Rick McCleary – (Attendee at Understanding Difficult Passages – July 2023)
Precept Leader from Burford, ON

What did you enjoy from this Understanding Difficult Passages in-person workshop?

 Having an in-person workshop is just terrific. It’s great to be able to do that since COVID and to learn from someone like Tommye. I guess the first time I went to a workshop she led was in the 1990s. She’s a fantastic teacher, and being able to apply the things she’s learning with the amount of time we need to do that is important.

Share with us your takeaways and what stood out for you.

Well, every time you get a chance to learn from a world-renowned teacher like Tommye, it’s just fantastic. She incorporates plenty of time to allow you to apply everything you are learning. Plus, you’ve got the time to think about it and draw in the extra passages like the cross-references and things like that. When dealing with a difficult passage, it is especially important to be able to look at the whole context of everything around it. When we did it with The Gospel of John, not only were we looking at John chapter 15, the first six verses, but we analyzed the entire book of John because that’s the full context of the passage, and it’s the context within which the passage sits, and it draws out the full meaning. And it’s just great to have the time to do that and think it all through.

How has the Precept Bible Study Method impacted your time and study in God’s word?

Well, the thing I like best about the Precept Bible study method is the fact that you’re questioning. As you read, you’re asking questions, and you focus on interpreting (Scripture interpreting Scripture) rather than being sidetracked by commentaries or outside resources at the start. My Bible study time has been deepened by taking the time to look at the full context of where the Scripture sits and just bringing in cross-references and sources like that.

You can also watch the video of Rick McCleary and other attendees who gave comments and reviews on the workshop below.