Africa Study Bible Sampler - Flipbook - Page 28
USING THE AFRICA STUDY BIBLE
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more, we have developed tools that teach how
to apply the Bible. Visit africastudybible.com
for more information.
As Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Work
hard so you can present yourself to God and
receive his approval. Be a good worker, one
who does not need to be ashamed and who
correctly explains the word of truth.”
ach feature of the Africa Study Bible was
planned by African leaders who teach and
lead God’s people. Their goal was to help us grow
strong in Jesus Christ and to give insight about
God’s Word to the continent and to the world
as God’s Word Through African Eyes.
Each note is written to inform us about
an important topic or to help us understand
a verse or passage. This is not information
to memorize but instruction on how to live
a good and righteous life. Each is based on
God’s wisdom and truth. What are the special concerns and issues that we face in Africa? How does God want us to live as we face
each challenge? Even as we ask those questions, the Africa Study Bible is much more. It
will teach us how to apply the Word of God
to our lives. Each day, we must open the
Bible and let it be God’s bread for us through
the power of the Holy Spirit.
The notes in the Africa Study Bible can show
us, by example, how to apply God’s truth.
Sometimes our thinking or our culture really fits the truth in God’s Word, and this Bible
shows us how to celebrate and encourage that.
Sometimes we need correction from God’s
Word, and we need to learn to think and live
differently. Perhaps we need to find a new path
or even repentance. The Africa Study Bible
shows us how to do that, too. And sometimes,
the Africa Study Bible will help us grow deep
and mature in our faith or encourage us in the
tough times.
It is our prayer that we will not only be reading and learning what others have to say about
the Bible, but we will be learning by example to
take what we are reading and apply it in a way
that honours God and builds his Kingdom for
ourselves. The Africa Study Bible is written by
leaders across our continent who have worked
their entire lives to learn how to apply the truth
found in the Bible. They wish to be faithful in
applying God's Word to our lives in Africa and
the world. As we read and listen to their wisdom, we can learn this skill as well. The Bible
has many more applications than we will find
in this Bible, but by observing how to apply the
Bible correctly, we can learn to apply the Bible
to our own situation. If you would like to learn
African Touch Points draw attention to
Scripture passages with a special connection
to Africa. There are three kinds of Touch Points.
In some Touch Points, we explore a passage
where the Bible talks about Africa or a person from Africa. Other Touch Points have an
important quotation from one of the greatest
early African Christian leaders, whose writings
and teachings helped shape all of Christianity.
Listen carefully to the voices of thinkers such
as Augustine, Athanasius, Cyril, and Origen.
Finally, many of the Touch Points feature an
example of how African culture sheds light
on the meaning of a passage. Often, African
cultures are much closer to the culture of the
Bible than the cultures of North America and
Europe. This is a key area where the African
church can speak about the significance and
impact of Scripture to the worldwide church.
Introductions to each book of the Bible
help us understand its history and biblical
cultures. They have a special focus on issues
close to the African heart. Sometimes a book
of the Bible does not tell us who wrote it, but
most often we have evidence that may point to
a particular person. Sometimes scholars who
study the Bible disagree about who wrote a
book of the Bible. Some stories were passed on
orally for a long time before they were written
down, just as is common in our culture. A
priest or a prophet may have written stories
down or edited a book years after it was first
written to help it speak correctly to his own
time. But we have historical evidence showing
us that there was a very accurate transmission
of the stories written in the Bible. We can
trust that God inspired this process, and Jesus
affirms the Old Testament as the Word of God.
In the Africa Study Bible, when we do not know
who was the original author, we may say some27