That’s a very broad title, but I do want to look at the connection. One of the places where we, as Christians, find the most disagreement is in our study of the Bible. In my view, there’s a good reason for this. The Bible is a complex book. Yes, one can find common themes, but…
When I started Energion Publications just over 10 years ago, my primary interest was in Bible study materials. My goal was to get the people in our churches to study the Bible more, and to do so for themselves. My complaint about much of the material available was that it was often shallow and repetitive,…
This will be the second study. I’m going to mention a few things to think about. The question remains as to how many of these things I will be able to address, but I think it’s worthwhile to consider these in any case. The study will be via Google Hangouts on Air at 7:00 pm…
This past Sunday I completed teaching a four week series on Revelation for one of the Sunday School classes at Chumuckla Community Church. It’s always interesting to try to teach a short series on the book of Revelation. There is so much there, and so much background information is needed. It’s difficult to be effective….
Oh, we don’t have to keep it brief. My friend Greg May (also an Energion author, Crewed Awakening and It’s in the Toolbox) wrote a great post this morning about application. There’s nothing wrong, in my view, and much good about learning the nuts and bolts of the Bible. I’ve encountered an attitude similar to…
I frequently encounter people who are afraid of depending on scholars for their knowledge of the Bible. I understand this fear. One thing that got me into studying biblical languages was the desire to know for myself, without having someone else translate. But when I had learned the languages, I found that one had to…
Kent Eilers posts at Theology Forum on biblical interpretation and jazz. A critical sentence: “A key element is respect for the tradition, learning from it without merely repeating it.” I used a different title because I’m thinking about a particular element–the familiarity with the tradition. Jazz must become part of the musicians fundamental being. I…
I think she has two excellent points, the first about the danger of thinking of oneself as a celebrity (evangelical or not!), and the second about the value of structured prayer. I’d add a note on the value of structured Bible study, which also forces one to leave one’s comfort zone and one’s own desires…
From C. Michael Patton. This approach is a bit different from my own, but will provide a valuable basis to examine the way you approach the Bible. I am somewhat skeptical of the “timeless theology” phase, even though it’s necessary.
We now pause for a brief commercial announcement. My company, Energion Publications, is offering a special Christmas package—all the Participatory Study Series volumes released so far for just $29.99. There are a number of other packages as well, so check out the complete list on Energion Direct. And now back to your regularly scheduled programming….