1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Teaching Bible Study to congregation

Discussion in 'Pastoral Ministries' started by baptistteacher, Jan 9, 2003.

  1. baptistteacher

    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2003
    Messages:
    844
    Likes Received:
    6
    How do you go about teaching people in your church how to study the Bible for themselves??
    I have heard from many people over the years that they do not know how to study the Bible. We often tell people to study the Word, but how often do we help them with knowing how to do this? :(

    What means and methods do you use?
     
  2. Jonathan

    Jonathan Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    536
    Likes Received:
    0
    I prefer the inductive method.

    As a layman who has been involved in teaching folks how to study the Bible, I would suggest that, regardless of the favored method - and we all have our favored method, don't we? - the job of teaching folks how to study the Bible isn't completed until folks are actually studying their Bibles.

    It took me a few teaching cycles to grasp that certain folks really enjoyed the group environment that arose around the "How to study your Bible" class but just weren't willing to develop the disciplines necessary for applying the principles taught. The specific point came when, at the end of a course, one dear lady said, "I've enjoyed this class so much, I might just do the homework next time."
     
  3. baptistteacher

    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2003
    Messages:
    844
    Likes Received:
    6
    I prefer the inductive method.

    As a layman who has been involved in teaching folks how to study the Bible, I would suggest that, regardless of the favored method - and we all have our favored method, don't we? - the job of teaching folks how to study the Bible isn't completed until folks are actually studying their Bibles.

    It took me a few teaching cycles to grasp that certain folks really enjoyed the group environment that arose around the "How to study your Bible" class but just weren't willing to develop the disciplines necessary for applying the principles taught. The specific point came when, at the end of a course, one dear lady said, "I've enjoyed this class so much, I might just do the homework next time."[/QB][/QUOTE]


    Amen! and Oh me! :eek:

    [ January 10, 2003, 07:40 PM: Message edited by: baptistteacher ]
     
  4. Pastork

    Pastork New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2002
    Messages:
    434
    Likes Received:
    0
    I teach a hermeneutics class to my congreagation periodically that I call "How to Interpret the Bible for Yourself." This class basically gives them a Bible college or seminary eqivalent training in hermeneutics (complete with homework). I also routinely include explanations for why I interpret as I do in my sermons, so that they are constantly learning and relearning solid interpretive principles. I see this as one of the most important things I do as a pastor.

    Pastork

    [ January 11, 2003, 12:08 AM: Message edited by: Pastork ]
     
  5. Acts 1:8

    Acts 1:8 New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2002
    Messages:
    645
    Likes Received:
    0
    http://www.chrislofton.com/biblereadingplan/

    Go to this page and print it out for your folks. Its the same Bible reading plan they have here on the Baptist Board. I adapted it to be printer friendly and placed it on my website and also mailed it out to a hundred people to encourage them. I've kept on track with it so far it works great! I find it handy to print the whole thing out and cross off each line as I read the scripture.

    [ January 12, 2003, 01:58 PM: Message edited by: AdoptedByGod ]
     
  6. baptistteacher

    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2003
    Messages:
    844
    Likes Received:
    6
    Adopted: looks like a good reading plan.

    What I am wondering, though, is about Bible Study, more than just reading the Bible through in a year. How do we get people to be more like the Bereans - "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)" People who are able and anxious to Study the Word of God for themselves -- a key to Spiritual growth.

    Not many responses to this topic. Does this confirm my fears that not many are making the effort to help people dig into the Word?? :(
    I hope not.
     
  7. Acts 1:8

    Acts 1:8 New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2002
    Messages:
    645
    Likes Received:
    0
    I hear you, I usually explain the importance of the Word this way:

    Christ = The Word (John 1:1)
    If you've invited Christ into your heart, you have invited the Word into your heart. Christ taught that we cannot live spiritually without the Word. (Matthew 4:4) Explain to them that the Body of Christ is one body made up of many members who each have a function, therefore, since each member cannot live with the word, it is our highest priority to keep ourselves feed with the Word, lest we are a hindrance to the entire body of Christ which is everyone around us in church. It is our RESPONSIBILITY as Christians to stay in the word.

    [ January 15, 2003, 09:19 AM: Message edited by: AdoptedByGod ]
     
  8. Jacob

    Jacob Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2002
    Messages:
    178
    Likes Received:
    0
    1. Evaluate the context.
    2. Research the historical setting and background.
    3. Perform word studies of key words (you don't have to know Greek but need to research how different Greek scholars would interpret the key words).
    4. Ask yourself how you can apply this passage to your own life. Read commentaries' perspectives as well.

    I have found that I don't get much out of simply just reading - it takes work!

    Jacob.
     
  9. Acts 1:8

    Acts 1:8 New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 24, 2002
    Messages:
    645
    Likes Received:
    0
    The key to studying Gods Word is living it out - Then and only then can you see the life changing power of our "living and active" Word.

    See James 1:22-25
     
  10. Jonathan

    Jonathan Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    536
    Likes Received:
    0
    In the inductive method, there are three steps:

    1. Observation
    2. Interpretation
    3. Application

    One must do 1 properly so that 2 is correct. The problem that most face (especially me) is that if 3 is not done, then 1 and 2 will result in vanity.
     
  11. baptistteacher

    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2003
    Messages:
    844
    Likes Received:
    6
    I also use the inductive method. I just taught this to a group of 6 people in our Bible Insititute, (including our Pastor ;) ) He had already discovered many of the principles on his own, he had not been taught them in Bible College. :( Neither had I, but I did get a good dose in seminary (Dallas Theological).

    I will also ask "thinking" questions in the adult sunday school class I teach. Not "what was the name of the body of water that Israel crossed as they were leaving Egypt?" - but "What did God want His people to learn from this experience of crossing the Red Sea?" I hope to get them to realize that they can study the Bible and get something from it in our class, and do the same thing thing on their own.

    I even sometimes ask questions when I get the oppurtunity to preach. I tell them "I know that you did't come to church to think...." ;)
     
  12. bar_elohim

    bar_elohim New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2002
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    1 John 2:27..And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need of anyone to teach you: but as His anointing teaches you about al things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

    John 14:26..But the Helper, The Holy Spirit, the anointing, whom the Father wel send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

    John 16:13..but when He, the Spirit of Truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.....He will disclose, open it to you.

    It would appear from scripture that one of the most important ingrediants to learning the truth of scripture is to have the Holy Spirit teach and reveal it to you.

    What 'teachers' teach should receive acknowledgement from the student as it agrees with what the Spirit has already been revealing to the student. Thereby the teacher receives the amen.

    We must remember gentleman that this isn't like the ministry of Moses or Joshua, where those men of God would go in to the Presence of God, and come back and give the word to the people. The disciples of Christ today have the ability to go into the presence of God themselves and get the word straight from the Lord. They don't need a diploma, or degree to Know the Word.

    When any of the five fold ministry are speaking what the spirit is saying, those who have had an ear for what the Spirit has been showing them, they will be in agreement. It will be as a confirmation to what they themselves have been learning from the spirit.

    This is what causes the excitement to get into the word, and listen to what the spirit is declaring, so when they come to fellowship with the saints, and they hear the same thing being spoken from the ministry, they can say the amen.

    The love for the word, and the fellowship of the Spirit creates a relationship with the Spirit of Christ that causes the growth in Christlikeness.

    In all my years of home bible study. Those who had read the word, prior to the evening study found that as the word was spoken it produced an excitement from those who had spent some time in the word, because it was agreeing with what they had read. Those who hadn't spent time in the word, the study was not alive to them.

    My 2 cents.

    In Him.
     
  13. Jonathan

    Jonathan Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Jun 30, 2000
    Messages:
    536
    Likes Received:
    0
    bar_elohim makes a very good point about the absolute need to spend time in God's presence if one is going to understand God's Word. However, there is a significant danger in misusing this advice.

    A very good friend of mine was also our Sunday school class' substitute teacher. When I was leading my class through an inductive study of the books of Titus and Jude, he consistently balked at having to the work required to study Scripture this way.

    His point was essentially, "I've been given the gift of teaching. Therefore, I don't have to do all of this work. As long as I'm 'prayed up', I can just look at the text and the meaning will jump out at me."

    This was obviously not the case for Peter when he looked at certain texts written by Paul.
     
  14. rufus

    rufus New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2003
    Messages:
    730
    Likes Received:
    0
    ALL OF YOU GUYS HAVE MADE VALID POINTS.

    GReeeeeaaaaTTTT!!

    Rufus [​IMG]
     
Loading...