Bible Study on Luke 6:38 ("Give, and it will be given to you")
Luke 6:38
“'Give, and it will be given to you; a good measure — pressed down, shaken together, and running over — will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (CSB)
Welcome to the Bible Study Guide for Luke 6:38, which leverages questions from the CHARA Bible Study Guide, when studying this verse. Below are the questions the Chara team chose to ask, in the order they chose to ask them, but feel free to use other questions or change up the order as you dive into this passage. For ANSWERS from the Chara team on these questions, check out the video below.
APPLY
Yield: What personal, cultural, or religious bias and assumptions do you bring to the text? When we hear “give” we might think it’s talking about money and may come to the conclusion that the more money I give, the more money God will give me. When a Bible verse is taken out of its context to justify a belief or doctrine it’s called proof texting. Rather than proof texting, we want to learn to read the Bible on its own terms and honor its original intended message.
CONTEXT
Immediate: What is the theme or main idea found in the surrounding paragraph(s) and how does that help determine what the verse means? Context is key here! Look for the main idea leading up to Luke 6:37 and then after by reading Luke 6:27-42. What does God care about and how does your original bias surrounding this verse fit into that?
Bible: Does my interpretation hold true throughout the rest of the Bible? Does the text quote or allude to another passage in the Bible and what understanding does that give? (Hint: find using cross references. Check out Matthew 6:14-15 and 7:1-2)
HISTORY
What worldview, cultural, religious, political factors and experiences were a part of their world and how did that influence them? The language in verse 38 would have resonated with the original audience who were used to the practice of accurate measuring in the marketplace. Can you gain any insight from Study Bibles or commentaries on how they would’ve heard this message? (Note: This is a good reminder that the Bible was written for us but not to us. It was written in a way they would’ve understood so we need to try to hear it the way they would have heard it.)
RESEARCH
Paraphrase: How would you rewrite the message of Luke 6:38 into your own words? (Hint: see Matthew 7:2)
APPLY
Yield: Let’s return to the original assumption or bias that you may have brought to Luke 6:38 prior to reading the context. What do you need to surrender, if anything, to be in harmony with the Bible?
Ask: What do you learn about God - His character, attributes, or desires?
Pray: “Lord, what do you want me to learn and how should I apply this to my life?”
Join the Chara Project team as they study Luke 6:38 and see their ANSWERS to the questions asked from the CHARA Bible Study Guide.