Bible Basics

Bible Basics is a six part course on the main principles of the Bible. It is offered over a three month period; we will meet twice a month to discuss and appreciate the power of God's Word for our life.

The one-hour sessions will be held at 7:00 p.m. on the Thursday nights: September 16 & 30, October 14 & 28, and November 4 & 18. Come to as many of the sessions as you can. If you miss a session, view it on our web site: Session One, Session Two, Sesson Three, Session Four

Why should you participate?

At First Lutheran we have this sign at each entrance ways: Here we grow . The church grows because each of us grows in faith, and we share that with those around us. Bible Basic provides a chance for continued growth in our faith.

Bible Basics will encourage you to read the Bible with confidence and to grow in your faith. There are interesting issues facing the church and each member, and we will turn to the word of God to answer any questions.

What do we mean by the Word of God? This overview will help us to want more from God's word.

Basic Introduction

The Bible stands at the center of our worship and individual faith life. We experience the grace and love of God in the Bible. The Bible has been a source of inspiration, an often quoted resource, and the foundation of the church for 2,000 years.

Even though we have been nurtured on Bible Stories from our youth, sometimes the Bible is a mystery to us. It is the word of God, yet it describes human events that are hard to understand. At times it seems to contradict itself; sometimes it is just confusing and frustrating. Scholars have written libraries full of books to answer both the church's and the world's questions about the Bible. Among these scholars, reasonable minds may disagree and new questions are raised.

As I read the Bible, I have found it helpful to keep some general themes in mind as I go through the text. These themes help me see the “forest” and not get lost in the “trees.” These themes have come to me from teachers, books, and my own deductions—it's hard for me to remember where they all come from. It is my hope that as you will continue your journey with the Bible, you will keep these themes in mind.

There are several precautions to keep in mind when you reduce any large body of work to a few basic themes: you may over-simplify or be too selective in what you leave in or out. However, Bible Basics is not meant to be a Readers Digest version of the Bible: it is a beginning place. It will spur us on to read more and to continue our dialogue around the scriptures, which have given vitality to the church over the centuries. I have found that it is in the searching —not in the conclusions— that the Bible has had power in my life.

Keep these three themes in mind as you read:

• The Word: The Bible is made up of words. Words have power. They have an effect on us: they can make us feel good or bad. Words create community by holding us together with other people. When we talk about the Word of God, we are talking about how the community of faith has been inspired by God to communicate the faith. The community of faith experiences the love and grace of God and tries to express that through words. Hearing the Word of God creates faith. The Word of God created all things in Genesis, and by the time of John the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. The Word of God is Jesus. The Word helps us experience Jesus, the Son of God. Luther said that the Bible is the manger in which rests the Son of God. The Word is also a “living word” that is preached, shared by witnesses, and proclaimed. Therefore, the Word is the Bible, Jesus, and the proclamation of the church as inspired by the Holy Spirit. In our Lutheran tradition we talk about the experience of the Word as Law and Gospel: the Law convicts us and the Gospel consoles us.

• The Promise: God initiates his relationship with us as a Promise. Through the Old and New Testaments (testament literally means, promise), God gives himself to us in words of promise. The promise finds the lost and gives life to the dying. The promise comes to us as an act of grace. The promise always comes before the commands of God. Keeping that straight is critical for spiritual growth. The promise is the acceptance of God that is prior to our response. The tread of the promise is wound throughout the Bible.

• The Hope: Hope is much more than having a positive attitude. Hope is the vision that gives mission and vitality to the disciple's life. It is the eternal possibilities of God that lead His people through the wilderness. Locating this hope in the Bible helps us affirm life and see the needs of the world around us. It is that which inspires us to know that God is with us in the present and waiting for us in the future. Hope helps us endure the present sufferings and work for justice in the world that often seems mired in hopelessness.