Cover
Title
Making Sense of the Bible
Leader Guide
Also by Adam Hamilton
Also by Adam Hamilton
The Way
The Journey
24 Hours That Changed the World
Final Words from the Cross
Forgiveness
Love to Stay
Why?
Enough
When Christians Get It Wrong
Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White
Christianity’s Family Tree
Selling Swimsuits in the Arctic
Christianity and World Religions
Confronting the Controversies
Unleashing the Word
Leading Beyond the Walls
Title
Adam Hamilton
Making Sense of the Bible
Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today
Leader Guide
by Martha Bettis Gee
Abingdon Press
Nashville
Copyright
Adam Hamilton
Making Sense of the Bible:
Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today Leader Guide
by Martha Bettis Gee
Copyright © 2014 by Abingdon Press
All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act or in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to Abingdon Press, 201 Eighth Avenue South, P.O. Box 801, Nashville, TN 37202-0801 or e-mailed to [email protected].
ISBN 978-1-5018-0132-7
Scripture quotations, unless marked otherwise, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyrighted © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Contents
Contents
To the Leader
Section One: The Nature of Scripture
1. Making Sense of the Old Testament
Introduction; Book Chapters 1–7
2. Making Sense of the New Testament
Book Chapters 8–13
3. Questions about the Nature of Scripture
Book Chapters 14–18
Section Two: Making Sense of the Bible’s Challenging Passages
4. The Bible and Science
Book Chapters 19–21
5. Violence, Suffering, and Other Troubling Issues
Book Chapters 22–26
6. Wrestling with Issues of Sexuality and Relationships
Book Chapters 27–32
To the Leader
To the Leader
Welcome! This is a study for those who love the Bible and look to it to help them find meaning and purpose for their lives. It is also a study for people who are willing to wrestle with portions of the Bible about which they have questions. Finally, it is a study for people who are largely unfamiliar with the Bible but who are curious and want to know more.
Adam Hamilton, author of Making Sense of the Bible, envisions the book as a conversation on his back porch, with each participant enjoying a glass of iced tea or lemonade. The conversation is an attempt to wrestle honestly with the tough questions often raised by thoughtful Christians and non-Christians concerning things taught in the Bible. Hamilton has sought to distill the work of scholars, while offering his own reflections as one who preaches and teaches the Bible and who regularly engages with the questions of laity and pastors alike.
The book is divided into two parts. The first section addresses some foundational questions: What is the Bible, exactly? In what sense is it God’s word, and in what sense is it human reflections on God? What do we mean by calling it “inspired”? Is it inerrant or infallible as many Christians believe? This section also deals with how and when the Bible was written, the various types of writings found in it, and how and why some books made it into the Bible and some were left out.
The second section digs into troubling questions and issues, such as historical accuracy, violence, and end times. The book ends by looking at various ways to read the Bible, with the aim being for persons reading it to hear God speak through its pages and find its words to be life changing and life giving.
This six-session study makes use of the following components:
• Adam Hamilton’s book Making Sense of the Bible;
• a DVD in which Hamilton, using stories and Scripture, presents and expands upon key points from the book;
• this Leader Guide.
Encourage participants to bring a Bible to every session. If possible, notify those interested in the study before the first session so that they can come prepared. Ask them to read the introduction and the first seven chapters in advance of the session. Then, each week, you will give participants a reading assignment for the following week. By the end of the study, they will have read the entire book.
Because of the book’s length, some participants may be unable to keep up with the reading. Encourage them to come anyway because each session will include a ten- to fifteen-minute video in which Adam Hamilton presents many of the important points from the book. Our hope is that participants who don’t have time to read the book during the study will turn to it afterward to explore the Bible more deeply.
Using This Guide with Your Group
Because no two groups are alike, this guide has been designed to give you as study leader some flexibility and choice in tailoring the sessions for your group. The session format is listed to assist you in your planning.
It’s important to note that there are more activities in each session than most groups will have time to complete. As leader, you’ll want to go over the session in advance and select the activities you think will work best for your group in the time allotted. You may choose any or all of the activities, adapting them as you wish to meet the schedule and needs of your particular group.
The book seeks to do just as its title suggests—help to make sense of the Bible. Participants will discover a rich offering of information presented in an accessible way. Each session will cover a number of chapters and attempt to address a plethora of issues and a good deal of information. As study leader, you will