Eyes for Evangelism: Bible Studies

JOSHUA ALEXANDER

We can preach till we are blue in the face, publish as many articles on baptism and salvation as we want, preach on social media, radio, television, every platform we can think of! Those avenues are great at reaching the masses and should be utilized as much as possible! However, none of these platforms are remotely as successful as a personal Bible study across the kitchen table. Sometimes, people can listen to the truth for years and never realize they are lost! In my short time in ministry, I have seen this too many times to count. Some have been “saved” in a denomination, or believe their attendance is all that matters, or whatever the case may be. What we need to do as a congregation, and really the church worldwide, is get back in the practice of having personal Bible studies. This can be an intimidating task. Where do I start? What do I say? What if they ask a question I don’t know how to answer? All are valid concerns. Here are some practical suggestions for personal Bible study.

Where Do I Start?

We see a great example of “where to start” in Acts 8:35 “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” One suggestion for a personal Bible study is to start where they are! Engage in a casual conversation with the one with whom you wish to study, asking questions regarding their salvation. “Tell me about when you were saved?” Do not get in a debate with them on the necessity of baptism, the one church, or anything. We want to win the soul, not the debate. Once you have heard their story and know if they have obeyed the gospel or not, then you can move on to setting up a study. Invite them to your home for supper one evening. Get to know them on a personal level, build a relationship with them. After supper, ask them to sit down with their Bibles and go through a short study.

What Do I Say?

You can open up the Bible and just use that, provided you know where to go, nothing wrong with that whatsoever. For most of us, we will want to use some sort of structured outline. The congregation here provides “Back to the Bible” by Bobby Bates for our members to use. There are three booklets in this study. Just do one booklet a night, this should take 3-4 weeks to complete. After they have gone through a study, they should be well prepared to obey the gospel. Other sources include Owen Olbright’s study series, Ivan Stewarts “Open Bible Study '' and Jule Miller’s film strips “Visualized Bible Study ''. The power is always in the word of God to convict the soul (1 Cor. 1:18).

What if they ask a question I don’t know how to answer?

This is a common concern with those who are hesitant to start a Bible study. The answer is simple. Say “I do not know”. Some questions do not need to be answered as some need to be answered later. If they ask something silly like “Can God create a rock so heavy He cannot lift?” A short, kind answer will suffice like “That's a good question, I don’t know” and move on with the study. If it's actually a good question that should be answered, there is no shame in saying “I am not sure, let me study it and get back with you.” If it is a deep question concerning the end of the world or something from the book of Revelation, it is probably best to say “That's a good question, when we get done with the study we should discuss it.” Most of the time, once they learn they are lost, they are not as worried about how the end of the world will look or the book of Revelation. Would it be wise to give a newborn baby a huge piece of steak? Probably not. 1 Pet. 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” We are teaching the milk of the word! They will need to grow and mature before receiving the meat of the word. 

I want to encourage us all to get involved in a personal Bible study! Joining someone who is experienced as a silent partner would be a great way to start (provided you understand you are the silent partner). Let’s get organized in evangelism and look for opportunities to have personal Bible studies!