1962 Bible Studies - page 3

BIBLE STUDIES " Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so " (Acts 17. 11).

VOLUME 30

JANUARY, 1962

EDITORIAL We hope we shall be excused if we use our page this month to deal with a few practical matters that have become more significant on account of the nature of the current syllabus.

The references in the syllabus are very brief, and are intended as a guide as to the scope of the subject for each month. As the subject is one which calls lor much patient meditation, it will prove very helpful if the passages are committed to memory at the outset of each month’s study.

This will enable us to take full advantage of every available opportunity to recall the words of scripture and to ponder upon them--" instant in season, out of season " (2 Timothy 4. 2).  We may thus find ourselves directed to the detailed study of certain matters which we might otherwise have overlooked.

The overlap in the references calls for remark. If we are to make each month’s study as profitable as possible, it will be necessary to keep to the topic named and not broaden the issue too much. For example, Hebrews 7. 1-3 is prescribed for January and Hebrews 7 for March; consequently there is the temptation to broaden the treatment of the subject for January to include much that strictly belongs to the subject for March.  If this additional matter is fully relevant, all is in order. But if it is largely irrele-vant, we may quite unnecessarily deprive ourselves (and others) of subject matter for March, or we may cause much repetition with little profit. There is a more serious objection; the subject for January may not get a full treatment, because time and effort that should have been spent in an endeavour to probe deeply into it will have been given to the subject for March. This applies to other parts of the syllabus also. We feel, therefore, that we must emphasize the need for definite relevance.

Some may object to this insistence on strict relevance on the ground that they may not find much to write upon. But if we desire to make progress in gathering a deeper understanding of the word of God, we should bear in mind that intensive search and re-search may, with the blessing of God, lead to very heartening and rewarding results. Even if the resulting papers are shorter, this need not perturb us, for it will leave room for others.

We are definitely anxious to have more assemblies participating.  Contri-butors should bear in mind two things: it is not always the longest papers that contain most good matter, and also, the amount published is not to be taken as a measure of the quality of the paper.

The subject for 1962 is not an easy one, but it is one that rightly claims a prominent place in our thoughts and meditations, for a true appreciation of the Priesthood of the Lord Jesus will, in God’s goodness, heighten the J. B.

joy of those that worship the Father in spirit and in truth.