Trilogy - winter
In 2016 we had the unique opportunity to hold our inductive Bible study camp, Trilogy, twice. In the search for the best time for hosting this camp, we decided to try combining Trilogy with our long-time dream of organizing an event for bringing in the new year with our students and alumni. So on the 26th of December, 21 enthusiasts left their homes and met together in the cozy atmosphere of the “Promised Land” complex, in the village of Stokite. Everyone arrived safely and on the very first day, with great interest and high expectations, we plunged into the world of one of the most overlooked and misunderstood books in the Bible – the Revelation of John.
The study took place in three daily sessions: the first was right after our breakfast and quiet time of reflection until lunch, the second was after our afternoon break until dinner, and the third took place directly after dinner. In the first session of the camp, we spent time becoming familiar with the era when the book was written, as well as the characteristics of the time, the role of the emperor and the trade guilds, and the life of the early Christians in the Roman empire. We talked in detail about the genre of the book, which is a combination of letter, prophesy and apocalypse – realizing that apocalypse is not a genre that we are now familiar with we spent time especially getting to know this so that we would be able to understand the message of the book through its many events and characters.
In each of the sessions, the participants used the inductive method of Bible study, which is based on three stages: observation, interpretation, and application. In observation, everyone individually studied the given passage as they tried to determine the main ideas, images, repetitions, themes… Then in small groups we shared what we had discovered and the things that impresses us. In the time for interpretation we shared as a large group and arrived together, with the help of the Old Testament, to the main ideas of the passage. Finally, we shared about the meaning the passage for our lives today, in response to all that Jesus revealed to us through his words.
On the 31st of December, we succeeded in officially concluding our study and we began preparations for our New Year’s Eve party. We had a special meal, many games, fireworks and snow pictures, and many, many unforgettable moments with old and new friends. On the 1st of January, tired yet enthusiastic and inspired we returned to our homes committed to follow Jesus and remain faithful until the end.
