INSTRUCTIONS: Pray. Read the text. Then use the questions below as guides to write out what you have learned from the text. You can go as deep or as basic as you choose. You may choose to only answer based on the text you are studying, or you may decide to use other passages from the Bible, commentaries, or additional outside sources of information. You can answer in any order. You may choose to spend one day in only answering from the text and another day filling in information from other sources. You may add additional details that are not asked for in the narrative study format, such as historical context, archeological information, or questions you have for further study. Always complete your own study before reading my example so that you do not limit your own thinking.

When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the
Holy Spirit, “‘Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak
your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Characters Who is this story about?  List all of the people in the story and what you know about them.  In addition, there maybe animal, plant, and supernatural characters in the story.  Of course, every story will include God as a main character.  Sometimes, His presence is obvious, but sometimes, you must look deeper to find Him in the story.

Setting:  Where and When?  Check out maps to understand the relationship of ancient places to modern countries.  How is this place connected to other places that you have read about? Is this place different from the locations just before this story started? Where will the characters go after this story is finished? Does this place have any spiritual significance?  Part of the answer to this question might be a specific date and time of day, but a more important answer looks at what events happened before, what events happened after, and most importantly, what other events are occurring simultaneously.  It is important to compare the events of the Bible with other historical events that were happening at the same time, but it is even more important to compare various Bible stories and events with each other.  For example, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel all provide differing perspectives on what was happening during one specific time period, so the other two books can provide a lot of insight to explain the situations occurring in a story from one of the other books.

Plot (Problem and Solution) What is the problem happening in the story?  Why is the problem happening?  Could the problem have been avoided?  What are the consequences that result from the problem?  Was the problem resolved?  If so, how was the problem resolved?  What was God’s preferred solution?  What solutions did humans try that were not in alignment with God’s way of handling situations?

Text-to-Text  Does anything remind you of other verses that you have read in the Bible?  Do you want to search deeper for more texts that speak about this subject?  If so, what is the consensus of the texts that you found, i.e., what lessons were communicated by the majority of the texts and were they different from the story that you are studying?

Text-to-World  What general lessons about life are in the text?  What similarities do you see between the story and our modern world?  What differences are there between the story and today’s world?

Text-to-Self  What specific application can you find for your own life, i.e., what message is the Holy Spirit trying to give you from this story?  Have you ever experienced any situation similar to the story?  Would you have reacted differently than the characters?  If so, why

Text-to-God  What does this story reveal about God and the way that He interacts with humans? Did God approve or disapprove? How do you know? Is there anything confusing about God in this story?

My Example Bible Study

Note: You can go much deeper than this example with lots of connections and details. You can also use this narrative format for studying the Bible at a more basic level with fewer connections and skipping textual cross-references. This format can be used to suit your own needs at the present time. You may decide to fill in more information at a later date when you have more time. I recommend that you either type or write your ideas because this is an attempt to understand the Bible at a deeper level. Thus, you may want to refer back to your notes and add information as you learn more.

Narrative Bible Study—Acts 4:23-37

Characters

Peter and John—The two disciples who had healed the lame man and been detained were released after a warning not to preach about Jesus.  They had responded that they could only do what God told them to do, not what man ordered them to do.  After being released, they prayed for God’s continued protection so that they could continue to preach as He wanted them to do. 

Friends and other Apostles—The friends mentioned here may have been all the other apostles; they may have also included other believers who were not part of Jesus’ inner circle.

Setting:  Where and When?  This part of the story takes place in the home of the friends of Peter and John somewhere in Jerusalem.  It takes place after their release from prison.  They had healed a man lame from birth, preached in the temple to people impressed by the miracle, and been arrested by the temple authorities.  After being warned not to preach anymore, they were released even though they had not agreed to obey the warning.  The next passage after this describes how the church in Jerusalem was growing rapidly and how they were sharing with each other as brothers and sisters.

Plot (Problem and Solution) The two apostles had been released with just a warning, and they had made it clear that they would follow God rather than human orders no matter how respectable and high the authority was giving the orders.  Peter and John were clear about their mission.  However, there was a danger that others in the church would tone down their outreach out of fear and/or respect for the temple authorities.  For this reason, the Holy Spirit needed to give them reassurance and strength to continue preaching in the face of their first apparent setback.  When the friends and apostles who were gathered together affirmed their conviction that they could count on God to overcome all of the dangers presented by earthly authorities, whether Gentile or Jewish, the Spirit confirmed God’s support by shaking the building and filling them with His power.  Thus, their solution to the problem of the two apostles’ arrest was to praise God and reaffirm their loyalty to the mission that Jesus had given them.  God’s solution was to remind them of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that day.

Text-to-Text  This passage reminds me of the time that Peter was released from prison by an angel.  There are several striking differences, however.  First, this time the two prisoners were Peter and John.  The next time, it would be James and Peter.  The first time, both prisoners were released.  The second time, James was killed and only Peter went free.  This time, the release was a decision of the religious leaders while Peter escaped through the agency of heaven.  Also, Peter’s captor was Herod rather than the temple authorities.  Another difference was the friends who awaited the released prisoners.  The friends and apostles group gladly received the two apostles back and affirmed their confidence in God’s ability to overcome any rulers, whether Gentile or Jewish while the friends of Peter didn’t believe that he had been released despite the fact that they were praying for him.  Finally, the results were different.  This first time, everyone resolved to go out more boldly and continue to preach openly.  However, when Peter was released by the angel, he laid low after informing his friends of his escape.

Text-to-World  The rulers of the world are still setting themselves up and plotting.  In fact, I see the churches plotting political victories also.  The apostles knew that they did not have to plot in order to overcome the worlds’ arrogance and power.  They had confidence that God Himself was in control and that He would bring about the outcome that He desired.  They knew that their job was not to set themselves up to fight the worldly powers.  Their job was to proclaim the message that there was a Savior who had died so that the people of the world could live.  Their job was to show everyone that the real conflict was about whether you are on God’s side or Satan’s side; the conflict was not about laws that would enforce God’s wishes.  It was about winning hearts and minds to the side of love and mercy—God’s kingdom, not a worldly kingdom of force.

Text-to-Self  I am not bold like Peter and John and the apostles.  I let the world overwhelm me with its indifference and hardheartedness.  I need to let the Holy Spirit fill me with power, and then I need to go where He tells me.  I don’t know where to go anymore, so I am not experiencing the Spirit’s power to overcome obstacles to preaching like I have in the past.  Give me wisdom to see the way forward, and boldness to follow the pat that You reveal.

Text-to-God  One thing that the passage emphasizes is God’s ability to overcome the plotting of rulers and political powers.  It points out that God uses even their own plots to further His goals.  A second lesson is that God listens to His people’s prayers and responds with what they need to go forward.  It might be a miraculous shaking of the building or the unexpected release from custody.  I need to remember that You are listening, and You will respond.  The third lesson is that the Holy Spirit is present when we are gathered together in Jesus’ name.  He was there before the shaking, and He was still there after the miraculous signs were finished.