Setting the Stage for Personal and Group Bible Study

Being faithful to the Intent of Scripture while Maximizing Participation by Group Members

v3.5

Introduction:

What's the best way to lead a group Bible study? On the one hand, we could use an "expert" to tell the "students" what a particular Bible passage means. At the opposite end of the spectrum, we might use a "discussion prompter" to ensure every participant an ample opportunity to share what the passage means to them. Most of us would choose something in-between, but if you're like me, finding the right balance is challenging. How can a group leader set the stage so that the Holy Scriptures do the speaking, rather than the leader or the participants?

There are no easy answers, but what follows is something I've been testing since October 2020. Sometimes I've called it a scratchpad, sometimes a group cake bake, sometimes a template. I'm still testing it in the hands of potential group leaders. Perhaps you would like to try it out.

The scratchpad uses principles published in my book, Fish the Bible, and on my website, by the same name. If you haven't previously been exposed to the tools for listening better to the Bible and to the people around you, please read the tools page of my website. Although helpful, it is not necessary to read my book to use the scratchpad method in your study of the Bible.

Here are the ten tools for listening better.

1. Grasp the immediate context: 5. Notice the global context.

1a. Summarize the whole thought. 6. Observe the setting.

1b. Look for important details. 7. Understand the figurative language.

1c. Identify your assumptions. 8. Learn from the genre.

2. Look for translations. 9. Notice key words.

3. Seek commentaries. 10. Apply it to your life!

4. Note the intermediate context.

Although I had been teaching the listening tools since 2012, the scratchpad method was born during the COVID-19 pandemic. We were meeting via Zoom. If your meetings are in person, you'll probably want to make a few adaptations. That shouldn't be hard. I hope you will find, as I have found, that such a template provides guardrails to help individuals and groups avoid distractions from the intent of Scripture. As a bonus, the same guardrails help us make fewer communication blunders with the people around us.

Our groups typically last two hours, with conversation, prayer requests, and prayer occupying about half the time. We've explored the books of John and Acts at a rate of one chapter per week. In the case of Romans, we're taking two weeks for each of the first 11 chapters. During the summer, when people are traveling, we pause the book study but continue to come online for prayer and fellowship as people are able.

New people can enter at any point. There's no need for them to wait until you begin a new book of the Bible. Wherever newcomers start, they begin picking up the listening skills and bringing them into their lives. Welcome people at any time, and if possible, include a mix of seekers, new believers, mature believers, people who like to read, and oral-preference learners.

What are oral-preference learners? They are people who prefer spoken rather than textual communication, and they make up the majority of the world's population. Some of them are illiterate and have no choice. Many more can read and write but learn best through speech, song, etc.

In Acts 17:11, we read: Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (NIV)

It's likely that most of those Bereans were oral learners. There were no bookstores or printing presses. People went to the Synagogue, where the Scriptures were stored. They listened to designated people read the Scriptures out loud. They took notes not with pen and paper but with their memories. Scripture discussions must have been lively, as people quoted Scripture from memory. I suspect that most of us today would find it difficult to participate in their discussions.

Today, the tables are turned. Many Bible studies are heavily text-oriented, and the one I'm about to describe is no exception. However, as the leader, there are things you can do to improve the experience of the oral-preference learners who will hopefully join you.

Here are some ways you can level the playing field:

•Read passages out loud, preferably more than once.

•Take every opportunity to highlight the relationship between listening to your loved ones and listening to the Bible.

•Ask those with Bible apps to find chapter and verse numbers for those who remember a quote from the Bible but don't know where to find it.

•Ask someone using a different translation of the Bible to report on how their version expresses a particular passage.

•Ask someone with a commentary or study Bible to report what their resource says about a verse the group finds difficult to understand.

•Don't put pressure on anyone to prepare anything written in advance of a study. (But do encourage those who enjoy writing things down in advance.)

•For those who don't like to read, encourage them to listen to recorded Scriptures. Today, there are even dramatized Scripture recordings with multiple voices, music, and sound effects.

Let's get started! In part one, we'll look at how you can create a scratchpad for use in your personal Bible study. In part two, you will see how to use a blank scratchpad to guide a small group.

PART ONE: Creating and using a scratchpad

1. If necessary, divide the Scripture passage into sections or thought units. For example, if you are studying John chapter 9, you could divide it into three sections as follows:

•Verses 1-12 (Healing of a man born blind);
•Verses 13-34 (The Pharisees react);
•Verses 35-41 (Spiritual blindness).

I suggest you examine several Bible translations to see if and how they section the passage. A website that allows you to view multiple translations side-by-side can be most helpful. I often use Bible Gateway. The following link was very instructive for quickly choosing the section divisions and titles for John 9:

https://classic.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+9&version=ESV,NIV,NLT,HCSB,NET

You can use the above link with any passage. First, click the link. Then, in the search window at the top, replace "John 9" with the Scripture passage of your choice.

2. Structure the blank scratchpad, making two copies, one for yourself and the other for the group. For each section, paste the Scripture text, the list of ten tools, and space for using tools #1 and #10. You can add other tools later, as needed.

SEE EXAMPLE ONE (Appendix)

3. Complete your personal copy. Make sure you save a second copy of the blank scratchpad for use with your meeting. Then do the following for each section of your personal copy. I usually take my time, filling in my scratchpad during the week preceding the group Bible study:

a. Read the passage, changing the font color to red for details that stand out to you as important.

SEE EXAMPLE TWO (Appendix)

b. Summarize the whole thought (tool #1a), using one sentence if possible. Write your summary into the scratchpad.

c. In the scratchpad, list the important details (tool #1b). Include the relevant verse number(s) at the beginning of each item.

d. Reflect on whether you might be making any assumptions about details that aren't actually spelled out in the Scripture text. You can research these at your convenience. For now, simply mention them under tool #1c.

e. Depending on your passage and how deep you wish to dig, explore listening tools two through nine. Use the list of tools in blue to jog your memory.

f. Write down ways that you (and perhaps others) could apply the passage to life (tool #10).

Here is just one example of how a completed personal scratchpad for John 9 might look. Note that the abbreviations for resources cited are expanded on my website's Resources page.

SEE EXAMPLE THREE (Appendix)

PART TWO: Preparing and leading a group 'cake bake'

4. Prepare to lead the discussion: This second part assumes that you have previously introduced your group members to the ten listening tools displayed in blue in each section. You will probably find that participants initially use only tools 1a, 1b, and 10. With time, they will begin using other tools.

a. Print a copy of your completed scratchpad to have handy as a reference. However, don't overuse it. As a fellow group member, you can offer your contributions from your scratchpad. But do so as little as possible. Make the gathering a collective cake bake.

b. Using the copy of the blank scratchpad you earlier set aside, change the font size to 20-point. I suggest using a common font face, like Times New Roman, which everyone will likely have on their computers. Personally, I have been using the macOS app, TextEdit, in RTF mode, for documents to be screen-shared on Zoom. TextEdit provides bold, italic, and underlined text, along with smooth scrolling without annoying page breaks.

5. During the discussion: Request contributions to the scratchpad (or "ingredients for the cake") from group members and type them into the scratchpad as they speak.

Things to do or watch for during the discussion:

a. There can be more than one summary statement (#1a), depending on participation.

b. People who are thinking ahead may mention things that belong to later sections. That's OK. You can move these to the appropriate section after the meeting.

c. Group members should tie the details (#1b) to specific verses. Have them cite verse numbers. If any verse numbers are left out, find them and add them after the meeting. Insisting that verse references accompany all details provides a guardrail to help the group respect the intent of the Scripture passage.

d. Assumptions (#1c), if any, may not be immediately recognized. That's OK. They may be noticed later, in which case you can label them as #1c at the time.

e. When contributions relate to something learned from an outside source, label them (#3) and give the source. Example: "NIVSB on v1" or "BibleRef on v2-3" (See the resources page of fishthebible.org for the meanings of NIVSB, BibleRef, and other abbreviations). If someone shares information they learned elsewhere but can't remember the source, label it "ref. unavailable."

f. When contributions relate to another part of the same biblical book, label them (#4) and find the verse reference either during the meeting or afterward.

g. When contributions relate to another part of the Bible, label them (#5) and find the verse reference either during the meeting or afterward. Again, insisting on verse references helps the group respect the intent of the Scriptures. If what someone thought the Bible said elsewhere can't be found, label the contribution "reference??"

h. In general, label contributions according to the ten tools displayed in blue on each scratchpad. There is nothing sacred about the numbers used to label the tools. Still, the frequent mention of these principles with their numbers will help create memory jogs for when participants read their Bibles on their own.

i. Contributions that do not relate to any of the tools 1-9 are most likely personal applications. They should be labeled (at least tentatively) as #10. Applications reflect how humans respond to Scripture. They should be held with an "open hand," lest they be found incompatible with Scripture. Chapter ten of Fish the Bible explains how to test potential applications to see if they are in harmony with the Scriptures.

6. As soon as possible after the meeting and before sending out the completed scratchpad:

a. Correct typos and fill in missing or incomplete words.

b. Move contributions typed in the wrong section to the appropriate one.

c. Organize section contributions in chronological order of the tools (#1 – #10). Sometimes, two tools will pertain to the same contribution. In that case, place the comment where it seems best and reference the other tool number in parentheses.

d. For each tool, organize contributions in verse order, if possible.

7. Fill in the date and first names of the participants at the top of the scratchpad.

8. Email a copy to each participant.

Here are two examples of completed group scratchpads. Example four was done when our group was very young. It took about 50 minutes of group time to complete it. Notice that the group scratchpad differs significantly from the one I did in advance. Each group will contribute observations and applications that speak to the spiritual journeys of the participants while (hopefully), at the same time, respecting the intent of Biblical authors and the Author who inspired them.

Example five was done slightly more than a year later. We had gained a few participants and lost a few. Overall, the group had matured in its ability to dig into Scripture using the scratchpad method.

SEE EXAMPLES FOUR AND FIVE (Appendix)

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APPENDIX

EXAMPLE ONE

Scratch pad for John chapter 9, (Add the date of the group Bible study here.)

Authors: (After the meeting, you will enter the first names of group participants here.)

===========================

John 9:1-12 (NIV)

Paste the Bible text here. (If needed for context begin with one or perhaps a few verses from the previous chapter).

(#1 Immediate context - a. whole thought, b. details, c. assumptions; #2 translations; #3 footnotes and commentaries; #4 book context; #5 whole Bible context; #6 setting; #7 figurative language; #8 genre; #9 word study; #10 application.)

Verses 1-12 (Healing of a man born blind)

Whole thought (tool #1a)

Important details (tool #1b)

Identify assumptions (tool #1c)

Application (tool #10)

===========================

John 9:13-34 (NIV)

Paste the Bible text here.

Verses 13-34 (The Pharisees react)

Whole thought (tool #1a)

Important details (tool #1b)

Identify assumptions (tool #1c)

Application (tool #10)

===========================

John 9:35-41 (NIV)

Paste the Bible text here.

Verses 35-41 (Spiritual blindness)

Whole thought (tool #1a)

Important details (tool #1b)

Identify assumptions (tool #1c)

Application (tool #10)

===========================

EXAMPLE TWO

John 9:1-12 (NIV) As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

John 9:13-34 (NIV) They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

John 9:35-41 (NIV) Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

EXAMPLE THREE

Scratch pad for John chapter 9, (Add the date here.)

Authors: (This is your personal scratchpad, so put your name here.)

===========================

John 9:1-12 (NIV)

You have pasted Bible text here. (If needed for context you have begun with one or perhaps a few verses from the previous chapter).

Verses 1-12 (Healing of a man born blind)

Whole thought (tool #1a)

Jesus heals a man born blind by making mud with His saliva, applying it to the man's eye, and instructing him to wash in the Pool of Siloam.

Details (tool #1b)

•v2- Two incorrect reasons for the man's blindness (pre-birth sin of the man himself; sin of man's parents).

•v3- Correct reason for the man's blindness: So that the works of God might be displayed in him.

•v4 We must work while we have the light of Jesus. Uncertainty regarding how long we'll have to do our work.

•v5 Jesus is the light of the world. (Book Context, #4, Jesus said this previously during the festival. See Jn 8:12.)

•v6-7 Unique method Jesus uses to heal (mud and saliva).

•v8-10 Neighbors and others are confused.

•v11 The man is forthright and courageous, a good witness to what he experienced.

Identify assumptions (tool #1c)

What are my assumptions about the reasons bad things happen to good people?

Book Context (tool #4)

John 11:4 (NIV) When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”

Whole Bible Context (tool #5)

Mark 8:22-26 (NIV) They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

Setting (tool #6)

•NIVSB on v2: who sinned …? The rabbis had developed the principle that “there is no death without sin, and there is no suffering without iniquity” (cf. Introduction to Job: Theological Theme and Message). They were even capable of thinking that a child could sin in the womb or that its soul might have sinned in a preexistent state. They also held that terrible punishments came on certain people because of the sin of their parents. As the next verse shows, Jesus plainly contradicted these beliefs.

Application (tool #10)

•What thoughts come to my mind when bad things happen to me?

•What about the trial I'm undergoing now?

•Am I a faithful witness to the things God has done for me?

•Perhaps I should do a Bible study on the various reasons that bad things happen to good people.

•It might also be good to research how various worldviews address the problem of evil.

===========================

John 9:13-34 (NIV)

You have pasted Bible text here.

Verses 13-34 (The Pharisees react)

Whole thought (tool #1a)

The Pharisees can't rejoice in the healing because they are jealous and threatened.

Details (tool #1b)

•v14-16 It was a Sabbath healing and Pharisees object. (Compassion is squashed).

•v20-23 The man's parents are afraid of the Pharisees. They could get thrown out of synagogue.

•v30-33 The man demonstrates amazing theological understanding.

Book Context (tool #4)

John 3:1-2 (NIV) Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

John 5:9-11 (NIV) At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.” 11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’”

Whole Bible Context (tool #5)

Matthew 12:1-2 (NIV) At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.”

Application (tool #10)

•Am I a Pharisee? Am I threatened by others? jealous of others?

•How do I feel when others perform amazingly well, and my own performance pales by comparison?

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John 9:35-41 (NIV)

You have pasted Bible text here.

Verses 35-41 (Spiritual blindness)

Whole thought (tool #1a)

A picture of the stark contrast between the man's spiritual eyes being opened and the Pharisees' spiritual blindness, this despite their priding themselves in their ability to see. (The physical healing of the man's eyes becomes almost secondary.)

Details (tool #1b)

•v36-38 The man is now quick to believe and quick to develop spiritual insight.

•v39 for judgment I have come (see book context (#4): Does Jn 3:17 contradict this verse? See Bibleref on v39)

•v40-41 The Pharisees prided themselves in their ability to see and know the truth. Jesus points out that they are condemning themselves.

Footnotes and commentaries (tool #3)

•Bibleref on v39 Jesus' comment here can be confused with statement such as John 3:17 and John 12:47. In those verses, Jesus states that He did not come to "condemn." Here, Jesus states that He did come for "judgment." The reason for Jesus' earthly ministry was to secure our salvation; this required judgment on and against sin. The result of this ministry, however, is the—eventual—condemnation of those who reject Him.

Book context (Tool #4)

John 3:17 (NIV) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

•John 15:22 (NIV) If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

Application (tool #10)

•Do I sometimes act like a Pharisee, priding myself on seeing what others don't see or knowing what others don't know or acting better than others act?

•Do I have the courage to testify as did this man did?

EXAMPLE FOUR

Scratch pad John 9 - November 14, 2020.

Authors: (Names removed to respect privacy)

John 9:1-12 (NIV)

The Bible text was inserted here.

Verses 1-12 (Healing of a man born blind)

Whole thought (tool #1a)

Jesus uses a man blind from birth to demonstrate God's good works by healing Him.

Details (tool #1b)

•v4-5 He was working while the light was there.

((#10) Jesus is holding up the new standard for the Sabbath: As long as it is day, you work, at night no work. (**But see BibleRef on v4))

•v6-7 Jesus could have healed him on the spot but put mud on his eyes and gave instructions to go wash.

•v14 Done on the Sabbath, the work of God.

Identify assumptions (tool #1c)

•Assumption that someone sinned because of the man's blindness.

•Assumption that I am being punished for something I did.

Footnotes and commentaries (tool #3)

•Bibleref on v4: Here, Jesus uses metaphors which relate to His earthly ministry. In an era without electricity, nighttime was, by necessity, a time where less work could be done on account of darkness. The day was the most effective time to work, but it is also a limited time. As used by Christ here, "day" refers to the time left for Jesus to serve God's will on earth. "Night" refers to the rapidly approaching time when Jesus will die, ending His earthly work.

•(Ref. unavailable): Because of the Sabbath, they could do no manual work. Dirt and saliva mixing was already work.

Whole Bible context (tool #5)

The prophecies of the Messiah mention healing of blindness (ex. Isaiah 29:18, 35:5, Luke 7:22).

Setting (tool #6)

Figurative language (tool #7)

Jesus says, "I am the light" (a metaphor).

Application (tool #10)

•Why do bad things happen to good people and good things to
bad people?

-God gives rain and sunshine to everyone, good or evil. (Mt 5:45)

-God is not partial. He gives good gifts to everyone. Our breath, etc.

-There is pain and joy in life. Everyone suffers. Ex. Paul, Timothy,
Jeremiah

•God's grace. Faith is what carries us through. Death is not the worst. When you see someone die with so much faith and love, how can you not believe in God?

•The method of healing could have been to test his faith and instant obedience. (Am I faithful/obedient?)

•Symbolically, He spat (from His body) mixed with the earth to heal and touch mankind. (?)

•We can do great things with Jesus (While working in His light).

•King Manasseh repented after years of evil, and God forgave him.
(tool #5: See 2 Chronicles 33:11-16)

If God forgave Manasseh, there's hope for us too.

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John 9:13-34 (NIV)

The Bible text was inserted here.

Verses 13-34 (The Pharisees react)

Whole thought (tool #1a)

The Pharisees used the Law to discredit Jesus' claim to be the Son of God. However, the blind man broke ranks (didn't cooperate).

Details (tool #1b)

•v16,18,24,28-29 Pharisees were trying to discredit the faith of the blind man. ((#10) Today people try to do the same thing by challenging what we believe. Opposition and "persecution" of our faith and what we believe.)

•v16 Using the Law to validate their authority and stop Jesus.

•v20-22 Interesting that the parents said, "You ask him, he is of age." Afraid of the consequences, being thrown out of the synagogue.

•v30-33 The blind man gets it. ((#10) What has he got to lose? How could he not believe when physical eyes were opened? His spiritual eyes were opened, too. The Pharisees revert to judgment of the man as the only way of understanding this miracle. They said that maybe he wasn't born blind after all. They did that to keep their power, and they followed through by actually kicking him out of the synagogue.)

Application (tool #10)

•Excommunication if you don't conform. It isn't Christlike.

•Turn the question back on ourselves: Am I a Pharisee?

•Am I jealous of others? Do I try to control others?

•We need to be honest with ourselves and repent of our bad habits.

•We need to recognize our sin. When we think that we don't sin anymore, we are in trouble.

•Don't be blind to the miracles around us. If you remain blind to the miracles, you are not able to grow from them and be thankful. Then you are left with feelings of entitlement.

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John 9:35-41 (NIV)

The Bible text was inserted here.

Verses 35-41 (Spiritual blindness)

Whole thought (tool #1a)

•Jesus reconnects to the blind man to seal the deal.

•Seeing is believing. (The man who saw for the first time believed.)

•Not seeing is believing. (#5, See Heb 11:1—Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (NIV))

Details (tool #1b)

•v37 Jesus refers to Himself, the Son of Man, using the 3rd person, as though God the Father were explaining this to the newly healed man.

•v40-41 The Pharisees thought they understood, but they did not!

•v41 Jesus came to differentiate between those who can see and those who cannot see but think they can.

Application (tool #10)

•Do we do this same thing today? Yes, we do!

•Do I act like a Pharisee? Priding myself on what I know, seeing what others don't see, knowing what others don't know, or acting better than others act?

•Recognize whose voice is speaking, discern to know how to respond.

•Are we seeing according to the world's terms, basing our belief on knowledge or an earthy perspective?

•The ones who think they see may become blind. Lack of honesty, repentance. They were lying, following Satan's example. They were really lying to themselves as well. Rationalisation, pride, etc. Do we do this today?

EXAMPLE FIVE

Scratch pad for Acts 15:36 – 16:15, December 16, 2021

Authors: (Nine participants contributed. Names withheld.)

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Acts 15:36 – 16:15 (NIV) Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

16:1 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2 The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Verses 15:36 - 16:15 (Beginning of Paul's second missionary voyage)

Big picture (tool #1a)

•They were busy spreading the Word every which way, every which town they could.

•Being driven and directed by HS.

Details (tool #1b)

v15:39-41 Paul and Barnabas split up over whether to bring Mark along.

(Because of split, they now have two teams going out with the Gospel. (The split was later healed, #5 see 2Ti 4:11))

v16:3 Paul circumcised Timothy, even as he carried a letter saying circumcision not needed.

v5 Churches were strengthened and grew daily in number (don't see that so much in North America)

v7 HS guided them by keeping them away from certain places.

v8 They reached coastline (Troas). Couldn't keep going that way. What next?

v9-10 Paul has vision, calling to Macedonia.

v10 "we got ready" (Luke has apparently joined Paul and Silas)

v12 Gospel came to Philippi. (That's Europe. That's eventually us!)

v14-15 Lydia and her household believed and were baptized.

Identify assumptions (tool #1c)

The report of the Paul/Barnabas conflict certainly refutes any assumption of there being no conflict within the early Church.

Footnotes and commentaries (tool #3)

Tyndale New Testament Commentary (ref ? where?) Since Timothy is part Jewish, Paul doesn't want him to be roadblock. (ref ?) Children of Jewish mothers considered to be Jewish.

NIVSB on v15.39 they parted company. Barnabas and Mark do not appear again in Acts. However, in 1Co 9:6 Paul names Barnabas as setting a noble example in working to support himself. Also in Gal 2:11–13 another scene is described in Antioch that includes Barnabas. Mark evidently returned from his work with Barnabas and became associated with Peter (see 1Pe 5:13 and note). During Paul’s first imprisonment, Mark was included in Paul’s group (see Col 4:10; Phm 24). By the end of Paul’s life he came to admire Mark so much that he requested him to come to be with him during his final days (see 2Ti 4:11 and note; see also Introduction to Mark: John Mark in the NT). Cyprus. The island of Barnabas’s birthplace (4:36).

NIVSB on v3 he circumcised him. As a matter of expediency so that his work among the Jews might be more effective. This was different from Titus’s case (see Gal 2:3), where circumcision was refused because some were demanding it as necessary for salvation.

According to NIVSB and other study Bible intros to Mark, this same John-Mark eventually wrote Gospel of Mark!

Whole Bible context (tool #5)

2Ti 4:11. …Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.

Question: How did missionaries like Paul support themselves?

Example 1: See Php 4:10-18 (Philippians contributing financially to Paul's ministry)

Example 2: Acts 18:2-3 (NLT) There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. 3 Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers just as he was. LASB on Acts 18:2-3. Each Jewish boy learned a trade and tried to earn his living with it. Paul and Aquila had been trained in tentmaking, cutting and sewing the woven cloth of goats’ hair into tents. Tents were used to house soldiers, so these tents may have been sold to the Roman army. As a tentmaker, Paul was able to go wherever God led him, carrying his livelihood with him. [But see also Acts 18:5: When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. (NIV) Sometimes Paul needed outside funds, as we see in example 2.]

Application (tool #10)

•Regarding v37-41 fight between health of person (John-Mark’s health) and the health of the mission. (Who is right?)

•We need to spread the Word. Not enough of that these days.

•Paul sinned against Mark(?) Later changed his mind about him. Do I do similar things?

•Do I extend grace? Do I avoid character assassination?

•Can I disagree and still respect?

•Speak the truth in love, with compassion.

•Do I feel compelled to win an argument?

•Do I keep disagreements from hindering the mission.

•Focus on mission to spread good news.

•Can I change my mind about a person (like Paul in 2Ti 4:11)?

•God can use my goof-ups for good.

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That same evening, the group went on to explore Acts 16:16-40
as part of the same scratchpad.