3 Concepts that improved, adjusted, or clarified your knowledge of the Bible.
1. Although I’ve always known that God the Son and God the Father were
a part of the covenant, I received some clarification of how and when
God the Son was fulfilled. During the celebrations of the Passover, “Jesus
proclaims, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured
out for you.” In other words, the new covenant is between God the
Father and God the Son. In the new covenant, God fulfils both parts of
the covenant, as God the Son is the representative for all of humanity”
(Cartwright & Hulshof, 2016, p. 184).
2. My knowledge of Israel’s covenants was improved by understand the
three different covenants made by God through Abraham, David and
Israel and the intent of God’s actions. While I know of the stories of
these covenants, I’ve never put them together to understand the bigger
picture. “Each of these covenants was part of God’s unfolding redemptive
plan. The Abrahamic covenant had promised a realm and a people for
God’s kingdom. The Mosaic covenant provided the law of the kingdom.
The Davidic covenant provides a human king for the kingdom”
(Cartwright & Hulshof, 2016, p. 208).
3. I learned that in order to have a better understanding of the Gospels
specifically, sometimes further research should be done in order to
compare against other stories to identify similarities are clarify particular
details. “Unique to the Gospels is the fact that a story, parable, or
miracle might occur in another of the Gospels (or all of them.) It is
helpful to explore whether or not other Gospels record the event. Having
parallel accounts might help you fill in the gaps that your particular
passage does not include” (Cartwright & Hulshof, 2016, p.
Explain 2 ideas that you believe are crucial to remember when studying the
various genres of the Bible and why these two ideas are crucial.
1. It is important to understand the intent of the Bible and what God is
trying to tell us in order to better understand Him and the roots of our
faith. “When we move to the process of interpreting the Old Testament
narratives, we need to recognize that these stories are showing or
illustrating truth to us rather than telling or teaching us truth” (Cartwright
& Hulshof, 2016, p. 192).
2. It is common for many to read the Bible and try to overthink what is
being said within the Scriptures. However, “narrative is one of the most
popular genres of the Old Testament. Bible scholars Gordon Fee and
Douglas Stuart estimate that as much as 40 percent of the Old Testament
is some form of narrative. With this much attention given to illustrating
truth through story, it is in our best interest to understand how to
observe, interpret, correlate, and apply the biblical narratives” (Cartwright
& Hulshof, 2016, p. 190). Understanding that most of the bible is a
narrative is important in order to understand that God is telling a story
and not necessarily telling us how we should act.
Show 1 way that understanding the various genres of the Bible could aid in
Bible study.
1. When studying the Bible, in order to better understand what it is trying
to tell us, we must realize and learn how to understand the different
types of stories and interpretations. “The Bible is all equally God’s Word,
but the books of the Bible include a variety of types, or genres, of
literature. Because each genre has its own set of distinguishing
characteristics and guidelines for interpretation, understanding these
different genres is critical to good Bible study” (Cartwright & Hulshof,
2016, p. 216).
The concept of the true rebellion of Adam and Eve against God really helped
with my understanding of what sin is. I would have thought rebellion against God
will signify an acrimonious encounter. However, Everyday Bible Study made me
understand that the resolve of man to exercise his right over and against the
ownership of God is the sin that got Adam and Eve kicked out of Eden; sin is
not one grand thing, “it’s small and subtle.”
The concept of the eternal status of man got more clarity with studying Everyday
Bible Study. The eternal status of man in not preconditioned to man following the
commands given in the Scripture, the obedience to these commands is to make man
live in harmony with others and God. Our eternal status with Christ is premised on
Christ’s ability to keep these commands, not our ability or inability to do so.
The stories of the Scripture are all true. While it’s easy to perfunctorily take God
as the author of the Bible, my acquaintance with Every Bible Study did much to
ground its authorship to God. I’m made to know that all Scripture was written
under the inspiration of God. Peter further affirmed that the Bible is solely written
under the inspiration of God, devoid of the prophecy or the will of those inspired
(2 Peter 1: 20-21). In the Bible verse mentioned above, Peter affirmed that the
words recorded in Scripture are trustworthy, if not more trustworthy, than the
accounts rendered by him.
One idea l believe is crucial in understanding some of the genres of the Bible is
for one to be familiar with some historical or cultural markers of the day that can
help to contextualize what a particular law is addressing. Understanding of the
historical or cultural markers will help unveil the principle the law is addressing,
thus leading to finding its relevance in the modern context.
Another idea that’s crucial is to see each story in the narrative genre of the Bible
as being divided into three sections: beginning, middle, and end. Since some
narrations are not given in contiguous verses, it helps to have in mind where they
will pick up.
One way to understand the various genres in the Bible from reading the Everyday
Bible Study aid in Bible study is that it lays bare the ‘Scripture Movement’ - from
God to man - using the strengths of communication of each genre.
After careful study and understanding of this week’s reading, I discovered that the
redemption of the whole world by God through his only Son must not be taking
lightly. The life of everyone before the redemption was at stake. It was difficult to
see the promise made by God for mankind in the Garden of Eden. Men suffered
for many years because of the fall in the Garden of Eden. However, since God is
merciful and Faithfull in all his ways, he determined to make Mankind come back
to him through the sacrifice of his only son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Also, I found that God demands his creatures to reference him always. While it
may not be clear to many what it means to be saved. The death of Jesus Christ
on the cross of Calvary made it very clear that mankind has no way to redeem
what have been lost through the disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Jesus Christ
knew the gravity of the assignment, but he volunteered to come as the sacrificial
lamb. Jesus came to die for our sins, making it possible for God to forgive all our
sins and therefore make it possible for his creatures to approach the thrown of
grace boldly.
I also found that whatever God gave to us is not for us alone. He expected us to
provide for others around us. He if we had done it for anyone around us, we
would have done it for him also. The way we make ourselves available to others
may either impact the lives of those around us negatively or positively. Grunewald
writes, “Our neighbors need our good works. Jesus doesn’t need our love and
service by our neighbors do. Jesus doesn’t need our food to survive, but our
neighbors might. Jesus doesn’t need us to protect Him and care for Him, but our
children do need care and protection” (Grunewald, p. 110). Thus, we are blessed to
be a blessing. We have received good things so that we can share those good
things with our neighbors.
1. So, for me the everyday study bible shoes me it is clear that, outlining happens
to be part of science and / or which is also a new growth. I just never viewed
things like that before. For me my understanding that the law reflected on justice,
mercy , you know thing's like that you know as they say in go we trust. just
showing the sins that's out there.
2. This clarified for the knowledge of the bible was dont miss the forest for the
trees for me I felt like like this concept helped me clarify the thoughts I had about
the bible , which just helped me understand it a lot better . Just dont take nothing
or anything for granted.
3. The new testament was written during the time of the church. When I talked or
talked with others we really only talked about what we reed and know about from
learning from our elders our grandparents and our parents from what they have
learned from they moms and dads and they grand and great grandparents. Our
parents learned from they families but as they get older than either take on they
own religion and belief's, so they teach they kid what they know know you have
learned all these things in the faith because unless you read it and study it your
self you would kind of be lost because we can all read the same thing that dont
mean we all took from that the same thing or what not. z
2 Crucial Ideas:
1. So, one crucial idea is that when you study the bible it is for instance in Act,
you identify the basic story that will fit into the full narrative of the Act and start
of the early church.
2. The second crucial idea is to study the bible get to know the bible in your own
right and in your way of understanding it. Once you have realized the principles
that can be applied today will have you in disbelieve in a good way. it can be
very very helpful if not to some but to all.
show 1 way that understanding the various genres of the Bible could aid in Bible
study:
Being familiar with all the various genres can help us read the next text more
accurately. Biblical genres help to inform the interpretation of certain passages of a
scripture.
3 Concepts that improved, adjusted, or clarified your knowledge of the Bible
1. “On the other hand, cultural differences and prejudices do exist today,
and if we are not careful, they can be barriers to our willingness to
fulfill God’s commands to love our neighbor” (page 219)
This is something I must remember both when reading the Bible and sharing the
gospel in modern-day times. We can look at the story of the woman at the well,
where Jesus and his disciples should not have even gone into Samaria but when
they did, we get this beautiful story of redemption. In today’s times, things can
turn for the worse so quickly that I find myself weighing my safety versus sharing
the gospel with someone. However, we are told “Judge not, that you be not
judged” (English Standard Version. 2001. Matthew 7:1)
2. The importance of the correlations in the Book of Acts (page 225)
We learn on page 225 in our Everyday Bible Study book that many other New
Testament books are written during the time of Acts such as James, Galatians,
Romans, and 8 others. I just recently learned that Acts is considered the second
half of Luke, so learning that all these books were taking place simultaneously was
a cool concept for me.
3. Do not over-analyze or under-analyze the symbolism in the book of
Revelation.
I will be completely honest with you all, I have always been intimidated to read
the book of Revelations. I am currently reading the Bible in a year, chronologically,
which means I will be reading Revelations in December and I will be coming back
to this statement. I will study the symbolism of Revelations but not get so caught
up in it to where I lose the meaning behind the book.
2 ideas that you believe are crucial to remember when studying the various genres
and why
1. Don’t mistake them for us in the gospels (page 221)
We are warned of the danger that lurks within the Gospels that we tend to
compare ourselves to those in the Gospels. We must remember that this was before
the church was created and the Messiah was walking the Earth. There are still
some lessons to be learned within the Gospels, but we do have to bring them into
reality before applying them to us.
2. Don’t forget the rest of the Bible (page 232)
This is another situation for me, where I tend to get so caught up in the details
of the history and context that I forget the big picture.
1 way that understanding the various genres of the Bible could aid in the Bible
Study
1. Don’t assume the good (226)
There are so many times that we put Biblical characters on a pedestal and forget
they are completely human as well. There are several places throughout the whole
Bible where we can see major people that lead armies in battles, and make
mistakes about turning away from God.
3 concepts that improved, clarified, or adjusted my knowledge from this weeks
reading.
Our duty as a Christian is to let our light shine and do our very best to follows
God’s word and commandments. As we know, we are not perfect such as Jesus,
but the Bible gives us a blueprint of how we should live our life and our duties
as a believer. Cartwright expresses being a good leader this way, “The question of
character emphasizes being the right kind of person. In this application question you
should focus on positive character traits to embrace. These are character traits that
promote a godly lifestyle.” (Cartwright, pg. 193)
When studying the Bible, we run across many different passages and scripture that
we can imagine. Symbolic language is something that relates to me when I read
the Bible. Cartwright explains symbolic language by writing, “Symbolic language
covers things such as imagery expressed in metaphor or simile, hyperbole, rhetorical
questions, or personification. Psalm 1:4 uses a simile to communicate meaning by
describing the wicked as being like chaff. In Psalm 23 David wrote, “The Lord is
my shepherd.” In doing so, he is using a metaphor to describe his relationship with
God.” (Cartwright, pg. 198) Throughout the Bible, we read of many different stories
and accounts of sin, love, wisdom, and blessings. When studying these scriptures, I
try to picture myself in certain scenarios which helps me understand what the
message is.
When we look at the old covenant we read about how guilty and disobedient we
are to Gods law. The new covenant we realize how powerful and merciful God is.
“We discover that the greatness of our sin has been met by an even greater Savior.
This movement from guilt to grace ends in gratitude. Through the old covenant we
recognize just how guilty human beings are of transgressing God’s law. Through the
new covenant we realize the depth of the grace of God.” (Cartwright, pg. 214)
Every day we strive to be the best we can be, but in this sinful flesh, we aren’t
always on point. Jesus is our savior; we live in sin every day, but we strive to be
as great as we can be.
2 concepts that are crucial from this weeks reading.
1 John 5:13 states, “I have written these things to you who believe in the name
of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (Cartwright,
pg. 228) Through the blood shed of Jesus on the cross, we are saved. All through
the Bible we read about faith, trust, and loving God to embrace heaven. As a
believer myself, having faith in God has helped me push through some tough times.
Cartwright writes, “The narratives of the Bible do not give us every detail behind
every story. They often tell us only what we need to know to understand how the
story fits into God’s redemptive plan. Thus, we have a tendency to fill in the
missing details. Oftentimes this desire is to craft a more effective story in our
retelling of the narrative.” (Cartwright, pg. 195) When trying to interpret a biblical
story into a twenty first century story we take away the purpose and meaning of
what is being described to us. Its crucial, when we study these accounts, we focus
on the main purpose of what Jesus and the Bible is trying to tell us.
1 way I can use what I have read.
In chapter 35, we read about a prophet and what a prophet is. A prophet is
somebody who was called by God to inform and commission Gods commands and
word. “The prophets’ message was a dual message designed to convict the people
of their sins but also to speak to the mercy and compassion of God. Thus, the
recipients would be exposed to both the law of God through the declaration of their
sin and the gospel of God found in his merciful call to repent and believe.”
(Cartwright, pg. 207) As a believer, I want to lead by example and let Jesus
control what I say and do. I feel as if this portion of the reading is something I
can use because in a time where many people have different beliefs and opinions,
I can continue to let my light shine and impact others in the best way I possibly
can.
• Three concepts that improved or clarified my knowledge of the Bible.
1. “Because each genre has its own set of distinguishing characteristics and
guidelines for interpretation, understanding these different genres is critical
to good Bible study.” (Cartwright, Guiterrez, and Hulshof, p. 216)
As mentioned in the Bible study page this quote is from, understanding every type
of genre in the Bible will allow someone to better interpret the passage they’re
reading. Not every genre in the Bible’s passages are the same, so it’s best to
remember that while looking through Scripture.
2. “Unique to the Gospels is the fact that a story, parable, or miracle might
occur in another of the Gospels.” (Cartwright, Guiterrez, and Hulshof, p.
218)
The meaning of a verse or passage is not just limited to that particular verse or
interpretation by the author of the book. There are many different passages that
share either the same meaning, or similar meanings and perspectives with each other.
3. “Unlike the Gospels, Acts, or the Epistles, Revelation is not so
straightforward when attempting to discover what kind of space it
occupies on the landscape of genre.” (Cartwright, Guiterrez, and Hulshof,
p. 234)
The Book of Revelation is certainly one of the more “prophesying” books of the
Bible, and some people, including myself, tend to sometimes glance over that aspect
of it. It is also written as if it were a letter. We may never fully understand what
may happen in the end of time, but the best we can do is prepare for that time
to come.
• Two ideas that are crucial from this week’s reading.
1. “Identify the basic story structure. If the big story of the Gospel is the
birth, life/ministry, death, and resurrection of Christ, identify where your
story fits into the full narrative. Identify the setting, characters, and actions
of the story.” (Cartwright, Guiterrez, and Hulshof, p. 217)
If we identify the story structure of a passage, regardless of what the theme is for
it, then we will gain a better understanding of the meaning behind it. This is
important to know, whether you are simply reading the passage in question, or if
you are analyzing it, or even if you are sharing it with others who need to hear it.
2. “Finally, once you have discovered principles that can be applied today, it
is always helpful to explore where else these ideas can be found in
Scripture.” (Cartwright, Guiterrez, and Hulshof, p. 220)
Whenever we feel troubled, it is okay to look to the Gospel for advice depending
on what we are going through. We are never to worry so long as we trust in the
Lord with all our heart and remember that we are His children.
• One way I can use what I read.
1. All of us can use what is written above to give advice to either fellow
Christians or people who have yet to be saved. It’s important to
remember these facts and share them with those who need them the
most, as well as those who need to be refreshed on the subject.
3 Concepts that improved, adjusted, or clarified your knowledge of the Bible
So often I find myself reading the "Law" books of the old testament by skimming
over to get to all the stories my father taught me when I was a kid. But the main
mistake in doing this that I am now correcting according to our textbook is I tend
to reject the study of the law in the first place. As stated in the text, "This biased
opinion ends up impacting their desire to read further and study the law and creates
a stunted view of scripture. As a result, the perspective of the law is that it has
nothing to teach or offer since it is a series of weird and outdated commands"
(Cartwright et al, Page 188). I think the reason it is so easy to fall into this
tendency is because society is very white and black about what the law is and
since these laws in the old testament were written a long time ago, they are easy
to dismiss.
From the same idea, I also fall victim to the fact that the narratives are illustrating
to me the truth rather than just telling me the truth. In my interpretation portion of
the Bible study project, it took me a long time to create a principle from the
passage that can be used in many different parts of the Bible, seeing it from the
whole picture and translating it across all books. Reading from the text that "we
need to recognize that these stories are showing or illustrating truth to us rather
than telling or teaching us the truth" (Cartwright et al, Page 192), I pivoted from
seeing the stories for what they were on the page to how they can be applied back
to other stories, creating a new connection I would have otherwise not made.
According to our text, "Scripture's movement is from God to humanity. It is not
from humanity toward God. We cannot be good enough long enough to work our
way back to God. What we need is something greater than a three-step pattern to
better our lives. We need a substitute, a savior" (Cartwright et al, Page 194). This
excerpt not only validated my beliefs but also clarified that not only is
counterproductive to try and make a plan to get back to God, but also I need to
take what I read and understand from the text and share it.
Explain 2 ideas that you believe are crucial to remember when studying the various
genres of the Bible and why these 2 ideas are crucial
If I've heard the expression once, I've heard it 1000 times "Don't miss the forest
for the trees". This is so critical when studying genres in the Bible because if I
hyper-fixate on one small idea in scripture, I can totally miss the big idea. The
same goes for all books in the Bible. We can get so hung up on identifying
characters, how they interact, or the way the story ends that we forget the main
idea hardly is written out for us word for word, we need to condense it into a
way we understand it, unpack it, and distribute it.
Often times when I am reading the gospels I forget that I need to take a "child's
point of view" meaning that I need to look at it as a story and nothing else. Yes,
the story has meaning, or else it would not be in the Bible in the first place. This
happens the most to me when I am reading the gospels. In our text, it says,
"Sometimes, in our honest efforts to unpack the biblical text, we can take too much
away from the greatest teacher who ever walked the planet" (Cartwright et al, Page
220). This is especially true when it comes to overcomplicating an otherwise simple
story with a simple meaning.
Show 1 way that understanding the various genres of the Bible could aid in Bible
study
Having a more broad knowledge of the genres in the Bible is beneficial in a lot
of ways. It can show those that you are with that you can make connections on
the fly to other books of the Bible, you have a true and deep understanding of the
theme, plot, and setting, and you have the power to really make an impact that
could really influence people. The only problem with this is that we get caught up
in just what it says on paper. In our text it says, "Do the difficult work and take
the extra step when it comes to a technique so that you can feed your audience a
beautiful, simple, and delicious meal" (Cartwright et al, Page 232). Sometimes not
getting bogged down in a single genre in a book can cause anyone to miss an
entire connection to another one.
3 concepts that improved, adjusted, or clarified your knowledge of the Bible:
1. “Consider how the laws you are studying could be categorized so that
any principle found in them would translate into a modern context.”
(Cartwright and Hulshof, 2019, p185)
I had not considered trying to categorize the laws in the Old Testament into a
modern understanding. Although I already understood the differences in the laws and
how the moral law is applicable to all people at all times but didn’t consider how
the other laws could still be relevant or how it could apply today. I mostly
considered them either fulfilled by Jesus or only relevant to the Hebrew people at
that time.
2. “How does the principle behind this command help me see things from
God’s perspective?” (Cartwright and Hulshof, 2019, p187)
This perspective has helped me understand some of the laws that make you go
“why?”. For example, one of the laws is don’t wear clothing made from two
different fabrics. So why is that a law, it seems kind of odd. When you look at it
from a perspective of what it symbolizes or God’s perspective it represents how the
Jewish people wear not to mix with others. Although one law that I am still
struggling to understand is why restrictions on food? I have heard explanations
before but to me they don’t quite answer the question in full.
3. “When beginning a study of a particular narrative, be sure to examine the
passages that come before and after your story.” (Cartwright and Hulshof,
2019, p190)
In my own Bible studies, I have found this to be very helpful in understanding
context. When I was younger, I thought that the bible talked about the fall of
Satan. It wasn’t until I studied those verses and read the whole of it in context
that I realized that it does not, and that idea is imposed upon verses taken out of
context. If you don’t believe me read Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14 fully, since those
are where the verses are pulled from. I have listened to those who say it does but
the case sounds speculative and it is an assumption that it was meant for Satan,
not what the text actually states.
2 Ideas that you believe are crucial to remember when studying the various genres
of the Bible.
1. “Since the Old Testament stories took place in another culture, we need
to identify the historical and cultural matters that will help us understand
the story.” (Cartwright and Hulshof, 2019, p192)
This is important to keep in mind because it can be difficult to truly understand
the principle of what is said if we don’t understand the culture, it is being said to.
Understanding the culture of the Old Testament can help us interpret and apply it
to a more modern understanding. I also think that this helps us to understand the
heart or spirit of the law instead of just the word of the law.
2. “The question of discernment deals with separating truth from error.”
(Cartwright and Hulshof, 2019, p194)
Discernment is something we should all strive for. Using it while studying scripture
is what helps us derive correct theology from the passages. It will correct biases or
false assumption presumed onto a passage. The more we read scripture in context
the better we become at discernment of scripture.
1 Way that understanding the various genres of the bible could aid in Bible study.
Understanding the various genres of the bible is important to having a correct
understanding or interpretation of the story being told. An incorrect genre analysis
of the text can greatly change the understanding of it. I mostly see this with
individuals that argue over if God create the world in 6 days or millions of years
in Genesis. Understanding that Genesis is a historical narrative the writer gave every
possible indication that it was indeed 6, literal 24-hour days and He rested on the
7th, but from another perspective which seems to be a poetic understanding of the
passage, the days can be whatever the reader wants to assume because it not literal.
Both points of view come from a difference in genre analysis of the passage. This
confrontation and division in thought could be avoided with understanding of the
intended genre of the writer.
Prior to taking this course, my way of studying the Bible was based off discovering
scriptures that seemed relevant to me and the situations that I was facing. I totally
approached reading the Bible as a point of reference of how life should be lived
for me personally. I now understand that the Bible is God’s story and illustration
of how He pursued man to place us back in alignment with Him. I now have
adjusted my approach and understanding of scripture because I understand that the
general content of a narrative includes three basic elements: setting, character, and
plot (Cartwright et al. 191) This will teach me how to pull out the essential
message and purpose of the scripture. zz
The second concept that will help me improve my studying of the Word is
recognizing that we need to identify the historical and cultural matters to understand
the story (Cartwright et al. 192). When the Bible speaks of locations, different
activities and celebrations that were taking place or mentioning a specific covenant
or tradition, it is connecting your knowledge of the Bible to prior chapters and
narratives. It is using such details as a timeline of sorts. So, one should not skip
over or downplay those events because they are all relevant.
The third concept that brough clarity to my knowledge and understanding of the
Bible, especially when reading the Old Testament, is that there are two lenses two
look through: the moral lenses and the theological lenses (Cartwright et al. 194). I
only saw scripture through the moral lenses and by doing that I diluted the Word
of God. I missed the opportunity to see the footprint of God in the scriptures.
Discovering how the Bible is broken down in genres was eye opening for me.
There are two key factors that I find to be crucial when studying genres: knowing
the who, what, where, when and why (Cartwright et al. 197) which our chapter
reading refers to as observation and paying attention to the literary features of
scripture such as symbolic language, parallelism, repetition, and alphabet acrostics.
Each of these elements are crucial to interpreting the passage correctly (Cartwright
et al. 198). If you overlook this method of studying, then you will miss accurate
interpretations of the scripture. This will also help bring clarity to what has been
written in the Bible as well.
My major takeaway for studying the various Bible genres that could be extremely
useful for Bible Study is to not miss the forest for the trees. While details can be
meaningful clues to unpacking nuance and interpretations, we cannot lose sight of
the big idea. We must work to find a balance (Cartwright et al. 221). This will
help illuminate the scriptures while studying the Bible. There is a divine balance
when dissecting scripture and this course has set me on the right path of discovery.
A concept that improved my knowledge of the Bible is understanding how each
book of the bible has a genre. Understanding the genres of each book allows me
to have a better interpretation and outlook of what I'm reading. The different
perspectives and authors behind the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, can
allow us to have a deeper connection to Jesus’s life and death. The four different
authors all wrote from different views; the reader can learn different things from
these views about Jesus' life. In the Everyday Bible Study textbook, the author
wrote, “When studying an epistle, micro-observations at the sentence level are
important. But when studying the Gospels, getting the big story is a better starting
point”. This concept helps when studying the epistles or the gospels. Knowing what
to look for in your daily bible study reading can help you grasp a better
understanding of God's word.
One idea that is important to remember from the Everday Bible Study is “Don’t
Miss the Forest for the Trees.” This concept means not always looking into details
continuously when studying scripture; sometimes, it's good to look at the “forest” or
the bigger picture of the passage to understand what God is telling. Another idea
from the Everday Bible Study is “Don’t Forget the Rest of the Bible.” This is a
simple but easily forgetting idea because it is easy to read scripture and forget
everything else God is speaking about throughout the Bible.
When you understand that the gospels are all about Jesus' life and death but written
by different authors, that the book of Acts is part two of Luke's gospel and is a
narrative, and that the epistles are letters that make up most of the new testament,
this knowledge helps the reader understand the timeline and perspectives of the
Bible when reading it. Observing, interpreting, correlating, and applying are four
steps that can be used when reading the books of the bible, and there different
genres that go along with it. The genres help us date the bible and tie it all
together; after all, the bible is only broken up in chunks for us humans to be able
to comprehend it. The Bible is one big story, God's story; the chapters are for us.
3 Concepts:
One concept that has been clarified for me was the meaning of rebellion. Like we
all know the story of Adman and Eve to my understanding they were rebellious for
dis obeying God orders. It wasn’t until I read Everyday Bible Study book that I
understood that rebellion isn’t what we all think negatively. It is actually something
that God has accepted because he just knew that we aren’t all perfect.
The second concept that has been clarified for me is the definition of sin. In my
teens my mom will force my brother and I too go to church at least every
Sundays. I was under the impression that is you do a sin, you aren’t saved. Even
before reading this book I took this so heartedly. On page 42 of Everyday Bible
Study it tell your us that it is in out nature to carry sins, we just have to put
fourth the effort to fix the deficiency. God will still save you as long as you
correct your sin.
Third concept that has been clarified is that God will show you his power of the
holy spirits through his disciples. I was under the impression that God will show
forgiveness or anything you will pray on. But his way of you believing in him his
through his disciples. As to look what happened when you believe and have faith
in me. In the chapter Act is a perfect example, they called Peter to pray for
Tabitha and as Peter shows Tabitha resurrection to the town peoples. signifying
look what God has call me to do.
2 Ideas:
First idea when studying various genres is that you have make sue you are paying
attention to what is God trying to say and the point he is making across. It can
get really confusing you understand would into a different definition then what it’s
present in the text. It’s a different translation from the Old Testament to the New
Testament.
Another idea to keep in mind is when reading the various genre you have to
understand it is God is telling a story. When you read each book you have to
think as its a story that will later connect. You just have to make sure that you
are losing track of the characters, timelines and where everything is taking place in
the book just to have a better understanding.
1 way:
One way to that various genre can aid Bible studying is by understanding the
difference type of genre. This is what I see fit best.
3 concepts that improved, adjusted, or clarified my knowledge of the Bible:
1. “The laws that we find in the Torah were very much a part of Israelite life and
the Israelite story. This is counter to the way we may view our laws and
regulations today.” (Cartwright and Hulshof, p. 183). Growing up as an active
member of a church, there were always sermons about following God’s rules of the
Bible and, at times, there was some contradiction on what those “rules” entailed
and how they applied to our lives. This particular section shows that there are rules
and commands from God in the Bible, but there are specific rules and commands
for certain people and circumstances that do not necessarily apply to modern-day
Christianity.
2. My knowledge improved regarding the “new covenant is between God the Father
and God the Son”. (p. 183). While this is embarrassing to admit, that has always
been a confusing concept for me to grasp. This chapter helped me dig deeper into
this topic and grasp a better understanding of God the Father and God the Son. As
stated “God fulfills both parts of the covenant, as God the Son is the representative
for all of humanity” was the most simplistic way to put that into perspective and
prove that God sent Jesus Christ to do his work on earth as a reflection of Him.
(p. 183).
3. “It is easy in a study of the law to become so focused on legalism that we
miss the grace behind the laws.” (Cartwright and Hulshof, p. 188). This speaks
volumes about how Christians, myself included, have viewed the laws, rules, and
scriptures of the bible as old-fashioned. If you look at the bigger picture, God has
given us a road map on how to be a good Christian, whether deemed old-fashioned
or not, they are His Word. The reading for this week’s module as a whole helped
me understand how to better study and understand what God is saying and identify
where certain scripture I am reading fits. (Cartwright and Hulshof, p.190).
2 ideas that I believe are crucial to remember when studying the various
genres of the Bible:
1. First and foremost, all genres of the Bible serve a purpose. Some chapters tell
a story and there are chapters where God is speaking directly. It is also important
to steer clear of trying to interpret your own meaning of scripture and seeks God’s
direct purpose for the particular scripture.
2. When studying, remember that the book of Proverbs “are not promised”.
(Cartwright and Hulshof, p.203). As stated, it is easy to “name it and claim it” to
whatever situation may arise. (p. 203). The book of Proverbs is very inspirational,
but it cannot be used literally.
One way that understanding the various genres of the Bible could aid in Bible
study:
1. It is important to understand that you can always find a relatable character, they
may remind you of your grandmother, brother, sister, or uncle, but not all of the
behavior is solid. As stated, “Even from some of our favorite Bible characters, we
can observe behaviors that are not always examples for us to follow. Sometimes,
they are just the opposite. (Cartwright and Hulshof, p. 227).
References
Cartwright, J. & Hulshof, C. (2016). Everyday Bible Study: Growing in the Christian
Faith. Nashville: B&H Academic.
