Download discussion questions: 1john 1:3-2:2-multiple-purposes
In our first discussion we saw at least two reasons John had for writing his first letter:
As the passage continues, John expresses additional desires for his readers. Download the passage and see what those goals might be, and how John’s writing moves them (and us) toward those goals. Come for the conversation about this passage on Sunday morning.
Download discussion questions: 1 john 1:1-4 purpose
Table Talk: Describe a time when you felt particularly close to the Lord. How would that experience have been different if He had been physically present?
[“Table Talk” is an opening question or topic for discussion at the beginning of our time together. The intent is to help group members (around tables, with four to six at each table) build connections with each other, as well as to guide thinking in a direction related to the passage.]
John’s letters are only a part, even the smallest part, of his contributions to the New Testament. Our first exploration of 1 John began with a discussion of how those letters relate to the Gospel he wrote and the Revelation given to him. What are our general impressions of all those books? What can we infer about the relationship of very different works by the same author? (As I mentioned in the group, our study assumes that the Apostle John was the author of the Gospel, the letters, and Revelation. For more information about the date, authorship, etc., see The Letters of John – A Brief Introduction.) Continue reading
The letters (or “epistles”) of John are different from most of the other letters included in the canon of the New Testament. These letters lack the typical introduction that opens other New Testament letters which followed the common practice of the time: Continue reading
The beginning of a new Bible study is an exciting prospect. Maybe it is a book of the Bible you have studied in detail before. Maybe it is a part of the Bible you have never read. Most likely the letters of John are somewhere between those two extremes for most of us. Either way, the richness and depth of the very word of God promises to reward the efforts of a fresh study. If Scripture is the self-revelation of an infinite creator God, then we always have the opportunity to learn more and draw closer to Him through the text of the Bible. Continue reading
If you have been a part of previous inductive Bible studies with me (either by attending or by following the blog from the group), I wanted to invite you to another study group. If you don’t fall into either category, you are receiving this just because I thought you might be interested.
Starting on September 11 at South Fellowship we will be exploring the letters of the Apostle John. The group will meet at 10:45 on Sunday mornings, and I hope to post a blog entry each week after the discussion, d.v. Continue reading
This group will start on September 11, 2016. Look for blog entries soon after!
Our group had two primary objectives. We wanted to learn from the Gospel account that John wrote, and, in the process, we wanted to focus on the methodical inductive study of his text.
My experience with Bible-study groups has taught me that there are at least two very different approaches (and certainly more). Groups that approach the study with the attitude of “Let’s get together and tell each other what we know about the Bible” are sometimes useful, often unproductive, and occasionally dangerous. There is always a useful benefit in talking about Scripture – God’s Word never returns void or empty. But since those kinds of discussions tend to be rambling and unfocused, they often are not very productive, discussing a wide range of ideas without much depth. The potential danger comes in misunderstandings or distortions or even intentional twisting of isolated proof texts into “hearsay impressions” that lead away from the actual meaning of the original author. Continue reading
May 27, 2016 1 Corinthians 12:27 – 14:1
Please note that this will be the last entry in this blog for an indeterminate length of time. Due to other personal responsibilities, I will be unable to attend the discussion group that stimulates this blog. The group will continue and I hope you will join them. I look forward to my opportunity to return.
In addition to studying Paul’s letters to churches, another goal of our discussion group has been to sharpen skills for serious study of the Bible. The framework for the study has been the inductive method of Observation, Interpretation, and Application (What does it say? What does it mean? What does it mean to me?). Part of that process that we had not yet discussed was the selection of a passage. As you being your study (in your personal quiet time or to lead a group), do you look at a verse or two? Do you take several chapters? How do you know how much to include in a study? Continue reading
Two obstacles (at least) confront an inductive study of this passage. First, the passage is (for many Christians) relatively familiar. Sermons or books or Sunday School classes have provided some understanding (or at least “hearsay impressions”) of how spiritual gifts fit into the life of a church. Familiarity often (maybe not always) makes inductive study more difficult. If we already know what the passage says (or think we do) we focus on those truths and may miss new insights from the text. The second obstacle is the popularity of the topic. Most people are very interested in spiritual gifts, and their focus is naturally drawn to the list of gifts, what the gifts are, how they are exercised, etc. Once again we might miss other details of the passage. How do we get past those potential obstacles? Continue reading
A hard night’s work, an early morning breakfast with the Lord Himself – what were the disciples expecting next? Probably not what happened with Peter. Awkward questions and self-conscious answers were made even more uncomfortable by their repetition. What was Jesus doing and how was Peter responding? Continue reading