Engage Details

ENGAGE Bible Teaching Study Helps

Expository Prepping Principles:

#1 Pray and ask the Lord to help you understand what you read.

#2 Read the entire book in which your passage is found 10 times.

#3 Read the chapter in which your passage is found 5 times.

#4 Read the paragraph in which in your passage is found 10 times.

#5 Read your passage 5 times.

Expository Lesson Principles:

#1 Determine the meaning of your passage. 

#2 Identify the timeless truths and how they fit within the book.

#3 Apply the timeless truths to your contemporary audience.

#4 Use explanations as necessary.

#5 Use illustrations throughout.

Helpful Resources:

NIV Application Commentary Series

MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series

Moody Bible Commentary

Wiersbe Bible Commentary

https://www.preceptaustin.org/

https://www.ligonier.org/

https://www.blueletterbible.org/

Example Expository Lesson Outline:

Passage: Hebrews 9:11-15

Main Idea: Christ is superior to the Old Testament priests.

Outline: Introduction

              1. Christ as the Tabernacle (v. 11)

              2. Christ as the Sacrifice (vv. 12-14)

              3. Christ as the Mediator (v. 15)

              Conclusion/Application

Bible Teaching Judging Criteria

Biblical Teaching - Oral

Organization

  1. 1.
    Introduction (grab audience attention)
  2. 2.
    Flow of Points
  3. 3.
    Conclusion - restate main points

Content

  1. 1.
    Statement of Topic
  2. 2.
    Use of Scripture
  3. 3.
    Use of supporting material, cross references
  4. 4.
    Effective communication to Christian & non-christian audience
  5. 5.
    Use of logic

Poise and Confidence

  1. 1.
    Eye Contact
  2. 2.
    At Ease
  3. 3.
    Good use of space around the lectern

Delivery

  1. 1.
    Strength and clarity of voice
  2. 2.
    Correct Grammar
  3. 3.
    Limited use of "ums"
  4. 4.
    Limited nervous behavior

Apologetics Topics

Inspiration

There is no proof at all that a God had anything to do with the writing of the Bible, either directly or indirectly by inspiration. The Bible proves it’s man-made by its content - no God would write such a confusing, contradictory, factually incorrect book. If a God wrote a book, I think it would be obvious it was divine and there wouldn’t be other Holy books to compete with it, the God would make sure of that. The fact that there are so many Holy books is proof to me that none are divine.

Questions to Respond to:

  • How would you respond to this argument?
  • What does it mean for the Bible to be inspired? What does it tell you about the Bible?
  • What is verbal plenary inspiration?
  • Is there any evidence that the Bible is inspired?
  • Does the Bible claim to be inspired?

Recommended Reading

  • God’s Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture by Barrett
  • From God to Us by Norman Geisler & William Nix
  • Ancient Word, Changing Worlds by Nichols & Brandt
  • The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible by Pache

Infallibility

Biblical infallibility is a doctrine that does a lot of harm and no good at all. Saying that the Bible is trustworthy sounds right, but that is just what church people want you to say. It is totally unreasonable to believe that the Bible is trustworthy because the Old Testament endorses horrible things. The Old Testament includes immorality, people driven from their homes, and mass slaughtering of innocent people. All of this can be found in the Old Testament and endorsed as God’s will.

Questions to Respond to:

  • How would you respond to this argument?
  • What does it mean for the Bible to be infallible?
  • How does infallibility relate to God’s character?
  • Are there moral claims of the Bible that disprove infallibility?
  • Does infallibility refer to the text of Scripture or to the events that they describe?

Recommended Reading

  • God’s Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture by Barrett
  • From God to Us by Norman Geisler & William Nix
  • Ancient Word, Changing Worlds by Nichols & Brandt
  • The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible by Pache

Inerrancy

The Bible is a book written solely by humans in an ignorant, superstitious, cruel, and unenlightened age, therefore the book contains many errors and harmful teachings. The Bible is erroneous because it contains contradictions, approves outrageous cruelty, communicates falsely about principles of natural laws, and has a mistaken view of the structure of the world. Humanity has been led down many paths of error and misery throughout history because of this book.

Questions to Respond to:

  • How would you respond to this argument?
  • What is inerrancy?
  • Does the Bible claim to be inerrant? What did Jesus believe about the Bible?
  • Are there “contradictions” in the Bible? How would you respond to that argument?
  • Does inerrancy refer to the text of Scripture or to the events that they describe?

Recommended Reading

  • God’s Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture by Barrett
  • The Battle for the Bible by Harold Lindsell
  • Ancient Word, Changing Worlds by Nichols & Brandt
  • The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible by Pache

Canonicity

The Bible is not the Word of God. It was created by a man named Constantine and he decided what to put in the Bible. In the 4th century, an emperor and bishop determined what the Bible would be at the Council of Nicaea. All the books of the Bible were not determined by God, but by man. The New Testament is completely made up and utterly useless for today. It is not from God - it was created, invented, and compiled by man.

Questions to Respond to:

  • How would you respond to this argument?
  • What is the canon of Scripture?
  • What are some misconceptions about the canon?
  • What are the marks of canonicity? How do we know which books belong in the canon?
  • Does the Bible give any evidence to which books should be in the canon?

Recommended Reading

  • A General Introduction to the Bible by Geisler & Nix
  • Seven Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible by Lutzer
  • From God to Us by Norman Geisler & William Nix

Authority

The Bible has absolutely no authority. There is no such thing as a divine authority that inhabits any single syllable or page of the Bible. There are just groups of people who get together and agree that they’re going to submit to a specific kind of authority associated with the Bible. Bottom line: people give the Bible authority - not God. People or churches may have authority, but the Bible has no authority on its own.

Questions to Respond to:

  • How would you respond to this argument?
  • What does it mean for the Bible to have authority?
  • What does the Bible say about its own authority?
  • What others kinds of authority are there? Should the Bible be given ultimate authority?
  • How does the authority of the Bible relate to one’s interpretation of the Bible?

Recommended Reading

  • God’s Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture by Barrett
  • Taking God at His Word by Kevin DeYoung
  • Final Word: Why We Need the Bible by MacArthur

Apologetics Judging Criteria

Biblical Apologetics - Written

Organization

  1. 1.
    Introduction - clear statement of thesis
  2. 2.
    Flow of Points
  3. 3.
    Conclusion - good summary - doesn't introduce new arguments

Content

  1. 1.
    Statement of Topic
  2. 2.
    Use of Scripture
  3. 3.
    Use of supporting material, cross references
  4. 4.
    Effective communication to Christian & non-christian audience
  5. 5.
    Use of logic

Biblical Apologetics - Oral

Organization

  1. 1.
    Introduction (grab audience attention)
  2. 2.
    Flow of Points
  3. 3.
    Conclusion - restate main points

Content

  1. 1.
    Statement of Topic
  2. 2.
    Use of Scripture
  3. 3.
    Use of supporting material, cross references
  4. 4.
    Effective communication to Christian & non-christian audience
  5. 5.
    Use of logic

Poise and Confidence

  1. 1.
    Eye Contact
  2. 2.
    At Ease
  3. 3.
    Good use of space around the lectern

Delivery

  1. 1.
    Strength and clarity of voice
  2. 2.
    Correct Grammar
  3. 3.
    Limited use of "ums"
  4. 4.
    Limited nervous behavior