5. Share the Gospel + Life Group Discussion Questions
Week 1 • Day 5
In the prelude to our series, we have spent all of week 1 reinforcing that the Bible is reliable and true! If you are interested in engaging more deeply in this content, this entire section was inspired by Why Should I Trust the Bible? written by Timothy Paul Jones.
Additionally, if you are interested in the Archaeological discussions, take some time to revisit Day 1 as we have included two audio links to Dr. Titus Kennedy and his discoveries! Finally, if you are interested in a deeper dive, listen to this lecture by Timothy Makie of the Bible Project.
We know that much of this material can be overwhelming, so this week we have included a fun public YouTube video that does a great job (minus the unnecessary digs at politics) at reviewing some of the basic arguments of why the Bible is reliable. Below, we have provided your group with a summary statement of each section and offered several suggested Life Group questions!
Share the Gospel Video:
Week 1 Life Group Discussion Questions
ICEBREAKER: What is your favorite book of the Bible and Why?
Question: What observations / reflections / prayers stood out to you about this week?
Can I Trust the Bible?: The standard of evidence that we use to determine the reliability of the Bible is of the historical variety not necessarily of the scientific variety. Accordingly, we can have confidence “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the Biblical documents that have been passed down to us are reliable in the sense that they replicate the original manuscripts (regardless of whether the content is actually true).
Question: What comes to mind when you hear the word “evidence”? What particular piece of evidence stands out to you the most and why? What is your experience in discussing the evidence of the Bible with others around you? What is your overall reaction to the evidence of the manuscripts?
Can I Trust the Authors of the Bible?: The evidence suggests that the 4 gospel accounts were meant to be read as an accurate depiction of real historical events that happened to Jesus Christ and his followers in the 1st century, including his resurrection from the dead. Therefore, all of us face the decision as to whether we will call Jesus a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. If Jesus rose from the dead and proved that he is Lord, then the implications of his ministry are staggering!
Question: What is the most convincing part of the gospels for you? When and how did you come to the realization that the gospels are true accounts of what happened? What are some of the ways you have seen this Teacher, Liar, Lunatic, Lord paradigm set up by C.S. Lewis play out in your life / the community around you?
Can I Trust My English Bible Today?: If Jesus rose from the dead, we should take Jesus’ teachings seriously including what he claimed about the scripture. Jesus sees the TaNaKh version of the Old Testament as authoritative while the early church held the standard of Jesus’ words and apostolic authority when considering what fit into the New Testament. We have been blessed with people who gave their lives to translate the scriptures making it available for everyone, including us today!
Question: What stands out to you about the order of the Old Testament in the eyes of Jesus? What stands out to you about the “viral” spread of the New Testament writings? What is the translation of the Bible that you use and is there a reason you have chosen that one? What confuses you about the translations of the Bible?
What Do Christians Believe About the Bible?: If we follow what Jesus says about the Bible, then we can conclude that the scriptures - from the Old Testament and the New Testament - are authoritative and true. And if the scriptures are both authoritative and true, then we can have confidence to affirm that there is a unique spiritual power at work in the scriptures. We believe that scripture is inerrant and infallible, it is one of God’s revelations to us, it is divinely inspired, the Spirit of God illuminates it, and that it is the final authority on conviction and truth.
Question: What are your thoughts on inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible? Can you describe a spiritual illuminating moment you have had while reading the Bible? What would you say is the biggest lesson that you have learned from engaging the Bible over the years?
