You may wish to use some or all of these activities to gauge student knowledge and interest.
Human Barometer Activity
Introduce the topic of the Bible’s credibility with a ‘Human Barometer’ activity – the goal being to get students talking about their perspective on, or experience of the Bible. Suggested statements:
- “The Bible is too old to be trusted”
- “The stories from the Bible are helpful for life”
- “We can’t know if the things in the Bible actually happened”
- “The Bible is an historical document”
- “A lot of the Bible is confusing or irrelevant”
Examine Bible Claims
Use a range of Bible verses to outline the claims that are made for the Bible by Christians.
- Ps. 19.7-8
- 1 Tim. 3.15-17
- Dt. 6.1-9
- Lk. 1.1-4
- 1 Jn. 1.1-4
- Ps. 119.9-16
- Mt. 7.24-27
- Is. 55.1-3 etc.
Discuss whether or not the Bible’s claims about itself can be trusted.
Developing Inquiry Questions
Explain that the class will be considering a range of questions about the credibility and usefulness of the Bible.
Ask the students to consider the kinds of things we need to know about the Bible if we are going to base our lives on it.
Note down on the board what they come up with.
Question Box
Invite students to anonymously contribute questions to either a literal Question Box or a digital alternative. Explain that the class will respond to a range of common questions and also deal with those submitted to the Question Box.