In a previous post I listed results from a Barna report on how young people today view the Bible differently from other generations.  The fifth point was that they have . . . LESS ENGAGEMENT.

If the Bible is God’s Word, then we should want to be reading and studying the Bible.

If the Bible is not God’s Word, then it doesn’t need to be a priority in our lives.

Failing to engage oneself with God’s Word betrays people’s true heart toward it.  Either they don’t believe it to be true or to be from God or they don’t understand its eternal benefit.  Previous posts looked at its sacredness, accuracy, uniqueness, and origins. Let’s therefore consider some of the benefits:

revives our souls (Ps. 19:7)
makes us wise  (Ps. 19:7)
gives us joy (Ps. 19:8)
helps us see clearly (Ps. 19:8)
prevents us from sinning  (Ps. 119:11)
equips us for good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

The reason Scripture is so powerful and life-changing is because of its source.  God-breathed words impart energy, strength, wisdom, joy, light, comfort, peace, grace, and so much more into our lives because HE is all these things.  It’s about Him!

Have we been communicating the right message of the Bible?

The Bible is about God and His desire to have a relationship with man.  Too often in preaching and teaching we make it about the stories or concepts.  We need to get beyond precepts to the Person.

Have we been communicating the right reason for them to engage?

Give a good reason to study:  not merely something they “should” do … to fulfill a duty, a spiritual discipline;  not merely to learn about the Bible  … to gain knowledge;  but a means of connecting with the living God who loves them and wants their best  … to nurture a relationship.

Have we been communicating the right outcome of engaging in God’s Word?

Will it merely lead to head knowledge or is there more to it?  Have we been showing the life impacting results of God’s Word?  It changes lives.  Here’s a workbook to help teachers work toward this goal:  Teaching for Changed Lives

The last point on the Barna Report is that young people do have a Bible appetite so let’s give them a reason to dig in.

Resources to help communicate how to study the Bible.

If from God, then its words hold absolute authority and we are accountable.

If not from God but of man, then it words can be ignored and we can choose whether to believe or act upon it without consequence.

Divine origin changes everything.  By definition, God is the one of whom there is none greater, none higher.  If God authored the Bible, albiet through human writers, then it has supremacy over anything else, including our own opinions and lives.

The Bible describes itself as having divine origin.  Consequently, if that part is a lie, then none of it can be trusted.

2 Timothy 3:16 refers to Scripture as “inspired by God” or “God-breathed”.  Let’s back up: The verse says “ALL Scripture is inspired by God” … all parts.

1 Corinthians 2:11, 13 emphasizes the Spirit’s involvement, stating that it is not from human wisdom.

2 Peter 1:20-21 informs us that men were merely the instruments through whom God spoke.  God spoke by His Spirit.  Man recorded.

If God is not the author, then it would have to have been written by evil men or demons.  Why?  Because the claims within it to be from God would all be lies.  But, the likelihood of evil men or demons writing a book that condemns themselves is unlikely.  So, then, what is the origin of Scripture if not God?

Can we absolutely prove its divine origin?  Probably not, but the evidence sure does stack up for it being from God.

1)  fulfilled prophecies that man could not have made happen
2)  historical facts proved to be true through archaeology
3)  consistent theme and unity throughout the Bible unlikely if sourced by a variety of people
4)  moral excellence of which is unlikely to find its origin in sinful, depraved man
5)  indestructibility of the Bible through the years of which no other book so protected
6)  ability to transform lives

In reality, skepticism of the origin of Scripture could be even deeper.  Perhaps the question is more about God Himself.  Is there a God out there who so loved the world that He left a written manuscript on how to come into a relationship with Him?  Let’s make sure we are answering the underlying questions.  Feel inadequate to answer these difficult questions? — Apologetics Resources

Many believe that the Bible “teaches the same spiritual truths as other sacred texts.”  It is basically another way to say that all paths lead to the same place.  So, is the Bible universal or unique?

If unique, then the Bible holds a unique message that must be viewed in a different light.  And, it must be kept unadulterated or uncompromised.

If universal, then you can mix a little of this and a little of that and be okay.  Hence, you develop a theology of your choosing.

To those who hold a more universal view of Scripture, my first questions would be, “Have you actually read through the Bible and compared it to the texts from other religions?”  If you do, you will find that there are some fundamental differences that would inhibit a universal approach.  Consequently, you must make a choice on which you will believe.

That leads to a series of questions:

• Which text most answers the soul-searching questions about life … satisfies the seeking and fills the void?
• Which text provides the most hope for immortality … assurance of life after death?
• Which text offers the most rational view of the universe … why things are the way they are?
• Which text gives the most meaning and significance to life … explaining the conflict between the ideals and reality?
• Which text is the most systematically consistent … lack of contradictions?
• Which text gives us a reliable standard of truth … not leaving us in a constant state of flux?

If you want people to understand the uniqueness of God’s Word:

1)  Help them work through the above questions.  Show them how the Word of God passes the test.

2)  Provide resources that point out some of the fundamental differences of world religions and their texts.

The Inerrancy of Scripture:  total accuracy, no mistakes

If inerrant, then it becomes an absolute standard that can be considered reliable and trustworthy.

If some errors, then its words cannot be fully trusted and we have an excuse for not living by it.

To me it boils down to two issues:

1)  Our view of God:

Is God sovereign enough to use fallible human beings to get it right and to pass it on through the generations and countless translations in a form that maintains its integrity as God’s Word?

2)  Our view of man:

Is man capable of completely understanding Scripture?  Is it possible that man, in his finite state, simply can’t piece together the perceived inconsistencies?  Or, is man equal or superior to God in his ability to comprehend eternal matters, capable of judging its veracity? 

If God is viewed as sovereign and man as limited in his ability to understand, then we step out in faith … not a blind faith, but a faith in a God who is all-knowing and all-powerful.

If God is viewed as limited and man as all-knowing, then we become skeptical and doubt that He can accurately communicate through His written Word.

Do you want to convince people that the Bible is accurate?

1)  Present to them a God who is sovereign.
2)  Help them gain a more accurate view of themselves.

If sacred, then it is to be revered, seen as worthy of our devotion, something to be set apart from or above other writings.

If it is not as sacred, then it can be treated with less respect and can more easily be disregarded when inconvenient or when we don’t like what it says.

While we could point to Scripture about itself depicting its holy character, if people are skeptical about the veracity of the Bible and maybe even its origin, these verses will have little impact.  Perhaps that is the starting point.  If people become convinced of the “inspiration” of God’s Word, then they might find it more useful.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

The context of 2 Tim. 3:16-17 shows how Timothy grabbed hold of such a view of Scripture — “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (vs. 14-15).

Note that the Apostle Paul didn’t just say “you have known the Scriptures.”  Rather, he said “you have known the HOLY Scriptures.”  How did Timothy acquire such a perspective?

Intentional Teaching  -  He “learned it.”

Being parented by Christians did not automatically make Him revere God’s Word.  He was purposefully nurtured or trained in and about God’s Word.

Are we helping parents become disciplers of their own children?

> Resources for Training Parents

Are we helping teachers teach a lesson worth teaching purposefully based in God’s Sacred Word?

> Workbook for Training Teachers: A Lesson Worth Teaching

Incarnational Teaching  -  He learned it from those he knew.

Instruction would have been verbally communicated but in the context of real life.  It was modeled instruction by those who held such a high view of Scripture themselves.

Are we ourselves convinced of the sacredness of God’s Word and treating it as such?

Do we open our lives before others, as parents, teachers, leaders, that they can see, not just hear, our respect and devotion to the Word?

Incremental Teaching  -  He learned it “from infancy.”

They did not wait to teach him until he was old enough to get a good grasp of the Word.  They began the learning process in his earliest stage of development, as an infant, and continued “from” that point.  They obviously believed that even babies can learn that God’s Word is special.

Are we as parents and nursery workers using those teachable moments to develop an appreciation for God and His Word?

Is the nursery routine more than babysitting?

> Workbook to Help Nursery Workers:  Let the Little Children Come

I read a Barna report about how young people today take a different approach to the Bible than previous generations and I have to admit that as I look at the overall landscape, I do see it.  Of course, not all young people hold these perspectives but enough do that it should raise some questions.

The report is not saying that young people do not value the Bible or that they never read it.  Rather, it refers to the perceptions of young people toward the Bible, which would, in turn, affect the way they approach Bible study.  The report notes the following changes in young people from older generations.  For descriptions of the following perceptions, go to the Barna Report.

1. less sacred
2. less accurate
3. more universalism
4. skepticism of origins
5. less engagement
6. Bible appetite

The first question I asked myself is, “How did it get this way?”  Once I figure that out, I believe answers to how to change the tide will become more evident.

Surely it did not get this way overnight.  And, change will not come by throwing on a few bandaids.  The seeds were undoubtedly planted over the course of time and the roots go deep.  If that is true, it means change must begin with the older generations as obviously we have been the ones who planted the seeds.  What have we done, or not done, that led young people to view the Bible in these ways?

Surely we must also factor in the influence of the world with all of its relativistic and universal thinking.  In light of Romans 12:1-2, any change of perspective is going to be a transformation “by the renewing of the mind.”  What must that look like in discipleship efforts with young people? 

I must say that I am encouraged by the last point on Barna’s list.  Young people do have an appetite for the Bible, an “interest in gaining additional Bible knowledge” that scores higher than other generations.  That’s encouraging.  That gives hope that the tide can change.  But it also brings me back to those of us in older generations.  If we don’t have as much of an appetite for the Word, perhaps then we haven’t been modeling an approach to the Bible that communicates its worth and sufficiency.  Have we forsaken our first love?  If so, let’s be reminded of Jesus’ words to the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:5 –

Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

The Apostle Paul answers that question in his words to Timothy:
“… from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:15)

Paul goes on to in the very next verse to provide the ways God’s Word helps us.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

What better source to teach, rebuke, correct, and train children than the Bible.  The words of Scripture carry more authority and power than anything a parent or teacher can communicate.

The question is not “if” children
can learn the Bible but HOW.

The new PowerPoint presentation, Teaching the Bible to Children, helps you know “how.”

It one of the many teacher training resources available as part of a membership on TrainBibleTeachers.com and also is a separate item in the MinTools store.  Be sure to check it out because children really can learn the Bible!