WORD LAB

Scripture: John 21:15–19

Time: 35–45 minutes

Workpage: Word Lab (optional)

Prompt: You may have heard sermons built around different Greek words for love here.

Investigate whether the argument is as simple as you've been told.

Directions: Compare English translations, consult a reliable Greek lexicon/resource, and research how John's Gospel uses the relevant terms elsewhere.

Take It to the Margin: Do reputable scholars all agree that the word variation carries a major theological distinction here?

For the Grown-Up: This is intentionally teaching students that original-language study can correct popular word-study myths rather than merely create impressive explanations.

Scripture: Mark 1:14–15; Acts 2:37–41

Time: 30–40 minutes

Workpage: Word Lab (optional)

Prompt: Go beyond “repent means turn around.”

Directions: Study the word in context, compare translations, use a lexicon, and examine what response accompanies repentance in each passage.

Take It to the Margin: What can the word study clarify—and what must the surrounding passage still tell you?

For the Grown-Up: Help prevent the lexicon definition from becoming the entire interpretation.

Scripture: Genesis 2:18–25; Psalm 121:1–2

Time: 30–40 minutes

Workpage: Word Lab (optional)

Prompt: Does “helper” automatically mean assistant or subordinate?

Investigate the Hebrew word and where else it appears.

Directions: Compare the term used in Genesis with its use elsewhere in the Old Testament using a concordance/lexicon.

Take It to the Margin: How does broader biblical usage challenge assumptions you might bring to the English word helper?

For the Grown-Up: Keep conclusions proportional to the evidence. Word usage can challenge assumptions without answering every question about gender or marriage.

Scripture: Proverbs 1:1–7; 9:10

Time: 30–40 minutes

Workpage: Word Lab (optional)

Prompt: Does “fear” mean terror here?

Don't answer until you've investigated.

Directions: Examine how Proverbs connects fear of the Lord with knowledge and wisdom. Compare translations and lexical information.

Take It to the Margin: What does the surrounding material contribute that a dictionary definition alone cannot?

For the Grown-Up: Encourage contextual definition rather than choosing between simplistic “scared” and “respect.”

Scripture: Mark 1:1–15; Romans 1:1–17

Time: 35–45 minutes

Workpage: Word Lab (optional)

Prompt: Christians say gospel constantly.

What do biblical writers actually pack into that word?

Directions: Compare how Mark and Paul introduce and develop the term.

Take It to the Margin: Why is “gospel means good news” accurate but incomplete as a study conclusion?

For the Grown-Up: Let the student build the fuller explanation from passages rather than church familiarity.