What Does the Bible Really Teach?
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What Does the Bible Really Teach? is a 224-page book published by Jehovah's Witnesses in 2005, and used by them worldwide to help interested people to learn about the Bible and how to live by its principles. More than 57 million copies have been produced in 179 languages. It is informally known as the Bible Teach book.
Contents |
[edit] Content
| Part of a series on Jehovah's Witnesses |
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| About Jehovah's Witnesses | |
|---|---|
| Demographics | |
| Organizational structure | |
| Governing Body · Legal instruments Faithful and Discreet Slave |
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| History | |
| Bible Student movement Jehovah's Witnesses splinter groups |
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| Government interactions | |
| Supreme Court cases | |
| Persecution | |
| United States · Canada Nazi Germany |
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| Controversies | |
| Beliefs | |
| Beliefs and practices | |
| God's name · Eschatology Blood · Disfellowshipping |
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| Literature | |
| The Watchtower · Awake! New World Translation |
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| Digital Files | |
| Related people | |
| Formative influences | |
| C.T. Russell · William Miller N.H. Barbour · Jonas Wendell George Storrs · Henry Grew |
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| Watchtower Presidents | |
| J.F. Rutherford · N.H. Knorr F.W. Franz · M.G. Henschel D.A. Adams |
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| Notable Watchtower Officials | |
| Hayden C. Covington · A. H. Macmillan | |
| Notable Former Jehovah's Witnesses | |
| Raymond Franz · James Penton Olin R. Moyle |
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The book's preface is intended to present the personal relevance of the Bible through a series of pictures and scriptures, along with a small description of how to locate Bible chapters and verses.
Each chapter is introduced with several questions to focus the reader on what will be studied in that chapter. Other questions are found within each chapter, intended to help the student think about the content that is being studied. The book is purposely written in simple language, with an Appendix containing further information on various doctrinal matters.[1]
The “Bible Teach” book discusses various biblical subjects as they relate to the beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, such as “What is God’s Purpose for the Earth?”, “Real Hope for your Loved Ones Who Have Died”, and “What is God’s Kingdom?”. The Bible is frequently cited throughout the book.
[edit] Purpose
Jehovah’s Witnesses are encouraged to use the book while preaching door-to-door to initiate Bible studies. Once a Bible study is started, the goal or purpose is for the Bible teacher to continue visiting the student so that both may study the book together, on a regular basis if possible.
The “Bible Teach” book is meant to help teach people from various educational levels and religious backgrounds. The stated purpose of the publication is to study the material at whatever pace is required by the student to understand the information rather than completing an entire chapter per session (as encouraged with some previous bible-study publication of Jehovah's Witnesses). The Watchtower Society also encourages that the illustrations to the student, along with examples relevant to the student's experience.[2]
Before studying each chapter with the Bible study conductor, the student is encouraged to examine the material beforehand, using the questions at the bottom of each page[3], to "help prepare the student for the Bible study". It is strongly encouraged that the student also have a Bible at hand to refer to the cited scriptures. Jehovah’s Witnesses customarily read each paragraph aloud together with the student, and then ask the question(s) that relates to the relevant paragraphs.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Watchtower Society. “Teach What the Bible Really Teaches.” The Watchtower 15 Jan. 2007: 24-25.
- ^ Watchtower Society. “Teach What the Bible Really Teaches.” The Watchtower 15 Jan. 2007: 24-25.
- ^ What Does The Bible Really Teach? © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania 2005. | p. 7 Is This What God Purposed?”
- ^ Watchtower Society. “Teach What the Bible Really Teaches.” The Watchtower 15 Jan. 2007: 24-25.
