Series:  You  Asked  For  It  Title:  Not  Just  Another  Book  GROWTH  GROUP  QUESTIONS  FOR  WEEK  of  5/3/15      Series  Overview:  This  series  is  all  about  opening  up  the  dialogue  and  asking  questions.    We  all  have  questions  and  although  some  of  them  may  not  be  easy  to  answer,  we  should  know  that  the  church  is  the  safest  place  to  ask  questions  and  seek  answers.    It’s  really  important  that  during  this  series,  we  don’t  allow  arguments  to  happen.    People  may  have  opposing  views  on  a  particular  topic  of  question  and  that’s  ok.    We  want  to  ultimately  encourage  people  to  research,  read  and  think  for  themselves.    We  also  want  to  encourage  people  to  allow  God  to  speak  truth  to  them  and  reveal  things  that  are  otherwise  difficult  to  see  or  understand  outside  of  Him.      When  I  hear  the  crazy  stories  in  the  bible,  how  do  I  know  they  weren’t  made  up?    Have  you  ever  heard  someone  tell  a  story  that  you  felt  was  exaggerated?    How  did  you  know  it  was  stretching  the  truth?    Was  someone  else  there  that  told  the  story  differently  because  they  were  an  eyewitness?    What  have  you  learned  or  were  taught  about  the  Bible  when  you  were  young  or  as  an  adult?        What  are  a  few  things  you  learned  from  Sunday  about  the  Bible?    What  didn’t  you  know  or  realize  or  think  about  before?    Read  2  Timothy  3:16-­‐17.    What  do  you  feel  that  verse  is  saying?    Why  do  so  many  people  in  the  Old  Testament  have  multiple  wives  and/or  concubines?    Have  you  ever  wondered  about  this?    What  are  your  thoughts  about  the  role  polygamy  might  have  played  in  ancient  times  for  women?        Would  you  agree  that  the  NT  is  pretty  clear  about  the  relationship  between  a  husband  and  wife  and  the  apparent  singularity  of  that  relationship?    [1  Timothy  3:2,  Titus  1:6,  Ephesians  5:22-­‐33,  Colossians  3:18-­‐19    Do  you  feel  like  it  could  potentially  create  problems  in  marriages  if  there  were  more  than  1  wife?    Practically  speaking,  would  polygamy  be  a  good  idea  to  build  oneness  in  marriage?    Do  the  verses  in  the  Bible  have  only  one  specific  meaning  or  can  you  take  them  for  whatever  you  want?    What  is  something  you  learned  on  Sunday  in  regards  to  this  question?    Have  you  ever  struggled  interpreting  what  the  Bible  is  saying?    What  do  you  feel  might  change  if  you  re-­‐read  it,  took  your  time  and  really  thought  about  it,  in  context?    I  have  a  hard  time  reading  and  understanding  the  Bible.  What  should  I  do?  I  want  to  grow  but  don’t  know  where  to  start.    Have  you  ever  felt  like  this  in  regards  to  reading  the  Bible?    What  has  your  experience  been  in  trying  to  start  reading  the  Bible?    What  are  some  tools  that  have  or  have  not  worked  for  you?    Can  you  commit  to  starting  a  YouVersion  plan  and  giving  it  a  try  for  a  few  weeks?            

Additional Resources for Group Hosts. About the Bible:

10 Reasons the Bible is True.

1. Manuscript Evidence. There are way more copies of the biblical manuscripts, with remarkable consistency between them, than there are for any of the classics like Plato, Aristotle and Socrates. "There is no body of ancient literature in the world which enjoys such a wealth of good textual attestation as the New Testament." F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?

2. Archaeological Evidence. Again and again archaeological discoveries have verified the accuracy of the historical and cultural references in the Bible. The more they dig, the more it confirms the Bible. “It is important to note that Near Eastern archaeology has demonstrated the historical and geographical reliability of the Bible in many important areas.” E.M. Blaiklock, The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology.

3. Eyewitness Accounts. The Bible was written by people who witnessed the events it describes; many were persecuted or martyred but never changed their story. Would you die for something you knew was untrue? “It is no moderate approbation of Scripture that it has been sealed by the blood of so many witnesses, especially when we reflect that they died to render testimony to the faith …with a firm and constant, yet sober, zeal toward God.” John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion.

4. Corroborating Accounts. There are plenty of references in non-biblical sources to the events described in the Bible. The Jewish historian Josephus, born in 37 AD, “provide(s) indispensable background material for the student of…New Testament history. In them, we meet many figures well known to us from the New Testament. Some of his writings provide direct commentary on New Testament references.” J.D. Douglas, ed., The New Bible Dictionary.

5. Literary Consistency. The Bible contains 66 books written over 1,500 years by 40 different writers but it tells one "big story" of God's plan of salvation that culminated in Jesus Christ. You can't even pass a secret around a circle of 12 people and get the same message at the end. “There is indeed a wide variety of human authors and themes (in the Bible). Yet behind these…there lies a single divine author with a single unifying theme.” John R.W. Stott, Understanding the Bible.

6. Prophetic Consistency. There are over 300 specific prophecies in the Old Testament that are fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. “The very dimension of the sheer fulfillment of prophecy of the Old Testament Scriptures should be enough to convince anyone that we are dealing with a supernatural piece of literature….God has himself planted within the scriptures an internal consistency that bears witness that this is his Word.” R.C. Sproul, Now That’s a Good Question.

7. Expert Scrutiny. The early church had extremely high standards for what books were judged to be

authentic and therefore included in the Bible. A book had to have been written by an Apostle or someone in their immediate circle, had to conform to basic Christian faith and had to be in widespread use among many churches. This was a careful process of “the people of God in many different places, coming to recognize what other believers elsewhere found to be true”; these writings were truly God’s word. G.J. Wenham, J.A. Motyer, D.A. Carson and R.T. France, The New Bible Commentary.

8. Leader Acceptance. A majority of the greatest leaders and thinkers in history have affirmed the truth and impact of the Bible. "I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong.” Abraham Lincoln.

9. Global Influence. The Bible has had a greater influence on the laws, art, ethics, music and literature of world civilization than any other book in history. Can you think of one that even comes close? “Christianity”, as set forth in the Bible “is responsible for a disproportionately large number of the humanitarian advances in the history of civilization—in education, medicine, law, the fine arts, working for human rights and even in the natural sciences….” Craig L. Blomberg, in Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith.

10. Changed Lives. From St. Augustine to Martin Luther to Joni Eareckson Tada to countless everyday men, women and children, the words of the Bible have transformed lives unmistakably and forever. “As unnamed masses of Christians down through the ages have shown us, the Bible is the most reliable place to turn for finding the key to a life of love and good works.” T.M. Moore, The Case for the Bible. I hope this list helps you become more confident about the Bible. But don’t forget: whenever you have an opportunity to defend God's Word, be sure to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). No one listens to an angry Bible reader.

About multiple wives and concubines. http://www.ukapologetics.net/concubine.html Bible Answers for Almost all Your Questions by Elmer Towns and Logos Bible Software.

About interpreting Scripture. 6 Principles for Interpreting Scripture. [Rick Warren] Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, that’s just your interpretation of the Bible”? It’s as if that little phrase disproves everything that’s been said. But it really doesn’t disprove anything. There are right ways and wrong ways to interpret Scripture. There are some methods for interpreting the Bible that’ll always give you the wrong interpretation every time. Here are six principles of interpretation that are accepted just about everywhere.

1. You need faith and the Holy Spirit to interpret Scripture. The Bible doesn’t make sense to non-believers. It is God’s love letter to believers. When an unbeliever reads the Word, he is reading someone else’s mail. The Bible is a spiritual book that must be understood by spiritual people. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 2:11, “No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (NIV).

2. The Bible is its own best commentary. Scripture interprets Scripture. Practice this principle by getting a Bible with cross-references in the margin. By looking up other cross references, you’ll get a much bigger and clearer picture of what God has said in all of his Word, not just that one context.

3. Read the Old Testament with the New Testament in mind, and read the New Testament with the Old Testament in mind. The New Testament is hidden in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament.

4. Always interpret unclear passages in the light of clear passages. Look at the full counsel of God in Scripture to get a clear understanding when you find a passage that seems contradictory or confusing. For example, 1 Corinthians 15:29 has a very obscure reference to baptism for the dead. It's the only time the idea is mentioned in Scripture. Paul isn’t condoning this. Nothing in Scripture condones it. Let clear passages about salvation and baptism interpret this unclear one, not visa versa.

5. Don't form a doctrine based solely on an historical event. Take historical passages of the Bible for what they’re meant to be: good lessons. Don’t build your doctrine upon them. For example, in Mark 1:35, the Bible says Jesus got up very early, went into a place of solitude, and prayed. Does that mean you must get up every morning at 4 a.m., leave your house, and go somewhere and pray? Of course not! God may convince you that’s a good idea, but it’s not a command. Use doctrinal passages to base doctrine on. Use narratives to teach lessons.

6. Never interpret Scripture based on your own experiences. The point of Bible study is not to shape Scripture to agree with your subjective opinions or your experiences. Feelings lie. Emotions lie. Instead, discover God's timeless truth and let it shape your life. Study the Bible with an open heart and invite God to conform you to his will. God doesn’t want to leave you in the dark when you study Scripture. Following these basic rules of Bible study can help to ensure you read the Word from God’s perspective.

About reading the Bible for beginners. YouVersion App

Basic Order of a Reading Plan: The Gospel of Mark The Gospel of John I John II John III John Genesis Ephesians Galatians The Gospel of Luke The Gospel of Matthew I Corinthians II Corinthians Romans Psalms Proverbs