Below are the Bible Study Lessons from our Tuesday Study Group. The lessons are in canonical order.
Genesis 1: The Story of Creation
The Story of Creation takes a close reading of the first creation story in Genesis 1:1-2:3 within its historical, linguistic, and Scriptural context. Within the first chapter of Scripture we explore topics such as the nature of God, the work of the Trinity, the nature of time, how to read the Scriptures, the (non-)existence of evil, who we are, the nature of salvation, and our responsibilities to creation and to each other. For background in this study, I have used primarily Bereishit (Genesis) Rabbah, the JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis, and St. Augustine’s Confessions. This Epiphany study covers seven weeks.
(Epiphany 2020)
Genesis 2-3: Adam & the Fall
In this study, we read the story of Adam & the Fall as given to us in Genesis 2:4-3:24. The creation story of Genesis 1 that we studied in Epiphany 2020 is the story of God and his bringing about all that is seen and unseen. The story of Genesis 2-3 is the story of us. It is a story that seeks to tell us who we are and the very nature of our human condition. This story prepares us for Jesus who took upon himself our human nature and who perfected the same through his incarnation, obedience, and resurrection. Rom. 5:12-21, 1 Cor. 15:42-50. As preparation for the study, I am using the JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis, the writings of Richard Beck, Jordan Peterson’s lecture on Adam and Eve Self Consciousness, Evil, and Death, and St. Athanasius’s On the Incarnation. This Epiphany study covers seven weeks.
(Epiphany 2022)
Abraham
In this study, we explore the stories of Abraham from the perspective of Jesus, Paul, and their Jewish contemporaries in an attempt to read the Old Testament the way they did. The readings include the Genesis account of Abraham, other verses of Scripture, and other writings from Jewish, Christian, and Islamic perspectives. For the general outline of the teaching, I used How to Read the Bible by James Kugel. This was one of our first studies, and I send only one email each week with an attached study outline and readings. This study covers six weeks.
(Autumn 2013)
Elijah – An Advent Study
In this extended Advent Study, we are reading through the stories of Elijah set forth in 1 Kings 17 – 2 Kings 2. In Jewish thought, Elijah is seen as a foreshadowing of the Messiah and Elijah’s return was the harbinger of the eschatological Day of the Lord. See, Mal. 4:5, Matt. 17:10. Elijah is an example and a calling for our advent preparation. As background material, I will be using excerpts from Walter Brueggemann’s Testimony to Otherwise: The Witness of Elijah and Elisha and Daniel Matt’s Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation. This Advent study is for four weeks.
(Epiphany 2014)
The Story of King David
In the Story of King David, we walk through the entire saga of King David from the anointing of a young shepherd boy by the prophet Samuel until his death in old age and his son Solomon’s securing the throne. David not only gives us a great story that rivals anything HBO has to offer, but allows us to dive deep into the Scriptures and find Jesus. For background in this study, I have used David Wolpe’s book David: The Divided Heart and David Payne’s commentary on I & II Samuel. This Autumn study covers thirteen weeks and 1 Samuel 16 through 1 Kings 2.
(Autumn 2020)
The Psalms
This was our first study of the Bible study group. The study takes the Psalms topically with an emphasis on the liturgical season. For background, I used C. S. Lewis’s Reflections on the Psalms, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, and Mike Aquilina’s Praying the Psalms with the Early Christians which provided a great resource of Patristic commentary. This study is for eleven weeks.
(Epiphany/Lent 2013)
Ecclesiastes
In this Lenten Study, we will be discussing the first half of Ecclesiastes. The theme of Ecclesiastes is that the things of this world are no more substantive than a vapor that soon disappears and is forgotten. The writer reminds us that regardless of how wise or righteous we are, death comes for us all. During Lent, as we walk with Jesus towards Jerusalem and ultimately Golgotha, we are faced with the question of whether death also comes for God’s Wisdom incarnate who exhibits the perfect Righteousness of God. For if death comes for Him, then all that we do is in vain. Therefore, Ecclesiastes compels us, like the male disciples on Easter morning, to run to see if the rumor of the empty grave and the defeat of death itself is true. For the background of this study, I have used the JPS Bible Commentary: Ecclesiastes by Michael Fox, The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus, and The Resurrection of the Son of God (Ch. 3) by N.T. Wright. This Lenten study covers five to six weeks.
(Lent 2019)
Advent in Isaiah (Isa. 2, 7, 11, 35)
In this Advent Study, we read through the four Advent readings of Isaiah contained in Year A. These readings are: Isaiah 2:1-5 concerning the future House of God, Isaiah 11:1-10 on the future Peaceful Kingdom of God, Isaiah 35:1-10 about the Return of the Redeemed, and Isaiah 7:10-17 where the sign of Immanuel is given. This Advent study is one week.
(Advent 2016)
Isaiah’s Book of Consolation (Isa. 40-55)
In this Lenten study, we will be looking at Isaiah’s Book of Consolation contained in Isaiah 40-55 with a specific focus on the four Suffering Servant Songs found in Isaiah 42:1-4, Isaiah 49:1-6, Isaiah 50:4-9, and Isaiah 52:13-53:12. For background, I am using The Suffering Servant in Deutero-Isaiah by Christopher North, excerpts from The Prophets by Abraham Heschel, and a chapter from The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann. This Lenten study covers four weeks.
(Lent 2018)
Ezekiel
In this study, we discuss how Ezekiel’s prophecies speak condemnation and hope into an exiled people and prefigured the coming of Jesus as the Messiah. As background for this study, I have used Origen of Alexandria’s Homilies on Ezekiel, The Holman Old Testament Commentary – Ezekiel, and the chapter on Ezekiel from James Kugel’s How to Read the Bible. This Epiphany study covers eight weeks.
(Epiphany 2014)
Amos
In this study, we discuss how Amos confronts and criticizes the religious-political elites of Israel who obey only the outward trappings of God’s Law while simultaneously exploiting the poor and perverting justice, and how his message speaks to us today. As background for this study, I have used The Prophets by Abraham Heschel and Amos, Doing What is Right by Robert Baker. This study covers five weeks.
(Autumn 2014)
Jonah
In this four-week study, we read through the story of Jonah. At its core, Jonah is a polemic against a nationalistic retributive understanding of God who destroys our enemies in favor of a universal understanding of God abounding in such great mercy as to require us to not only love our enemies but to intercede for their redemption. Jonah holds us to account for our selfishness which causes us to flee from the love of neighbor and delight in the downfall of others. For the background of this study, I am using Tyndale’s Old Testament Commentary on Jonah (academic approach), Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz’s Jonah – A Social Justice Commentary (modern application approach), and Dr. Robert Alter’s Strong as Death is Love (academic and application). This study covers four weeks.
(Summer 2021)
Malachi
In this brief Advent study, we look at how the prophet Malachi reminds us that Advent is not a time of preparation for the arrival of a baby, but that Advent is the time of preparation for the Lord God of Hosts inserting himself into human history. This Advent study covers two (or four) weeks.
(Advent 2019)
The Gospel of Mark
In this study, Fr. Gabriel Bullock of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church is leading us through the Gospel of Mark. All that is needed for this study is your Bible. For background in this study, I am reading The Writings of the New Testament by Luke Timothy Johnson, The Anchor-Yale Bible Commentary on Mark edited by Joel Marcus, and The Genesis of Secrecy by Frank Kermode. This is a ten-week study.
(Autumn 2015)
Matthew’s Infancy Narrative
In this Advent study, we read through the Christmas story as found in Matthew 1-2. Our story begins with the genealogy of Jesus, continues with his birth as told through the eyes of Joseph, and ends with the Magi and the flight and return from Egypt. For the background of this study, I have used N.T. Wright’s Matthew for Everyone and Pope Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth – The Infancy Narratives. The Advent study covers three weeks.
(Advent 2021)
Luke’s Infancy Narrative
In this two-week Advent study, we read through the Christmas story as found in Luke 1-2. We look at how this story provides a bridge between the Old and New Testaments and how Luke’s story is very different than portrayed in our Christmas pageants. For the background of this study, I have used Kenneth Bailey’s Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes, N.T. Wright’s Luke for Everyone, Kurt Willems’s The Roman Empire During the Time of Jesus, and D.A. Carson’s Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. This Advent study is for two weeks.
(Advent 2014)
Readings in Epiphany
“Epiphany” means the appearance or manifestation of a god, and it is during this season that the Church celebrates the manifestation of Christ to the world and the revealing of Jesus as God. In this study, we are reading the great stories of the Epiphany: Visitation of the Magi (Matt. 2:1-12), Baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3), Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-12), Healings and Exorcisms (Mark 2, 3, 5), and The Transfiguration (Mark 9). As background for the study, I am reading Kenneth Bailey’s Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes; N.T. Wright’s Luke for Everyone, Kurt Willems’s The Roman Empire During the Time of Jesus, and D.A. Carson’s Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. This Epiphany Study is for five weeks.
(Epiphany 2015, 2024)
The Sermon on the Mount
In this study, we read through the Sermon on the Mount (excluding the Beatitudes and the Lord’s Prayer) as found in Matthew 5-7. For background in this study, I have primarily used Oswald Chamber’s Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Emmet Fox’s Sermon on the Mount, and Soren Kierkegaard’s The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air. This study covers six weeks.
(Autumn 2019)
The Beatitudes
In this section, we are studying the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5:3-12 using John Stott’s workbook The Beatitudes: Developing Spiritual Character. We will also be reading relevant excerpts from Martin Luther’s Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Gregory of Nyssa’s Sermons on the Beatitudes, and Kenneth Bailey’s chapter on the Beatitudes from Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes. This study is for eight weeks.
(Summer 2016)
The Lord’s Prayer
In this study, we are walking through the Lord’s Prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13. As secondary sources, I have used Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth Bailey, On the Lord’s Prayer – Tertullian, Cyprian, & Origen by St. Vladimir’s Press, Sacred Dissertations on the Lord’s Prayer by Herman Witsius, The Institutes (Book 3, Chapter 20) by John Calvin, and The Lord’s Prayer – A Collection of Historical Writings by Curtis Rose. This study is for five weeks.
(Summer 2015)
Parables (2014)
In this Eastertide study, we are studying some of the parables of Jesus. Jesus did not teach systematic theology, rather whenever someone asked him a question, he would respond with “Let me tell you a story.” To help us better understand the parables, we are using Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes by Kenneth Bailey and The Parables by Archbishop Dmitri Royster. This Easter study is for six weeks and covers eleven parables.
(Easter 2014)
The Parables (2022, Capon)
In this study, we survey Jesus’ parables using Rev. Robert F. Capon’s book, Kingdom, Grace, Judgment – Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication in the Parables of Jesus. This study covers ten weeks.
(Autumn 2022)
The Prodigal Son
In this study, we explore the parable of The Prodigal Son found in Luke 15:11-32 using Fr. Henri J. M. Nouwen’s book, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming. We also use Kenneth Bailey’s The Cross and the Prodigal: Luke 15 Through the Eyes of Middle Eastern Peasants. This Lenten study covers five weeks.
(Lent 2016)
Passion Predictions in the Gospel of John
In this Lenten study, we read and reflect on the Passion predictions in the Gospel of John. These are the statements of Jesus where Jesus speaks about his death and resurrection. Through the study and meditation on these verses, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. For background in this study, I have used D.A. Carson’s Commentary on the New Testament’s Use of the Old Testament. This Lenten study covers six weeks
(Lent 2021)
The Resurrection Narratives
In this unit on the Resurrection, we explore the various New Testament writers’ understanding of the nature of Jesus’ Resurrection and what it means for us on the other side of the Resurrection. We also look into the post-Easter feast days of Pentecost, Ascension, and Trinity. For background in this study, I have used N. T. Wright’s The Resurrection of the Son of God. The Eastertide study covers eight weeks.
(Easter 2013, 2020)
Paul’s Epistle to the Romans
In this summer study, we read through Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. This is the only letter Paul wrote to a congregation that he had not yet visited. In this letter, Paul walks us through the fullness of his gospel message. For background on this study, I have used Ben Witherington’s Romans – A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, N. T. Wright’s Paul for Everyone and Justification, Troels Engberg-Pedersen’s Paul and the Stoics, Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Writings of the New Testament, and D. A. Carson’s Commentary on the New Testament’s Use of the Old Testament. This study covers fifteen weeks.
(Summer 2017)
Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians
In this summer study, we read through Paul’s First Epistle to the Corinthians. This is a church overcome by division and located in the most licentious city in the Roman world. Out of this conflict, Paul writes this pastoral letter addressing dissension, lawsuits, idolatry, sex, church organization, and proper worship all of which can be resolved through love. As background for this study, I am using N.T. Wright’s commentary Paul for Everyone and William Barclay’s The Letters to the Corinthians. This summer study is for twelve weeks. (One week of emails is missing.)
(Summer 2014)
Paul’s Second Epistle to the Corinthians
In this summer study, we read through Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. This is still a church in turmoil and division, however, unlike Paul’s first letter, his message here is more conciliatory and less confrontational. For the background of this study, I have used N.T. Wright’s Paul for Everyone: 2 Corinthians and William Barclay’s The Letters to the Corinthians. This study is for nine weeks. (Rob Donahue lead this study. Some of the original emails cannot be located.)
(Summer 2015)
Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians
In this summer study, we are reading through Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. The occasion of this letter is to answer the question of whether a Gentile must become obedient to the Biblical Law in order to be a Christian. Within this letter, we encounter the pure distillation of Paul’s Gospel and its message of radical inclusiveness. For background on this study, I have used N.T. Wright’s Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians and Justification, Martin Luther’s Commentary on Galatians, Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Writings of the New Testament, Troels Engberg-Pedersen’s Paul and the Stoics, and notes from David Bently Hart’s The New Testament. This summer study covers eleven weeks.
(Summer 2018)
Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians
In this summer study, we read through Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians. Paul’s great theme is God’s eternal purpose in establishing and completing the universal Church of Jesus Christ to both be the agent of and the result of God’s reconciliation of all things to both himself and to each other. As a background for this study, I used Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Writings of The New Testament, Ben Witherington’s The Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians – A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Captive Epistles, N.T. Wright’s Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. This study covers twelve weeks.
(Summer 2024) (The notes from the 2013 lesson are HERE.)
Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians
In this summer study, we read through Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians. Paul’s theme is our rejoicing in Christ Jesus and our calling is to “live as citizens worthy of the good news of Christ.” As background for this study, I have used N.T. Wright’s Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon and Ben Witherington’s Paul’s Letter to the Philippians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. This study covers eight weeks.
(Summer 2024)
Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians
In this summer study, we read through Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians. In this letter, Paul reminds his audience to keep their hearts and minds on the glories of Christ Jesus. As background for this study, I have used N.T. Wright’s Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. This study covers four weeks. (Some of the emails are lost.)
(Summer 2013)
Paul’s Letters to the Thessalonians
In this summer study, we read through Paul’s two letters to the Thessalonians. In these letters, Paul’s focus is on eschatology (end-times). Paul’s writing, however, is not intended to provide systematic theological instruction, but to provide pastoral care and instruction to an anxious congregation. For background on this study, I have used N.T. Wright’s Paul for Everyone, Galatians and Thessalonians, Timothy Johnson’s The Writings of the New Testament, and Abraham Malherbe’s Paul and the Popular Philosophers. This summer study covers six weeks.
(Summer 2016)
The Pastoral Epistles
In this summer study, we read through Paul’s Pastoral Epistles – 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus. These letters contain Paul’s advice and encouragement to a younger apostle. For background on this study, I have used N.T. Wright’s Paul for Everyone, 1 &2 Timothy and Titus, Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Writings of the New Testament, and Abraham Malherbe’s Paul and the Popular Philosophers. This study covers thirteen weeks.
(Summer 2019)
Paul’s Epistle to Philemon
In this summer study, we read through Paul’s Epistle to Philemon. This letter gives us a very practical example of the outworking of the Gospel. As background for this study, I have used N.T. Wright’s Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. This study covers one week and should be read in conjunction with the study on Colossians.
(Summer 2013)
The Epistle to the Hebrews
In this study, we are reading through Epistle to the Hebrews. Here, we have one long-sustained argument and apologetic for the Christian faith where the writer will take us through the Hebrew Scriptures and show us the superiority of the New Covenant in Christ over the Old Covenant of Moses and the prophets. As background to our study, I am reading through William Barclay’s Letter to the Hebrews and Luke Timothy Johnson’s excerpt on Hebrews in The Writings of the New Testament. This study is for ten weeks. (Because Fr. Gabrial Bullock of St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church taught the study, the below posts are quite sparse.)
(Autumn 2016)
The Epistle of James
In this study, we are reading through the Epistle of James. James is one of the “catholic” epistles (like John and Jude) because, unlike Paul’s letters, James is not writing to a particular congregation with particular issues but to the universal church at large. James’s concern is with the horizontal interpersonal relationships – how members of a Christian community relate to one another – and not with the vertical relationship between his audience and God specifically. James is a work of moral exhortation teaching us what “faith working through love” looks like in practice. For background on this study, I have used Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Writings of the New Testament and the Anchor-Yale Bible Commentary on James and Ben Witherington’s Letters for Jewish Christians – A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. This study covers five to six weeks.
(Autumn 2018)
The First Epistle of Peter
In this summer study, we are reading through 1 Peter. This letter was written to give encouragement and hope to those Christians undergoing persecution. Peter’s exhortation is for his audience to remain firm in their faith in the face of persecution as they recall their baptism. For the background of this study, I am using Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Writings of the New Testament, Ben Witherington’s Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians, Vol. II, and Amy-Jill Levine’s The Jewish Annotated New Testament. (Pastor Joshua Sorrows of Harvest Church in Conway led this study.) This summer study covers five weeks.
(Summer 2023)
The Second Epistle of Peter
In this summer study, we are reading through 2 Peter. This letter was written to both undergird the faith in the second coming and to warn against false teachers. The writer of the letter is unknown, but the underlying message most likely goes back to Peter himself. For the background of this study, I am using Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Writings of the New Testament, Ben Witherington’s Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians, Vol. II, and Amy-Jill Levine’s The Jewish Annotated New Testament. This summer study covers four weeks.
(Summer 2023)
John’s First Epistle
In this summer study, we read John’s letter to a community in turmoil where John reminds his people and us of the good news of God’s unmerited Love and our calling to demonstrate that love towards others. For background on this study, I have used Ben Witherington’s Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians, Lukie Timothy Johnson’s The Writings of the New Testament, and Oliver Clement’s On Human Being. This summer study covers six to eight weeks.
(Summer 2021)
The Epistle of Jude
In this study, we are reading through the Epistle of Jude. Jude is more of a sermon in letter form written as an exhortation to a community of believers. The overall purpose of Jude is to appeal to the faith once delivered against certain false teachers. For background on this study, I have used Luke Timothy Johnson’s The Writings of the New Testament, David Bentley Hart’s translation and notations in his translation of the New Testament, and the Book of Enoch from which Jude quotes and references extensively. This study is for one to two weeks.
(Autumn 2018)
The Revelation to St. John
The final book of our Bibles is by far the most misunderstood, misquoted, and generally abused or ignored book of the Scriptures. As we study the Revelation to St. John, we will place the book within its literary and historical context and envision how this extraordinary book speaks to us in the church today. Revelation is a liturgical book centered around worship and it tells us that evil is conquered, the saints are redeemed, and a new creation will be brought about not through the force of arms but through the blood of the Lamb and the testimony/martyrdom of Its followers. In preparation for the study, I am primarily using Dr. Michael J. Gorman’s Reading Revelation Responsibly and Fr. Lawrence R. Farley’s The Apocalypse of St. John. I will also be using Reading Revelation in Prison, a blog post by Richard Beck in “Experimental Theology”, the chapter on “The Meaning and Mystery of Wrath” in The Prophets by Abraham Heschel, the relevant portions of Her Gates Will Never Shut by Brad Jersak, The Writings of the New Testament by Luke Timothy Johnson, and the Commentary on the New Testament’s Use of the Old Testament by G.K. Beale and D.A. Carson. This study covers fifteen weeks.
(Easter/Summer 2022)