A Bluffer's Guide To Bible Study
3 top tips on bluffing your way through a bible study:
Rephrase the question
Everyone else will assume that you know the answer - that the answer is so obvious to you that you think someone else should have a chance instead…
e.g.
A: Who is this passage written to?
B: (Pauses) To put it another way, who is the author addressing in this passage?
Caveat: You do need to actually understand the question - otherwise you’ll look as though you’re trying to take over the bible study.
e.g.
A: Who is this passage written to?
B: (Pauses) Or, to put it another way, who is writing this passage?
Use long words
Particularly useful when someone tries to get you answer a question you don’t know. Say: “I was considering the X implications.” Where X can be soteriological, eschatological, didactic, ecclesiological, hagiological, epistemological, apocalyptic or any other word that sounds intimidating and that won’t be understood.
e.g.
A: What is Paul’s response to the captain of the ship?
B: Sorry - I was just pondering the apocalyptic implications of this passage.
Caveat: If your study leader or anyone else in the group understands the word, you will find yourself in hot water.
e.g.
A: How would you go about teaching this passage?
B: I was just considering the didactic implications…
The “Precious thought” response
You may have missed the question. You may have been asleep. You may have not even read the passage. So you pause, look upwards, smile slightly and say: “It’s a precious thought, isn’t it?”
e.g.
A: What are the backgrounds of these Corinthian Christians?
B: It’s a precious thought, isn’t it?
Caveat: If the topic in hand is judgement or sin related, you will sound harsh or sinful.
e.g.
A: Would you agree that one of the major problems faced by young people growing up in today’s culture, not far removed this Corinthian one, is the high degree of sexual immorality?
B: Yes. It’s a precious thought, isn’t it?
Bevi said
Nov 26, 2007 @ 09:45 AM
Short words, Geoff. Short words.