YLV Bible Study
Order of the Gathering
The following is a framework rather than a rule. It prescribes a sequence but no fixed duration; the length of each part is determined by those present.
The order of the evening
Six elements
No fixed length is prescribed. Duration varies from one gathering to another, and from week to week within the same gathering. It may be shorter where children are present and longer when discussion is substantial; the decision rests with those present. The agreed closing hour, however, is observed, as this encourages continued attendance.
The principle not to be altered
Reading aloud — miqra qodesh
Of all elements of the gathering, this one is not to be altered. The reading is done in the voices of those present.
Leviticus 23 calls the appointed times of YHWH a miqra qodesh. It is customarily rendered “holy convocation,” but the root of miqra — qara (קרא) — means both to call and to read aloud. A holy gathering is therefore a company called together to read aloud.
The reading
No participant only a listener
For this reason audiobooks are not played in the gathering. However accomplished the narration, it is not miqra. Nor is the reading entrusted solely to the most proficient reader. Hesitation, imperfect pronunciation and an unsteady voice are all acceptable. It is the voices of the saints that make the table a holy gathering. Further reading on miqra qodesh →
Children also take part in the reading. A child who has only recently learned to read, working through a single verse, offers the most precious reading in the room. A participant for whom reading is difficult may be given a short verse, read first by the person beside him or her and then repeated. The aim is that no participant is only a listener.
Audiobooks are intended for private listening, for example as preparation during a commute. In the gathering, Scripture is read aloud.
Sharing
Four questions after the reading
The discussion proceeds by questions rather than by exposition. Where a gathering becomes a setting in which the knowledgeable instruct, those with less knowledge cease to attend.
Unfamiliar words
The original language may be consulted at the table. The Yeshua Literal Version does not efface the words of the source text; it retains ktisis and exousia as they stand. The use of such a word across the whole Bible may be examined at once in the original-language analysis, which is accessible on a phone during the gathering.
Practices to be avoided