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. yy
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. yy
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. yy 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.
