Start Your Own Bible Study Class



You would be surprised at how many people in your parish would welcome a Bible Study class. So many are intimidated by Holy Scripture, as they are unfamiliar with the basics of how to understand the Word of GOD. Many pick up a Bible and turn to page one and start reading it as they would a novel. This is all well and good for a start, but soon they realize they are completely lost as to just what is going on. The story becomes muddled and hopelessly complicated. This causes them to lose interest and quit.
Holy Scripture is the rarest of all jewels, and with just a little understanding of the basics, the reader will soon find that it is a veritable inexhaustible treasure chest. It is an amazing collection of such magnitude, that one lifetime is not long enough to master it all. Once you discover a few simple keys to Bible understanding, you will find, as I have, that it is pure excitement that will last forever.


I have tried to make this course easy for you by providing all that you will need to get started. All of the various files are provided for you on this website. It is only a matter of printing them out and starting your very own class. Here are the files, in the order in which I would teach them. The first of these lessons are laid out in building block fashion and should be taught in the order listed. I will be adding to this list from time to time.

The Basics of the Bible.
This is an introduction to the Bible. It is very basic and can be done in one session.

The Canon of the Bible.
This is the history as to the origin of the Bible which you use today. It explains why and how Protestant bibles have only 66 books, while ours has 73 books. This is a long one so it might take more than one session.

Some of the Basic Rules of Bible Interpretation.
This is a short lesson with some important aids to Bible understanding.

The Senses of Scripture.
In order to understand the verses, you should know in which of the various senses the author had in mind as he was writing them. Some verses have multiple senses also.

Typology of Scripture.
This section ties the Old Testament to the New Testament and helps to show that the entire Bible is one continuous story.

Prefigurements of Scripture.
This lesson consists of additional "Types" from Scripture which you learned about in "Typology of Scripture".

With a good understanding of the preceding lessons, the following could be taught in the order you or your students prefer. Take a vote in order to add student participation.


Authority: Which Church has it?
A very important topic, since to have only one truth, you have to have only one authority.

The Family of GOD.
We on earth are united with those in purgatory and in heaven. We are one family.

The Catholic Church in the Old Testament.
It is prefigured, predicted, and prophesied by many Old Testament prophets.

The Catholic Church in the New Testament.
This is a very long file, but an extremely important one. It will lay out a blueprint of the primitive Church, the Church which Jesus Christ founded. With it, you can compare every Church on earth and see immediately which is the only Church that fits this plan perfectly. It is all Biblical. I would advise this lesson to be spread over several sessions.

Prophecies of the Old Testament which were Fulfilled in the New Testament.
This lesson shows that over 100 prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Testament. How could anyone deny that Jesus Christ is the Messiah after reading this? This one is fascinating.
"The New Testament lies hidden in the Old Testament, and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament", St. Augustine.
Jesus Christ did say, "I have not come to condemn but to fulfill", Matt 5:17

The True Presence in the Holy Eucharist.
We analyze the Gospel of John, Chapter Six.

The Blessed Virgin Mary in the Old Testament.
With your understanding of the basic foundational building blocks in previous sessions, this topic is readily revealed in the Old Testament.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There are some observations in this file that you no doubt have never heard of before.

The Papacy is Scriptural.
Surprise! Protestants say the Papacy is an invention of the Catholic Church. The truth is, the Papacy is very Scriptural...if you know where to look.

The Primacy of Peter.
It is denied by those who do not know their Bible. The Scriptural proof that Peter indeed had primacy over all of the Apostles is overwhelming.

Purgatory is Scriptural.
Even in the 66 book Protestant Bibles.

The Inquisition is Scriptural.
This is a topic which Protestants constantly bring to our attention, but, surprise!!!, it is very Scriptural.

Amazing Stories from the Bible.
Some short stories which add interest to Bible study.

Tidbits. Some amazing Biblical issues you may have never noticed before. It is loaded with facts.

The Bible is a Scientific Wonder.
For those of you who have scientific minds, the Bible provides scientific facts, some of which were not discovered by man until centuries later.

GOD is Pro-Life.
You will be very surprised at the number of verses which support pro-life.

Bible Twisting.
Methods used by some to twist the meaning of Scripture to suit their teaching. We must be careful and be on guard to be able to recognize these devious ways designed to lead us astray.

Truth or Consequences.
Yes, we must say, teach, and preach, the truth at all times, for if we do not, we will suffer the consequences, and Scripture tells us those consequences are severe.

There are many more topics on this website from which you may choose to add to your class.



©
Written by Bob Stanley, February 22, 2000
Updated December 7, 2006


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