Wannabe Disciples
Small Group Bible Studies
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
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I'm so excited to have you join me for this Lay Servant Ministry course being offered through the Susquehanna Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. I am the BIGGEST Bible nerd! I cannot imagine a better day than to dive into Scripture and to engage with God, who loves us so much!
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Each week we will come together via Zoom to consider the importance of studying Scripture and how we can effectively share the meaning of the Bible with others. There will be required reading each week and an opportunity to put your learning to practice.
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The required text for this course is Teaching Biblical Faith: Leading Small Group Bible Studies by Jack L. Seymour. Abingdon Press, 2015.
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Attendance and participation are required to successfully complete the course. If you must miss one of the Zoom sessions, please contact me as soon as you are aware, so we can schedule a brief one-on-one review of the material after you have watched the recorded Zoom session.
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We will meet on Thursday evenings (January 30, February 6, 13, 20, 27) from 6:30p-8:30p.
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Session 1: Bible Study Is Important
Focus of Session
This session explores the importance of biblical study in the life of the believer and the church. In this session, participants will consider key interpretations of the meaning and impact of Bible study drawing on our texts Teaching Biblical Faith and a study Bible.
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Assignments Before Class
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From the text Teaching Biblical Faith, read the introduction and chapters 1, 2, and 9
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Read 1 Peter 2:9-16 and the introduction to 1 Peter from a study Bible
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Additional Resources
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Article, "How We Got the Bible"
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Article, "The Authority of Scripture"
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Article, "Our Christian Beliefs: The Bible"
Session 2: How to Study the Bible
Focus of Session
Historical Bible study (often called "exegesis" based on the Greek word for "interpretation") is the primary way biblical scholars, pastors, and students of the Bible seek to understand what a biblical text meant in the time it was written. In today’s session, participants will learn about this method of study and use it to analyze a passage from Luke 4, when Jesus first preached in his hometown.
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Assignments Before Class
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Read ch3 of Teaching Biblical Faith
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Read Luke 4:14-30 and the introduction to Luke from a study Bible
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Using the guide on pages 23-25 of Teaching Biblical Faith, study the Luke text.
Additional Resources
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Article, "Guidelines for Reading the Bible"
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chapters 4-6 of Teaching Biblical Faith
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Ap​pendices, "Guide to Bible Study" & "Notes on a Historical Study of Luke 4:14-30"
Session 3: I Am a Bible Teacher
Focus of Session
In this session, class participants will focus on how to be a good teacher and leader. First and foremost, good teaching focuses on the process of learning and who is being taught. This requires teachers to ask themselves whom they are teaching, what content they want to teach, and what process they will use to accomplish these goals. In this session, participants will learn more about creating lesson plans and tips on how to lead a Bible study.
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Assignments Before Class
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Read chapters 13 and 14 from Teaching Biblical Faith
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Re-read Luke 4:14-30
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Complete a lesson plan using your prior study of the Luke text using the guide on pp. 93-94
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Additional Resources
Session 4: Praying the Scriptures
Focus of Session
In this session, participants will focus on one specific approach to teaching the Bible called “Praying the Scriptures.” Participants will each create a lesson plan using this approach. Each group will meet together and go through a Bible study, providing feedback to the group leader. This will provide participants with vital experience in moving from studying a text alone to preparing a lesson plan to teaching their own group and evaluating that lesson.
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Assignments Before Class
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Read ch 7, 8, and 9 of Teaching Biblical Faith
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Using the historical study approach, read and study either
​Luke 9:1-6​
Luke 10:1-16
Matthew 9:35-10:15
Session 5: Bible Study for Congregational Decision-Making
Focus of Session
During this session, participants will focus on leading Bible studies for congregational decision-making, also known as the “see-judge-act” model of Bible study. Once again, all participants will create a lesson plan and then one member will lead their small group using the lesson plan he or she created before receiving feedback from the group. This will allow participants to gain further experience in leading and critiquing a Bible study
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Assignments Before Class
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Read ch 10 and 11 from Teaching Biblical Faith
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Using the historical study approach, study either
Matthew 11:2-6​
Luke 7:18-36
General Information
Why Bible Study?
Bible study is a channel through which we experience God's presence and God's love, mercy, and grace. As United Methodists, we believe Bible study is a means of grace. It is a spiritual practice. We treat Bible study as a spiritual discipline that encourages us to grow as disciples.
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Questions
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How do you use the Bible to guide your life?
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What thoughts come to your mind when you hear the Bible referred to as the Word of God?
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What does it mean to you that Bible sudy is a means of grace?
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Through our Bible study, especially when we study together as a group, we come to know who God is and what it means to be the People of God. It is a spiritual journey experience.
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All languages come with the expectation of interpretation. One's language is the invitation to communicate in symbols, both spoken and written. What helps us with biblical interpretation is putting words, narratives, and discourses into context. By putting Bible passages into context we are able to draw the spiritual message out of the passage.
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One helpful example is to discover that Paul's letters to the church at Thessalonica were written to new Christians who were troubled by disappointments, fears, and misunderstandings regarding the return of Jesus. Likewise, it is helpful to know that Paul's letters to the church at Corinth concern the complicated relationships within the church and with Paul.
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Question
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If a Gospel is written for Jewish people or if it is written for Gentile Christians, would the Gospel focus on different issues or perspectives?
Words That Will Be Helpful to Know
Apocrypha (uh-POK-rah-fuh)
The writings that are not included in the Protestant Bible, but describe the 400-year biblical history between Malachi and Matthew; from the Greek word meaning "hidden books"
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Aramaic (air-ruh-MAY-ick)
Originally the lanugage of the Persians who brought their language to the Holy Land about 500 years before Jesus was born; it became the language of the traders; parts of Daniel, Ezra, and Jeremiah in our Old Testament were written in Aramaic; Jesus spoke Aramaic because by that time it was the common language of the people; many Jewish scholars were able to read ancient Hebrew but few spoke it; even though the New Testament was written in Greek, there are still Aramaic words and phrases (see Mark 5:41; Mark 7:34; Mark 14:36)
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Biblia
The Greek word for "books"; there are 66 books in our Bible; there are 14 more in the Apocrypha
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Canon
The standard (approved) list of books accepted as Scriture; from the Greek word kanon, meaning a rod used to measure; Paul uses the Greek word kanon in Galatians 6:16
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Covenant
The agreement (relationship) between two partners that is sealed with an oath or a symbolic action; in the biblical sense, coveannt is the sacred agreement between God and God's people
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Noahic Covenant - Genesis 9:8-17
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Abrahamic Covenant - Genesis 15:9-21; 17
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Mosaic Covenant - Exodus 19-24
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Davidic Covenant - 2 Samuel 7:5-16
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New Covenant - Jeremiah 31:31-34
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Exegesis (ex-uh-GEE-sis)
The process of biblical interpretation of passages by reading out of the text to discover the meaning and understanding of what the text means; from the Greek word that means "to lead out, interpret"
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Hebrew
the language of the Israelite people; most of the Old Testament is written in Hebrew; the Hebrew alphabet contained 22 consonants and no vowels; it is read from right ot left, so the Book of Genesis, called "In the Beginning" in Hebrew, would start on the last page of the Hebrew Scriptures; often used for prayer and worshp in the synagogues during Jesus' time; YHWH, the name of God, is written as Yahweh so we can pronounce it and read it more easily, however in Hebrew, it is written as YHWH
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Hermeneutics (her-muh-NOO-ticks)
From the Greek word meaning "to explain or to interpret"; the general practice or discipline of biblical interpretation governing exegesis; the way you come to the Scriptures: open, seeking, listening, etc.
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Infallible
Means that the Bible in incapble of errors
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Inerrancy
Means taht the Bible is free from errors or contradictions
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Interpretation
The process of a verbal or written expression of a reader's understanding of the meaning of what the author has written
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Judaism (joo-DAY-izm or JOO-day-izm)
The religion and beliefs of God's people in Old Testatment times, including Jesus of Nazareth
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Lectionary (lek-SHUH-nair-ree)
A list or book of portions of the Bible appointed to be read at a church service
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Literary Genre (ZHAHN-ruh)
The literary form (style) being used by the author, such as narrative (story), poem, prayer, song, letter, or apocaytpic literature (hidden message)
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Papyrus
Our word for paper comes from this word; before the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids, they made paper from the innter stalks of the papyrus reeds found in the marshy areas of the Nile River
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Paraphrase
Usually used to refer to when one scholar rewrites or rewords the Bible in a modern language
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Pericope (puh-RICK-a-pee)
A self-contained story or section of Scripture from which sermons and Bible studies are often developed; from the Greek word meaning "section"
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Scrolls
Made from the skins of sheep, goats, and antelopes; the process included being dried, scraped, cleaned, and stretched, then beaten and sewn together to make long scrolls; scrolls were developed in Palestine as a result of the conflict between Egypt and Palestine during Old Testament times. Egypt (controlled by the Ptolemies after Alexander the Great died) would not share the "papyrus to paper" process with Palestine (controlled by the Seleucids).
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Torah (TOH-rah)
The first five books in the Old Testatment; God's instructions for right living
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Translation
What is produced when a gorup of scholars translate the Bible from manuscripts of its original languages: Hebrews, Aramaic, and Greek
English Translations
None of the Bible was originally written in English, so the Bibles we use today have been translated from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages.
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Contrary to popular belief, the King James Version was not the first English translation. Here is a short list of Bibles and the eyars they were translated into English.
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1384 - The Wycliffe Bible by John Wycliffe, an Oxford scholar and theologian
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1516 - The Tyndale Bible by Williams Tyndale, an Oxford scholar who studied at Cambridge
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1535 - The Coverdale Bible by Myles Coverdale, a Cambridge scholar
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1537 - The Matthew Bible by Thomas Matthew, the pen anem of John Rogers (a co-worker of Tyndale)
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1539 - The Great Bible ordered by King Edward VI; the first "authorized" English Bible for the Church of England (used large - 9"x15" paper)
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1560 - The Geneva Bible, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I; used by the Puritans and Pilgrims, John Buynan, Shakespeare, and even King James I
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1568 - The Bishop's Bible translated by a group of English bishops; the second "authorized" English Bible for the Church of England
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1611 - The King James Bible translated by a group of 54 scholars appointed by King James I; its official name is "The Authorized Version". Much of the wording of the KJV reflects the language of earlier English bibles; the third "authorized" English Bible by a king for the Church of England.
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Of course, there are any number of English translations of the Bible available today. If you'd like some help sifting through all the options and what you may want to consider watching this 20-minute video I created in December 2022 for those preparing to read through the Bible devotionally during the next year (keep that context in mind!).
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Resources
There are multiple extrabiblical resources that provide information useful in interpreting Scripture.
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Bible Dictionary
Provides a definition and research for key words, people, places, and things found in the Bible
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Bible Atlas
Contains maps of Bible lands at various times in history
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Bible Commentary
Describs the context of the passage, the background, the people, and the words
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Bible Concordance
Allows the reader to find passages by looking up a key word
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There are many online Bible study sites that include the resources listed below, which can be helpful when you're on the move or if you don't have the budget to buy expensive texts or services. The list below should not be viewed as an endorsement but as possible options when used with discretion.
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Approaching the Bible Passage
Some questions that may help putting the Bible passage in perspective.
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What is the context of the Bible passage?
While you may be focusing on a smaller passage, explore what is happening just before the passage and immediately following the passage. This is especially important when working with narrative passages (stories in either the Old Testament or the New Testament). What is happening, who is involved in the story, where is it taking place, and what happens after the verses you are studying? What might have been the message to the original audience?
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Who are the main characters?
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What is the central teaching or message of the passage?
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What is the meaning of the passage that emerges for today's church?
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What does the passage mean to you?