filling a vacuum

Noumenon

Hello everyone.

Since I've faded I've felt at rather a loss for filling the vacuum of personal study. I've been working on my own bible reading and study schedule. At the moment I'm reading a chapter a day (not much I know) from Romans right thru to Revelation, and a story a day from the Greatest Man book (I really like this publication as I feel it is helping me just focus more on Jesus and helps to de-emphasis the closeness to a man-made organisation). It's not much but about all I can handle right now.

Can anyone recommend a good reading/study program for someone in my shoes?

Thanks

expatbrit

gumby

Can anyone recommend a good reading/study program for someone in my shoes?

From a biblical perspective I would recommend the bible itself and see what you make out of it.

Before I would do that I would read books about the sceptical side of the bible and WHY the sceptics feels the way he does.There are many such as "the bible unearthed", The Jesus Mysteries, and many others. If you read books about the bible from men that has his own intepretation of it in books.....thats what you will get is interpretation.

When you read the sceptical side you will see documentation of facts which is far better than interpretation of what a book means.

Gumby

NewLight2

Try using the following outline in your Bible Study program.

It can be applied to any verse, any chapter or to study a whole book at a time.

NewLight2

"Inductive Bible study doesnt tell you what the Bible means or what you should believe. Instead, it teaches you a method of studying Gods Word that can be applied to any portion of Scripture at any time for the rest of your life."
(p. 7 How to Study your Bible by Kay Arthur)

GETTING THE BIG PICTURE

Identify the type of literature:
Historical
Biographical
Poetic
Proverbial
Prophetic
Epistle - letter
Parable
A Gospel
Is it a combination?
What combinations?

THE 5 Ws AND AN H

The 5 Ws and an H:
Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How?

Answer as many questions as you can. (Not all will be in every passage.)

WHO?

1. Who wrote it?
2. Who said it?
3. Who are the major characters?
4. Who are the people mentioned?
5. To whom is the author speaking?
6. About whom is he (the author) speaking?

WHAT?

1. What are the main events ?
2. What are the major ideas?
3. What are the major teachings?
4. What are these people like?
5. What does he (the author) talk about the most?
6. What is his purpose in saying that? (Refer to #5)

WHEN?

1. When was the passage written?
2. When did the events in the passage take place?
3. When will it happen?
4. When did he (the author) say it?
5. When did the author do it?
6. When did the main characters of the passage do it?

WHERE?

1. Where was this done?
2. Where was this said?
3. Where will it happen?

WHY?

1. Why was there a need for this to be written?
2. Why was this mentioned?
3. Why was so much or so little space devoted to this particular event or
teaching?
4. Why was this reference mentioned?
5. Why should they do such and such?

HOW?

1. How is it done?
2. How did it happen?
3. How is this truth illustrated?

OBSERVATION IDENTIFY CONTEXT

1. What is the setting or background of the passage?
2. What things, events or people are obvious to see from reading this text?
3. What primary objective is observed through repeated emphasis?

DISCERN THE MAIN THEME

Key WORDS reveal the SUBJECTS - SUBJECTS reveal the THEME

1. List the key words found in the passage.
2. List the subjects discussed in the passage.
3. Write the main theme of the passage in your own words.
4. Write out the key verse(s) in this passage?
5. Discover the theme of each chapter.
6. Identify clearly defined segments.
Dates
Places
Topics
Doctrines
Reign of kings
Major characters
Major events

Bible Study Method taken from the book How to Study Your Bible
by Kay Arthur - founder of Precept Ministries
(c/r 1994 and published by Harvest House Publishers)

http://www.precept.org/newindex.html - Precept Ministries

Robotnomore

We have been reading the bible by itself since we left. It is amazing how much we missed by using the literature to explain it. Since we started reading it without their help, it has made real sense to us. Good luck in your research.

Newlight2,
Thanks for the study outline. It really looks like a good one. I am going to use it myself. Thanks for posting it.
Robotnomore

Prisca

I don't know how you feel about talking to other churches, but those I've come across often have some sort of Bible study program - either as individuals, or as a group. If you can find a good Christian bookshop, they will have study aids (you'll be surprised how much more information they provide than the WTS books do). Or at least, ask someone in the church or in the Christian bookshop what they recommend.

I know it might feel weird talking to someone who is a "Christian" (aka Babylon the Great) but you'll be surprised how much you'll have in common!

A Paduan

Have a look around outside

And, go and get involved in charity work - I've no doubt it'll help with your study.

Edited by - a paduan on 11 February 2003 1:28:4

Carmel

Try the Harvard Classics, O'Henry's Spoon River Anthology, Michneir's "The Source", Mark Lane's "Plausible Denial", "The Urantia Book", Egyptian Book of the Dead".

Call me when you're done. We'll talk theology.

caveman

filling a vacuum

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