Gateway Introduction to Bible Study

Introduction to Bible Study

I. Principles of Bible StudyII. How do we read the Bible?

III. Overview of the BibleIV. Translations, Study Bibles

and Websites

Principles of Bible Study

1. No one person has a monopoly on understanding either God’s Word or the words of Scripture. This includes biblical scholars and the most unlearned Christian. All of us must listen to one another as we seek to understand the richness of God’s gift.

2. We must assume everyone has integrity and not accuse one another of being unchristian or unfaithful, no matter how unusual are the opinions.

3. We must also assume that we will arrive at different understandings of portions of Scripture and that that will not disturb God as much as it will disturb some of us.

4. Few of us will know Hebrew or Greek, and we therefore need to use a variety of English version to try to understand the text.

5. While we accept our differences, we do not feel that those differences are unimportant, or that they should be ignored or treated as if they did not matter.

6. Different biblical understandings can remain among us, but we can still be warm Christian friends. In fact, as we grow to better understand our differences, we can grow in our appreciation of one another.

How do we read the Bible?

United Methodists view the Bible as 1) inspired by God,

and 2) human and divine

– both in terms of the experiences it relates and the writing itself.

By “inspired” we mean that•the Bible is connected to God, and because of that connection, reading it has the power to bring about an encounter with God. •The authority of Scripture lies in its ability to bring about the encounter between God and the reader.

We also recognize that the Bible was written, edited, re-edited and

canonized (its contents were finalized) by

particular persons in particular circumstances.

Some of what we do when we study the Bible

is learn about those persons and

circumstances.

Overview of the Old & New Testaments

The Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) tells about the Hebrew people as God spoke in and through them and as they struggled to be God’s people.

The New Testament tells about God’s revelation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and about the people of faith we call the church.

The Bible is a library of 66 books. Written over a period of a thousand

years.

Old Testament collected and written between 1100 BC (Song of Deborah in Book of Judges) and

the Book of Daniel, 2nd C BC.

Hebrew Bible closed c. 100 AD.

The New Testament is an anthology of writings written and collected between 50 AD and 150 AD.

Which writings belonged in the official canon was debated for centuries, but most of the major writings were accepted by most Christians by the middle of the 3rd Century AD.

.

Old Testament/Hebrew Bible

Pentateuch (1st 5 books, Torah) Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

History Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings,

1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

Poetry/Wisdom Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon

ProphetsIsaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel

Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi

Old Testament TimelineThe big picture!

Smaller sections ahead…

1500-1200 BC 900 BC

TRANSLATIONSSTUDY BIBLES

WEBSITES

Common English Bible (CEB)So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service.

New International Version (NIV)Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Romans 12:1Helpful study translations of the Bible are:

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

The MessageSo here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering.

King James VersionI beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Fun to read, but less helpful for study purposes, are:

Two excellent study Bibles

www.biblegateway.comFind any Bible passage in any translation

www.bibletutor.comFrom Luther Seminary. Basic level is free.

www.textweek.comUse the Scripture Index to look up articles, commentaries, etc.