How to Turn a Casual Conversation Into a Bible Study

 IN COLLEGE we were thoroughly trained in the art of giving Bible studies. Imagine my de­spair when, arriving in my first district, I found a city throbbing with people but none of them waiting at the church door for Bible studies. I was desperate. In col­lege I had been taught how to give a clear, convincing study but no one told me how to find an interested soul who would consent to having a study! I turned to the Lord for help and He failed me not.

Since that time I have conducted classes in several different churches, teaching our people how to give Bible studies. When we finished our classwork, the problem was the same, to whom shall we give stud­ies?

I believe this to be the greatest weakness in the lay evangelism program of the church. But God is faithful and He has helped many of our ministers and laymen bridge the gap from an interest or even a casual conversation to a Bible study. Be­fore we study how the Lord helped me with this problem let me make this clear, I am only presenting one way of solving the problem. There are others, I am sure. This article in no way contains all we need to know to win souls.

A Basic Truth

We often speak of the honest in heart. Who are these people and how do we determine whether they are interested or not? God has placed in every "honest heart" a desire to learn truth and to un­derstand the Scriptures. The Ethiopian who was baptized by Philip is a good example of this basic truth. When Philip first found him he was reading the Scrip­tures and trying to understand them. Thou­sands of people today are searching the Scriptures with the same earnestness that this man had. They have been fed the husks from the modern pulpits for so long that the truth seems impossible to find. Now is the hour for us to let the light of truth shine. How wonderful our Lord is to His people! A word of caution is needed here. Though there is a longing in many hearts for the truth, remember this, some have been deceived and misled so many times that they have grown distrustful and doubting. But don't give up. Reach their hearts and break down all the distrust and doubt. We must, therefore, casually and tactfully approach them. Here are my sug­gestions on how to turn an interest or casual conversation into a Bible study.

Come Close to the People

Come close to the people. All the follow­ing quotations are taken from the book Christian Service, by Ellen G. White, and the pages are given.

Go to your neighbors one by one, and come close to them till their hearts are warmed by your unselfish interest and love.--Page 116.

There is need of coming close to the people by personal effort. . . . Jesus did this very work. He came close to those whom He desired to reach. In Christlike sympathy we should come close to men individually, and seek to awaken their interest in the great things of eternal life.—Page 117.

How do we come close to the people? By inviting them to church immediately? No! Surely by giving them tracts to read is the way. No! By bringing up controversial points of truth? No!

Deeds as well as words of sympathy are needed. Christ prefaced the giving of His message by deeds of love and benevolence. Let these workers go from house to house, helping where help is needed, and, as opportunity offers, telling the story of the cross.

 Those who engage in house-to-house labor will find opportunities for ministry in many lines. They should pray for the sick, and should do all in their power to relieve them from suffering. They should work among the lowly, the poor, and the oppressed. We should pray for and with the help­less ones who have not strength of will to control the appetites that passion has degraded. Earnest, persevering effort must be made for the salvation of those in whose hearts an interest is awakened. Many can he reached only through acts of disin­terested kindness.—Pages 113, 114. (Italics sup­plied.)

My brethren and sisters, visit those who live near you, and by sympathy and kindness seek to reach their hearts. Be sure to work in a way that will remove prejudice instead of creating it. . . . Visit your neighbors in a friendly way, and be­come acquainted with them.—Page 115.

Sympathize with them [your neighbors], pray with them, watch for opportunities to do them good, and as you can, gather a few together and open the Word of God.—Page 116.

Their hearts may be as hard as the beaten high­way, and apparently it may be a useless effort to present the Saviour to them; but while logic may fail to move, and argument be powerless to con­vince, the love of Christ, revealed in personal min­istry, may soften the stony heart, so that the seed of truth can take root.—Page 117.

By visiting the people, talking, praying, sympa­thizing with them, you will win hearts.—Page 118.

He [Jesus] reached the hearts of the people by going among them as one who desired their good. He sought them in the public streets, in private houses, on the boats, in the synagogue, by the shores of the lake, and at the marriage feast. He met them at their daily vocations, and manifested an interest in their secular affairs. . . .

Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, "Follow Me."—Page 119. (Italics supplied.)

Those who are fighting the battle of life at great odds may be refreshed and strengthened by little attentions which cost nothing. Kindly words simply spoken, little attentions simply bestowed, will sweep away the clouds of temptation and doubt that gather over the soul. The true heart-expres­sion of Christlike sympathy, given in simplicity, has power to open the door of hearts that need the simple, delicate touch of the Spirit of Christ.—Page 123. (Italics supplied.)

The emphasis in these quotations is com­ing close to the people through one or more of the means suggested. Some people have the talent of coming close in a few minutes of conversation. Others take longer, but all can come close to the people.

How to Bring up the Subject of Religion

After confidence in you is established you may wish to approach the subject of religion in one or more of the following ways, or any other tactful way. This is im­portant. Don't immediately invite them to church (every church is trying to do that today); be different. Don't knock them down immediately with the heavy, testing truths, such as the Sabbath, the state of the dead, hell, et cetera. Say something like this instead:

Are you a churchgoer?

Which church do you attend?

When they tell you, then say something good about their church. There is plenty to commend if we search for it.

How I love to study the Bible! Don't you? I love to study the prophecies of Daniel and the Revelation. Don't you?

The signs that the Bible gives to warn of the end are surely thick nowadays, aren't they?

Perhaps you would like to carefully re­late some special providence or kindness of the Lord to you.

There are other approaches, but any one of these will get the conversation going to set you up for the next step.

Hanging Out the Bait!

Now you are ready to hang out the bait to see if this is an honest, truth-seeking heart. This step contains the secret. I am going to write it here as though giving it actually to someone as I do day after day.

You know, we live in a confusing world. There are many denominations and many different beliefs. Of course, there are good and not so good people in them all. But even though I go to church, this is not the most important thing. The most impor­tant thing is to know the truth and to live it. The most important thing today is not who is right but what is right. When I say truth I mean this: What would Jesus teach about heaven or hell if He were here? What would He teach about the Ten Command­ments? What would He teach about what happens at death if He were to preach in the church today? What would He teach about any important doctrine? This is what I mean by the word "truth." Do you under­stand what I mean?

The important thing today is knowing the truth as Jesus would teach it, and obey­ing it. And it is possible to know this truth! The Bible records it all. Jesus Himself taught from the Bible when He was on the earth, and today we have not only the Scriptures that He taught from but also the very words that He spoke when He taught. Then why is there so much confu­sion? Ah! Many preachers today would lead us to think that it takes a college education or a seminary degree to understand the Bi­ble, but this is a delusion. Every truth that Christ taught is clear and easy to under­stand if the Bible is studied right. The se­cret is in how to study the Bible. You and I can understand the Bible ourselves, and we don't need any preacher's interpreta­tion to help us, either. Why, I know peo­ple who have only a grade-school education that know more about the Bible than most preachers in this town. Someone showed me the secret of how to study the Bible, and let me tell you, it really opens and un­locks the Scriptures. (By now they have either asked you the secret or have shown some interest or have revealed that they are not interested at all. If you have any doubt as to whether to proceed from this point then ask them if they would like to hear the secret. However, if you are not in a suitable place for a quiet, uninterrupted study, or if either of you is in a hurry, then set a definite time to get together. If things are open, proceed.)

How to Study the Bible

Here is the secret. One day two of Jesus' disciples were walking home from Jerusa­lem to their home town of Emmaus, about seven miles away. This story is recorded in Luke 24. This was the day of Christ's resur­rection and His followers were very sad be­cause of His death. They did not really believe that He had been raised to life. As they walked along, a stranger joined them from a side road and walked with them. This stranger was Jesus, and the Bible says that He withheld His identity and they did not recognize Him. He listened to their con­versation concerning the recent events at Jerusalem and then He asked them, "What are these things that you are talking about? And why are you so sad?" They looked at Him in amazement and one of them an­swered Him, "Are you a stranger in Jerusa­lem, and don't know of the things that have happened here in the past three days?" Jesus asked, "What things?" And then they related to Him the sad story of the capture of Jesus in the Garden, the mockery of a trial, the beatings, the cross, and finally of the women going to anoint His body only to find that He was gone. They said, "But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel." Now they doubted that He was the Messiah. Then He said to them, "0 fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken" (verse 25).

These poor disciples did the same thing that many do today—they do not believe all the Bible. They only believe that which agrees with what they have already been taught. They look only for Bible support for the popular teaching of the day. This is why there are so many denominations to­day. We must take all the Bible, not just part of it.

Then Jesus added, "Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory:" (verse 26). These disciples had been deluded by the popular teaching of the scholars, the theologians, which was that when the Messiah came He would set up His kingdom on earth at that time. They completely and deliberately omitted the many texts which related the sufferings, death, and resurrection of the Saviour, which were recorded just as clearly in the Old Testament. Now the next words that Jesus spoke reveal the secret that He used in teaching and studying the Bible. Notice carefully. It says:

"And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning him­self" (verse 27). Jesus here did two things that reveal His secret method of Bible teaching and study.

1. He taught them one subject—Him­self. He taught by subjects, not by chapters or verses.
2. Jesus showed to them all the texts on this subject from the whole Bible. He chose Himself as His subject and then traced His sufferings all through the Bible, begin­ning at Moses or the first book.

Friend, this is the secret to understanding the Bible. When you study the Bible in this way, it becomes a new Book. Just choose one subject, trace it through the whole Bi­ble and see what all the Bible writers say on that subject, and you have the whole truth! And what is so thrilling—you never have to give your own opinion or inter­pretation! Just read it as it is written and let the Bible writers tell you what is truth. The Bible says: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any pri­vate interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (2 Peter 1:20, 21).

Do you see? No one has any God-given right to give the Scripture his own opinion or interpretation. The Bible will explain itself if it is studied in the correct manner. How many preachers there are today who stand up in the pulpit and read a few verses of Scripture, which takes three to five min­utes at the most, and then proceed to talk for thirty minutes on what they have read. Now let me ask you a question. Whose words are they using for thirty minutes? Their own. Who cares what they think? Give me the plain statements of the Word of God. I don't want any man's opinion.

So, friend, Jesus has shown us the secret. He took one subject—His sufferings—and then pointed out the texts from all the books that revealed that He would suffer. He could have told them of the lambs spoken of by Moses—the lambs that were always slain because they pointed forward to the death of the Messiah. He could have quoted to them Isaiah 53, which told that He would be beaten, taken to the judg­ment hall, that He would die, and that He would be buried in a rich man's tomb. He could have quoted to them Psalm 16:10 which says: "Neither wilt thou suffer [al­low] thine Holy One to see corruption." In other words, He would not stay in the grave long enough for His body to decay. Therefore, He would be resurrected, for we are to serve a living Saviour. These and many more scriptures regarding His suffer­ings He could have used.

Our children study by the subject method in school. These are the steps that one must follow to write a successful paper for the class:

1. Choose one subject, and that not too broad. You can't write on everything.
2. Go to the library and do research. By research I mean find all the books that have some material on your particular subject. Do you read all that those books say? No, you just read what they say about your subject.
3. After reading all the material on your subject, compile it. You know your subject by this time.

This is the way that Jesus taught and studied the Bible. Isn't it simple? Friend, your Bible is not just a book. It is a whole library containing sixty-six books. There­fore, to find the truth on any one subject, you must do research in the Bible to see what all the authors say about your subject. You never have to give your own opinion when you study the Bible this way. Just find all the statments by each writer on the subject, compile them, and you have the truth as Christ taught it.

Now we must see the results of Christ's clear Bible study with His disciples. The story is that when they reached home the disciples turned in to their houses and Jesus made as if He would go on. But they urged Him to stop and eat supper with them for the day was far spent. When they passed Him the bread, Jesus blessed it and broke it. Immediately, says the Bible, their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. He then vanished from their sight. They were so thrilled that they jumped up from the table and ran back to Jerusalem that night. Now notice what comment they made in their own words: "And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" (Luke 24:32).

Thank the Lord, this method of Bible study opens the Scriptures. The Bible be­comes a new Book and many say that they learn more in a few minutes of study this way than they have learned in their whole lives. And Jesus showed us how! Who can improve on Christ?

You are now ready for the next step.

Give a Bible Study

Let's take a simple subject of the Bible and put this method of Bible study to the test. Let's take the wonderful subject of the second coming of Jesus and trace it through the Bible.

1. The Promises of Christ's Return

a. Heb. 9:28. "Unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time." Does Jesus say anything about return­ing?

b. John 14:1-3. "If I go . . . , I will come again." Did He go? Wait a minute now—let's not give our opinion of whether He did or not. Let the Bible give its own answer.

c. Acts 1:9. "He was taken up."

2. Jesus' Coming Described

a. Acts 1:11. "This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." Yes, He went up to heaven, and the promise was again stated that He would come again. But this scripture added a new thought. It stated that He would come in like manner as He went away. How did He go away? Verse 9 says, "And a cloud received him out of their sight." Will He then return in the clouds? What says the Bible?

b. Rev. 1:7. "Behold, he cometh with clouds." See how the scriptures agree and explain the subject? This text states clearly that He will return with clouds. Now notice. This verse is on the subject of Christ's return, but it adds a new thought: "And every eye shall see him." How will every eye in this world see Him? Notice how the Bible answers this question.

c. Matt. 24:27. "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the son of man be." He will come as lightning—bright. But why will His coming be so bright? Let's see what the Bible says.

d. Matt. 25:31. "All the holy angels with him." All! How many angels arethere? This is another whole subject, but the Bible says that there are "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands" (Rev. 5:11). Another place says there is an "innumerable company of angels" (Heb. 12:22). When Jesus was resur­rected the brightness of the angel struck the keepers of the tomb and they fell as dead men. What will it be like when the whole sky is filled with them? It will be, no doubt, the bright­est thing that human eyes have yet beheld. Bright, shining angels every­where. What is the effect of this brightness upon humanity?

e. Rev. 6:14-17. What a terrible picture! These terrified people ask a very im­portant question: "Who shall be able to stand?"

3. The Blessed Hope To whom will the coming of Jesus be a blessing?

a. Matt. 24:30, 31. Angels gather to­gether His elect. How wonderful! Gathered together—loved ones lost by death, friends separated. But who are the elect? Ah, this question could be answered by the Baptists, "That's us." Or the Methodists could say, "We are the ones." I can hear the Seventh-day Adventists saying, "That's us." But we are letting the Bible do its own interpreting. What does the Bi­ble say?

b. 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. "The dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds." Two groups here described make up the "elect." Those who died in Christ and those who are living in Him when He comes. Did we give our opinion? No! The Bible explained itself.

c. 1 Cor. 15:51-54. The story continues here. A new disease-free body, one that will live eternally, is here prom­ised. How loving is our God!

4. How May I Be Prepared for the Com­ing of Jesus?

a. 1 John 3:3. "And every man that hath this hope in him [the hope of seeing Jesus] purifieth himself, even as he is pure." "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). But how do I cleanse my life?

b. 1 John 1:9. Jesus cleanses us com­pletely. Shall we pray that He will cleanse our lives right now and help us be ready for His coming? You are now ready for the last step.

Clinching the Interest

You probably want to know how you can find the scriptures on each subject as we did on this one. Well, let me suggest three ways that will help you:

1. There is a fine book in print that takes up all the most important subjects of the Bible. It is called Bible Readings for the Home. I can see to it that you get a copy. (Whatever you do, don't say "our church has a book." This would kill everything.)
2. I have found a wonderful Bible cor­respondence course that you can take by mail. This course takes up the Bible by subjects as we have done here today. (Then describe it in detail.)
3. The third method is the best. I en­joy going to people's homes and studying the Bible with them personally. I usually set aside about an hour a week and call it my Bible study hour. Does this interest you? (If they hesitate a little, I usually say: "Now get this clear. I never press anyone to do anything—go to my church, or join my church. In fact, when we get together to study, you will never hear me say, 'Now I believe so and so.' I will never tell you my opinion of the Bible. If we cannot read it from the Bible, or if the Bible is silent on that question, then I will remain silent.")

May God bless you as you study and prac­tice this method. It works!