Dive Deeper Together

Welcome to No-Teacher Bible Study, a space for weekly assignments for our collaborative exploration of Scripture with friends. 

We use a combination of personal inductive study, trusted sermons, reference materials, and commentary from a reformed perspective. We call it "Inductive-ish."

The new assignments are posted at the top of the page on Mondays, Lord willing. 

Colossians: An Inductive(ish) Study

July 13  Colossians 1:24-2:5

This week we’ll dig into Colossians 1:24-2:5. Feel free to use any commentary, study Bible, or tool you find helpful. I’ve included many resources below—think of it as a library rather than a required list. Pick and choose what works best for you, or what might answer your questions.

At a glance for this week

  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your reading, for your sisters in this study, and for our pastors as they teach, shepherd, and counsel this week..
  • Read Colossians 1:24-2:5 daily and try praying through it once
  • Identify questions about the text that intrigue you
  • Pick a verse for meditation
  • Explore resources to find answers and deepen understanding
  • Ask yourself, “What response does this text call for?”
  • Plan to share at least one insight or question with the group.

 

FCC

Piper – Look at the Book (Highly Recommended)

MacArthur

Begg

 

July 6 -- Colossians 1:15-23

This week we’ll dig into Colossians 1:15-23. Feel free to use any commentary, study Bible, or tool you find helpful. I’ve included many resources below—think of it as a library rather than a required list. Pick and choose what works best for you, or what might answer your questions.

At a glance for this week

  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your reading, for your sisters in this study, and for our pastors as they teach, shepherd, and counsel this week.
  • Read Colossians 1:15-23 daily and try praying through it once
  • Identify questions about the text that intrigue you
  • Pick a verse for meditation
  • Explore resources to find answers and deepen understanding
  • Ask yourself, “What response does this text call for?”
  • Plan to share at least one insight or question with the group.

 

Resources
Find these on our website—bookmark for easy access:
https://www.no-teacher-bible-study.com/

 

Piper – Look at the Book (Highly Recommended)

MacArthur

Begg

 

July 1: Bonus Round!

Ladies,

Would you consider adding one more step to our study of each section of Scripture?

Reading for study and reading devotionally are different practices, and I wonder if we might intentionally include a day of devotional reading in our routine. I’m planning to use Friday for this using the spiritual discipline of praying Scripture. Here is one example of how this could work:

  1. Open the text and read it through as we normally do, but set aside study materials.
  2. As you read, look intentionally for prompts for prayer. For example:
  3. Verse 2 – As Paul greets the saints and brothers, pray for the saints at FCC, specifically asking God to give them grace and peace. You might think of those who are struggling for peace or someone fighting temptation who especially needs grace.
  4. Verse 3 – As Paul thanks God for the church at Colossae, thank God for our own church.
  5. Verse 9 – Pray that someone specific would receive spiritual wisdom and understanding, just as Paul prayed for the church.
  6. Verse 10 – Pray that you would walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him. Ask Him to show you what needs to change for that to happen.
  7. Continue reading and praying until you run out of prompts for prayer. At that point, you are finished with your reading for the day.
  8. If you would like a fuller explanation of this practice, John Piper’s article “How Do I Pray the Bible?” is helpful, and Donald S. Whitney’s book Praying the Bible is an excellent resource as well.

I hope this practice helps connect our hearts and minds as we study.

 

June 29: Read Colossians 1:1-14

We are doing something different this time and are breaking up the text according to the section divisions in the ESV. It makes some weeks more packed than others, but I am testing to see if it is better to let the author finish a subject in one week rather than abruptly stopping halfway through a chapter. Let me know what you think!

This week we’ll dig into Colossians 1:1-14. Feel free to use any commentary, study Bible, or tool you find helpful. I’ve included many resources below—think of it as a library rather than a required list. Pick and choose what works best for you, or what might answer your questions.

At a glance for this week
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your reading, for your sisters in this study for our pastors as they teach, shepherd, and counsel this week

  • Read Colossians 1:1-14
    • Identify questions about the text that intrigue you
    • Pick a verse for meditation
  • Explore resources to find answers and deepen understanding
  • Ask yourself, “What response does this text call for?”
    • Plan to share at least one insight or question with the group.

Step 1 – Pray
Ask the Lord to enlighten your reading and listening this week, and for the study group and pastors.

Step 2 – Read
Read Colossians 1:1-14 every day, if possible. Notice anything that surprises or challenges you. Reading out loud helps me slow down. 

Step 3 – Ask questions
Look for the questions the text raises for you. For example, from v. 1:10 “What does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord?” Searching for answers adds depth to the study.

Jonathan Edwards: “Asking questions is the key to understanding.”

Write the questions in your booklet – I use the blank page facing the text I’m working on, but you do what seems right for you. When you get the answer, you can write it there, too.

Step 4 – Choose a verse for meditation
Pick one verse and write it on an index card or sticky note from your folder. Place it somewhere you will see it often—by your computer, over the sink, or on the bathroom mirror.

Step 5 – Explore resources
Use the teachers and resources from this email that you find most helpful to answer your questions or learn more. Supplement with commentaries, study Bibles, or other tools as you wish.

Step 6 – Share with the group
Plan to share at least one helpful insight or question. Participation encourages everyone, but if it’s difficult for you this week, that’s okay too. Sharing helps this feel like a true group study.

Resources
Find these on our website—bookmark for easy access:
https://www.no-teacher-bible-study.com/

1:1-14

Piper – Look at the Book (Highly recommended, but because there are so many, you may need to pick and choose the YouTubes that answer your specific questions. If you can listen (it isn’t strictly necessary to watch the videos) about 40 minutes a day on regular speed of less if you make them talk faster, you can plow through all of them this week.)

MacArthur

 

Begg

June 22 – Finish keyword lists and summaries

How are you holding up on list weeks, ladies? This process has proven helpful to me over and over, and I’ve prayed it will help you, too.

Here are the instructions for making key word lists:

  1. Make Keyword Lists
  • On the notebook paper in your booklet, make a separate list for each keyword.
  • For each instance, write:
    • The verse reference
    • A short note explaining how the word is used in context

Example from our 2 Peter Study – Keyword: Knowing/Know/Knowledge

Verse    Context

1:3    Knowing Jesus is the means by which God grants us all things for life and godliness.

3:17  Because you know some twist Paul’s words, be careful not to be led astray.

  1. Summarize
  • Once your lists are complete, take a few minutes to reflect.
  • Write a 1–2 line summary of what Paul is saying about each keyword.
  • This might feel challenging, but it always leads to deeper thinking.
  1. Keep Reading/Listening
  • Stay in the text daily—as much as you’re able—by reading or listening or working on lists.
  • The more familiar you become with Colossians, the more these key themes will stand out!
  1. One more idea

Consider looking up definitions for each of your words for more insight:

 KJV with Strong’s #s: https://www.stepbible.org/?q=version=ESV@reference=Jude&options=VNHUG

(click on any word to see a definition of the Greek word and how it is used in Scripture.)

Or download the free Literal Word app from Google Play to look up words on your phone.

Happy reading and listing, ladies!
Let’s see what God has to show us in His Word this week!

June 15 – Key Words and Lists

Ladies,

This week we’ll continue reading Colossians in overview mode. We will begin keyword lists and summaries, but pace yourself – we allowed two weeks for this section of the study.

At a glance for this week
• Keep reading Colossians daily – just do what you can do to get a broad overview

  • Identify 4–6 key words
    • Create a symbol/color legend
    • Mark those words in the text, begin lists and summaries

How to find keywords

Key words often:
• Appear frequently, or
• Appear only a few times but connect closely to your key verse or themes

You may also want to include synonyms (for example: works, deeds, labors).

We’ll plan to share our key words on Friday so we can compare notes.

Step 1 – Choose keywords
Pick 4–8 important words and write them on the first page of your text.

Step 2 – Create a legend
Choose a color or symbol for each word and add it next to your list of keywords, like a legend on a map. I added a sample chart to the syllabus page for you.

Step 3 – Mark the text
Begin marking those words in the text as you read. Some people mark them all at once; others do one word per read-through. You can draw symbols or shapes, or underline or highlight in different colors.

Step 4 – Make your lists

On the notebook paper in your booklet, make a separate list for each keyword. For each instance, write the verse reference and a short note explaining how the word is used in context (i.e. for “Reconcile” – 1:20 through Jesus, God reconciles to Himself all things, 1:22 Jesus reconciled us by His death to present us to God, etc.)

 

Step 5 – Summarize

You may want to do this list by list, or wait until all your lists are complete.

 

Take a few minutes to reflect. Write a 1–2 line summary of what Paul is saying about each keyword. This might feel challenging, but it always leads to deep thinking. Again, pace yourself – We scheduled two weeks for this stage of the study.

 

Work steadily and peacefully as the Lord gives opportunity. The goal is not perfect performance, but growing in love for Christ through His Word.

 

Happy reading and marking, ladies! I’m looking forward to seeing what we notice together.   Susan

 

 

 

June 8 - Overview

Ladies,

Welcome to our summer study of Colossians! I’m thankful we get to open God’s Word together again, and I’m looking forward to hearing what you notice as we read together. Colossians is all about Christ and His sufficiency to save His people. I can’t wait to dig in!

At a glance for this week
• Read or listen to Colossians at least three times (it’s only 4 chapters.  If you read 2 chapters a day for the next two weeks, you will complete it 7 times.)

  • Notice repeated themes
    • Choose a key verse
    • Note anything about the author and recipients

This first week is simply about seeing the big picture. As you read, notice ideas that repeat and jot them down if it’s helpful. Those observations will help when we do our keyword study next week.

You might also look for a key verse(s) that captures the message of the book and write it on the first page of your text. There may be several good answers, and we don't have to agree. ( I had a lot of trouble identifying the theme this time, so I went for a verse that seems to summarize Paul's main concern for the church.  As you read Colossians, ask: What does Paul most want the church to understand about Christ, and what does he most want them to do because of that?)

And if you see clues about the author or recipients, make a list of those on the notebook paper in your folder. (It will look something like: “Col. 1:2: Paul addresses the recipients as “Saints and Faithful Brothers””)

Below is a possible study plan, but please do whatever fits within the time the Lord gives you. There’s no standard for “enough”—every bit of time in the Word is good. Our standing with Christ does not rest on completing a study perfectly.

  • Mon – Read the book out loud
  • Tues – Listen while driving
  • Wed – Watch overview: https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-colossians/
  • Thurs – Read, looking for the key verse
  • Fri – Read, looking for information about the author and recipients, and make lists concerning them.
  • Weekend – Catch up, reread, explore other resources like study Bible or commentary introductions or these:

Paul Tripp summary:
https://youtu.be/tFBXorZN_OA?si=8hQ-IQC_6aU_TaDI

ESV.org   https://www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/introduction-to-colossians/

Piper -  Look at the Book Summary https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/summary-of-colossians

If you notice something helpful or have a question, feel free to reply all so we can learn from each other. This really is a group study.

Praying for you as we begin,

Susan

 

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