast’s preparation than to the feast itself:
Much work is done before a single simpleton grabs a knife and fork. And I shouldn’t say the work “is” done. Better to say it “has been” done. The verb tenses are no accident.
Let’s zoom out and remember what’s going on. Proverbs 1-9 serves as a long introduction to the book of Proverbs. And chapter 9 is the last section of that long introduction. Reading Proverbs from the beginning, we haven’t yet gotten to any of the book’s meat. Everything so far has been a framing of ideas and a creating of categories. Solomon has been building a foundation upon which the details of chapters 10-31 will make sense.
For example, Proverbs 10:1 (“A wise son makes a glad father, but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother”) isn’t merely about good relationships that keep one’s parents happy. Solomon plants a single seed in the soil of wisdom’s field, and the soil’s fertility comes from what he’s already said about categories of people, appeals to listen, the blessings of godliness, and the fear of the Lord.
In fact, every verse in Proverbs 10-31 should be read in light of the context established by Proverbs 1-9. I recently saw a review for a book about Proverbs that said:
Although drawn from the Biblical book of Proverbs, it is not a preachy book. Truth is truth, no matter what the source, and you can benefit from this book whether you are “religious” or not.
But this misses the point, does it not? Any advice on money, relationships, business, or leadership drawn from Proverbs must be read in light of wisdom’s beginning: the fear of the Lord. Without a relationship with God, there is no wisdom (Prov 2:6-8)! Any non-religious attempt to apply principles from Proverbs is a counterfeit; it is stolen water and secret bread (Prov 9:17).
My point is this: Wisdom’s feast is the book of Proverbs, especially chapters 10-31. The “house” is Proverbs 1-9. Chapter 9 is the pivot. The house has been built, and you’re invited to the feast. You’re almost ready to dig in.
Though stating the matter tentatively, Bruce Waltke provides no alternatives to this interpretation:
The representation of Wisdom as having built her house and prepared her banquet may represent figuratively the prologue [chapters 1-9] and the Collections [chapters 10-31] respectively. The house (i.e., the introductory prologue) is now finished, and the banquet (i.e., the proverbs of Solomon) is about to begin. Her messengers (i.e., the parents) have been sent to invite the uncommitted and dull youth to eat and drink her sumptuous fare. Their sons are already waiting for Wisdom to open her doors. (The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 1-15, p. 431)
Stephen Crawford (2011), Creative Commons
Bible studies often begin well with a good launching question. When I prepare to lead, I usually prepare the beginning at the end. I like to know where I’m going before I decide which way to kick the thing off.
For those who like examples, I now spread a feast. Here’s a list of sample launching questions I’ve used in the last 6 months with (hopefully) enough context for you to make sense of them. The “Central Truth” was the passage’s main point that I wanted the group to see by the end of the study. The Launching Question was my very first question to begin the study.
Context: church small group with a variety of ages and life situations among the members.
Central Truth: God’s agents must share God’s heart for God’s people, but often they don’t.
Launching Question: How do you normally respond to the weakness or suffering of other people?
(I can’t take credit for this one. My co-leader Warren Wright led this study.)
Central Truth: God prepares and provides for His servants so that they may be ready for service.
Launching Question: How does God prepare you for service? Or: How do you prepare for important events/actions?
Central Truth: When God’s plan doesn’t match our plan, we usually look for someone to blame.
Launching Question: What would you like to see God do in our Growth Group? (Dream big!) What will you do if the group doesn’t meet your expectations?
Central Truth: To know Yahweh as your God, you must experience deliverance and the fulfillment of his promises by the hand of his mediator.
Launching Question: What do you think it means to know God? How does one go about knowing God?
Central Truth: All must know that Yahweh owns everything and remakes his creation at will.
Launching Question: What does it mean to “redeem” something? In ordinary usage? In the Bible? [I wanted to get at the idea of ownership.]
Central Truth: Future generations must know that Yahweh owns the firstborn (=everything) and remakes his creation at will.
Launching Question: What is the most important thing you would like to be remembered for in the future?
Context: ministry small group with summer interns (all undergraduate college students). I felt like I could push the boundaries of social awkwardness just a little to make John’s points clear.
Central Truth: The eternal God entered human history to reveal himself so we might become his children, but our natural response is to reject him.
Launching Question: Let’s test the quality of your sex education: How is a baby born?
Central Truth: We must know two things to see and enter the Kingdom of God: 1) The Bad News: our need for rebirth, 2) The Good News: the arrival of a savior.
Launching Question: What happens when a willing couple can’t get pregnant? [Insert discussion of modern fertility treatment procedures and the understandable desire to make new births happen.] Why do you think people won’t accept Jesus’ message today? [Connect to our inability to force a new birth.]
Central Truth: The King’s work is complete.
Launching Question: Would you like to have a romantic relationship? Why? How else do you respond to your innate sense of incompletion or loneliness?
I invite your opinion. How could these launching questions be improved?
How do we se Jesus in the Proverbs? Simple. As J.A. Medders writes, “Wisdom is a ‘Who’ More than a ‘What.'”
The Proverbs are the practical righteousness of Christ, his life, played out in our sanctification. Wisdom isn’t a nebulous concept, or ancient advice for life. Wisdom is draped in Nazarene flesh. Wisdom is the Ancient of Days. And now, by the gospel of grace, Jesus is our wisdom, and our righteousness, and our sanctification.
Medders summarizes the connections in two concise ideas:
This has been my understanding all through my Proverbs series, and Medders makes it nice and easy. His full article is well worth reading.
Check it out!
Choosing a restaurant should be a basic human right. Imagine being forced to go to a Chinese restaurant when you were in the mood for sandwiches. Or having to sit and wait when you expected something simple and fast. And woe betide the co-conspirators responsible for my wife’s worst nightmare: eating pizza two evenings in a row.
Trey Ratcliff (2009), Creative Commons
Of course food quality isn’t the only factor to consider. We have an industry based on reviewing culinary establishments for presentation, cleanliness, speed, friendliness, and appearance, in addition to taste. My town has hundreds of restaurants within a 10-mile radius, but, on a recent double date, we chose a restaurant more than 20 minutes away because it had received a makeover from the TV show “Restaurant: Impossible.” We had to see what all the fuss was about, and we’re glad we did!
Proverbs 9 reminds us that we always have a dining choice. When hunger (for life, fulfillment, advice, or simply “something more”) drives us to seek sustenance and satisfaction, we will look for a good restaurant. Some will find a reputable proprietorship; others will be terribly deceived. Make sure you eat at the right place.
In this chapter, wisdom offers a delightful and nourishing feast (Prov 9:1-6), which is meant to be shared (Prov 9:7-12). Folly peddles something illegitimate, unsanitary, poisonous (Prov 9:13-18). Since appearances can be terribly deceiving, we must learn how to tell the difference.
Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her beasts;
she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.” (Prov 9:1-6, ESV)The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way.
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret in pleasant.”
But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol. (Prov 9:13-18, ESV)
Next week, I’ll do more interpreting and applying (“What is Wisdom’s feast?”). For now, let’s simply observe comparisons and contrasts.
In many ways, these two feasts share similar features:
But don’t get distracted by appearances. Beauty, as they say, is a different matter after you’ve skinned the thing.
When the simple get moving toward the Lord, the scales fall and truth becomes clear. These two feasts couldn’t be any more different:
Two people see the same pornographic advertisement; one is turned off, and the other is turned on. Two investors discover the same questionable loophole; one sees loss, and the other sees gain. Two spouses experience the same set of conflicts; one sees a chance to deepen intimacy, and the other looks for a permanent way out.
These things should not surprise us. Some people make themselves sick on cotton candy; others know to hold out for the rib eye and Merlot. Which are you?
How should I begin this post? Should I ask a question? Tell a story about the last time I tried to create a clever introduction? Perhaps I must always make a broad and over-generalized but intriguing suggestion. Or maybe ultra-vivid, razor-sharp imagery will slice your jugular and capture your attention while your lifeblood slips through my fingers.
I have many options, but each promotes the same goal: hooking you early and giving you reason to read on.
Perhaps such a communication technique is a place where “the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). The secular world runneth over with advice on presentations, public speaking, dynamic teamship, and interpersonal communication; but many Bible studies are boring. And the boredom wastes no time to settle in. The first 5 minutes often signify what is yet to come.
Steve Jurvetson (2011), Creative Commons
In his excellent Growth Groups training manual, Colin Marshall recommends introducing Bible studies with a “launching question.”
A launching question should be:
• Purposeful—introducing the main ideas or applications that will be addressed.
• Interesting—engaging the group’s attention and arousing their minds.
• Easy—making them the experts so all can contribute early in the discussion.
• Open—with many possible answers.There are two general types of launching questions:
• Topical—to raise the issues related to the goals of the study, by posing a dilemma or asking opinions.
• Textual—to raise an issue in the text being studied which will help to unravel the whole passage. (p.39)
While we don’t have examples in Scripture of Bible study discussions, we have plenty of examples of good introductions. They’ll mold our thinking as long as we don’t train ourselves to ignore them and move quickly to the “body” of the text. Here’s a sampling:
What other biblical introductions motivate you to read on?
By beginning a Bible study well, we do the same thing: We give people reason to listen and take part. “But the Bible itself is reason enough to listen and take part. We shouldn’t have to try to make the Bible exciting,” you say.
And I say, “Right on. We don’t have to make the Bible exciting. But if we’re not careful, we’ll lead people to think it’s boring and irrelevant.”
That’s why the launching question is usually the last thing I do when I prepare to lead a Bible study. (See the 5th of the 5 practices for preparing effective Bible studies.) The goal of the launching question is not merely to capture attention; you could do that by painting your face and dancing in Gangnam style. The goal is to unleash the text and win people early to the main idea.
Therefore, before I can start the trip, I must know where I’d like to go.
Innovate 4 Jesus recently re-published my article “You Can Lead with Influence.”
When a teacher has influence, students seek a relationship outside of class and ask advice on topics outside of the curriculum. When a manager has influence, employees pitch in on projects without being asked. When a pastor has influence, Christians find any excuse to join his Sunday morning coffee hour conversations. When an older sibling has influence, the closeness lasts well into adulthood. In each case, we follow influential leaders, not because we have to, but because we want to.
An aspiring leader might start off with this vision for influence, but over time the rookie’s eagerness can fade into a fog of authority and experience. Experience assures the leader that entrenched behaviors can’t be broken, touchy people need more leeway, and elder meetings must be boring. Thus, forfeiting influence, the former idealist starts to rely on his own authority to get results.
Consider the difference between authority and influence in this simple illustration. An authoritative parent might compel his teenager to keep her curfew. But only an influential parent can trust his daughter won’t sneak out when he’s asleep.
Every once in a while you see a truly game-changing scenario. Like when your team was trailing by 6 runs, but the bottom of the 9th saw a 3-run homer followed by a re-loading of the bases. And now your best slugger stands at the plate, and you’ve got a fighting chance.
Proverbs 8:32-36 speaks of one of those situations. Solomon is almost through with his 9-chapter manifesto on God’s wisdom. He’s built the foundations, and he’s about to invite you into the feast: the detailed wisdom in the rest of the book. But first he’s got a few more pitches to throw. (Sorry to keep mixing metaphors, but it’s not much different from what Solomon does!) Will you stand or fall? Walk or strike out? Get a hit and stay alive, or get caught looking to retire the side?
N. Kodama (2009), Creative Commons
If you’re still not sure what to do with this thing called wisdom, Solomon issues a command, a promise, and a motivation.
And now, O sons, listen to me:
blessed are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
Blessed is the one who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
For whoever finds me finds life
and obtains favor from the LORD,
but he who fails to find me injures himself;
all who hate me love death. (Prov 8:32-36, ESV)
“Listen to me…Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.” This has been the most repeated command in these opening 8 chapters of Proverbs. Listening is:
And now, O sons, don’t neglect to hear instruction (Prov 8:32-33). You’ll be wise if you but listen. And if you don’t hear, you’re not a victim but a perpetrator of your own downfall.
“Blessed are those who keep my ways…Blessed is the one who listens to me…” (Prov 8:32, 34). Repeatedly, Solomon has commanded wisdom’s reception, not out of a sense of disinterested duty but on account of a Godward self-interest. Gaining wisdom is hard work, but it’s worth it because your life will be better with it than without it. The one who listens and keeps the commands is “blessed.”
As Paul reasons elsewhere, “No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church” (Eph 5:29). So, he says, take that innate self-passion of yours and direct it to your wife. Jesus reasons similarly in his summary of the law: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:37-40). He does not command us to love ourselves; he assumes we already do. And he expects us to love others with the same degree of fervency.
So with Solomon. Do you want what’s best for yourself? Really? If so, you’ll value what God thinks best over what you think best, since God’s best is better than your best. Hear the one you fear, be willing to change everything, and be blessed.
On the one hand, there is wisdom, life, and the Lord’s favor (Prov 8:35). On the other hand, there is self-injury and necrophilia (Prov 8:36). Your choice. Do such things motivate you to listen up? When you get this, nothing will stay the same.
The command, promise, and motivation: These are game-changing facts about God’s wisdom. “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:8).
Rachel James (2006), Creative Commons
To lead our groups toward what God has said, we can reframe our Bible studies for different audiences, even when we cover the same text. But how do we go about framing the study for a particular audience? How do we construct a discussion plan for a specific group of people?
The study’s framing is 4th on the list of 5 practices for preparing effective Bible studies. Don’t worry about getting the framing right until after you’ve taken care to 1) depend on the Lord, 2) understand the passage’s main point, and 3) apply the main point to your own life. Work on framing too soon, and you may lose clarity or credibility in your leadership.
I’ll prepare a Bible study differently for a small group vs. a large group. With a larger audience, questions must be more direct to keep the discussion moving. If either the question is too open or the answer is too obvious, you’re most likely to suppress interaction. But for smaller groups, open questions like “What stood out to you in the passage?” may work just fine.
Thus in a larger group, I want the passage’s main point to take center stage. I’ll open with it and return to it often. In a smaller group, I prefer to help the group discover the main point through the discussion.
For people he has never met, Paul—though warm—is somewhat formal (Rom 1:8-15) yet bold (Rom 15:15, 24). With close partners and key laborers, he gushes (1 Thess 2:17-20, 3:8, 2 Tim 2:1-8).
The truth itself will never change, but the way you pitch it may change depending on your relationship with your group. In studying 2 Timothy 3:10-17 with my church, I framed it as “What We Believe About the Bible”—personal, inclusive, familiar. I’d hesitate to use language like “what we believe” with a group of people I’ve never met; it might sound presumptuous. A better pitch for them would be “What the Bible Says About the Bible” or “What You Can Expect of the Bible.”
You’ll build more credibility as a teacher if you know your people. What do they want to get out of life? What brings them together? Why are they coming to your Bible study? What events have recently affected their community? What do they value? How do they talk? What do they do when they spend time together?
When you know your group well, you’ll craft a more personal and relevant Bible study, which produces higher impact and memorability.
For example, with college students, I try to be hip, but in an awkward sort of way (making it clear that I know I’m not really hip). I do this not to get them to like me but to communicate how much I like them. It’s my jam to understand these students better. For realz.
With families at church, I spend more time sharing about my family and our interactions with other families.
When I’m a guest teacher in a new place, I use that church’s pew Bible, and I listen to informal conversation to find something to incorporate into the study. It’s not hard to uncover a local news event or a church happening or an individual’s hope for the future. Working such things into the discussion (or into the framing of the study) makes the topic more palatable and helps it to stick.
The key is not to master a set of techniques but to learn to love your people. Paul models such flexible servant leadership as he preaches to different groups of people:
Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt… (Acts 13:17)
Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious… (Acts 17:22)
We don’t teach to feel better about ourselves, nor to earn brownie points for being truth-bearers. We do it to serve God’s people and win outsiders into the Kingdom. We lead by laying down our lives and seeking to enter theirs (Mark 10:42-45).
At the Resurgence, Ryan Kearns recently gave some ideas on “What to Do When You Don’t Like the Bible”:
These are great ideas. Check it out!
