Read Mark Learn: John: A Small Group Bible Study

by St. Helen's Bishopgate

These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31.
Read / Mark / Learn is a small group Bible study series that is designed to equip people to study God's Word for themselves and in studying it, know God's purpose for their lives. Each book studies whole books of the Bible and so enables people to understand scripture in context. In an era that claims that the Bible can say what you want it to say it is important to re-establish the truth that you just can t if you explain the scripture with honesty, fairness and in context.

Genres: Theology, New Testament, Reference, Christian, Christianity

304 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

Reviews

[Peter Krol · Rating 5 out of 5]

In April I attended Together for the Gospel and got a pile of free books. Since the free books numbered more than I could ever read, I gave many of them away.

Two volumes on the stack almost got passed on to a more available master, but were snatched from the fire at the 11th hour. These were the two Read Mark Learn volumes—one on John, the other on Romans—published by Christian Focus in partnership with St. Helen's Bishopsgate.

I almost passed over these treasures like an angel of death on the fourteenth day of the first month. My initial perusal revealed them to be a series of Bible studies, and, well, I need more Bible studies like Solomon needs more wives:

I find something more bitter than death: the woman [substitute "Bible study guide" for "woman" and you'll catch my usual disillusionment] whose heart is snares and nets, and whose hands are fetters. He who pleases God escapes her, but the sinner is taken by her. Behold, this is what I found, says the Preacher, while adding one thing to another to find the scheme of things— which my soul has sought repeatedly, but I have not found. One man among a thousand I found, but a woman among all these I have not found. (Eccl 7:26-28, ESV)

I read one short study from the volume on John's Gospel just for kicks. And boy, am I glad I did.

I read another and another. After 5 of them, I couldn't stop raving over them to my wife (you should have seen the spittle in my beard!). After only 2 or 3 more, I was ready to purchase a volume on every other book of the Bible. But I searched online and could find only John and Romans. I spoke with a representative from Westminster bookstore, and he could find only John and Romans. I went on the Christian Focus website, and still I could find only John and Romans.

The bad news is that they have volumes on only John and Romans. The good news, however, is that I finally found this page on St. Helen's's website, which has a long list of studies on many other (though not all) books of the Bible—all available for free. More bad news, though: John and Romans cost money. Sorry.

What is so good about these Bible studies?

They are short: only 10 pages or fewer per unit of text.
They observe the details carefully.
They consider context. The book's historical context, the unit's literary context, and the entire Bible's gospel context.
They concisely trace out (and focus on) the author's flow of thought.
They identify a main point for each section.
They connect every passage to Christ.
They get specific in application.

I'm not sure I can think of anything else I would ask for in a Bible study.

The only problem I can see with these studies is the threat of addiction. Just be careful not to read them until after you study the text for yourself. But if ever I was tempted to ignore my own standards for such things, now would be the time.

[Brian Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary on John. Shows the author's understanding of the structure of passages. Includes helpful applications that arise from the text. Very readable.

[Lawson Hembree · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource for leading a Bible study. The book features insightful commentary with Old Testament tie-ins. I appreciate that it emphasizes a strong hermeneutic that is faithful to the text. This resource also includes questions are good for spurring discussion as well as key theme summaries and application points. Highly recommend for anyone wanting to lead a group through John’s Gospel.

[Bill Forgeard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strong in Biblical Theology and OT background. Commentary sections are very brief -- even too brief, though I love succinct commentaries. Small group questions are helpful. A useful, versatile reference.

[Stephen Buerger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this during some personal reading. Some good insights, very accessible. I think it'd work well for a small group.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read Mark Learn: John is an excellent guide for group Bible study. It aims, and succeeds in performing a very hard task - outlining driving home the major mountains of this gospel, while not ignoring its smaller theological hills. This is largely done, I think, by letting the text speak for itself, but guiding the reader and guide through major points of Context, Structure and Application.

While primarily designed for small group and one to one discipleship courses, over time, this book is an ideal work for individual study. The reader, group member and leader should be equipped to see and to know Jesus as the Christ and to have life in his name. So while good information and good context is given, the role of this book is to show the reader that their life can be changed.

There are many, many guides and studies to prepare leaders to teach group this gospel. This book is really at the top of the list, because of how it has worthwhile commentary, while allowing the text to speak for itself.

[Graham Heslop · Rating 3 out of 5]

The line between simplification and oversimplification is a fine one. At times the RML masterfully navigated it, but at others I felt that theological smoothing-over was preferred to John's sometimes difficult narrative. Now I know that the purpose of these books is to provide accessible notes for both leaders and those in the group; if I were rating the book on that aim alone then I would probably give it 5 stars: the questions are carefully designed to unlock the main point of the passage at hand; the application is often richly relevant; and the larger biblical context, along with the summation of what's been before in John's Gospel, is extremely helpful and informative.

[David Campton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat patchy commentary on John's Gospel, perhaps due to its origin as a local church Bible Study.