Challenge
Here is a short challenge for you! Check out the archive for past challenges!
Experiencing the full impact of the Bible
Re-hanging scripture on the Great Commandment
"You shall love the Lord God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with
all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (matthew 22:37 -39)
in verse 40 of that passage it reads: "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
- scripture "hangs" / depends on the Great Commandment Jesus is saying
- you can't separate the objective or relational meaning of the text from those 2 commands
- because of that reality there is significance
|
(objective meaning) |
(significance) |
ex : Acts 28:4 |
you'll read that there is a snake.. |
but the significance is that it's hanging on Paul's arm! |
ex: Galatians 3:13 |
there is a man... |
but he's hanging on a cross |
Scripture has an OBJECTIVE meaning to be determined.
- what does the scripture " say "?
- what does the scripture " mean "?
- what does the scripture " mean to me "?
- using all the exegetical skills and tools available (i.e. to know history, background, cultural influences in the text, who's being written too, Greek and Hebrew meanings of the words, etc)
Scripture ALSO has RELATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE to be discovered and experienced.
- how does the scripture relate to loving Him more deeply?
- how does the scripture relate to loving others?
- how does the scripture relate to loving oneself?
the goal of knowing the objective meaning is to help give an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to help us discover the relational significance of that text |
Here are some considerations / questions to ask yourself or your small group to help you EXPERIENCE some relational significance of the scriptures that you're studying.
the goal is to allow the Holy Spirit to 'teach' you and help you experience the One who wrote these Scriptures "for your own good." (duet. 10:13)
you're going to explore answers to such questions through considerations that engage your heart and help you to get in touch with how you'd respond to what you're seeing objectively and experiencing relationally.
How does this scripture relate to loving Him more deeply with all my heart, soul and mind?
- what about Him do I come to see in this passage?
- what about His heart, His motive do I come to see?
- what do you sense His heart is like?
- what about His plans and purposes do I come to see?
- How does my heart respond to such a God with such a heart and with such plans and purposes?
How does this Scripture relate to loving others?
- how is He seeing people differently than I am?
- what is His heart toward others?
- what priorities is He demonstrating?
- in what ways have I partaken of His love in similar ways?
How does the Scripture relate to loving oneself?
- since God has freely given me Christ and promised to freely give "all things" - how does scripture relate to God loving me? (what is He offering in this passage - what wisdom, guidance, acceptance, approval, comfort, security, caution, attention)
- how might scripture be declaring who He says I am - as the beloved child of God?
- what does this reveal about how much I'm worth to Him - how much I matter to Him?
- how does my heart respond to such love, to such an identity?
Challenge Archive
-Jack |
