| Bible | Prayer |
Some consistent messages found in the Bible |
To whom? |
An overview of the Bible's contents |
What prayer is/What to pray about? |
| A bit of Bible history | Why pray? |
| Different perspectives on and in the Bible | Try prayer on for size |
| "User's Guide" to the Bible | How to pray |
One of the remarkable things about the Bible is that several major themes appear repeatedly and consistently from beginning to end, even though this "book" is really a compilation of many different writings. When we know and remember these consistent messages, it is easier to understand and interpret everything else we read in the Bible.
The world and
all that is in it was created good by a loving, caring One |
| There is a divine plan and purpose to history. |
| God wants to be known. |
| God wants to be in a good and loving relationship with humanity. |
| God wants to save us from forces which could destroy us. |
| God is Ruler of every person, place and thing. |
| There will be a time when God will fully assume sovereign rule over all. |
The Old Testament describes the early years of God's relationship with the peoples of the earth, beginning with our creation in God's image. God chose to be in a special relationship with one family who grew to be the people of Israel. Through their experience God revealed that even when we turn away and forsake the Lord who loves us and calls us to follow and serve, our God remains faithful. The Lord repeatedly renewed the relationship with the people of Israel and continued to reach out through promises, covenants, and prophets. This pattern of forgiveness is one of many visible signs of the loving relationship God desires to have with all humanity. We see it in the Old Testament; the pattern is expanded in an amazing way in the New.
The "Pentateuch"
The 1st five books: Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuternomy
Genesis 1-11 presents a "prehistory" account (events precede any historical record) and some basic themes:
Genesis 12-50 and the other books of the Pentateuch have settings we can find on maps and includes people mentioned in other historical records. It begins with a man named Abraham and his wife Sarah, tells why their great-grandchildren moved to Egypt and how later generations became slaves there, and describes the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh that led to freedom and years of wandering in the wilderness. The books describe the basic organization of family, clan and people and include an ancient set of law codes
Historical Books
Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings,
1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, EstherThese books outline the history of a people (specially chosen, called and trained by God),
tracing their history from tribal groups claiming a new land, to kings and a place among the nations, to political decline (divided kingdom, defeat of kingdom of Israel), to defeat and exile (of the kingdom of Judah), to a return to their land and the difficult process of rebuilding.
The books are apparently based on a combination of oral tradition and earlier written sources that no longer exist.Common themes in the historical books...
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"Wisdom" literature
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of SolomonHere is where we most strongly hear the voice of God's people as they raise issues of universal concern for humankind, including suffering, love, and the brevity and meaning of human life.
Characteristics of the Wisdom writings ...
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Prophets
Major: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel
Minor: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, MalachaiThe Major prophets are called that because of the length of their prophetic books, not because they are more important. Each book is distinct in style, vocabulary, and (to some extent) theology, but they share a common theme of God's sovereignty.
The books of the Minor prophets are much shorter, but they carry just as much authority.
Here we find...
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Old Testament Timeline
A time of "Prehistory" extends from the Creation of the world up to the time of Abraham. It includes the covenant with Noah, marked with the sign of the rainbow. The book of Job may be viewed as occuring during this period described in Genesis 1-11.
The Patriarchal period (~2166-1446 B.C.E.) is named for the "fathers" of our faith, the "patriarchs," but both men and women play crucial roles in this family story. It begins with God's call of Abraham and Sarah and the covenant made with them, and continues to Moses. During this time the people of Israel came into being. The name "Israel" came from the name given to their grandson, Jacob, after he wrestled with an angel for a blessing. Jacob's twelve sons were the ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel. (Genesis 12-50)
The Exodus period (~1446-1406 B.C.E.) begins as the Hebrews are slaves in Egypt. Under Moses' leadership the people are freed from Pharaoh's rule, begin forty years of desert wandering, receive the Law and Commandments from God in the Sinai covenant, and come to the edge of the promised land. (Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, Deuteronomy)
The Conquest of Canaan (~1406-1390 B.C.E.) occurs under new leadership. Joshua is the man who becomes leader after the death of Moses. After crossing the Jordan, he leads the people as they fight to make this land their new home. (Joshua)
The Judges (~1367-1050 B.C.E.) This tribal period was characterized by cycles of faithfulness and unfaithfulness that corresponded with times the tribes prospered and times they seemed to be on the brink of extinction. Whenever their situation was desperate, God would raise up "judges" who provided the moral, political, and/or military leadership that was needed to get the people of Israel back on track. (Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel 1-7)
A Kingdom United (~1050-931 B.C.E.) There came a time when the people wanted to be a nation like those around them. Saul was their first king, but David was their greatest. He united the tribes into one nation and established a new capital in Jerusalem. The "everlasting covenant" God made with David filled the people with great hope and confidence. However, even though David's son Solomon built an awesome temple and was known for his wisdom, the kingdom's decline had already begun. (1 Samuel 8-30, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings 1-11, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 1-9, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Song of Solomon)
The Kingdom Divided (~931-722 B.C.E.) Ten tribes in the north became the new Kingdom of Israel, while the two southern tribes became known as the Kingdom of Judah. These people heard the words of the great prophets Isaiah, Elisha, and Elijah. Many other prophets also attempted to have the people once again look to God for leadership instead of putting their trust in kings or armies or the prosperity they had achieved. The end of this period is marked by the defeat of the northern kingdom and the disappearance from history of those ten "lost tribes of Israel." (1 Kings 12-22, 2 Kings 1-17, 2 Chronicles 10-29, Isaiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah)
The Surviving Kingdom (722-586 B.C.E.) The southern kingdom, Judah, survives for another 150 years, but with struggles of its own. The prophets speak with increasing urgency, but the people and their kings do not listen. Finally the nation is defeated by the Babylonians, who burn Jerusalem, destroy the temple, salt the fields, and carry the people into exile. (2 Kings 18-25, 2 Chronicles 30-36, Jeremiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah)
Babylonian Captivity (586-538 B.C.E.) The people of Israel feel the weight of God's judgment as they are torn from their Palestinian homeland and scattered throughout the Babylonian empire. In a foreign land they learn new ways to be faithful to God. Without a temple, they start to gather in synagogues. They learn that God remains faithful even when the blessings of home and kingdom are not given. They find hope in the midst of despair and begin to look for a God-appointed Messiah who will someday come to save them. (Esther, Ezekiel, Daniel)
Restoration (538-400 B.C.E.) A new world power arose in Persia, and with it a new policy toward captive nations. Their leader, Cyrus, was remarkably benevolent and humane, and respected traditional forms of religion. He gave permission to return to Palestine to those Jews who wanted to leave the foreign lands where they had settled. Those who returned had to struggle with a devestated country and to fight with others who had been placed in their lands. But they rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and their homes. They even rebuilt a smaller version of Solomon's temple, reread the Torah, and renewed their covenant relationship with God. (Part of the book of Isaiah dates from this period, as well as the writings of Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi)
The Jewish tradition uses the same books of the Bible, but organizes them a little differently. They consider the first five books God's basic teachings and call them the Torah.
Putting the Prophets (Nebhi'im) next reinforces those teachings as the prophets interpret and apply God's word, exhorting the people to follow the way of the Lord. Some of the books we include with the historical books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings) they include as the "former prophets," while Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are the "latter prophets." The "book of the 12" includes all those we included among the minor prophets.
Their order of the books concludes with viewing God's word from a human perspective in the Writings (Kethubhim). In addition to the books of Psalms, Job, and Proverbs, the Writings include the "rolls" (Ruth, Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and Esther), one of which is read at each of the major Jewish festivals. The books of Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles are also counted among the writings.
Even though the books are the same, changing the order subtly alters the context in which they are read and understood.
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There is a period of history not covered in the Bible, Over 400 years passed between the end of the Old Testament and the time Jesus was born at the start of the New. During these years some of the people of Israel remained in lands to which they had been exiled and continued to establish communities there, while those who had returned to their homeland gradually rebuilt a national identity. Eventually the Maccabee family began a successful revolt that led to independence. They converted their military success to political and religious leadership, initiating a resurgence of political power that lasted until Rome took power.
Some of this history is told in the books of the Apocrypha and the Deuterocanonical books. Some religious traditions include additional books in their Bible. Roman Catholic, Greek, and Slavonic Bibles each contain books that are respected in the Jewish and Protestant traditions but are not viewed as authoritative scripture by them.
The additional books include Tobit, Judith, Additions to the Book of Esther, Wisdom of Solomon, Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, Additions to the Book of Daniel (the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon), and 1 & 2 Maccabees.
Some Bibles also include 1, 2 & 3 Esdras, the Prayer of Manasseh, an additional psalm (Psalm 151), and 3 & 4 Macabbees.
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The New Testament provides a fresh
revelation of God. The meaning of the law and the prophecies that
had been given in the Old Testament were revealed in a new way through Jesus,
the Messiah/Christ. Because he was God in human form, we saw the nature
of God as never before. We discovered that God was willing to come to earth
as a helpless baby for our sake; that God was willing to embrace people
just like us who were sick, sinful, hurt, and unloved; that God was willing
to forgive us and even die for us; that God was able to overcome the power
of death so that we could have new life. In Jesus the promises God had made
were fulfilled. Through him the covenantal relationship between God and
humanity was renewed. God's hopes and expectations were revealed in living
Word as well as written word.
The New Testament also provides a fresh image of humanity.
In Jesus (whom we meet in the gospels) we see humanity at its best and as
it was created to be, untainted by sin. Through the Holy Spirit (whose work
becomes increasingly important in the rest of the New Testament), we discover
that humanity can come closer to fulfilling its God-given potential than
we had ever dreamed.
The Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
The word "Gospel" means "good news," in this case the good news for us about Jesus. Because each of the four accounts of Jesus' birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection was written for a different audience, each has a unique perspective and sets Jesus' story in a different context. Three of the gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke - overlap so much in their context that it seems likely that the writers had a common source for the material. Known as the "Synoptic" gospels, they weave many parables and sayings of Jesus into a collection of stories about his life.
The gospel of John approaches the life of Jesus from a different angle. This goes well beyond many differences in the stories told and the sayings quoted. This gospel is much more mystical. It is full of double meanings that intentionally convey multiple meanings, and has more lengthy discourses of Jesus and fewer of the short incidents and sayings typical of the synoptic gospels. It seems likely that the gospel of John was written later than the other gospels and reflects a process of reflection and theological interpretation that was already well underway in the early church.
Acts of the Apostles
This book is "Part II" of the gospel of Luke. It tells the story of the beginning of the church as it describes the coming of the Holy Spirit and its work in the early church.
Letters
Paul's letters to churches: Romans,
1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians,
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians
Paul's pastoral letters: 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon
Other writers: Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John
The New Testament letters are valuable for our lives today because they show Christian faith in action. Some letters were written to goups, others to individuals, but because all of them address particular issues, they model a process by which we can apply faith to situations facing us today in life, church, culture and society. While tradition names the writers of these letters, some may have been written in the name of the person credited, following a practice common in ancient "schools." Students who learned and carried on the teachings of a respected teacher could legitimately write in the teacher's name.
The order of the letters in the New Testament is determined by their length (longest to shortest), the type of letter, and the writer to whom they are attributed.
Revelation to John
This book reflects an apocalyptic tradition of writing about the end times. It's a style of writing found scattered throughout the Old and New Testament. While talking about the end of the world could be perceived as a discouraging, depressing topic, apocalyptic writing actually provided hope and encouragement during periods of persecution with words of assurance that God would eventually triumph.
We affirm that the scriptures found in both the Old and New Testaments are God's word to us, but we can't say exactly how they ended up in their present day form. In that way we are different from religions with traditions about exactly how their holy books came into being - dictated by God, handed over by angels, written by a holy leader. There is no "original" copy, no "first edition" of the Bible. The oldest copies of the Old Testament are fragments from about the time of Jesus - centuries after they were first written down. The earliest copies of the gospels and New Testament letters are dated no less than 100 years after the time Jesus walked the earth. Many come from much later.
So where did these books come from? In both testaments, there were probably some oral traditions that preceded written ones. In a number of instances, separate documents may well have been combined into one book. Somehow, sometime, various traditions and writings were gathered together and shared by the community of faith. Over time it became clear that some had particular meaning and power for the people of God. Those are the books that became "canonical," our scriptures.
Are there "lost" books of the Bible?
The quick answer is "No." It's
true that many books weren't included in the Bible, but we've known about
them for a long time. They weren't lost, they just weren't viewed as holy
scripture. The books included in today's Bible were chosen carefully, having
been recognized as God-given revelation by God's people. Tradition played
a role, but so did evidence of spritual benefit, divine origin, and harmony
with other writings. Some books that weren't quite as beneficial were kept,
but not included among the scriptures. The Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical
books of the Old Testament fall in that category.
The gospels, books and letters that were included in the New Testament had
an apostolic source, a connection with an apostle, or they fit with
known apostolic doctrine.
We have letters from that era that were not
included in the Bible. They contain significant spiritual wisdom, but did
not prove to be as valuable for instruction and growth as the letters that
were chosen.
Many of the so-called "lost" books of the Bible were left out
for similar reasons. Most are candidates for the New Testament. We
still struggle to understand all that God accomplished through Jesus' birth,
life, death and resurrection. Making sense of all that was a difficult and
challenging task that took many years. For many of those years there were
great debates in which very different views were advocated. Some writings
present perspectives on the nature of Jesus that were ultimately rejected
by believers. Others were rejected because they seem to be more story than
truth, or appear to have been written much later than the date claimed. These "lost" books
were never lost, nor were they suppressed. They just didn't meet the same
standards of reliability and spiritual benefit to the people of God as the
books that became part of the our Bible.
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Our "Old Testament"
of the Bible is the Hebrew scriptures, originally written
in that language. By the time of Jesus, there was also a Greek version known
as the Septuagint. The earliest
New Testament documents we have were written in Greek,
although occasional Aramaic phrases may indicate sources or oral traditions
from that language.
Both testaments pose significant translation challenges.
Early Hebrew manuscripts have only consonants. Mgn n nglsh sntnc wrttn
tht w (imagine an English sentence written that way) and you can understand
the difficulties! TheancientGreekwritersdn'tleavespacesbetweentheirwords.
That's a little easier, but sometimes there is more than one way of dividing
the words that makes sense. Then a translator may need to choose between very
different meanings. (For example: in English "Godisnowhere" could
be either "God is nowhere" or "God is now here.")
There are other issues as well. Some words don't translate
well; others carry double meanings that don't carry over into English.
When Hebrew and Greek words are only used once in the entire Bible and have
not been found in any other ancient documents, translators must make an
educated guess of their meaning. And because we don't have one "original" copy,
when there are differences between the various early copies we have, the
translators must choose which version is most likely to be accurate. Scholars
have worked together to produce an agreed-upon text for both the Hebrew and
Greek Testaments, with notes that indicate possible variations.
By the end of the second century,
most of the Bible had been translated into Latin. Priests
carried these Latin versions throughout the Roman Empire, even
though there wasn't an "official" translation for a long time.
In the 4th century a priest named Jerome
used the best resources available at the time to produce the "Vulgate" ("of
the common people") translation. This Bible was used in the great medieval
monastaries and was the basis of the first English translations.
The
King James Bible, completed in 1611, was not the first English
translation, but it is the best known and was so beautifully written that
it is still in use today. While some view it as THE translation of
the Bible, in truth it is only one in a long line of translations,
and it is not nearly as true to the original as more current versions. To
have the best understanding of the Bible's message, it's important
to make use of new translations that reflect changes in the English language,
corrections of old copier errors, discoveries from more recently recovered
ancient manuscripts, and the ever-increasing knowledge of ancient languages.
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Different
views and perspectives on and in the Bible
| Different understandings | Two truths in one! |
There are different understandings of what the Bible is, what it's trying to teach us, and how we should use it. Usually there's some truth in each perspective, but differences arise as people focus on different aspects of the truth.
Are
there any mistakes in the Bible we read?
People who view the Bible
as the inerrant, infallible word of God
(no mistakes, can never be wrong) are affirming that, because this is God's
word to us, we shouldn't mess with it or treat
it lightly. Others agree that God is infallible and the Bible
is a divine revelation of God, but they believe that the revelation we
have in the Bible has been filtered and distorted by the fallible humans
who wrote it down and translated it. The views are different, but they
have in common a reverent respect for the word of God.
Where did the Bible come from?
Some scholars suggest that the Bible as we know it came from several
different sources. Why? Because of patterns they have observed in language,
style of writing and message. It's what they would expect to find if
once there had been works from several different traditions, each with
their own understanding of and language for God, but later an editor
came along and combined them to create one story. Other scholars suggest
that one single tradition could have emphasized or highlighted at different
times various dimensions of their understanding about God and God's people.
Either way, we benefit from the variety of perspectives we discover in
the Bible.
Sometimes we act as though we need to choose between different views of the Bible. But God's word is big enough and great enough that it can be more than one thing at the same time. It's one of the most awesome things about it!
The Bible is both a book
of Law AND a guide for life
As a book of Law, biblical rules are most clear when viewed
in their original context. Both life-giving and showing "tough love,"
the Bible's laws give clear directions when viewed in appropriate contexts,
hold up standards of right and wrong, and let us know in no uncertain terms
that there are consequences for not following God's rules.
As a guide for life, we learn from God how to make the most of our life. God's rules are a gift to us, given out of love. God didn't set all those high standards in order to set us up for punishment when we don't meet them.
Some people think that following God's rules will take all the fun out of life. Far from it! When we follow God's plan and will for our life, we end up with a far better, more wonderful life than than the one we manage on our own. It's a funny thing - in our efforts to be "free" to "do our own thing," we end up getting captured by our culture. We become "slaves" to money, power, and other peoples' opinions. When we're obedient and submissive to God, we lose some of that personal "independence" but are freed to a life that is filled with a far more deeply satisfying kind of goodness and love. You have to try it to believe it!
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The Bible is both a collection
of many books AND one unified story.
The different books of the
Bible were written over a span of many hundreds of years. They were written
at different times to different people in a wide variety of situations. It
was addressed to slaves and kings, women and men, the culture and the counter-culture,
people in power and people in exile. Some books were written to encourage,
some to challenge; some to teach, some to preach; some to give legal guidance,
some to balance a legalistic view. The Bible includes poetry, myth, allegory,
laws, legal case studies, and historical accounts.
In all those different books we keep hearing the same message, over and over again. We see the major Biblical themes in action as a consistent story unfolds in many different settings. Because the entire Bible is about One God who never changes and whose desire to be in relationship with us never changes, the news is true and reliable in all the different circumstances found in the Bible. That's the reason the Bible is still absolutely relevant to our lives today!
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The Bible is both God's word
to us AND human words about God and to God.
God speaks to us through the Bible. There's a reason we
call it the "word of God." God gave the Bible to us so that we
can understand who God is and know God's will and plan for us and our world.
We also learn who we were meant to be when God created us, see through God's
eyes how that compares to who we actually are, and discover who God wants
us to become. Although God speaks to us in a number of ways -- through the
words of the Bile, through the beauty of Creation, through the Spirit within
us, and through the love of Jesus (revealed to us in the pages of the
Bible) -- the Bible is the most clear, reliable, and understandable
revelation of God.
The Bible is also our dialogue
with God. It's
not simply a one way conversation in which God talks down to us. In the
Bible, people talk back. The word of God is wrapped in the faith
statements of the humans who wrote down God's message. Those people,
like us, were amazed at the wonder of life and creation. They struggled
to find meaning in tragedy. They discerned the hand of God in human history
and in everyday events. The human side of their conversation with God is
often hidden within their telling of God's story.
Other times the conversation is very direct, as
people come to God with their questions, their confusion, their thanks,
their doubt, their complaints, their grief, their joy, and every other
human feeling you can think of. Because the Bible includes these thoughts
and experiences, so much like our own, we know that we don't
have to hide our feelings from God. God wants to hear from us, and is "big
enough" to take anything we can dish out.
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User's
Guide OR "How to use and study
the Bible"
When looking for a Bible, be aware
of crucial differences between the choices. A "translation" is
based on the original Hebrew and Greek scriptures. A "paraphrase" uses
someone else's translation as the starting point. The vernacular English
and ease of reading found in copies like The Living
Bible and The
Message is often helpful, but it is apt to reflect the perspective
of the writer more than a translator who is trying to find the best way to
put into English the perspective of the original Greek and Hebrew writers.
A good study Bible is an invaluable tool. Choose one that
is the product of good scholarship. A study Bible with good, objective study
notes is a better choice than one with one that tries to teach a particular
theological perspective with which you may or may not agree. Some examples
you could use for comparison are the Oxford Study Bible, the Harper-Colins
Study Bible, and the New Jerusalem Bible.
Choose a Bible you like. The Contemporary
English Bible is
written in good, easy to read, vernacular English. For a more literary style,
try the Revised English or the New Jerusalem
Bible. The New International Vision (NIV) is a good, contemporary
American translation, now also available in the slightly updated Today's
New International Version. The solid tradition and scholarship
of the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) make it a favorite among
many Biblical scholarsand those looking for an accurate and unbiased translation.
The one bias in the NRSV translation is the deliberate choice to
use language that includes women as well as men whenever that is appropriate
("brothers and sisters" instead of "brothers").
Understanding the different styles of writing in the Bible
It is tempting to look to the Bible for scientific and historical information, the way we'd look to a textbook. But it was not written for that purpose or in that style. The Bible is an incredible source of information about God, us, and our world, but its truth unfolds through poetry, "myth" and allegory as well as historical account. That's because we discover this truth through a human sharing of life experience in dialogue with God's story. When we accurately recognize the different styles of writing, we are better able to interpret and understand the message God is giving us.
In poetry, God's word is presented in poetic form. Its truth is real, but - like all poetry - there may be "poetic license" taken as the story is told.
Similarly, in "myth" the presentation of a deep and underlying truth about God or human nature is far more important than stating historical details with exact accuracy.
Allegories and parables are clearly fictional, but it is just as clear that they are another means of telling an essential truth.
Even when the Bible gives an historical account where truth is presented as fact, usually the theological interpretation attached to the story colors the telling of it.
Ways to study the Bible (as an individual or in a group)
Published Resources
There are many good published resources for learning more
about the Bible. A good Bible bookstore may be able to help you sort through
the many choices that are out there.
Study Bibles come in all different forms. You can look for almost anything that fits where you are so long as you use a reliable translation by a major publisher. (Find a Bible bookstore and ask for help). Some study Bibles have built in study guides, thought questions, and more. Others are great for scholarly information, cross-references, and notes that provide insight into translation and historical issues.
The Interpreter's Dictionary provides a lot of background information of the scholarly type.
Study guides also come in all different forms. Some are good for individual study; many are designed for group use. Some read like a good book; others provide short daily readings. Flip through the pages to find one that fits your needs.
Commentaries give an author's "comments" on Biblical texts. While they present the interpretation on one particular writer, those opinions are usually backed up with well-researched information. Some commentaries cover only one book of the Bible; others come in sets that cover more material. A list of the many good series would include Everyman's (contemporary, very readable), Barclay's (New Testament, good even though a little out-dated), Interpreter's (a little more advanced, but still quite readable), the Anchor series (older, but still respected for its scholarship, advanced but readable), and Word (advanced, quite technical in its writing).
Condordances enable you to search subjects by key words. Brief concordances are included in some Bibles; more extensive ones are published as separate volumes.
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On-line Resources
The
problem with an on-line search is the same for Bible study
as it is with all internet searches. Anybody can put something up on the
web. It doesn't mean it's accurate or reliable. The good news is that there
are some sites you can trust.
The Thoughtful Christian (http://www.theThoughtfulChristian.com) is a Web-based resource center that encourages "faithful living in a complex world" by offering downloadable Bible studies. The studies are designed for group or individual use and are very user-friendly. Each has one to four sessions. They are grouped into five categories: Bible and Theology, Spirituality, Christian Living, Contemporary Issues, and Popular Culture. A free sample is available at their site to help you decide if you want to purchase some of the available single or multiple study pack options. (Click "See All" at the bottom of their page for a complete list of studies.) Annual subscriptions are available.
The Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion (found at http://www.atla.com/wabash/front.htm) is "a selective, annotated guide to a variety of electronic resources of interest to those who are involved in the study and practice of religion: syllabi, electronic texts, electronic journals, web sites, bibliographies, liturgies, reference resources, software, etc." The Wabash Center can connect you to reliable information on theology, other religions, history of Christianity, spirituality, women and religion, the meeting of Religion with art, film, literature, music, and science, and more!
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Intellectual/Scientific Bible
Study [individual
or group]
As an intellectual/scientific approach
to the Bible, the "inductive" technique may feel very familiar and comfortable.
In an inductive Bible study, a biblical text is examined through the "scientific
method" of investigation (asking the "who, what, when, where,
why" questions).
We come away with facts, figures, and a sense of certainty, feeling well-informed,
confident that we have discovered the "truth" of the text. Thus
equipped, we're ready to explore the meaning of the text, and then
apply what we have learned to our life. The process may be done individually
or in a group, and includes three basic steps:
"Lectio Divina"
- "Divine Word" [individual]
Unlike the techniques that aim to take in information or intellectually
understand a passage, Lectio Divina is designed to enable an encounter
the living God in and through what is read. This four-step form
of Bible study and meditation is just as useful today as it was in the earliest
days of the church. The four simple steps can be used individually or by
a group:
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The Story Relived [individual]
This technique focuses on the passage as story. The idea can be applied in an analytical way,
or very personally, or a combination of the
two. To gain understanding of the passage, you ask questions
like: What is the setting of the story? When is it taking place? How does the
story unfold? Who is the audience? How would they hear the story? What would
it mean to them?
After answering these questions, you imagine a contemporary setting for the story
and people of today who might be contemporary equivalents of those in the Bible
story. Then you apply the questions you asked before to this new setting. Often
surprising insights surface as the story is heard in a new context that's more
familiar to us.
To experience the story on a more personal level, try putting
yourself into the story. Make it a sensory experince in which you imagine what
you might see, hear, smell, taste, and touch - things like the roughness of the
cloth you're wearing, the feel of sweat on a hot day, being jostled in a crowd.
Choose to become a character in the story, even if only a bystander. Relive the
story from that perspective. You may be surprised at the way an ancient story
can come to life, and at the connections it can make with your life today. If
you relive the same story from more than one perspective, it can multiply the
richness of the passage and its meaning for your life.
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Shift the Context [individual]
By viewing a BIble story in a variety of contexts, it's
possible to combine aspects of the intellectual inductive study,
the meditative lectiio divina and the intuitive reliving of the story.
Each context reveals a different level of meaning for the passage.
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Make it Your Own [individual]
There are other ways you can bring the Bible's story to new and fresh life
for you. You can:
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Tell It Your Way [group]
This technique uses a group discernment process to discover the
heart of the story.
- Each person in the group reads a biblical passage.
- Individually, each writes a short summary of it.
- Next, each tells what he or she wrote.
- The group looks for the common elements in their summaries.
- Each participant then reflects quietly on the following questions:
What new possibilities does this pasage open for me? For us?
If I were to take my summary seriously, what would it mean for me? For us?- Finally, individuals offer their responses to those questions.
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The African Bible Study Method [group]
This method, designed as a group process, is similar in many ways to Lectio
Divina, so if you're studying alone, you could incorporate some of the
techniques into your reading, meditation, and prayer.
- One person reads the passage slowly.
- Each person identifies the word or phrase that catches their attention (1 minute)
- Each shares the word or phrase around the group (NO DISCUSSION)
- Another person reads the passage slowly (from a different translation, if possible)
- Each person identifies where this passage touches their life today (1 minute)
- Each shares (3-5 minutes. NO DISCUSSION)
- Passage is read a third time (another reader and translation, if possible)
- Each person names or writes "From what I have heard today, what do I believe God wants me to do or be? Is God inviting me to change my way? (5 minutes)
- Each person shares their answer (5-10 minutes, NO DISCUSSION)
- Each person prays for the person on their right, naming what was shared in the other steps (5 minutes)
Close with the Lord's Prayer and SILENCE.
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