Friday, 21 August 2009
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Bible Study Guides: A Curse or A Connection?
In light of all the flack I've been given recently for not knowing my scripture, I've decided to go out and buy a study guide. I already have study Bible from my days as a Bible study leader in college, but it definitely is not going to say "Here stupid is what you're supposed to know hard core." Trust me, the only way I got through being a Bible Study Leader was through my knowledge of how to analyze text (thanks York College for my amazing skills) and the fact that my co-leader and I only had one student. It was a pitiful session, but awesome test of faith. So anyway, back to my point. I went into Borders the other and decided to look around in the religion section to see if I could find one that may help me delve deeper into "The Good Book." Firstly, I was overwhelmed by the variety of regular Bibles and once I began my quest for a study guide, I became disappointed. Sure, I saw journals for books about the Bible or by Christian authors, but I didn't see anything that shouted "Pick me! I am the be all end all study guide that you're looking for." In truth, I really didn't see that many on the shelf at all.
I decided to search for Bible study guides, again discouraging news. The first results were chapter study guides, Ephesians, Mark, Galatians, the Corintians, soon I came to realize that in order to really study the Bible, the way I want to, I'll have to go broke. By this time, my Dad and I headed off to dinner so I didn't get to finish my Bible Study Guide search What's funny though is that I told him about my new quest. He was reall understanding and offered to take me to the Christian bookstore at the other end of the mall. I told him that I'd just keep searching online before I made a commitment. but it was really encouraging to hear.
My dad has always been the more quite one about faith. Over the last few months he's been trying to go to church and I found out the he had bought a Bible study guide himself. He's started the guide, but is fed up with the author's arrogance. The book is more a reactionary book or like a journal than it is reflectionary or a book about the author's ideas and views. The guide my father uses wants you to make your own conclusions. This is irritating to my father. He wants a study guide that will tell him what the answers and context are, so that he can agree or disagree with what the author is saying.
As for me, I haven't decided what I want from my study guide. As a lit major, I like deciphering the bible with given parameters and context, but at the same time I want what my father wants. I want someone to tell me what they think so I can agree or disagree with their opinion. I'm trapped in a conundrum because I can't have both in a study guide. If you know of one please tell me, but I just refuse to think they exist otherwise it would be the size of the Bible itself.
I know that you're probably going to say that all I really want is someone to personally study with, use the guide with the journaling and make the Christian connection with someone. It truly isn't a bad idea. I do miss the shared bond that I experienced in college when I went to Bible study, but I just don't have the resources, unless my dad decides to go with me. It would be an awesome opportunity for use to enhance our relationship as well as our relationship with Christ, but I just don't know where to look for a place we'd fit in. I like the Evangelical style of study to some extent, but I know my dad will never escape his Methodist cacoon. He refuses Evangelical anything. So what is a girl to do?
I don't want us to miss our chance to grow together and grow in Christ, but how do we find a happy balance? Why aren't study guides more easy to pinpoint? I feel like I'm somewhat cursed when it comes to Bible study. I can't find the guide I want. My family can't find the guidence it wants and we can't grow together because of our feelings towards different denominations.
Do you have any advice? What are some of the study guides you've found helpful?
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- From: Graceful_Timber
- Name: Kaelin
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Comments (11)
Well of course you could go to amazon.com and pick up a copy of Ask James One by Lance Ponder. I happen to be the author. LOL. Okay, sorry for the self promotion, but I do have some basic advice for you. First of all, it is important to study the bible in context. That means you don't just pick out verses you like and ignore the context of the passage. A lot of people do this and it leads them to some very bogus conclusions that are not what the bible means at all. As to the subject of context, aside from the context of a given passage, there's also historical, literary, and cultural context to consider. If you're going to focus on the New Testament then the historical time frame is pretty brief. Even so, having at least a basic grasp of the history of Israel will be very helpful. If you're going to do any serious study in the Old Testament then getting the basic flow of history down is a must. Pretty basic, really. Here's the history of God's people in a nutshell...
Creation
Flood
Abraham-Isaac-Jacob-Joseph-Egypt
Moses & Exodus (ca. 1400 BC)
Judges (Joshua, Judges; ca 1400-1050 BC)
Kings: Saul-David-Solomon; 1050-920 BC
First temple built by Solomon (10th century BC)
Divided kingdoms after Solomon dies and First Temple built.
Assyria defeats Northern Kindom (Israel) about 722 BC. 1st Exile.
Babyon conquers Assyria 612 BC, then conquers So. Kingdom (Judah) 609-586 BC. 2nd Exile
Temple destroyed ca 586 BC.
Persia defeats Babylon ca 539 BC.
Jews begin returning ca 515 BC, but never again have a truly sovereign nation (until 1948).
Second temple built ca 455 BC.
Alexander's Greek Conquest 333-322 BC.
Greeks dominate until Julius Caesar in mid first century BC, then Roman rule until Christ.
Jesus Christ ca 3 BC - 33 AD.
After Jesus, Romans destroy the second temple 70 AD.
Church Age: Content of NT established by the end of the first century, codified by councils by late 2nd or early 3rd century. Constantine recognizes Christianity in 4th century, establishes papacy and domination of orthodoxy in Roman Empire. Roman empire falls by about 500 AD. Coptic church most powerful until Muslims conquer arab regions including Egypt in 7th-8th centuries. After that Christianity centered in Europe and western asia. Reformation in 1500s with establishment of Protestantism, Martin Luther, and "common language" bibles by Tyndale, King James, and such. Missionary and Evangelical movements dominate late church history.
Of course the Bible only goes up to the late first century, but you get the idea.
Perhaps the most practical suggestion, and the approach I took in my book and which has transformed my spiritual journey and my biblical education, is when I learned how to ask questions of what I read then search scripture to find answers to those questions. You don't need my book to do this, of course. Anyone can. When I learned I could get answers, and learned to accept the answers I didn't like along with those I did, my faith grew by leaps and bounds as did my overall knowledge and spiritual wisdom. It isn't the having of answers which matters, its knowing the source of answers and having trust in that source. That is what will transform your life.
God bless you, and may you be blessed in your quest.
John Wesley said, "Give me that Book...Let me be a man of one Book," and Wesley was a founder of methodism. Don't forget that if you are Christ's you have the Holy Spirit, and therefore, you can go straight to that one Book and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and to lead you into all truth. Yes, pastors and teachers are gifts to God's church to lead and instruct us, but we cannot neglect to go individually to God and meet with Him in His Word. Jesus said that those who are His disciples will abide in His Word. Christianity is about gathering a body of truth, but more importantly, it is about coming to know more intimately the One who is the way, the truth and the life.
Try this out:
http://www.catholiccompany.com/catholic-books/1001916/Ignatius-Catholic-Study-Bible-Complete-Set/
Those who ask I always tell not to rely on just one version of scriptures. That also applies to relying on commentary from just one source. Commentary is a lot like insurance in this regard. You put it all into just one and they are wrong you are pretty well and eternally screwed.
ABEbooks.com is without a doubt the cheapest place I have found to get good, quality books because yes, it will cost you a fortune.
I think I've posted on here before, but William Barclay's "New Daily Study Bible" is a commentary that I have found to be most useful to me.
Aside from that, my best, most honest and sincere advice is to simply start reading a good, understandable translation of the Bible (like NASB, NIV, NKJV etc).
It will be hard at first, but start with the OT. Read some in Genesis and Exodus so you can understand the history of Israel. Then read the historical books (Kings, Chronicles, etc); that will tell you a LOT about God's covenant and the Kingdom of Israel/Judah. IT will show you some of Israels tendencies.... which I think are useful. Move on, then, to the Major and Minor Prophets. After about 6 or 7 months of hardcore reading in those books, you'll be ready to move into the NT and "dig deeper" into those texts.
Of course, you'll spend you're entire life going through the OT/NT trying to prune your understanding.... but don't waste to much time on reading other mens opinions of the Bible.... make your own.
"As for me, I haven't decided what I want from my study guide. As a lit
major, I like deciphering the bible with given parameters and context,
but at the same time I want what my father wants. I want someone to
tell me what they think so I can agree or disagree with their opinion."
It'd be better to find commentary/study tools that simply examine the context of the scripture instead of ones that form opinions and interpretations regarding the scripture. A good study tool will reveal original words and meanings (etymology) and provide helpful cultural and literary context. Formulating your own thoughts and interpretations of scripture is okay but it's better to actually figure out what it really is communicating. Don't look for what you want. Look for what you need.
How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth by Fee and Stuart is a helpful read.
Key Word Study Bible is nice too.
There are a lot of resources out there and becoming acquainted with them just takes time. I get overwhelmed by it all quite often as well. Don't worry so much about Methodist vs. Evangelical materials, it'll bog you down.
Scott Hahn is a great authority on Scripture. He has study guides for the Gospels and has written many other great works that explain Scripture.
"A Father Who Keeps His Promises" is like walking on the Road to Emmaus with Jesus. In this book Hahn explains the meaning of the Bible as God's Plan of Salvation.
Beware! Hahn is Catholic and his works have received the nihil obstat rating from a Bishop. That means all his works do not contain any unorthodox teachings.
Hahn is an author you can trust.
Just find one you like.
Looking for study guides on cd-roms - space limited.
honestly, i'm not a fan. because 1, it's inevitable that at some point you'll get off track and behind schedule, and in my experience this kind of structured setting is really good at making you disappointed in yourself for not keeping up with the level of involvement you'd committed to at the beginning. we should be reading to learn and understand, not to check something off or to catch up to our schedules, and regardless of how well you start out, this kind of plan is too structured (at least for me) to work out well. if you thrive under more structured conditions, perhaps it'd be different for you, i don't know.
2, when you study under someone, whether it's under direct teaching or bible studies or however you do it, it's important to remember that you are usually not studying the bible directly, but a certain person's understanding of it. there are many different understandings of the bible, and i think it can be detrimental to just pick up a bible study and accept everything it says as truth without understanding first where the author's coming from, what background he or she has, what school of thought, etc. i think it's important to test it out first, flip around and see what they have to say about different issues, and see how much credibility you can give them and whether or not you agree with them. and i do think it can be really valuable to study under people with very different perspectives, but you should do it with your eyes open and the realization that no one is unbiased.Why even waste UR fukin' time on such drivell?????????