A Studying Discovery

Article on Disciple

Many people try to explain the history and significant events of our
religion to us, through books, television, and film.

Some of this information comes from the recording of eyewitness
accounts by people of the time, including the people deeply involved
in the events, as well as onlookers.

I have been personally compelled for many years to investigate this
information myself from the beginning, and it seems worthwhile for me to
create an account for you, my friend, so that my effort might be shared
and lead to learning about the significance of the events that have occurred.

Surprise! Those words above, although expressed in my own style, are
simple a modernization of the introductory verses of a book of the
Bible. Specifically, Luke 1, verses 1-3. Go ahead, grab a Bible,
and flip it open. How well did I do?

Luke, the writer of this part of the Bible, appeals to me in his
approach to understanding the events that occurred around him.
He was a physician, and a learned man of his time, eminently logical,
using a careful treatment of the information.

In Disciple Bible Study (which I'll refer to as DBS), I had an
opportunity to approach the material presented in the Bible with an
open mind and for the first time, I feel I have come to know what I
believe to the most significant literary and historical work one can
find.

To my delight, the Bible, in it's depth and breadth, provides
many approaches and styles of presentation. Its all there
for you to use, in your quest to understand. Its a combination
of multiple works, more like a miniature library, bound together,
than a single book.

However, I'm compelled to call your attention to an important issue.
Before DBS, I had read parts of the Bible, here and there, on my own.
I was missing a crucial aspect of my quest to understand such a large
work. I would be foolish to grab a copy of any significant literary or
technical work (perhaps "War and Peace", or "Beethoven's 9th"), flip
open to an attractive section, and try to understand it without
perspective. I need to understand the larger structure of the work,
and experience it's breath. My best progress comes with guided study,
facilitated by others who have worked through the material before me.

Then my challenge begins, as I make my own decisions on how to
perceive the material. I actively explore, studying additional
facets that interest me, and provide myself with my own personal
understanding of the work. I could never accept by rote someone else's
interpretation. I must establish my own understanding of the work.

In DBS, I've found an intellectually stimulating, exciting, and
compelling environment to finally launch my studies, and I invite you
to consider using DBS as your springboard for learning.

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