UNDER THE TREE OF LIFE
DISCIPLE IV, is a thirty-two week study of the Writings (Old Testament books not in the Torah or the Prophets), the Book of Revelation, John’s Gospel, and the Letters of John. This Study emphasizes the Psalms as a way of praying, the wisdom teachings as a way of living, and the Book of Revelation as a way to worship God in hope and victory.
Old Testament
The collection of books called the Writings does not have a unifying theme; in fact the books differ from one another in both form and content. The Writings appeal to the heart more than the head and address both community and individual life. Narrative books in the Writings cover the period of Israel’s Exile and return –Ruth, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel. Books of poetry and wisdom include Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, and Lamentations.
New Testament
John’s Gospel was written for Jews who were in agony over division within the house of Israel. At the core of that division was a relationship with Jesus Christ that brought reorientation to the community. The Book of Revelation provides a vocabulary of imagery for making sense of experience and learning to live with what is painful and what is hopeful. Revelation is a picture of completion, a picture of the fulfillment of God’s time. We read Revelation in order to know the end of the story.
