“…the pastor’s practical purpose.”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews 13:20-25
Jump to beginning of Hebrews Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

Beginning with a Benediction

The passage conveniently breaks down into two brief paragraphs, v. 20-21 and v. 22-25.  The first part appeared to us as a prayer or benediction to the sermon, even concluding with “amen” at the end of verse 21.  We saw the second paragraph as more of a personal closing. Continue reading →

“Christianity is no longer an option; it’s a problem.”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews  13:7-19
Jump to beginning of Hebrews Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

The handout for this passage took on a different form.  You might notice that there are no verse numbers or paragraph breaks.  The intent is to look at the text itself to understand how the writer may have organized his thoughts. Continue reading →

“In His will is our peace.”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews 13:1-6
Jump to beginning of Hebrews Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

A Change in Tone

Imagine you are in the original audience, hearing this written sermon read aloud for the first time.  Would the sudden transition have been a bit jarring?

Our God is a consuming fire
Let love of the brethren continue.
Hebrews 12:29 – 13:1

Remember that the chapter divisions were not added until centuries later.  So the flow of the sermon should somehow make sense.  How does the beginning of chapter 13 follow what has been said before? Continue reading →

“closest proximity and infinite distance”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews 12:25-29
Jump to beginning of Hebrews Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

As with last week’s discussion, we began by asking questions about the passage.  The focus once again was on getting a list of questions without trying to answer any immediately.  Sometimes a later question can be considered that will shed helpful light on an earlier question.  That can be true in a group discussion or in your individual study.  Asking questions is the heart of effective inductive Bible study. Continue reading →

“life in front of God is really one incessant party”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews 12:25-29
Jump to beginning of Hebrews Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

Starting With Questions

We opened our discussion this week by making a list of questions anyone had after looking at the passage for ten minutes or so.  People in the group suggested several questions, and we intentionally delayed answering.  Not immediately trying to answer every question enables more questions to come out. Continue reading →

“Watch out for the Esau syndrome”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews 12:11-17
Jump to beginning of Hebrews Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

Individual or Corporate?

Our group immediately focused on verse 12, “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak….” Is the command intended for each of us to look to our own weaknesses?  The “therefore” that begins this section connects this and following commands to the previous section about discipline, that is, training. Is the pastor emphasizing our personal discipline? Or are we involved in the strengthening dimensions of one another’s discipline? Continue reading →

“We must not be surprised if we are in for a rough time.”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews 11:39-12:13
Jump to beginning of Hebrews Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

A Developing Theme

A good beginning observation for an inductive study of a passage is repetition.  What ideas did the writer keep coming back to?  In this passage the pastor mentions “endurance” four times (v. 1,2,3,7). “Discipline” occurs nine times (v.5,6, twice in 7,8,9, twice in 10,11).  The writer explicitly connects the two terms in verse 7:  “It is for discipline that you endure.” Continue reading →

“not a sprint but a marathon”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews 12:1-3
Jump to beginning of Hebrews Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

Examples

Our discussion of the passage began with the questions, “Why did the pastor devote over 10% of the written sermon to record examples of faith?  How does that list lead to the ‘therefore’ in Hebrews 12:1?”  The group contributed several helpful suggestions. Continue reading →

“our perspective on faith is not the view of the writer to the Hebrews”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews 11:30-40
Jump to beginning of Hebrews Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

A Shocking Contrast

The first person to open our discussion commented on the abrupt, even unexpected contrast in verse 35.

“Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured.”

All of chapter 11 so far has been one encouraging example after another of the “heroes of the faith.”  Then the writer sums up with a brief list of names well known in Jewish history.  But then, as one group member commented, he takes a sudden ninety-degree turn, a complete change of direction into increasingly disturbing descriptions of torture and suffering. Continue reading →

“God had repeatedly answered the flimsy objections that Moses raised”

Download discussion questions:  Hebrews 11:23-31
Jump to beginning of Hebrews Discussion Group Blog

I encourage you to look at the passage in Hebrews before you read this Blog entry.  What do you see in the text yourself?  What questions come to your mind?  How would you interpret what the writer says?  After even a few minutes examining and thinking about the text you will be much better prepared to evaluate the comments in the Blog.

“What Should I Say?”

Before our discussion of the passage in Hebrews 11 began, one member of our group shared from some of his recent reading.  The author was responding to a friend confiding a difficulty.  The passage finished with the question by the writer, “What should I say?”  The response was surprising. Continue reading →