What is required to run a Bible Study?

What is required

to run a Bible Study?

There are two requirements for a Bible Study. One is a Bible and the other is participants. Of course it is important for each participant to have a Bible. And while it is an advantage for every participant to have the same version of the Bible, this is not necessary. In fact, it is often helpful when other versions are consulted because this enables participants to gain different insights into what the scripture might imply, unless indoctrination is the desired aim of the so-called Bible Study; rather than discovering the truths of God and the goodness of His heart towards us.

When it comes to understanding the Bible, we need to realize that it possesses a depth not found in books written from a mere human understanding. The Bible incorporates the mind of God and because of this it is many faceted and possesses a depth of perspective not found in other books. Moreover, unless we possess the Spirit of God ourselves, gaining insights into the  omniscient mind of God is a hard yard. Nevertheless, this is possible and God appears to have chosen the interaction of humans sharing around His Word in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit as the means by which this is best attained.

When we engage in a group Bible Study, we are effectively bringing our hearts to the table of fellowship and the Word of God is the food upon what we are feasting. This food we share with each other by divulging how we believe each portion of the Word of God benefits us individually. As we share our own individual understanding of the benefits of what the Word of God means to us, we all benefit and come to understand each other more. This is something that does not happen in Bible Study lectures.

There is a place for anointed Bible teaching, but it is not what is desired for small group fellowship centered around the Word of God.

What is required is people who have a hunger for the truth and a willingness to discuss the truth as it is applied to their lives.

While it is true that we only need a Bible and willing hungry hearts to conduct a Bible Study, there are some requirements that we as leaders should be willing to comply with, if we are to run a successful group Bible Study where participants enjoy striking the anvil of truth to fortify Godly convictions, and winnowing the grain from the chaff to uncover life-giving seed and eternal truth.

We need to have an orderly run meeting and as leaders we need to learn how to handle objections, disagreements and distortions of truth in a way that brings the best out of every one. Our aim is for participants to thoroughly grasp the meaning of the Scriptures so that they begin to bear fruit within the lives of participants and enlarge our own borders of understanding. Ideally, after having completed a group Bible Study on the topic at hand, every participant, himself or herself, should have the confidence to organize a successful group Bible Study. Following the recommendations of this book and utilizing the keys outlined herein in most cases should produce participants who go on to bear fruit.

Can a Novice run

a group Bible Study?

When we talk of a novice, we are usually thinking about somebody who has not had any training. However, if there are three people who come together and they are all novices and decide to look into the Word of God, surely this has to be better than gathering around a book of pornography. But if they had a Bible Study such as The Milk of the Word, which is designed for individuals to engage in an examination of themselves and share their understanding regarding what it means to sin, and how it has affected them, then novice Christians should be quite competent.

Sin is something that human beings experience from a young age. Overcoming sin is what becoming a Christian is really about. Understanding sin and its consequences is really the beginning of becoming a Christian. In fact the book of Hebrews (6:1-2) tells us that repentance from dead works and having faith in God form the rudiments of becoming a Christian and embarking upon a true spiritual adventure into eternity as a child of God. In this respect, we are not novices. We could say we are expert sinners. However, while we may be experts when it comes to sin, when it comes to overcoming sin and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, this may be another matter. Only like children, we learn as we go. Once we know what sin is and how it has affected us, if we are novices learning about the Milk of the Word, then there is no reason why a novice cannot run a Bible Study that explores human nature from a biblical perspective—in which case, get excited!