PREDESTINATION PART II

Sons Training Monday, January 30, 2017,

How to Study and Teach the Bible Lesson 81 PREDESTINATION PART II HOW TO STUDY:

Study Methods

To be a good biblical scholar, you must make sure you have all your tools of study available during your study time. These include:

1. Thompson Chain Bible: the official Bible for Bible Teachers International
2. Strong’s Concordance
3. Vine’s Expository

In one of our previous lessons, we talked about the fact that “precept upon precept” refers to commandments given by God; and “line upon line” refers to rules of law. However, to teach a more detailed method of studying the Bible, I will adopt terms which clearly express my study methods without confusing them with the biblical meanings of words used in scripture. Therefore, I will use the terms:

1. Concept: This is simply choosing a subject.

Subjects may include:

• a doctrine: Faith, Suffering, Marriage, Salvation, etc.
• a righteous or erroneous perception: Once saved always saved; Dual nature, etc.
• a methodology or a perspective: Appointed to Suffer; Through Faith; Predestination
• a dispensation: Law; Grace etc

2. Concept to concept: Choosing a concept or subject that cannot be fully understood without pointing to the study of another subject as well.

• Predestination points to calling
• Calling points to being chosen
• Belief points to the doctrine of faith

3. Verse by verse: To render a summary of all the elements present in a verse.

• Used when you are studying a specific book
• Used to study a chapter in a book.

4. Line by Line: To explore each line of a verse.

• To break down each line according to the phrases used.
• To highlight a phrase or line of a verse, based on the subject matter
• To highlight each line, or phrase in a line of the script, based on its own merit. (Before faith came…)

5. Word Study: You may choose to simply study one word

• Righteousness
• Comforter
• Sinner
• Devil
• Hell
• Heaven
• Grave

6. Character Study: You may choose to study a person

• The life of Paul
• Jesus Christ
• Moses
• David

7. An Event Study:

To pick a past or future event to study

• The Rapture
• The Great Tribulation
• The Birth of Christ
• The Bethlehem Massacre

In each form of study the 5-W’s can be utilized.

1. Who

2. What

3. When

4. Where

5. Why

The use of each of these was discussed in a previous lesson. Refer to it for a quick review. We must keep before us at all times as the objective for this course. It is not only to teach you how to study the Bible but also how to teach it. To become proficient at teaching the Holy Scriptures, you must first become well acquainted with some key elements relative to the composition of the Bible. For example, there is no way for you to completely understand salvation without comprehending Predestination, Calling, Chosen, Election and so on. Therefore, we will take on these basic elements of the faith one by one, using each of the methods listed above.

Predestination

I have chosen predestination as our study for this week. As it relates to the method of study, it could fall into the category of a Word Study or Concept. I prefer to think of it as a conceptual study seeing as how it will lead us into the study of other subjects. I will also list verses we can use in our study of this subject. Some verses will be taken from the previous lesson on predestination. I will simply list some of the truths these verses render towards our topic. Let me remind you again. I am going to show you how I would write or teach the scriptures, using the methods I am teaching you to use.

Romans 8:28-29

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Our topic is predestination, but the 28th verse is a ‘lead-in’ to our subject, which is found in the 29th verse. The reason I included this 28th verse is because it helps to keep my subject matter in context. Because the 29th verse begins with the word “For”, that tells me that the verse also renders a continuing explanation of the 28th verse.

Write or Teach what you received from the scripture.

Line By Line Method:

Highlight a Phrase Extraction 1: Verse 28; “All things work together for good.”

All circumstances, situations and relationships in the believer’s life are working together for the good. This is possible because the Father has known us and the life we would live, including our choices to serve or reject Him from before the beginning of time. Therefore, for those of us whom He foreknew would choose Christ, He could predetermine that we be conformed to the image of His Son. Please take note of this operation of the Father. His foresight and foreknowledge allowed Him to orchestrate the circumstances ,situations, relationships and events connected to us that would be an influence or catalyst to get us into the Kingdom of God.

A good example of this principle is found in the story of Joseph. When his brothers knew what they had done and now discovered that he was Pharaoh’s right hand man, Joseph’s response to them was; But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive (Genesis 50:20)

There is a purpose for God allowing evil things that happen in our lives; especially those things that happened before we met the Lord. We never would have thought that they were in any way connected to our coming into the knowledge and grace of God. But just as the enemies of Joseph did much evil against him and God used it for good in his life; the same is true with us.

I had to learn how to rest in God. Knowing that God was and is always in control and nothing happened to me that He had not ordained, gave me peace during hard trials. The peace comes with the knowledge that He is allowing these things for my good.

Even when we make wrong choices and bad decisions, God is and was always mindful of our actions. But being God, He is able to cause these bad things to work for the good of our spiritual development. The key is to always prefer righteousness to worldly gain. If this is the case, we will not be resentful of the route God allowed our life to take.

Joseph was unjustly sent to prison for fourteen years in the eyes of men. However, when a loving all-knowing Father determines prison to be the best route to uproot the pride in Joseph, then so be it. All we could see was that Joseph had done no wrong. However, God could see that Joseph was full of pride because he saw the gift and the promises of God in his life and became exalted above his brothers and even his parents. This should never have been. The gifts and promises of God should humble us.

Therefore, God needed him to ponder these things in his heart. He would finally come to a point where only he and God really knew why he was put in prison; it was for the learning of humility. But notice how the writer takes us right back to the reason for the ungodliness of Joseph’s brethren; … but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive (Genesis 50:20)

This was the plan of the Lord all along. Based upon what He knew the brothers would do to Joseph, He used it to bring Joseph to righteousness and to save the children of Israel at the same time.

Line By Line Method Extraction 2:

For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.

Those whom the Lord foreknew, he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of Christ. The ability of God to foreknow goes beyond His ability to foresee. Prophets can foresee, simply by their gift to see a thing before it happens. But to foreknow means to know beforehand. However, it is interesting that included in Strong’s definitions of ‘knew’ is “to make” “make to be,” and “make self.” (Strong's Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary.)

Therefore, foreknew, would mean, ‘to make before,’ or ‘to make to be before’ and ‘to make self, beforehand.’ Of all the Greek translations of this word “foreknew”, these illustrate so vividly the workmanship of God that was done in eternity. He made us beforehand. He also made us to be Himself; not merely like Him, but to be an extension of Himself. As the scripture describes it as being equal with God. We will continue this discussion in our next lesson. But for now, study each of these methods of study and start to use them.