Value #3: Expositional

When either of us crosses the Atlantic to visit the other, we often come laden with wrapped gifts. It’s likely been a child’s birthday or Christmas is around the corner.

There’s always much anticipation as to what could be inside the parcel. My youngest will hazard a guess, only to be corrected by my eldest who calls on the shape and feel of the present to refine the prediction. But really it’s only as the gift is unwrapped and exposed that we see what it is. 

It’s an imperfect illustration but it gives you a flavour of what we’re seeking to do as we study the Bible together. As we open up the Bible, and study our current book, we are seeking to be expositional. Some of you might be familiar with that word, and for others it might be a first encounter. As we open the Bible, and work our way through the entirety of a book, we want to peel back the layers, consider all that God has given us in that text and expose what He is saying.

To be expositional is simply wanting to unpack what is already in the text. We’re not looking to break new ground, or bring in external factors that change the meaning or the application. Rather than imposing our own meaning on the text, we want to run with what God has given us, and that means submitting our understanding to His Word. We want to expose the shape, emphasis and message of the Bible text, rather than bringing in our own.

This is how we define Bible study, and as we continue to commit each episode to being expositional, we pray it serves you well, equipping you to do the same when you open the Bible with others.