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comes up, say, “That is a good point to consider,
even though we may not agree on
an answer right now. Maybe after we
study some more we will find some points
of agreement.”
Positive approach. Don’t criticize or
speak disrespectfully about other people
and other religions. The purpose of a Bible
study is to teach what the Bible says and
let people draw their own conclusions.
Quit! After Bible study, stay just long
enough to greet people and wish them well.
There is a time for social visitation, but it
is better to leave right after a study is concluded.
Staying too long upsets the routine
of the household and makes people
feel obliged to serve food. This can cause
problems and should be avoided. If the
study is in a public place, stop on time so
people can go home. If the study is too long
and people get home late, they will stop
attending.
Theological discussions. Don’t get
into theological discussions after the
study. Unless you adhere to systematic
presentation of the topics, people will begin
to share personal opinions instead of
searching for Bible truth. This can lead to
misunderstandings, bits and pieces of information
with no conclusions, and other
difficulties.
Sequence of Topics
Most Bible study orders of topics use
a logical arrangement, usually starting
with a study about the Bible itself and progressing
through the plan of salvation and
the doctrines of the church.
Psychological Arrangement
Dr. K.S. Wiggins, an Adventist psychologist
and evangelist, offers the following
advise regarding the order of topics,
for Bible studies and for public evangelism
presentations:
“It has long been the practice of Seventh-day
Adventist evangelists to arrange
their topics in logical order. The only thing
wrong with this is that the human mind
does not work logically. Much better results
are obtained if the topics are arranged
in a psychological order.”—Soul
Winning Made Easy, p. 37
The psychological order helps in two
important ways:
1. It keeps interest high throughout
the series.
2. It makes decisions easier.
The idea is to include some especially
interesting studies at certain points in the
series to keep interest high. The suggestion
is that the subjects be arranged in
three major blocks:
1.Salvation through Christ alone
2.What Christ wants us to believe and
do
3.Decisions to enter Christ’s last-day
church.
The Role of the Plan of Salvation
Whether you follow a logical or psychological
order of topics, always present
the plan of salvation as the basis of Christianity.
In areas where people must move
from another religion to Christianity, you
may have to begin with studies dealing
with the role of religion in life, or some
other introduction to Christianity itself.
In areas where people worship many gods,
you may have to include some studies on
monotheism and the reasons for worshiping
only one God.
Present doctrinal topics after the student
has made a commitment to Jesus as
Lord and Savior.
Present the distinctive teachings of
Seventh-day Adventists after people have
Personal Ministries Handbook, page 42