The Bible from Scratch: The New Testament for Beginners

Recognizing that some of our congregation might really appreciate going back to the basics from the beginning, I have opted to lead an eight-session study on the New Testament—in reality, a brief overview of how to study the Bible and what’s in the New Testament—Gospels, a history of the early church, letters from Paul, and letters from others to the world in which these new Christ-followers find themselves.

We will explore what makes a good study Bible, how to find passages in the Bible, how to compare the same stories told in different ways, how to understand the imagery and language of all these different writers of our Bible. We will look at an overview, delve into each of the Gospels, review the Acts of the Apostles, reflect on the Epistles (letters) written, and imagine together the decoding of the Revelation to John.

Our “Bible from Scratch: NT” study begins on Wednesday, September 30 and starts after supper at 6:45 (supper starts at 6 pm) and will conclude around 7:30. We will be meeting in the first floor Chapel. All you need is a Bible, and I will have several good study Bibles to highlight during our first session together, if you want to explore acquiring a different one. My intention is for the study to last eight sessions, with our last session being the first Wednesday of December. (I will need to be gone the second Wednesday night of October for a national church meeting.)