A good artisan or mechanic uses the best available tools to produce good results. He actually budgets for new tools, knowing that some will wear out, and newer and improved tools might be available in the future. This is no less true for a missionary. You may have to travel lightly, but don't forget your tools. This chapter introduces you to some of them.

Methods of Studying the Bible

Let's think first about different ways we can read and study the Bible.

Doctrinal Bible Study
This is a topically oriented method of studying the Bible. It focuses on specific teachings and seeks to understand them in the context of the ongoing dialogue that is found in the Scriptures.

A few cautions: The selection of topics is determined by the teacher or the student, not by the Bible. Their theological, denominational, educational, economic, political and cultural background may determine what is studied and what is left out. To be balanced, this method is best done in community, not alone. Also, be aware of the "proof-text" method of Bible study that lifts specific verses or portions out of context. A Bible text must not be made to say something that its context does not support.

Socio-Historical Bible Study
This method of studying the Bible seeks to understand the original socio-historical context of a book or passage and what the text meant to the original listeners. As we listen to the ongoing dialogue in the Bible we learn essential principles for today.

Eschatological Bible Study
This method looks at Scripture through the lens of the cosmic controversy between Christ and Satan in the light of the final judgment and last day events. This method is more appropriate for some parts of the Bible (Ezekiel, Daniel, Revelation) than others.

Devotional Bible Study
This common method asks, "What is God saying to me now? It seeks personal insights from the various case-studies and then applies that message. At its best, this method builds on the other methods.

Relational Bible study
This method is specifically concerned with application. It is best used in a small group setting where people can hold each other accountable. It specifically asks, "How do I (we) apply what I (we) have learned today?"

Reading in the Congregation
The Bible was originally written to be read aloud. The text in Revelation 1:3: "Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it" refers to a public reading in the congregation. In Revelation 22:17,18 a blessing is pronounced on those who "hear" the words of the book. Ask yourself how people might study the Bible without printed copies? How might people study the Bible in a pre-literate society? How might people study the Bible in societies where translations have not yet been made?

Plays and Drama
During the Middle Ages, in pre-literate Europe, morality plays and charades were often used to teach the Scriptures. How might this be adapted today? Imagine what might happen if a group of people were to act out parables of Jesus or healing actions on his part or the story of Zacchaeus the tax collector?

Connecting with the Bible Story

Tom McAlpine (MARC) suggests that you should answer three questions as you search the Scriptures:

• What similarities exist between their experience in biblical times and our experience now? (This question leads to contextualization.) • What light does their experience cast upon our experience? (This leads to prayerful reflection.)
• What should we do about these insights both as a group and personally? (This leads to actualization.)

The last question forms a bridge to new plans for personal and group action, which helps ensure that the principles of Scripture are lived out obediently and practically.

When you come together for Bible study make sure that there is accountability for following through on the principles learned. One author recommends the following steps of studying the Bible, implementing the insights gained and sharing the resulting experiences of seeing God at work in ones life:

• Invite: As you open the Word of God remind yourselves that the risen Lord is with us.
• Read
• View with wonder: We pick out words or short phrases, read them aloud prayerfully and repeat them three times.
• Listen: We keep silent for several minutes and allow God to speak to us.
• Share: Respond to the question, "Which word has touched us personally?" We do not discuss any contribution, even though some may not share personally but comment instead.
• Plan for action: Now we discuss any task which our group is called to do in our neighborhood or parish.
• Pray
• Share: In addition you will share with the group next time what God has done in response to obediently putting the truth learned into action. This step should lead to praise and celebration.

Why Are There Different Translations?

There are a number of excellent books available on the merits and problems of various translations and paraphrases of the Bible. We will give here a short summary and evaluation of the main kinds of translations available. Bible translations can be classified in several different ways:

• Committee translations avoid personal biases. Translations done by individuals often have more flair and passion than a committee will tolerate. For example, compare Goodspeed's New Testament with the Revised Standard Version.
• Literal translations seek to translate word by word. They appear to be more conservative, more amenable to a concordance.
• Dynamic translations seek to understand the larger meaning of a passage and translate that meaning into a dynamic equivalent in the contemporary language of a people.
• Paraphrases take the thoughts of the Bible and express them in modern idiom without trying to be a translation. These types of Bibles are usually easy to read, but they are free in their interpretation and thus susceptible to the bias of the paraphraser.

Neither approach is better than the other. Used together, they shed light on each other and provide greater insight to the serious student. A basic principle that is consistent with historical Christianity is that people should read the Bible in a translation that uses the latest and best in biblical scholarship and is closest to their own mother tongue.

The New Testament was originally written in Koine Greek. This particular form of Greek was the result of the gathering of an army by Alexander the Great from all the provinces of the Hellenist world, with all their dialects. As these dialects merged into a common (koine) language, this language was spread by this army from Europe to the Indus Valley. It became the common language of all the Greek-speaking world. Far from being a classical language or a "spiritual" language, it was the street language of that age. Ask yourself what translations approximate this form best in your host language?

Bible Study Helps

There are a number of different Bibles and study aids on the market today that provide greater ease and reliability in Bible study. Here are a few of them.

Concordances. There are a number of good concordances on the market, for the KJV, RSV and NIV Bibles. Strong's Concordance provides the original word in Hebrew or Greek and prevents the student from thinking that one Hebrew or Greek word lies behind a single English word.

Computerized Bibles and helps. If you are using a computer there are a number of computerized Bibles with concordances, background notes, and other helps that give you great freedom of study and analysis.

Bible lessons. There are a variety of printed Bible lessons and videotaped series. While these may be very helpful in North America, they have limited use in other cultures and among non-English speaking peoples. Great care should be taken if these are used at all to use lessons that are created by persons within the host culture or persons close to that culture.

The Jesus Film. Based on the gospel of Luke, it is a faithful adaptation of the gospel. It has been dubbed into hundreds of languages and used to present the gospel to millions around the world in their own language.