Bible study

The Bible lesson is a Bible study, serving the community organization of churches and communities free-church, pietistic and erwecklicher tradition or individual Bible study groups. Other names for Bible study are Bibelbesprechstunde and bible study.

History

Even the reformers had demanded an intensive study of the Bible for the church. So Luther nailed in his book From the order of worship in the community daily meetings prior to 1523, in which consecutively books of the Bible should be interpreted. Zwingli and Calvin offered in their churches Bible classes at high theological level. The Anabaptist movement operated in their communities of collaborative work on the Bible. However, it was not until the pietism to make the common Bible study an indispensable part of congregational life. In Württemberg, the so-called hour, which quickly spread throughout the southern German region and was taken from there as a permanent establishment by settlers emigrating to Russia and the Balkans emerged. Here was the hour or Bible class for special feature of the Protestants. They are designated according to their Bible study practice as Stundists (Russian Stundisty ).

In the revival movement of the 19th century, the Bible class is the starting point of spiritual renewal. While many pietistic circles placed themselves under the Sunday service of the Church's word and administering the sacraments, were the weekly and often held daily Bible studies free spaces in which lay people had their say. Hours holders and Bible messengers went from place to place, and told here from the Bible their erweckliche message. Unlike the Sunday service questions were allowed and the in-depth discussion and theological discussion even desired in the Bible class. The official churches fought in many places the unfolding biblical movement as Konventikelunwesen. Other churches used these pulses of pietism and revivalism and made the Bible class for fixed program of her community work.

Expiration of a traditional Bible study

For the Bible study there is no fixed structure; but in general, the following sequence has evolved: After a brief welcome, a jointly sung song and an opening prayer, the chairman of the meeting is an introduction to the Bible text to be discussed. Then encouraged to ask questions. In a fourth part, then the understanding of the Bible section is deepened on the basis of questions and additional contributions. Free Prayers - often a community of prayer - complete the Bible study.

Developments

More recently, the focus of Bible study lies more with joint elaboration of the text. In many communities, and communities it lives on today in the form of straightforward house circles.

Other churches (especially free churches ) have developed according to the Sunday-school system in the English speaking community a special Bible school program, are treated in the biblical narratives and texts, topics and everyday issues on the basis of an educational booklet in small groups.

Student Bible study group

A student Bible study group, even SBK or Schübi, is a group of Christian students who meet in the school to deepen their faith through prayer and reading the Bible. Student Bible study groups are usually governed informally by the students themselves, often alternately. As a representation to the school administration, a student Bible study group usually determined through an informal consensus, or a formal democratic election process, a person from among them, which often also has certain management functions.

In contrast to home groups, Bible study groups are students usually not a church or denomination and set is usually composed of members of different faiths together. Some are completely autonomous, others are supported by denominational targeted networks such as student mission navigators or United Bible study groups that often represented a moderate evangelical direction. These networks help with study material and by a loose contact with experienced team of travel (often former members of student Bible study groups ), but have no actual managerial functions. Just the SMD serves both approximately 800 students Bible study groups in schools throughout Germany.

The program is determined by the students themselves, the focus can with continued study of the Bible, themenzentriertem Bible study or discussion groups are. In addition to Bible study and prayer often personal interaction plays an important role. Due to the non-denominational orientation hardly play denominational specific theological issues involved, are essential themes of the Christian life in the student daily life. Some students Bible study groups are active missionary through friendship evangelism, poster campaigns, or school services.