Discussion Questions

John the Baptist tells the theologians to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” and not lean on “We have Abraham as our father” (Matt. 3:7–9); what are the most common modern equivalents of using religious pedigree, correct labels, or right doctrine to avoid the demand for visible repentance and fruit? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What are some ways people today use their church background, labels, or “right beliefs” to avoid real life change and visible repentance?

Jesus says the “lawyers” (theologians) “took away the key of knowledge… and hindered those who entered” (Luke 11:52); in what specific ways can religious experts control people’s access to God and Scripture while claiming to protect them, and where have you seen that dynamic in church life? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How can religious experts make it harder for people to reach God or understand the Bible while saying they are protecting them, and where have you seen this in church?

The chapter argues that one tool of bondage was “superior knowledge” of Hebrew, and it notes that the record of Jesus’ teachings comes in Greek and that the apostles usually quoted the Septuagint; what does this suggest about God’s willingness to speak through “non-sacred” languages, and how does that challenge the way Christians sometimes treat original-language expertise today? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What does it show about God that Jesus’ teachings were written in Greek and the apostles often used a Greek Bible, not Hebrew? How should that affect how we treat people who know the “original languages” today?

Jesus calls the theologians “blind guides,” warns about their “leaven,” and condemns them for “binding heavy burdens” (Matt. 23 themes); what kinds of “heavy burdens” do Christians today place on others that feel spiritual but do not actually produce kingdom fruit? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What “rules” or expectations do Christians put on others today that sound spiritual but don’t actually help people grow real kingdom fruit?

In Luke 11:37–41 and Mark 7:8, 13, Jesus confronts ceremonial washing and says tradition can make God’s word “of no effect”; what are some current church traditions (formal or informal) that can function like “washings of pitchers and cups,” keeping the outside clean while leaving greed, pride, or wickedness untouched? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What church traditions today can focus on looking clean on the outside while leaving pride, greed, or sin untouched on the inside?

The author claims the deeper problem was not just bad teaching but “the very existence of a theological class,” because it inevitably exalts head knowledge over fruit; what parts of that claim feel persuasive, and what parts feel dangerous or overstated—and why? JumpstartAnother way to ask: The author says the bigger problem is having a special “theology class” of experts because it lifts head knowledge over real fruit. What parts of that idea seem true, and what parts seem risky or too extreme—and why?

Jesus forbids status titles (“rabbi,” “father,” “teachers”) and ties greatness to servanthood and humility (Matt. 23:6–12); what do modern Christian title systems (celebrity pastors, “Dr.” culture, platform-building, conference circuits) do to the “you are all brethren” reality Jesus describes? JumpstartAnother way to ask: How do modern titles and Christian “celebrity” culture affect Jesus’ idea that believers are all brothers and sisters and leaders should be humble servants?

Jesus says becoming like “little children” is required to enter the kingdom, and that the Father hides kingdom things from the “wise and prudent” and reveals them to “babes”; what does the chapter imply God is like if He intentionally bypasses the learned, and how should that reshape what we esteem as “spiritual maturity”? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If God sometimes chooses to teach “babes” instead of the highly educated, what does that say about what God is like? How should that change what we call “spiritual maturity”?

The chapter emphasizes Jesus chose “ordinary, unlettered men,” trained them hands-on, and created no seminaries; if your church removed formal credentialing as the main filter for leadership, what kinds of people might rise, what risks would increase, and what kinds of faithfulness or fruit might become more visible? JumpstartAnother way to ask: If your church stopped using degrees or formal credentials as the main test for leaders, who might become leaders, what new risks might come up, and what good fruit might show more clearly?

In Acts 4, the leaders “perceived they were uneducated and untrained” yet “realized they had been with Jesus,” and Peter insists on obeying God rather than theologians; what would it look like for a congregation to measure authority primarily by “has been with Jesus” and bold obedience, and what cherished modern assumptions about assurance, safety, and “order” would that threaten? JumpstartAnother way to ask: What would it look like for a church to trust leaders mainly because they have been with Jesus and obey Him boldly? What ideas about safety, certainty, and “doing things in order” might that challenge?