Bible Study | Knowable Word

Is Bibliolatry Possible?

September 18, 2013 By Peter Krol

Last week, I wrote that it’s not possible to focus too much on the Bible, as long as we focus in the right direction (toward Jesus). This claim runs contrary to common accusations of “bibliolatry” (worshiping the Bible more than God).

S.M. Baugh, a member of the faculty at Westminster Seminary California, wrote a similar article 5 years ago called “Is Bibliolatry Possible?” He makes a number of excellent points.

God is a jealous God, and he won’t allow anything to take his place.
The scribes and Pharisees knew the Bible well, but they didn’t know God.
Jesus responded to bibliolaters by taking them back to the Scripture.

I love how Baugh presents Jesus’ defense:

But it is a tragic fact that the scribes and Pharisees, though knowing the words of the Book, knew not its Author. “You know neither me nor my Father,” pronounced Jesus. Perhaps it is bibliolatry to know the Book but not its Publisher. To know dead precepts, but not the living God. “Thou shalt love the Bible thy Book with all thine heart, soul, and strength. But God is expendable.” However, let me ask you this: How did Jesus answer the bibliolatrous folk of his day?

“Have you not read what God said to you?…Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written…What is written in the Law? How do you read it? …In your own Law it is written…Have you not read in the book of Moses?…It is written in the Prophets…Then what is the meaning of that which is written?…The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him…Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms…Begone, Satan! For it is written…It stands written…As it is written…On the other hand, it is written…Is it not written?”

Jesus answered wrong users of the Book with the Book.

Check it out!

A Model for Teaching Bible Study

September 6, 2013 By Peter Krol

Many who own Bibles don’t know how to use them. They’re good at absorbing and repeating material from sermons, commentaries, and blogs, but the average Christian alone with a Bible is as helpless as the average guitarist stuck with real sheet music.

The Reformation and its offspring put Bibles in the hands of ordinary people, but these hands are often clumsy in their craft. So explanatory materials multiply according to their kinds, and swarms of leaders want to help but often don’t know how.

These leaders may have effective ministries. People come to Christ. People grow in Christ. People lead others to Christ and engage their communities. The church or small group thrives. But the ministry often centers on the leader. People come to the leader with questions; they get answers and go on their way.

Maybe you’re one of these leaders, but you want a better legacy for the Lord—one where you can make disciple-making disciples—but you don’t quite know how to reproduce yourself. You do what you do instinctively, and you’re not sure how to package it up for wholesale distribution.

Here’s my attempt to offer such a package. It’s not so much a program as a way of thinking. I offer it not as the only right way to do it, but merely as a pattern I’ve found helpful.

Phil Sexton (2008), Creative Commons

Part 1: Teach OIA

Some parts of the Bible are hard to understand, and those who are untaught or unstable will distort them (2 Peter 3:16). Unstable people distort the Bible intentionally. Untaught people distort it unintentionally. But both groups fail to study the Bible properly and end up distorting it. The first category needs a stable foundation, and the second needs only to be taught.

So we teach the basics. We teach the main point of the Bible. And we teach observation, interpretation, and application (OIA). It’s the best method we can give people. See this post for a summary of the method (you can learn it or teach it in 5 minutes). And see this post for an explanation of all the parts.

I find it helpful to have a forum for discussing the OIA process itself. I might give a brief overview at the beginning of a Bible study. Or, I might discuss it with a group one step at a time over 10 weeks or so, while we also study through a book (see Part 2). The key is to take time to be explicit about the best way to approach the Bible.

Part 2: Demonstrate OIA

Abstract principles aren’t enough; people need to see them in action with real Bible texts.

Most leaders already follow this part of the model. Teaching the Bible fits well within their job description, because they know people need sound Bible teaching (2 Tim 4:1-5, 2 Pet 3:1-7).

And people must have examples to imitate. Without them, they’re more lost than the audience at a revival service. Jesus saw himself as a pattern for his disciples to follow (Matt 16:24-25). Paul had the same expectation (1 Thess 1:6, 2 Thess 3:9, 1 Cor 11:1). So also those who teach the word should be examples to the flock (2 Tim 2:2, 1 Pet 5:3).

The point that’s easy to miss is that our teaching should be imitable. That is, others should be able to imitate it. If we’re not imitable, our ministry will always center on us as leaders. It slows down when we slow down. It dies when we die.

When you teach the Bible, do you “show your work”? Are you clear about both the truth of the text and the manner through which you discovered that truth from the text? Could a listener go back to the same passage and arrive at the same conclusions?

Herein lies the beauty of a discussion format, whether in a small group or classroom setting. I set some ground rules: that we all must be honest about what the text says, even if we disagree with it (the last point is important if I want non-Christians to feel welcome to the discussion). I reserve the right to keep the discussion on point and to keep people’s noses in the text. I can then measure how imitable my prepared conclusions were by how close the group’s conclusions come to them.

Part 3: Practice OIA

Spirit-Fire (2010), Creative Commons

Don’t stop at Part 2 of the model. It’s not enough for people to see you demonstrate good Bible study principles in your teaching. They must also practice the principles on their own, like in-season athletes conditioning their bodies for competition. They have to internalize the principles. They have to pickle in them for weeks and months.

Thus, though a weekend seminar on Bible study might give a nice push in the right direction, it won’t be sufficient on its own to train people.

When all your Bible teaching drips with OIA, people will catch on. Then you can set expectations for the learning environment and ask people to practice the skills themselves. You could give homework to those who attend your classes or studies, and then you can have them report on how it’s going.

In some studies (with people who have already learned the principles), I require participants to do their own OIA preparation. At the meeting, I won’t even read the text. I’ll begin with, “so what struck you in your study this week?” It’s a little like off-roading, but with more adrenaline, I think.

As people practice the skills, they experience the benefits. Their time in Scripture grows more exciting than ever and fuels greater fervor for the Lord. Before too long, they’re ready to teach others. As they do, your ministry flourishes well beyond your capacity.

So teach the principles of OIA. Demonstrate them in your teaching. And make sure you train people to practice the principles on their own. As you do, may the Lord grant you an army of skilled warriors who know how to wield their swords against the gates of hell.

Teach Bible Study to a 6-Year-Old

August 16, 2013 By Peter Krol

I love Ender’s Game, a sci-fi story about 6-to-10-year-old children being trained through games to fight adult wars. After the novel’s first printing, author Orson Scott Card received complaints from readers contending that the children in the story were too “mature.” In fact, a school’s guidance counselor argued that Card’s depiction was “hopelessly unrealistic. [Children] just don’t talk like that. They don’t think like that.”

In the Introduction to the novel’s revised version, Card reflects on the accusation:

This may indeed be part of the reason why it was so important to me…to write a story in which gifted children are trained to fight in adult wars. Because never in my entire childhood did I feel like a child. I felt like a person all along–the same person I am today. I never felt that I spoke childishly. I never felt that my emotions and desires were somehow less real than adult emotions and desires. And in writing Ender’s Game, I forced the audience to experience the lives of these children from that perspective–the perspective in which their feelings and decisions are just as real and important as any adult’s.

The nasty side of myself wanted to answer that guidance counselor by saying, The only reason you don’t think gifted children talk this way is because they know better than to talk this way in front of you. But the truer answer is that Ender’s Game asserts the personhood of children.

Now while I fundamentally disagree with Card’s Mormon theology, I think he’s on to something in his views of children and their capacity for mature thinking and feeling. Jesus was more ready for children than his disciples were (Matt 19:13-15), and we should be ready, too.

Age 6 is a great time for children to begin learning serious Bible study skills. They can pick up the basics when they’re even younger, but now is the time to build strong foundations in preparation for their adult lives. How can you make the most of this time of life?

1. Teach them how to read

The early history of literacy is a history of Bible education. People learned to read so they could read the Bible. Increasing literacy rates have brought much good to the world, especially making the Scriptures available to wide swaths of humanity.

We easily grow weary when we’re slogging away at the difference between lowercase b and d, or when it takes 45 minutes to get through a 100-word picture book.

But remember the vision. As you help your 6-year-olds practice sounding out those words time after time, you’re investing in their ability to read (and eventually study) God’s word. You’re bringing them closer to the Lord, and it’s all worth it.

2. Give them a vocabulary

At age 6, your children are ready for big concepts. Each child’s pace is different, but you should be ready to give them whatever they can handle. Don’t let your discomfort hold them back.

For example, I had to have the first “sex talk” with one of my children at age 6. I repeat: age 6! This child was already asking questions about bodies, development, and appropriate levels of touching and interaction with others. How could I withhold important truths at such teachable moments?

In the same way, 6-year-olds are often ready for weighty discussion about Bible study. They just need a good vocabulary for it.

They can usually handle the big words: observation, interpretation, and application. Work them into your regular conversation; they’ll get used to them. As you do, you’ll give the children a framework to handle these big ideas.

3. Translate the vocabulary into plain language

Don’t give them big words just to impress your friends.

Make sure you explain the terms in plain language. “Observation means listening carefully to what the Bible says.” “Interpretation is when we ask ‘why.'” “Application means becoming more like Jesus.”

Give plenty of examples. “The boy in that movie didn’t observe what his mama told him to do, did he?” “Do you see how your little sister keeps asking you ‘why’? That’s because she wants to understand the world. She wants to interpret.”

Make sure the children can explain the concepts back to you. “What does it mean to observe the Bible? How could you do it better when I read to you?” “Why does God want us to apply what he teaches us? What does God think about people who hear his word but don’t live it out?”

4. Practice it every chance you get

You need to model good observation before your children will do it themselves. They need your help to interpret the Bible and their world. They won’t get application if you say one thing but do another.

Since OIA is communication, you have the opportunity to practice it with your kids every time you communicate with them. It’s not brain surgery. So every once in a while, take a moment from the conversation to remind them of how the conversation worked.

As you do, you may be surprised by how “adult” your children’s thoughts and speech really are.

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When Bible Study Stops Short

July 19, 2013 By Peter Krol

This is a guest post by Brian Stenson, a graduate of Bloomsburg University and collegiate missionary with DiscipleMakers. You can find him on Facebook.

We know that in Bible study we must seek truth. But what happens if we stop there?

In Daniel 5, King Belshazzar shows the folly of finding truth without applying it to our lives. His story goes like this.
Belshazzar throws a great party. It’s just getting good, when a human hand appears out of nowhere and writes on the wall. King Belshazzar becomes greatly alarmed at this, just as any of us would. Since he cannot read what the hand is writing, he seeks out the best magicians, enchanters, and astrologers in his kingdom to interpret the words. None is able to, until Daniel shows up. The king hears of Daniel because of the sterling reputation he had with Belshazzar’s father. Daniel agrees to interpret the message; however, the news is not good for Belshazzar. Daniel tells him that God has numbered the days of his kingdom, that he has not measured up, and that his kingdom will be divided and given away.

David Fisher (2009), Creative Commons

At this point in the story, things aren’t so great for Belshazzar. But they can still get worse. Belshazzar immediately rewards Daniel for his efforts and makes him the third ruler in the kingdom. Then comes the punch line.

“That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed” (Dan 5:30, ESV).

What? That’s it? Why the abrupt ending? Where is the part where King Belshazzar begs God for mercy? Why doesn’t he repent for his evil ways? Ho

w could he not try to do something to stop this impending judgment?

Unfortunately, I often act just like King Belshazzar. He sought the truth. He worked hard to find the message’s meaning. But in the end, he did nothing about it. And the consequences were devastating.

I’m like Belshazzar when I study the Bible and come up with great applications, only to forget them a few hours later. I’m like Belshazzar when I read about seeking wisdom as silver and searching for it as hidden treasure (Proverbs 2:3-4) but sit back and enjoy my laziness instead. I’m like Belshazzar when I read God’s promises but fail to believe them, being satisfied instead to chase my own earthly security.

James warns of such behavior.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).

Being doers of the word goes beyond finding great applications in our Bible study. Being doers of the word means intentionally living out the truths that the Bible lays before us. We absolutely must seek the truth. But we must not stop there. After all, Jesus didn’t.

Jesus didn’t listen to the Father and then quickly forget what he said. Jesus didn’t decide to do things his own way. No, Jesus obeyed the Father, even to death on a cross, because he knew we would fall short in our obedience. Because of Jesus, there’s hope. So when our Bible study stops short, let’s get back up, trusting in the perfect work of Jesus Christ, and strive to be doers of the Word.

Teach Bible Study to a 4-Year-Old (Take 2)

July 5, 2013 By Peter Krol

When I wrote about how to teach Bible study to a 4-year-old, some wise guy with a PhD – who happens also to be a good friend of mine – commented that the post was more about teaching the Bible than teaching Bible study. I think all that graduate school must have paid off, because he’s on to something.

Teach us to fish!

It’s deceptively easy to hand out fish but hold back rods. Any effective ministry is in danger if it centers on the teacher. It centers on the teacher when the people keep coming back for food and don’t learn how to get it themselves. For this reason, Paul instructed leaders not only to teach but also “to equip the saints” (Eph 4:11-14).

So, although I don’t recant what I suggested in my earlier post, I would like to supplement it with further reflection on equipping the little ones to handle the word of truth rightly. These tips take the previous tips and merely make explicit what was implicit.

1. Build Familiarity with the Bible

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it. We’ll never foster fat souls without increasing their biblical caloric intake. Children’s Bibles can help at times, but they must never replace God’s Knowable Word. Denying access to the Scripture itself is like serving Tofurkey for Thanksgiving. Worse, in fact; Tofurkey isn’t half bad.

By age 4, children are memorizing things like crazy. Why not give them useful stuff to memorize?

We ought to guide their journey through biblical history and wax eloquent about the many stops on the way to Jesus and beyond. Let’s also give them a map for the trip. “Today’s story is from the book of 1 Samuel. Let’s sing our Bible book song, and raise our hands when we get to 1 Samuel. ‘Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers…'”

2. Model Good Bible Study

At this age, one of the best gifts you can give your kids is the wealth of the gospel, not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction (1 Thess 1:5). Let your kids see the depth of the riches of God’s love as revealed in the Bible.

As you observe the text, interpret it for the children, and apply it to their lives, you give them something worth imitating (1 Thess 1:6). As they grow and can develop their skills at handling the word themselves, they’ll feel like it’s simply what they’ve been doing their entire lives.

3. Draw Attention to Key Principles

As you go, take time to highlight not only what you say but why you’re saying it.

Don’t just say, “be kind to your sister.” Say instead, “Listen, it says right in verse 32, ‘Be kind to one another.’ Did you hear that? What does God wants us to do to one another? We should always pay attention to what the Bible says” (Observation).

Don’t just say, “be kind to your sister.” Say instead, “When God says, ‘Be kind to one another,’ he wants you to think of your sister more than yourself. That’s what it means to be kind. We should always try to understand what the Bible means” (Interpretation).

Don’t just say, “be kind to your sister.” Say instead, “When is it hard to be kind to your sister? Do you want to keep all those toys to yourself? That will never work, will it? What did Jesus do for you? How can you be like Jesus toward your sister? We should change and make different choices because of what God says in his word” (Application).

Now, please go back and read my original tips, and consider how you can teach your 4-year-olds not only what the Bible says but also how to study it themselves.

Write Chapter Summaries

June 14, 2013 By Peter Krol

Ed Mitchell (2007), Creative Commons

The Bible is a big book. It’s easy to get lost or tired or – honestly – bored.

Some people love digging deep. They’ll read a few verses, chew on them, pray over them, and feel closer to God as a result.

Not me.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all in favor of exploring the details. But I’m not naturally motivated that way.

I’m more of a reader. I like to read many different things. I get bored with too much of one thing.

Regardless of whether you are more of a chewer or a devourer, the Bible is still a big book. How do you keep tabs on the big picture even while processing the parts? How do you read each section in light of the whole?

I have an idea for you. This is not the only right way to do it, but it’s one tool I’ve found especially helpful.

Write Chapter Summaries

Get yourself a notebook.

On the first page, write “Genesis” at the top and the numbers 1 to 50 down the side (you’ll probably have to go on to the second page to get 50 lines).

Then, as you read Genesis, stop at the end of each chapter. Consider each chapter and write a one-line summary next to the number for that chapter.

For example:

creation of the world
creation of man & woman
fall into sin
Cain murders Abel and fathers a line of ungodly people; Seth replaces him
genealogy from Adam to Noah

And so on, down the page.

Then start a new page for Exodus. Continue through the books of the Bible until you have a summary of every chapter in the Bible.

Why are Chapter Summaries Helpful?

Although content summaries are not the same thing as the author’s main points, they still have a helpful place.

They help you to process what you’ve read.
They help you to retain what you’ve read.
They increase your familiarity with the Bible.
They record God’s marvelous works throughout history (Ps 96:3).
As you read back over the summaries, they give you a sense of how a book of the Bible unfolds.
As you read back over the summaries, they give you a sense of how the whole Bible fits together.
They document what you’re learning about the Lord.

An Example

Over the course of my life, I’ve done this exercise 3 times. Each time I gain more insight, which gives me greater delight in the Lord

I enjoy looking back over my notes to see how my understanding deepened.

For example, here are the summaries I wrote for 2 Peter in 1999:

1. God’s given everything we need –> qualities of fruitfulness; Peter direct eyewitness.

2. False teachers will rise up –> last state (betraying Christ) worse than first (not knowing Christ).

3. Remember words spoken –> day of judgment, elements burned up.

And here are the 2 Peter summaries I wrote in 2008:

1. God’s promises through the prophets will be fulfilled in Jesus & in our character.

2. False teachers deny Jesus; the Lord won’t let them get away.

3. Reminder of word of prophets & apostles; we can bank on promises to be fulfilled in the future!

These two sets are not drastically different. They simply show a maturation in my understanding. The second set is more clear and focused than the first set.

Sometimes I return to these notebooks when I study a book of the Bible. They give me a starting point from which to hone my insights and build my understanding.

Questions: How helpful have you found exercises like summarizing chapters to be? What other ideas have worked for you?

Teach Bible Study to a 4-Year-Old

June 7, 2013 By Peter Krol

OIA Bible study works for anyone of any age, because it simply codifies how all communication works. In another post, I gave some tips for teaching it to 2-year-old children. Now we graduate up to the 4-year-olds.

I’ve taught the 4-5 year-old Sunday school class at my church for over a year now. I’m delighted by how much these kids can understand. When class goes poorly, I’m tempted to blame the kids (“boy, they were really wound up this week!”). But often, the class falters because I’ve failed to communicate the exciting drama of God’s Word.

When has the class been most successful? Here’s what I’ve learned.

1. Read the Bible

Children’s story Bibles are great (some of them, at least). They’re the training wheels that help the kids get started. I really respect The Jesus Storybook Bible and The Gospel Story Bible for 4-year-olds.

But always, always, always read the Bible as well.

I’m tempted to think they won’t get it. But they get it when we explain it (see #3 below).

I’m also tempted to think they don’t have the attention span for it, and I need to read a “condensed” version of the story. But, for example, the tower of Babel story in Genesis 11 has 222 words in the ESV. The Gospel Story Bible uses almost 450 words for this story, and The Jesus Storybook Bible has over 530. Which one is more likely to push the limits of the children’s focus?

2. Situate the Text

One goal is to get the children comfortable with the Bible. So, every week in Sunday school, we discuss what book of the Bible the story comes from.

Then we sing two songs – one for the Old Testament book titles, and one for the New. The children raise their hands during the song when we get to the book that contains this week’s story. It’s a treasure hunt, encouraging them to sing along and listen carefully.

In this way, the children have memorized all the books of the Bible, and they’ve become comfortable with the basic arrangement of books.

3. Clarify the Point

This point may have the greatest effect on the quality of my class.

Some of our best classes covered unusual topics like the temple or Nehemiah building the walls of Jerusalem. Other highlights covered more familiar stories like baby Jesus and the shepherds, Elijah on Mount Carmel, or Daniel in the lions’ den.

But there was a common thread running through each successful class: I understood and was clear on the point of the Bible story.

Certainly the stories themselves have great value. We need to know our family’s history. We must pickle in the tales of their ups and downs.

But the stories are all there for a reason. God wants to introduce these 4-year-olds to the Hero of the story. He exposes their need for a Hero. And he satisfies their desire for a Hero.

These kids keep me honest. They won’t let me get away with a dumb answer. They’ll keep asking “why?” until I start to make sense. Good for them.

4. Focus on Jesus

He is the Hero. The whole Bible is about him. Any Bible class that doesn’t climax with Jesus is a failure.

These kids don’t need to be able to win Bible Quiz bowls. They don’t need to be good kids.

They need to trust in Jesus as their only hope for life. Let’s help them get there.

5. Visualize the Story

Visualization helps the children to exercise their observation muscles. We can put ourselves into the story and relate to the characters when we see what it was like for them.

We can show illustrations. We can use flannel figures. We can ask questions.

Building the walls of Jerusalem

In our class, we like to act the story out. It gets us up and moving around. Sometimes we get a little rowdy, but that’s okay. If we run out of main characters, children get to play the parts of trees, chairs, rivers, or lions. We’ve built towers to the ceiling, and we’ve struck rocks to get water.

These little ones are precious to the Lord. He wants to know them. Will you help?

UPDATE: This post actually focuses on teaching children the Bible. For more help teaching them Bible study, see the next post.

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What Materials Do You Use?

May 31, 2013 By Peter Krol

I serve with an organization that focuses on discipleship. When people hear our vision for training college students to mature in faith and impart it to others who can teach others (2 Tim 2:1-2), one question inevitably hijacks the conversation.

So what materials do you use?

Mars Hill Church Olympia (2012), Creative Commons

I struggle to answer this question because it often comes with a wagon-load of assumptions.

To many people, “discipleship” means having a program of instruction.
A program of instruction requires manuals and/or participant workbooks.
Therefore, those who succeed at “discipleship” must have some excellent “materials” that others could benefit from.

I disappoint terribly when I respond, “Our main materials are the books of the Bible.”

I really don’t intend any disrespect by it, so I usually begin by listing a few books we’ve found to be helpful. But I always drive that train right back to the station of Scripture. Sometimes blank looks are my reward.

The Benefits of Good Materials

Study guides, Bible study workbooks, leaders manuals, and classroom curricula all have a role in Christian education. Their role is like the role of a tee in Little League baseball.

A tee is the first guidepost for a child learning to play the sport. It assures the child that he can hit the ball without fearing it will hit him. It defines where to stand, where to swing the bat, and when to run. It’s a good friend and capable mentor.

As the athlete develops, the tee endures as a tool. Even the pros use tees to help them perfect the mechanics of batting.

The tee is not part of the big game, however. The tee trains and refines, but it also launches players into the real thing.

In the same way, we need good materials to show us the way. Young Christians can practice the basic mechanics of Bible study with a good guide. Leaders can gain confidence when they have a structure already provided. Mature believers can fine-tune their understanding of Scripture and stay connected with their generation by checking the insights of others.

But the materials are not the meat.

The Dangers of Good Materials

We unintentionally communicate that the Bible is not enough to grow a Christian (or to introduce someone to Christ).
We rely on the “experts” and don’t learn to think for ourselves.
We go to study guides too quickly, and short-circuit our understanding of a passage.
We assume we can’t learn how to study the Bible ourselves.
At worst, we enable a culture of study guide addiction in the church and enforce a priestly layer of materials mediation between people and God.

A Vision for Good Materials

I know it might sound hypocritical, as I’m writing materials on the dangers of materials. There’s something in there that could sound self-contradictory.

But my goal is to provide materials that train people not to need more materials – at least as the substance of their walk with God. The best materials will remain supplemental.

Imagine if your small group wanted to do a study of marriage and their first idea was to study the Song of Solomon together.

Imagine if you asked people for advice about a parenting struggle and they pulled out their Bibles to answer the issue.

Imagine if your congregation’s debate over the church budget was driven by people quoting verses about godly money management.

Imagine if all the core members of your church invited their neighbors to discussion groups in their homes about one of the Gospels.

Discussing a book or following a program isn’t wrong. It’s quite useful if it hits the target.

But doing it all the time is like going to the shooting range with a Nerf gun.

What Saving Private Ryan Taught Me about Bible Study

May 17, 2013 By Peter Krol

In Steven Spielberg’s World War II film Saving Private Ryan, a team of soldiers receives orders to penetrate Nazi lines, find an American paratrooper (Private James Ryan), and bring him out. The team’s commander selects six men from his own company, and one from another company, for the mission.

The outsider is Corporal Upham, a clerk fluent in both French and German, who will help the team with communication along the way. Upham initially resists the call because he has worked behind a desk for the entirety of the war. He hasn’t fired a weapon since basic training. He is not free to choose, however; he must join the team.

For skirmish after skirmish, Upham cowers behind boulders and trees until the fighting wanes. He interacts freely with French civilians and Nazi prisoners of war, but he refuses to fight. Fear crushes action, and despair dislodges duty.

Near the film’s climax, Upham comes face-to-face with a German warrior. Ammunition belts hang from Upham’s shoulders like a priest’s vestments. His loaded rifle is in hand. His knife sits strapped to his hip.

Yet he falls to the ground in quailing terror. He doesn’t even pull the trigger.

The German saunters past Upham, smirking, after killing Upham’s comrades. The enemy proceeds, threatening, but leaves Upham to bathe in his filthy cowardice.

Caution: this clip has gruesome violence.

While not necessarily sharing Upham’s spinelessness, many Christians share his inaction when it comes to firing their weapon.

The sword of the Spirit – the Word of God, the Bible – pierces hearts and slays sinners (Eph 6:17, Heb 4:12-13). This divine scalpel cuts away cancerous thoughts and beliefs and transplants them with healthy ones (Rom 12:1-2). This heavenly blowgun discharges profitable projectiles that not only penetrate but also persuade their victims to perform good works with complete competence (2 Tim 3:16-17).

This bloodstained blade strikes down nations and promotes the benevolent yet unyielding sovereignty of the one who is himself the Word of God (Rev 19:11-16). His fury is unquenchable, but his salvation is unstoppable (Rom 1:16-17).

Fire your weapon, soldier.

The average American household has 4.4 Bibles within its walls. More English translations exist than ever before. The Internet and mobile devices make God’s Word far more accessible than a permit to carry a concealed weapon used to be.

Learn to use your Bible. Learn to wield it with skill. Don’t hang it around your neck. Don’t mount it on the wall. Don’t waste valuable space on your bookshelf with it.

Remember, workbooks or Bible study guides are like training wheels, helping you practice the basic mechanics. But the time comes when you have to pop them off and let loose and just keep pedaling. Are you ready?

Question: What prevents you from studying your Bible as much as you’d like?

You are Now Approved to Study the Bible

April 6, 2013 By Peter Krol

Sometimes people don’t study the Bible because they feel unqualified. I’m here to tell you that you’re ready. You’ve graduated. You’re accepted for the position.

I just finished a 41-part series on how to study the Bible, but that’s not the source of your credentials. Your qualifications go much deeper. Consider Paul’s exhortation to Timothy.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15, ESV).

Observe Paul’s command: “present yourself to God as one approved.” The main verb is “present,” not “approve.” We make all kinds of mistakes when we get this wrong.

Mistake #1: Present yourself to God to get his approval.

Sometimes we think we need to be qualified before we can approach the Lord (even through Bible study). Paul says you’ve already been approved, so present yourself accordingly.

Mistake #2: Fail to present yourself, fearing God’s disapproval.

This mistake is the ugly stepchild of the first one. Sinners who think they need God’s approval eventually stop trying to get it. They keep failing, so they give up.

Mistake #3: Present yourself to men as one approved.

This is the classic mistake of religious people. We think that if others respect and appreciate us, we must have arrived. Either we seek people’s approval, or we act superior as those already approved. In either case, we focus on the wrong thing – ourselves.

Mistake #4: Present others to God as one approved.

We make this mistake when we find our worth in the success of those we lead. The Judaizers in Galatia were guilty of this error (Gal 6:13), as am I. Every week in my 5-and-6-year-old Sunday school class, we sing a song with the names of the books of the Bible. Subsequently, parents express amazement at how well their children know all the books. It must mean I’m a great teacher, which must mean I’m gaining God’s approval for my service…

The Challenge: Present yourself to God as one approved.

You don’t need to get approved. You are approved. Notice what Paul wrote to Timothy earlier in the chapter:

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 2:1).

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel (2 Tim 2:8).
[The elect] may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Tim 2:10).

Remind them of these things (2 Tim 2:14).

Paul repeatedly draws attention to the fact that we can’t earn God’s approval. Our reconciliation with God is initiated by grace, accomplished by Jesus’ death and resurrection, and accompanied by eternal glory. Timothy must constantly remind his people of these things.

He must constantly remind himself. We must remind ourselves. “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved.” It’s hard work to remember these things.

So I remind you. Don’t study the Bible to get approved. Study it because you’re already approved.

Jesus died and rose for you to qualify you for a position close to God. Now, do your best to remember it. As you remember it, you’ll be ready handle the word of truth rightly because you’ll see this message of grace on every page.

Miss the message of grace, and you’ll no longer handle the word rightly. But if you trust in Christ you’re still approved, so you can keep trying each day to get it right.

See How to Study the Bible for help along the way.

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