People hear “story” and think “fairy tale.” But stories are everywhere, and they play a definitive role in who we are. The Bible’s claim is that it’s the true story of the entire world – here’s why that matters.
5 Worldview Questions:
*Borrowed from N.T. Wright’s The New Testament and the People of God pp 132-133
The traditional Christmas story is well-established in Christian imagination: Mary and Joseph arrive in the town of Bethlehem as strangers, only to find “no room in the inn.” With nowhere to go, they find shelter in a lonely stable and Christ is born into the company of livestock.
But what if that story has been shaped more by Christian tradition than what’s actually in the text? We take an in-depth look at the birth of Christ as told in Luke’s gospel and unpacked by Dr. Kenneth Bailey in Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes. With a keen understanding of ancient Near Eastern culture and Greek language, Bailey helps us see a much more realistic version of the Christmas story, full of richness and beauty that has been overlooked for centuries.
Click here to download the excerpt of Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, generously provided by InterVarsity Press
Sign up for the IFBR Christmas devotional: https://instituteforbiblereading.org/christmas/
“What became clear immediately was how different our discussions were about God’s Word.”
We’ve spent the past few episodes talking about why community Bible reading and organic conversations make all the sense in the world, but what difference does it actually make?
Pastor Chris Morrison’s church was the very first church to try Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience, and it completely changed how they interact together around Scripture. Chris joined us to talk about their experience.
Watch Chris’ video story: https://instituteforbiblereading.org/church-read-entire-bible-immerse/
In our last episode we traced the historical shift of the Bible from a book read in community to one read in private. Today, we take a look at the problems inherent in only reading alone, then suggest 4 ways we can work to recover the community interaction around the text that God’s people have enjoyed for so long.
Bowling Alone: https://amzn.to/39zlUps
Unleashing the Word: https://amzn.to/3odInfz
Learn more about Immerse: ImmerseBible.com
Order Immerse (use code IFBR10 for 10% off!): https://www.tyndale.com/l/immerse
From a book read, heard, and discussed in community to a book experienced in quiet isolation. How did we get from there to here?
Links:
Nehemiah 8 Story
Y’allVersion
Destroyer of the Gods by Larry Hurtado
The Institute for Bible Reading is a part of Our Daily Bread Ministries, a global nonprofit committed to making the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.
