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.