Category: Bible

Daily Bible Study Form

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In order to get the most out of personal Bible study, try using a form like this one, a Chapter A Day / Verse A Day. Read a whole chapter but focus on one verse in this chapter that really speaks to you today:

Chapter Study Form

God wants the Word of Christ to richly dwell in us (Colossians 3:16) and his Word change our lives. Many times we don’t know where to begin… start in Genesis? Matthew? John? Revelation? Some say to read for content, doctrine, or instruction and rules, while others say to read the Bible devotionally. With this method you can study the Bible for APPLICATION. The emphasis is on what the Bible says, and also on what God is saying to YOU.

Where to start? How about in the gospels in order to meet Jesus fresh each day at the very beginning? John, Mark, Luke, then Matthew. You can mix up your chapters by reading from the Old Testament some weeks and then back to the New Testament.

This is not about checking off these chapters in your “read the Bible through in a year” plan, it is about seeking the God of the Bible. The idea is to meet with God daily (Luke 9:23).

This is an adaptation of CAD/VAD, 1989, College Park Ministries, Carmel IN

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How is the Bible God’s Word?

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How does one convince a nonbeliever that the Bible is the Word of God?

Before I try to answer that question directly, let me make a distinction that is important at the outset. There’s a difference between objective proof and the persuasion or conviction that follows. John Calvin argued that the Bible carries both persuasion and conviction in terms of its internal testimony—the marks of truth that could be found just by an examination of the book itself—as well as external evidences that would corroborate that substantial evidence to give solid proof for its being the Word of God.

Yet the last thing people would want is a book telling them they are in desperate need of repentance and of a changed life and of bowing in humility before Christ. We don’t want that book to be the truth. Calvin claimed that there is a tremendous bias and prejudice built into the human heart that only the influence of God the Holy Spirit can overcome. Calvin distinguished between what he called the undicia—those objective evidences for the trustworthiness of Scripture—and what he called the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit, which is necessary to cause us to surrender to the evidence and acknowledge that it is the Word of God.

But I think this is a critical issue upon which so much of the Christian faith depends. The Bible makes the claim that it is the unvarnished Word of God, that it is the truth of God, that it comes from him. God is its ultimate author and source, though indeed he used human authors to communicate that message.

In speaking with people about this, we have to go through the laborious process of showing first of all that the Bible as a collection of historical documents is basically reliable. The same tests that we would apply to Herodotus or Suetonius or any other ancient historian would have to be applied to the biblical records. The Christian should not be afraid to apply those kinds of historical standards of credibility to the Scriptures, because they have withstood a tremendous amount of criticism from that standpoint, and their credibility remains intact.

On the basis of that, we come to an idea. If the book is basically reliable, it doesn’t have to be inerrent or infallible; it gives us a basically reliable portrait of Jesus of Nazareth and what he taught.

We move from there in linear fashion. If we can on the basis of general reliability come to the conclusion that Jesus Christ did the things that history claims he did, it would indicate that Jesus is more than an ordinary human being and that his testimony would be compelling.

I would move first to a study of the person of Jesus and then ask the question, what did Jesus teach about Scripture? For me, in the final analysis, our doctrine of Scripture is drawn from the teaching of Jesus and from our understanding of who he is.

From That’s a Good Question! Copyright © 1996 by R. C. Sproul.

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How Old Will We Be in Heaven?

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I received an interesting note on the back of one of our Connection Cards this month:

Out of a discussion in our Sunday School lesson, when a person dies and their soul goes to heaven (whether as a baby, teenagers or senior adult) how do they all worship God and relate to each other? How is a soul of a baby different from a soul of an adult? How would they relate or communicate?

I thought this question might have something to do with our ages in heaven, so I decided to check out Billie Todd’s book called, What About Heaven. I found only a reference on page 43-44 stating that “when our spirit leaves our body it seems that our identity and our basic personality will be the same.” She goes on to say that “there will be a joyful innocence and we will have a new clarity of spiritual understanding. In heaven we will be the essence of ourselves; except, with sin removed, we will be like Christ.” On page 48 she re-emphasizes that “our personalities will still be the same, without the sin nature.”

So, I did not find this too helpful in the proposed question. Maybe Billie will include this new content in revisions of her book.

I have discovered that the Bible does not specifically answer the question about age in heaven. Will babies and children who die still be babies or children in Heaven? What about elderly people who die–do they remain elderly in heaven? Some have guessed that babies are given a resurrection body (1 Corinthians 15:35-49) that is “fast-forwarded” to the “ideal age,” just as those who die at an old age are “re-wound” to the ideal age. This would indicate that there won’t be any children or elderly people in heaven.

Makes sense to me because when I think about Adam and Eve in the Garden, I picture them at age 20-something, not as children, teenagers or as old people.

What is the ideal age? Some believe it to be around 30; mature yet not worn out. Some guess 33 since that is approximately the age of Jesus when He died. First John 3:2 declares, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

So, after thinking about it, THAT is exactly what Billie Todd wrote about. Our ideal selves, at an ideal age; babies become who they were meant to be and older people are transformed into themselves at their best.

One thing is for certain. Whatever age we appear to be, we will be gloriously perfect. Our entire person will be remade flawless, wholly and completely Christ-like. We will lose all trace of human fallenness, wearing the white robes of purity, holiness and absolute perfection. So whatever age we are, it will be the age of complete and total perfection.

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Properly Interpreting Scripture

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It is no secret that many people interpret Scripture in a way that is totally off base. We wonder how they come to that conclusion, especially when the come back is “What does the Bible say?” We are forced to admit that indeed the Bible may SAY that, but THAT is not what it means. No wonder Christianity is so confusing to those on the outside.

The Bible must be read, understood, interpreted and then it’s teachings applied. The first stop here is an understanding of the type and genre of the passage you are reading.

When interpreting HISTORICAL NARRATIVE, these are some principles to keep in mind:

  1. Context and intent are key.
  2. Characters are not always heroes; authors are not always intending to present moral lessons.
  3. God is the ultimate character of Scripture, and He is active in the lives of real people and in the events of history.
  4. Scripture interprets Scripture.
  5. Historical narrative describes, not prescribes.
  6. Example: Genesis 30:1-6

When interpreting WISDOM LITERATURE, these are some principles to keep in mind:

  1. Proverbs are general truths that are not to be interpreted as true all the time in every situation.
  2. Wisdom literature incorporates poetry and figurative language.
  3. Negative illustrations teach just as much as positive ones.
  4. The psalms should be interpreted within their categories and subheadings.
  5. God is involved even in the nitty-gritty of everyday life.
  6. Example: Proverbs 22:6, 26:4-5, 3:1-3 (balanced with Acts 7:54-60)

When interpreting PROPHECY, these are some principles to keep in mind:

  1. Seek to discover the original message of the prophet in his immediate context.
  2. Expect figurative language.
  3. Be aware of themes in prophecy, such as a call to the covenant, to social justice, and for faithfulness from the remnant of God’s people.
  4. Do not assume that all prophecy has been fulfilled.
  5. Test modern-day prophesies against the truthfulness and coherency of Scripture.
  6. Example: Joel 2:28-32, Deuteronomy 13:1-5, 18:21-22

When interpreting LETTERS, these are some principles to keep in mind:

  1. Seek to discover who wrote the letter.
  2. Seek to discover to whom it was written and why.
  3. Investigate the historical context of the audience of the letter.
  4. Consider the structure, sections, main points, and themes of the letter.
  5. Determine whether the passage is culturally mandated. If so, seek to understand the principles behind the passage, and apply them to your own circumstances.
  6. Example: Galatians 1:1-7, 1 Corinthians 11:6

The great thing is that Jesus does not leave us alone to interpret Scripture for and by ourselves, Luke 24:27 is quite an encouragement. He escorts us along the journey and shows us how to properly interpret the Bible.

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Devotional Study Form

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In order to get the most out of personal Bible study, try using a form like this one:Devotional Study Form

This form comes from Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods, chapter 1, pp.33-47.

Reading the above is like a flashback from the old Masterlife days; very similar…

  1. Perimeter the Verse – what is before or after the verse.
  2. Paraphrase the Verse – into your own words.
  3. Pulverize the Verse – emphasize each word by exclamation.
  4. Personalize the Verse – what is the significance to you?
  5. Pray the Verse Back to God – lift his own Word to him.
  6. Parallel Verses – other passages on a similar theme.
  7. Problems in the Verse – what needs resolution in your mind and heart?
  8. Possibilities of Helping Others in the Verse – actions to consider.
  9. Protracted Study – other notes, ideas, outlines, etc.

[ Masterlife I, Guide to Meditation, pp.195-196, Waylon Moore]

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