About Biblical Literacy and Biblical Theology
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The Mission of The Bible Study.Org is to promote Biblical literacy, Bible fluency and spiritual growth in our lives, families, churches, communities and nations--through whole-Bible studies for individuals, small groups and church classes.
To an extent for many people, the Bible has become "like a software agreement." When asked if we believe the Bible, we scroll to the bottom and click "I agree," without reading the text or understanding the terms of the agreement. Scripture itself is its own best interpreter. So questions raised by one portion of text can be answered by other portions, and settled by the Biblical context overall. Since God is the ultimate author of the Bible, it is there where we find His truthfulness and grace in His communication with each of us. Biblical theology, opened up in prayer and humility, helps us trust and uphold in our faith the full reliability of the Bible, and its role as the full authority of God's Word for our lives. About This Bible Literacy PlanIt's simple. In today's busy world with fast technology, mass communications, and confusion about religion itself, this Bible study program is designed to simplify learning what's actually in the Bible.
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You can help connect Christians and seekers wherever they are engage with their Bible, a small-group study, or a convenient Sunday school class focused on learning God's narrative story of the whole Bible.
The Guide, formatted into a typical paperback for a book study, organizes the individuals and group for the journey. Online tools speed the process of reading, cross-referencing and group communications. Combining Biblical-theology teaching with inductive-learning framework, this plan doesn't re-invent the wheel. The 30 lessons cover an even blend of historical narrative and canonical content. They emphasize in 30 themes the core theological doctrines that unify Christ-centered, Bible-teaching churches, while leaving the "non-essentials" and post-Biblical traditions to other discussions and classes. Like other structured inductive Bible studies, learners "jump in" with prepared questions and small, facilitated discussions, and in class formats they also hear summaries from trained teachers. |
Our Community of Faith and Belief
"In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity."
The essentials of our faith for salvation are:
1. We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. Jesus Christ, the living Word, become flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest and Mediator.
3. The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. Indwelling our hearts, He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.
4. Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifies them in His sight.
5. The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ.
6. Jesus Christ will come again to the earth-personally, visibly, and bodily-to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
7. The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations.
Non-essentials, in this framework, are post-Biblical traditions of worship and life that are not in conflict with the essentials and God's inerrant Word. In them we have liberty to worship and live in various Christian cultures and traditions.
The authority of Scripture as God's inerrant Word holds that church tradition and the teaching we receive in our local churches are vital for helping us understand the Scriptures. However, those authorities, as well as all other authorities, are subject finally to the Word of God. No one may demand that we believe or do something that is contrary to Scripture. Let us submit to God-ordained authorities in the church but only insofar as they teach what Scripture teaches.
The essentials of our faith for salvation are:
1. We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. Jesus Christ, the living Word, become flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He who is true God became true man united in one Person forever. He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. On the third day He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He now is our High Priest and Mediator.
3. The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to our hearts. He convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. Indwelling our hearts, He gives new life to us, empowers and imparts gifts to us for service. He instructs and guides us into all truth, and seals us for the day of redemption.
4. Being estranged from God and condemned by our sinfulness, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God’s free grace. God credits His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, thereby justifies them in His sight.
5. The true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit are united together in the body of Christ.
6. Jesus Christ will come again to the earth-personally, visibly, and bodily-to judge the living and the dead, and to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
7. The Lord Jesus Christ commands all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world and to make disciples of all nations.
Non-essentials, in this framework, are post-Biblical traditions of worship and life that are not in conflict with the essentials and God's inerrant Word. In them we have liberty to worship and live in various Christian cultures and traditions.
The authority of Scripture as God's inerrant Word holds that church tradition and the teaching we receive in our local churches are vital for helping us understand the Scriptures. However, those authorities, as well as all other authorities, are subject finally to the Word of God. No one may demand that we believe or do something that is contrary to Scripture. Let us submit to God-ordained authorities in the church but only insofar as they teach what Scripture teaches.
Spiritual Growth Within the Church Community
Church leadership can adopt and adapt this plan by choosing a teacher and leader team to use the 30- and 15-lesson plans and other resources that conveniently fit into your church calendar. These leaders are prepared and equipped to lead, teach and sustain the curricula within the annual church programs and broader community. The Genesis-to-Revelation study continuously provides the foundation for--and increased interest in--more in-depth Biblical studies within church programs. Pastors and preachers may want to consider giving a 30-week sermon series based loosely or specifically on the 30-Lesson Outlines, creating a church-wide involvement in the whole-Bible journey.
The Bible Study Guide
The Bible Study Guide is based upon a whole-Bible inductive study that was compiled, written, and taught in classes since 1998. In 2017 it was revised with more questions and applications, and published in book format for wider availability. For individuals, small groups and classes, now thousands of students have completed the study studies now reaching across 49 states. The Bible Study Guide is the main tool of the church or group's plan, keeping each
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person engaged in the Word and prepared for the next meeting or class discussion.
Robin R. King, Editor and Forum Director ...read bio Dr. Luder G. Whitlock, Jr., Foreword to The Bible Study Guide ...read bio |
The Bible Teachers Forum
Equipping Biblical Literacy in the Church, The Bible Teachers Forum is an on-going resource for pastors and lay teachers who lead adult education Genesis-to-Revelation classes and small groups. The Forum will announce future dates of the Teachers Conference, a 2-and-1/2-day practical theology course that teaches a high-level Biblical theology and prepares teachers
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to plan and lead highly-engaged classes in a 30-week sequence, supporting the church’s growing need to address, enhance and enable Biblical literacy and fluency among believers and seekers.
This event is currently wait-listed for future enrollment, locations and dates. Contact support@thebiblestudy.org to join the Forum for more information. |
The Bible Study Forum
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The Bible Study Forum is an informal, inter-denominational resource for churches, Bible teachers, discussion leaders, small groups and individuals engaged locally in this whole-Bible study.
The Forum is grateful to the teachers, discussion leaders, and hundreds of students who have completed these courses and helped to produce the current 2017-2021 Edition. |
We wish to especially thank the adult education ministries, classes and small groups of Fourth Presbyterian Church, Bethesda, Maryland, and National Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC., who launched the initial classes and editions of the Guide.
Copyright © 2017-2021 by The Bible Study Series and Forum. |
