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book quote of the week
Extracting Patterns from Scripture

Extracting Patterns from Scripture

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I recently started my Master’s Degree and one of the classes I am taking this quarter is “Introduction to Data Analytics.” It is shaping up to be one of my favorite courses, and I find that some of the concepts in data analytics are helpful for the average Christian studying his or her Bible. One of the goals of data analytics is to extract patterns from a set of data to get actionable insights. This got me thinking: Christians do the same thing by extracting patterns from Scripture and then meditating on how those insights impact their lives.

But what patterns should a Christian look for as they study a Biblical text? A helpful answer comes from one of my recommended readings for my Master’s class: “Data Science” by John D. Kelleher and Brendan Tierney. If you want a high level introduction to data science, I highly recommend it. Early on in the book, the authors give four different types of patterns that data analysts look for in a data set. These four categories of patterns are helpful to keep in mind when extracting patters from scripture.

Clustering- “identifying groups…exhibiting similar behavior”

Association-rule mining- identifies connections

Outlier detection- “identify strange or abnormal events”

Prediction- “identify patterns that help us classify things…it is best to think of prediction patterns as predicting the missing value of an attribute rather than as predicting the future.”

Summary of excerpt from “Data Science” by John D. Kelleher and Brendan Tierney

What the quote means

These four different pattern types are listed in a section of the book which asks “What is Data Science?” The authors answer this question by arguing data science analyzes data to find patterns that are not obvious to then turn into actionable insights for a business. These four different pattern types are given as typical patterns one notices when analyzing a set of data.

“Clustering” is an easy concept to understand. It is simply grouping data points together based on their similarities. The example the authors give is a business (like a grocery) analyzing their customers. “Clustering” might show which customers buy the same things or shop at the same times or behave similarly. Another term the authors give for “clustering” is “customer segmentation.”

“Association-rule mining” is a related pattern, but deals with connections between data points rather than finding large clusters in the data. In our grocery store example, if customers frequently bought eggs when they bought milk, you could conclude that those two items are associated. “Outlier detection” is probably the easiest pattern to recognize: you simply find any strange or abnormal data points. Maybe in your grocery store one customer buys a high percentage of your inventory of one of your products. This customer exhibits abnormal purchasing behavior compared to your other customers.

Finally, “prediction” is a pattern which I had trouble wrapping my mind around at first. Typically, prediction means forecasting a conclusion about the future. But these authors use “prediction” to mean the ability to fill in missing attributes of some data based on other data you have. In the grocery store example, if you have a person who is a 30 year old male and you know that in the past 90% of 30 year old males purchase pretzels when they shop, you could predict that this other 30 year old male would do the same.

Why it is important

Pattern recognition is essential to Biblical exposition.

Rarely do you hear a Pastor speaking about extracting patterns from Scripture, but practically speaking, a lot of expositional tools rely on the Pastor noticing patterns in the text, bringing those patterns to the congregations attention, and then showing how those insights impact their Church member’s lives. In one sense, every single Christian who studies their Bible is a “data analyst.”

Now, Scripture is so much more than a mere data set: it is the living, inerrant, and active word of the sovereign, all-knowing God. But the Bible does contain patterns and some of these patterns are exactly the same as the ones given in “Data Science:”

  • There are “clusters” of texts which deal with a single topic. Systematic theologians often use “clustering” to see what the Bible teaches on a certain topic.
  • Texts “associate” with other texts. Biblical theologians are often interested in how a phrase used in one section of the Bible is associated with that same phrase used in another section. Additionally, Biblical authors often associate different concepts together, like how faith in Christ produces a changed life.
  • There are verses in Scripture which the Biblical authors cause to stand out (i.e. an outlier). Pastors oftentimes look for these “outliers” because they often reveal the main point of the original author. An example of an “outlier” would be the Song of Moses in Exodus after Israel parts the Red Sea. The “Song of Moses” is an outlier because it is a poetic section contained within a narrative.
  • Finally, “pattern recognition” makes sure that Scripture interprets Scripture. When you see “God is love” in a text, you also should “Fill in” the idea that “God is just” from other texts in Scripture. Your knowledge of Scripture as a whole enables you to fill in patterns as you study other texts.

At the end of the day, you as a reader of Scripture want to gain insight into who God is and what true reality is from the text. Whether you notice a connection between texts, or whether you remember something you read in a different section of Scripture and use that to fill out a passage you are currently studying, pattern recognition is a vital tool for seeing and understanding the truths given in the Bible. Therefore, if you want to study Scripture better, you must become better at extracting patterns from Scripture.

Takeaways

Today’s takeaways will turn the four different patterns given above into four questions you can ask of a Biblical text:

1. What other passages in Scripture address this same topic?

As an example, if you are studying a text of Scripture which deals with the holiness of God, you should ask where else in Scripture the holiness of God is discussed.

2. Where else in Scripture is this same language used?

This question allows you to trace a theme or an idea throughout Scripture. An example would be the crushing of the serpent from Genesis 3. You might trace this language of God crushing the serpent through the entirety of Scripture to see how the idea develops through time.

3. What stands out in this passage of Scripture? Why? What is the significance?

Oftentimes, if a phrase is repeated over and over again in a passage, that probably means the author is emphasizing something. Repetition is one way Biblical authors create “outliers” in the text, but there are other ways. Look at the passage to find what things stand out and why.

4. What truths from other places in Scripture fill out/clarify/expand on the truths given in this text?

This question is non-negotiable for Pastors who preach expositionally. To “expound” a text, you must fill out and clarify it with other Scripture. The Puritans did this excellently in the way they structured their sermons. An example of this might be when you are teaching the Philippians 3 text “Our citizenship is in heaven.” A text which expands on this idea might be “Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth.” Using the second text to expand on the truths given in the first text is a necessary skill for any teacher or preacher of God’s Word

Click here to read previous “Book Quote of the Week” posts. More tools to help you study the Bible, click here. If you found this post helpful, share on social media and subscribe below. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram for more content.

worldview-confronting preaching
We Need Worldview-Confronting Preaching

We Need Worldview-Confronting Preaching

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The Bible is powerful. Every Christian who has a proper view of Scripture will agree with this. The Bible convicts, corrects, rebukes, and trains in righteousness. It is living and active, sharper than a two edged sword. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So how can a preacher or teacher in the Church clearly present this powerful Word to a congregation? The answer is worldview-confronting preaching.

There are many types of preaching and different forms of sermon structure. But regardless of the structure, preaching should help the people of God see with clarity the truth of God so their lives are changed. That last part is key. Christians are called to be doers of the word, not hearers only. In a culture that seduces with the subtle sins of self-determination, worship of money, and pride, Pastors and teachers need to clearly contrast what the word of God says with what the culture says.

In this post, I want to lay out what worldview-confronting preaching is, why it is important, and how to do it when you are preaching or teaching.

Nothing is more important in the present time than to show how the Bible specifically corrects the false beliefs our modern culture holds

It is only through exposure to the living word of God that people can see the surpassing value of Christ and have their hearts transformed through the Holy Spirit.l

Worldview-confronting preaching defined

When I say “worldview-confronting preaching”, I am really talking about a form of application which is directed to the listeners. Other people have written far better definitions of “worldview” than I can in this post. For our purposes, “worldview” is a set of lived out beliefs and values. There are numerous sources which affect one’s worldview and one’s worldview affects how a person interprets reality around them.

Christians want to hold a set of lived out beliefs and values which align with Scripture. They want to interpret reality as God defines it, not how they define it. However, even the strongest Christian is influenced by sin and the culture around them.

Christians need to have their worldviews constantly corrected and conformed to the teaching of Scripture

This does not happen automatically. And that is why I say “worldview-confronting preaching is needed. This type of preaching goes right to the heart of the issue: people have wrong & sinful beliefs and values which cause them to live in opposition to God and His word. The goal of worldview-confronting preaching is to expose this; to show that everyone is influenced by wrong thoughts about God, Christ, ourselves, those around us, and the world in general.

The second aspect of worldview-confronting preaching is to then present the worldview Scripture gives. You show that God’s ways are right, are clear, are superior to the values and beliefs the world holds. It is through this contrast that your listeners can see their wrong beliefs for what they are and to see the beauty and wisdom of how God has ordered the world.

The importance of worldview-confronting preaching

I don’t think it is a great secret that you and I live in an age of excessive information. Everyone, including Christians, is bombarded with hundreds of worldviews, values, facts, and arguments every single day. Whether through the television, the internet, social media, news, music, art, or simply hanging around other people, it can become exhausting to be constantly discerning with what you listen to.

The danger is all this information is not neutral. It has an effect on you. As you are constantly exposed to various secular worldviews, you can unconsciously start to adopt them. Here is an example: imagine you are working in an office full of people whose sole purpose in life is to advance in their career and get more money. They are all smart, and driven, but living purely for themselves.

What kind of impact would your coworker’s worldview have on you? Even if it is subtle, I would argue to some degree that love of money and selfish ambition would influence you. Perhaps you start thinking more about money than you used to. Maybe because you want to earn the respect of your coworkers, you start working harder and longer hours, but for the wrong reasons.

What do you need on a Sunday in this example? You need a Pastor to expound Scripture clearly and show how love of money, according to God, leads to ruin but “godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Worldview-confronting preaching aims to equip congregants with the Bible’s worldview so when they are confronted with false worldviews every single day, they stay firmly fixed on what God’s word says

Practical steps to take

After expositing a text of Scripture using the tools available, what do you do next? I would argue there are four “steps” you have to take to preach in a worldview-confronting way.

1. Explain the right beliefs, values, and actions as laid out in the text

The first step is to clearly communicate the worldview God lays out in the text you are studying. Ask these questions of your text :

  • What does this text have to say about God? About mankind? Christ?
  • Are there any things in this text that are held up as valuable? As worthless? Dangerous? Good?
  • What commands, explicit or implicit, are given in this text?
  • How does this text explain the world around you?

There are other questions you could ask, but these are a good start. Your goal should be to connect the specific text you are teaching to the present reality your listeners are experiencing. What is the worldview God communicates in this text? Lay it out for your congregation so they can see it.

2. Contrast this with the beliefs, values, and actions the culture has

Once your listeners see what the Biblical worldview is, remind them how completely different it is from the worldview of the culture. Use these questions to help:

  • What beliefs are common in the culture that are opposite of this text?
  • What are the things the culture values which this text shows are worthless? Are there things the culture considers worthless that this text declares are valuable?
  • Describe the wrong actions that are common in the culture because they don’t believe this text
  • How does the culture describe the world which is in opposition to this text?

The key here is to accurately describe the culture’s worldview. Don’t just make up things about “the culture.” Don’t commit a straw man fallacy. Also don’t only focus on the most extreme beliefs of the culture all the time. Deal with subtle things like self-love or pride or excessive busyness for its own sake.

3. Show where adopting the culture’s beliefs, values, and actions leads a person

You could simply stop after the first two steps. But oftentimes, it is not enough to show the difference between the Biblical worldview and the culture. You need to show that the culture’s worldview isn’t merely wrong; it is ruinous. It will destroy those who follow it, even though it promises happiness. To do this, answer these questions:

  • What happens when a person adopts this belief which is contrary to God’s word?
  • How will following the world instead of God take away a person’s happiness and peace?
  • What poor or sinful choices will a person make if they follow the world instead of God’s word?

Oftentimes, Christians let the culture inform their worldview subtly over time because they think there is some utility in it. Perhaps they think a certain belief will make them happy or it seems more loving or it is safe or it will make them more “effective”. To combat subtle syncretism, you must show only Scripture’s path leads to life and all others lead to death. Warn your congregation of the dangers of following the world instead of God.

4. Expound the superiority of Scripture’s worldview and how it better explains reality

Finally, after showing the path of sin leads to ruin, circle back to God’s truth. Display again for your listeners how much better God’s ways are. Leave you listener without a doubt that what the Bible says is better in every way than the voices of the culture. Here are some questions to help:

  • How does the worldview presented in your text display God’s glory? God’s wisdom?
  • In what ways does this text better represent reality compared with the culture’s worldview?
  • What promises does God make with regards to this text?
  • How does this text connect to God’s plan for the world? To Jesus and the Cross?

For the preacher, this last step is a time for worship. God has graciously shown His people the path to life. He has given them wisdom for how to live in this complicated world. There is blessing when you follow God’s word.

Conclusion

Churches need worldview-confronting preaching. No body benefits from preaching which says “peace, peace when there is no peace.” Part of “equipping the saints for the work of service” is helping them see that God’s ways lead to life and the world’s ways lead to death. Don’t expect your congregation to connect the dots themselves. Clearly show the contrast between the biblical worldview and the world’s explanation of reality.

If you truly believe the Bible contains the truth and the only path to life, take every opportunity to share with other people just how unique and wonderful God’s truth is. There is not worldview, false religion, or belief system that compares to it. When you directly show the superiority of the Bible’s worldview over and against the culture’s worldview, you are glorifying God by showing His infinite worth and superiority over every man-made philosophy.

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Meals for Practicing Hospitality

Meals for Practicing Hospitality

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When my wife and I first got married, we started reading an insightful book called “The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World” by Rosaria Butterfield. I highly recommend it if you have not read it yet. “Hospitality” is simply having people over your house to get to know them, talk with them, and hopefully have opportunities to speak into their lives. In my experience, practicing hospitality almost always includes gathering around a meal.

So the question is: what are some good meals to make when practicing hospitality? When I was in college, my good friend and mentor had students over his house every Sunday night for a meal. Far from being boring, these meals were delicious (especially compared with college cafeteria food) and provided a context to hang out and talk after Sunday evening service.

In this post, I want discuss how to choose a meal when practicing hospitality and recommend a few meals that are ideal for having a medium to large group over for dinner. Use them at small groups, pot lucks, and any time the Church gathers for a meal or you open up your home.

What makes a good meal for having lots of people over?

Not every meal works for hosting large groups. You might have a dozen favorite recipes, but in my experience, there are three general characteristics of good meals to serve to large groups. Use these principles to narrow down what you plan to serve.

1. Easily scalable

This one is fairly obvious. If your recipe cannot serve 12 or more people, it probably isn’t a candidate for hosting larger Church groups. You don’t want to invite a group over having only made a small amount of food. Now, some recipes naturally are designed for large groups. These are perfect candidates for practicing hospitality. Other recipes might be originally for 4-5 people, but can be doubled or tripled for a larger group.

The key question to ask here is “Can I easily scale up this recipe for a large group?” If the answer is no, cook something different this time around. For example, I personally love steak. But cooking steak for a large group of people would be crazy to attempt; it just isn’t scalable. On the other hand, you can double or triple most pasta dishes without too much difficulty or extra work.

2. Cheap ingredients

When practicing hospitality, especially with a large group, the goal is to feed your guests and provide them with a context to fellowship with one another. Your goal should not be impressing them with your most expensive ingredients. Leave the truffle salt and caviar for a smaller meal. Cheap, filling ingredients like rice, pasta, and beans should be staples of larger meals. Look for recipes with basic, cheap ingredients and make sure any recipe you find does not require hundred rare seasonings.

Now, just because you should look for cheap ingredients and readily available spices does not mean your food should be bland. Part of the fun of cooking comes down to constraints and trade offs: given a certain amount of time to cook with a certain amount of ingredients, what is the most delicious meal you can make? It is a wonderful and fun challenge to limit yourself to essential ingredients and to still make a delicious meal.

3. Broad appeal

Hospitality is not the time to pull out that exotic meal you aren’t sure you will like or not. Don’t use your guests as tests for a new recipe. Stick with those meals and cuisines which has the broadest appeal. Most people have different tastes in food, different spice tolerance, and so on. Aim for recipes that most people, ages, and backgrounds would like. Ask yourself as you choose a recipe “is this something that the people coming would cook and eat on their own?”

As a side note, if your Church is like mine, you no doubt have members with food allergies or dietary restrictions. It is important to show love to these members by making meals which meet their dietary needs whenever possible. Every time you find or try a nut-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, or gluten-free recipe that you enjoy, save it for future hosting. It is always easier to make a single meal which everyone can eat instead of two different meals, one for someone with a dietary need and another for everyone else.

Some suggested meals for practicing hospitality

Armed with the principles above, I have full faith you can discern what to cook when having Church members over. However, to get you inspired, here are 6 general recipes or categories of recipes I have seen succeed when made for large groups of people. Each of these meet the criteria I gave above: scalable, cheap ingredients, and broad appeal. I have provided a couple “example recipes” for you to test drive for yourself under each category.

1. Tacos

This is a classic and it couldn’t get simpler. Brown the meat, season it, and then serve with as many toppings as you care to use. As long as you don’t make the tacos too spicy, it should be an easy to cook, easy to enjoy meal. Tacos are great because you can make them as simple or as fancy as you like. Making homemade guacamole is a great way to elevate a simple taco dinner.

Taco meat for a crowd

Homemade guacamole

2. Spaghetti Bake

I can’t tell you how many different forms of spaghetti bake I have had over the years. And you know what? Most of the time, it is a tasty, filling, crowd-pleasing meal. Italian food in general is ideal for hospitality since you can make it “in bulk” with cheap ingredients, and most people like it. As with tacos, you can make spaghetti bake as fancy as you desire; you have lots of choices. For example, you can use sausage or ground beef and you can either use homemade tomato sauce or opt for the store bought sauce.

Million-dollar Spaghetti Bake

Easy and delicious homemade pasta sauce

3. Poppy-seed Chicken

This is another recipe I have had in a couple forms of over the years. Most of the time I have had it with rice which makes it “go further” and guarantees guests leave the table full. You must remember to cook the chicken ahead of time but besides that it is a simple recipe with few ingredients.

Poppy-seed chicken

4. Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I have had pulled pork in many forms at many small group meals. There is simply no easier way to feed a large group than slow cook a pork shoulder, shred it with some barbecue sauce, and serve it with buns, coleslaw, and some chips. An added benefit of pulled pork is it is most of the time dairy free. There are dozens of recipes to choose from, some easy some complicated.

Basic, easy, delicious pulled pork

“Texas style” pulled pork

Fancier pulled pork

5. Zuppa Toscana

In the winter, a hearty soup is welcome at any table. Of all the soups I have had at different Church members’ houses, this is the most common. The combination of sausage and potatoes makes for a filling and tasty meal. If you want to mix things up, try using sweet potatoes instead of normal potatoes (I personally prefer it).

Zuppa Toscana

Similar soup but with sweet potatoes

6. Chili (Red or White)

Chili is filling and often cheap due to its use of beans. By browning meat with some seasonings and adding a couple cans of beans, you can cheaply feed a crowd. Serve the chili over rice and the meal will stretch even further. Another great characteristic of chili is you can cook it in a crock-pot. If you want to get even fancier, try making a white chicken chili. It is lighter, and has a more complex flavor in my opinion, but it will take a bit more work.

Slow cooker chili (Beef)

Slow cooker chili (Chicken)

Conclusion: Don’t let the meal keep you from hospitality

For those who don’t enjoy cooking, the meal aspect of having people over can become burdensome. I find that having a small list of “go-to” recipes can help alleviate this. Remember: the goal of having people over for dinner, especially a large group, is not to impress or draw attention to your skills as a cook. You simply want to provide a warm, welcoming context for spiritual conversation, friendship, and closeness.

For other posts I have written to help you interact in the local Church, click here. Share and subscribe below if you found this post helpful. Be sure to follow The Average Churchman on Instagram so you don’t miss any content.

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Practical Ways to Practice Writing

Practical Ways to Practice Writing

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Writing was never my favorite subject in School growing up. I didn’t hate it, but I never imagined I would enjoy it. Now, But as I have grown, I have found the power and pleasure writing brings. A question has always been in the back of my mind though: how does one become a good writer? What should you do to practice writing?

Others have made the crucial point that “writer’s write.” But if you are already writing, how do you become better at your craft? I was reading a secular book called “Grit” the other day, and part of a chapter gave me the answer I was looking for. Apparently, Benjamin Franklin devised a practical way to practice writing. I think his method is worth sharing.

How Ben Franklin became a better writer

Practice writing by “rewriting” the work of others

In his autobiography, Franklin described a simple but effective method he used to improve his writing. The first exercise he discussed had the following steps:

  1. Find a piece of writing you admire (choose something small to medium length, like an essay)
  2. Make short notes on each sentence
  3. Wait a while, normally a day or two
  4. Try to rewrite the original piece using only your notes
  5. Compare your “rewrite” with the original to see where you can improve

This is a brilliant little method for improving your writing. Essentially, you use the writing of others to get instant feedback on your own writing. You begin to see all the choices writers have to make as they find words to describe reality or abstractions. Since most of us don’t have an English teacher at our beck and call to edit our writing, rewriting an essay and comparing it with the original is a useful way to see where you can improve as a writer.

If you want to try this, find an article on Desiring God that you enjoy and see if you can rewrite it. You will be amazed at the insight you get into your “writing style” simply by performing this exercise once.

Practice writing by analyzing the logic and structure

Getting feedback on your writing in general is not always enough. You must test your ability to string together logical arguments and test the way you structure papers. This second exercise is similar to the one above, with a few notable additions:

  1. Find a piece of writing you admire (choose something small to medium length, like an essay)
  2. Make short notes on each sentence. Put each sentence’s notes on a separate note card or sticky note
  3. Wait about three days
  4. Jumble up your note cards or sticky notes
  5. Try to put them back in a logical order
  6. Proceed to try to rewrite the piece you made notes on using only your notes
  7. Compare your “rewrite” with the original to see where you can improve

As you can see, the process is almost identical to the first exercise except you mix up your notes. This added step forces you to think about how to organize your writing. It makes you think about the flow of a paper. Structure and logic are crucial to good writing, and this exercise makes you “reverse engineer” both of these from a paper.

I have written before about the need to analyze a Bible passage’s argument in your study. I also wrote a whole post on the many different ways you could structure a teaching or sermon. This exercise gives you practice structuring your thoughts. And clear thinking often leads to clear writing.

Practice writing by poetry

Finally, Franklin gave what I consider to be the most interesting exercise of all. The first exercise gave you instant writing feedback, the second forced you to think about logic and structure; this final exercise is about expanding your command of language itself. The process is shorter than the previous two exercises:

  • Take a story (or some other form of prose) and write it as poetry
  • Wait enough time to forget the original story
  • Turn your poem back into narrative form
  • Compare with the original

I love this: you write poetry based on non-poems. How does this help you? Poetry is full of metaphor, imagery, and language meant to engage your five senses. In order to turn a non-poem into a poem, you must use all of these tools and ask yourself “If this event/line/concept was a poem, what would it say? How can I use sensory language to describe the same things going on in this non-poem?”

Interestingly, this is something the Bible does all the time. After the Red Sea crossing, for example, you read an extended poem responding to and interpreting the previous event. The Bible uses poetry and narrative oftentimes to describe the exact same event. Even if you never become “a poet”, this exercise improves your writing by forcing you to think “poetically.”

What if you don’t have time?

That is how Benjamin Franklin improved his writing. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always have extra time to spare doing extra exercises to practice my writing. Thankfully, Christians can perform these exercises as they do their normal spiritual disciplines.

Write a teaching based on a passage of Scripture

The first exercise is the easiest to do:

  1. Read a passage of Scripture
  2. Take notes as you study
  3. A couple days later, write a brief teaching based on that passage from your notes only
  4. Compare it with the original passage to see anything you missed

One of the reasons I have ongoing teaching series on this website is to force myself to perform Franklin’s first exercise. Bible study is vital for every Christian, but a lot of benefit comes from writing out what you studied in the form of a teaching. After you finish your study, ask yourself “how would I communicate these truths to others?”

There are always opportunities to teach and share truth with others. You don’t have to be a pastor or a Sunday School teacher. Share truth in your home, in your small groups. The process of writing out what you learned from a Bible study will not only cause you to remember God’s truth better and longer, it will also improve your writing.

Outline a passage or a sermon you listened to

Similarly, you can get the benefits of Franklin’s second exercise simply from outlining. Outlining forces you to think how a passage or a sermon is structured. Here is how to do it:

  1. Read a passage of Scripture or listen to a sermon
  2. Take notes on the structure of the passage or sermon in outline form
  3. Leave and come back to the same passage you read or heard preached a couple days later
  4. Make a second outline and compare it with the first

Outlining is one of many important Bible study tools. When I prepare a sermon, outlining is the first thing I do. You have to understand the structure and logic and flow of a passage first. But an added benefit is outlining makes you a better writer.

I don’t bother writing anything on this website without first having a clear structure and flow in my mind. Sometimes I change it as I write, but if you don’t have a plan going in, it becomes hard to get anything on the page.

Write hymns and spiritual songs based on Scripture

Franklin’s third writing exercise is actually the easiest for a Christian. You and I are called to “sing unto the Lord a new song.” In my experience, the best songs are those tied closely to Scripture. So, follow these steps:

  1. Find a passage of Scripture which grips you
  2. Turn that passage of Scripture into a hymn

You don’t need to necessarily share this song you wrote with the whole Church. But you can. God is worthy of infinite worship, so you can never have enough songs to sing to Him. Write a new one, a personal one to Him. Base it off the promises in His word. And you will also find your writing and use of language will improve as you do this.

Conclusion

Writing is rarely easy, but I have found it is always rewarding. It is an avenue of creativity the Lord gave humans as a means to externalize their thoughts and feelings and reflections. God chose to reveal Himself most directly through the written word. Christians should value and seek to develop writing and reading as skills. There are many ways to do this, but I hope the practical tips Franklin used can be useful for your own life as well.

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How to Effectively Structure a Sermon

How to Effectively Structure a Sermon

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No one taught me how to structure a sermon or a teaching. I was given a limited amount of tools for studying a text, and I was told the importance of preaching. But the question of how to effectively structure a sermon was not answered for me. So, through reading and listening to a wide variety of preaching, I found a number of different ways to create an orderly sermon.

There is certainly not “one way” to structure a sermon. But there are a number of patterns or “archetypes” used by preachers both present and past. In this post, I want to give you a handful of ways to structure a sermon. There is no perfect way, in fact, I would recommend thinking through sermon structure each time you preach. Depending on the text, the length of the passage, the type of literature, and other factors, one structure might be preferred to another.

I will first define three important terms that I will use to analyze sermon structures. Then, I will present two general sermon structures from two different structures derived from the New Testament Epistle. Finally, I will present a few sermon structure “archetypes” I have analyzed by listening and reading the great expositional preachers through history.

Definitions: Doctrine, Application

The distinction between doctrine and application is one of the most important concepts to think through. In order to even begin to think about sermon structure, you must understand the vital difference between doctrine and application. Essentially, doctrine describes reality. It is a declarative statement from the Lord about what the world really is like. Application, on the other hand, gives the readers/listeners how they should live in light of this reality. It is an imperative statement which commands some response.

For example, if I said “It is raining outside,” that is a declarative statement. I am making a claim about reality. If I followed this up with “You should bring an umbrella” I am now making an imperative statement. In light of the reality of rain, I tell you that you should bring an umbrella. Most of the time, doctrine and application are connected with a “therefore”. Because something is true, you should do something.

Scripture is full of doctrinal teaching and application. But different authors go about this in different ways. The two main different ways which are helpful when thinking about sermon structure are what I will call “Paul style” and “Peter style”. I will first go through each of these styles before looking at how preachers in general often structure their sermons.

Sermon Structures Derived from Scripture

Doctrine-application structure

Even though there are exceptions, Paul favored introducing doctrine first before application in his epistles. Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians all have a pretty “predictable” structure. Paul spends the early chapters of the book piling on doctrinal, declarative, objective spiritual truths. He builds on these truths throughout the book until he reaches a “therefore.” This “therefore” transitions from the first half of the books which is primarily declarative to the second half which is primarily imperative.

Romans 12 is a great example. For 11 chapters, Paul goes through doctrine and truth and spiritual reality. Then, in Romans 12, Paul transitions to imperatives with a “therefore”.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Romans 12:1, ESV emphasis added

How does this help you structure a sermon? The way Paul structures his epistles is one of the foundational sermon structures you could choose from. Essentially, a “Pauline” sermon structure might look something like this

  1. Introduction
  2. Expound, analyze, and argue doctrinal truth
  3. Take that doctrinal truth and command a certain, necessary behavior from your congregation in response to it

The “logical progression” structure I discuss at the end of this post borrows from Paul’s typical flow. Essentially, since all application should arise from doctrinal truth, sermons which use a “Paul style” strictly separate doctrine and application. Moreover, this type of structure focuses on presenting doctrine first before transitioning to any sort of commands.

The benefits of this structure include:

  • Clear division of doctrine and application so they are not confused
  • Complete focus on either doctrine or application rather than switching from one to another
  • Logical order of doctrine then application based on that doctrine

Apply-as-you-go

The other major ordering of doctrine and application you see in the New Testament is common in the general Epistles. I call it the “Peter style” even though the ordering is found in Hebrews, 1 John, and James. In 1 Peter, Peter does not wait until the end of the letter to transition to application. Peter applies doctrine as he goes. Throughout 1 Peter, you read a doctrine and then almost immediately see it applied.

For example, halfway through 1 Peter 1, the text transitions from discussing the salvation and inheritance the Church has received in Christ to a call to holy living.

It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:12-13, ESV emphasis added

So, a “Peter style” sermon structure does not move from doctrine to application, but from one point to the next. A sermon using this organization would look like this:

  1. Introduction
  2. Expound doctrinal truth 1
  3. Apply doctrinal truth 1
  4. Expound doctrinal truth 2
  5. Apply doctrinal truth 2
  6. Repeat until finished

As you can see, each point is applied as you go through the teaching. This style has several benefits:

  • Gives readers/listeners practical application as the sermon progresses
  • By applying doctrine as you go, each application is directly tied to whatever specific doctrine it arises from

There is more that could be said on the different ways to divide doctrine and application. But understanding the two general Biblical relations gives a helpful context for analyzing the sermon structures of great preachers.

Sermon Structure Archetypes from Great Preachers

There are four general patterns I have seen in how preachers order their sermons. I have ordered these four archetypes from most “text driven” in structure to most “preacher driven” in structure. “Text driven” refers to how much of your sermon structure is derived directly from the text while “preacher driven” refers to how much of your sermon structure comes from your own opinion on how the sermon should be ordered.

Running commentary

The first archetypal sermon structure I have encountered is what I will call the “running commentary”. Calling it a “structure” might be deceiving, however, because it is almost a non-structure. Your sermon starts at the beginning of the text and ends where you decide to end for that week. Its characteristics are simple:

  1. Introduce & read the whole passage
  2. Read a small section of the passage
  3. Explain what it means
  4. Move on to the next small section
  5. Explain what it means
  6. Repeat until complete

As you can see, there really is no formal structure to this type of sermon. The preacher simply works through the passage word by word, line by line and explains it and applies it as he goes. If you choose to preach using this method, you probably don’t even think about “sermon structure”. You simply go through the text and give your commentary to the congregation as you go.

There are definite positives to this method:

  • Every single word of a passage is explained to some degree
  • You can devote more focus to studying a text rather than figuring out how to structure your sermon
  • The length of the sermon can easily scale based on how large a passage you choose

There are some drawbacks to the “running commentary” method, however:

  • It is easy for your sermon to lack emphasis
  • You can focus so much on individual words or phrases that you “miss the forest in the trees”
  • Your sermon can sound more like a class teaching rather than heralding the word

I would argue this method is most helpful for dense passages of Scripture like prophecy or the Epistles. Passages which have a definite logical argument or inherent structure can benefits from having the “running commentary” approach applied. The thoroughness of this method makes it applicable to the most complicated and detailed portions of Scripture.

Text-determined structure

This method is still based on the text, but gives a more defined structure to your sermon than the “running commentary” method. Essentially, you look at whatever passage of Scripture you are expounding and find any transitions, shifts, or sections that are contained within it. You then use these divisions to form the backbone of your sermon. In the end, your sermon structure looks like this:

  1. Introduce the text and its main divisions
  2. Read, expound, and apply the first section
  3. Read, expound, and apply the second section
  4. Repeat until all sections of text are preached

This method I call “text-determined” because you are letting the logical, grammatical, or textual breaks of a passage determine each section of your sermon. In this way, your sermon structure is still determined by the passage of Scripture itself, but you are extracting an outline from the passage instead of just walking through the passage.

If I had to summarize this method, it is making the outline of your sermon the outline of the passage. To apply the “text-determined structure” you should outline the Bible passage you are preaching early on in your study. From there, you already have a rough sermon structure into which you can add any application or further exposition.

This method has a lot of advantages:

  • The flow of your sermon follows the flow of the passage
  • Sermon structure is easily seen by your congregation in the text itself
  • Your sermon’s transitions are based on real transitions within the text
  • Outlining the passage does “double duty” by also becoming the headings of your sermon

Some drawbacks to this method include:

  • Not every text or literary type easily breaks into a defined structure
  • Depending on the length of your text, your sermon can have too many points
  • The structure of the text might not be an ideal structure for understanding the meaning of the text

What is great about the “text-determined” structure is how applicable it is to different literary types and text lengths. I think it particularly shines when preaching through Psalms (which often have clear transition points), Epistles (which have logical and grammatical features which are easy to use as transition points), Proverbs, and prophetic writings. I would argue in most cases, this structure should be your default.

Clearest communication structure

This sermon structure is less “text driven” and more “preacher driven.” It is similar to the “text-determined” structure, only with another step to it. You find the transition points of a passage and outline it. However, then you order whatever sections exist in the text in an order you as the preacher think makes the most sense. You essentially pick whatever headings or points you think the text makes, and then order your sermon based on what you think makes the most sense to your listeners. A “clearest communication” sermon would look something like this:

  1. Introduce the text and the main points you will preach on
  2. Give point 1, show where it exists in the text, expound, apply
  3. Give point 2, show where it exists in the text, expound, apply
  4. Repeat until done preaching the passage

In this method, you are not making the outline of the text the outline of the sermon. Your sermon outline, though based in the text and your study of it, is decided by you, the preacher. You think through what the most clear way to preach the text is and you let that concern for clarity drive how you order your sermon. In the end, you decide what the “organizing factor” is within the text, whether that be the main points of emphasis, the main characters of a passage, or the events of the passage. In this method, you must make a sermon structure apart from whatever structure already exists in the text.

There are some definite benefits to this method:

  • You can make the emphasis of the passage the clear emphasis of your sermon
  • Your congregation is in view as you study and prepare to preach
  • This method allows you to reduce a long or complex passage into a few central points

As with all methods, there are some drawbacks too:

  • Your sermon structure can become arbitrary or foreign to the text itself
  • It can be less clear to the congregation where you get each point you make
  • You can spend too much time focused on how to present the text rather than what the text says

The “clearest communication” structure really shines with narrative sections of Scripture and long passages of Scripture. I have written before on the difficulties with preaching narrative. Unlike poetry or logical argumentation, narrative does not always have a clear structure to extract. Therefore, having the “clearest communication” structure in your toolbox will help you when you have to summarize large portions of Scripture or when you have to deal with texts that don’t have clear or equally sized divisions.

Logical progression structure

This final sermon structure is the most “preacher driven” and has the least connection to the structure of the text you are preaching. The “logical progression” structure fits any sermon on a given passage of Scripture into three categories: definition, exposition, and implication. The structure is as follows:

  1. Introduce and read the text
  2. Define key words in the text
  3. Summarize the doctrinal truth from the text
  4. Expound on this truth by connecting it with other Scripture
  5. Draw out logical implications and applications of the doctrinal truth to your listeners.

This structure follows the “what does it say, what does it mean, how do I apply it” flow of a typical “inductive Bible study.” The Puritans often used this structure when they preached.

Some benefits of this structure include:

  • Clear, predictable flow for the congregation
  • Covers all major aspects of studying and applying a text
  • The sermon builds logically from the verse itself to the listener
  • The last thing your congregation hears is how the text applies to their lives

The drawback so the logical progression structure are:

  • Forces you to fit the nuances of a text into arbitrary categories
  • Treats all types of literature in the Bible the same way
  • Demands you reduce all of a passage into a single, definite proposition

I personally really enjoy this way of structuring a sermon. It particularly shines in expounding Epistles or smaller statements found in other Biblical literature. I do think this structure is not as effective with narrative passages or larger sections of Scripture in general. But if you are teaching only a verse or two, I highly recommend preaching like the Puritans did.

Conclusion

Structuring a sermon is a difficult but necessary task. There are a number of ways to order your teaching and no one way is the best fit for every type of literature of Scripture. My hope is that after reading this post, you have a few more sermon structures to pull from in the future. One of the highest privileges of a preacher is presenting the truth of the Bible clearly to the congregation. Keep thinking through ways to better communicate God’s truth to others.

For tools to help you in your sermon preparation, check out the Bible Study Tools page. If you need help thinking through sermon application, use these series of questions the Puritans used. I used some of these sermon structures in my own preaching, which you can find here.
The Only Christian Dating and Marriage Books You’ll Need

The Only Christian Dating and Marriage Books You’ll Need

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Navigating romantic relationships is difficult for anyone. Christian couples are no exception. If you were to go to the “Christian section” of a book store, you would likely find many Christian dating and marriage books. Many are helpful. Some are not. And discerning which books are worth your time can become a difficult task.

I often think about Ecclesiastes 12:2 when I see how many Christian dating and marriage books are written.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

Ecclesiastes 12:2b, ESV

My wife and I were blessed to have several solid Christian dating and marriage books recommended to us throughout our relationship. What makes these books so good is how Biblically sound and practically helpful they are. My recommendation is to not wear yourself out by studying a whole library full of Christian dating and marriage books.

These four books will get you into Scripture, will get you thinking about your relationship, and will get you talking with your partner about how and why you do what you do.

Christian Dating Books

She’s Got the Wrong Guy by Deepak Reju

This book is not just for girls. I think every Christian should read this book before dating and most certainly after they have started to seriously get to know someone. It is rare you read a book so thoroughly biblical while also being so completely practical. I asked my now wife to read this book when we first started dating so she could evaluate me as a man. And I read it before I started dating my now wife to make sure I was not falling into sins or patterns of behavior that were contrary to Scripture.

The heart of the book contains character sketches of the types of guys Christian girls should not date. A few of the “wrong guys” include

  • The Control Freak
  • The New Convert
  • The Long Ranger
  • The Passive Man
  • The Unteachable Guy

And so on. The book is filled to the brim with Biblical wisdom, particularly in the area of relationships we often need the most guidance: discernment.

Biblically-informed discernment is vital early in a relationship. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to get the clarity you need early on.

“She’s Got the Wrong Guy” will help you see clearly whether you should continue dating a guy (if you are a woman) or is you are the type of guy a girl should date (if you are a man). The book also includes a super practical ending section on how to break up in a God-honoring way and includes a thorough study of what the Bible has to say about waiting.

I could not recommend this book enough. Get it, read it, discuss it, then pass it off to other couples. It is biblical, clarifying, and encouraging all at the same time.

Passion & Purity by Elisabeth Elliot

My wife loves Elisabeth Elliot. So when we had just started dating, she wanted me to read “Passion & Purity”. In return, I asked her to read “She’s Got the Wrong Guy.” When I started “Passion & Purity”, I was a little suspicious. I never agreed with Joshua Harris or the dogmatic subset of the “courtship culture.” I was worried Elisabeth Elliot would fall into one of those two camps.

But I was wrong. The book is Elliot telling her love story all for the purpose of offering an encouragement to Christian couples: “It is possible to love passionately and to stay out of bed.” That is the first theme in the book. You can love someone passionately and still honor the Lord. As a romantic person by nature, I found this refreshing. Christian dating didn’t have to be emotionless or excessively guarded. I could pursue my now wife passionately and fervently without thinking that it was sinful to do so or would necessarily lead to sin.

A second major theme in this book is waiting. Honestly, the best and most biblical Christian dating books I have read have made waiting on the Lord a central theme. And “Passion & Purity” is no exception. Just hearing the long wait Elisabeth and Jim had to endure illustrated how to wait well for God to bring you into marriage. Books like this help set your expectations in dating. Waiting is the norm. Patience is one of the best fruits of the Spirit you can cultivate both before dating and during dating.

The third theme in “Passion & Purity” is obedience and self-sacrifice. Elisabeth writes dogmatically, apologetically, and directly. This can turn off many modern readers who are accustomed to reading books which are non-confrontational, which hedge their bets, which are careful not to state anything too strongly. Don’t read “Passion & Purity” to get a lot of “exceptions to the rule” or “gray areas.”

Elisabeth Elliot will tell you straight up that following Christ requires you to die to yourself. Dating is no exception.

Now, I did not agree with every single minute thing in “Passion & Purity”. The only way you can make this book unhelpful is if you accept every little thing Elliot says as prescriptive. I don’t think that was her purpose in the book. Glean wisdom from her experience, and think deeply about the Biblical truths she applies to dating. If you do that, you will likely come away with a more biblical perspective of relationships than what you had before you read the book.

Christian Marriage Books

When Sinners Say I Do by Dave Harvey

When my wife and I were engaged, this book was recommended to us by practically every solid Christian we knew. I normally am suspicious when a book is a “must read”. But in this case, the recommendations we received were spot on. I have read a ton of books in my life so far. But I can safely say this is in the top 5 best books I have ever read. Easily. Every Christian should read it, even if they aren’t currently in a relationship.

I don’t use “Gospel-centered” very often. But I can truly say the Gospel is in every page of this book. I have never read a book that meditates so deeply on the gospel and then applies it so thoroughly to an aspect of the Christian’s life. My wife and I read it together before we were married and we still reference it in our marriage.

Every chapter focuses on a specific topic related to marriage and builds on the previous chapter. Most of the chapters have a memorable story to serve as an example, an exposition of a Bible passage, and then concludes with how living out that passage might look in your marriage. Harvey is an excellent writer who words things in memorable ways.

Once you read this book, you will start noticing in your marriage the ways you are falling short of God’s standard. But you will also see how the gospel covers and empowers you to reflect Christ and the Church in your relationship. If I had to pick out once foundational quote to summarize the book, it would be

Mercy sweetens marriage.

Where it is absent, two people flog one another over everything from failure to fix the faucet to phone bills. But where it is present, marriage grows sweeter and more delightful, even in the face of challenges, setbacks, and the persistent effects of our remaining sin.

When Sinners Say I Do, emphasis added

Read this book. Your eyes will open to what Scripture has to say about your marriage.

The Marriage Journal by Audrey & Jeremy Roloff

To end this post, I want to give a final practical tool my wife and I use in our marriage. “The Marriage Journal” isn’t a book to read as much as it is a set of weekly questions to ask each other. Every week you fill out a calendar of things you are going to do that week, read a short devotional, and then ask each other 6 questions:

  • What brought you joy this week?
  • What was hard this week?
  • What is one thing I can do for you this week?
  • Is there any unconfessed sin, conflict, or hurt that we need to resolve and/or seek forgiveness for?
  • What is a dream, craving, or desire that has been on the forefront of your mind?
  • How can I pray for you this week?

Why do I love this resource? It has helped my wife and I maintain a pattern of communication throughout our marriage. There have been countless important conversations that have come about simply from doing this journal week after week. An added bonus is you get to look back and see what you were doing, what you were thinking, and what you were going through that year.

This is a frequent wedding gift we purchase for people because we have seen the benefits of weekly communication. No matter where you are at in your marriage, scheduling time for serious conversation and reflection will benefit you and your spouse.

So those are the Christian dating and marriage books I recommend. And I don’t often recommend any other books besides these for couples. I find that they give enough wisdom, biblical insight, and practical application to guide you through dating and into marriage.

Do you have any Christian dating or marriage books that you find helpful? Let me know what they are! Click here to see my other book recommendations.
Iterative Bible Study: How to Slowly Understand a Text

Iterative Bible Study: How to Slowly Understand a Text

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I am convinced many people have the wrong view of Bible study. They think Bible study is simply a matter of sitting down, looking at a text, and understanding it almost immediately. This mentality works for certain texts that are clear in interpretation and application. But when confronted with more difficult texts, an “understand this text in the first read through” mentality can become very discouraging. The solution? Something I like to call “Iterative Bible Study.”

How I came up with this concept

What is an “iteration”?

There are three sources I used to come up with this concept: my engineering background, the Feynman technique, and a quote I read on non-fiction writing. I am personally surprised the word “iteration” is not used more often in Christian circles. It is a word used all the time in STEM fields, and it is a helpful concept to apply to other aspects of life. What does the word “iteration” mean?

Iteration is the repetition of a process in order to generate an outcome. The sequence will approach some end point or end value. Each repetition of the process is a single iteration, and the outcome of each iteration is then the starting point of the next iteration.

“Iteration”, Wikipedia

This concept is used in mathematics and computer programming all the time. But once you take this definition and apply it to Bible study, it becomes a powerful tool to understand a difficult text of Scripture. Iteration is a sort of incremental action you repeat until you reach the goal. Each time you repeat, you learn a little more.

Feynman’s method for learning

Where the idea of Iterative Bible Study really started formulating in my mind, however, came after reading about Richard Feynman. Feynman was an incredibly interesting person, but what stuck out to me was his method for learning new things. He learned by following a simple cycle (or you could call it, an iterative process).

Visual representation of Feynman Technique

Essentially, Feynman would start with a topic and try to explain it at a child’s level. Why a child’s level? Because if you can’t explain something clearly and briefly without resorting to too many complicated words, you probably don’t understand the concept that well yourself. After trying to explain a concept or topic at a child’s level, Feynman would make a note of where his knowledge was lacking. Then, Feynman would go to try to acquire the knowledge he lacked.

This process was then repeated until he could clearly articulate a complex concept clearly. Now, Feynman used this technique as a physicist. But as I read about his method, I couldn’t help but think this is a perfect way of approaching Bible study. The best part of this technique is helps you clearly see what you know and what you don’t know. Once you see what you don’t know, you have the starting point for the next round of study. Feynman used an iterative process to learn and it is a powerful tool that needs to be applied to Bible study.

A quote on non-fiction writing which also helped me

A final source which helped me formulate this idea of “iterative bible study” is a quote found in the book Tools of Titans (I don’t particularly recommend this book. Some parts were helpful but on the whole I would suggest Christians not spend their time reading through this volume.”

You don’t have writer’s block when writing non-fiction. It is you not having enough research to write with power and knowledge on that topic.

Tools of Titans

The quote comes from an interview with a non-fiction writer. Essentially, anytime you start struggling to write something in non-fiction, that is evidence you need to cycle back and do more research. Not being able to communicate a concept indicates you yourself do not understand it fully. That sounds almost exactly like what Feynman said.

How does this quote apply to Bible study? Gaps in communication are caused by gaps in understanding. As you work through a Bible passage, if you cannot clearly communicate what a part of that Bible passage says, you likely have more study to do. Iterative Bible Study is about cycling back through to fill those gaps in understanding.

You don’t need to have all the answers write away when studying Scripture. But you do need to note those places where you don’t understand a text. Then, you need to cycle through to answer those questions.

A Visual Aid

Before actually going through a step by step walk through of Iterative Bible Study, I want to provide an easy visual reference. Seeing the concept is easier than reading it described.

Iterative Bible Study Visual AidDownload

What is “Iterative Bible Study?”

Now I will walk through each step one by one. It is important to note there is a number of ways you can use the concept of “iterations” in your personal Bible study. I have designed this tool to mainly focus on studying the text from the get go. In other words, these steps are for when you just start looking at a text of Scripture.

Step 1: Read through the text

This is an obvious first step but a necessary one to state. Whether you are studying a verse or a longer passage, the first step is to read through the text. Start noting any clues you find that the author has left for you. Particularly focus on the flow and structure of the passage. What are the repeated phrases? Where are the changes in tone?

I personally find it helpful to underline and circle any key components of the passage as I go. I draw arrows in between connections and note any important textual features directly in my Bible. If you prefer not to write in your Bible, I recommend using a notebook or computer to write out the important things you see as you go through.

Step 2: Write out a rough outline

Now that you have some initial insight into what the passage says, it is time to start writing an outline. I give an example of how to do this later on in this post. Essentially, you are looking at the passage and organizing the pieces of it under heading. Oftentimes, an outline takes the following form:

  1. Main point 1
    1. Sub-point 1a
    2. Sub-point 1b
  2. Main point 2
    1. Sub-point 2a
    2. Sub-point 2b
  3. Etc.

Let the structure of the text determine the structure of your outline. Don’t stress too much about getting everything right immediately. This is only a rough outline. You have to see what you know before you can see what you don’t know.

Step 3: Write questions you want answered into the rough outline

This is truly where Iterative Bible Study begins. Now that you have your rough outline, you start injecting questions you have into the outline itself. If you don’t understand a certain part of a passage or the passage brings out a question you have, write that underneath the corresponding heading. It will look something like this:

  1. Main point 1
    1. Sub-point 1a
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
      2. Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
    2. Sub-point 1b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
  2. Main point 2
    1. Question 1 about Main point 2
    2. Sub-point 2a
    3. Sub-point 2b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
  3. Etc.

As you can see, you can have questions about main points, and sub-points. You can have several questions about one point or no questions about a point. Putting your questions in bold is probably a good idea so you can distinguish between what is from the text and what is a question you have.

It is also important to note, you don’t just have to put questions into the outline. You can also note key terms you need to define, metaphors you need to study to understand, or other passages you think are relevant to the text at hand.

This is the most crucial part of Iterative Bible Study. If you don’t figure out what questions you have or what the gaps are in your understanding of a passage, you will not make progress.

A good rule of thumb is if you cannot explain a certain point of a Bible passage to a 1st grader, you probably have some gaps in your understanding of that point.

Step 4: Go back to the text and other Scripture to answer those questions

Now you get back to work. By writing the questions and knowledge gaps you have, you have revealed the next steps you must take for your Bible study. Go back to the text you are studying or search other parts of the Bible to answer the questions you have. If you singled out terms you need to define, using a software such as Blue Letter Bible is helpful.

You might have noticed you are now approaching the text a second time. This is your first iteration. You are using your first look at the text as a way to see what else you need to study to understand God’s Word. As you work to answer the questions you wrote out in Step 3, I find it helpful to put the answers right back into the outline.

  1. Main point 1
    1. Sub-point 1a
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
        1. Answer 1
        2. Answer 2
      2. Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
        1. Answer
    2. Sub-point 1b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
        1. Answer
  2. Main point 2
    1. Question 1 about Main point 2
      1. Answer 1
      2. Answer 2
    2. Sub-point 2a
    3. Sub-point 2b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
        1. Answer
  3. Etc.

You can see that your outline is now filling up. Even in a single iteration, you should have a much better understanding of the passage you started studying. Simply by identifying questions you have and gaps in your knowledge of a passage, you were able to direct your Bible study. Iterative Bible Study is all about making little steps forward in your understanding of a text.

Step 5: Repeat Steps 3-4 until satisfied with your study

Now, the reality is your further study could have revealed more questions you have. That is perfectly fine. The whole point of Iterative Bible Study is to keep asking questions and getting them answered. If after your first round of study you still have questions, repeat Steps 3-4 until you are satisfied. If you go this route, your outline might start looking like this:

  1. Main point 1
    1. Sub-point 1a
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
        1. Answer 1
          1. Follow-up question for Answer 1
        2. Answer 2
      2. Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
        1. Answer
    2. Sub-point 1b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
        1. Answer
      2. New Question about Sub-point 1b
  2. Main point 2
    1. Question 1 about Main point 2
      1. Answer 1
      2. Answer 2
        1. Follow-up question for Answer 2
    2. Sub-point 2a
    3. Sub-point 2b
      1. Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
        1. Answer
  3. Etc.

The hope is that in your second round of going through Steps 3-4 you have less questions and gaps in your knowledge. You can repeat this process until you are out of time to study, until you understand the passage, or until you are satisfied with the current depth of your Bible study.

Why is Iterative Bible Study helpful?

Now that you have seen how to do Iterative Bible Study, the question remains of why you would choose to approach a text this way. Certainly this method of Bible Study is one of many. I believe, however, that Iterative Bible Study is one of the best tools you can have in your toolbox when seeking to understand a text. Three benefits come to mind of adopting this method:

You don’t have to get everything completely right the first time

I have met many Christians who freeze at certain passages of Scripture. Whether because the passage is long and difficult or they are afraid of misinterpreting a text, I believe a lot of Bible Study is quenched because of fear. And somewhat rightfully so: God’s word is powerful and must be interpreted properly.

However, I think such a fear also comes from not knowing how to start. Even more than this, a lot of Bible Study doesn’t happen because people don’t know where and how to start.

Iterative Bible Study helps because there is not a pressure to get the passage completely right the first time. The whole point of starting your study is to see what parts of a passage you understand and which parts you do not understand. This method gives you a clear, easy way to start studying a text. And from there, it gives you a path forward to progressively seeing what God’s word is saying.

Helps you distinguish between what you know and what you don’t know

Clear thinking is important for Bible Study. And nothing helps you think clearer than distinguishing between what you know and what you don’t know. Iterative Bible Study gives you a powerful method to seeing what things you know and what parts of a passage you need to work at further to understand.

If you don’t know what is missing from your understanding, you won’t know where to look. By putting questions directly into your outline, you not only see what you need to answer, you also see what parts of the passage are causing you the most difficulty. Simply putting questions into a rough outline helps you think more clearly.

Gives you more questions to answer with each iteration

A lot of Bible Study is simply asking the right questions of a text. Not all your questions will be relevant, not all your questions will get answered in the ways you expect. Iterative Bible Study forces you to constantly ask questions of the text and then seek for answers from Scripture. This process allows Scripture to interpret Scripture because you are seeking answers to your questions by going to the Bible.

The more questions you have, the more Bible you will read. The more Bible you read, the more it shapes your thinking. That process is built into Iterative Bible Study and once you get in the habit of asking good questions of Scripture, the more rich your study will become.

An example of Iterative Bible Study

Before closing this post, I think a brief example of this method is helpful. I am actually currently using this method to prepare a sermon on Romans 1:11-12.

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Romans 1:11-12, ESV

So after reading the text, the first step is to create a rough outline.

  1. Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
    1. Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
  2. Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
  3. The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith

The outline pretty basic, but it breaks down the two verses a bit. Now, I start adding the main questions I have into the outline.

  1. Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
    1. Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
      1. What is the definition of “strengthen”?
      2. What is the definition of “spiritual gift?”
      3. Why is encouragement called a “spiritual gift?”
      4. How does mutual encouragement of faith strengthen a Church?
  2. Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
    1. Why is mutual encouragement important to Paul?
    2. What do Paul and the Church in Rome have in common?
  3. The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
    1. How can someone’s faith be an encouragement?
    2. What is the definition of “encouragement”?

You see that even from a short outline, questions cause the study to build outward. Some of the questions are a little redundant, but that is okay at this stage. This outline is not the outline for the sermon yet, it is simply a tool to aid my Bible Study.

The next step is answering these questions by studying Romans 1:11-12, other passages of Scripture, and using a tool to help me define the words I need defined. I would then start adding those answers to the outline.

  1. Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
    1. Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
      1. What is the definition of “strengthen”?
      2. What is the definition of “spiritual gift?”
        1. “Charisma” -“a divine gift” points to the origin of the gift
      3. Why is encouragement called a “spiritual gift?”
        1. The encouragement of other believers is a gift from God
      4. How does mutual encouragement of faith strengthen a Church?
        1. Strong faith sets an example (Abraham)
        2. Strong faith points us back to God (Hebrews 11)
        3. Seeing faith in action in someone’s life encourages us to stay the course
  2. Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
    1. Why is mutual encouragement important to Paul?
      1. Paul’s letters are full of encouragement to local Churches (1 Thess 5:11, Phil 2:1, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
      2. Scripture contains a number of “tools” to help Christians grow…one of those is encouragement
      3. Church in Rome was a minority, persecution was coming
    2. What do Paul and the Church in Rome have in common?
      1. Same fundamental need
      2. Need righteousness from Christ
      3. Same ethical implications from Gospel
  3. The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
    1. How can someone’s faith be an encouragement?
      1. Strong faith sets an example (Abraham)
      2. Strong faith points us back to God (Hebrews 11)
      3. Seeing faith in action in someone’s life encourages us to stay the course
    2. What is the definition of “encouragement”?

I didn’t bother answering all the questions for this example, but you get the point. Now I could go back through and ask further questions of the text. With each iteration, my outline fills out and my understanding grows. But you see that even after one iteration, the depth of my understanding of Romans 1:11-12 has grown by leaps and bounds.

In conclusion, Iterative Bible Study is a powerful tool to add to your personal Bible study. It gives you a place to start even when studying the most difficult of texts. You can slowing understand a text and then move on to meditating on how it applies to your life.

Want more Bible Study Tools? Check out the Tools page. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram so you won’t miss out on tools like this one.
Get to the Core of a Bible Passage

Get to the Core of a Bible Passage

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Open up your Bible to any text. Immediately, you as a reader are confronted with a textual forest. Complex arguments. Poetic language. Parables and Proverbs. Narrative. What is your first step to understanding this text? How do you get to the core of a bible passage?

In many ways, analyzing a Bible passage is like doing detective work. And the Biblical authors have left you a bunch of different clues to help you understand the truth God is communicating. This post will go through a list of those different clues. By knowing what to look for, you won’t miss important clues the author gives to help you out.

1. What style of literature is the passage?

This first clue the author gives you is essential to interpretation. Books have been written on the different literary types of the Bible and how to approach each type. If you have taken a literature class growing up you are familiar with different literary types: poetry, narrative stories, plays, etc. One of the things which makes Scripture difficult to interpret sometimes is there are several different literary types contained in it.

Your first step to understanding the Bible passage is simply to identify the type of literature you are dealing with. Does the passage record a historic event? Then it is likely narrative. Does the passage discuss the future using metaphorical language? Then it is likely prophecy. Does the passage fit within a stand-alone book with a sender and a receiver? Then it is likely a letter.

Discerning the type of literature of a Bible passage sets your expectations as a reader. A narrative passage which says “He ate locusts and wild honey” you might take literally, while a passage of poetry which declares God’s word is “sweeter than honey” must be understood as a metaphor.

2. What is the structure of the passage?

After figuring out the type of literature, it helps to examine the structure of the passage. What I mean by this, is simply to look at what happens in the passage. Are there distinct sections in the passage? Or does it all flow together? Are there different “scenes”? Is there a break in flow or a something unexpected which appears in the passage? Look in particular for any shifts in tone or focus.

Answering this question can be difficult at the start. You might need to look at other clues in the passage before answering the question. But understanding the structure of the passage helps you see the “big picture”. Oftentimes, if you just straight into defining words or breaking down metaphors, you end up losing sight of the passage as a whole.

Each part of the passage contributes to the whole. Don’t get overly focused on any one part without understanding how it fits into what the author is saying

3. Is a word or phrase repeated?

This is one of the easiest things to look for and might be one of the most helpful. Looking for repeated words and/or phrases helps you discern what is the emphasis of this passage? One of the common pitfalls you can make in your Bible study is emphasizing whatever you think is important without asking what does the author think is important?

Repetition is a simple clue Biblical authors leave to say “Here is my point! Don’t miss this!”

Now, not every repetition emphasizes the “main point.” But oftentimes a repeated phrase should clue you in to how you should interpret a passage. For example, the other day I was reading through Genesis 39. It is the passage which describes Joseph as a slave in Potiphar’s house and then getting sent to jail after getting falsely accused. As I read, I noticed the passage kept repeating the phrases “The Lord was with Joseph,” “The Lord blessed Joseph” and kept mentioning “Joseph’s authority”.

Just from seeing those repetitions, I could start interpreting the significance of the passage. The author is trying to emphasize Joseph’s success was a product of God’s blessing. What specifically did God bless Joseph with? Authority. More study needs to follow to understand the text fully, but let textual repetition shape your thinking early on in your study.

The text often repeats what is most important.

4. Are any emotional words used in the passage?

I have elsewhere argued that figuring out the emotion an author is trying to convey is vital. Passages of Scripture aim to have a definite effect on the reader. The Bible wants to change the way you think and act, but it also wants to shape your emotions. One of the ways to discern what the author wants you to feel is to look for “emotional words”.

What I mean by “emotional words” are adjectives, verbs, exclamations, or other words which strongly point towards a particular emotion. If I yelled out “ow”, you would immediately assume a negative emotion. If I say “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!” there is a strong positive sound to the phrase. “There is no fear of God before their eyes”, on the other hand, sounds like a negative appraisal.

The emotional words in a passage help you hear the author’s tone. You have had this experience before if you have ever written someone an email. Because you cannot show the recipient your facial expressions, you have to choose certain words to convey positive, negative, or neutral emotion. It is the same thing with Biblical texts. The emotional words in a passage give you a clue to how you should feel after reading it.

5. Are there any important words to define?

You often don’t have time to go through and define every single word in a bible passage. Nor is it always helpful to do so. A lot of times, the essential reality a text is pointing to is dependent on a few key words. Sometimes those words are the repeated words in the passage or the emotionally charged words. But as you read through the passage, ask yourself after each sentence “do I understand what this means? If not, is there a word that, if I understood it, I would understand the passage?”

Key words are exactly that: words that unlock your understanding of the sentence or phrase. If a sentence is using simple words that you understand at first glance, maybe there are no key terms to define. But if you run into a sentence that you have to read through multiple times to understand, there may be a word that you could define. A good practice is to simply list out those key words and then go through one-by-one and define them in their biblical context.

Oftentimes, if you don’t understand a bible passage, you really just don’t understand a few key words. Study those, and you’ll understand the whole passage.

It is important to use an online tool like Blue Letter Bible or software like Logos to define the words. What you really want to do is understand what the word could mean in the original language, and then see how it is used throughout scripture. Whatever you do, don’t simply use an English dictionary to define the key words. If you do this, you are translating a translation. Original languages are vital for this step. Better to go to a commentary which discusses the original languages than an English dictionary.

6. Are there any metaphors in the text and what do they mean?

Metaphors are essential to communication. Bible passages make frequent use of metaphors regardless of the genre. I consider understanding metaphors to be so crucial to understanding scripture, I created a whole tool to help you understand them. I invite you to go read that post if you want a deeper understanding of how to get your mind around a Biblical metaphor.

For the purposes of this post, you must know how to identify a metaphor. This is where knowing the type of literature comes into play. If you are studying a Psalm or prophetic literature, expect more metaphorical language. Metaphors simply explain a complicated, abstract concept by comparing it with a concrete, easily understood concept. A righteous man is compared to a tree. God’s word is compared with gold and honey. Locusts become a picture of God’s judgement.

You will not fully grasp a Biblical text until you identify the meaning of its metaphors.

7. Is anything contrasted in this passage?

Contrast often goes hand-in-hand with metaphors. A contrast is simply taking two things and emphasizing their differences. A good example is Psalm 1. In this Psalm, the righteous man is contrasted with the wicked man. You as the reader are meant to see the differences between the two. Another classic example of a contrast is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus contrasts a wise man who builds his house on a rock with a foolish man who builds his house on the sand.

When analyzing contrasts, ask “what differences should I be seeing between these two things?”

8. Are there any if-then statements?

The fancy title for these is “conditional clauses.” If this thing happens, then this other thing happens. If-then statements are found throughout the Bible. It is helpful to divide them up between the “if” and the “then”. The “if” answers what needs to happen and the “then” answers what will happen as a result. Sometimes the words “if” and “then” appear in the passage, other times they do not. You have to be discerning and thoughtful to notice if a condition is present.

For example, the verse “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” might not seem to be an if-then statement. But you could rewrite the verse as “if the Lord does not build the house, then those who build it labor in vain.” You see that the originally verse is actually a conditional clause in disguise. Be on the lookout for if-then statements in whatever bible passage you are studying. Oftentimes, an if-then statement will hold the key to interpreting the passage.

9. Are there any logical arguments in the passage?

In the future, I will write an extensive post on logical arguments and how to analyze them. Suffice to say, logic is a tool you must have to read and grasp any text. Biblical authors use logical arguments explicitly and implicitly in their writings. A logical argument draws a conclusion from premises. In other words, a logical argument wants you to accept something as true because of other things which are true. I highly recommend every Christian take a course or read a book on logic. The payoffs to your Bible study will be exponential.

There are a number of words which indicate premises and conclusions. I will give you them in a different post. For now, look for the word “therefore.” “Therefore” is a word which almost always indicates a conclusion. And where there is a conclusion, an argument is almost certainly nearby. So look for logical progressions, arguments, & conclusions. They often reveal the point of a passage.

I will go as far as to say you cannot study the Bible without understanding logic. It is fundamental to understanding language & communication.

Conclusion

There are dozens of ways Biblical authors communicate truth. Some are easy to understand but most require thought and work to grasp. This post has given you a few important parts of bible passages to look for. There are certainly more. But if you start your Bible study looking for the clues given in this post, you will most likely have a much easier time understand the author’s intent. Understanding a bible passage takes time, but if you are equipped with the right tools and know what things to look for, you will always find a truth about the Lord to excite you.

Interested in applying a Bible passage? Check out these tools for sermon meditation and important application questions.
4 Helpful Steps for Breaking Down Biblical Metaphors

4 Helpful Steps for Breaking Down Biblical Metaphors

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Biblical metaphors can be incredibly difficult to understand. What does it mean when Jesus says believers are “the salt of the earth?” How is God’s word a “lamp unto my feet?” In what way are our “sins like scarlet?” Almost every passage of Scripture uses metaphorical language to communicate truth.

Therefore, you have the ability to interpret and understand biblical metaphors if you are to understand large chunks of Scripture. Not everything in Scripture is a metaphor. Identifying what is and isn’t a metaphor is also a crucial skill. But once you identify a metaphor in a Bible passage, you must have right tools to grasp what the metaphor means.

I have attached a worksheet below to help you think through and analyze biblical metaphors. Oftentimes, when you break a bible passage into its components, you will start seeing metaphorical language. This tool will help you unpack that metaphors significance.

Biblical Metaphors WorksheetDownload

If you want to know how to use this worksheet or you aren’t sure what a metaphor really is, keep reading. In the following sections I will first give a helpful definition of “metaphor” and then walk through the different steps you use in the worksheet to understand it.

Understanding how to interpret Biblical metaphors will increase the depth of your Bible study and decrease mistakes you make when studying a text.

What is metaphor?

The Equation

One of the more helpful non-Christian books I have read recently is “I is an Other: The Secret Life of Metaphor and How it Shapes Our World” by James Geary. I highly recommend reading through it if you are able. No book will make you think through metaphor and its use in language more than this volume.

The basic definition given in this book is a metaphor compares something you don’t know with something you do know. In other words, you compare two completely different things to reveal something about those things. Oftentimes, metaphors compare something abstract with something more concrete.

For example, “sin” is abstract, hard to understand. But when it is compared with “scarlet”, you can start to understand the word “sin” better. It is a stain. It is somehow related to the color of blood.

Metaphor uses a simple equation: X = Y. X is something you don’t understand. Y is something you do understand. By setting these two things in relation to each other, truth and reality are communicated more clearly.

This might seem incredibly complicated. But trust me, you use metaphor on a daily basis (and in almost every sentence). For example, when was the last time you said to someone “I see what you are saying?” That is a metaphor. You cannot literally “see” with your eyes words that someone speaks to you.

In this example, you are using the metaphor “seeing = knowing”. “Knowing” is abstract. What does it mean to know something? But “seeing” is pretty easy to understand. You “see” things all the time. By making “seeing” equal to “knowing”, you better understand what “knowing” means.

Metaphor is a way of communicating something difficult to understand by using something easy to understand. It takes characteristics of one thing and gives it to another.

Why is this important? The Bible uses metaphor everywhere. In parables, in proverbs, in poetry and in prophecy. You cannot get away from it. God has graciously chosen to reveal truth to us using metaphor. This makes the truth easier to grasp and understand.

Two Pitfalls to Avoid

There is one more comment to make before moving on to how you break down biblical metaphors. Just because the Bible is full of metaphorical language does not mean every single passage is a metaphor. Do not fall into the trap of spiritualizing and allegorizing every single text of Scripture. The Bible is full of enough obvious metaphors without you adding more to the text.

Understanding what metaphor is and isn’t becomes important in passages like Galatians 4 where Paul compares the law and the promise to Ishmael and Isaac. Metaphors use real things. Paul is not saying Ismael and Isaac weren’t real people. He is comparing real people with real abstract truths (law and promise).

Metaphor does not make everything into an allegory or spiritualize every single verse. Metaphor takes one real thing and compares it with another real thing.

With those caveats in mind, let’s move on to using the Biblical metaphors worksheet to understand some texts in Scripture.

Steps for understanding Biblical metaphors

Step 1: Set up equation

On the top of the worksheet, there is a section to write down the metaphor and the Bible reference. When you are studying a passage of Scripture, see if there are any key metaphors in your text. Remember, a metaphor takes one thing and explains it in terms of another.

An example of a key metaphor is “The Lord is my Shepherd.” If you were studying Psalm 23, you would write that metaphor at the top of the worksheet. God is being compared with a shepherd and since you know God is not literally a shepherd, you should immediately recognize the Psalmist is using metaphorical language.

Another example is “the fruit of the Spirit”. The Holy Spirit does not literally make believers into a fruit tree. Therefore, Paul is comparing the work of the Spirit to fruit metaphorically. In this case, you might write “Work of Spirit = fruit” at the top of the worksheet.

I often try to write the metaphor in the form of X = Y. Since I have an engineering background, it helps for me to visualize what the metaphor is actually comparing. But if you find equations scary, just write down the sentence in the text which you think contains the metaphor.

Oftentimes, the first half of the sentence gives one part of the metaphor and the second half gives the other part of the metaphor. That is the case in the metaphor “though your sins be like scarlet”. Sin is the first part of the metaphor, and scarlet is the second part.

Step 2: Describe characteristics

After you write down the metaphor itself, the next part of the worksheet has you write down the characteristics of each half of the metaphor. Ask yourself “What words would I use to describe the first half? What words would I use to describe the second half?”

For “the Lord is my shepherd”, the first half of the metaphor is “the Lord” and the second half is “shepherd.” So first ask yourself “What words would I use to describe the Lord?” Write them down on one side of the worksheet. I normally shoot to have 3-5 different words. Next, ask “What words would I use to describe a shepherd?” and write them on the other side of the worksheet.

The purpose of this step is simply to understand the components of the metaphor. If you don’t know what is being compared, you won’t be able to understand the significance of the comparison.

For the metaphor “the fruit of the Spirit,” I would it into “the Spirit” and “fruit.” Under “the Spirit” I might write “part of the Trinity,” “dwells inside believers”, and “empowers believers.” Then, under “fruit”, I might write “grows on a tree,” “sweet”, and “variety of different types.”

Once you are satisfied with your understanding of each half of the verse, move on to the next step.

Step 3: Compare & contrast

Now that you understand each half of the metaphor, ask yourself “How is the first half of the metaphor similar to the second half? How is it different?” In the worksheet, first write down the similarities between the two things before writing how they are different. In the previously mentioned book on metaphor, the author says “a good metaphor is like a good detective story…its solution shouldn’t be immediately apparent in advance.”

This step is where you “solve the mystery” so to speak. Once you think through the similarities between the two different things being compared, you start to understand what the metaphor is getting at. The author also says “every metaphor has strengths and weaknesses and can break down.” This is why you ask in what ways the two parts of the metaphor are different: you can see where the metaphor breaks down.

In the example of “the Lord is my shepherd,” the similarities you might write down are “the Lord cares for His people like a shepherd cares for his sheep,” or “the Lord provides for His people like a shepherd provides for his sheep,” or “the Lord leads His people like a shepherd leads his sheep.” Some obvious differences are the Lord does not have an occupation as a shepherd. Nor does God physically care for physical sheep.

In the example of “the fruit of the Spirit”, some similarities could be “the work of the Spirit in your life produces something like a tree produces fruit,” or “the Spirit produces positive effects in your life just like fruit is normally a tasty, positive thing.” Obvious differences are the work of the Spirit isn’t physical like fruit nor is it visible or consumable in the same way fruit is.

These are just brief examples. Take your time on this step and do not rush. This is where the real work for understanding biblical metaphors happens. If you spend enough time on this step, the point of the metaphor will usually show itself clearly. Once you have written down the similarities and differences, you are ready to move on to the final step.

Step 4: Succinctly summarize

You have found the metaphor, thought about the metaphor and (hopefully) solved the metaphor. Now, it is time to summarize what you’ve understood. Looking at the similarities and differences you found, try to answer this final question “What truth is this metaphor trying to illustrate, clarify, or make memorable?” Try to write one or two sentences at the most at the bottom of your worksheet.

For “the Lord is my shepherd” example, look back at all the similarities and differences. There are a lot of similarities I proposed. If I had to summarize them all, I would write “The Lord is our shepherd in that His people are completely dependent on Him, and He provides completely for His people.” That one sentence captures most of the similarities and avoids any of the differences.

In “the fruit of the Spirit” example, I would summarize the similarities with “The work of the Spirit is like fruit in that the Spirit produces a definite, good and visible effect in a believers life. There are a variety of good effects and they grow with time.” These two sentences capture the similarities of the work of the Spirit and fruit. It also incorporates a difference: the fruit of the Spirit should be visible, just not in the same way literal fruit is physically visible.

Now that you have your summary, you can see the metaphors importance in whatever text you are studying and you can also succinctly summarize your study to another believer.

You can also take your summary of the metaphor and start thinking through the applications it has to your life.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have now done an in depth study of a biblical metaphor. This type of method is incredibly useful for prophecy, parables, proverbs, and poetry in Scripture. But metaphorical language is also sprinkled throughout the Epistles and even in Narrative passages.

The important takeaways: find the metaphor. Break it down into two halves. Compare and contrast those two parts. Then summarize your findings.

I truly believe understanding Biblical metaphors more clearly will take your Bible study to the next level. Even though metaphorical language can be scary, the method laid out in this post and in the attached worksheet gives you an easy step by step process to understand the metaphor before you.

Metaphors aren’t the only thing to look for in a Bible passage. If you want more important things to look for in a Bible passage, see this post.

Found this tool useful? Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram and share it with friends. Also check out other Bible Study Tools I have created.
How to Disagree Well in Your Local Church

How to Disagree Well in Your Local Church

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Disagreement among Church members can be a very difficult thing to navigate. Oftentimes I ask myself “how can I disagree well with this person?” By “disagreeing well” I simply mean voicing clearly the specific points of disagreement so that the conversation can continue in a profitable and unified way.

What is the alternative to disagreeing well? Just go to the comments section of almost any online video or discussion forum. Answers are not given thoughtfully. Answers are given harshly.

I worry that sometimes a worldly spirit of disagreement enters the Church. This worldly spirit emphasizes proving yourself right rather than teaching and being taught by others.

And such a spirit is dangerous for any local Church. Paul says as much in Ephesians:

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:29, ESV

Even in disagreement, your goal should be “building up” and “giving grace” to the Church member you disagree with.

So, the question of how to disagree well is a vital one for each member of the body of Christ.

Now, a thorough Bible study on this topic would yield a wealth of insight. But for this post, I want to share a tool I personally have found helpful to keep in mind when disagreeing with anyone.

The tool is from one of my favorite non-Christian books of all time: How to Read a Book by Mortimer Alder. The book has a wealth of information and gives essential tools for reading and understanding a text.

For this post, there is a useful section which describes how to critique a book after you have read it. The main point of this section is not just saying “I don’t like the sound of that.” Rather, you learn to specifically and profitably think through where you disagree with the author. It is an incredibly helpful section not just for reading, but for life in general.

In this post, I am going to go through each of the different ways to disagree well. I give a visual aid below for you to reference. I pray this tool will help foster more profitable disagreements in your local Church.

How-to-Disagree-Well Download

Make sure you understand the other’s position

The first step to disagreeing is to make sure you understand what you are disagreeing with. This may seem like a simple step, but it is often overlooked.

If you disagree with someone without understanding their position, you risk several things.

  • First, you might not have an actual disagreement.
  • Second, you might misrepresent the other’s position.
  • Finally, you might disagree with something that isn’t integral to their argument.

I’m sure you have experienced each of these before. Perhaps after an extended (possibly heated) back and forth with someone, you come to find out that you didn’t actually disagree. You were merely using different terms.

Or perhaps someone has levied critique after critique on your position without bothering to ask whether they were representing your position accurately. This is also called a “strawman” fallacy.

Equally common is someone disagrees with a small, side part of your argument. A conversation over an important issue then becomes sidetracked over an assertion that has little effect on your conclusion.

In each of these cases, when you misrepresent someone else’s position, the conversation can become heated and unprofitable. As a Christian disagreeing with another Christian, the effects can damage your fellowship or witness.

The solution: before you disagree, understand.

To disagree well, understand thoroughly

There are a couple ways to make sure you accurately represent someone’s position.

Restate it in your own words

This is the simplest but maybe most impactful thing you can do to disagree more profitably. Simply say to the other person directly “So, if I understand you correctly you are saying…(Insert position here)…Am I representing your position correctly?”

If you cannot express the other person’s position in a sentence or two, you either do not understand their position or they have not explained their position effectively and clearly.

In either case, until you can restate the other person’s position in your own words, do not start bombarding them with your disagreements.

Ask a clarifying question

Another helpful way to make sure you understand the other person’s opinion is to simply respond with a good question. This has two good effects:

  1. It shows you were actually listening and have some level of understanding
  2. The question itself once answered will further clarify the other person’s position

Jesus asked good questions all the time. A great example of this is in Luke 20 where Jesus asks the priests and elders if John the Baptist’s baptism was from God or man. The question itself revealed the priests and elders hearts.

When you think you understand someone’s position, ask more questions. If you think you have asked enough questions, try a few more.

Who knows: maybe the very point of disagreement you have with another will be answered simply through asking a question.

What question are they trying to answer

This isn’t something you necessarily have to say out loud to another person. But for your own thinking, it is helpful to frame what another person is saying in terms of what question they are trying to answer.

For example, let us say you are discussing Eschatology with a fellow believer and find yourself disagreeing. After asking good questions and summarizing the other person’s position in your own words accurately, you should think “what are we trying to answer here? What is the question beneath this conversation that we are both trying to answer?”

Perhaps it is how to interpret the 1,000 years passage. Maybe you are trying to figure out what the relation between the Church and Israel is. Whatever the case, knowing what fundamental question you are seeking to answer will help you discern whether your disagreement is meaningful or not.

For example, if in the course of your disagreement over Eschatology the other person made an off statement about the structure of the Church, you should not necessarily voice that disagreement right away. Knowing what fundamental question you are answering will weed out the smaller disagreements so you can key in on one or two major ones.

A lot of unhelpful disagreements in the local Church happen because you focus on every little are you disagree. Focus on the essential rather than the side issues.

Having done all of the above, you are now in a much better position to voice your disagreement. Your disagreement will now be based on the other person’s actual position and will focus on the key disagreements.

Are they lacking important information?

Mortimer Adler puts it like this:

To say that an author is uninformed is to say that he lacks some piece of knowledge that is relevant to the problem he is trying to solve…you must be able to state the knowledge that the author lacks and show how it is relevant, how it makes a difference to his conclusions.

How to Read a Book, pp 154-155

Is there a point the other person makes that would change if they had more information? This is a type of disagreement that often happens amongst believers. Your brother or sister might have a compelling argument, but fail to remember a crucial Bible passage or verse.

The key thing to do here is to lovingly, graciously show them that passage of Scripture. Perhaps even say “how would you understand this passage in your argument?”

Oftentimes, average Christians don’t make omissions willfully. The Bible is a vast and complicated book. You and I can’t hold every single verse in our head. Therefore, you and I need other people in the local Church who will remind us of verses we might have forgotten.

Christians should welcome having our opinions and conclusions corrected by the Word of God. Most often, this correction comes from another believer.

If you are disagreeing with someone who loves the Lord and has a high view of Scripture, there is no reason sharing Bible verses with them should lead to heated confrontation. Do so lovingly. Take them to the Word. And then let the Bible correct their understanding if it needs correcting.

Are they asserting something that is incorrect?

To say that an author is misinformed is to say that he asserts what is not the case. His error may be owing to lack of knowledge, but the error is more than that…The author is proposing something as true or more probable what is in fact false or less probable…This kind of defect should be pointed out, of course, only if it is relevant to the author’s conclusions. And to support the remark you must be able to argue the truth or greater probability of a position contrary to the author’s.

How to Read a Book, pp 155

In the first response, you disagreed because of a Scripture passage which was not taken in to account. In this response, you disagree how a Scripture passage was interpreted in the other person’s argument.

An argument is built off of a series of assertions which are either true or false. Think of them as building blocks in a tower. If one of your building blocks is damaged, it can cause the whole tower to fall. So it is with an argument.

If an assertion is made that is false and it is crucial to the argument, gently show the other person why their assertion is false and what the corresponding true position is.

As previously stated, when talking among believers oftentimes this takes the form of discussing an interpretation of a passage of Scripture. If a Scripture is crucial to an argument and is misinterpreted, you will likely have to address why that interpretation is wrong and what you think the proper interpretation is.

This is incredibly common during the normal life of a Church. It is one reason good hermeneutics (how you study the Bible). That is one reason I developed a Bible study tool to help make sure you properly interpret Scripture.

Any Biblically sound argument is based on sound interpretation of each text in that argument.

Did they make a logical fallacy?

To say that an author is illogical is to say that he has committed a fallacy in reasoning. In general, fallacies are of two sorts. There is the non sequitur, which means that what is drawn as a conclusion simply does not follow from the reasons offered. And there is the occurrence of inconsistency, which means that two things the author has tried to say are incompatible.

How to Read a Book, pp 156

This disagreement focuses not on what information exists or what assertions are made. Instead, this disagreement focuses on how that information or those assertions are strung together to reach a conclusion.

Even though there are countless logical fallacies, Adler’s two large groups (non sequitur and inconsistency) are helpful and memorable. A Non sequitur jumps to a conclusion without sufficient evidence. Inconsistency asserts two contradictory things to be true.

Addressing this type of disagreement in the Church can potentially become the most heated in my experience. In this case, you are not offering additional texts or pushing back on a textual interpretation. You are instead asking “do those texts together lead to that conclusion?“

I think one of the reasons this type of disagreement can become contentious is it is more personal than the previous two. Both of the previous disagreements were focused on the texts themselves. This disagreement is saying “you personally have come to a conclusion by your own mental error.”

Tread humbly and carefully when critiquing someone’s logic. Remember: the goal isn’t to be right or to feel smart. Your goal should be to lovingly correct your brother or sister in Christ for their own edification.

Questions like “does that follow from text?” or “can those two assertions be made at the same time?” are incredibly helpful. But wield them wisely and tactfully.

Is their analysis incomplete?

This type of disagreement is a little different from the previous three. If you have any of the previous three disagreements, you can disregard someone’s conclusion. This final disagreement merely judges the completeness of an argument, not the quality of the argument itself.

Adler explains:

To say that an author’s analysis is incomplete is to say that he has not solved all the problems that he started with, or that he has not made as good a use of his materials as possible, that he did not see all their implications and ramifications, or that he has failed to make distinctions that are relevant to his undertaking.

How to Read a Book, pp 159

For this type of disagreement, it is helpful to remember what question you originally were seeking so solve. Has your brother or sister’s argument answered that question thoroughly? If not, you can help them expand it or address an area that needs more thought.

This also comes in handy when thinking about the application or the “so what” of a Biblical text. If the argument is sound but the implications are not fully explored, help your brother or sister think through them.

The Puritans had useful questions to ask to solve this problem. I recommend you commit them to memory so you can help others in the Church think through important Biblical implications.

It is important to note here that all human’s are finite. No one’s analysis is going to exhaustively represent all of Scripture. Only bring this type of disagreement up if it is helpful for the conversation. Don’t show off for no purpose by expounding a hundred meaningless implications other people haven’t thought of.

I find this type of disagreement most often comes up in leading small group discussion. It helps to restate the person’s thoughts in your own words and then add maybe one other important thing they forgot. Don’t list out everything you may want to add.

One of the biggest blessings of the local Church is sharing our Biblical knowledge with each other. You can know more of the Bible within a community of believers than you can on your own.

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Check out my previous tool which will help you apply Scripture to your life.