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THE KING’ S BUSINESS
IV. BY WAY OF SUGGESTION AND CAUTION 1. Do Not Use too Many Texts of Scrip ture. No infallible rule can be laid down as to the number o f Scripture passages to be used in any one Bible Reading. Only the most striking and representative passages should- be chosen. The length o f comment made on each passage, together with th e, amount o f time at the disposal o f the speaker, will determine the number. 2. Be Careful to Arrange tjje Texts in Their Logical Order. Let progress in thought mark the order and arrangement o f the references. The transition from one thought to another should be natural, not forced or strained. 3. Explain Each Passage or Group of Passages Carefully. No pains should be spared in the minute analysis o f each word "in each verse chosen as a proof-text. Be sure to understand just what the text teaches. Let the explana tion be such as the audience can readily understand. 4. Be Sure to Illustrate Each Point. This is essential to the effectiveness-pf a Bible Reading, even more so than in the case of a textual sermon. As a rule, use Bible illustrations. There is an abundance o f them, and they illustrate Bible truths far better than illustrations taken from books of stock illustrations. 5. Limit the Subject. If your subject, deals with a theme as large as “ faith,” for example, it is well to take up only a certain phase o f it. Do not try to cover the entire subject. D if ferent aspects o f “ faith” may be presented, viz.: justifying faith; theTaith that claims the promises, etc.
marked “What?” the following : Hebrews 11:1—“ Faith is the substance,” etc. Read ing further in the concordance you come to Hebrews 11:6— “Without faith it is impos sible to please God.” Where shall we put this ?—on what sheet? under what heading? Under “Why?” because it shows the neces sity for Raving faith. Reading again, we come to Romans 10:17, “ Faith cometh by hearing,” etc. This verse may be written on thé sheet marked “ H ow ?” for it shows how faith may be obtained. Proceed in this way until you have finished every reference in the column of the concordance. The syn onyms must then be- examined and dealt with in the same way. Thus a thorough grasp o f thé subject as set forth in the whole Bible is obtained. A word or two with reference to the use of the other concordances mentioned above may be helpful at this point. Let us take a glance at Strong’s for example. As one allows his eye' to piss from quotation to quotation in the column on “ faith,” he quickly observes that by the side o f each reference there is a number whiph refers him to a glossary at the back o f the book. He observes, further, that different numer als are placed opposite the various refer ences, thus indicating that in the original the word is not just exactly the same in meaning. For instance, in looking up the meaning o f the word “ faith” in Romans 14:22—“Hast thou faith?” one is surprised to find that the word here used does not mean “ faith” in- the generally accepted sense o f that word, at all—that is, it does not mean saving faith, nor even that faith that lays hold o f the promises o f God, but simply “persuasion,” thus making “ Hast thpu faith?” read, “Art thou persuaded?” Such an understanding o f the words in the texts used is very important in order to a true presentation o f the doctrine.
Bible Readings
tion as to the untold wealth o f Bible truth that can be gotten with the aid of the con cordance (Strong’s or Young’s) and the Bible.
This Bible Reading on “ Peace*” while having far too much material for one address, nevertheless, affords a fine illustra
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