This is the fifth in a series of eight videos refreshing steps and tool in the Pathways Bible Study method. I welcome you to view and enjoy and utilize principles found in this video, particularly if you are familiar with the Pathways study method. Again, these videos are designed for global pastors who have previously been through our workshops, but would benefit from some “refreshing” of basic principles.

In this brief video, the focus is on two Pathways tools that are very useful in checking the accuracy of your study: “Staying on the Line,” and “Pre-understanding.”

In the simple tool “Staying on the Line,” the goal is that the message should stay on the line of Scripture, not adding fresh ideas, perhaps from our culture or our preferences, to what the passage says (which is going ABOVE the line). Nor are we to skip verses and sections from what is in the passage, perhaps because they are difficult to understand or are unpleasant (which is going BELOW the line). Rather, we must preach what the author intended in the passage, which is staying on the line of Scripture.

In the tool “Pre-understanding,” we guard against reading into the passage our background, our own thoughts, previous training, cultural ideas, popular notions, or ideas we want to preach. Rather, we give priority to what the author intended in the passage, and we preach that message.

I hope you enjoy this video!