non-denom bible study groups

by TheListener 15 Replies latest jw friends

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  chipa

  I run a youth group for kids 15-17 y/o's in my church, we have discussions and meetings every week about different bible topics. We have an understanding, that for most questions that come up , there are no 'right or wrong' answers (most) , we support each other and respect people's opinions...

  A lot of churches (well at least in Australia) run small groups like this.. These Groups are designed to promote discussions on the bible and to provide close knit support from people that are similar to you.

  They are both certain denom and non-denom. My church is a baptist church, but we are more like a non-denom church, we basically dont do anything 'traditional' but we still worship God. I am sure if you look around your area , and ask around you will find churches both non-denom and denom that run small groups like this. You just have to find out that you are comfy in ... good luck...
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  Ingenuous

  Heh, I thought the subject was "non-demon" bible study groups at first.

  So did I! So much for careful reading...

  I happened to fall into a liberal Bible Student group - it's nice when you can find one, but it can be a crap-shoot.

  The Disciples of Christ churches look broad-minded and tolerant, though I haven't attended yet.
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  whyizit

  I attend a non-denominational church and they have several home groups that study the Bible alone. No added literature.

  If you can't find a study group, you could get one going on your own. I would imagine that you could find a non-denominational church in your area that would support the effort.

  If you decide to do an on-line study group, count me in! As long as it is a study directly out of the Bible, I am IN!

  When I study on my own, I use the inductive method. It's almost like taking a Scripture and making it into a question. What question would this verse answer? Why was it written? What does it mean?

  It's a process of finding out what God wants you to know, without adding anything to it. You don't assume that it says something that is not there. I'll give you an example of what I mean.

  I was told that Jesus did not raise in human form, because no one recognized Him. The people telling me this used Luke 24 to support it. However, they picked and chose the verses, without reading the entire chapter. When we read it in it's entirety, in context, it says nothing about Jesus changing or hiding Who He is from the men. Or that He is in "spirit" form. In verse 16, you will noticed that it is THEIR eyes that are kept from recognizing Him. Verse 31 tells when THEIR eyes were opened. Jesus did not change at all. It was the men who changed.

  That He can appear and leave as He wills it, is not proof that He was not there physically as a man. When He appeared to Thomas and allowed him to touch Him, that was to prove that He was REALLY there in bodily form. To have done so and not have been in bodily form, would have been very decpetive. Would Jesus use deception? ("Touch my "fake hands" and my "fake side", so I can make you think I am really here---GOTCHA! I'm actually just a spirit creature, posing as Jesus in the flesh!") Of course not!

  Reading the Bible should be about what God wants us to know. Not what we would have it say. Reading it and trying to make it all make sense from a human stand point defeats the purpose. God's ways are not our ways. He said so Himself. Reading the Bible helps us see what His ways are.

  If you decide to start a group via the internet, please let me know. I'm very interested. I think it is an awesome idea. And if you start a group where you live, keep us updated on how it is going!
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  TheListener

  Thanks for your replies everyone.

  At this point I'm just too mentally wore out from fading to start my own on-line bible study group. I'm just looking to discuss bible topics with others in a physical non-internet setting.

  The Church of Christ (the non-cult ones) seem nice. I will also do some checking on the Disciples of Christ.

  Part of this also is showing my spouse that although I don't attend meetings I still love God and am interested in reading and studying the Bible and applying its principles in my life.
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  blondie

  Listener, the internet may be just a way to find people in your area that would like an IRL group.

  I know of several ex-JWs that do not want to associate with a church or official group. They have found other ex-JWs in their area (and some never JWs) that like to meet and discuss the bible verse by verse with the use of various bible commentaries. No consensus is reached, just an exchange of ideas. Groups usually vary between 2 to 10 people (too large is too unwieldly). Various bible translations are used too and the verses are then looked at in context.

  Reminded me of the very, very early groups in Russell's day (from my grandparents description).

  Blondie
• 

  barry

  i dont beleive one has to go to a non denominational church to freely discuss bible topics. Im an SDA and am a little reluctant to promote my own church too much here because I know there are many good churches out there also some SDA doctrine promoted by the right wing of adventism is way off the mark as far as the Protestant Gospel of Righteousness by faith is concerned. The Adventist doctrine of the investigative judgement is a very bad doctrine which in its purest form gives the beleiver no assurance of salvation but only a works based religion.

  Of course not all SDAs go along with such perfectionistic type religion.

  On the other hand SDAs have a very strong beleife in th priesthood of all beleivers and this means they take personal bible study and bible discussion very seriously.

  A few years ago we had a family who had been studying with the witnesses leave and they went around to all the churches in the town where I lived at the time. This family found they could freely discuss the bible at the SDAs more than in any other denomionation. The family went to the Anglicans, baptist Uniting and they eventually became SDAs.

  The meeting I would recommend at the SDAs is the sabbath school held before the divine service its something like the watchtower study except in my experiance as a third generation SDA at times there is no holds barred as to where a discussion may lead.

  Someone said earlier they dont think that trinitarianism and arianism could co exist well it does in the SDA church. When barnhouse and martin studied SDAism they nearly gave the denomination cult status from the beginning because they went to the General Conferance with documents with the church logo supporting both the trinity and Arinaism. A whole suitecase full.

  Dont let anyone tell you that you must beleive someting because a smart man changes his mind sometimes, but a fool never.

  These thoughts are from my own experiance and many times i have enjoyed the discussion and fellowship of christians of other denominations. Barry