Scripture: Psalm 1:3 Topic: Work & Vocation
In this lab, John Piper shows us that one of the problems with the prosperity gospel is that it does not promise the Christian enough prosperity.
Some questions to ask as you read and study Psalm 1:3:
The prosperity gospel is a very prevalent message in some parts of the world. What is the prosperity gospel? Is it biblical? Why or why not?
When describing the blessed person of Psalm 1, we come across this almost unbelievable statement, “In all that he does, he prospers.” Is this true? Is it the prosperity gospel?
Watch the lab. How does John Piper explain this promise? Do you agree?
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Principle for Bible Reading
Wrestling with a Difficult Text
What happens when you come across a passage that’s hard to understand? It’s easy to skip it and move on, right? But instead of running from hard texts, if we dig deep and wrestle with difficult texts, we can find gold in God’s word.
So, when difficult texts have you in a headlock, what can you do? Here are a few options:
Identify what is clear from the passage. Start with what you can figure out from the passage as a whole and then return to the unclear parts.
Find the main point. Often the confusing parts do not contain the main point of the passage. Identifying the main point can give us clues as to the meaning of the confusing parts.
Look for clues within the book and surrounding context. Search the book for key words and phrases found in the tough passage.
Cross-reference. Utilizing cross-references, especially when a New Testament verse cites the Old, helps us to have a fuller understanding of what the authors were trying to communicate.
Ask specific questions of the text. Addressing a challenging text as a whole can seem insurmountable. But breaking a passage down by asking specific questions about it can help unravel the meaning, question by question and answer by answer.
Use a trusted commentary. Be careful with commentaries. This caution includes trusting bad commentaries and relying too much on good ones. But commentaries can be used well, and great biblical scholars give helpful insights.
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