4. Depersonalize It.
Some of us who teach the Bible have a tendency to use terminology that removes the God of the Bible. We use terminology that would lead many to believe that there is no Person whose voice is being heard through it. In fact, rather than utilizing terminology that reminds the listener that God speaks to us through a book called the Bible, we use terminology that subconsciously tells the listener that it is the book that speaks, not the Author of the Bible.
For instance, we talk about “getting into the Scriptures,” “reading our Bibles,” “the authority of Scripture” and “spending time in the Word.” When we do this the listener feels an obligation to read a book rather than sensing there’s an opportunity to know the Author’s heart through the reading of the book.
The Bible is an autobiography from God Himself. We worship and long to know Him. But sometimes when listening to teachers teach we would be led to believe that we worship the book itself. In order to keep those who are in your group or in your congregation in tune with the living God of the Bible you might consider using the kinds of phrases listed below.
- “God tells us in the Bible that…”
- “In Scripture God says…”
- “When God said to us in the Bible to…”
- “Jesus once said…”
- “The Holy Spirit spoke to…”
- “God wasn’t hesitant to say to us…”
- “Jesus reminds us in the Bible that…”
- “Jesus demanded that we…”
