Sunday, December 20, 2020

Revelation Twenty Questions

 1. Who is “the revelation” from, and who is it to?  Who is the Book of Revelation from, and who is it to?

2. John sees a vision of seven stars and seven lampstands (Revelation 1:12-16).  What does Revelation 1:20 say these images represent?  Does this mean that other elements may convey symbolic meaning?

3. Does each of the seven churches who John writes to receive both praise and criticism from Jesus?  Which ones are the exception?

4. The four living creatures of Revelation 4 are like a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, with six wings and covered with eyes.  If not an actual physical description, what might these characteristics represent?

5. Who is the One on the throne in Revelation 4:11?  For what reason do the 24 elders proclaim that He is worthy? 

6. Who is the only One found worthy to take the scroll in Revelation 5? What two animals are referred to in Romans 5:5-6?

7. In the new song of Revelation 5:9-10, for what reason is the Lamb declared to be worthy?

8. What are the colors of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse in Revelation 6:1-8, and what do each of them represent?

9. Who are the ones in the multitude wearing white robes (Revelation 7:9-17)?  How many people are there?  What is their reward?  

10. After the 7 seals, another series of 7 takes place. What is it?  Instead of a fourth of the earth (6:8), what proportion is affected this time?

11. Where does it appear the events of Revelation 11:1-14 take place?

12. Who is the dragon?  Can you cite a scripture that tells us directly?

13. The Sea Beast of Revelation 13 is often thought to be the Antichrist, while the Earth Beast is called the False Prophet.  What would an “unholy Trinity” like this tell us about Satan?

14. What are the consequences of not receiving the mark of the Beast (13:16-18)?  What are the consequences of receiving it (14:9-12)?

15. A final cycle of 7 begins in Revelation 15-16.  What is it this time?

16. Revelation 17 provides a vision of a prostitute sitting on the beast.  Who do you think she may represent?

17. What happens to “Babylon” in Revelation 18?  Who is listed as being saddened at her fate in 18:9-20? 

18. What is the fate of the beast and false prophet (Revelation 19:19-21)?  What is the eventual fate of the dragon (Revelation 20:7-10)?

19. What excites you the most about the vision of a new heaven and a new earth we see in Revelation 21 and 22?

20. Is Revelation just about the end, its words only for those living in the last days?  Or does it contain a message for its first hearers and subsequent generations of Christians?  If so, what is that message?

Tuesday, December 15, 2020

I & II Peter, I, II & III John, and Jude Twenty Questions

 1. In I Peter 1, what things does the apostle describe as “imperishable” and “perishable” (note: your translation may use different terms)?

2. I Peter 2:4 speaks of Christ being the “living Stone” - chosen by whom and rejected by whom?

3. What is Peter’s advice on how Christians should relate to human authorities like emperors and governors (I Peter 2:13-17)?

4. What is the difference between a woman’s outward adornment and her inner beauty?

5. What does Peter have to say about suffering for doing good (I Peter 2:19-23, I Peter 3:14, and I Peter 3:17-18)? 

6. Have you ever been insulted or have you otherwise suffered for being a Christian (I Peter 4:12-16)? 

7. How is Peter’s advice to elders to be shepherds (I Peter 5:1-4) reflective of Jesus’ last conversation with him in the Gospel of John?

8. What event from the Gospels is Peter describing in II Peter 1:16-18?

9. What lesson does Peter say that the experiences of Noah and Lot teach us about God (II Peter 2:4-10)?  

10. What does II Peter 3:8-9 teach us about waiting for the last days?

11. According to I John 1:8-10, what is the most successful strategy in dealing with our sin: denial or confession?

12. What characteristic marks the difference between living in the light or living in the darkness (I John 2:9-11)?

13. How should we reconcile John 3:16 with I John 2:15 in regards to “loving the world”?

14. I John speaks of “antichrists.”  What is the definition of an “antichrist” (I John 2:22)?

15. In what ways does I John 3:16-18 say we should love our brothers and sisters?

16. How does John recommend that we test the spirits in I John 4:1-3?

17. I John 4:16 says “God is love.”  What is the difference, if any, between “God is love” and “Love is God”?

18. What do you see in II John that sounds similar to I John?

19. What does John say gives him the greatest joy in III John 4?

20. Who or what is Jude warning the Church about in Jude 3-19?

NOTE: We will not have Bible Study on Sunday, December 27, 2020.  We will conclude our "Twenty Questions" study over Revelation on Sunday, January 3, 2021 at 7 p.m.

Monday, December 7, 2020

Hebrews and James Twenty Questions

1. In Hebrews 1, who does the author say that Jesus is better than?

2. In a letter written to the Hebrews, would you expect to find a lot of references to Old Testament scripture, concepts, and people?  Are your expectations met?

3. What is our relationship to Jesus, according to Hebrews 2:10-11?  

4. According to Hebrews 3:1-6, how does Jesus compare to Moses?

5. When is the right time for repentance and getting right with the Lord, according to Hebrews 3:7, 3:13, 3:15, and 4:7? 

6. Which is scripturally correct? A) Jesus was not tempted.  B) Jesus was tempted but did not sin.  C) Jesus was tempted and sinned. 

7. Who is our great high priest?  What does a high priest do, according to Hebrews 5:1?

8. Can you reconcile Hebrews 6:4-8 and Hebrews 10:26-30 with a belief that Christians cannot lose their salvation?  How would you do so?

9. Hebrews speaks of the priestly order of Melchizedek.  We don’t know much about him (Genesis 14:18-20).  What does the author of Hebrews say about Melchizedek, and how does that relate to Jesus?  

10. According to Hebrews 7:23-28, what makes Jesus the best high priest?

11. Hebrews 8 compares the old covenant with the new one.  Which is better?

12. How did Christ enter the heavenly tabernacle (Hebrews 9:11-14)?

13. What was the mission of Christ’s first coming, and what will be the mission of His second coming (Hebrews 9:28)?

14. Can the blood of bulls and goats take away sin?  What takes away our sin as followers of Jesus (Hebrews 10:10, 10:12, 10:19-20)?

15. Hebrews 11 lists some champions of the Old Testament.  Through what did they accomplish great things or endure severe trials?

16. According to Hebrews 12:4-15, should you be discouraged to receive discipline from the Lord?  Why or why not?

17. Do James and Paul have an argument about faith and works?  Compare James 2:14-26 with Romans 4.  How do you resolve the tension between their points of view?

18. What do the examples of a bit, a rudder, and a fire in James 3 teach us about the tongue?

19. According to James 4:7-8, what happens when we resist the devil?  What happens when we draw near to God?

20. Which two Bible heroes does James cite as examples of patience in suffering and the power of prayer?

Monday, November 30, 2020

I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, and Philemon Twenty Questions

1. According to I Thessalonians 1:5, with what did the word of God come to the Thessalonians?

2. What does Paul say in I Thessalonians 4 will happen to dead Christians?

3. What does the phrase “like a thief in the night” have to do with the return of Christ?  What kind of images does that phrase conjure?

4. According to I Thessalonians 5:16-18, what three actions may be reliably considered the will of God?  How are you practicing them?

5. What do we know about “the man of lawlessness” of II Thessalonians 2?  What role does he play in the Day of the Lord?

6. What was Paul’s rule concerning those unwilling to work? 

7. In what way do you think Paul’s handwriting was unique, serving as his trademark (II Thessalonians 3:17)?

8. According to I Timothy 1, who did Paul consider to be the worst sinner?  Do you think he was right?  

9. How should we reconcile what Paul says about women in church in I Timothy 2 (as well as their salvation through childbearing) with modern practice?  Was he wrong?  Are we wrong?  Is the Bible wrong?

10. What do you think is the most important qualification for an elder or an oversee in I Timothy 3:1-7?

11. According to I Timothy 4:11-16, what advice did Paul have for Timothy to overcome his youthfulness in his ministry?

12. What does Paul say is a root of all kinds of evil?  Have you ever heard him misquoted about this?

13. According to Paul in I Timothy 6:17-19, how should the rich and successful in this world live?

14. What earlier faith experiences did Timothy have, both in his family and from Paul, based on II Timothy 1 and II Timothy 3:15?

15. How does II Timothy 2:2 reveal that Paul is thinking of the future?

16. What does Paul foresee the last days will be like, in II Timothy 3?

17. What claims does Paul make of scripture in II Timothy 3:16-17?

18. In II Timothy 4:1-8 what does Paul charge Timothy to do, and for what reasons?

19. How many times do forms of words like “teach”/”exhort”/”speak” appear in your translation of Titus 2?

20. What was the relationship between Philemon and Onesimus?  What did Paul want it to be?

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians Twenty Questions

 1. According to Galatians 1, from where did Paul receive the gospel?

2. Which justifies?  The works of the law or faith in Jesus Christ?  Find a scripture citation from Galatians 2 to support your answer.

3. If Galatians 3:28 is true, should there be one rule or standard for men and a different one for women in the Body of Christ?

4. What lesson does Hagar and Sarah provide for the Church?

5. What are the differences between the “acts of the flesh” (5:19-21) and the “fruit of the Spirit” (5:22-24)?

6. Can you find two clues from Galatians (in chapters 4 and 6) that indicate Paul may have had a problem with his eyesight? 

7. What is Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church in Ephesians 1?

8. What is our identity and purpose, according to Ephesians 2:10?

9. What is Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church in Ephesians 3?

10. What is the problem of the Gentiles, according to Ephesians 4:17-19?

11. How high is the standard set in Ephesians 5:1-5 for Christian believers?

12. In Ephesians 5, what does Paul call wives to do?  What does he call husbands to do?

13. Memorization Challenge!  What are the six pieces of the armor of God in Ephesians 6?

14. How would you explain what Paul means by his expression “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” in Philippians 1:21?

15. What about Jesus does Paul want us to imitate in Philippians 2?

16. What qualities of Paul does he now rate “garbage” (Philippians 3:8) in comparison to knowing Christ?  What attributes of yours do you consider to be likewise trash next to your relationship with Jesus?

17. What is Paul’s “secret” of contentment in Philippians 4:12?

18. What do you consider to be Paul’s most startling claim about Jesus in Colossians 1:15-20?

19. What spiritual clothing is a Christian supposed to “take off” and “put on”, according to Colossians 3:5-14?

20. Does Colossians 4:16 hint that there is a “lost book of the Bible”?  Imagine, for a moment, that such a letter of Paul’s was unearthed today.  What would such a discovery mean for the Church?   

Monday, November 16, 2020

II Corinthians Twenty Questions

 1. When you write a letter to someone, how do you start it?  In what standard way does Paul begin this letter (and his other letters)?

2. How many times do variations of the word “comfort” appear in your translation in II Corinthians 1:3-7?

3. What is Paul saying with all the “yes” and “no” talk in 1:15-22?

4. What do you think it means that Paul and his companions simultaneously bring the aroma of life and of death in 2:14-17?

5. How does Paul contrast the old ministry of the law with the new ministry of the Spirit in II Corinthians 3:7-18?

6. II Corinthians 4:7 speaks of “treasure in jars of clay.”  What is the treasure?  What are the clay jars? 

7. What is the interplay between the life of the apostle and the death of Jesus, as well as the death of the apostle and the life of Jesus, as described in II Corinthians 4:8-12?

8. What terms does Paul use to describe our earthly body and our heavenly body in II Corinthians 5:1-4?

9. According to II Corinthians 5:17, what is true for those who are in Christ?

10. What is our role as Christ’s ambassadors?  What is our message to the world?

11. What does Paul say in II Corinthians 6:14-18 about unions between Christians and nonChristians?  Is this consistent or inconsistent with Jesus being “a friend of sinners”?

12. What is the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow, as Paul describes them in II Corinthians 7:10?

13. Based on II Corinthians 8:1-7, how did the Macedonians demonstrate their generosity?

14. Have you ever observed the truth of the proverb, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously?”

15. Why do you think God loves a “cheerful” giver?  How can you personally give more cheerfully?

16. What is Paul’s mood/tone toward the Corinthians in chapter 10?

17. Have you ever heard of another Jesus or different Spirit/gospel than the one preached to you, as Paul discusses in II Corinthians 11:4?

18. As you consider all that Paul went through as recounted in II Corinthians 11:22-33, how do such sufferings give him credibility?

19. What do you suppose Paul’s “thorn” in II Corinthians 12:7 may have been?  What was God’s answer each time he prayed for it to be removed?

20. When you write a letter to someone, how do you end it?  In what standard way does Paul close this letter (and his other letters)?   

Monday, November 9, 2020

I Corinthians Twenty Questions

 1. How would you describe the first problem that Paul addresses in I Corinthians 1:10-12?  Have you seen a church struggle with this?

2. How does Paul say God’s foolishness compares with man’s wisdom in 1:25?  How does God’s weakness compare with man’s strength?

3. According to 2:14, can a person without the Spirit accept and/or understand spiritual things?  Have you seen this truth for yourself?

4. In I Corinthians 3:5-17, Paul employs two metaphors: a field and a building.  How does he say that spiritual growth is like these things?

5. What was an apostle’s life like, as depicted in I Corinthians 4:9-13?

6. What church discipline does Paul advise in I Corinthians 5:1-2 regarding a case of sexual immorality? 

7. Why doesn’t Paul apply Jesus’ teaching of “judge not” in I Corinthians 5:9-13?  Why is there a difference between associating with sinners inside the Church and those outside?

8. What are some things wrong with Christians suing one another in court in I Corinthians 6:1-8?  What does Paul recommend instead?

9. Which sinners are kept out of the kingdom in I Corinthians 6:9-10?  Does Paul have hope for those who used to commit such acts?

10. According to Paul in I Corinthian 6:18-20, what is a Christian’s body and who really owns it?

11. Under what limited conditions in I Corinthians 7:5 does Paul say it is acceptable for Christian spouses to NOT have sex?

12. According to Paul, is it always wrong to eat food offered in the pagan temples?  When does it become wrong?

13. Why does Paul endeavor to contort himself to various states (as one living under the law, not under the law, weak, etc.) in I Corinthians 9:19-23?  What does this suggest about the importance of his goal?

14. According to 10:6-10, what kind of sins did the Israelites commit in the wilderness, and how are they an example to us to do better?

15. What kinds of errors were the Corinthians making in their practice of the Lord’s Supper, as described in I Corinthians 11:17-34? 

16. What metaphor in I Corinthians 12:12-31 does Paul employ to explain why God doesn’t just give us all the same spiritual gift?

17. Which specific description of love in I Corinthians 13 do you personally find it most difficult to practice?  Easiest?

18. In I Corinthians 14, how do the gifts of prophecy and tongues compare?  What is the role of the gift of interpretation of tongues?

19. Do Paul’s words in I Corinthians 14:34-38 leave any room for women teachers or preachers?  How can we determine if this is an absolute, universal law, or one that is culturally and contextually dependent?  (For instance, do we practice I Corinthians 11:2-16?) 

20. How would you engage a person who professes to be a Christian, but doesn’t believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ?  How can I Corinthians 15:12-34 help you in this?  


Sunday, November 1, 2020

Romans Twenty Questions

 1. Read Romans 1:18-32 very carefully.  What sin is the root cause of God “giving them over” to sexual impurity and unnatural relations?

2. Would you take the works-righteousness deal that Paul offers in Romans 2:6-11?  Why or why not?

3. According to Paul in Romans 3:1-8, what is wrong with the thinking that it’s fine for us to do evil because it makes God’s righteousness and glory shine all the brighter?

4. What can we do to be declared righteous by the law?

5. Where does the righteousness apart from the law that Paul preaches come from?

6. How is Abraham the father in faith of the circumcised and the uncircumcised? 

7. Based on Romans 5:6-8, what would you say to a person who says they can’t come to Jesus and attend church until they get themselves right first?

8. What do you think is the relationship between the concepts of the Original Sin of Adam and the Atonement of Christ, as described in Romans 5:18-19? 

9. It is sometimes observed that everyone has to serve something or someone.  What two alternatives does Paul lay out that people will ultimately be slave to in Romans 6?

10. Based on Romans 7, what would you say to someone wrestling with sin?  Do you think Paul describes a Christian or pre-Christian state?

11. How do our present sufferings compare with our future hope?

12. What must Christians fear separating us from the love of Christ?

13. In Romans 9:1-5, Paul lists some of the blessings of the Jews.  What are they?

14. Where do we see elements of God’s sovereignty in Romans 9?

15. What is necessary for salvation, according to Romans 10:8-13?    And what are the necessary preconditions for that, in 10:14-15? 

16. To what does Paul attribute the spiritual hardening of his people the Jews in Romans 11:25?

17. Paul issues many commands in Romans 12:9-21.  Which do you find to be the most difficult?  The easiest?

18. How does Paul summarize all the commands in Romans 13?

19. How does Paul say that people of strong faith should treat those of weaker faith?

20. Some critics of Christianity argue that Paul had a different message than Jesus.  What would you say in response?  

Monday, October 26, 2020

Acts 15-28 Twenty Questions

 1. What were the people who came down from Judea to Antioch teaching the believers in Acts 15?

2. How was this issue resolved?

3. Why did Paul and Barnabas part ways?  What does II Timothy 4:11 reveal about how Paul might have eventually felt about his position?

4. What do you make of the underlying spiritual drama (the resistance of the Holy Spirit and the “Spirit of Jesus” and the vision of the man of Macedonia) in directing Paul’s travel plans in Acts 16:6-10?

5. What does the change in perspective (switching from the third -person point of view to the first-person point of view) starting in Acts 16:11 indicate?

6. Why were Paul and Silas in jail?  What were the providential circumstances leading up to the baptism of the Philippian jailer? 

7. In spite of his distress at their idolatry, how did Paul find “common ground” with the Athenians in his presentation of the gospel?

8. What was Paul’s custom when it came to preaching at a new town?  Would he start with the Jews or the Gentiles? 

9. What caused the riot in Ephesus in Acts 19?

10. In Acts 20:22, Paul says he doesn’t know what will happen to him in Jerusalem.  What warnings does the Spirit give him in Acts 21?

11. What caused the riot in Jerusalem in Acts 21?

12. What statement of Paul’s prompted the crowd to call for his death in Acts 22:22?  Why was this a hot button issue?

13. How did Paul get out of a flogging?

14. How did Paul successfully divide his opponents in the Sanhedrin?

15. Paul’s enemies formed a conspiracy to kill him.  How did he escape their plot?

16. What can we make of the character of Governor Felix based on Acts 24:24-27?

17. Why did Paul decide to invoke his right as a Roman citizen and appeal his case to Caesar?

18. In Acts 26, what clues do we have that Paul is not only presenting his legal defense, but also sharing the gospel to those in attendance?

19. What is your favorite part of the shipwreck story in Acts 27?

20. Where and how does the Book of Acts end?  

Monday, October 19, 2020

Acts 1-14 Twenty Questions

 1. Since Jesus ascended into the sky, does that mean heaven is a physical place in outer space?

2. What qualifications were needed and what process was used to replace Judas Iscariot as an apostle?  Who was chosen?

3. What 3 manifestations of the Holy Spirit occurred on Pentecost?

4. What are the necessary responses to be saved, according to Peter’s answer to the crowd in Acts 2:38?

5. In Acts 3:16, who or what was said to be responsible for healing the lame beggar at the Temple?

6. According to Acts 4:12, how many pathways are there to salvation?

7. What was the difference between Barnabas’ gift and Ananias and Sapphira’s?  What was the couple’s sin?  What happened as a result? 

8. How does Peter’s statement in Acts 5:29-32 reflect earlier passages such as 4:19, 2:38, and 1:8?

9. What was Gamaliel’s advice?  Do you think history has borne out that his counsel was correct?

10. Why was there a need to enlist 7 men as deacons, or “table waiters”?  Why didn’t the apostles take care of this need themselves?

11. What were the last words of Stephen?  Are they reminiscent of any of the last words of his Lord?

12. How is Acts 8:1 a fulfillment of what we read earlier in 1:8?

13. What was Simon the Sorceror’s sin?  (Extra credit: what is the practice of “simony” and how is it related to what Simon did?)

14. In general, how quickly after receiving faith are new Christians in Acts baptized?  Can you give some examples?

15. How did Saul gain acceptance with Ananias?  How did he gain acceptance with the apostles in Jerusalem?

16. Who is the first reported Gentile believer to be baptized?  Who baptized him and how did he know it was okay to do so?

17. How is the first recorded miracle that Paul works (in Acts 13) similar to what he experienced in Acts 9?

18. How do the events of Acts 13:45-48 represent what was happening at large in the advancement of the gospel?

19. What are the extremes that the residents of Lystra went to in their treatment of Paul and Barnabas?

20. What similarities and differences stand out to you in comparing the followers of Jesus in Acts and the followers of Jesus today?

Sunday, October 11, 2020

John Twenty Questions

 1. What are some of the claims made about Jesus in John 1:1-18?

2. In the synoptic gospels, Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple takes place during Holy Week.  In John, the account appears in chapter 2.  What are some ways to explain this difference?

3. How would you describe John the Baptist’s attitude in John 3:22-30?

4. What social and religious conventions did Jesus break in John 4:7?

5. Which testimonies about Himself does Jesus cite in John 5:31-47?

6. How many different kinds of bread are referred to in John 6?

7. In light of John 8:31-47, should we consider everyone to be a “child of God”? 

8. How did the Pharisees react to Jesus’ healing of a man born blind?

9. What makes Jesus “the good shepherd”?

10. The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35.  What theological lessons can we draw from these two words?

11. Was Mary right to use such expensive perfume to pour upon Jesus’ feet?  Why or why not?

12. In John 13:14, Jesus commands His disciples to wash one another’s feet as He has washed theirs.  How can Jesus’ disciples “wash one another’s feet” today?

13. What does John 14:6 mean to you?  How would you explain it to others?

14. How important is it for a Christian to remain deeply connected to Jesus like a branch to a vine?

15. Who does Jesus say He will send in John 16:7?

16. According to Jesus’ prayer in John 17, what is the effect of future generations of Christ followers being as one in complete unity?

17. How would you describe Pilate’s attitude toward Jesus’ statement, “Everyone on the side of truth listens to me”?

18. What scriptures are fulfilled in John 19?

19. What evidence did Thomas say he needed before he would believe the resurrection?

20. What did Jesus ask Peter three times in John 21?  Why do you think He would ask three times?


Monday, October 5, 2020

Luke 14-24 Twenty Questions

 1. What’s the difference between humility and humiliation (Luke 14:7-11)?

2. If Jesus said things like Luke 14:26-27 and Luke 14:33, why in the world would anyone want to be His disciple?  Does the Church still preach this message today?  Should it?

3. What are some common threads among the parables of Luke 15?

4. What is the basic message of the Luke 15 parables?  How important must this be if Jesus stressed it in back-to-back-to-back teachings?

5. What is commendable about the behavior of the shrewd manager of Luke 16:1-9?

6. What would you say are some of the messages we should glean from Jesus’ teaching about the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16?

7. What will be the similarities between the “revealing of the Son of Man” and the days of Noah as well as the days of Lot?  Have you ever experienced anything like this?  What is the word to us?

8. How is God like an unjust judge?  How is He unlike one?

9. What does the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector reveal about the importance of our attitude before God?

10. People felt Zacchaeus had disqualified himself from God’s grace by being a tax collector.  Had he?  Who is our “Zacchaeus” today?

11. It is believed Jesus’ prophetic words about the destruction of Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-44 were fulfilled about 35 years later.  What lessons should America today draw from Jesus’ warning and Jerusalem’s experience?

12. In what way could it be said that the poor widow was a “bigger giver” than the rich putting their gifts in the Temple treasury?

13. Why was it appropriate for Jesus to infuse the ancient Passover meal with new meaning concerning His body and His blood?

14. How does Jesus’ healing of the ear of the servant of the high priest exemplify His earlier preaching?

15. What did the Jewish leaders accuse Jesus of before Pilate?

16. Three times (23:35, 23:37, and 23:39) Jesus was challenged to “save Himself.”  Could He have?  If so, why didn’t He?

17. Is there any significance to the fact that the first witnesses to the Resurrection were a group of women?

18. Following His resurrection, what does Jesus say is the connection between Himself and the Old Testament scriptures?

19. What are some clues we are given about Jesus’ resurrection body?  How is it similar or different to our earthly bodies?

20. Matthew, Mark and Luke are sometimes called the “synoptic” gospels because they tell the story of Jesus in a similar way.  What similarities and differences did you find among them?

Monday, September 28, 2020

Luke 1-13 Twenty Questions

 1. Based on Luke 1:1-4, is it more likely that Luke’s account of Jesus Christ was one of the first ones composed, or one of the later ones?

2. How does Gabriel’s proclamation in Luke 1:13-17 indicate that John the Baptist will be a fulfillment of Malachi 4:5-6 and Isaiah 40:3?

3. What is the difference between Zechariah’s and Mary’s responses to the angelic message of an impending miraculous birth?

4. What does the story of Jesus as a 12-year-old at the Temple reveal about His priorities?

5. How would you react if someone called you “a snake”?  How did John’s audience respond to him calling them “a brood of vipers”?

6. How should we interpret the differences in the genealogies of Jesus between Matthew 1 and Luke 3?

7. What do you make of the fact that in Luke 4:10-11, “the devil can cite scripture for his purpose?”

8. In Luke 4:18-19, why do you suppose Jesus did not finish the entire quote from Isaiah 61:1-2?

9. What made the good synagogue-going citizens of Nazareth want to throw Jesus off a cliff?

10. What is Simon’s initial reaction to the miracle of the great catch of fish?

11. In contrast to Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, Luke’s Sermon on the Plain includes corresponding “woes” to the beatitudes.  Where do we see this idea of a “reversal of fortunes” elsewhere in Luke?

12. Do you think Jesus honestly meant for His followers to practice “turning the other cheek” (Luke 6:29) or was He exaggerating?

13. What factors motivated Jesus to a) heal the centurion’s servant and b) raise the son of the widow of Nain?

14. Why would John the Baptist question if Jesus was the Messiah in Luke 7:19?  Was Jesus offended at his doubt?

15. What does Jesus say is the surprising connection between love and forgiveness in Luke 7?  How does He reveal this?

16. What role did women play in the ministry of Jesus, according to Luke 8:1-3?

17. Reconcile the apparent contradiction of Luke 9:50 (“Whoever is not against you is for you.”) and Luke 11:23 (“Whoever is not with me is against me.”)

18. Based on the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37, how should we answer the question, “Who is my neighbor?”

19. In what way does Jesus draw unfavorable comparisons between the people of His day with earlier Bible times (Luke 10:8-15; 11:29-32)?

20. How do you interpret the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast?  How is the Kingdom of God like these things?

Monday, September 21, 2020

Mark Twenty Questions

 1. How would you define the “good news” in Mark 1:1 and 1:15?

2. What do you suppose made men like Simon, Andrew, James, John, and Levi leave everything and follow Jesus?

3. Does it surprise you that the Son of God did not fit the expectations of the religious scribes and Pharisees in Mark 2?  Is there a word of warning there for us in terms of our expectations of God?

4. In the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4, Jesus talks about four different kinds of soil.  Which kind do you think is most prevalent in our society today?  Which one do you find yourself to often be?

5. How do we know Jesus is full of spiritual power, based on Mark 5?

6. What offense got John the Baptist in trouble and eventually executed?

7. Have you ever witnessed God miraculously provide for a need like when Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish to feed a crowd?

8. Which does Jesus say it is that defiles a person – what goes into them or what comes out of them?  Why?

9. In what ways do you suppose the “yeast” of the Pharisees and of Herod stands in opposition to the way of Jesus?

10. What is the contrast between what the people were expecting in their Messiah, and what Jesus says is going to happen to Him?

11. Mark contains many miracle stories, including the supernatural experience of the Transfiguration.  Do you think it is possible to follow Jesus without believing in miracles?  Why or why not?

12. What would you tell a Christian who wants to pluck out his eye rather than be led into sin by what he looks at?

13. In Mark 10, does Jesus say it is easy or hard to enter the kingdom of heaven? Assuming you agree with Him, why do you think that is so?

14. What was the immediate fall-out of Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple?

15. Where did Jesus come up with the greatest commandment(s)?  What does this show us about the continuity between the Testaments?

16. How much do you think Christians should study and reflect upon the endtimes teaching in the Bible, such as in Mark 13?  Why?

17. Who was right: the woman who anointed Jesus with a costly perfume in Mark 14, or those who criticized her?  Are there any implications from this story for the practice of our faith today?

18. Why was Peter so sure that he would not disown Christ?  Why was he so badly mistaken?

19. What do you suppose is the meaning of the temple curtain being torn in two from top to bottom at the moment that Jesus died?

20. Some churches practice “snake handling” based on Jesus’ prophecy in Mark 16:17-18.  Should we start doing that at Science Hill?  Why or why not?


Sunday, September 13, 2020

Matthew 15-28 Twenty Questions

 1. Which is more important: honoring time-tested traditions or obeying the commands of God?

2. What do you think Jesus might say about the adage, “Cleanliness is next to godliness?”

3. How did Peter know that Jesus was the Messiah?  Why do you think Jesus wanted to keep His identity a secret?

4. How does John the Baptist fulfill the prophecy of Elijah coming first?

5. What do you suppose it is about children that Jesus wants us to emulate in “changing and becoming like [them]” in Matthew 18:3?

6. Have you ever lost something that you deeply regretted?  Have you ever had a moment of joy in finding something of yours that had been lost?

7. What does Jesus say will happen to the person whose sins are forgiven by God, but then does not forgive his brother or sister?

8. Is the employer in the parable of Matthew 20:1-16 fair?  Are you ever jealous about God’s grace toward someone else?

9. Do we practice Jesus’ concept of servant leadership described in Matthew 20:25-28?  What does/would that look like?

10. Was Jesus justified in overturning the tables in the Temple?  Why or why not?

11. What were the Pharisees doing wrong, according to the parables of Matthew 21:28-32 and 21:33-41?

12. Is there one greatest commandment, or two?

13. In Matthew 23, Jesus issues seven woes upon the Pharisees for their practices.  Which do you find personally most convicting?

14. What are some clues that Jesus gives us about the occasion of His return in Matthew 24?

15. How would you answer Jesus if He were to return today and ask you what you have done with your “talents”?

16. What can you do to move in your life, becoming less “goat-like” and more “sheep-like”, as described in Matthew 25:31-46?

17. Do you think Jesus’ prayer in the Garden was answered?  Why or why not?

18. The disciples abandoned Jesus, Peter denied Him, Judas betrayed Him.  How do Christians make choices today that reflect these same actions?

19. Was Pilate able to remove the blood of Jesus on his hands by washing them?  Were the Jews able to claim the responsibility for Jesus’ blood to be upon them and their children?

20. What do you think happened to Jesus’ body?  Do you believe Matthew’s account, or that of the priests/Roman guards?

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Matthew 1-14 Twenty Questions

 1. Do you tend to be bored or fascinated with genealogies?  How many generations back can you trace your own family tree?

2. Why do you suppose Matthew might have chosen to begin his gospel with a genealogy of Jesus starting with Abraham?

3. How often does God communicate through dreams in Matthew 1 and 2?  Do you think God still communicates that way today?

4. What were the circumstances of your baptism?  What do you make of the conversation between Jesus and John about baptism?

5. Which of Satan’s temptations in the wilderness do you think it would have been hardest for you to resist?  Does Jesus give us any guidance on resisting temptation through His example here?

6. Simon, Andrew, James, and John were probably skilled fishermen.  What did Jesus mean that they would now “fish for people”?  How might Jesus put a spin on your occupation in His calling of you?

7. Which beatitude do you find most comforting?  Most confounding?

8. What’s the hardest part about loving our enemies? 

9. What does Jesus’ advice on practicing acts of righteousness (such as giving, praying, fasting) have in common?

10. In comparison to Jesus’ first-century audience, do you think people today worry more, worry less, or worry about the same?  Why?

11. Do you consider “Do unto others as they do unto you” to be the Golden Rule?  Why or why not?

12. How does Jesus say we can tell false prophets from true ones?

13. Does Jesus’ parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders make the implicit promise that those who follow Him will never suffer ferocious storms in their lives?  Why or why not?

14. What acts of power does Jesus demonstrate in Matthew 8?

15. Matthew 9:1-8 records the first instance of conflict between Jesus and the teachers of the law.  What caused the initial tension?  What other complaints against Jesus followed?

16. Jesus gives the disciples their marching orders in Matthew 10.  What do you find most surprising out of all of His instructions?

17. What do you think about the Sabbath controversies and debates that Jesus has with the Pharisees in Matthew 12?  Why do you think Jesus defensively quotes Hosea 6:6 at least twice in His ministry?

18. Which of Jesus’ parables in chapter 13 speak most strongly to you?

19. If you had been in the boat of disciples seeing Jesus walk on water, would you have wanted to join Him?  What made Peter start to sink when he tried walking on water?

20. Have you discovered anything new or especially relevant to you on this reading trip through the Gospel of Matthew?

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi Twenty Questions

 1. What is the Lord’s complaint against the people in Haggai 1?

2. How did the people and their leaders respond?

3. According to the Law cited in Haggai 2, which spreads when it touches other items – consecration or contamination?

4. What kind of punishment had the people been suffering because of their lack of concern for the Temple being left in ruins?

5. Who does God say will be like His signet ring?

6. In Zechariah 1, what does the Lord promise the people if they return to Him?

7. Does Zechariah 1 and 2 contain good news or bad news for Judah?

8. In Zechariah 3, who is described as a burning stick snatched from a fire? 

9. How would you interpret Zechariah 3:6 – “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty”?

10. What two groups of people did the flying scroll curse with banishment?

11. What comparison and contrasts do you see between Zechariah 6:1-8 and Revelation 6:1-8?

12. According to Zechariah 7:9-10, what does the Lord prefer to ritualistic mourning and fasting?

13. How do Christians think Zechariah 9:9 was fulfilled?

14. What do you find in Zechariah 10 and 11 that echoes in the life of Jesus?

15. What do you think Zechariah 12:10-14 is looking forward to?

16. What clues about the future do we find in Zechariah 14?

17. What was wrong with the animals being brought for sacrifice in Malachi 1?

18. Who do Christians think Malachi is foreseeing in 3:1?

19. What kind of test does God invite His people to put Him to?

20. How would you respond to a Christian who says that the Old Testament is antithetical (or at least unnecessary) to the practice of our faith?

Sunday, August 23, 2020

Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah Twenty Questions

 1. What nation is the prophet Micah from, and which nations is he prophesying against?

2. How does the punishment of Micah 2:3-5 fit the crime described in 2:1-2?

3. Based on Micah 2:6-11, why do you suppose true prophets are usually persecuted in their lifetimes while false prophets are often celebrated?

4. What is Micah’s vision of the last days as recorded in 4:1-8?

5. What do Christians see in Micah 5:2 as a prophecy of Jesus Christ?

6. According to Micah 6:6-8, what is God really looking for on the part of His people?

7. With what kind of hope does the book of Micah end in 7:18-20?

8. What nation does Nahum primarily prophesy against? 

9. How do we reconcile Nahum 1:2 with our understanding of God?

10. Why is Nahum’s prophecy of judgment upon Nineveh simultaneously a message of peace and hope for Judah?

11. Why do you suppose God’s people often feel impatient with God, as expressed in Habakkuk 1:2?  Have you ever felt that way?

12. What contrasts do you see between false idols and the Lord God in Habakkuk 2:18-20?

13. From what nation does Zephaniah come, and who does he prophesy against in chapter 1?

14. How does Zephaniah picture the “Day of the Lord?”

15. What is Zephaniah’s advice in 2:3 to those who would prepare for this Day?

16. According to Zephaniah 2, will any of the other nations (Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Cush, Assyria) be spared?

17. What will those with purified lips do, according to Zephaniah 3:9?

18. What are the characteristics of those the Lord removes from Jerusalem, and those who remain, in Zephaniah 3:11-13?

19. With what kind of hope does the book of Zephaniah end in 3:14-20?

20. Do you think God continues to appoint prophets to deliver His message today?  Why or why not?

Monday, August 17, 2020

Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah Twenty Questions

 1. Using your imagination, what kinds of catastrophic natural disasters might occur that could bring our nation to its knees?

2. How devastating would it be for a nation in Bible times to have their agriculture completely devoured by swarms of locusts?

3. In chapter one, what does the prophet Joel recommend as the response to the calamity of the invasion of locusts upon the land?

4. When you hear the phrase, “the day of the Lord”, what emotions are stirred up within you?  How do you think the prophet Joel would have us feel about that day?

5. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:32) appears several times in the Bible.  Why is this important?  What hope does it give you?

6. What was Amos’ profession?

7. You can imagine the people of Israel cheering Amos’ thundering pronouncements against their neighboring rivals in Amos 1:3-2:5.  How do you think they would have felt about his message in 2:6 through the rest of the book?

8. How does Amos refer to the rich, privileged women of Israel in 4:1? 

9. What are some ways the Lord tried to get Israel to return to Him?

10. How does Amos portray “the day of the Lord” (Amos 5:18-20)?

11. What are some of the specific sins that Amos charges Israel with?

12. What does the vision of a basket of ripe fruit in Amos 8:1 represent?

13. What nation does Obadiah proclaim judgment against?

14. What does Obadiah say about “the day of the Lord” in verse 15?

15. Have you ever run away from a calling or direction that the Lord has given you?  If so, what happened?

16. How did Jonah’s rebellion against the Lord end up serving as a witness to the sailors on the ship bound for Tarshish?

17. What would you say to someone who objects that Jonah’s experience of surviving three days in the belly of a fish is a physical impossibility?

18. What effect did Jonah’s preaching against Nineveh have on the city and its residents?

19. Was Jonah justified in his anger that God did not bring on Nineveh the destruction he had prophesied?  Why or why not?

20. Can you find at least four things that the Lord “provides” or “sends” in the book of Jonah?

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Daniel and Hosea Twenty Questions

1. What was the “test” that Daniel proposed to his Babylonian guardian in the matter concerning the diet for him and his friends from Judah?

2. Who did Daniel credit for his ability to reveal and interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream?

3. How do most Christians interpret the kingdom referenced in Daniel 2:44-45?

4. What evidence is there in Daniel 3 that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s faith in God did not rely on His deliverance of them from the fiery furnace?

5. Who do you think is the “fourth man” that Nebuchadnezzar saw in the furnace in Daniel 3?

6. What was the sin that triggered Nebuchadnezzar’s loss of mind in Daniel 4?

7. What was the sin of Belshazzar that triggered the hand writing on the wall in Daniel 5?

8. In Daniel 6, what did Daniel’s enemies conclude would be the only way of entrapping him? 

9. Why might God’s miraculous deliverances of Daniel and his friends especially resonate with the community of Jewish exiles in Babylon?

10. What emotional response do Daniel’s prophetic visions give you?

11. What did God command the prophet Hosea to do in Hosea 1:2?

12. What was the point of this strange commission?

13. What do the sad names of Hosea’s children represent?

14. Why and how is Israel going to be punished, according to Hosea 2:1-13?

15. How does God show that He still loves Israel, according to Hosea 2:14-23?

16. How would you like to have the calling of Hosea and act out in a marriage the love relationship between God and His people?

17. How much does Hosea “buy” Gomer for in Hosea 3?

18. What two animals does God say He is going to be like to Israel, according to Hosea 5?

19. Do you think Hosea 6:2 is a prophecy pertaining to Christ?  Why or why not?

20. What phrases in Hosea 11 demonstrate the Fatherhood of God?

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

Ezekiel 25-48 Twenty Questions

1. In Ezekiel 25, what is God’s verdict on those nations around Israel which took delight in her time of judgment and destruction?

2. What does Ezekiel prophesy will be the destiny of Tyre?

3. What evidence is there in Ezekiel 27 that Tyre was a great trading nation?

4. What do you think may have been the chief sin of Tyre, based on Ezekiel 28?

5. What nation does God say will be Nebuchadnezzar’s reward for fighting a tough battle against Tyre?

6. Where does God consign Egypt in Ezekiel 32:17-32?

7. What is the burden laid upon the watchman for his work?

8. According to Ezekiel 33, is it better to be a righteous person who disobeys, or a wicked person who turns from their wickedness?

9. What were the sins of the shepherds of Israel?

10. What parallels do you see between Ezekiel 34:11-31 and the teachings of Jesus?

11. Who is Ezekiel told to prophesy to in Ezekiel 36:1?

12. For whose sake is God promising to restore Israel: the people’s or His own?

13. Do you think we should interpret Ezekiel 37’s Valley of the Dry Bones literally or figuratively?  Why or why not?

14. What does Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones mean to Israel?

15. What does Ezekiel’s prophetic action of joining two sticks together in Ezekiel 37 represent?

16. Ezekiel looks forward to a great battle between Gog, a nation of the north, and Israel.  Who will win?

17. How would Ezekiel’s vision of a new Temple inspire and encourage God’s people of his age?

18. How does Ezekiel’s vision of a new Temple inspire and encourage God’s people today?

19. What does Ezekiel 43:1-5 describe, and how does it bring the book full circle from what the prophet had witnessed earlier?

20. What does it say about God that He promises to restore Israel after their time of exile?

Friday, July 24, 2020

Ezekiel 1-24 Twenty Questions

1. What biographical details do we learn about the prophet Ezekiel from chapter 1?

2. What can you make of Ezekiel’s vision described in chapter 1?

3. “Son of Man” appears frequently in Ezekiel.  Where else in scripture do we hear this phrase?

4. What does God commission Ezekiel to do in chapter 2?

5. What were God’s instructions to Ezekiel concerning how long he was to lay on his left side and on his right side in chapter 4?

6. What is the symbolism of Ezekiel’s hair from his shaved head in chapter 5?

7. Ezekiel’s message in chapter 7 is now “The End Is Here!” rather than “The End Is Near!”  How would you respond to a prophet announcing imminent doom?

8. Ezekiel 8 reveals several instances of idol-worship among the Israelites.  Why does God regard this as such a terrible sin?

9. According to Ezekiel 8, even priests and elders were engaging in idolatry.  Are religious leaders today immune from provoking the Lord with false worship?  Why or why not?

10. When Solomon dedicated the temple, the glory of God filled it.  What happens in Ezekiel 10:18?

11. What kind of “heart transplant” is described in Ezekiel 11:19?

12. What is the connection between Ezekiel 12 and Jeremiah 39?

13. In Ezekiel 13, what do false prophets (those who proclaim “peace” when there is no peace) have to do with “whitewash”?

14. Which 3 men are held up as models of righteousness in Ezekiel 14?

15. Ezekiel 16 is an extended graphic metaphor of Jerusalem as an adulterous wife.  According to the prophet, what kind of items did God give her, and what did she do with each of the gifts?

16. What spiritual principles does Ezekiel 18 set forth concerning the sin of parents paid for by their children, as well as the wicked turning to righteousness and the righteous turning to wickedness?

17. According to Ezekiel 20, how far back does Israel’s rebelliousness go?

18. What do we know about the sword described in Ezekiel 21?

19. Who do the two adulterous sisters of Ezekiel 23 represent?

20. In chapter 24, Ezekiel’s wife dies.  How is her death, and the response that Ezekiel is commanded to have toward it, symbolic of what is happening in Israelite history at that moment?

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Jeremiah 38-52 and Lamentations Twenty Questions

1. If you had been in Jerusalem circa 587 B.C. to hear Jeremiah’s message in chapter 38:2-3, how do you think you would have responded?

2. Do you see any connection between what was done to Jeremiah in 38:6 and his message to King Zedekiah in 38:22?

3. What was the fate of King Zedekiah after the Babylonian victory?

4. What was the fate of Jeremiah after the Babylonian victory?

5. After the assassination of Nebuchadnezzar’s appointed governor, Gedaliah, many of the Jews remaining in Judah fled to Egypt.  Was this in obedience or disobedience to Jeremiah’s message to them?

6. According to Jeremiah 44, how did the Jews in Egypt feel about offering incense to the Queen of Heaven?

7. In the battle between Babylon and Egypt for supremacy, who won?

8. What does Jeremiah prophesy for Babylon in chapters 50 and 51?

9. What did the Babylonians do to Jerusalem, as recounted in Jeremiah 52:12-27?

10. How does the Book of Jeremiah end emotionally, with its account of King Jehoiachin in 52:31-34?

11. Have you ever had a season or time of lament in your life?  What did you lament?

12. Why didn’t the promises of God and the status of the Jews as God’s chosen people protect their nation from ruin?

13. What are some things Jerusalem is likened to in Lamentations 1:1?

14. What do you think Lamentations 1:10 is referring to?

15. What is the emotional, psychological, economic and spiritual toll of seeing a land’s best people sent into exile to another nation?

16. Does Jeremiah describe God’s role in the destruction of the nation as passive or active?  Why do you think that is?

17. Do you see any spiritual significance in the children of Jerusalem crying out in desperation for “bread and wine” in Lamentations 2:12?

18. The phrase “terrors on every side” appears several times in Jeremiah and Lamentations, such as in Lamentations 2:22.  What does 2:20 and 4:10 indicate about the extent of the famine in Jerusalem during the Babylonian siege?

19. In spite of Jeremiah’s many afflictions, what is the source of his hope in Lamentations 3:22 and following?  (Bonus question: What hymn is based on Lamentations 3:22-23?)

20. According to Lamentations 4:12, it had been widely believed that Jerusalem’s defenses were impregnable.  Is any nation beyond the reach of God’s judgment?

Thursday, July 16, 2020

Jeremiah 20-37 Twenty Questions

1. Are you surprised that Jeremiah, a true prophet of the Lord, with even a book of the Bible named for him, was beaten and rejected?  Why or why not?

2. Jeremiah expresses his bitterness toward God in chapter 20.  Can you relate?  Have you ever felt angry with God?

3. What should people do when they are upset with God?  Did Jeremiah handle his feelings the right way?

4. What are the parallels between Jeremiah 20:14-18 and Job 3?

5. What was Jeremiah’s advice in chapter 21 concerning the attacking Babylonian army?

6. How does Israel fulfill her calling to be a witness for God to the nations, even in a passage like Jeremiah 22:8-9 (compare with Deuteronomy 28:9-10 and 29:22-28)?

7. Who are the “shepherds” described in Jeremiah 23:1-4?

8. What was the meaning of Jeremiah’s vision of the two baskets of figs in Jeremiah 24?

9. In Jeremiah 25, what noteworthy nations are made to drink the cup of the Lord’s wrath?  Are any kingdoms omitted?

10. What evidence do we have in Jeremiah 26 that the prophet’s life was truly in jeopardy?
11. Imagine a modern-day prophet giving our nation the message of Jeremiah in chapter 27.  What would you think of someone who prophesied our destruction unless we surrender to another power?

12. How would you feel to be a prophet like Jeremiah, and being called by God to proclaim a message of national disaster like he was?

13. Describe what the yoke of Jeremiah 27 and 28 represented, and what Jeremiah and Hananiah each had to say about it?

14. The exiles in Babylon had a choice – either resign themselves to their situation and make the best of it, or sullenly refuse to accept their lot, pine for their homeland, and work against  Babylon.  Which course of action does Jeremiah advise them to take?

15. In the midst of all the “bad news” Jeremiah was charged to deliver during his ministry, what is the “good news” of Jeremiah 29:10-14?

16. How do Christians believe Jeremiah 31:15 is fulfilled in the New Testament?

17. Describe the “new covenant” that Jeremiah foresees in chapter 31.

18. How is the act of Jeremiah buying a field in chapter 32, at the very moment the Babylonians are laying siege to the city, a sign of hope?

19. Who are the Rekabites of Jeremiah 35, and what is their lesson to Judah?

20. How did King Jehoiakim treat the scroll containing the prophetic words that the Lord had given to Jeremiah in chapter 36?

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Jeremiah 1-19 Twenty Questions

1. What do you already know, or what have you heard, about the prophet Jeremiah?

2. Why would Jeremiah 1:4-5 be a potentially powerful verse on the abortion issue?

3. What two issues made Jeremiah think he was unqualified to be a prophet, and how did God respond?

4. How is Israel’s turning away from the Lord and turning toward idols reflected in Jeremiah 2?

5. In what way has the nation of Israel been behaving like a prostitute?

6. God says of Himself that He is a “jealous God” (Exodus 20:5).  Is jealousy ever appropriate in a relationship?  If so, how?

7. What alternatives does God offer the nation in Jeremiah 4:1-4?

8. Jeremiah 4:5-31 is a good example of why Jeremiah is known as “the weeping prophet.”  It was his mission to announce doom to Judah.  What nation and its invading army is described here?

9. In Jeremiah 5, how many fair and honest people does God say Jeremiah needs to find in order for Him to forgive the city?

10. What kind of warnings has our nation heard over and over again about long-term troubles that have become background noise?

11. The residents of Jerusalem thought they were safe from attack because the city housed the Temple.  What does the prophet say in Jeremiah 7 to show that the people are misguided in their trust?

12. What does God reveal to Jeremiah about the success of his ministry as a prophet (Jeremiah 7:27-28)?

13. How many times do you find words or images for “weeping” and “wailing” in Jeremiah 9?

14. Israel had exchanged God for worthless idols.  What kinds of “worthless idols” today tempt us away from worshiping God?

15. According to Jeremiah 11, is God justified for bringing destruction upon His chosen people?  Why or why not?

16. We often struggle with why bad things happen to good people.  In Jeremiah 12, the prophet complains that good things happen to bad people.  What are some biblical answers to this concern?

17. While Jeremiah prophesied destruction, false prophets proclaimed deliverance (Jeremiah 14:13).  How can we tell the difference between real prophets and false prophets?

18. In Jeremiah 16, what activities does God forbid the prophet to do, and what is the deeper meaning behind their prohibition?

19. What is the message that Jeremiah received in chapter 18 at the potter’s house?

20. What is the message of the clay jar that Jeremiah buys from a potter in chapter 19?

Monday, July 6, 2020

Isaiah 45-66 Twenty Questions

1. Isaiah 45 calls out Cyrus by name over two hundred years in advance of his appearance in history.  For that reason, some believe this portion of Isaiah was added later and backdated.  Others hold it to be genuinely prophetic.  Which do you believe, and why?

2. Isaiah 45:9 includes the image of a potter’s creation arguing with him.  Why is that an apt analogy of our relationship with God at times – and is there any important failing in that comparison?

3. What is the connection between verses like Isaiah 45:23 and Philippians 2:10-11?

4. Does Isaiah 46 envision a capricious God or One who makes purposeful plans?

5. According to Isaiah 48:11, for whose sake did God “refine” Israel through her sufferings?

6. What are some things that the chosen “servant of the Lord” will accomplish, according to Isaiah 49:1-7?

7. Do you see any parallels between Isaiah 50:7-9 and Romans 8:31-34?

8. In Isaiah 51, which lasts longer: God’s righteousness and salvation, or the heavens and earth and its inhabitants?

9. Why do you think Isaiah 52:7 and 53:1 are quoted by Paul in Romans 11:14-17?

10. What in Isaiah 53 most speaks to you of Jesus Christ?

11. Isaiah 53:7-8 appears again in Acts 8:32-33.  How can the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus serve as an evangelistic tool for the gospel?

12. Why do you suppose some chapters of Isaiah (like Isaiah 22) are extremely severe and punitive toward Israel, while others (like Isaiah 54) are extremely gracious and generous?

13. What emotions does Isaiah 55:8-9 stir in you?

14. In Isaiah 56, what does the prophet say God’s house will be called?

15. What does God respond to among His people in Isaiah 56:14-21?

16. What kind of “fast” does God want to see in His people (Isaiah 57)?

17. How is Isaiah 59:17 related to Ephesians 6:13-17?

18. List some parallels you find between Isaiah 60 and Revelation 21.

19. Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2 at the start of His ministry (Luke 4:14-21) and said the words were fulfilled in His audience’s hearing.  How did Jesus fulfill this prophecy?

20. Isaiah 65:17 and 66:22 speak of “new heavens and a new earth.”  Where else in the Bible do we see such things spoken of?

Thursday, June 25, 2020

Isaiah 23-44 Twenty Questions

1. What indications are there in Isaiah 23 that reveal the people of Tyre, Sidon, Phoenicia, etc. as sea-farers and involved in trade?

2. What are some of the things that the prophet says will happen to the earth in Isaiah 24?

3. What about Isaiah 26:19-21 hints at resurrection?

4. Where else in scripture have we heard about Leviathan and a serpent as God’s enemy (Isaiah 27:1)?

5. Who does the vineyard represent in Isaiah 27?

6. What does Peter (writing in I Peter 2:6) see in Isaiah 28:16?

7. How does Jesus apply Isaiah 29:13 in Matthew 15?

8. What is the lesson that Paul draws out of Isaiah 29:16 in Romans 9:20?

9. In Isaiah 30 and 31, does the prophet recommend turning to Egypt for help?  Why or why not?

10. Isaiah 32:2 contains four similes about the king who reigns in righteousness and the rulers who rule in justice.  Which image do you relate most to?

11. According to Isaiah 34, what is the punishment that will fall upon Edom?

12. What is the parallel message of Isaiah 35:3 and Hebrews 12:12?

13. Which do you find to be the most encouraging image given to us in Isaiah 35?  Why?

14. What are some of the ways that Sennacherib’s field commander attempts to dishearten the people of Jerusalem as recounted in Isaiah 36?

15. At their low point of being threatened by the Assyrians, to what human being did King Hezekiah and his officials turn for help?

16. What ended up happening to the army of the Assyrians?

17. What was the sign given to Hezekiah to show that he would recover from his illness?

18. What are some things that show Hezekiah’s later foolishness in Isaiah 39?

19. Christians believe that Isaiah 40:3 is a prophecy fulfilled by whom?

20. In Isaiah 44:6-23, what are some ways that the prophet demonstrates the worship of idols to be utter nonsense?

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Isaiah 1-22 Twenty Questions

1. Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah in Jerusalem of Judah.  Does the Bible reckon these men as good kings or bad kings?

2. According to Isaiah 1, which does the Lord value more: assemblies worshiping Him with sacrifices or nations practicing righteousness and justice?

3. God offers hope for the forgiveness of the sins of the people, provided their response is what? (Isaiah 1:18-20)

4. What does Isaiah say about the mountain of the Lord’s temple (Zion’s Hill) in 2:1-5?

5. Do you see any parallels between Isaiah 2:6-22 and Revelation 6:15-17 and 18:1-20?

6. What is the point of the parable of the vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7?

7. In Isaiah 6, why does the angel bring a live coal to touch Isaiah’s mouth, and how would such an act bring about atonement?

8. Have you ever told someone what they needed to hear, but it didn’t sink in and they refused your counsel?  Describe what happened. 

9. What was Isaiah’s promised sign of a virgin conceiving a child in chapter 7 originally supposed to demonstrate?

10. Can a sign have more than one meaning or application?

11. Who is Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz and what does his name mean?

12. What does the prophet foresee regarding Galilee in Isaiah 9:1-3?

13. What do the names of the child in Isaiah 9:6 signify?

14. What groups does God single out for compassion in Isaiah 10:1-4?

15. Isaiah 10:5-19 depicts the nation of Assyria as being both a means of God’s judgment and an object of His wrath.  How is this not a contradiction?

16. How does Jesus Christ fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 11, and in what ways do we expect Him to fulfill the remainder?

17. How does the prophet describe the “Day of the Lord” in Isaiah 13?

18. Isaiah 13:12-15 has both a historical contextual meaning and a famous cosmic application.  What are they?

19. What nations does the prophet darkly warn in Isaiah 13-21?

20. Isaiah’s audience in Judah might be feeling pretty good about all his prophecies issued against the Gentile nations around them.  Who does Isaiah target in chapter 22?

Sunday, June 7, 2020

Eccelesiastes and Song of Songs Twenty Questions

1. How can the phrase “everything is meaningless” be in the Bible?

2. How often do you think about the meaning of life and the inevitability of death, and how often do you suppose the author of Ecclesiastes thought about such things?

3. Solomon (presumed to be the author of Ecclesiastes) first decided to set his mind to what? (Ecclesiastes 1:17)

4. Why did he conclude this pursuit to be empty and meaningless?

5. What was Solomon’s second pursuit? (Ecclesiastes 2:1)

6. What was Solomon’s third pursuit? (Ecclesiastes 2:4-9)

7. What was his verdict about the value of all these attempts to find meaning and purpose in life? (Ecclesiastes 2:11)

8. Why does he conclude that wisdom is no better than foolishness?

9. What is the best that human beings can hope for, according to Solomon? (Ecclesiastes 2:24 and others)

10. Why do you think Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 has been considered such a rich source of wisdom in life (as well as a great song by the Byrds)?

11. How would you answer Solomon’s argument that humans may be no better than animals in Ecclesiastes 3:18-21?  (Again, can you believe that this is in the Bible?!)
12. What do you think of Solomon’s verdict on the meaninglessness of  wealth and the pursuit of money? (Ecclesiastes 5:10-19)

13. Solomon repeatedly bemoans that “there is nothing new under the sun.”  Do you think his opinion of the meaningless of life and its accomplishments would be different if he saw the technological and scientific progress of the last few centuries?  Why or why not?

14. People tend to either love or hate Ecclesiastes.  (It is said that it almost was not included in the Bible!)  Which camp do you fall in, and why?

15. Do you think the Teacher’s “conclusions” of 12:1 and 12:13-14 are enough to counter-balance his earlier observations of life’s utter folly, injustice, and meaninglessness?

16. Have you ever written (or received) a love poem?  Share what you can about that experience.

17. Why do you suppose a romantic poem, especially one filled with erotic undertones, was included in the Bible?

18. Solomon uses imagery with which he was familiar (an apple tree, pomegranate halves, fawns, an ivory tower, etc.)  What modern imagery might you employ if you were writing such a poem today?

19. If Songs was written in Solomon’s youth, Proverbs in his middle age, and Ecclesiastes in his old age (as is sometimes surmised), what development do you see in his thought and theology?

20. The “books of poetry” (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs) communicate God’s truth in a way different than straight text.  What can poetry convey that prose cannot?

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Proverbs Twenty Questions

1. What’s the best advice you’ve received in life?

2. What advice would you give a young person today, such as upon their graduation, or when entering their career or marriage?

3. Have you ever seen someone be the victim of not taking their own advice?

4. How can you explain “the fear of the Lord” as a positive thing, and indeed the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7)?

5. Think of people you know who you consider wise and others you regard as foolish.  What characteristics separate them?

6. In what ways is our larger society/culture wise or foolish?

7. What are the benefits of living a life of wisdom, according to Proverbs 3:1-4?

8. What would the world be like if everyone followed Proverbs 3:5-6?

9. What do you find to be most difficult about following Solomon’s guidance to live a life according to wisdom and the fear of the Lord?

10. According to Proverbs 4, how important is wisdom?

11. What does “drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well” refer to in Proverbs 5:15?

12. What lesson does the ant have for the sluggard, according to Proverbs 6:6-8?

13. Proverbs 6 and 7 contain many warnings against adultery with another man’s wife.  If Solomon received such teachings from his father David, why are these words especially poignant?

14. Proverbs 8 and 9 personify Wisdom and Folly.  What can you say about each?

15. Do you find a favorite Proverb or two contained in this book that really resonates with you?

16. Have you ever seen Proverbs 15:1 (“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”) played out in life?

17. What is Solomon’s view on discipline?

18. What is Solomon’s view on debt?

19. Do you consider the proverbs to be promises of God that, if followed faithfully, are guaranteed to produce the outcome described, or general principles of truth that, if lived out, tend to reflect the way that God designed the universe?  Why?

20. What are some of the qualities of a “wife of noble character” in Proverbs 31?

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Job 22-42 Twenty Questions

1. What kind of slanderous charges does Eliphaz make against Job in chapter 22?

2. Is Eliphaz correct when he says in Job 22:21: “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you?”

3. How convinced is Job of his own righteousness?

4. What kind of injustices (economic and moral) does Job describe in chapter 24?

5. In Job 27:1-6, what is Job resolute about, and why?

6. What kind of things do people mine for in the depths of the earth, according to Job 28:1-11?

7. What wisdom does God impart to human beings (Job 28:28)?

8. In chapter 29, what does Job cite as evidence of his past righteousness?

9. In chapter 29, what does Job cite as evidence of his wisdom?

10. In chapter 30, how does Job describe his loss of respect?

11. In chapter 30, how does Job describe his physical symptoms and pains?

12. Job gives a stirring defense of his own righteousness as a summation of his argument in chapter 31.  What sins does Job assert he refrained from?

13. Sometimes people profess to “feeling like Job” because of their suffering.  On what grounds would you say that comparison is likely to be faulty?  Name at least two.

14. How does Elihu feel about his wisdom (Job 36:4)?

15. God reviews his dominion over earth, sky, and sea, including the weather, the constellations, and the behavior of wild animals.  Do any of these topics especially provoke a sense of awe and wonder within you?

16. What would you guess Behemoth and Leviathan are?

17. At the end of the book of Job, who is justified: Job or his friends?

18. Who would you say won the “wager” between God and Satan from the beginning of the book of Job?

19. Job receives back double in livestock for all that he had lost (Job 42:12-17), but the same number of children that he had before.  Do you find any significance to this?

20. How do you think Job would feel about the conclusion that “all’s well that ends well?”

Monday, May 18, 2020

Job 1-21 Twenty Questions

1. In chapter 1, on what basis does Satan claim that Job’s righteousness lies?

2. What does God allow Satan to do to Job?

3. In chapter 2, on what basis does Satan claim that Job’s righteousness now lies?

4. What does God extend permission for Satan to do to Job?

5. Make a list of the losses Job suffered.  How do you think you might have fared spiritually if you were in his shoes?

6. Did Job deserve what happened to him?  Why or why not?

7. In the worst season of your life, what friends of yours would you most want to see, and how would you hope that they would encourage you?

8. In chapter 3, Job basically wishes that he had never been born.  Is depression a sin or a sign of weakness in one’s relationship with the Lord?  Why or why not?

9. What is the crux of Eliphaz’s argument to Job in 4:7-8?

10. How confident is Eliphaz in his own wisdom (Job 5:27)?

11. What does Job reveal he is hoping for in 6:8-10?

12. What appears to be Job’s view of life after death based on 7:6-10?

13. What is Bildad implicitly accusing Job of in chapter 8?

14. In chapters 9 and 10, does Job maintain his innocence or admit his wrongdoing?

15. In chapter 11, Zophar feels the need to defend God’s integrity and attack Job for his insistence on his own righteousness.  Do you think God needs human beings to defend Him?  Why or why not?

16. In Job 13, Job earnestly desires to make his case before the Almighty.  How does the expression in 13:15, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him,” summarize Job’s attitude?

17. Do you detect any change in Job’s thoughts about an afterlife in 14:7-17?

18. Why does Job feel that his friends are “miserable comforters” (Job 16:2)?

19. Does Job 19:23-27 indicate any evolution in Job’s thinking about life after death?

20. Job 21 seems to ponder the inverse question of the theme of this book (Why do the righteous suffer?) as Job asks, “Why do the wicked prosper?”  His friends have been staunchly maintaining that the opposite is true.  Why is it that we can’t tell the quality of someone’s inner spiritual life based upon their outer material prosperity?