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Cómo interpretar: Contestar preguntas

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This is a Spanish translation of a post from our archive. For the original post in English, please click the “Publicación original” link at the top of the post. For further explanation of why we’re posting articles in Spanish for a season, see this announcement.

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Publicación original de Peter Krol, traducida por Sarah Oiler

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Esta semana hablaré del segundo paso para interpretar la Biblia.

El paso dos fue responder a las preguntas formuladas por el texto:

“Una vez que has formulado tus preguntas, respóndelas. Sin embargo, hay una regla fundamental: responde a las preguntas sólo si son contestadas (explícita o implícitamente) en el texto (Prov 30:5-6).

No te pierdas en detalles complicados. No utilices los detalles de menor importancia para hacer que el texto diga lo que quieres que diga. No construyas toda una teología de un versículo. En su lugar, responde sólo aquellas preguntas que se asumen o abordan en el texto. Deja que el resto fluya.” (traducido por Evangelio blog, modificado por mí)

Hay dos tipos de respuestas que existe “en el texto”:

  1. Algunas respuestas se infieren del texto. Los lectores originales habrían sabido estas respuestas, pero nos resultan incomprensibles debido a los miles de años que separan nuestras vidas de las suyas. Necesitamos sitios web o diccionarios bíblicos para ayudarnos a entender lo que los académicos han aprendido sobre las culturas antiguas. También podemos mencionar pasajes bíblicos relacionados para iluminar el pasaje que estamos estudiando.
  2. Algunas respuestas se abordan en el texto. El autor dice estas respuestas de manera explícita para sus lectores.

Aquí hay unos ejemplos de respuestas inferidas del texto de Lucas 2:1-21:

  • ¿Cómo fue experimentar la interrupción por el censo?
    • Algunos de los lectores originales quizás recordaron este censo exacto que ocurrió durante el gobierno de Cirenio. Debemos buscarlo.
  • ¿Qué significa que Jesús se llama “Cristo”?
    • Necesitamos ayuda mediante pasajes como Salmo 2:2 para proveer el contexto necesario.
  • ¿Cuánto mide el viaje de José y María desde Nazaret hasta Belén? ¿Cómo eran percibidos los pastores por otras personas en ese tiempo?
    • La mayoría de los lectores originales entenderían cómo sería viajar desde Galilea hasta Judea e interactuar con pastores. Necesitamos herramientas como sitios web o diccionarios bíblicos para ayudarnos a entender tales cosas.

Aquí hay un ejemplo de algunas respuestas abordadas en el texto:

  • ¿Por qué contrasta Lucas la gloria de Jesús con la de los gobernantes romanos?
    • Porque Dios merece la gloria superior (Lucas 2:14). Él está salvando al mundo a través de Cristo, el Señor (Lucas 2:11).
  • Ahora, ¿qué quiere Lucas que hagamos sobre Jesús?
    • En contraste con el poderío de Roma (Lucas 2:1-2), María “guardaba estas cosas en su corazón” (Lucas 2:19, NVI), y los pastores “regresaron glorificando y alabando a Dios” (Lucas 2:20, NVI). Lucas indica que debemos tener reacciones similares.

Por fin, aquí hay posibles preguntas que no son inferidas ni abordadas en el texto. Debemos dejarlas a un lado (al menos en este momento).

  • ¿María caminó o montó en un burro?
  • ¿Jesús nació en un establo o una cueva?
  • ¿Tienen alas los ángeles?
  • ¿Quiénes son “los que gozan de su buena voluntad” (Lucas 2:14, NVI) y qué nos dice sobre la predestinación?

¿Qué otras respuestas puedes encontrar a tus preguntas en el pasaje?

Cómo interpretar: Hacer preguntas

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This is a Spanish translation of a post from our archive. For the original post in English, please click the “Publicación original” link at the top of the post. For further explanation of why we’re posting articles in Spanish for a season, see this announcement.

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Publicación original de Peter Krol, traducida por Sarah Oiler

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La semana pasada, introduje 3 pasos para interpretar la Biblia.

Paso uno fue haz preguntas de tus observaciones:

“Si tú has observado bien, ya estás listo para interpretar.

Toma sus observaciones y haz preguntas. Muchas preguntas. Haz frente a estas observaciones desde todas las direcciones.

Sé lo más curioso posible. Mejora haciendo preguntas, y mejorarás en la interpretación de la Biblia.

Ten en cuenta que tus preguntas deben surgir de tus observaciones del texto. No haz simplemente alguna pregunta antigua. No sientas la necesidad de ser especialmente inteligente. Tu trabajo no es innovar, sino descubrir. (Ten en cuenta que los discípulos no observaron bien, y así formularon preguntas equivocadas en Juan 21: 22-23.)” (traducido por Evangelio blog, modificado por mí)

Las preguntas principales son ¿qué? ¿por qué? y ¿ahora qué? 

  • Las preguntas de “¿qué?” definen los términos del autor (“¿qué quería decir?”)
  • Las preguntas de “¿por qué?” descubren el propósito del autor (“¿por qué dijo esto?”)
  • Las preguntas de “¿ahora qué?” destacan las implicaciones de un texto (“¿qué quiere él que yo haga ahora?”)

Por ejemplo, digamos que estás estudiando Lucas 2:1-21. Acabas de observar que hay una idea repetida sobre poder y autoridad. Viste muchas palabras, como “gobierno,” “censo,” “César” y “gloria.” Ahora necesitamos hacer preguntas.

  • ¿Por qué tipo de autoridad está preocupado Lucas? ¿Qué era un gobernador en la Antigua Roma? ¿Cuál era el alcance del poder de César? ¿Qué hará Jesús que es diferente de las otras autoridades? ¿Qué son los ángeles?
    • Las preguntas de cómo o qué tan también se pueden incluir aquí: ¿Qué tan largo era el viaje de Nazaret a Belén? ¿Cómo eran percibidos los pastores por la gente durante esta época? 
  • ¿Por qué está preocupado Lucas por la idea de poder? ¿Por qué César emitió este decreto? ¿Por qué el autor contrasta la gloria del bebé Jesús con la autoridad de los líderes romanos? ¿Por qué temieron los pastores al ver un ángel? 
  •  Ahora, ¿qué nos dice esto sobre dónde reside la autoridad verdadera? Ahora, ¿qué debemos creer sobre Jesús? Ahora, ¿qué debemos esperar cuando Jesús entra en conflicto con el mundo?

¿Qué otras preguntas se te ocurren a partir de tus observaciones de Lucas 2:1-21? Ve si puedes identificar si tu pregunta es del tipo “¿Qué?”, “¿Por qué?” o “Ahora, ¿Qué?”

Bible Study Leaders Should Not Have All the Answers

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Arek Socha (2016), public domain

Picture it. There’s a pause at your small group Bible study, and one of your friends asks a question. In that moment, all the heads in your group will likely turn in one of two directions.

Do the group members look up, at the leader? Or do they look down, at the Bible?

No Bible study leader can have the answer to every question. After all, leaders are finite and there are a myriad of potential questions, both relevant and—ahem—less relevant.

But even though leaders can’t logistically have all the answers, I don’t think that should even be a goal. As an ambition, that’s harmful for at least two reasons.

Bad for the Leader

When a leader plants the seed that they will have all the answers for their group, it bears bad fruit.

It can make the leader fearful of questions that emerge in their group or resentful of those who ask. After all, the leader might think, questioners are causing more work and giving another opportunity for the leader to fail.

This mentality can also lead to a misplaced trust. If a leader is good at anticipating questions and answering them in the moment, they might start to depend on their preparation, intellect, or persuasiveness instead of on the Lord.

Finally, when a group expects their leader to have all the answers, it can lead to pride. A capable leader who rises to this challenge may enjoy the attention they receive as their reputation grows.

Bad for the Group

There is clear spiritual danger for a small group leader when they are expected to answer every question. But this setup is unhealthy for the group as well.

A group structured in this way may start to trust in their leader instead of their Lord. Their confidence and assurance in the faith may rise and fall with the ability and mood of their small group leader. We must avoid this error and anchor our assurance to the rock-solid work of Jesus.

Members of this sort of group may also flounder when faced with studying the Bible on their own. Because they are not challenged to answer questions from Scripture, they may become content with the cotton candy of light, spiritual aphorisms instead of rich, filling meals from God’s Word.

This type of group may also experience stunted growth. Vibrant, healthy small groups often grow and split, as an apprentice from within the group (ideally) emerges. But if a leader is expected to have all the answers, this puts unreasonable weight on potential apprentices. That expectation also eliminates opportunities for group members to learn and grow into that role.

Guard Against Gurus

To train, lead, and empower small group members, leaders should guard against the urge to be a know-it-all or Bible guru.

There is one easy step to ensure a small group is focused on the Bible and not on its leader. This short response to any question will point people in the right direction.

“Good question. What does the text say?”

This is the simplest way I’ve found to point my friends back to the Bible. When I hear a question, I turn either to the questioner or to the whole group and invite them to look back at the text.

Sometimes the text at hand doesn’t answer the question, but other passages do. (A leader needs to decide whether or not that answer is worth chasing down.) Sometimes the question isn’t addressed in Scripture at all. But as much as possible, I want to point my group members away from my answers and into God’s Word.

The Danger of Being a Pastor

Within small groups, there’s a particular danger in being a pastor or anyone else with a seminary degree. I’ve seen how people defer to these leaders. They are often expected to give answers even when they’re not the leader of the group.

To them I offer the same advice I’m giving to small group leaders (as well as my sympathies). You shouldn’t have all the answers. As much as possible, resist being the crutch for your friends. They won’t learn to ride their bike until you let go and urge them to pedal.

Citing Other Resources

Finally, we should note that in the face of legitimate, difficult questions, it’s okay for small group leaders to admit they don’t know the answer. It’s also okay for leaders to a refer to resources that have helped them understand the Bible.

But even the best commentaries should not be appealed to as authorities themselves; commentaries should make the case for their interpretation from the text. And if a leader is not persuaded from the text by a commentary, “I don’t know” may be the best and most honest answer to give.

Note: this was originally posted in 2019.

7 Tips for Small Group Questions

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We’ve provided lots of guidance on this blog for leading small groups. For another angle, consider this helpful post from Derek Fekkes with 7 tips for small group questions. His tips:

  1. Locate authority in God’s Word, not the facilitator
  2. Help the group discover what the text says for themselves
  3. Avoid questions that spark unhelpful theological debates
  4. Choose your rabbit trails wisely
  5. Don’t make questions too hard—or too easy
  6. Include some boilerplate questions
  7. Move questions beyond personal opinions & feelings

Check it out!

How to Find Answers in Your Bible Without Leaving the Page

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This is a guest post by John Davison, the founder of Christian Wake-Up Call, a ministry dedicated to helping Christians develop biblical discernment. Having studied Scripture across multiple denominational contexts, he’s experienced how different interpretive approaches can lead to different conclusions about the same biblical texts. His systematic approach to Bible study emphasizes letting Scripture provide its own interpretive framework. You can read more about his commitment to biblical authority at Christian Wake-Up Call, where he explores why Scripture alone must serve as our ultimate authority for understanding God’s truth.

If you’d like to write a guest post for Knowable Word, please see the guidelines page.

I used to panic when I hit a confusing Bible verse. My instinct was to immediately grab a commentary or search online for explanations. But I discovered something liberating: most of the time, the Bible passage itself contains the clues I need to understand it.

back view of woman looking at the bulletin board
Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com

The Bible was Written to Be Understood

Here’s an encouraging truth: biblical authors wrote to communicate, not to confuse. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians or when Luke recorded Jesus’ parables, they intended their original readers to understand their message. This means the clarity we need is often right there in the text itself.

The key is learning to slow down and look more carefully at what’s already on the page.

Start with What You Can See

When you encounter a difficult passage, resist the urge to immediately jump elsewhere. Instead, ask yourself: “What can I observe right here in this text?”

Look for the author’s own explanations. Biblical writers often define their terms or clarify their meaning within the same passage. For example, when Paul uses the word “flesh” in Romans 8, he explains what he means by contrasting it with “spirit” in the surrounding verses.

Notice repeated words and phrases. If an author uses the same word multiple times in a passage, that repetition is usually significant. The repeated word often carries the main theme or emphasizes what the author wants you to catch.

Pay attention to connecting words. Words like “therefore,” “because,” “but,” and “however” show you how the author’s thoughts flow together. These little words often unlock the logic of the entire passage.

Let the Immediate Context Guide You

The verses right before and after your difficult passage are your best friends. They provide the natural flow of thought that helps explain confusing statements.

When Jesus says something that seems puzzling, look at what prompted him to speak and how his listeners responded. When Paul makes a theological statement that’s hard to grasp, check if he provides examples or applications in the surrounding verses.

I remember struggling with Ephesians 2:8-9 about salvation by grace through faith, wondering exactly what “this” referred to in “this is not of yourselves.” Instead of immediately consulting a commentary, I read the entire paragraph. The flow of Paul’s argument in verses 1-10 made his meaning much clearer.

Ask Questions the Text Can Answer

Train yourself to ask questions that the passage itself might answer:

  • Who is speaking, and who is the audience?
  • What situation prompted these words?
  • How does this statement connect to what came before?
  • Does the author provide any examples or illustrations?
  • What is the main point the author seems to be making?

Often, reading just a few more verses will answer these questions without requiring any outside resources.

Use Your Bible’s Built-In Helps

Most Bibles include helpful features that keep you focused on the text itself:

Chapter and paragraph divisions might show you natural thought units. When you’re confused about a verse, read the entire paragraph it belongs to.

The author’s own cross-references matter most. When Paul says “as I wrote before” or when Jesus refers back to Old Testament passages, those internal connections are significant.

Headings in study Bibles can help you see the broader flow of thought, though remember these are added by editors, not the original authors.

The Joy of Discovery

When you learn to find answers within the text itself, Bible study becomes much more satisfying. Instead of fostering dependence on experts, you develop confidence that God’s Word is accessible to you as an ordinary reader.

Start small. Pick a familiar passage that has always puzzled you slightly, and spend 10 minutes just observing what’s actually written on the page. You might be surprised by what you discover when you slow down and look carefully at what God has already provided in His Word.

The Bible was written for ordinary people like us. With careful observation and a little patience, we can often find the answers we’re looking for right there in the text itself.

Help Your Small Group Members Ask Good Questions

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group

Greta Schölderle Møller (2016), public domain

Most of the small group Bible studies I’ve attended have a familiar format.

First, the group leader introduces the passage and asks someone to read it aloud. Then, either the leader talks about the passage, pointing out interesting or important details and connections, or the leader asks the group questions to spark discussion. Hopefully the conversation turns to application before it ends.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with this structure. I’d much rather someone attend a Bible study like this than not be involved in any small group. But this model leaves group members mostly passive. Everything centers on the leader, and group members act as an audience. As a result, group members leave the group with more knowledge about one Bible passage but no greater Bible study skills.

There’s a better way.

Small Groups for Training

At this blog we’re passionate about helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible. This learning can happen in all sorts of venues, including small groups!

One way to make this happen is to design the group explicitly as a Bible study training group. In other words, advertise the group as one in which you’ll learn and practice Bible study skills. After all, learning the basics of Bible study doesn’t take long, and for those who are new to the custom, a group setting is a great way to practice.

Alternatively, you can build this training into the normal rhythms of your small group.

Training Along the Way

One key to good Bible study is learning to ask good questions of the text.

When observing the text, ask about the genre, the grammar, and the structure. When interpreting, ask questions about your observations; seek out the main point of the passage. And when applying, ask what this all means; press the main point of the passage into all the corners of your life.

In the course of a regular Bible study, a leader can train group members to get better at asking these kinds of questions. These are skills that members can then use in their personal Bible study.

De-center the Small Group

Small group discussions that revolve around the leader can have unintended consequences. I’m afraid that a byproduct of such groups is that group members rarely study the Bible outside of small group meetings.

We need to dispel the lie that Bible study is just for the experts. I’ve been in lots of small groups where everyone looked to the leader to answer all questions and resolve all difficulties. But everyone can study the Bible! Bible study is not a task to be left to the academics (and leaders) with everyone else picking up stray crumbs that drop from the table.

How to Train for Good Questions

Here are five ways to help your small group members grow in their OIA skills and ask better questions.

  1. Be transparent. Don’t hide what you’re doing—no one likes to be manipulated or to fall victim to a sneak attack. Explain why learning Bible study skills is important for everyone and describe what you’ll be doing.
  2. Teach mini-lessons. Decide on a few small group meetings where, as part of the conversation, you’ll offer brief instruction on one aspect of Bible study. The group can practice that particular skill immediately after the explanation. This way, group members can pick up OIA training over the course of several meetings.
  3. Use worksheets. We have some excellent worksheets available on our resources page. Make copies and pass them out with your instruction. Encourage your group members to use them for personal study.
  4. Leave space for questions. After you’ve had a chance to take your group through the different aspects of Bible study, involve your group more centrally in future discussions. Allow time during the conversation for observations and interpretive questions. Instead of asking application questions yourself, call on the group to produce them.
  5. Be imitable. If we’re doing it well, our group members should be able to imitate our teaching. That is, they should be able to arrive at the same conclusions we do. The key here is simply showing your work. Explain your process and your thinking. Minimize your appeals to experts and commentaries; focus on the text of the Bible and what you can draw from it.

Equipping the Saints

Leading a leader-centered small group can be nice for the ego, but it rarely builds skills in group members. It has no multiplying effect.

When you help your small group members learn Bible study skills, you equip them for a consistent, deeper relationship with God. They won’t rely on you to understand the Bible, they’ll be able to interpret and apply God’s word themselves.

And that’s something anyone would want to pass along!

Note: This post is a small attempt to restate portions of Peter’s excellent, earlier post.

This post was originally published in 2018.

Knowing Your People Helps You Ask Better Questions

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bonfire

Tegan Mierle (2016), public domain

One of the underused gems on this blog is Peter’s series on How to Lead a Bible Study. It’s thorough, practical, helpful, and winsome. If you haven’t read those articles, I recommend it.

Loving Your People

One dynamite entry in Peter’s series is One Vital Behavior Determines the Success of Your Teaching Ministry. In that post Peter writes about the importance of leaders loving their people. Leaders are called to this investment, and without love their teaching will be like a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

But what effect does this love have within a small group? Peter explains what happens when a leader gets to know the people within the group.

  • It makes the leader’s application more relevant.
  • It shows the people Christ.
  • It sharpens the leader’s insight.
  • It bolsters the leader’s credibility.

Yes, I can see it! When I am actively building relationships with my small group members, it makes me more effective as a leader and it conveys greater benefits to my friends during our meetings.

After a recent small group meeting, I was reflecting on one of my subpar questions. I came back to this point about knowing my people. Had I remembered the experiences and backgrounds of my friends, I would have asked better questions.

The Questions to Avoid

Knowing my friends helps me avoid certain questions. For example, if one of my small group members has a grown child who has turned away from Christ, I probably will not ask a launching question related to apostasy. Instead of warming this person up for participation in the discussion, it might have just the opposite effect.

There are other sorts of questions I might avoid if I know my friends’ backgrounds and personalities.

  • When I know there is pain, bitterness, or sensitivity related to a certain issue, I won’t ask that person for a comment on an application related to that issue.
  • If a group member has an issue about which they are outspoken and passionate, I will be careful when we discuss that topic. Having a person like this in the group also makes me careful about just how open-ended my questions are.
  • Some people learn and grow more by listening and processing instead of speaking. Some people who are going through heavy or sad events in their lives benefit from attending a small group but not participating much. Knowing my people can help me recognize and respect this.

I’m not saying that small groups should avoid all difficult or sensitive topics. But some times are better than others for those discussions. My small group time is limited, so in my attempt to keep our meeting length reasonable—and, often, in an effort to respect and love a hurting friend—I’ll try to have some of those hard conversations outside of small group.

The Questions to Ask

As I’ve gotten to know my small group members, I realize just how much work God has done in their lives. And I want the rest of my group to know it too!

It is a great encouragement, especially to younger believers, to hear of testimonies to God’s goodness and faithfulness to his people. This can give boldness and practicality to application discussions within a small group.

  • If a member of your small group has a history of beginning evangelistic conversations with friends, ask them to share an example when discussing application related to spreading the gospel. (It’s not a bad idea to warn/ask them ahead of time!)
  • Suppose one of your application questions will emphasize the training/growth that’s necessary as a disciple of Jesus. If some of your small group members have a sports background, you could incorporate athletic training into a targeted launching question.
  • Depending on the purpose of the group and the relationships within it, you could invite a friend to share a doubt or question about the Christian faith. If a member is weighed down by questioning their salvation and someone else in the group has wrestled with that same concern, this might be a valuable conversation to have as a group.

Closing

One of the great benefits of small group Bible studies is the interaction between group members. When a leader knows the people in the group, they can ask and avoid certain questions to make that interaction even more valuable.

This post was originally published in 2018.

Ask Honest Questions

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ask question

CDC/Dawn Arlotta (2009), public domain

A teacher asks a question. And then, silence.

The students shift in their chairs; they squirm; they avoid eye contact. More silence. This question has jumped out of the nest, tried to flap its wings, and fallen to the ground with a thud.

Too many questions by teachers and leaders go unanswered. They’re often too vague, too personal, or unclear.

So what makes a good question? Specifically, how can a small group Bible study leader ask good questions?

The Job of a Small Group Leader

A small group leader should be a persistent and skilled question-asker. Good questions are the key to helping a group understand a Bible passage, encourage interaction, and apply the main point of the text.

I put a lot of energy into writing questions for my small group. It is difficult but essential work. My group’s engagement and discussion usually rises or falls with the quality of my questions.

I want to ask my group honest questions. In other words, I want to know how my friends are thinking about and processing the text. I’m not just looking for them to agree with me.

Far too often, I’ve simply wanted confirmation of my conclusions. Through my questions—or my posture or reactions—I communicated that I was looking for just one answer. And that stopped the discussion cold. No one likes to feel manipulated.

Humility

Asking honest questions requires a mega-dose of humility. It takes a work of God’s grace within the heart.

After all, as the group leader I put a lot of time into preparation. I pray, study the text, read commentaries, and work hard on my notes. I meditate on the passage for at least a week before we meet. It’s natural for me to approach my group with confidence in my conclusions.

But I can still be wrong! My study hours don’t guarantee infallibility. I may have missed the main point of the text.

Here’s the good news: My mistakes do not doom my group. After all, God’s truth doesn’t depend on me!

If I believe the Holy Spirit lives within each Christian in my group, and if I know he gives wisdom and understanding as he pleases, then I need to hold my conclusions with an open hand. I’m not an omniscient teacher; I need to approach my group as someone who still has much to learn.

I can help my friends look carefully at the text and ask for their understanding. I can continue to seek the meaning of the text myself. God can still teach his people the truth of his word.

Handling Disagreement

To be clear, I’m not advocating for a small group free-for-all. There is immense value in a leader’s preparation.

But we must acknowledge God as the ultimate authority. We submit to him in his word. We also submit to each other as the Spirit works and opens eyes. If I arrive at my small group convinced of one interpretation but my friend convinces me otherwise from the text, I should rejoice.

Asking honest questions means I must prepare for disagreement. I might be contradicted. Hopefully the atmosphere and the people in my group mean those discussions will be gentle and loving. But I need to prepare—my reaction to a dissenting opinion makes a huge difference.

By looking surprised or offended or dismissive, I may shut down my friend and even the rest of the group. But if I am curious and welcoming and humble, inviting my friends to observe and interpret the text honestly, I communicate how much I value them and trust the Spirit to lead his people.

For me the crucial question is: Will I trust in the Lord or in my preparation?

I’ve found it rare that a Bible study leader is wildly wrong. It’s more likely that input from the group add angles and nuance the leader didn’t see at first. (Greater diversity within the group will help with this.)

For Whose Glory?

What is the focus of your small group?

Are you hoping your friends will leave your meeting raving about your teaching? Or are you committed to helping your friends understand and apply the Bible at all costs, regardless of whom the Spirit chooses as his messenger?

Give yourself to serious, prayerful study and preparation. But then ask honest questions of your group, knowing that you may have as much to learn as they do.

This post was originally published in 2018.

3 Questions I Ask During Every Bible Study

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Evan Dennis (2016), public domain

Good questions are at the core of good Bible study planning. And the best questions are crafted to relate both to the text at hand and the people in the group.

However, there are some general questions I ask during just about every Bible study I lead. Sometimes I’ll modify these questions slightly, but mostly they can be used as is. These questions almost always help my group look closely at the Scriptures, work to understand its meaning, and draw out its implications.

What Do You Notice?

The people in my Bible study group know this question is aimed at observation. I’m not fishing for anything specific; I’m genuinely curious what they observed when this passage was read aloud.

With some planning, I can usually (though not always!) anticipate some answers to this question, directing the conversation to further observation or interpretation.

Alternate versions of this question: What jumped out at you? What are some important details in this text?

What’s the Flow of Thought?

To understand the author’s main point, we must determine what he is saying and how he is connecting his ideas. When the logic connecting one paragraph to another is obvious, I don’t need this question. But when the transition is more subtle, this question does wonders.

This question forces people to identify or remember the main points of the smaller units of thought and think about their connections. When we can link these ideas together and follow those connections through the passage, we’ll almost always be able to sniff out the main point.

Alternate versions of this question: How do these paragraphs connect? What’s the logical flow? Why does this paragraph come before/after this one?

How Can We Apply This?

After we have observed and interpreted, we want to apply the text of Scripture. We don’t want to look into this mirror and remain unchanged. We want to be hearers and doers of the word (James 1:22–25).

This is an open-the-door question, asked to see what work the Holy Spirit might be doing in the hearts of my Bible study friends. I try to have more pointed questions prepared in case this doesn’t draw any responses. But sometimes a generic question is all we need—the conviction or comfort a person needs may have already come to them powerfully, and this question kicks off a fruitful conversation aimed at genuine application.

Alternate versions of this question: What does this mean for us? How might we live differently because of this text?

Not My Only Questions

A Bible study leader’s plan cannot consist of only these questions. However, sometimes the best questions are the ones most likely to get people talking. We can take advantage of the interaction for which a Bible study group is designed when we make it easy for our friends to enter the discussion. And these three questions are a good start.