Knowable Word - Bible study help

Fight for the Main Point

October 18, 2013 By Peter Krol

The main points of the Bible are the ones worth fighting for. Often, however, Christians disagree over things other than the main points. And while we’re not wrong to draw conclusions about secondary, debatable, or implied points, such conclusions must never drown out the Bible’s main points.

Alex Indigo (2008), Creative Commons

The Pharisees demonstrate the problem. As the fundamentalists of their day, they cared about God’s truth. They wanted to glorify God and live lives pleasing to him. They passionately protected important doctrines, and they went to great lengths to win converts and change the world.

But in the process of remembering good things, they forgot the best things.

They attended Bible studies to improve their lives, but they didn’t embrace Life when God sent him (John 5:39-40).

They promoted God’s moral standards to a degenerate, fallen world, but they plotted harm on the day designed for doing good (Mark 3:1-6).

They put God first over every relationship, but they neglected God’s own wishes for human relationships (Matthew 15:3-6).

Sometimes Jesus condemns them for doing the wrong things, but sometimes he condemns them for neglecting the best things. Consider this judgement in Matthew 23:

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! (Matt 23:23-24, ESV)

Notice that they should have continued tithing. They weren’t expected to exercise justice, mercy, or faithfulness instead of giving 10%. They were expected to exercise justice, mercy, and faithfulness in addition to it. They always drank skim milk, but then got caught eating too much ice cream.

Today, we likewise can get distracted from the Bible’s main points. The worst distractions are not bad things but good things. They’re not false teaching but true teaching. They’re not opposed to God’s kingdom but in favor of God’s kingdom. These distractions consist of things that should concern us, but they’re not the only things that should concern us. Nor are they the main things that should concern us. We should reserve plenty of bandwidth for the weightier matters.

For example, we study Genesis 1 and focus our discussion on the length or literalness of the days of creation. We spend so much time on the “what” that we forget to seek the “why,” and we mistakenly believe we know the “why” because we’ve discovered the “what.” We might get the “what” (“What is the length of each day?”), and we should try hard to get the “what.” But we must press on to get the “why” (“Why does the author tell the story of creation as a sequence of 7 days?”). We must not neglect the fact that God’s creative process sets the pattern for our lives on earth (Mark 10:6-9, 2 Cor 4:5-6, Heb 4:1-5). And we must not ignore Jesus—the creator, light, life, word, sustainer, ruler, subduer, multiplier, author of faith, image of the invisible God, and firstborn of all creation.

For another example, we study Hebrews 11 and trumpet the heroes of faith. And rightly so, as the text recounts their lives with much fanfare. But we must not miss the main point. It’s a faith hall of fame and not a works hall of fame. The point is not so much to show the greatness of these heroes as it is to show their smallness. We should fix our gaze on these heroes, but only as long as we keep Jesus in our field of vision. The heroes huddle around us, bearing witness to the real Hero, Jesus (Heb 12:1-2).

Finding a passage’s main point is hard work, but we must fight to get it. And once we’ve got it, we must fight to keep it.

Share or follow:

John Piper on Bible Study with Illiterate People

October 16, 2013 By Peter Krol

This interview with John Piper speaks of reaching illiterate people groups and connects with my series on teaching Bible study to young children. “Expository preaching” is a method of teaching the Bible that focuses on a particular passage and explains whatever topics it addresses (in contrast to “topical preaching,” which focuses on a particular topic and explains whatever texts address it). This interview first appeared on the Desiring God website.

How would you begin to study the Bible with people who can’t read very well or are illiterate?

I asked Ajith Fernando that one time, because somebody was criticizing something that I had said about the importance of expository preaching. They had said, “You’re so Western, Piper. You don’t have a clue that millions and millions of people can’t read their Bible or don’t have any access to the Bible, so what good is expository preaching?”

So I asked Ajith. He serves in Sri Lanka and goes into villages of every level of literacy and preaches—or he used to, anyway. I said, “Do you think I need to back off on the importance of expository preaching?”

He said, “No, I don’t.”

And he described how they did it: “We go in, and I have a book—the Bible. And another person, my translator, has the book. And I read from the book, and he translates. And they all know there is a book here. There’s a book. They see that this man is submitting to a book—God’s book.”

So he reads out loud, it gets translated; and he explains, and it gets translated.

RIBI Image (2009), Creative Commons

Now bring that back to the situation in this question. You want to study the Bible with simpler folks, maybe, young children or those who are older and haven’t had the chance to do any extensive education. Or maybe they’re seriously dyslexic and just don’t read.

In that case, I would say that you lean far more heavily on oral material. You speak more. You help them to memorize things and to study, through the conversation that you’re having.

But I wouldn’t ever want to imply that you put the Bible aside. “Because this is a book and they don’t read, therefore we don’t use this.” No way! You open this and you become the mediator. You can read, they can’t read. And you read to them and provide whatever translation and help you can between the book and their hearts and their minds.

Share or follow:

Presumption Kills Bible Interpretation

October 11, 2013 By Peter Krol

Kate Ter Haar (2012), Creative Commons

Presumption is the act of drawing conclusions from limited evidence. Courts presume defendants to be innocent until the body of evidence convicts beyond all doubt. When you drive through a green light, you presume the opposing traffic sees a red light. Furthermore, you presume those drivers won’t hit the gas until they see green.

Since you’re not omniscient, every decision you make is based on presumption. There’s nothing inherently wrong with presumption, and avoiding it completely is impossible.

However, presumption is deadly when it trumps careful investigation. Unrestrained presumption can obstruct the process of interpretation.

Let’s say you want to buy a house. You find one you like, and you sign a contract to purchase it. You pack your belongings and prepare to relocate your family. But on move-in day, you discover that the “seller” didn’t actually own the house. He’s powerless to hand it over to you. When you try to move in, you find another family living in the house with no intent to move out. You’re stuck, partly because you presumed too much.

Presumption can be devastating in big life decisions, but it also causes trouble in the mundane. We presume a curt reply to imply anger. We mistake friendliness for attraction. We impute motives. We scold and convict a child on the testimony of a single embittered sibling. We rush to our conclusions and find security in the strength of our convictions. We admit no further evidence.

Careless presumption will kill your Bible study. It will strangle observation and bear stillborn application. It will make you look like the stereotypical, narrow-minded Christian, and it will diminish your influence for the Lord. By strengthening your confidence in questionable conclusions, presumption will cloud your relationship with Jesus and your experience of his grace. At worst, it may clog your pipeline to God. Guard yourself against every form of unexamined, unhindered presumption.

Relativism can be a form of presumption, when we believe a text means whatever we want it to mean. We’re not compelled to investigate the evidence, so we’re “tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes” (Eph 4:14, ESV). We lose our anchor in Christ.

Tradition can be a form of presumption, when it bullies observation, threatens investigation, and demands adherence to a sanctioned message. Now I’m no hater of tradition; it’s both valuable and necessary. But when it drives—and isn’t driven by—interpretation, it rampages and destroys like a toddler in a Lego city. Unexamined tradition trains people to think only what they were taught to think. And what they were taught to think may or may not be the truth.

Education can be a form of presumption, when, like tradition, it generates thoughts but not thinkers. Irresponsible education—whether theistic or atheistic—results in students who presume to know the Bible, but who have ceased listening to it. For such learners, Jedi Master Yoda may prove instructive: “You must unlearn what you have learned.”

Premature application can be a form of presumption, when we jump to conclusions in the name of relevance. We read and observe the text, but we move straight to application. We want our answers to be quick and practical, but we fail to nurture curiosity.

Authority can be a form of presumption, when we carelessly trust what the experts (be they pastors, professors, commentators, or Knowable Word bloggers) say about a text. We might learn to regurgitate their conclusions, but we won’t learn to reach them ourselves. Our teaching will lack substantiation, and the next generation will grow disillusioned by what it perceives to be hollow.

Tradition, education, application, and authority are all good things. In the right context, presumption is a good thing. But unchecked, it will defy the discovery of meaning.

Share or follow:

An Exhaustive List of Old Testament Quotations

October 9, 2013 By Peter Krol

Earlier this year, I ran a series of posts analyzing the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament. I listed which Old Testament books and chapters and verses were quoted most often. I listed which New Testament books did the most quoting. I drew these lists from my own exhaustive collection of New Testament quotations of the Old Testament.

Much more analysis could be done, so I’m happy to give you my raw data. This data might help you study overarching principles of interpretation. Or it might help you to see if the Old Testament book you’re studying is quoted anywhere in the New Testament. Perhaps you’ll find even more uses for it.

In both my posts and on the spreadsheet, I’ve tried to be clear about my assumptions and approach. May this data prove useful in your study of God’s Knowable Word.

I’ve created a new Resources page, with this spreadsheet as the first item. Check it out!

What other resources would you find helpful for your Bible study?

Share or follow:

The Best Wedding Sermon Ever

October 8, 2013 By Peter Krol

Yesterday, I quoted at length from the sermon Paul Browne preached at my wedding. It was the best wedding sermon I’ve ever heard, and not just because it was my own wedding. Being in college ministry, I get invited to a lot of weddings (we consider it an occupational hazard).

If you’d like to hear a great sermon about having great sex because we have a great savior, this is it.

I wish the quality were better, but it was originally recorded on audio cassette. Here’s a link to download the file.

Happy Anniversary, Erin! (We just celebrated 9 years.)

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.

Share or follow:

The Trick of Observing Genre

October 4, 2013 By Peter Krol

Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart wrote, “There is a real difference between a psalm, on the one hand, and an epistle on the other. Our concern is to help the reader to read and study the psalms as poems, and the epistles as letters…These differences are vital and should affect both the way one reads them and how one is to understand their message for today.”[1] Since genre influences our entire approach to a text, Fee and Stuart’s bestselling book on Bible interpretation focuses there. Make sure to observe genre.

Genre is normally simple in its identification. The two primary genres are poetry and prose; every text fits in one of those two categories. Within prose, we find narrative, law, letters, and apocalyptic literature (symbolic visions). Within poetry, we find psalms, songs, and proverbs. Some genres, like prophecies and wisdom literature, are written in either poetry or prose (for example, see Ecclesiastes and Ezekiel, which frequently alternate). In addition, the Bible has many sub-genres like speeches, genealogies, parables, dialogue, fables, diatribes, instructions, and epics.

Genre is also complex in its ramifications. Once we identify the genre, the real trick is to read it accurately. For example, consider the moment of Jesus’ birth. Luke says it occurred outside of hospital or inn and that it captured the attention of only a few shepherds (Luke 2:6-16), but Revelation says there were great signs in the heavens and a cosmic conflict with a devouring dragon (Rev 12:1-6). The differing genres of these two books help us to make sense of the differing accounts.

Since I can’t cover all the ramifications of genre in this short post, I commend Fee and Stuart’s How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth for further study. I’ll simply illustrate observation of genre with Genesis 1:1-2:3 (which I’ll call simply “Genesis 1”).

The primary observation is straightforward: This text, like most of Genesis, presents itself as historical narrative. The author reports events through the use of characters, setting, plot, climax, and resolution. He tells a story with a setting and a matter-of-fact style (“God said…God created…It was so.”). Thus Genesis 1, like all biblical narratives, tells a story of true events.

Now many interpretations of Genesis 1 hinge on the observation of genre. Some interpreters use Genesis 1 to explain Christianity’s compatibility with scientific evidence of origins. Others observe that Genesis 1 isn’t a science textbook. Either way, the argument is basically centered on the text’s genre.

Because Genesis 1 was written in the genre of historical narrative, we can conclude the narrator believed the act of creation really happened. Though Genesis 1 speaks of seemingly implausible things like light (Gen 1:3) without a sun (Gen 1:14-15), plants (Gen 1:11) without pollinating insects (Gen 1:24), a good-but-initially-unfinished earth (Gen 1:2), and an eternal, almighty God whose words held it together (Gen 1:1, 3, 6, etc.), the author presents them all as neither fable nor fairy tale.

However, we must not read historical narratives too strictly. Sometimes the chronology is all mixed up (for example, compare the order of events in the four Gospels). Biblical narratives are beautifully written and intentionally structured because every narrator has an agenda, and that agenda is more important than anything.

But that agenda doesn’t contradict the narrative’s factuality.

Many biblical witnesses confirm the factuality of Genesis 1. Moses thought this act of creation really happened (Ex 20:11). So did Isaiah (Is 42:5, 45:18). So did Jonah (Jonah 1:9), Nehemiah (Neh 9:6), Paul (2 Cor 4:6), and Peter (2 Pet 3:5). So did Jesus (Mark 10:6).

Thus, as we read Genesis 1, we must avoid either pushing the details too far or ignoring their historicity altogether. Observing the narrative genre prepares us for this task.

[1] How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Zondervan, 2009 (Kindle Locations 204-206). Disclosure: This is an affiliate link, so if you click it and buy stuff you’ll support the site at no extra cost to yourself.

Share or follow:

Why We Keep Studying the Bible

October 2, 2013 By Peter Krol

“I had to apologize to my son recently,” writes Trevin Wax at Baptist Press. He had led his son to believe going to church and attending Christian School and studying the Bible was more about education than about worship.

The boy thought he was finished, since he had learned all the Bible stories, songs, and memory verses. But Mr. Wax had to remind his son (and himself) that the studies and stories were intended to develop us as a people who worship God. They’re not just communicating information.

As you grow in Bible study, are you doing it to learn more? To gain more knowledge? To be able to answer people’s questions?

Or are you doing it to know God better?

Check it out!

Share or follow:

Genesis Overview

September 27, 2013 By Peter Krol

Last week I explained how to do an overview of a Bible book. Let’s say you’d like to study the book of Genesis. You might begin with the following overview.

Author. Though Christians commonly teach that Moses wrote Genesis, the Bible doesn’t explicitly attribute Genesis to Moses. However, since biblical authors universally treat the first five books of the Bible as “the Book of the Law of Moses” (Josh 23:6, Neh 8:1), we are justified in doing the same. Whether Moses penned the words of Genesis or not, he certainly saw fit to include the book in his collection of laws for Israel.

Audience. According to the ESV Study Bible, “it is reasonable to consider the first audience of the Pentateuch [Genesis through Deuteronomy] to be Israel in the wilderness (either the generation that left Egypt or their children).”[1]

Occasion and Purpose. After reading the book a few times, we can recognize significant themes. To understand the book’s purpose, we take the major themes and ask why this author wrote these things to this audience at this time. For Genesis, I agree with the ESV Study Bible’s assessment that “the theme of Genesis is creation, sin, and re-creation,” involving both “how God created the world” and “the call of Abraham.”[2] When we ask why Moses would give this book to these people at this time, we can identify the book’s purpose as follows: to establish Israel’s national identity by explaining the history of God’s creation and his promises to Abraham and his offspring.

Note that a book’s purpose is similar to its main point. The difference is that the “purpose” is closely tied to the original audience, while the “main point” may be more timeless. I’d state the main point of Genesis like this: to establish the identity of all God’s people by explaining the history of God’s creation and his promises to Abraham and his offspring.

Structure. Genesis 1:1-2:3 opens the book by introducing God, his creative power, and his gracious delegation of authority to humanity. The book then proceeds in two main sections: Early history (Gen 2-11) and the history of Israel’s forefathers (Gen 12-50). Furthermore, the book is structured by ten “These are the generations” statements (Gen 2:4, 5:1, 6:9, 10:1, 11:11, 11:27, 25:12, 25:19, 36:1, 37:2), which outline cycles of creation-fall-redemption-new creation. Humanity repeatedly fails to submit to God’s gracious rule, and God begins again with new generations.

[1] Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008, p.40.

[2] p.41.

Share or follow:

Wise People Crave Wisdom

September 25, 2013 By Peter Krol

Sharper Iron posted an article by Ed Vasicek on the wisdom of Solomon. Vasicek rightly says that “wise people crave more and more wisdom, for wisdom is given to those who value it.”

He shows how Solomon asked God for wisdom in 1 Kings 3 because he felt inadequate to lead God’s people. Wise people always feel inadequate, and so fear the Lord, desiring his instruction.

Vasicek highlights a few things I didn’t cover in my introduction to Proverbs, so I recommend you check it out!

HT: Jake Swink

Share or follow:

The Book Overview

September 20, 2013 By Peter Krol

I have a child who spontaneously asks, “Hey Papa, do you remember that thing? You know, that thing?” When I request more description for “that thing,” the child gets frustrated. But unfortunately, I have no idea what the question refers to unless I can get some context.

Dennis Irrgang (2008), Creative Commons

Similarly, if we isolate a chapter from the literature surrounding it, we’ll skew our observations. Thus, the first thing to observe is the whole book in which we find the passage. I call this step “the book overview.”

We could address many issues during the book overview, but I find four most helpful.

Author: Who wrote the book?
Audience: To whom did he write?
Occasion and Purpose: Why did this author write to this audience at this time? What was going on in their lives?
Structure: How does the book progress? What order is there to the stories or ideas?

The best way to answer these questions is to read the book 5 or 6 times and observe the book’s themes. In addition, you can get more background by searching the entire Bible for names of key people and places connected to the book you want to study. For example, when you study First or Second Thessalonians, you should begin by reading passages in Acts that mention Thessalonica. You can also learn about Old Testament prophets from the books of Kings or Chronicles (e.g. 2 Kings 14:23-27 will help acquaint you with the prophet Jonah).

Sometimes there are also details outside of the text that will help answer the overview questions, so you may want to read a good overview article or Bible dictionary. Just make sure the resource gives the most weight to evidence from within the Bible. For example, many commentaries teach that two different people wrote Isaiah 1-39 and Isaiah 40-66. However, the Gospel of John states clearly that the prophet Isaiah wrote both the first part (John 12:39-40) and the second part (John 12:38). A good scholar will trust such evidence from God’s word.

Now all four questions might not have clear answers. We don’t know who wrote the book of Judges. There’s some debate on the precise audience of Galatians. John leaves no doubt about the purpose of his Gospel (John 20:31), first letter (1 John 5:13), and third letter (3 John 9-10), but with the second letter we can only infer a purpose. There’s usually not one right way to outline a book’s structure.

But if we go as far as we can on these questions, we’ll be able to place the book within its historical context.

When my child asks if I remember “that thing,” I ask some clarifying questions. What thing? When did you see it? Where can I find it? Who was with you?

We should do the same with the book overview.

Next week: An Example Overview of Genesis

Share or follow:

« Previous Page