Why have men's or women's Bible study groups?
-1 Corinthians 16:13
Iron sharpens iron, and one person (man) sharpens another.
-Proverbs 27:17
Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance. In the same way, older women are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not slaves to excessive drinking. They are to teach what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands and to love their children, to be self-controlled, pure, workers at home, kind, and in submission to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be slandered.
-Titus 2:2-5
Why have men's or women's Bible study groups? Why can't Bible study groups always be coed? Maybe the answer is the same answer as to why we have men's and women's restrooms or locker rooms in public spaces.
This question was asked on Reddit, and someone gave what I thought was a good answer:
"Having single sex studies gives opportunities to discuss things that women may not be comfortable discussing with or in front of men and vice versa, as well as giving the opportunity to discuss things that would pertain more to godly womanhood or to godly manhood." (source)
Patrice Burrell Grant, wrote that the benefits of joining a women's bible study are,
"1. Support and Stimulation
We find people who will relate to us in this small community because we share a common desire to know God's word. They will often understand our life experiences because they have (or have had) similar experiences of their own to share with us. The ladies in our Bible study groups support each other as we keep showing up week after week. These are the people who will encourage you and empathize with you as we all attempt to live out the scriptures we study.
2. Fellowship and Friendship
Everyone desires acquaintance. Fellowship with other women in our Bible study community provides camaraderie and allies we can connect with over common interests that start with God's Word and evolve into other life areas. We discover women who will cheer us on and celebrate our victories when we have reasons to rejoice. We encounter women who will share our joys and mourn with us in our times of grief and sorrow. These women will, in some cases, become our dearest friends. These are the women who will love us unconditionally and non-judgmentally. They will aid and assist us in our times of need and advocate for our best interests, all because we have been in community with each other.
3. Accountability and Acceptance
Being in a Bible study small group community will afford us opportunities to interact with women who prompt, prod, and promote our spiritual well-being. Since we meet regularly, we can hold one another accountable with love and compassion. We can also inspire each other to continue growing as we accept each other and where we are. This motivates us to want to do better and be better in every way." (source)
About men's Bible study groups, Rod Eddy wrote this:
"There are many good reasons to start a Bible study for men. They include growth in understanding and applying the Bible, mutually encouraging relationships, and ultimately lives pleasing to God that have an impact for his glory. In short, getting men into fellowship around Scripture has implications for what God is doing in the world—building his church and fulfilling the Great Commission." (source)
Vince Miller wrote this about men's Bible study groups:
"Smaller gatherings regularly are where men can discover some things about themselves and others. Spiritual growth doesn't happen in isolation; it occurs in a community, and men need other men. When men link arms, great things happen. Take, for example, Jesus and his men. What Jesus did changed the world, but without other men, the world would have never heard the good news Jesus proclaimed." (source)
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Photo credits:
I found the men's group photo here.
I found the women's group photo here.
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