My colleague, friend, and manager of rlowery.com recently suggested that I offer some reflections on my experiences in teaching Revelation in churches. I thought the idea was a good one, and I invite you to consider the following reflections (arranged in no particular order):
- I am blessed to have numerous opportunities to teach people Scripture—be it the Book of Revelation, another New Testament writing, or a particular topic. I always try not only to provide interpretation and answers to their questions about particular passages but I also offer strategies for how Christians can study the Bible on their own. This leads me to . . .
- I am constantly being reminded that most congregations I visit do not provide regular opportunities for equipping people how to read and how to study Scripture. Indeed, I find that there is a hunger out there for wanting to know how and that people’s appetites are not be satisfied. This concerns me greatly.
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A while back I came across a sermon by John Stott (see The Living Church: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor). It was preached on November 24, 1974, the 150th anniversary of the church where he was preaching at the time, All Souls, Langham Place, London.
Near the end of the sermon, Stott acknowledged his indebtedness to Martin Luther King, Jr., and his famous dream speech in Washington, D.C., and then concluded his sermon with his own dream for All Souls. The parts of the prayer are worth preaching. He focuses on such themes as “I have a dream of a church which is a biblical church… a worshipping church… a caring church… a serving church”—themes developed in several clauses. He concluded the sermon with the following:
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NOTE: Dr. Bob wrote this post last Wednesday, March 4, 2009. — Ed.
I couldn’t sleep last night so I arose around 3:30 A.M., cleaned up, and arrived at my office around 4:15 to begin work. I reviewed my “To Do” list for the week, made some adjustments, and then made up my “To Do” list for the day. And I was stopped dead in my tracks as I recalled what I was thinking about when I feel asleep last night—the twelve Boy Scout laws! A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. Those core values were drilled into me for nearly six years and I remember them to this day. I have never had to look them up in the manual.
A Scout is . . . A Christian is . . . I thought this morning: Far too many times I am obsessed with drawing up my “To Do” list that I forget the most important one, my “To Be” list.
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Let me admit it up front: This post is going to be rather caustic. Perhaps I will regret it in the days ahead, but right now I want to reflect on the birthday of one of the most damaging study Bibles produced in America, The Scofield Reference Bible (KJV), first published in 1909. I am embarrassed to admit this, but Scofield’s study Bible was the one given to me as a child, and its teachings deeply influenced me for many years, to the point that I avoided studying Revelation.
There are many good study Bibles out there (NIV Quest Study Bible, The NIV Study Bible, and my current favorite, The English Standard Version Study Bible). Such Bibles can be incredibly helpful so long as readers know that the notes at the bottom of the pages are not inspired! What I have discovered is that many equate Scofield’s notes with Scripture! So sad!
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