Knowable Word - Bible study help

How to Go Deep Without Getting Lost

January 20, 2021 By Peter Krol

Ryan Martin makes an important point about Bible study. Though we love to “go deep,” doing so often causes us to get lost and miss the point. He explains three dangers of Bible study that gets too focused on provocative details or word studies without retaining the author’s train of thought:

Words are flexible and contextual. A word doesn’t always mean the same thing every time it’s used.
Details can distract from the flow of a text. Following our biggest questions may obscure the author’s biggest intentions.
An individual text doesn’t need to carry the whole weight of Christian theology. It’s okay if a particular passage causes you to focus on a single attribute of God or a particular aspect of the gospel; don’t ‘overharmonize’ the diversity of Scripture.

These are important considerations for those who seek to know God through his word.

Check it out!

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Why a Small Group Question Doesn’t Get an Answer

January 18, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Let’s start with an enormous understatement: This school year has been difficult. Both teachers and students have had to deal with incredible challenges.

Since August I have been teaching my classes in a hybrid style—some students are in the classroom and some are joining the class remotely. My main struggle has been participation. Especially for remote students, it is much easier to stay quiet and let others do most of the interacting. Consequently, I’ve been thinking a lot about silence.

Silence in the classroom and silence in Bible studies are not that different. They can both be deflating for the teacher/leader, and they usually come from one of three sources.

Why to Minimize Silence

The main strength of a small group Bible study is the interaction that takes place. But if there’s no dialogue, the meeting falls short of its potential.

Small group silence usually happens when the leader asks a question that gets no response. After a second or two, the leader rephrases the question or gives an answer himself.

Not All Silence Is Bad

We should note that not all silence is bad. Thinking takes time! So, if a leader asks a thought-provoking question, some silence is natural—especially if the group has not considered the question before.

One of the essential skills for all teachers and small group leaders is the ability to sit in silence. Most people hate silence and will do anything to fill it. But that won’t do in a setting that thrives on conversation. A leader who can’t allow silence short-circuits the thinking and learning that can happen in the group.

What’s the difference between good silence and bad silence? That largely depends on the group, but here’s a rule of thumb. When I was first training as a teacher, a mentor advised me to count silently to fifteen after I asked a question.

For those just learning this skill, fifteen seconds is an eternity. But, comfort comes with repetition. And by allowing this silence, the leader emphasizes that they genuinely want to hear from others.

3 Reasons for Silence

If silence in a group routinely stretches beyond fifteen seconds, something might need to change. There are at least three reasons why a small group leader’s question might be met with silence.

A Bad Question

A group might be silent because the question is bad. It is much easier to ask a bad question than a good one! The older I get, the more convinced I am that asking helpful questions is essential to excellent teaching and fruitful leadership. And asking good questions is hard work.

What makes a bad question in a small group Bible study? Here are three possibilities.

The question is too personal. If a small group leader shifts too quickly from textual to personal questions, this whiplash may cause people to close up.
The question is too obvious. Leaders should avoid asking fill-in-the-blank questions. Group members may feel insulted by questions with trivial answers.
The question is too difficult. While a leader has been studying the passage for hours, some group members have just read it for the first time. Asking people to perform high-level analysis without the proper lead-up is sometimes asking too much.

A Bad Atmosphere

So much of what happens in a small group depends on the climate of the group. Start/stop times, topics for small talk, even who prays and for how long—these are among the many aspects of a small group that develop over time and are a part of its atmosphere.

How much a group values discussion is a foundational part of a small group’s culture. And the small group leader has a huge influence.

Simply put, if the Bible study leader doesn’t value or desire input from group members, discussion is much less likely to occur, regardless of how many questions are asked.

A small group’s atmosphere may also be affected by dominant group members, conflicts between people, or other issues that do not arise from the leader. These may make the climate unfriendly to participation.

Reluctant Group Members

The first two reasons for silence were problems to be fixed. The third reason falls in a different category.

Some people are, by nature, less willing to answer questions in a group setting. They may be afraid of giving a wrong answer, they may take longer to think through answers, or they may just not enjoy talking in a group setting.

A person’s physical or mental health can also play a role in their participation. A group member who is ill, tired, grieving, or depressed may be more withdrawn during group meetings. These are natural and understandable reasons for not answering questions.

Encouraging Conversations

Any small group leader who wants their group to bear fruit is frustrated when they ask a question and hear no response. The good news is that there are ways to improve as a leader to minimize these stretches of silence.

In my next post we’ll start to explore how a leader can ask questions that stimulate thought and illuminate the Scripture. We will also learn some tips to create a culture of friendly interaction within the small group. Finally, we will discuss ways to understand, value, and encourage group members who don’t often participate.

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Acts 4 and 5: Similar Narratives with Distinct Emphases

January 15, 2021 By Peter Krol

“If your observation is poor, your interpretation won’t be any better.” Acts 4 and Acts 5 provide a good case study to illustrate this mantra of mine.

These two chapters of Acts (or, to be specific, Acts 4:5-31 and Acts 5:17-42) appear quite similar on the surface. In both episodes:

Jesus’ apostles draw crowds for doing miraculous signs and wonders (Acts 3:11-12, 5:14-16).
The high priest and his associates imprison Jesus’ apostles for preaching and healing (Acts 4:1-3, 5:17-18).
There is a hearing with testimony from the “offenders” (Acts 4:5-7, 5:27-28).
The apostles are compelled to bear witness to the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus (Acts 4:10-12, 5:30-32).
The priests warn the apostles to speak no longer in this name (Acts 4:18, 5:40).
The apostles contrast obedience to the priests with obedience to God (Acts 4:19-20, 5:29).
The apostles end up more motivated and more courageous to continue their proclamation (Acts 4:31, 5:41-42).

Because of these similarities, teachers and small group leaders may feel stuck when studying Acts. Should we skip over the second episode? Should we repeat the same lesson and applications? How do we prevent the study from feeling like deja vu for participants? What more can we cover the second time ’round that we didn’t address the first time?

When a biblical narrator repeats similar ideas in this way, especially in such quick succession, he may have numerous reasons for doing so. One reason could be simply to establish a matter on the testimony of two witnesses (Deut 19:15). But in almost every case, the narrator also gives clues that he has a different point to make with each episode. We can use the same skills we employ to avoid unhelpful harmonization to grasp Luke’s points in these two chapters of Acts. Let’s hear each episode and observe them doggedly.

Plot Structure to the Rescue in Acts 4

Since we’re dealing with narratives, one of the most useful tools is that of plot structure. Let’s go back over each of the two scenes with the concepts of conflict, climax, and resolution in mind. To keep things somewhat focused, I’ll be looking only at the arrest/hearing scenes and not the healing scenes that provoked them.

In chapter 4, Acts 4:5-6 describe the setting. The conflict (tangible narrative tension) enters in Acts 4:7, when the priests ask, “By what power or by what name did you do this [heal the man lame since birth and proclaim resurrection from the dead]?” The chief conflict here is the conflict between names, which represent both delegated authority and factual power. What is the name that gives you either the ability (power) or the right (authority) to do these things?

Luke masterfully foreshadows this conflict of authoritative names even as he establishes the setting: “…with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family” (Acts 4:6). Do you see what he did there? Do you see how sneaky he was in getting you to consider all those powerful and authoritative names?

The tension only increases as Peter tackles the question head-on:

“by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth…” (Acts 4:10)
“there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)

The wannabe Names, however, can’t have any of this. Luke narrates twice their resolve to prohibit proclamation in this unapproved name of Jesus (Acts 4:17, 18). They then release Peter, John, and the formerly lame man, but the narrative hasn’t climaxed yet. The question remains unresolved: Which name will prove to be the true power here?

It is only after the disciples return to their friends (Acts 4:23), pray together to the Sovereign Lord who made heaven, earth, and sea (Acts 4:24), and ask him to embolden them even while continuing his signs and wonders through the name of his holy servant Jesus (Acts 4:29-30)—only then does the conflict finally resolve. At this profession of complete trust in the name of Jesus, the place where they had gathered was shaken, and the Holy Spirit fills hem afresh with a new measure of boldness (Acts 4:31). The shaking and the Spirit are narrative evidences that they’ve been clinging to the right name. That the power of this name to preach the resurrection cannot be stopped by a few pretenders to the Jewish priesthood. What were their names again?

Luke’s emphasis in this first scene, evident through the nature of the narrative conflict and climax, is on the vindication and authority of the name of Jesus over that of the Jewish priests.

Plot Structure in Acts 5

The conflict, climax, and resolution of Acts 5 take us in quite a different direction.

Acts 5:17-18 provide the setting, where a jealous High Priest & Co. (unnamed!) locks up the apostles. And not only Peter and John this time, but, presumably, all of them. Yes, there is implicit conflict in both the jealousy and the arrest itself. But the actual narrative conflict arises in Acts 5:19-20, when an angel shows up to bust his boys out of the slammer. The priests want them in prison; the angel (and, in light of what follows, we can add: God) wants them in the temple. The conflict: Where do you want these guys to be?

The tension increases (hilariously) the next day as the priests send for their prisoners for interrogation, and they can’t find them (Acts 5:21b-25)! Nobody remembers seeing them leave, and the cells remain locked. They were so careful to place these troublemakers just so, but then they went and lost their prisoners!

They hear of the apostles’ presence in the temple (incidentally, isn’t it the priests’ job to be there?), and resolve to bring them back in. But they must do so with much sensitivity and caution, lest they get themselves killed by the crowd (Acts 5:26). Luke strongly suggests that the apostles could have resisted this re-arrest, had they chosen to stay put in the temple, and the temple officers could have done nothing to physically apprehend them. The priests are clearly losing their ability to contain these unruly preachers.

I’ll simplify my analysis by suggesting that the conflict is finally reversed (i.e. reaches its climax) in Acts 5:39, where Gamaliel’s advice is simply to trust God to decide which movements he wants to grow or demolish. The priests take his advice (Acts 5:39b), but not really (Acts 5:40). They still want to have some control over deciding when and where this Christian movement can operate. And their intimidation has the opposite effect to what they intend (Acts 5:41-42).

Conclusion

All you need to do is set aside your familiarity and take a closer look. Observe, observe, observe. Take note, especially in narrative, of the details of conflict, rising action, climax, and resolution. As you do, the distinct emphases of similar episodes will surface themselves.

Then you can teach or lead discussions on Acts 4 and Acts 5 without covering exactly the same ground. First (Acts 4), you talk about the only name that has the authority to forgive and the power to heal. Then (Acts 5), you explore the fact that opposition to this name will want to contain it but never succeed.

But if your observation is poor, your interpretation won’t be any better.

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Tips for Reading the Bible with Another Person

January 13, 2021 By Peter Krol

Drew Hunter offers 7 great tips for reading the Bible with another person:

Keep it simple
Pick a section of the Bible
Make a short-term commitment
Read with coffee or a meal
Read with other Christians
Read with non-Christians
Keep God and his grace in view
Respond with openness and prayer

I especially would highlight the first point. You don’t have to spend hours preparing an extensive Bible study in order to meet with someone to read Scripture together. As Hunter remarks:

Here’s what it can look like: Briefly pray to thank God for his word, and ask for help with understanding and responding to his word. Then read a section of Scripture out loud together. Afterward, briefly respond by sharing thoughts you had while reading the passage. End your time together by praying again.

David Helm offers further help with this sort of discipleship in his book One-to-One Bible Reading. But Hunter’s article is a great introduction to the topic.

Check it out!

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The Best Idea for Studying Proverbs

January 8, 2021 By Peter Krol

When I was in college, I attended a conference where the speaker taught the book of Proverbs. He explained the basics of Hebrew poetry. He had us comparing verses, considering metaphors, and thinking hard. He stimulated us and challenged us to pursue the Lord of wisdom, for life, from this book.

I was so inspired by the teaching on this book that I spent the following summer memorizing the first nine chapters. I have sought to rehearse those chapters once per week ever since (almost 25 years!), in hopes of keeping the wisdom of God before my eyes and the fear of the Lord within my heart.

And in addition to motivating me to memorize Proverbs, the speaker offered one of the best, most practical pieces of advice I’ve ever heard for studying this book. He encouraged us to get a cheap spiral-bound notebook and read the entire book of Proverbs once per month (only a chapter a day). Each time through the book, pick one topic, write the topic at the top of the page, and write down all of verses from Proverbs that address that topic. Each month gets a separate page for a separate topic.

That’s it. It doesn’t require a huge investment of time or brain power. It requires only an intent to notice things. And the result is that you get your own usable, topical index of Proverbs for future reference.

I followed this advice for about 4 years, developing my own index of almost 50 topics addressed in the book of Proverbs. And I have returned to that notebook countless times since. It is a common occurrence for me to speak with a friend or child about something or other, when I remember some proverbs that speak to the matter. Only, who can ever remember all the references for the scattershot text of Proverbs? Sure, maybe I can remember “Proverbs 22:6” or “18:24” or “somewhere in chapter 30.” But, with the exception of the first 9 chapters, I will never be able to locate a particular proverb from memory, even if I could quote the words.

So I keep my notebook handy. Being homemade, it had much deeper effect on me than a concordance or search engine ever will. Perhaps at some point I will digitize it for ease of use. But don’t ask me to share it with you; I won’t. You’ll be better off if you create your own.

Thank you, Dr. Putnam. “You can dress Miss Piggy up, but you can’t take her out” (Prov 11:22).

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How to Become Passionate About Bible Reading

January 6, 2021 By Peter Krol

John Piper answers a question from a teenager wondering how to develop not only a duty but a passion for reading the Bible. His answer may be of help to you as well.

He begins:

Let me start this way: John Piper does not read through the Bible every year because there is a biblical law requiring me to do it; rather, because there’s something like — I don’t know what to call it — a natural or spiritual law in my soul that sets off alarm bells if I don’t. What I mean is this: my mental, psychological, spiritual condition has taught me over the years that without daily communion, daily fellowship with the living Christ, my God, my Savior, my treasure, my friend, in and through his word, the totality of Scripture — without that — my sight of him becomes blurred.

As you proceed in your Bible reading plan for the new year, you may want to consider the rest of his answer.

Check it out!

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The New-Bible Fallacy

January 4, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

If I buy new running shoes, I’ll become a dedicated runner. If I subscribe to a language-training app, I’ll be fluent in a snap. If I purchase an expensive notebook, I’m sure to be a poet.

It’s easy to spot the flaws in this thinking, and our experiences confirm it. New equipment, by itself, won’t produce lasting change.

Though this error is obvious, this thinking still creeps in, even into our spiritual lives. In particular, many people act like getting a new Bible is the key to reading the Bible more.

It’s not.

The Effect of a New Bible

I’ve gotten a few new Bibles in my life, and the first few weeks unfold in a predictable way.

Week 1 — I love using my new Bible and I’m reading it more than ever. The feel, the smell, the experience of holding it in my hands—I enjoy all of it!
Week 2 — I’m still excited to read my new Bible, but my schedule is getting busy. For some reason, I don’t seem to have as much time or desire to read the Bible as last week.
Week 3 — I recognize all the benefits of having this great new Bible, but I’m not reading it nearly as much as I’d like.
Week 4 — I don’t read my new Bible any more or less than I was reading the Bible a few weeks ago.

I’m guessing you can relate. When we recognize that we don’t read the Bible as much as we’d like, we long for an easy fix. A new physical Bible seems like just the thing! Yet that new book doesn’t produce long-term change.

Producing Real Change

New possessions—in fact, most changes to our environment—won’t make us different people. They don’t have the power to remake us.

And yet, people can change for the better! We can change! Children of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, can resist temptation, grow in obedience, and put the deeds of the body to death (see Romans 8:9–13).

So, how do we change our Bible reading behavior for the better? How do we read the Bible more consistently, more deeply, and with greater anticipation?

Real change begins on the inside. In other words, if our hearts and minds are transformed, it’s easier for our behavior to follow. Repentance means putting off our old selves and putting on the new. (See Ephesians 4:17–24.)

Renewed hearts and minds emerge when God gives us new affections. And proper affections are born of truth.

With that said, here are some foundational truths about the Bible. We need to absorb these truths deep in our bones if we want to change.

The Bible is God’s word. It is unlike any other writing or book. (See 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21.)
The Bible contains the most important story and the most important truths we will ever encounter. Understanding and remembering these truths are a matter of life and death for our souls. (See Psalm 19:7–11.)
The Bible is knowable. God has inspired the Bible so that we might know him through his Son, Jesus. (See John 5:39.)
Reading the Bible is essential for faith—both for our conversion and for our ongoing transformation. (See Romans 12:1–2.)
Because of sin, the human heart is both stubborn and forgetful. We need the Holy Spirit to help us read, understand, and remember the Bible. (See John 14:26.)
Because Christians are adopted children of God, our Bible reading cannot earn or lose us any favor with God. We don’t read to be loved; we read because we are loved already.

If God changes our hearts so that we believe these truths, we will be much more likely to live by them. This change of heart will be ongoing and will last a lifetime.

A New Bible

In the West, there’s rarely a need for a new physical Bible. God has blessed us with an abundance of digital resources for reading his word, and we can start any time we wish.

However, let’s not scoff at the purchase (or gift) of a new Bible. This too can be a great blessing.

A new physical Bible will not bring about an immediate, magical devotion to God. But God himself can change our hearts and make more regular reading a reality.

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What makes the Bible different – According to the Bible

January 1, 2021 By Tom Hallman

Like many Christians, I have a lot of Bibles. Most of them sit on my bookshelf next to all kinds of other books. However, the Bible could not be more different than those other books. Here are several reasons why, according to the Bible itself:

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17 ESV)

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. (John 6:63b ESV)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

Let’s observe several things about those texts. The Bible is…

Truth: Not just true, but truth. Many books on my shelf may be true, but the Bible alone is truth.
Spirit: There are powerful things happening in the spiritual realm that we usually can’t see, and that is where God’s Word resides. The fact that the Bible exists in the physical realm at all is a great grace to all God’s people.
Living: Most of my books are made from dead trees. While the Bible may also be printed on paper, it is just as alive, if not more so, than you and I are. I don’t claim to fully understand that, but I do marvel greatly at it!
Active: When I read the Bible, it is not full of passive words on a page. Unlike my other books, the burden of changing my life when reading the text does not rest on me, but on the Scriptures themselves.

The next time you hold your Bible and open it, take a moment to thank God for the very nature of His Word. It is truth, spirit, living and active – terms that do not apply to any other words that have been or ever will be written. This is why we not only do observation and interpretation of Scripture, but we seek to faithfully apply it as well!

May our response be like Simon Peter’s, who saw Jesus’ words for what they truly are:

After this many of [Jesus’] disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:66-68 ESV, emphasis mine)

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You Already Know How to Read the Bible

December 30, 2020 By Peter Krol

Alan Shlemon makes a great point in this article: Reading the Bible requires rules we already know. Though the OIA method, for example, may seem like something new to learn, with a whole set of rules to follow—it is actually something you already do instinctively with many things you read on a daily basis.

Shlemon highlights three fundamental principles:

What is the author talking about in the surrounding text (context)?
What is the historical occasion for why the author wrote (history)?
What literary style is the passage written in (genre)?

He gives examples of how we do these things already, instinctively, such as:

If a sports headline reads, “Cowboys Shoot Down Eagles,” everyone knows that men with revolvers didn’t shoot any birds. We all recognize that sports news is written in a particular literary style, where teams are often named after people (e.g. Cowboys, 49ers, etc.) and animals (e.g. eagles, dolphins etc.). No one is confused. For some reason, however, the same people who understand that news headlines are written in different literary styles, ignore the different literary styles of Scripture.

Check it out!

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10. How to Recognize Sowers of Discord

Moving down from the #5 slot last year, this post outlines from Proverbs 6:12-15 a few signs to help recognize divisive people. This post comes from my 2013 series of studies through the first 9 chapters of Proverbs.

9. Context Matters: You Have Heard That it was Said…But I Say to You

This year-and-a-half-old post makes its first appearance on any of our top 10 lists. It examines the series of contrasts in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to determine, from the context, what Jesus was arguing against. Hint: It wasn’t the Old Testament Law.

8. 4 Bible Studies for Advent

This post is up slightly from #9 last year, a companion piece to Ryan’s 4 Bible studies for Lent. Advent is a great time to study the Bible, and here are four 4-week studies you could consider for that season. Be forewarned, however: These are not your typical you-can-only-trust-the-experts, fill-in-blank sort of Bible studies some people are used to.

7. Details of the OIA Method

This post serves as a table of contents to my series on how to study the Bible. It pretty much explains why this blog exists, so we’re glad it gets a lot of pageviews, even though it’s down from #4 on this list last year.

6. Top 10 OT Books Quoted in NT

This post was also in the #6 slot last year. Even though my series analyzes not only books but also chapters and verses, this list of most-quoted books always seems to be the most popular.

5. Summary of the OIA Method

See post #7, unless you want less of a detailed explanation and more of a summary. Then see this post instead. This is down from #3 last year.

4. Context Matters: A Bruised Reed

This used to be the most-viewed “context matters” post on the blog, until it was surpassed by #2 below. But it’s still being viewed more than it used to be, since it is up from #7 on last year’s list. This is one of my most controversial posts, as I challenge an interpretation as common as oxygen. Yet it is incredibly difficult to find an argument for the traditional interpretation. Instead it is universally assumed and asserted. Check it out, and study the text for yourself.

3. 10 Reasons to Avoid Sexual Immorality

This was the most-viewed post in 2014, but then it dropped off the list until resurfacing as #8 in 2017 and #2 in 2018 and 2019. I’m delighted to see a continued interest in such an important topic. Find whatever motivates you to avoid sexual immorality, and glum onto God’s grace in providing that motivation!

2. Context Matters: God Will Give You the Desires of Your Heart

A year ago, this was the second-most viewed “context matters” post (and #10 on last year’s top 10 list). But this year, it had about one-third more views than the one about the “bruised reed” (#4 on this list), and more than twice as many views as the “you have heard that it was said” post (#9 on this list). In this post, Ryan takes a close look at what Psalm 34 really means by this clause, which unsurprisingly is not that a person can get whatever he or she wants.

1. Why Elihu is So Mysterious

The popularity of this 2015 post continues to surprise us. We really cannot explain why it has been so popular, but if you haven’t read it, you must really be missing out! Elihu is that mysterious 4th friend in the book of Job. If you even knew he existed, chances are you’ve skipped his speeches entirely. This post is my attempt to explain Elihu’s role in the drama of the play of Job. This post was #3 in 2017, but it has now held the #1 slot for three years running. And the competition is not even close. The #2 post was viewed about 25,000 times this year, and this one was viewed more than 32,000 times.

Previous years’ lists: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013

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