Studying the scriptures is very near the center of what it means to pursue God. But ask 5 people about the Bible, and you’ll find 4 of them don’t read it as much as they would like, and 8 opinions about what it is.
The message Sunday is designed to be helpful for anybody, at any stage of their journey of faith, in understanding the Scriptures.
The following study is meant to take the members of your group forward just one step. As a result, if you have experience in studying the Bible, you'll note that there is much more to say and explore in this area. Be content, for your group as a whole, to take one step in their confidence in the Bible having meaning in their lives. For some people, that step will be reading the Bible for the first time. For others, it will be shedding the guilt that comes from not liking to open it very often due to lack of comprehension. Make it your goal, as the group leader, to create an environment that opens itself from this point forward as a place where people can ask better questions, enjoy the mystery, and begin to find the Bible as a major tool in How God invites us into a very ancient, real and wonderful story.
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Discussion
Thaw
- What’s the last book you read?
- Which one of the following quotes is not in the Bible?
2. “God helps those who help themselves”
3. “This too, shall pass”
4. “Money is the root of all evil”
The answer is none. 1. Is a saying that’s actually harmful, because it teaches that God designs life to be well managed alone- without Him or others- which is contrary to our faith. 2. Is Ben Franklin in Poor Richard's Almanac, 1757. (Psalm 25:4 actually teaches the opposite!) 3.Seems to go all the way back to a parable of Solomon, not in the Bible, as well as some more recent use in poetry and speeches by by many, including Abraham Lincoln. 4. This is almost in the Bible- 1 Timothy 6:10 states “The LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil…”. You can see that that’s a different statement altogether!
Discuss
- What from the message Sunday was most helpful?
- What was most surprising or challenging?
- Was there anything you disagreed with? What and why?
- Jonathan states that the context in which the scripture is written is everything. Cultural, literary, theological, geographic contexts shape meaning. Respond to this as a group and what it means as we read the Bible today.
Leader note: The following is excerpted from Martin Luther King’s famous "I have a dream" speech from the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Read it aloud and then answer the questions that follow:
"...In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned...."
- Does anyone in the group not know what Dr. King is referring to?
- Dr. King is using metaphor to make a larger point. In 3000 years, which parts do you think would be difficult to understand? Would any parts seem meaningless?
Leader note: You may want to read through it again and let them hear how much of this rests on the audience’s understanding of the words, images and events surrounding the speech in 1963. In 3000 years, what if there is no cash, checks, promissory notes and therefore no concept of how these systems worked, let alone how they would be helpful in illustrating whatever point this ancient Doctor King is trying to make to whomever is apparently listening. And what is the "Constitution"? "The Declaration of Independence"? Why did the "note" only promise “men”? Would they be shocked to find that inalienable rights was a term not original with King, and was found within the other documents the people of 3000 years ago were generally aware? If he was a "King", why didn't he just make things happen, rather that speak about it not happening? What are "citizens of color"? Were there citizens who lacked color? Which colors were they? Was it a perhaps an issue of status to wear certain colors? Why were these people so caught up in different colors, and why is this King wasting time talking about it? Were people with color not given life or happiness, but people without it were given life and happiness? Did the colors come with the "promissory note"? What was going on that made this irrelevant-sounding speech and strange word-pictures important?
We take for granted that we currently understand all the aspects of the language, times, political issues, humor, etc…This certainly means that we hear Dr. King differently than he would be heard, with out contextual study, in a different time, place, language and culture.
Read
Leader’s note: The following is an example of how it is important to slow down on a Biblical text, consider the assumptions you may bring to the text, as well as consider the cultural, geographic and social background onto which words are written and spoken.
- Luke 9:57-58
- What's the meaning of this text as you understand it?
- Now read Matthew 8:19-20
- What differences do you note, and how does this deepen or shift your thinking of Jesus’ response?
Leader note: you may point out that a teacher of the Law is a highly respected religious leader with much to lose. This has different significance than a man on the road. Matthew is more in sync with the Hebrew culture, and may have been more impressed with the man being a Jewish teacher of Jewish Law- therefore having a teacher call Jesus a teacher. Luke, the Greek speaking doctor, may have been less tuned into this Jewish nuance and more impressed with and focused on Jesus’ response.
- Now take into consideration that eagles, birds of the air, are the chief symbol of Roman power at this time, and foxes are one of the symbols for Herod and the “almost Jews” that colluded with Rome to make the rich richer and to neglect God’s way of peace and equity.
- With this contextual picture of lofty, powerful birds in comfy nests, and foxes burrowed into holy ground- now how do you hear Jesus speaking to the eager follower, in his setting?
- Why doesn’t the text record the response of the teacher that said he’d follow Jesus wherever?
- What are the real-life (versus merely religious, disconnected, hyper-spiritual) implications of Jesus’ response, in its context, for those of us today that seek Christ in our context?
- How has this example study the scriptures based on the who, what, where and why been helpful?
Apply
A good way to think of the overarching narrative of the scriptures is
- Act 1- Creation. The Bible paints a picture, rich with metaphor, poetry and rhythm to present to us an intended creation.
- Act 2- The Fall. What God intended is now marred by the rebellion of God’s favorite creatures- us! And that sin and rebellion against His Kingship has everything broken.
- Act 3- Israel. God selects from among all people a chosen nation to be the light of the world. These would be the people that would show off who God is, and show people how to live in His ways. The Bible tells their story, as well as all the recurring ways that they became and remained part of the problem.
- Act 4- Jesus. Jesus is the culmination of God’s redemptive plan to steer all of the world back to what He had intended in Act 1. Jesus isn’t starting something brand new as much as He is providing the passage from where we are back to what God wants for us.
- Act 5- The church. The church is simply the extension of Jesus’ redeeming mission for all creation. We take His message and His love further, living our lives currently in His Kingdom (under His reign and will), inviting others on the journey- bringing light into the darkness. All this while awaiting a final moment where the affects of Act 2 are finally and completely removed.
Additional passages to consider:
- Hebrews 4:12
- II Timothy 3:16
- John 20:30-31
- Psalm 119:9-16
- Phil 4:8
- John 6:67-69
Resources for further study.
- The study to the right entitled "Bible Crash Course"
- http://www.biblegateway.com/
- http://www.blueletterbible.org/
- http://www.followtherabbi.com/Brix?pageID=1458
- Google!!! (Seriously, it can help you discover all kinds of research on specific Biblical texts and the context in which it was written and read. You will most certainly get some crazy ideas mixed in- so never arrive at a conclusion based on the fruit of one Google search- but use it to get you exploring background and words.
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