Las Vegas, Nevada Church
Affiliated with the Intercontinental Church of God and the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

  
 

Bible Study …an ICG Perspective               MP3

In our Field Church Guidelines and under the heading, “Speaking Credential” the first words you read are:

"For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers ... whose vain mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not..." (Titus 1:10-11).

Since its inception, the Intercontinental Church of God ministry has been careful to watch over the pulpits of its fellowship groups and chartered churches. It seems there are always those who appropriate to themselves the "right to speak," often denigrating the dignity reserved for our worship services. For this reason, as well as for the sake of continuity, the Board of Directors feels that only men holding a speaking credential be allowed to speak before congregations of the Intercontinental Church of God, (unless a minister is present).


As one can readily see, this is a serious issue and concerns the protection of the flock.  Indeed, the entire Field Church Guidelines were produced primarily as essential policies to protect the flock.  See the last three paragraphs of the document to see that it “represents a minimum standard of consistency for field churches.”  The Speaking Credential is but one means by which the ministry carefully watches over the pulpits of its fellowship groups and chartered churches.

Traditionally, there are three kinds of speaking credentials.  Each one is more difficult to obtain based on the talent, gifts, knowledge, wisdom and experience of the member.  By “member” I refer to the non-ordained males of the congregation given specific permission to speak.  The three speaking credentials, in order, are:

1] for sermonettes
2] for sermons

3] for Bible studies

Why the Bible study credential is the most difficult to obtain
The sermonette and sermon are controlled presentations.  The speaker prepares the message from the Word of God and addresses the congregation in a one-way monologue.  In Bible studies, we encounter the situation where the congregation has opportunity to make comments and ask questions.  This requires a man who possesses knowledge, wisdom and experience in this setting and who has an experience minister or elder working with him as mentor.  Actually, it would be rare to see an unordained male with a speaking credential for Bible studies.  He would have had to demonstrate exceptional talent in the area.

There are three types of Bible studies.  Each of these is progressively more difficult and requires higher levels of responsibility, talent and experience.  They are:

1] The controlled presentation
2] The open-forum

3] The public Bible study

The controlled presentation is much like a sermon.  The speaker prepares a study, say, on Faith and delivers it to the congregation without taking any questions.  This type is very safe.  My Menu-driven, Open-forum Bible studies are of this type.  The menu controls the presentation.

The open-forum is where the minister discusses a topic or series of topics and then opens the floor to comments and questions from the congregation.  The congregation is free to bring up additional subjects for discussion and inquiry.  This takes both knowledge and experience.  I find this type more effective if there is more than one minister present.  If the minister is unable to readily answer the question, he should announce that he would get back to the person later.

The public Bible study is, by far, the most difficult.  The minister could easily find himself dealing with all manner of biblical and doctrinal ignorance and even hecklers.

It should be noted here that any member asking a credentialed speaker a Bible question, even in private, constitutes a Bible Study.  That is, the credentialed speaker needs the appropriate credential to answer the question.  Whether we have a speaker standing before the entire congregation or with one single member in private consultation, to answer a Bible question requires the speaker to have a specific credential for conducting Bible Studies.  If a speaker does not have this credential, he should refer the member to a minister or a speaker who has this credential.

This brings us to the primary point of this piece. 

In-Home Bible Studies
From time-to-time I have heard of unordained and uncredentialed members conducting Bible studies in their homes.  Any member is free to do all the personal Bible study they wish and any member may and is abundantly encouraged to conduct Bible studies with the entire family.  I have further comment on this below.  The concern of the ministry is when the uncredentialed individual begins to invite other members of the congregation to his or her home for a Bible study.  The potential for danger here is legion.  Despite the sincerity and faithfulness of the member, this venue is the same used by the many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers we read of in Titus 1:10 and 11.  Hence the need for the speaking credentials.  Having uncredentialed Bible studies with a mix of members in a private home or rented hall cannot be allowed in God’s church unless a minister is present, as per church policy.  Members should not accept invitations to a private Bible study where the one conducting the proceedings is uncredentialed and/or where a minister is not present.  This admonition is strictly for the protection of the congregation.  See my Notebook piece, “How Churches are Scattered.”

 The Mentor Method
Most every minister and credentialed speaker in the Intercontinental Church of God has a mentor.  It may be another minister, the individual’s wife and/or a long-time faithful member who is strong in the scriptures.  Having a mentor is both prudent and safe for everyone concerned.  It protects the church, the ministry and the congregation.  There is no reason the individual member cannot have a mentor. Often, this will be a minister.  I frankly cannot imagine a member doing daily and weekly Bible study and not having questions.  The member is highly encouraged to contact the nearest ICG minister in person, by phone or e-mail.  Feel free to contact me.  I answer scores of Bible questions each week.  We have hundreds of papers on as many subjects, each created from received questions over the years.  You are encouraged to contact your minister or elder mentor to aid you in your course or approach to Bible study and to monitor your progress as you go along.

In addition, we have virtually a lifetime's worth of Bible study resources and tools at our three sites to aid the member in his or her Bible study.  Whether you are studying a sermon, on-line Bible study, news commentary or a Notebook piece [I am not the only author of these], feel free to contact the author and ask questions.  This is just another form of mentoring.

Let us all work together to insure that our individual and collective Bible study is safe, effective, and edifying for everyone.		  
 

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Las Vegas, Nevada Church of God - part of The Intercontinental Church of God and The Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association - Tyler, Texas