The Best Fisherman Is The Carpenter?

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting October 22 to study Luke 5:1-11.  This is the account of the first disciples.  To catch us up with what's happened so far, Jesus has been baptized, gone to Nazareth to be rejected, healed the sick, cast out demons (and one fever from Simon Peter's mother-in-law), and taught about the Kingdom of God.  Now Jesus starts making disciples.

Read through the verses several times.  Look for details of this possibly familiar story that you missed before.  Ask questions about the timing, order of events, statements made and questions asked by the those involved.  Jot down questions and notes about what you read.  After that look through any commentary or study Bible notes you have.

Having done all that, go back through with the questions below:

•  Luke uses the term "the word of God" here for the first time, but it becomes fairly common in both Luke and Acts.  What do you think the term means for Luke at this point in Jesus' ministry?  What do you think constitutes 'the word of God'? 
• Jesus finds two boats empty on the shore with the fishermen washing their nets.  So what do you imagine is the time of day at this point?
• Jesus steps into the boat of Simon and asks him to put out a little from the shore.  This makes sense with the crowds pressing in around him, but think about the fact that Jesus has already been to Simon's house, and healed his mother-in-law (see Luke 4:38-39).  How does that help provide more context for you knowing that there is already some familiarity between Jesus and Peter?
• After Jesus has stopped speaking, He addresses His 'captive audience' in Simon.  Since we can assume Jesus already knows what He wants to do, why do you think He chooses this way to do it?  Why through fishing, if it's something Simon is already familiar with?
• Simon protests, but relents.  What do you think this says about Simon's attitude toward Jesus?
• Simon uses a term, 'master' for Jesus.  Follow the link to look this word up on the Blueletter Bible site.  Look over this term Simon uses for Jesus.  What do you learn about Jesus and His relationship to His disciples from this word/term?
• Simon puts out and lowers his nets.  The response of the fish is immediate.  Simon didn't 'chum' the water, he knew how able (or unable) he was to catch fish at that time of day.  So, what do you think this said to Simon about Jesus?
• The amount of fish nearly sinks both boats.  This is probably more than they catch on their best day, and this hasn't been a good day, up till now.  What do you think Simon is thinking as more and more fish come into the boats?
• Simon responds by telling Jesus to go away from him.  Why do you think he would do that?  Considering what Jesus just did for his business, what's with his sinfulness now?  He's not too sinful to listen to Jesus' teaching, not too sinful to have Jesus visit his house, heal his mother-in-law; but now, with all these fish, he's too sinful.  What's up with that?  What do you think Simon knows now he didn't before?
• Jesus responds with a 'do not fear' statement, common in both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.  Why do you think this is important for Jesus to say and for Simon to hear?  What do you think Simon was afraid of?
• From now on Simon will catch men, in somewhat the same way he caught fish.  How does this help you understand the choice of miracle for Jesus, again considering what His purpose was from the start?
• All of the fishermen landed (including James and John), and they 'divorce' or 'forgive' everything and follow after Jesus.  Think about the choice of word for 'left everything', click the link to see the definition on the Blueletter Bible site.  What does it normally mean or mostly translated as?  How does that help you understand what these men did to follow Jesus?

And now apply the AHA principles to what you read.

AWAKENING:  Prayerfully go through looking for the thing that God is using to awaken something in you.  Think through your life in relation to the people and teaching involved.  Jot down the 'alarm' that God is using with you.

HONESTY: Next be honest about your life in light of this 'alarm'.  Think through what God is pointing out to you about your life, like where you have strayed from a direction He gave you before, or about something you've been doing or not doing.  What do you see about your life in a new light from this passage?

ACTION:  Lastly, what do you need to do about what you discover?  What action do you need to take in light of your honest assessment of what God is saying to you?  What can you do now, before Thursday?  What do you need to do, perhaps long-term?

That should keep us busy for the week.  Be sure to bring your notes and any AHA with you Thursday!

What If You're NOT the Pilot?

This is the study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting October 24 to study Multiply, Chapter 2: The Command to Make Disciples.  Essentially, we're studying Matthew 28:18-20.  So, while this may be familiar to you, spend some more time with it this week (beyond the time you spend in the chapter of Multiply).

The chapter is broken down into sections where we look at this command in the context of church, our lifestyle, and roles within the church.  It ends with getting out there and doing it, looking for someone to disciple.

I want to stress to you again, this is not another discipleship program.  If you look at it as another program, you will miss the point completely.  The purpose to this study to provide a framework in which you will make disciples for the rest of your life.  The framework simply applies principles from Scripture to create boundaries and a perspective through which to approach your discipling activities covering the remainder of your time here on earth.

In order to help you with this 'framework' here's some thoughts on the Great Commission:

• The verb normally translated, 'go' is actually a passive participle.  It is normally translated as a command because it is possible for participles in Greek to 'borrow' their meaning from the various verbs around them.  But what if this one doesn't, and really is a passive participle referring to a verb describing transiting from one point to another?
• How can you be 'acted upon' and result be moving about from point A to B?
• 'Going' is often a euphemism for 'living your daily life' in Greek and Hebrew.  So what does that do to/for your understanding of the passive participle?
• The 'command' verb in these verses is 'disciple' (or 'make disciples').  If the previous participle forms the 'context' of this command, then what does that mean for your obedience to the command?
• In the carrying out of the command to disciple, are the active participles, baptizing and teaching.  How do these elements help inform your understanding of what goes into obeying the command?
• Why do you think Jesus 'brackets' this command with His authority and then with His constant presence with His disciples?

Sorry, I just couldn't get away from poking around in Bible even though we're reading study material.  It's what I do, just indulge me a bit.  But also read this chapter, probably several times, and be sure to answer the questions.  Really think them through.  Some of them we will not share answers, but some we will (or I will at least ask).

It may also be helpful to read ahead.  You won't ruin any surprises if you do.

What God Regrets

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Bible Study Group meeting September 5 to study 1 Samuel 15.  This is a very interesting chapter.  It recounts one of Saul's victories listed in chapter 14, but also the final failure and rejection of Saul as king.  There is no "time-table" so we don't know how far into his reign this happens.  It could be a decade or more of his twenty or so years reign.  Since for this account, timing is not important, we'll just study it as it's presented.

Read through the chapter several times, and note items like where are people when they are doing what is described.  It may be helpful to trace Saul's route on a map (or two maps perhaps - there's one down below).  Be sure to read the chapter in a few translations.  They read differently, and those differences are your clues to "difficulties" and the various possible solutions.  Make some note and bring them - we had some real good ones last week.

After reading through a few times, read back through using the questions below:

• Samuel gives Saul some instructions from God.  How explicit and clear are these instructions?  How much "room for error" did Samuel/God leave Saul?
• How long did Saul wait to start out?
• Who are the Kenites?  Look them up here.  Why let them go?  What "kindness" did they show Israel in the desert wandering?
• Verse 7 sounds good, then verses 8 and 9 depart from his instructions.  In the previous chapter (14:48), Amalek is described as ones having plundered Israel.  What difference might this make in influencing their obedience to the command of God?
• In verse 11, we are introduced to a word ascribed to God, a characteristic of His.  Look up H5162 in Strong's Concordance (your own or online).  Think about what this means, essentially all the meanings have a common thread.  What does this mean that God can do this?  Why might that be a problem "theologically" for people?
• This is where we trace Saul's route to Gilgal.  He comes back and goes to Carmel first.  Look at the map below.  Why is that a strange route to take?  Consider what he does there.  Hold that thought.
• When Samuel shows up at Gilgal, how does Saul greet him?  Consider that along with the thought you were holding from the previous question.  Now, how does Saul seem to view the situation?
• When Samuel asks Saul about the sheep and cattle, Saul says they are for sacrifice.  In such an act of worship, what happens to the sacrifice?  (think about this from previous references in Samuel).  So what is the intent of the people/Saul?
• In all the places where "utterly destroyed" or "completely destroyed" is used, it refers to this word at H2763, listen to it in addition to reading about it. Does the word sound familiar, but from a different context in the Middle East?  What is allowed to escape the "ban"?  Why or why not?
• Even through verse 16, Saul doesn't seem to grasp the situation.  Why might that be?  How could he not know he's done something wrong?
• Even as he answers Samuel, he still protests his innocence.  What is it the difference between Saul's intent, and the intent of the "ban"?  Wouldn't the end result be the same?
• In Samuel's response to Saul, he uses two words for "sacrifice", one the "whole burnt offering" where nothing is spared, all is burned, and then the word Saul has used throughout.  What's the difference?  How does this illuminate more about what is really wrong here?  But what would have been different had they intended a "whole burnt offering"?
• If God delights more in obedience than offerings, what does that say about our worship on Sunday's?  What is supposed to characterize us throughout the week?
• Read verse 23 in as many versions as you can find.  Saul's sins are rebellion (as bad as divination), and what?  What is as bad as idolatry?  Why might that be true, and connected to idolatry?
• Samuel calls what Saul has done, "rejection of God's command/word".  How aware was Saul of what he was doing and what it really meant?  Does God take that into account?
• Read both verses 24 and 30.  From Samuel's response, how much difference does it seem to make whether Saul is sincere or not?
• When Saul grabs Samuel's robe and it tears, consider what he says to Saul, what will God not do? This word "change His mind" or "relent" or "repent" is the same word used previously for God in verse 11 (H5162).  What's the difference here?  Why not here, but before God does?  Hold that thought.
• Samuel does go back with Saul, but he has other reasons than making Saul look good to the elders and the people.  What does Samuel do to Agag?  Look at verse 33 in as many versions as you have.  The NIV is "nicer" but the others are more accurate.  How does this influence your thinking about God?
• In verse 35, God again is said to "repent" or "regret", and it's our same word.  Again, why here, but not in verse 29?  What does Samuel's claim mean in verse 29?
• How does Samuel feel about all this?  Consider verses 11, along with 35.  Keep this in mind, because it comes back around in the next chapter.

That should keep us busy Thursday.  I look forward to studying with you then.

Inauspicious Prep for Battle

This is the Bible study page for the Thursday Night Study Group meeting August 22 to study 1 Samuel 13.  This is one funky chapter.  Linguistically, it's full of really strange words only used once or twice for technical items, odd grammatical structures, and my Hebrew program left things out and mistranslated others a few times.  The essence of what's going on is hard to follow regardless of whatever problems I had working through it.

Read through the chapter a few times.  Read forward to Chapter 14 to get context.  This chapter is short, and the next one is way long, but really completes the story started here.  Read through chapter 13 a few times, and jot down odd things and questions (you will probably have plenty).  Go through again using the questions below:

• Verse 1 is missing in older texts, when it does appear has various numbers for his age, the length of reign is often missing, and when it is there is 2 years.  What do you think it changes if we ignore it entirely?
• Cities are one of the hard parts of this chapter.  Remember the starting positions: Saul in Michmash, Jonathan in Gibeah, and the Philistines in Geba.  Find these on a map, think about how much space is being referenced.  So why might everything happen in Benjamin when it's so small?
• Since Jonathan starts the conflict, what might that reveal about Jonathan's character?
• In this chapter (and throughout the book) two terms are used for the people, "Hebrews" and "Israel".  What clues do you see that there may be a distinction between these terms?
• Where is Gilgal from the rest of the events in this chapter?  Consider the difference in elevation, why might this be a bad idea?  So, why meet there?
• What is odd about where the Philistines make their camp?  Why there?
• Again in verse 6 and 7, there seems to be a difference between Hebrews and Israel.  Who does what, and what do you think that means about the difference?
• In verse 8 we're given the reason they meet in Gilgal, and what does this "appointed time set by Samuel" refer back to?  What do you think that means about the historical timing of Saul's reign?
• Saul offers the offerings without waiting for Samuel, what does this say about Saul's character?
• Considering the punishment described by Samuel, does it seem to fit the crime?  Why do you think it would it be so severe for not waiting?
• So, now Saul is in Gibeah, but then he and Jonathan are in Geba and the Philistines are in Michmash.  We've traded places.  Why might that have happened?
• Why do you think the Philistines would send out raiding parties instead of assaulting 600 men across the gorge from them (see 1 Samuel 14:5)?
• What do you think the point about the "blacksmith's" is about?  Why do you think this detail is important here?  
• Again, the term used here is "Hebrews".  How does this help us understand differences in terms?
• What sort of weapons would the people have if not swords and spears?
• What do you think it means that Saul and Jonathan have swords and spears?

Ouch! What Was That For?

I didn't want to forget again, so I made sure I posted here before I started posting on another page.  This is the study page for our group meeting on June 7 next week.  Chapter 17 forms an interesting couplet with 18, somewhat like Chapter 1 and 2 as we saw before.  The similarities are striking as are the differences.  It might help to read both chapters together even though we will be spending more time on 18 later.

As you read 17, consider the following questions, and, as always, come up with your own.

• God names Himself, what is different here from the names previous?
• Look up "blameless", or in the Strong's Concordance, "perfect".  How is that the same or different from what we normally think of as either blameless or perfect?
• This seems to be another "greeting" (remember chapter 15?).  How does this event seem to differ from before in Chapter 15? (there's a clue in verse 22)
• God changes Abram and Sarai's names here.  Read this article about names, and the significance of name changes from the Blue Letter Bible website.  So why does this relationship between Abram and God "turn a corner" here? What's so different now?
• The promise of lots of descendants and the land Abraham resides in is repeated in verses 4-8.  But now the covenant is ratified, not by binding God to it (chapter 15), but by circumcision of Abraham; and everyone else.  Why impose this so thoroughly throughout Abraham's household?
• What would you have thought if your household leader comes to you with this "new plan" from God?
• The text is very explicit that Abraham complied that very day, repeating it several times.  Why is that important?
• What limits would you place on your obedience to God?  What does "making sense" have to do with obedience?

That should do it for now.  Remember to write down questions you have as you read.  Some will be answered are you study, and some not (some never).  Bring 'em on!

Blessings upon you, and see you this Thursday!