Small Group Bible Study

                Whenever believers gather together to talk about Jesus, He is present among the gathering as promised in Matthew 18:20. It is easy to lead this small talks about Jesus, but to focus the discussion on Jesus over forty-five minutes to an hour is a different study. And scholars call this focus discussion on Jesus, “Bible Study”. We will first examine the “How of Bible Study,” and then the “Style of Bible Study.”

1. The “How of Bible Study”

Bible study should be focus on God – “Revelation.” Babylonian Talmud: Pirke Avot or Ethics of the Fathers – 3:2; “. . . two who sit and exchange words of Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them . . .”[1] responding to Matthew 18:20. There are many method available to assist Bible Study Leader to prepare and lead their Bible Study. The followings are a few  examples:

Relation and Communication and Action method.

First, is to focus on God – “Relation.” With God’s revelation, the Bible Study should strengthen the Relationship between God and Man.

Next, the Bible study should focus on People – “Communication.” Allowing time for self-reflection and communicate personal thoughts in the group will draw the group closer.

Finally, focus on Work – “Action.” God's Word will come alive when it is put into action. It is good to consider doing what have been learned individually or as a group.

Other methods to do Bible study such as: “Hook; Book: Look; and Took” or the “Introduction; Observation; Interpretation; and Application” approach, and others. All these methods have similar focus, with different names.

The key of every Bible Study is always the presence of God in the discussion.

 

2. The “Style of Bible Study”

Method alone do not guarantee success of the Bible study. Much depends also on the style of the person facilitating the discussion. There are many different styles, this paper will focus on just two, the Inductive; and the Instructive styles.

Inductive style: this approach appears to be the most popular among various groups. It calls for the individual to Search the Bible text; Seek an understanding; and Share how to apply the revelation. The greatest benefit of this style is the ownership of the understanding and the application, which can be perform by the individual.

Instructive style: this approach is useful when the group has many young believers. It is liken to the Teacher/Student style of discussion. The leader acts more like a teacher, while the members receive the information like a student. Sometimes, when there is some guests in the group, the leader may switch the discussion toward this style.

Style of Bible Study should not be the same all the time, but to adopt according to the needs and gathering (mix) of the people. 

 

 

3. The “Mark of Good Leading”

“Good leaders are facilitators – they strike the match which ignites the group.”[2] A good leader always encourage the members to participate with the discussion, with affirmative assurance to their contributions. To be a good facilitator, one has to watch out for the followings. The Be-attitude or Hallmark of a Good Facilitator:

“1) Be thoroughly prepared;

  2) Be available;
  3) Be-lieve;
  4) Be Understanding;
  5) Be relevant;
  6) Be encouraging;
  7) Be resistant to gossip;
  8) Be learning;
  9) Be flexible;
10) Be dedicated.”

 

Leading Bible Study is a challenge, but Jesus has promise in Matthew 18:20, that if the focus of discussion is on Him (Jesus), then He will be present among the gathering.

Amen.

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[1]“Mishnah, Pirke Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, Chapter 3:2,” n.d., accessed April 11, 2016, http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2019/jewish/Chapter-Three.htm.

 

[2]James F. Nyquist and Jack Kuhatschek, “Leading Bible Discussion: Completely Revised & Expanded”. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985), 48.

 

Group Behaviour ‘ACTS’ Out from ‘Genesis’ to the ‘Present’

Relationship vs Championship

So why do believers meet regularly? Have we stop to consider, why do we come together to meet in small group? Are we not already seeing one another in church on Sunday?

Looking at Acts 2:46, “Every day they continued to meet together . . . ate together . . .”

The believers in the first century did not set out to win the championship. They did not set goals for themselves in order to gather together. Coming together to meet was not to aim for some kind of target or objective. They did not even have evangelism or multiplication in mind. No one, not even the apostle encourage the daily meeting for the purpose of multiplying.

The main purpose for the apostles and early believers meeting daily is to build relationship. They are now a “new tribe” of Israel. Born after much birth pain, with the first-born, Jesus. They meet daily to encourage each other. Not to increase their numbers. Israel now has 13 tribes, not just 12 tribes, so to speak. They are a new addition to the family. Thought they may be consider outcast. Therefore, meeting together is important in order to encourage each other. Building relationship, forming the new family unit needs the gathering of its members.

“. . . Meet together . . . ate together . . .” result in the “STRENGTHENING OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP.”

 

Individual or Group or Community

Individual Characteristic: I see, I decide, I take, etc.
Group Characteristic: Objective, Competitive, Supportive, etc.
Community Characteristic: Survival, Relational, Social, etc.

In the Garden of Eden, all three characteristics are displaced in the lives of the human ancestor. Adam and Eve are truly individuals. They make their own decisions. Eve decides to eat the fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil. It is not a group decision, neither is it a family (community) decision. It was her own individual decision.

Yet, the group behaviour is right there in the Garden, because Adam was not far away from Eve. He was near enough to share the fruit, but far enough to stop her from taking the fruit. So Adam is supportive of Eve taking the fruit, yet competitive to point the finger at Eve. “It was the WOMAN.”

God works within a community. A family. With God, it is relational, not regulator. God sees the eternal not the temporal. Though Eve is the one who makes the decision to eat of the ‘wrong fruit’, the consequence belong to the community, the family, not just the individual. God drive both of them out of the Garden of Eden.

It is also clear that Abraham’s flows to Lot, who was in his community while in Egypt. Jacob’s blessing flows to Laban, while staying and working for Laban. Achan kept the spoils from Jericho, but the suffering in upon the Israelite camp in the battle of Ai.

 Community Responsibility.

"To be an Israelite (or Christian) means you are not an individual with a separate destiny, but an individual with a corporate (or community) destiny.”[1]

The challenge: “Being a responsible individual within the κοινωνία[2].”

 

Be-Facilitating

Prince Hamlet lament: “To Be, or Not to Be”[3]; Facilitator comment: “To Be, is To Be”
Be Available - is to be inconvenience
Believe - is to trust God and members
Be Considerate - is to understand
Be Dedicated - is to care
Be Encourage - is to motivate
Be Flexible - is to be compassionate
Be Prepared - is to be ready
Be Relevant - is to be applicable
Be Self-control - is to check our words
Be Upgraded - is to improve

Having empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Facilitator can BE.

Demands on the Facilitator is heavy, equals that of the Pastor . . .
Goals of the Facilitator is growth, both spiritual and numerical  . . .
Joy of the Facilitator is priceless, members bearing the fruit of the Spirit . . .
Glory of the Facilitator is reproduce, reproducing another new group . . .

Although the Demands on the Facilitator is heavy and the Goals are huge, but the Joy is fulfilling and the Glory is beautiful.

God be blessed. Amen.

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[1] Benard J. Lee and Michael A. Cowan, Dangerous Memories (Kansas City: Sheed and Ward, 1986), 147–148.

[2] “Κοινωνία” Greek word meaning “Fellowship” or “Community”.

[3]William Shakespeare, Hamlet.

 

What is new about being hospitable . . .

Spiritual Gift vs Human Duty

              Believers having received Jesus Christ as their Saviour will always want to know this very compelling question: “So what is my gift?” And so we find book and exercises to dig into our subconscious to locate the ‘hidden’ gift that this “NEW” God has promised us. And many, especially housewives and mothers always ended up with this gift called “Hospitality”.
              If Hospitality is a gift, then many believers will be able to claim that God did not bless them with this gift, thus they are not gifted to be hospitable. Since we do not have this gift of hospitality, then we can skip over this service. This reasoning can be easily applied to evangelism. God gives the church Evangelist, so these evangelist have the gift of evangelism. Therefore, we should let them exercise their gifts and we who do not have this gift can take a ‘rest’.
              But Jesus says: “You shall be my witnesses . . .“ 
              So is hospitality a spiritual gift or a human duty? John Wesley in one of his sermons: Sermon 98 – On Visiting the Sick, said: “visiting the sick: A Plain duty, which all that are in health may practice”[1], highlighting that hospitality is a duty for all who are in health. Hospitality in this case is more than a spiritual gift; it is a duty in which all human beings need to practice.

Who is this stranger?

              One of the strongest walled-city within many of us is called “Unknown”, and its gate is lock with the chain of “fear”. Because we do not know, we feared, we worried, we are frighten, and so for protection, we build walls and placed ourselves inside this prison, and believe that we are in “heaven”.

              So who am I trying to keep out, and who am I trying to keep in? Who is this stranger? Am I trying to keep the stranger out, or am I trying to keep this stranger in?

              One of the greatest difficulty is to know the stranger in me. Unless I know myself, unless I am confidence of myself; I am a stranger to myself, and if I am a stranger to myself, then how am I to know the stranger outside. It has to start with me, knowing myself, then I can unlock the chain that lock my gate and invite the stranger into my city. And to eventually remove the walls around this city, into a city without walls. 

Individual Hospitality

              How the believers lost its passion and tradition for hospitality?

The believers did not lost this tradition . . . it was transfer to the “professionals”. Our forefathers did not lost their passion . . . they are so passionate that they hired the best people to do the job. They contributed to keep these professionals on the job, so that they don’t have to do it themselves. The professionals are needed because the society need their services. But how about the individual? How can the individual believer rediscover this ancient traditional practice? Some suggestions: 

1.    Redefine Hospitality: it is more than food and shelter.

It is to do the good deed God has prepared for us to do in advance. (Eph. 2:10). Just doing good to anyone who needs our assistance. 

2.    Begin with me: even Jesus begins his ministry alone.

Begin with me and make it a habit of giving a helping hand, and soon, God will change the “me” into a “we”. 

3.    Help is an action word: avoid helping with our mouth.

Help is not help if nothing is being done. Help is an action needed by the recipient. Just do it! 

John Ortberg in his book Soul Keeping, shared about a conversation he had with Dallas Willard, in which Dallas said: “Being right is actually a very hard burden to be able to carry gracefully and humbly. That’s why nobody likes to sit next to the kid in class who’s right all the time. One of the hardest things in the world is to be right and not hurt other people with it.”[2] I find this so true and it is the biggest obstacle blocking the practice of hospitality – “how to be right and yet not hurt other people with it”. 

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[1]http://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-98-on-visiting-the-sick/ (access on 1^st July 2016).

 

[2]John Ortberg, Soul Keeping: Caring for The Most Important Part of You (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 22.

Biblical Language Experience...

Time Travel – Paul’s Missionary Journey

This latest tour package includes a tour of Greece, a taste of the ancient Greek language “Koine Greek”. Athens though may not be the best city to learn this ancient sounding Greek, the Koine dialect, but is the best landing site for our flight.

Upon landing at Athens airport, our team got into a big argument because the one team member is “a last minute man” and is getting on the nerve of the other team members. So our team leader decided that before the team can proceed, it is best that the team work out its difference. Thus a research on Matthew 18:15-20 “When a brother sin against you…” 

 

Learning point 1: Beauty of Koine Greek

Greek language is so rich in its expression. “You” in the English is “you”, but in Greek, “σοι” (you singular) or “ὑμῖν” (you plural) depending on its usage; change completely how the sentence is understand. Such beauty.

 

Learning point 2: Matthew 18:18-20

Jesus says in Matthew 18:18-20, have always been quoted out of context. Is Jesus simply giving us a “signed blank cheque” to cash in “whatever” we agreed upon on earth? Or it there more truth to Jesus’ teaching? Understanding Greek helps as key Greek words are researched and clearer understanding attained. The context of Matthew 18:18-20 lied in its prevailing verses 15-17, which talk on the issue of sin. Not just anyone, but a brother within the community of faith.

This helps the team work out our disagreement, understanding each other and accepting each other. We are all different and in our difference generates a beautiful rainbow colour, combining all our different unique colours to create the ‘pure white colour’. Amen.

Therefore, the team have to confront with humility. Forgive each other, a necessity. Reconcile as a family. And then Matthew 18:20 can become a reality, “For whenever 2 or 3 are gather together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Whenever, 2 or 3 are gather discussing about Jesus or the Word of God, Jesus will be there to give us understanding.

 

Next stop à Israel.

The team sail across the Mediterranean Sea to the land flowing with milk and honey: Israel. Disembarking at the seaport in Tel Aviv, at the Immigration and Custom Checkpoint, this sign that reads (וֵלכֹםְ תֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל) – Welcome to Israel.  

            Hebrew is a rather funny looking language, a line here and a square there. And with many dots litter all over the sentence. But this is the language of Yahweh. This is how Yahweh communicates with His people, the Jews. So let’s see what we can learn about this language and people and this culture.

 

Learning point 1: Hebrew, a sound language

Recently, someone shared with me the story of Timothy, how he was a mamzer, an outsider and thus cannot participate in the local synagogue celebration though his mother was a Jew. And how difficult it was for Timothy to learn the Hebrew language because he cannot participate in the celebrations in local synagogue.

Having learned Hebrew, I have doubts over this claim, because the Hebrew language is a sound language. So Timothy can still learned and master his Hebrew language not in the synagogue, but from his mother, who follows the Jewish culture of teaching young Timothy at home, even though Timothy’s father is Greek. That’s why Paul reminded Timothy in his letter so recall the teaching of his mother and grandmother.

Though I now know a little about the Hebrew language, I am still learning, though I think my friend may have heard the story of Timothy wrongly, but I must be humble to point out what I have learned to him as part of our mutual learning experienced.

Learning point 2: Hebrew language and culture

Without understanding the language, cannot understand the culture, cannot understand the actual meaning of their words and phrases. Learning how to search for the meanings of the Hebrew word though burdensome is very useful indeed. The searches give a wide possibility of meaning and application to the word.

 

Upon leaving Israel, our Jewish brothers and sisters send the team off with this song:

Shalom ִִֻֻChaverim (Goodbye, My friend) – שַׂלֹם הַבֶרִם

שַׂלֹם   הַבֶרִם *2   שַׂלֹם   שַׂלֹם   לֶהִתרָהת *2   שַׂלֹם   שַׂלֹם

Shalom    Shalom      *2    Lehitraot          Shalom      Shalom      2*  Chaverim    Shalom

Goodbye, my friend. Have Peace….. Shalom!

Philemon: Remove your bias ... Charge it to my account...

Philemon: Remove your bias ... Charge it to my account...

¹⁶no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

             Paul told Philemon, Onesimus is no longer a slave, but a brother in Christ. Can the church in Singapore accept someone outside its own racial bias or nationality worries?

             Some years ago, someone in my church started an outreach effort to the “study mom” from Mainland China, trying to reach ladies for Christ and to integrate them into the Chinese service within the church. The idea was to help these ladies settled into Singapore and then to share the Gospel to them and assimilate them into the local Chinese Service within the church. Over the course of a few years, more than 200 of these ‘study mom’ and their children passes through this outreach effort. In fact more than half has accepted the Lord and even received water baptism.
             But this vision did not receive the full support of the Chinese Service congregation, especially among the wives of some of their key leaders. Their main fear with these outreach effort was that their husband may be attracted to these ‘study mom’, also the worries of ‘being taken in for a ride by these Mainland Chinese nationals’ cast a lot of concerns within the congregation.
             Although more than 200 of these Chinese nationals passes through our outreach effort, those who accepted the Lord find themselves an ‘outsider’ during the main Chinese Service. They still carry with them the label as ‘mainland Chinese’, not a ‘beloved brother or sister’ in the Lord.
            Eventually, this outreach effort failed.

If believers cannot REMOVE their "Ray-Ban" or "Kube Sportsglass" from our eyes, they will continue to struggle with their ‘bias values’. ‘New comers’ will always be ‘outsider’ and the kingdom of heaven will become the kingdom of the earth. Jesus came to mend broken relationship; beginning with God and man, His disciples must follow Him to mend relationship on earth, beginning within the family of God. 

 

 

¹⁸But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account;

            Recently, I was faced with a major issue in HaNoi. A group of church leaders rise up to break away from the leadership of the current leader. These leaders were close childhood friends growing up together, taking drug together, received salvation together, but now in open disagreement with each other.

            This will affect the "whole house church system" in HaNoi. Though these are all house churches, they are very well connected and knows each other. I hold a meeting with all the parties and having heard the feedback, I came to the conclusion that it is a misunderstanding, which has taken roots well into their hearts and thus to overcome this will be very difficult.
             My suggestion: Divide HaNoi City into 2 regions and have 2 key leaders each leading their own house churches in HaNoi City.
             I felt that the break away group has "wronged" the current leader; and so I spoke to him, “if the other group did you anything wrong, charge it to my account.” Give the other group a chance to grow and develop in view of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To expend the Kingdom of the Lord in HaNoi City and its surround area.
             This happened at the beginning of this year 2016, and today, both groups and grown in terms of their church attendance and ministries. Our combined house churches grow from 33 to 45 between Jan. to Mar. 2016. Their Drug Rehab Ministries grew from 6 centres to 9 centres, ministering to more than 150 drug addicts.
             Yes. I can say as Paul, “For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever.” (v. 15) “Perhaps” – “is when God is active in a passive mood” work things out to bring glory to Himself. Today, these 2 regions in HaNoi City works together and yet independently reaching out to the lost and the kingdom of God is growing at a double pace.

Glory to God.

Amen!