Bible Study and Sharing

In the method of Bible study that I teach, the last element is sharing. Now sharing is last on the list because you have to dig into your Bible study in order to have something to share, but not because it is the least important.

Recently I have been impressed again with how important sharing is to our Bible study. I occasionally get blank stares when I start to talk about this. Surely sharing is a result of Bible study and not a part of it. But the fact is that when you share effectively, you will also enhance your own Bible study. What happened to me recently was that my wife, who maintains a devotional list, needed some rest from preparing a devotional every weekday morning. We discussed taking a bit of a vacation from that list, but then I suggested that I try seeing what I might write out of my morning devotions. And thus I’ve been contributing to her list for the last couple of weeks.

Now I teach that one should share and I know from experience that sharing expands learning, but I have really enjoyed the benefit I get from thinking about a passage while asking the question: What can I get from this passage might be helpful to others in their Christian walk?

In addition, stopping to write down my thoughts makes me read more slowly, and that helps me learn more from the passage than I would otherwise. I recommend both fast and slow reading; fast reading to get an overview, and slow reading with time taken to ask yourself questions about the text.

The biggest threat to learning about the Bible, or any other subject, is the assumption that you already know. One of the best ways to counter that threat is by engaging in dialogue with others. They will surely teach you that you don’t already know.