SOAP Bible Study Plan / Personal Study Schedule

[The Librarian]

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

I would like to add a Number 8 to the 7 things listed above, although not technically a "material" ....

8) Look for loopholes

 

[JOHN BUTLER]

6 hours ago, The Librarian said:

No pressure then ? No dictatorship then ? No lording it over the congregation ? 

BUT, No allowing each person to be an individual.   

I finished school at 15 years old. I left the 'other' establishment that gave me orders and controlled my life when i was 16½.

I will not be dictated to by men. And in honesty neither will most JW's. 

People dedicate their lives to GOD, not the Org or the GB. 

[Space Merchant]

@The Librarian Good. Everyone has a different way of reading the scriptures when they have and or make the time, my Father has always told me to not let a day go by without doing something for God, even if it is 1 verse or half of a verse that is read, to also memorized and meditate on what you read that day. For if a day goes by and you do nothing, it shows that you are not doing something for God.

A Bible Studying plan or program is a must, for just as Jesus and all those before and after him, especially the fact that Jesus as a child affirmed Shema Yisrael and read from the Old Testament, to read, obverse, to recite, pray about the God of Israel, his Father.

Reading and discussing the Bible with others is also fun too, especially if you are young, you can get together with others and discuss on passages you read and of whom you read about.

That being said, I remember reading the Bible once for 13 hours straight when I was younger, then broke it down to 1-2 hours, nowadays, mid 20s, I read anywhere between 1-3 hours daily, with an extra 30 minutes of reflection of what I read as well as meditation, other times I spend that extra 30 minutes turns into an hour if I have to focus on something in a passage and or verse.

The good thing is when reading you learn as you go and you begin to remember more and more.

As for Prayer, we are to do this continuously, no limited number of when to pray that day, for such is unlimited, for we should be communicating with our God properly and take into example of what our Lord, Christ Jesus gave regarding prayer on how to reach the Father.

We are to give ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. To serve and worship with total servitude and devotion by means of what he has given us so that we do these things, to help fortify us spiritually and to buildup others and ourselves.

[JOHN BUTLER]

Well each to their own but i still maintain that the Scriptures were written for the Anointed only, so therefore we have two problems :-

1. We need to know for sure exactly who the Anointed are. The 'Sons' of God as mentioned in Galatians 3 v 26 -29.

²⁶  You are all, in fact, sons of God through your faith in Christ Jesus. ²⁷  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸  There is neither Jew nor Greek,i there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. ²⁹  Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s offspring, heirs with reference to a promise.

And Galatians 4 v 6 & 7 

 Now because you are sons, God has sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, and it cries out:“Abba, Father!” ⁷  So you are no longer a slave but a son; and if a son, then you are also an heir through God.

That of it's own i think proves Galatians was written by one of the anointed (Paul) and to the others of the anointed. It was not written to 'us' of the Earthly class.....  

2. Personal Bible study even through prayer, if we are of the Earthly class, may not give us true understanding, because it was written for the Anointed ones only. 

Remembering that Jesus said, that although he spoke to the complete gatherings of Israelites on many occasions, only a few were given the gift of the holy spirit to understand the true meanings of Jesus' words.  

So even if every person (apart from the Anointed) in every nation read God's word for five hours a day, it does not mean any of them would gain a true knowledge or a true understanding of God and His purpose. 

And if people listen to a 'false slave class' 'non anointed class' then people will only get false information, not truth. 

[John Houston]

Why would you think that way? When the Israelites though divided from the Levites did have the Law read to them. And then also to have understanding as it was read. So why not we of the earthly hope not understand as the anointed what the scriptures teach? They are as imperfect as I am, right? Still in need of the ransom as I am, correct? The only difference from us they have an office of responsibility in another plane of existence than mine. Yet they and us still honor and worship the same Father. Both in subjection to Him, not one higher than the other. Being immortal is great, but for now we are the same. And we eat from the same table prepared by Jehovah through Christ Jesus. Remember? Not two tables!

[JOHN BUTLER]

11 minutes ago, John Houston said:

Why would you think that way? When the Israelites though divided from the Levites did have the Law read to them. And then also to have understanding as it was read. So why not we of the earthly hope not understand as the anointed what the scriptures teach? They are as imperfect as I am, right? Still in need of the ransom as I am, correct? The only difference from us they have an office of responsibility in another plane of existence than mine. Yet they and us still honor and worship the same Father. Both in subjection to Him, not one higher than the other. Being immortal is great, but for now we are the same. And we eat from the same table prepared by Jehovah through Christ Jesus. Remember? Not two tables!

You obviously didn't bother to meditate on what I've written otherwise you would understand it . 

The Anointed (all of them in my opinion not just those 8 ) are in union with Christ, as Paul wrote. Therefore they are given better, fuller understanding of scripture. It is their job as the 'faithful and discreet slave', to feed the 'domestics' / earthly class with spiritual information. 

The Christian Greek scriptures are addressed to them, not to the earthly class. The Anointed are SONS of God

The earthly class are CHILDREN of God. There is a difference.

I think the Anointed  'have an office of responsibility' to feed the Earthly class at that table you mentioned. Giving the pure spiritual food at the proper time. 

Hence it is very important to know that we get the food from the REAL Anointed ones, so that we know it's pure spiritual food. 

[Space Merchant]

8 hours ago, John Houston said:

Why would you think that way? When the Israelites though divided from the Levites did have the Law read to them. And then also to have understanding as it was read. So why not we of the earthly hope not understand as the anointed what the scriptures teach? They are as imperfect as I am, right? Still in need of the ransom as I am, correct? The only difference from us they have an office of responsibility in another plane of existence than mine. Yet they and us still honor and worship the same Father. Both in subjection to Him, not one higher than the other. Being immortal is great, but for now we are the same. And we eat from the same table prepared by Jehovah through Christ Jesus. Remember? Not two tables!

Indeed only one table. The time for such is soon. For we, imperfect now are still susceptible to a variety of things that can cause us to fall, each and everyone one of us to our own problems and devices, some make an effort not to fall, those who fall simply stand back up and continue to walk while others remain with their back to the ground.