The Bible is a precious resource, a great gift from our loving Creator. How can we get more out of it? In this section you'll find a potpourri of material on this subject. There is much more to say, and we welcome your ideas and suggestions for future articles on this important topic. •How Do I Make Bible Study More Interesting? •Sample Bible Study Topics •Make Time and a Plan for Your Bible Study •Bible Software Review: The Bible library on CD-ROM •Teen Bible Discussion Guide; The Authority of the Bible How Do I Make Bible Study More Interesting? by Joe Bellefeville Has your curiosity ever been piqued by people's statements that don't sound quite right? In the past few years, I have been challenged a number of times to look into the Bible to see what it really says. In one case, a Bible scholar from a prestigious seminary was answering a question from a TV reporter about rulers leading less-than-perfect lives. (This was around the time of President Clinton's impeachment.) The scholar specifically cited King David as an example of an absolute ruler who could do whatever he wanted with no limitations on his power. That didn't sound quite right. I went to 2 Samuel 12:1-14, the account of the prophet Nathan going before David with a message from God. There were at least three negative consequences as a result of David's actions: 1. The sword would never depart from his house (2 Samuel 12:10). 2. Evil would come out of his own house (2 Samuel 12:11). 3. His child with Bathseba would die (2 Samuel 12:14, 18). Clearly David did have consequences for his actions. Challenges that drive us to study the Bible are one way to spark Bible study. But what do we do the rest of the time? This is a challenge specifically for us "old-timers" who have studied the basics but wonder what to study next. Hopefully this article will stimulate some ideas on what to study and how to study. Here are some thoughts to help. Ask God to guide you in what to study and to make the Bible study meaningful. Consider the many options available. Develop a list of potential topics to study, books of the Bible to read or questions you have. Keep the list and when more ideas come to mind, add them to the list. Select one of the study options and study it. As you are studying, write down what you are learning. Writing things down on a 3x5 card (or in a notebook) and then periodically reviewing it will be very helpful when someone asks you about that subject. If you can't recall the specifics at the moment, you know where to look for the information-your file of cards or notebook. The following is a list of ideas that could be used for improving personal Bible study. They are not in any particular order. [back to top] Sample Bible Study Topics Joe Bellefeville Possible topics to study are unlimited, but here are a few to give you ideas. Your occupation. The Bible has over 150 different jobs listed, including carpenter, driver (of chariots), teacher, baker, writer, merchant, embalmer, singer, nurse, physician, etc. If checking a King James Version concordance, remember the occupations will be listed as they were in the 1600s. Internet providers or computer programmers will not be included. Friends. Who were God's friends and Christ's friends? Salt. What was seasoned with salt in Leviticus 2:13? Colossians 4:6? Mystery/secret. What mystery is in 1 Corinthians 15:51? Ephesians 5:32? Colossians 4:3? Hope. Where did David put his hope (Psalm 130:5)? Your name (first or last). My last name means "beautiful leaf." I looked it up and was pleasantly surprised to find positive references to "leaf" and "leaves." Personal challenges. Anger, forgetfulness-we all have areas in which we need to overcome. Use Bible study to find needed help to grow and overcome. Treasure. Who or what does God consider His treasure? Require. What does God expect of us? Literacy and education. Does God encourage literacy? Check the key words of read, book(s), knowledge, teacher, etc. Leper. How does the "law of cleansing of the leper" parallel the conversion process (Leviticus 14)? Resurrection. How many resurrections to physical life are in the Old Testament? The New Testament? [back to top] Bible Study Formats Read the entire Bible clear through from cover to cover. To add variety: Read it in a new translation. This can add a fresh new outlook on things studied many times. I, personally, like the NASB the best, but other modern versions can also give a fresh perspective. Listen to the Bible on cassette tape (or CD). This is especially helpful for sight-impaired people or disabled people who cannot hold a book or turn pages. Contact your local Bible bookstore to buy a copy. If you prefer to borrow a copy, contact a nearby public library or the Society for the Blind. As you read, jot down scriptures on major doctrines and verses that are particularly encouraging to you. After you have a number of these scriptures, make scripture flash cards. Then when you need variety in your Bible study, take out the scripture cards and refresh your memory. This is an excellent way to review. Separate out a set of scripture cards of the verses that are encouraging to you. When facing trials, take them out and think about them. I call mine the "hope" scriptures. They have been a source of encouragement for me through many trials. Consider a Bible study partner. Another person can add a perspective or background that you might not have. Also, they can be a prod to make sure your study is done before the next time you meet. Consider reading very slowly through a chapter and consider what comes before or after in that chapter or other relevant scriptures on the subject. One time I was wondering how Joseph and Mary made ends meet when they fled to Egypt after being warned in a dream (Matthew 2:13-15). How could they afford housing, travel and relocation expenses? I found a possible answer a few verses earlier in Matthew 2:11. Consider reading certain books of the Bible before or during a Holy Day season. For example, read the book of Exodus before the Spring Holy Days. Another good choice is reading the book of Acts after the Days of Unleavened Bread but before Pentecost. I did that, reading slowly through Exodus and Acts a chapter or two a day. When reading about the plagues, I couldn't help noticing how we (locally) were experiencing drinking water problems, plagues of bugs, hail, etc. In Acts I was amazed at the number of people who accompanied Paul on his trips. I thought he was alone most of the time. One scripture lists seven people as being traveling companions of Paul (Acts 20:4). For some reason I assumed that the bulk of the early Church remained at Jerusalem until just before A.D. 70 However, Acts 8:1, 4 and Acts 11:19 speak of the Church being scattered throughout the region. In some ways it is like the current time with the brethren being scattered all over. Another format is to do a Bible study on a particular word or concept using an exhaustive concordance. Divide up the scriptures on a topic into manageable chunks. Be realistic. If there are 237 scriptures listed, plan to check out a reasonable number each day, perhaps 20 or 30. Remember to mark the place where you left off. Topics to study are unlimited, but see "Sample Bible Study Topics" for a few to give you ideas. Consider a creative approach to Bible study: Write a hymn or song based on scriptures that are meaningful to you. It may sound easy, but "translating" a scripture into modern English that rhymes can be quite a challenge. If it takes over a week, consider laying it aside for a while and then returning to it later. Make a map of the areas/cities that Christ visited or a map of all the places that early New Testament Christians lived. It is remarkable the number of places that are mentioned in Scripture. Don't forget that Christ lived in Egypt early in His life. May you have meaningful Bible study and grow in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18). UN [back to top] Make Time and a Plan for Your Bible Study by Skip Miller How do we spend our time? Not just our leisure time, but how do we spend our whole 24 hours per day? It might surprise us to learn how much time is spent in meaningless pursuits. We waste time because we are not directed and yet most of us chafe under the direction of others. The only solution then is to be self-directed! A self-directed person has an answer when someone asks him where he is going. In this regard, there is one area in which we can begin to improve. And for very good reason: our eternal life might depend upon it. What is that area? Bible study! As the United Church of God becomes older and more adroit at once again producing literature, the tendency for some is to conclude that skimming through our publications is all we need to do for Bible study. I don't mean this negatively. But what I want to seriously convey is the necessity to daily do some serious Bible study in an organized, premeditated way. How much time do we devote to God? How much to other pursuits like television? We must make wise decisions about how to spend our precious time. Studying God's Word is still a necessity for all of us! Those who "know it all" are in trouble! Only the Pharisees understood the whole of God's law (I jest!). If God directs our steps, we will never know it all, and yet we will constantly be led by His Spirit. As I read George William's Complete Bible Commentary, I am continually impressed by his reverence for the Word of God. Being a non-Catholic in Dublin, Ireland, he must have felt frequently out of step with the obvious Irish pageant of religion. His refuge was God's Word. Within it, he studied and restudied the ever-living truth. Toward the end of Psalm 119, the psalmist speaks with feeling his need to be heard: "Let my cry come before You, O LORD; give me understanding according to Your word" (Psalm 119:169). He needs God to hear him, not people. The writer of this psalm was willing to forego worthless communication so that he could learn God's statutes (verse 171), speak of them (verse 172) and enjoy God's presence through personal Bible study (verse 173). George Williams comments, "The Bible instructs the mind (v. 169), relieves the heart (v. 170), animates praise (v. 171), and inspires testimony (v. 172). It helps (vs. 173 and 175), it delights (v. 174), it quickens (v. 175), and it perfects the memory (v. 176)." May we always see the whole of God's Word in this light! UN [back to top] Bible Software Review: The Bible library on CD-ROM by Larry J. Walker If you are looking for an inexpensive, powerful, easy-to-use Bible software program, The Bible Library is among the best. It contains 14 Bibles, six word studies, five commentaries, six cross references and concordances, eight topical studies and 13 other historical works and helps-all on one CD. The Bibles include: King James Version, New King James Version, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, American Standard Version, New American Standard Version and the Simple English Bible New Testament. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament by Harris, Vine's Expository Dictionary (Old and New Testaments), Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, Barclay's Daily Study Bible Series, Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Nave's Topical Bible and Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Edersheim are some of the better known works included in this package. A tutorial and brief 10-page instruction manual comprise the entirety of instructions. Because it is "intuitive" in operation, you can figure most things out by yourself. It is also fast and has basic features that members would profit from. The search feature is fast but goes only one passage at a time. However, it is possible to search by Strong's number. This is a shortcut way to search on the actual Hebrew or Greek word, rather than how it is translated in English. This is vital to doing a word search, as some words are translated several different ways. I have other more expensive Bible software, but I find myself using this one more than all the others put together because of its speed and ease of operation. And I am not a computer whiz, believe me! Being able to cut and paste scriptures and quotes from the reference books is a wonderful feature. This entire package is available from CBD for only $32.99! You can order it by calling (888) 247-2665 or from CBD's Web page at www.Christianbook.com. The ISBN is 1893338002, and the CBD stock number is WW38002. It is copyrighted by Ellis Enterprises and distributed by Talicor. It runs on Windows 3.1 or higher. UN This review previously appeared in the Fall 2000 Ministerial Quarterly. [back to top] Teen Bible Discussion Guide; The Authority of the Bible "I believe God exists, but how do I know that the Bible was inspired by God?" is a good question. It comes from a spiritually maturing mind that is seriously and sincerely seeking to know the answer. For such seekers, this Bible study guide outline was prepared. John 17:17: "Your [God, the Father's] word is truth." 2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God...." 1. If the Bible is the Word of God, then its statements must be true. Do you agree? 2. If one can find a verse that is not true, then it must not be inspired by God. Do you agree? Scientifically Accurate 1. When was the Bible written? Has scientific knowledge increased in the last century and proven false earlier theories and concepts? Find out when the following scriptures were written and when scientists came to the same conclusion. a. The earth is round (Isaiah 40:22). b. The water cycle (Job 36:27-28; Ecclesiastes 1:6-7; 11:3; Amos 9:6). c. There are warm and cold ocean currents (Psalm 8:8). d. The earth is held in place by an invisible force (Job 26:7). e. Human blood is the same among all races and nations (Acts 17:26). f. Quarantining patients with contagious disease is a vital practice (Leviticus 13:46). g. Sanitary disposal of human waste (Deuteronomy 23:12-13). 2. How do you explain that these Bible writers were able to record accurate scientific knowledge centuries before man discovered the facts for himself? 3. Do biblical statements conflict with known facts of science? Historically Accurate 1. Has archaeology been successful for confirming the biblical record? 2. Other cultures have legends and historical records similar to the biblical account of stories concerning all mankind (for example, creation, Noachian Flood, Tower of Babel). What does this fact imply about the Bible's veracity? Prophetically Accurate 2 Peter 1:21: "...for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." 1. Do men make specific predictions about the future? How often has any man's prophecies always been right? Is only God powerful enough to make His prophecies always come true? 2. Did the Bible prophesy events that have occurred? Was the prophecy written after the event, as some charge? Was the prophecy written shortly before the event showing that the writer may have only been making an educated guess about the future? 3. Compare the following prophecies with history: a. Kingdom of Edom and its capital, Petra (Isaiah 34; Jeremiah 49; Ezekiel 25, 35). b. Cities of Ashkelon and Gaza (Jeremiah 47; Amos 1; Zephaniah 2; Zechariah 9). c. City of Samaria (Hosea 13; Micah 1). What is the probability that each of these prophecies was fulfilled entirely by chance? Luke 24:27: "And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He [Jesus] expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." 4. Did Jesus fulfill all the prophecies concerning the Messiah? Contradictions? John 10:35: "...the Scripture cannot be broken." 1. How many men were used to write the Bible? Over how many years were the books of the Bible written? 2. Are there supposed contradictions in the Bible? List some. Can they be explained reasonably? Experience 1 Thessalonians 5:21: "Test all things; hold fast what is good." 1. How can one "test" the Bible? 2. Is this statement true or false: If the Bible is truly the words of God, then applying its commands and exhortations in one's life should prove wise. Compare with Proverbs 2:6. Read Psalm 19:7-11 and Psalm 119:1, 93, 98-100, 105, 129-130, 138, 165 and comment. 3. Are there plausible explanations for biblical laws? 4. What have you experienced as a result of obedience to God's commands as recorded in the Bible? Summary 1. What does God say about the Bible? 2. Does God claim to have inspired every word of it? Does God want us to try applying its teachings? 3. What do people in the world say about the Bible's veracity? Is there a consensus that it is the "Word of God"? 4. Do your peers think the stories of the Bible are myths? Do they think biblical commands are outdated? 5. What do you believe? Are you personally convicted that the Bible is the "Word of God"? Why or why not? Created by the Teen Bible Study Committee Volunteers. You can find 42 other Teen Bible Discussion Guides on the Web at www.ucg.org/a/teenbs/teenstudies.htm. UN