Study Tip Tuesday: I Don’t Know

Many times, my Sunday school kids will read a verse or two, and then I’ll ask them what the verse said. We have a long awkward silence, then they give me any number of blank looks. It’s not just kids either. Scripture is written in English, usually on a 6th to 8th grade reading level depending on your translation, but for some reason, when we read Scripture, the words don’t connect. We read too passively. Most of the study tips I pass on are to help us become active readers, to interact with the text so that not only do we understand it, we remember it. Two weeks ago, we looked at ‘who’s on first?’ and examined all the ‘whos’ in a passage- the author, the folks being addressed or the subject. Last week, we did ‘what’s on second?’ to examine what the purpose, the main idea or event in the story or passage. So this week, we’ll take a look at ‘I don’t know’. (By the way, if you’ve never seen the Abbott and Costello bit, or if it’s just been a while, it’s worth a look.)
Active reading is not like the beach read you skim through. It takes time, and it needs to be done in small chunks. Unless you’re a Pharisee and already know everything, reading should bring up questions. Maybe they’re about factual information, like background, and history. I chase these rabbits often. It helps me picture the events if I have some historical or cultural context. (I also like to compare them to our culture, especially with my kids. For instance, in John 21:7, after Jesus’s death and resurrection, Peter has gone back to Galilee to fish with some of the other disciples. At daybreak, Jesus appears to them from the seashore. The verse says, “[Peter] put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and plunged into the sea.” I told the kids Peter was out fishing in his boxers.
Some of the questions will be a little deeper. 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction , for instruction in righteousness,” (Okay- if you’ve been with me you know that stopping in the middle of a sentence is a bad idea, but for the sake of giving an example, give me a pass. Thanks.) What’s the difference between reproof and correction or between doctrine and instruction? There must be some difference or Paul wouldn’t have listed the four so specifically. The quick answer, at least as I read it, is that doctrine is ‘theory’ and instruction in righteousness is how to put it into action. Reproof is ‘don’t do that’ while correction is ‘do this instead.’
Here’s one from my notes- I never thought of joy and shame being opposites, but the question led to some uplifting realizations.
Isaiah 65:13  “Behold, My servants shall rejoice,  But you shall be ashamed;”
So- is joy the opposite of shame?  I would have said “pride”.  From what I’ve studied on pride, though- it’s shame wearing different pants- all about the self.  Joy is a confidence that is future focused.  No matter what happens NOW, I know what will be (through faith, I know it).  Shame dwells on the past.  Shame says, Because of what happened THEN, I know what I am… (through experience or through someone else telling me, I know it)  Joy is to trust God.  Shame is to trust man -self or someone else.  Joy empowering.  Shame is debilitating.
The other implication here – My servants =REJOICE    you=ASHAMED
Being one of God’s children cannot co-exist with being ashamed.  He removed the shame when the salvation transaction was completed.  I’m the only one who can allow the shame back.  Satan will carry it, but I have to open the door.  Again shame comes from the outside, joy from within.