OK, putting on your question-mark specs doesn’t cover the whole concept of biblical exegesis (“drawing the meaning from” a text) - that can take years - but it’s a good place to start.
We all ask questions as a normal part of talking to someone or discovering information, so it’s an easy way to start digging into a Bible passage. There aren’t any “wrong” questions to ask, but here are a few that might help - and they can be very simple indeed.
How do you read the Bible? Do you set aside some time each day? Find somewhere you can be quiet and think? Make sure the text is big enough to read clearly? (Vital in my case - and the great joy of e-readers!)
Whether you’re short-sighted like me, or have 20/20 vision, I think it helps to wear glasses to read the Bible. Five pairs of spectacles (if you can imagine those all perched on your nose):
All these help me to “correctly handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2 v 15) - and I hope they will help you too. That’s what this short series of blogs is all about.
So...are you ready to put your specs on?
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18
Peter Robinson under fire for backing Pastor James McConnell's Islamic remarks
Richard Dawkins: 'I am a secular Christian'
Christians offer safe houses to Muslim converts
Disclaimer: The Good Book Company is not responsible for the content of external sites and does not necessarily agree with the content of articles listed.
It's upon us again. That time when school, college and uni students are buried under a pile of revision and struggling with the stress of exams. Some are aiming for As, others hoping to scrape a pass. Some are burdened, others couldn't care less (indeed, we might wish they cared more!)
So how can we support them as they navigate the difficult weeks of revision and writing?
1. Pray
It's obvious, I know, but I forget all too often. Let's pray that they will concentrate well, write well and keep perspective well ... remembering both that it's great to give of their best this season but also that exam results have no bearing on their eternal destiny only their temporary career prospects.... continue reading
With heads in the Gospel of Mark, hearts overflowing with passion to see more and more people come to Christ and hands clutching the Portuguese translation of Christianity Explored, these were some of the exciting scenes in Angola earlier this month as the first wave of young leaders were shown how to lead a Christianity Explored course.
A recent evangelistic mission in the south-western African nation resulted in 3,000 people expressing either a decision to follow Christ or a desire to find out more. Now the task of meeting up with these people is beginning and we're hugely excited that the Christianity Explored material is going to be part of the process of showing who Jesus really is and why he came to earth... A bookshop in Luanda (the capital of Angola) will soon be stocking the material, a group of Bible-centred guys are getting to grips with their newly acquired leaders' guides and course invitations are being sent out in readiness for the activity to come.
Please do pray for a nation where so many need to hear the gospel. Please do pray for leaders like Anselmo, Emanuel and Dines who will be starting Christianity Explored courses in the coming weeks (the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few - Matthew 9:38). And please do pray for increasing fruit from the Portuguese translation - that those who use the material will see Jesus in the pages of Scripture and join with the centurion in saying "Surely this man was the Son of God" (Mark 15:39).
We've been getting terrific responses to our new outreach resource Discovering Jesus through Asian eyes. To support its practical use in churches, we're pleased to announce the first of a series of training events run by our partners at the South Asia Forum of the Evangelical Alliance.
The course takes place at the Evangelical Alliance in London on Thursday 12 June 9:30am-1pm, lunch is included and the cost is £10. For further information and to book click here.
And take a look at the resources themselves on our website here.
1. Live Deep. Live Free. Live Different.
Get the ebook version of any of our Live Different series for just £2 each.
2. Acts 29 Europe Deep Day Audio
Listen to the audio from Acts 29 Europe’s recent ‘Deep’ conference, ‘The Real Jonathan Edwards’.
3. 6 Principles for Youth Ministry
Jonathan Leeman at 9Marks shares 6 principles for youth ministry.
4. Quick Review: Jesus through Asian Eyes
Blog of Dan reviews our new outreach course, Discovering Jesus through Asian Eyes.
5. The End of Books
An interesting article about reading, and how reading is changing.
6. And finally...
In case you missed it, our video of the week, ‘The World We All Want trailer. What’s your idea of a perfect world?:
Found something that you think should make it on to the On to a Good Thing round-up? Send it to: ontoagoodthing@thegoodbook.co.uk
Have you seen this doing the rounds on the social media sites? It's been causing quite a stir.
To have a book with the creator's visible signature - well, that would be quite something! I’m sure if there were a Bible signed by Almighty God himself, it would be a major source of Bible envy.
But perhaps you suffer from that already?
You know; that feeling you get when God appears to be speaking to your friend in some electrifying way during their quiet times, but when you open your Bible, it’s frankly underwhelming.
Or when you’re at home group, and the person sitting next to you is bursting with insightful comments on the passage, while your mind strays elsewhere.... continue reading
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
Psalm 34:17-22
