A Bible Study Plan - John 18:18-27

I. Introduction

Open with prayer.

In our time together today we’ll being taking a deep dive into the story of the “rich young ruler” as found in the book of Luke, chapter 18, verses 18-27. 

Q: Are you familiar with the story?

 

A.     (If the answer in the class is yes): What do you remember about it? (As answers are shared, write them on the whiteboard.  To prompt responses, ask questions such as: Who was Jesus talking to? What was Jesus asked? How did Jesus respond? What was the response? What else do you remember?

 

B.     (If the answer to the question is silence or no, then do this instead of the white board, tell the story…Skip this part if there have been responses to I.A.)  The story we’ll be discussing today is about a rich young man who comes to ask Jesus about what he needs to do to inherit eternal life.  After the two of them talk about following the law, Jesus tells him that he needs to do one thing more – sell all he owns and give the money to the poor; then come follow Jesus. The man is sad – he has many possessions.  Then Jesus tells him and those gathered around something surprising.

 II.                Reading the Scripture

Distribute Handout A to two people who agree to be readers – Man and Jesus. Distribute a Handout to everyone else with the passage in New Revised Standard.  Ask the readers to read the passage, along with the teacher as narrator. 

 

Q: Anything surprising about what you heard?

III.         A Closer Look at the Passage

III.             A closer look at the passage

 

A.    Comparison to other Gospel stories

This story we’re looking at today is in two other gospels – Matthew and Mark.

 

Use the whiteboard information that to indicate which parts are in Luke or Matthew or Mark, using the table below. Circle (or add and circle) those things which are unique to Luke; place an X on those items in other gospels.  Be sure to mention the ones in bold – the others are not as important to the rest of the lesson.

 

If the class wasn’t familiar with the story as the lesson started, share information comparing the three gospels.

 

Luke 18:18-27	Matthew 19:16-26	Mark 10:17-31
Calls the man a ruler	Calls him someone	Calls him a man
	The man asks which commandments he must follow
	Adds love your neighbor as yourself	Adds, you shall not defraud.
	The man asks what he lacks	Jesus looks at him and loves him.
“You lack one thing”	“If you wish to be perfect”	“You lack one thing”
The man does not leave, and Jesus directs the comment about the rich entering heaven to the man.	The man leaves, and Jesus tells his disciples how hard it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.	The man leaves, and Jesus tells his disciples how hard it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.

 

Q: Any thoughts anyone wants to share here?

 

For me, one of the most interesting parts about the comparison is that in Mark, Jesus looks at the man and loves him.  According to the notes on Mark in The New Interpreter’s Study Bible this is “the only person in the Gospel Jesus is said to love.” (Tolbert 2003. 1829)

 

I also find it interesting that the man doesn’t leave in Luke – he goes away and doesn’t hear what Jesus says to the disciples, including the point that with God all things are possible. In Luke, the man sticks around to hear that point of hope.

I also want to point out that nothing in the Bible tells us what happens to the man.  It is open ended.  We often hear “The man couldn’t do what Jesus asked – but that’s not in the Bible.  Keep that in mind as we continue.

 

Perspectives: Up

 We went to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's performance of Pixar music.  It was great.  This is an image of the lighting as the Intermission began.  The piece the symphony was playing was from Up - imagine the balloons lifting the house.  They transferred from the screen to the ceiling. 

Critical Tasks

 

What are the most critical tasks in understanding the Bible so that you can preach or teach with integrity?

For me, the most critical tasks in understanding the Bible in order to preach or teach it are:

1. Spend time often in Bible Study. I think this background task will build not only the skills to do Bible study but also the foundational knowledge to uphold and enrich our study for specific preaching and teaching.
2. Invite God into the process. Spend some time in prayer and read the passage that is the focus on the sermon or lesson devotionally, as we have done in class.  I think this not only brings God into our exploration of the passage, but also helps us to discern the message God wants us to share with our congregation or class.
3. Expand your reading. In working on the exegesis project for our class, I found my study was enriched by reading what came before and after my passage and what was in parallel Gospel stories. How does the passage connect to other passages in the Bible?
4. Research the passage itself. Learn about who the passage was written for, how others have interpreted it, for example.
5. Stop researching and write. It is so easy to get caught up in what we can read that others have written that we need to say when enough is enough.

Book Review: The Message of Jesus

 Information about the book

The Message of Jesus: Words that hanged the World by Adam Hamilton.  Abingdon Press. Nashville.  2024.

Summary

From Amazon: More than 3 billion people claim to follow Jesus. But aside from a few verses, how many actually know what he taught? In fact, much of what people think Jesus taught, he never said. 

In this six-week study, pastor and best-selling author Adam Hamilton explores six of the most important themes in Jesus's teachings, why they matter, and how they speak to us today. The book will explore Jesus’s preaching on the Kingdom of God, the Sermon on the Mount, the parables, the “I am” sayings in John, and more. Jesus's message is not only life-changing, but world-changing. Join Adam Hamilton in studying The Message of Jesus: Words That Changed the World. 

Other components for the study include a leader guide, teaching videos, and sermons and worship.

Impressions

The book is divided into six chapter which makes it easy to adapt to a Lenten study.  The structure flows from the kingdom of God, the beatitudes, parables, I AM statements, final words, and post-resurrection messages.

As usual, Hamilton's writing is engaging. I enjoyed reading it and encountered several "ah ha" moments.  I particularly enjoyed the chapter about the Kingdom of God.  He quotes Gordon Fee: "You cannot know anything about Jesus, anything, if you miss the kingdom of God... You are zero on Jesus if you don't understand this term.  I'm sorry to say it that strongly but this is the great failure of evangelical Christianity.  We have had Jesus without the kingdom of God, and therefore have literally one Jesus in."

A few more quotes from Hamilton:

• "When we pray the Lord's Prayer, we say, "Thy kingdom come, They will be done." And every time we say The or Thine, instead of my and mine, we are yielding our lives and our will to God. That is the essence of life in the Kingdom."
• "We are to love our neighbor, to love our enemies, and to love one another. This is the defining mark of the Christian life. It is not a feeling, but a way of living and being."
• "The challenge is that often the most vocal Christians seem also to be the least loving some of them seem more interested in using Jesus to further their causes, than in Jesus using them to further his causes."
• "I believe the death of Christ is less like a judicial transaction, and more like poetry.  It is a word from God about human brokenness and sin and the lengths to which God will go to heal and forgive us...."

I would recommend this book.

Perspectives: San Antonio

 

Critical Methods

What do you understand about modern scholarship's "critical" methods?

Critical methods are the tools that modern scholars can use to read and deeply study scripture in a way that helps us to interpret what the original authors meant when they wrote the passages, how that was influenced by their cultures, sources, genre, and context. Critical methods provide a multifaceted means of understanding the scripture.

How can these methods help us in our biblical interpretation?

Each different critical method can provide a different perspective to understand the scripture.  Form criticism examines the genre of the text and the ideas important to the early church. Care must be taken when using this type of criticism to not loose sight of the fact that the passages were written to an eyewitness story about Jesus and not necessarily to respond to a current church issue.  Source criticism examines the sources of the scripture; did one Gospel serve as the source for another one? Redaction criticism examines the role of the writer as editor – how did the “editor” strengthen his message about Jesus through what was included in the Gospel and in what order it was presented. Literary criticism focuses on the Gospels as literature – either as only literature or as literature in the gith of history or canon. Reception criticism focuses on how the texts were read in the past. For example, I can imagine that knowing how a person in Corinth read and understood Paul’s letter to the Corinthians would help us to understand what Paul was trying to convey in the letter.  An in-depth study of Scripture should include more than one method if criticism so that a fuller and more accurate understanding (from different perspectives) is found.  (Source of information is Chapter Five of the Text)

Book Review: How not to Waste a Crisis

Information about the book

How Not to Waste a Crisis: Quite Trying Harder by Tod Bolsinger.  Intervarsity Press. Downers Grove, Illinois. 2024

Summary

From Amazon: In a world where crises seem to be the new normal, leadership that adapts is more vital than ever. In his new book How Not to Waste a Crisis bestselling Tod Bolsinger offers a refreshing perspective on turning chaos into opportunity. Unlike a typical leadership book, How Not to Waste a Crisis is an invitation to rethink and redefine your approach to leadership in times of upheaval. What sets How Not to Waste a Crisis apart is its vibrant storytelling, engaging illustrations, and practical exercises. Each chapter brings to life real-world examples and transforms complex concepts into digestible insights.

Impressions

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been looking for something to replace one of the books I ask the CLM class to read. At first, I thought I would use Tempered Resilience (review here).  I really liked that book and would recommend it, but it is longer than other books I ask the class to read, and more detailed.  A Conference staff person (Ken) mentioned this series by the same author, so I ordered Leading Through Resistance and this book, How Not to Waste a Crisis, both part of Bolsinger's Practicing Change series. (There are two others in the series I have not read).

This is a shorter book focused on helping to lead people through a crisis - and admitting that you don't know how to do that. It's about learning in the midst of crisis instead of bringing your expertise and talents (which won't work in the crisis) to the table.  It's about ending your expert status and inviting others to join you in finding a solution through experimentation.

I liked this book, and would recommend it.

Perspectives: Our cat

 

Course Review: Reading the New Testament with New Eyes

 Information about the Course

This course, entitled "Reading the New Testament with Fresh Eyes" is offered by Be A Disciple. It is a required course for those seeking CLM certification in the Great Plains Conference.  The course Instructor is Rev. Richard Fitzgerald, an elder in that conference.  The course requires the purchase of a textbook called Reading the New Testament as Christian Scripture by Constantine R. Campbell and Jonathan T. Pennington. My review of the text is here.

The course lasts four weeks and requires daily participation. It is asynchronous, unless you participate in optional zoom sessions.  It includes daily writing, daily posting and responses, and two "larger" projects.

Summary

From BeADisciple: “Reading the New Testament with Fresh Eyes” is for anyone who has wanted to understand the Bible more effectively. Over four weeks, learners will learn methods for interpreting the New Testament so that it gives life to us and to those in our ministry scope. Students will learn how to study the Scriptures thoughtfully and critically, developing Biblical interpretation skills for future teaching and preaching while understanding their context for reading the Scriptures. Optional Zoom sessions will support the learning process. 

Impressions

My response to this course is different that other ones.  First of all, I found the daily interactions to be hard to manage during more busy times. In other courses, there are weekly postings and responses (that are usually more involved that the ones for this class) so that you can write and post when your schedule allows it during the week. I felt the pressure of daily posting.

One of the high points of the class was the involvement of the Instructor. He posted with us daily, providing additional questions for consideration. This helped me to find additional ways to respond to posts and expanded my knowledge of the topic.

The course requires two projects.  In the first day, students chose a scripture for these projects.  At the end of the first two weeks (I think - is it three?) students submit an exegesis of their chosen scripture.  At the end of the class, students use the exegesis to prepare a Bible Study or a sermon (students's choice). This was involved work.

There were times I regretted enrolling for the course because of my schedule and the work involved. That said, I always had the feeling that the course was "good for me" - a good choice, helping me to develop skills I hadn't explored before. I had never written an exegesis. I have, of course, written a Bible study, but rarely from scratch, without curriculum. 

I'm glad I took this course, and I would recommend it. I'm glad I'm finished with it.

Posts about the Class

Posts about the class will have the tag Reading NT

Sovereign of the Universe

Inspired by Psalm 90:1-4

O God, our God,

Melek Ha'Olam

You are king. You are sovereign.

You reign over all that is.

Help us to understand this.

May our bones tremble with the reality.

You sit among the angels.

May the earth know this to its core.

O God, our God

Melek Ha'Olam

You are great in Zion.

You are great in all places,

over all of us.

May we lift you high.

Exalted.

O God, our God,

Melek Ha'Olam

We praise your name.

We praise you.

Awesome are you.

Holy are you.

O God, our God,

Melek Ha'Olam

You love and value justice,

Equity springs from your nature.

You brought justice and righteousness

through Jacob,

through your kingdom among us.

You have created righteousness in us.

Holy are is your name.

Holy are you.

Note: Melek Ha'Olam means King of the Universe or Sovereign of the Universe (as I understand it).

 

Perspectives: Ceiling Eye

 How would you feel about an eye staring at you from the sanctuary ceiling?

Book Review: Leading Through Resistance

Information about the book

Leading Through Resistance: Quit Pushing Back by Tod Bolsinger.  Intervarsity Press. Downers Grove, Illinois. 2024

Summary

From Amazon: Every leader knows the stormy seas of resistance. When faced with change, even the most dedicated teams can push back, especially when there's something to lose. How do you guide your team through these turbulent times without losing sight of the mission? Leading Through Resistance by Tod Bolsinger is a beacon for leaders navigating the choppy waters of organizational change.

Leading Through Resistance offers more than just strategies; it delivers a mindset shift. With wisdom woven through every page, Tod Bolsinger teaches you unexpected skills to not only face resistance but to transform it into a mission-driving force.

This book is part of Bolsinger's Practicing Change Series.

Impressions

I have been looking for something to replace one of the books I ask the CLM class to read. At first, I thought I would use Tempered Resilience (review here).  I really liked that book and would recommend it, but it is longer than other books I ask the class to read, and more detailed.  A Conference staff person (Ken) mentioned this series by the same author, so I ordered Leading Through Resistance (and one other that I'll also review). 

Posts about this book

If there are any posts about this book, they can be found with this tag: Bolsinger Resistance