WHEN YOU CROSS CULTURES - World Evangelical Alliance

DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING ESSENTIALS
It is also important that the disciple learns the principles of Biblical
interpretation (hermeneutics). 3 Because theological studies or the reading of
theology books may often promote a particular system of thought or bias, it is
necessary for the disciple to grasp the truths of God’s Word in the light of all of
Scripture and recognising its unity. A good survey of the Old and New
Testaments would be helpful, seeing the various sections of the Bible, their
backgrounds and writers, and how books of the Bible are inter-related.
In my opinion, the most important way to a deeper grasp of the Scriptures
is the careful analytical study of books of the Bible, paragraph by paragraph,
chapter by chapter. This is a continuous process.
Having received foundational training in the church and with The
Navigators, most important has been the studying of the Bible, book by book.
Doing “Chapter Analysis” studies of various books of the Bible meant devoting
hours of study searching the Scriptures. Each chapter study would require a
minimum of five hours, sometimes well over ten hours of verse by verse analysis
especially of the New Testament epistles.
I had learned the significance of “word” studies (looking into the Hebrew
and Greek meanings) from my father’s example. Early lessons in Greek during
my teens were helpful, but I had to do a lot more study later.
In Malaysia, our team members committed themselves to excellence in
Bible Study. We critiqued one another’s chapter analysis studies and graded
them. (Overall grades had to be over 80 per cent for the study to be satisfactory).
We also checked each other in applications made. We learned the principles of
Observation (what do I see in the passage?), of Interpretation (What does it
mean?), and Application (How does it work?). We cross-referenced verses and
topics and wrote “Central Teachings”.
If one aims at completing thirty five to forty chapters a year, a disciple
can study the New Testament in about seven years. It would be a challenge to
plan to study the whole Bible in depth.
3 Prayer and Devotion to God
When one of the disciples saw Jesus praying, he asked “Lord, teach us to
pray” (Luke 11:1). Jesus then taught His disciples to pray, not just how to pray
but what prayer was all about.
Growing Christians need to learn to pray. They can be taught how to
have a meaningful “quiet time” as a daily habit. This may become a daily ritual
without the motivation of true worship which God desires (John 4:23, 24). One
of the joys of personally helping new believers grow is to see their growth in
their personal understanding of the character of God. This is often reflected in
their prayer life. Their prayers may focus on petition for their own needs. They
3 A helpful book is Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart (1993 Second Edition), How To Read the Bible For All Its Worth, 2nd Edition,
Grand Rapids, MI, Zondervan. Another is by Walter A. Henrichsen (1976), A Layman's Guide to Interpreting the Bible, Colorado
Springs, CO: NavPress.
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