The opportunity to express one’s own thoughts and feelings and to engage in what is frequently very passionate and heated debate is a very stimulating intellectual and spiritual experience. It is also an extremely necessary and vital part of studying the Word of God and growing in your personal relationship with the Lord. Without it the opportunities for "iron to sharpen iron" (Proverbs 27:17) will be limited and spiritual growth stunted. Being part of a Beit Midrash can literally transform not only the way you learn the Scriptures but also your personal relationship with the Lord.

The dynamic that learning together brings is one of the missing vital ingredients in most churches that follow a Greco-Roman rather than the scriptural Hebraic model. When the church rejected its Jewish roots (and then the Jewish people) and opted instead for a root system in Greek philosophical thought, it lost the sources of spiritual nourishment that those roots were intended by God to provide. One of the sources of nourishment is this Hebraic model of learning together, which we will call the Beit Midrash style of Bible study.

The Greco-Roman model, which most churches basically follow, tends to foster a clergy-laity division that, directly or indirectly, advertently or inadvertently, suppresses or minimizes the spiritual growth and maturity of the members of the congregation. People tend to observe the "theater" of religious services as spectators, rather than be trained to partake in actually ministry as participants. "Anointed" leaders perform their sacred duties, while "lay" people merely sit and observe the proceedings. I believe that God is looking for people who want to break out of old stereotypical ways of doing things, explore what their Jewish roots offer them, and pray for the Lord to lead them into new things. The Beit Midrash is part of the Hebraic model that has been lost to us through the centuries. Will we be part of its restoration?

Not Just A Typical Bible Study

The Beit Midrash is not your typical Bible discussion group that has a group leader, a workbook, a fixed agenda, and doctrinal correctness. This is a very free flowing, open, and often passionate environment that is geared to giving people maximum freedom to think, feel, and express their points of view. Yes, it is true that some will advocate heretical and strange doctrines. I Corinthians 11:19 says that it is important that they do–so that those who are approved can be clearly seen. Others will proclaim bizarre revelations, obscure interpretations, and weird applications of the Bible. Doctrines of demons will try to make inroads (so what else is new?), and other "stuff" will surface at your Beit Midrash. But, the Holy Spirit will also minister His authentic revelations and impart life-changing truths. Rich spiritual nourishment will be supplied by the Head of the church. People will have opportunities to be challenged to earnestly study the Word for themselves and thereby truly grow and change. I Thessalonians 5:21 and I John 4:1 will be key verses for everyone who studies this way: "Test all things, hold fast to that which is good," and, "Believe not every spirit but test them."

In order to have an effective Beit-Midrash everyone who attends must have the same basic motivation. It is not as some think, the attainment of knowledge for knowledge’s sake or the seeking of an opportunity to show how much they know, but a sincerely heartfelt desire to deepen their personal relationship with the Lord and to be changed into His image (Romans 8:29; II Corinthians 3:18). Developing keener interpersonal relationships with other members of the study group can happen as a result of studying together, but this is not a primary motivation. Every member of the study group must come with the same motivation if the times of study will prove to be fruitful instead of mere intellectual ramblings or the strutting of egos. Other motivations will be clearly revealed in due time. One of the marvelous benefits of this kind of study is that Hebrews 4:12 is seen in operation: "The thoughts and intents of the heart" are revealed. Self revelation, which is the beginning of true repentance by which we receive grace to change, is one of the fruits of this kind of study.

What a wonderful thought for those who truly are His disciples who want to learn, grow, and change into the image of the Lord! The Beit-Midrash model is designed to enhance the spiritual life of those who are sincere disciples of the Kingdom of God. Disciples are not focused on themselves or on their reputations or on how others perceive them. They really want to deepen their relationship with the Lord and change into His likeness. The Beit-Midrash is not about convincing others of the rightness of your interpretations or the erroneousness of theirs. It is about opening your heart to the work of the Holy Spirit so that you can learn, grow, and change. The dynamic of sharing the insights and truths you have learned–and receiving the same from others–will be a rich source for your spiritual growth.

The sincerity of our motivation, of our patience, of our tolerance for others who hold different views, and of our desire to see everyone grow in the truth that God gives them will be tested in these study times. The Beit Midrash presents to us those wonderfully difficult moments where we have a divinely given choice to act in our old nature or quietly open our spirit to the loving ministry of the Holy Spirit and allow him to change us or at least to show us places where we need to change. From there we can get alone with the Lord and let him do His work of transformation in us.

Practics of the Beit Midrash

Let’s look at some practical ways we can actually get started in forming our own Beit Midrash. The first thing you need to understand is that the leader of this kind of study does not need to have all the answers, or any of the answers, for that matter. This is one reason why some pastors are hesitant to get involved with this kind of study. They are in the old Greco-Roman model that dictates to them that they have to have all the answers to everyone’s questions—an absurd position for anyone to think they have to be in. A pastor who leads a Beit Midrash simply comes as a student with other students. He does not come to give answers, but to ask questions, to learn, to grow, to change. He, as well as the more mature members of the study group, will naturally have more to share from the depths of their experience and years of study. The attitude that you are merely a student in the "School of the Spirit" (whether at a beginner or advanced level) is wonderfully freeing. There is so much liberty in being able to say, "I don’t know; let’s study that some more." We come to the Beit Midrash to learn from whomever the Lord uses. I have personally learned so much from the insights of children and new believers. The freshness they bring to their understanding of the Word and to their relationship with the Lord is always very stimulating.

If you as a leader want to start this kind of a study, see yourself simply as a facilitator (to use a modern term) of the discussion, someone who can keep some semblance of order (like when to say, "Goodnight, Gracie") and who is given authority by the group to end "arguments" when it becomes profitable to do so. Some disagreements are good because they stimulate more study. Others are counterproductive (for example, those kinds of immature emotional outbursts that have people calling each other names or manifesting various forms of emotional manipulation such as ignoring someone or sulking). As people learn how to participate in this kind of study they will be able to handle more and more "Godly friction." You will learn about facilitating as you go on. Remember, learning is what this Beit-Midrash experience is all about. You can’t fail at this because it’s all about learning, asking questions, and promoting further study. This is new ground for many believers, so give yourself permission to make mistakes and learn and grow. After all, if you don’t try it, you can never learn it, and your spiritual life and those who would have joined you in this adventure will be poorer.

The group should be not larger than twelve and can be as small as two. Gather around a table, where there is easy access to Bibles, concordances, books, and other study aids, and, of course, plenty of pens and paper. Keep some light refreshments available because once you get started you will be there a while . . . believe me!

Appreciation for Diversity

The Beit-Midrash operates according to some basic principles, which if applied consistently will make the experience very positive and spiritually enriching. The first and most basic principle is that of respect for our fellow students and their points of view. Respect does not mean agreement. It does mean that we conduct ourselves so as to keep the atmosphere free from opportunities for the enemy to come in and affect people’s thoughts and feelings. These are wonderfully difficult opportunities to grow into the image of Jesus. Showing respect for others while disagreeing–even disagreeing vehemently (and this will happen!) with their opinion–is not easy. But, the fruits of the Spirit can be cultivated quickly through this type of spiritual experience.

We have to learn how to learn from each other. Learning from one another is an aspect of the Hebraic model of the church that has been lost to us. But God is restoring it! Just as every part of our physical bodies needs every other part of our bodies, so we need what every other member of the body of Messiah supplies for us (Ephesians 4:16). We need people in our lives who think differently than we do. Other points of view about the Bible have to be examined, discussed, and evaluated. With the right attitude and understanding, these different viewpoints can be sources of spiritual nourishment for us. It is absolutely essential for our spiritual growth that we have this diversity in our spiritual diet. Having a Beit Midrash can create an environment where the Word of God in all of its wonderful complexity can be investigated. Like the Bereans of Acts 17, we can come together to investigate the God’s Word and the words of men "to see if these things be so."

The ancient rabbis recognized the importance of diversity of understanding–and the necessity for it. They said that studying the Word of God was like having a group of students examining a huge diamond set in the middle of a table. As the light of the Lord came upon the diamond, all the students from their own positions and perspectives saw different radiant and glorious colors. As they saw the magnificent colors and shared what they saw, they began to realize that what they were seeing was the manifold wisdom of God revealed in part to everyone and that only together did they get the full picture. No one individual has all of the wisdom or revelation. While it is true that you may know more than anyone else at your study, remember that I Corinthians 13:9 tells us that each one sees only in part and knows in part. Every point of view is also many points of blindness. No one can see behind him; no one has eyes in the back of his head (no, not even your mother or sixth grade teacher even if they did convince you that they did!). We all need someone to see what is going on behind us. We need each other–and each other’s point of view.

Learning To Disagree Passionately

When we are discussing divergent points of view, there will come the time when some passionate disagreements will be voiced. This is normal, and actually is very healthy. It means that people are really engaging the Word of God on a deep and meaningful level. Jesus said that it is passionate people who take the Kingdom of God. Too many Christians, too much church activity–and church services in particular–lack any kind of passion. Far too much that is done in the name of Jesus is vapid, insipid, and, quite frankly, booooring. The authentic ministry of the Holy Spirit is anything but boring. The Word of God is alive, active, and powerful. It is like a fire, and when it ignites a human soul, it will be full of the zeal of God (Psalm 69:9; John 2:17). I believe that the Beit Midrash is a means that God can use to ignite those fires and keep them burning.

A vital part of our Hebraic heritage that has been lost to the church is the ability–and the acceptability of–arguing the Scriptures. This was the common way for people to study the Word of God in the time of Jesus. When he was twelve, he was seen doing exactly that with the doctors of the Law. Throughout his ministry Jesus was arguing the Scriptures with his adversaries and his disciples. The picture that comes to most of our minds when we read the word argue is a violent verbal display of emotion in which the arguers are very angry with each other. This is not the case here. To argue the Scriptures does not mean that you are angry with anyone, or they with you. It just means that you both have strong, passionate feelings about your positions. Nothing in this world is ever accomplished without passion; however, allowing your passion for your understanding of the Scriptures to make you angry with your brother or sister is sin. Bitterness and resentment will surely follow and will defile you and many others (Hebrews 12:15). The usual result is separation, disunity, mutual recrimination, and vilification. A Godly attitude of humility, coupled with an understanding that you only know in part and that the part you know is incomplete, will help you mitigate against negative attitudes toward your brethren. Your own humility will say to you, "I could be wrong. Maybe I don’t see all there is to see and there is some merit in what my brother is saying. After all, I only know in part." Humility does not pray prayers like, "Lord, show them how wrong they are and how right I am." It does inspire prayers like, "Lord, show us all more of yourself and the truth of your Word."

Dealing with disagreements in a positive way is very important for personal spiritual growth, for attaining a greater knowledge of the Word of God, and for building unity in the church. A Beit-Midrash study principle that is very helpful is this: When disagreements arise, record all of the points of view. Then have everyone in your study group investigate each one of them (homework?). After you have all completed this assignment, bring together the results of your research and discuss the matter further. The issue is resolved when all the participants are convinced in their own minds what the fruits of their own–and the others’–study have revealed. Apply the truths you have learned to your own life, and allow yourself and the others to observe the fruits of what you believe. Is your relationship with God increasing? Is your life bearing more fruit for the Kingdom? This, after all, is why we are studying the Word of God in the first place, isn’t it? I have a personal conviction that if theology is not practical it is not Godly. If it does not cause the fruits of the Spirit to be cultivated and manifested in our lives, then we risk being seduced by doctrines of demons that produce knowledge but no fruit and lives focused on self rather than on God and His purposes.

This strategy for dealing with disagreements leaves plenty of room for the Holy Spirit to bring more understanding and revelation into our lives. Instead of simply parroting what our "ministers" believe, we are impelled to study the issues for ourselves. The Beit-Midrash study group agrees temporarily to set aside the disagreement in the hope that more information will be forthcoming that will give us new insight and understanding. We must be open to whomever, or however, the Lord will choose to bring more truth to us. Truth can come from anyone, even from the mouths of babes (Psalm 8:2).

Another story from our Jewish heritage will help illustrate the point of the necessity and validity of arguing the Scriptures. There were two elderly rabbis who whenever they were together would always argue with one another about the meaning and applications of the Scriptures. After they had spent many years doing this, finally one of the old rabbis died. The other rabbi was so distraught at the news of his friend’s passing that his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, why are you so upset at the news of this mans death? All you ever did was argue with him." The rabbi looked at his disciples and said to them, "You don’t understand; now I don’t have anyone to argue with." These men were never angry with each other, they were like iron sharpening iron for each other. They stimulated each other intellectually and spiritually. They enriched each other’s life.

We do more than agree to disagree; we go one step further. We agree that each of us only knows in part, and that we should continue to study and pray for further revelation. Who knows who will be the vessel the Lord will use to bring us into more understanding? This attitude can make our walk with the Lord and with our brethren very exciting. We give God great opportunities to instruct us and to create enriching spiritual relationships with brothers and sisters when we conduct ourselves in this manner. No longer are we at odds with our brethren over "doctrinal differences," but together we become fellow "explorers," "investigators" of the Word and the ways of the Lord. Unity can actually come out of diversity because we now see each other as sources of spiritual nutrition, exciting catalysts that provoke deeper study and greater insights into the Word of God. Instead of Satan’s getting the victory and causing separation, Jesus gets the victory and creates unity in his body.

For too long the body of Christ has terribly damaged itself by trying to create unity based on agreement of doctrine or interpretations of the Scriptures. What we have done to the body of our Lord is criminal. We have vilified, castigated, branded as heretics and apostates, and even martyred those who disagreed with our theology or our practices. What we have to do is find ways to overcome this deeply entrenched historic demonic stronghold that has literally controlled and manipulated the church for centuries. The prayer of Jesus for our unity will be answered. I believe that part of the answer is the present-day work of the Holy Spirit in restoring to the church this Hebraic model of Bible study.