Has God said? The role of personal revelation in Bible study

Has God said? The role of personal revelation in Bible study

You’ve probably heard a teacher, pastor or preacher say something to the effect “and then God told me.” What’s up with that? What role does personal experience and/or personal revelation play in Bible study? For me, the bottom line is: Scripture takes precedence over emotions and experience; and teachers ought to strive for accuracy and precision in their language. Here are the guidelines I use when teaching.

Plagiarism and Bible teaching

Plagiarism and Bible teaching

You’ve probably heard the joke that the greatest insult you can give a Bible teacher is that your work is both original and good. Why is that funny? The part that’s original is not good, and the part that’s good is not original. The goal of Bible study is to be right, not original.

How to become a Bible teacher

How to become a Bible teacher

So you’d like to teach the Bible? How do you get started? How do you decide if Bible teaching is your calling? Here’s my advice for aspiring teachers.

Learn to teach the Bible

Learn to teach the Bible

So you’d like to teach the Bible? How do you get started? How do you decide if Bible teaching is your calling? Here’s my advice for aspiring teachers. First and foremost you need to learn to study the Bible well. Start with Bible Study 101. Then progress to the topics below.

Understanding Hebrew Poetry

Understanding Hebrew Poetry

The key to understanding Hebrew poetry and Wisdom Literature is knowing that the “rhyme” of ideas is more important than the sounds. This “rhyming” of ideas is called parallelism.

Word Study Shortcuts

Word Study Shortcuts

While I recommend you learn how to do your own word studies, here are some shortcuts you can take to save time, to get past “study block” or compare your ideas with someone else’s.

How to do a word study

How to do a word study

Word studies are one of the basic tools of Bible study. If you want to understand the author’s intended meaning, you need to understand the words he chose in his original language. If you only circle key English words, you may be circling the same English word but 3 different Greek words and missing some of author’s intent.

How to outline

How to outline

An analytical outline is a way of displaying a text of Scripture so that the flow of thought and the relationship between the grammatical parts become clear. It is my favorite study tool and one of the first things I do. Learn how to make one.

Marks of false Teachers

Marks of false Teachers

A vital part of your Bible study arsenal is learning to recognize false teachers. Here are three interesting lists — both modern and classic — on how to discern a true teacher from a false teacher. Notice the similarities.

5 Questions to Identify a Cult

5 Questions to Identify a Cult

How do you recognize a group which claims to represent genuine, apostolic Christianity but in reality does not? Here are 5 questions that separate “the sheep” from “the wolves.”