In Acts, Luke celebrates the Jewish Beroeans of Macedonia because “they welcomed the message very eagerly and examined the Scriptures every day” (17.11). During this study, we will “get back to basics” by examining select passages from the Bible that help us to better understand the very nature of the Bible itself. From week to week we will peel back the textual, historical, personal, social, literary, and theological layers that comprise the Bible. Doing this will deepen our understanding of and strengthen our perspective on the Bible, ultimately making us more responsible readers of Scripture. So, becoming like the “noble Beroeans” in our examination of Scripture, we will continue to eagerly receive its witness.
We will not be following a textbook for this course because there isn’t one that moves from Scripture and into the questions that we will explore in this study. See the schedule below for the Scriptures and biblical themes that will be explored in each class session. For those interested, there are two helpful books that explore the questions under discussion in our new series.
- Grant, Robert M. and David Tracy, A Short History of the Interpretation of the Bible, Second Edition (Fortress Press, 1984)
- Achtemeier, Paul, Inspiration and Authority: Nature and Function of Christian Scripture (Hendrickson, 1999)
- Hicks, John Mark, Searching for the Pattern: My Journey in Interpreting the Bible (2019)
The class that is held in the main building by the Coffee Shop will be live-streamed weekly to Crestview’s Facebook page for those who are unable to attend class in person or those who miss a week or two along the way.
| Date | Topic |
|---|---|
| August 15 | Introduction: What is the Bible? Getting Back to Basics (2 Timothy 3.16-17) [Video: Carl Flynn] |
| August 22 | The Bible is Text (John 7.53-8.11) [Video: Larry Williams] |
| August 29 | The Bible is Comprised of Various Genres (parables, psalms, narratives, gospels, hymns, apocalypses...oh my!) [Video: Dwayne Simmons] |
| September 5 | The Bible is Rooted in Its History (Matthew 1 & Luke 3; Matthew 5 & Luke 6; Matthew 27 & Acts 1) [Video: Carl Flynn] |
| September 12 | The Bible is Sociological (Judges 11 (and Isaiah 7 and John 18-19, but we didn't get there) [Video: Carl Flynn] |
| September 19 | The Bible is Rhetorical (Proverbs, Philemon, Romans, John) [Video: Carl Flynn] |
| September 26 | The Bible is Interpretation (Romans 3 & 4, Galatians 3, James 2) [Video: Carl Flynn] |
| October 3 | The Bible is a Composition [Video: Carl Flynn] |
| October 10 | The Bible is Witness (Video: Dwayne Simmons) |
| October 17 | What is the Bible? - Questions of Interpretation [Video: Larry Williams] |
| October 24 | What is the Bible? - A Theological Approach to Interpretation (Genesis 1) [Video: Larry Williams] |
| October 31 | What is the Bible? - Interpreting Hosea 11 [Video: Mark Henry] |
| November 7 | What is the Bible? - Interpreting Luke 14.16-24 [Video: Larry Williams] |
| November 14 | What is the Bible? - Interpreting Ephesians 4.20-5.2 [Larry Williams (No Video This Week)] |
| November 21 | What is the Bible? - Interpreting Romans 16.1-20 [Video: Larry Williams] |
| November 28 | Mission Waco Toy Pick Up (a.k.a., "Biker Sunday") |
| December 5 | What is the Bible? - Interpreting Revelation 21 [Video: Mark Henry & Larry Williams] |