The question of what to study is considered as a follow up post to the Manuscript Bible Study post. The approach I have been taking in the past is to look for a Bible verse or two that may speak to a question of life I was pondering and then expand the study to the surrounding chapters. I understand that the Bible is not a quick reference guide and trying to make it prescriptive in answering one question with one verse can lead to gross misinterpretation. Even as we have been discussing the question of to ponder during our weekly study, we have approached using the question as a starting point for the discussion, anticipating what could be learned in light of the question – not as a how-to guide.

InterVarsity teaches Manuscript Study

I had the pleasure of spending some time with a good friend of mine, Josh Howell, discussing the manuscript study approach. Josh is on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF). He has been leading Bible studies for fifteen years using this approach. IVCF teaches this method to all of their campus staff as the way to lead college students through Bible study. A Bible Study Task Force IVCF conducted years ago explains the approach and gives guidance on how to lead Bible studies. The IVCF material is one of the influences I have used to develop the materials found on ThreadMatters.

A Guided Study Approach

A benefit that the ThreadMatters materials offers is the ease of new leaders picking up the materials and leading a study. The current study guides offered here are guided studies. These materials found at Resources walk people through the process of leading a manuscript study and make it more accessible to people wanting to study the Bible in a deeper way.

Starting Point Turned Upside Down

The question of what to study has remained a challenge to me. As I described above, I have been starting with the question and searching through the Bible to find the right scripture to discuss. Josh offered up a different way of identifying the question and scripture pairing. He suggested to start with a passage of scripture, reading over it, studying it, and allow the questions to be formed out of the initial reading. While it is so obvious to me in hindsight – and you may be wondering why I am making such a big deal out of this – his suggestion is another milestone in this journey of developing the manuscript study materials. He has turned my perspective upside down on where to begin the creation of the study topics. On the surface, the Question to Ponder series you find under Ponderings will not change. Nothing will stand out. But, the guidance I offer to anyone wanting to lead a Bible study is greatly impacted. Thank you Josh.

The Question Revealed

There are many ways to answer the question of what should I study. I am not suggesting there is only one, or even a best way. For me, our conversation revealed to me more of a resolution to a challenge I was facing as I share with others an exciting way to study the Bible and see the scriptures become alive in people’s lives.

Questions

• What are the different ways you select what part of the Bible you read or study?
• How is it different depending on the things going on in your life?

Pete Briscoe, Senior Pastor of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, is preaching a sermon series on Galatians. The theme of the series is Dance Lessons. He shares with us that “walking with Christ is like dancing.” Contrasting dancing to marching, he continues to describe how dancing offers individualized movements, sharing with other people – sometimes strangers – the experience of dancing. As he says, it can be fun, even messy at times, and dancing is much more forgiving of missteps and mistakes than marching.


This post can be used as a place to discuss the Galatians Study materials you can download from Join the Dance at Bent Tree.

Everyone studies differently, and any reading of the Bible is beneficial. I have studied the Bible using a variety of methods. In my journey, I came to a place where I was looking for a fresh and different way of studying God’s Word. I was introduced to the manuscript Bible study method during a group study. I stumbled around a bit at first. Over the course of several weeks, we read our passage of scripture, discussing the different themes, and how that particular passage applies to our lives. By the end of the study I was intrigued, I wanted to know more about this newly introduced approach to Bible study. I was studying the Bible, not what others had written about their studies.

Flipping through Scripture

Many of us use the flip through the pages approach to Bible study. After reading a few verses, we continue reading, or continue flipping. While any time spent reading the Bible is good, there are times when a more in depth study is better. There are several questions to answer as you begin studying the Bible.

• What part of Scripture should I study?
• What approach or study method should I use?
• What study materials do I need when I study?

We will explore one question here: what study method? The other study questions will be discussed in different posts.

Approaches to Bible Study

Studying your Bible is a good thing, but we all have challenges with it. If you are just beginning to become familiar with the Bible, it can be overwhelming to open it up, not knowing what to read. If you have been reading the Bible for many years, you probably have favorite books and sections that naturally fall open when you sit down to read. And there are different approaches or methods of studying the Bible – inductive study method, reading plans, workbooks with fill-in-the-blank questions, and book studies written on specific topics of the Bible, to name a few.

Benefits of Manuscript Bible Study

The manuscript Bible study approach is a way to read the scripture that closely resembles its original form, without chapter and verse references. I have to read an English translation, so I don’t get as close as possible to the original. There is a choppiness of thought, and perhaps understanding, as we read the chapters of Scripture. Some of the chapter breaks make sense, while other groupings make you wonder if it was for more practical reasons – maybe the early written copies of the text were broken up by what could fit on a single page.

How it is Different

The manuscript study method is focused on the Scripture passage, prompting you to think about themes, key words, and the perspective of the original people involved (the writer; the people, places and activities being written about; and the listeners), and how it applies to your life today. It is an inductive study approach, but I feel like it is less intense than some popular inductive studies. As I have continued using the manuscript study approach in a weekly Bible study I lead, my eyes have been opened to see a little clearer what is meant by the Bible being The Living Word.

Answering One Question

The answer to the question of what study method should I use will be different throughout your life. The manuscript Bible study approach has reinvigorated my personal studies. My wife remarked that she had not seen me as excited about Bible study, as I have been since I have been using this method. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach, but I highly recommend trying the manuscript Bible study approach.

Questions

How can you incorporate the manuscript Bible study approach into your personal Bible studies?

Is there a group you are a part of or can join that is studying the Bible in a meaningful way?

Paul wrote a letter almost 2000 years ago to the church members in Galatia, a Roman Empire outpost in the area of modern-day Turkey. When they started meeting, they had a good understanding of how God’s grace was complete and sufficient for their lives. At some point leading up to Paul writing this letter, people started teaching the church members that there were rules to follow and steps to take in order to truly realize God’s favor. This was wrong and Paul was extremely mad at these group of teachers for misleading the church members. You can read how mad he was as you study Galatians – wow!

A study of Galatians helps us understand today how God’s grace is complete and sufficient for our lives. Just as in the church of Galatia, we allow rules and traditions to take our attention off of the truth of how we are to live. These rules are sometimes so ingrained in our minds and church culture, we are not aware of how distracting they truly are. God’s grace is sufficient, as He expressed His grace through His son, Jesus Christ, the one and only way to have a relationship with Him.

Guided Manuscript Study

I have developed a manuscript study guide for Galatians to be used by individuals and groups as they walk through a study of Galatians. It is most beneficial in a group environment because a collaborative discussion fosters further thinking and insights about the scriptures being studied. The manuscript study format removes the chapter and verse references and allows a reading of the scriptures in a format that more closely resembles its original form, and removes some predetermined breaks in the thoughts and flow of the reading.

The study template that is offered here is a guided study, meaning there are leader notes and instructions, along with predefined discussion themes. This provides a broader appeal and gives more people the ability to lead the study without the overwhelming burden of creating the discussion agenda and figuring out how to lead a manuscript study. Or the less desired alternative – not studying the Bible, in this instance, Galatians.

One thing a manuscript study does not do – force you to answer fill-in-the-blank questions. The focus is on reading the passage of scripture and listening to God as He speaks to you through His word. This format is inherently usable across the various Bible-believing denominations and traditions.

Sermon Series

Pete Briscoe, Senior Pastor of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, in Carrollton, TX is preaching a sermon series on Galatians. The Galatians Manuscript Study guide is offered as a complement to the Galatians sermon series, for groups to spend more time in this passage of scripture during the week. It is not a weekly follow along, however, so the guide can be used by all who want to study Galatians. As one spends more time in Galatians during the week, the message being delivered on Sunday morning becomes even more personally understood.

Leader Support

The Galatians study guide is designed to walk through a way of leading the study sessions. There are ten sessions provided that not only encourages a deeper understanding of Galatians, but also teaches how the manuscript study format can be used to study other scriptures.

As you are leading the study on Galatians, comment on this post to discuss how things are going with the study and ask questions about challenges you are facing as you facilitate the discussions.

Ongoing Study

A single-session manuscript study format has also been developed for use as a guide to study any scripture passage of your choosing. You can also find single-session studies in the Ponderings section of ThreadMatters. These studies are centered around a relevant life question with a focus on a particular passage, usually a couple of chapters. Ponderings are posted regularly as they are being developed and used during a weekly Bible Study I lead in Frisco, TX.

Download the Galatians Study Guide

Go to our Resources page for a free Galatians Study Guide and learn more about additional resources.
 
 
To create a manuscript format of a passage of scripture, read more in the post of How to Create a Manuscript Format.

For a list of study reference books to use to supplement your Bible study, take a look at my post on reference books.
 
 

Questions

• How have you found this guide useful in your study of Galatians?
• Do you have any feedback that will help others as they use the guide to lead their own study group?
• Do you have any questions or challenges as you are leading your own study group?

The manuscript Bible study approach takes away the chapter and verse references and encourages a reading of scripture with fresh eyes and an open heart. I have studied the Bible in different ways, led studies, written studies, read many books on what others think about the Bible. When I was introduced to this method of study, it was eye-opening and renewed my interest in studying God’s word.

I have developed study guides to help walk through a manuscript study approach. I did not create this method, but have distilled it into what I hope is an easy to understand and use way of studying your Bible.

Read more about the single session study guide in the post of Question to Ponder Guide.

For a list of study reference books to use to supplement your Bible study, take a look at Study References.

 
Select the link below to download the Manuscript Format guide.

 

Question

How have you found this guide useful in your creation of the manuscript format and your Bible studies using this approach?

The Question to Ponder Guide is a study guide that is designed for a one hour Bible Study. Using a manuscript study format for the scriptures allows one to read the Bible passage without the distraction of chapter and verse references. It is written for single-session group studies. The question selected by the study facilitator is meant to be a prompt for reading a passage of scripture from a particular perspective.

A group currently using this guide meets on Friday mornings at Rudy’s BBQ in Frisco, TX, at 7:00am, for Tacos & Talkin’ (great breakfast tacos). Posts of our thoughts and discussion during these meetings are available in the Ponderings section of this site.

You can send an email to John if you have any questions about this study guide.

The Question to Ponder Guide is available as a free download at this time. It is not a requirement, but please subscribe to our email list for weekly updates of what is happening at ThreadMatters – stay connected.

Download the Question to Ponder study guide.

 
 
 
Also available is a free resource to teach you how to create the manuscript format for use in your study of the Bible. Read this post for more information.

Question

How have you found these guides useful in your Bible studies?

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I hope you find these disclosures helpful as you read ThreadMatters. ~John