Bible Study

[aspen]

i admit it, i am utterly confused about what constitutes an affective Bible Study.

Here are several examples of Bible Studies i have experienced:

The Pep-Rally: we met once a week to read the Bible and encourage one another. what it looked like - the leader would read several verses and pause for discussion, which took the form of encouraging words about the Bible, Jesus, Gods plan for us, and a few examples of miraclous personal answers to prayer that somehow relate to the verses from the group members. followed by a few minutes spent revelling in the groups 'likemindedness'. this type of Bible Study discourages interpretation and encourages group think, which is interpreted as encouragement. satisfied members describe it as a uniquely Christian experience, which cannot occur outside Christian circles. Dissatisfied member describe it as anti-intellectual and reliant on jargon and cliches. A secular equivilant would be an AA group that spends the hour saying things like 'Easy does it!' and 'One day at a time!' and 'Keep coming back.....' and then declaring the meeting to be a unique experience that never happens outside AA, amongst 'normies'. several other Bible Study examples will follow and then my understanding of an effective Bible Study
ok so....here is another type: The History Lesson - this consists of the leader showcasing his arcane knowledge of names - the more obscure, the better - dates, and ancient cities. Relatives and brief relationships between relatives and how many generations lay between them and Jesus........one of the most boring of all Bible Studies - this one is not for children - you must have at least a rudimentry ability to fain interest.....i am much better at it, now that i have been forced to sit attentively through hour after hour of endless graduate lecturesn having nothing to do with passing on useful information, but rather, useful only for kissing up to professors who like to name drop and present paper they have authored.

 

[snr5557]

I totally get where you're coming from. At my old church we used to have Sunday School, which had always been my favorite part. I wouldn't say I was challenged by anything that was said, but it pointed out different parts of the Bible that I probably would not have read on my own. However, as I grew older the lessons were far too easy. The majority of the other students were younger, so the teacher would have to not really dig into the scripture. I would know the answer to the question before they even finished. After a while I was too old (thank God) to be in that class, but I was still considered too young to be put into the adult class. I basically had no where to go. So I do it on my own now, which honestly I should have done in the first place. I get so much more out of it.

 

[aspen]

next up, Demonology: members read parables and stories from the Bible about handling demon possession and sorcery - then share exorcism stories. Along the way, the devil is given extrodinary power by everyone present who lavish on him Godlike powers - all present, all powerful (accept of course God who holds him at bay from devouring us for ever) and the remarkable ability to mind read and engage in personal relationship with people! talk about blasphemous....yikes. if the devil was able to be all present he would certainly revel in the attention.
the last one is escatology, which always ends up trying to determine what time Jesus will appear tomorrow morning based on all the typical proficy verses mixed with conspiracies launch by liberals.

so why should i care, ask my friends? i care because all of these types of Bible Study are a distraction. none of the information helps to sanctify us, one bit. i think many people actually know this to be true and choose to engage in the activites anyway, perhaps they feel too vulnerable to talk about important things like love. Yes love. the only important questions about the figures in the Bible is how they loved and failed to love God perfectly. and how we are just like them. and then prayer for and with each other. Amen
yeah i have been in similar situations snr - glad you are leading your own Bible study - i wish i could attend.

 

[KingJ]

Aspen, what church / denomination are you?

 

[Suhar]

[SIZE=medium]Bible is not a destination. Bible is THE guide. It is like a treasure map. A lot of people spend their live studying every dot on the map and every wrinkle in the paper it was written on. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]But then. They never get out into the field and never, actually find time to look for treasure itself. This is what I see A LOT of. Christians study Bible and study Bible but they never get around to actually getting close with God![/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]I have heard many preachers saying that Bible is self-sufficient. There is no need for anything extra-biblical. “If you think that you heard something from God then you better check what you had for supper….” (Vernon McGee). Basically ridiculing any possibility of common man talking to God and experiencing God and His true presence.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Bible cannot describe God simply because it is written. Written in human language not matter what language it is. It is widely believed that when Paul was talking about somebody he knew who has been to heaven that he was talking about himself. Paul said that words to describe what he saw do not exist. If they do not exist then they cannot be written down. Then how can you learn what God is really like from reading?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]At the same time you can gather crowd of preachers from dozen of several denominations all with open Bibles. All pointing at passages proving that their own interpretation is the only one that is right. Over in that crowd you will find Mormon, Jehovah Withes and even a Satanist![/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Satan can quote from the Bible like nobody’s business. When he tempted the Christ he quoted from the Word of God. Demons believe and they tremble. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Entire cults and false doctrines came out of one mistranslated and misguided interpretation of one passage in the Bible. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Pride is a root of all sin. In pride people try to figure out God instead of experiecing God.
Without experiencing God we cannot even fully comprehend His word so Christianity turned into endless number of groups and denominations arguing endlessly about their own translations and understandings.[/SIZE]

 

[aspen]

Suhar - wow this is the second time I have agreed with you today.

KingJ - I am a Roman Catholic

 

[clark thompson]

I like having disscusions and having a teacher stand before the people teaching as well, I think they both have their place and need in the Christian walk,

 

[aspen]

Just once, I would like to sit in a Bible Study with Christians and have a conversation about how to deal with the pain of separation from God in a fallen world - how it was handled by various people recorded in the Bible and what life is like now that we are living in a renewed relationship with Christ and all the issues that affect us. It requires honesty and vulnerability and trust from everyone in the group - it requires us to drop all the falsity and neediness and attachment disorderness that we try to cover up. Actually, I think retreats have produced experiences like I am describing, so I know it is possible........I guess the only thing I want from the Bible is an example of how people have made their way through this life and to feel the kinship with the entire body of people who have known and loved God.

I understand how Jesus got frustrated about the Temple experience being packaged for the masses - it is demoralizing to seek out a meaningful Bible Study and instead, run into a group of surfacy people who are terrified, but spending copious amounts of energy putting on a brave front.....