Help please...Bible study questions

Ok here is the deal.I am supposed to be helping facilitate a Bible study starting in Feb. The study is centered around John and Stasi Eldridge's book called Captivating. It's a book about the female role in creation and how essential we are to spreading the gospel. The book and its premise are awesome and thought provoking. They deal with many issues that women need to deal with today:abuse history, feeling the push to be in the workplace, feeling beautiful inside and out along with a host of others. Here is the problem though; the author's interpret the scripture in some places in ways that are very contrary to anything I have heard before and they give no real reason or proof for their departure. In one place they quote the scripture "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" and then say it has nothing to do with faith or with training your child in Christianity, but, rather has to do with helping them descover their own beauty and sticking to that for life. They also use popular culture such as movies to expound on their points and make those references seem to be equal to the scripture they quote. My question is what should I do? I am afraid that those that are more conservative than I will really be offended badly. They are teaching the book with or without me. Any ideas? oh if it helps the Women's ministry leader is a good friend of mine. Thanks in advance-Amy

Don't know if I have any answer for you because that is a tough position to be in. For myself I think I would have to decline the class because it deviates from the doctrine I believe in and I couldn't be a part of something that I feel is against the Bible. As a fairly conservative Christian I would be very offended and not return to the class if I had signed up for it. Not quite sure why there would be a Bible study about something that so blatantly goes against scripture. I wouldn't want to be a party to Biblical misinformation, just wouldn't feel right about it. I guess you will need to pray and ask God to help you with this decision. I hope you find an answer.

Thank you for your response. I myself was offended. What makes it more problamatic is that our church is quite conservative when it comes to scripture. If it isn't in the Bible, my pastor does not teach it. He backs up everything with scripture and it must be in context not just a side note to make his point. I will seek God about this. I will express my concerns to the Womem's ministry leader as well. Thank You-Hugs-Amy

Amy, I would definitely discuss this with the leader. Then, you are left several options. One is to not participate. The other is to participate, but discuss your concerns about the author's interpretation of scripture as a group discussion, allowing everyone in the group to share what the Holy Spirit is teaching them. Authors are human and can be critiqued by us in Bible studies. Good Bible studies have a lot of discussions, at least that is my opinion. I will pray for you concerning this dilemma. Hugs, Trish

Thank you Trish. I discussed it with the leader today and I have been praying about it. The leader said that we will facilitate, but we will from the start tell people that we may not agree with everything expressed in the book, but that everything is open to discussion. I am the most conservative of the 3 facilitators and I think it is right for me to be there. I can't explain why it's right. I just know it is. I am not shy and I will not let the Word be compromised simply because it is more comfortable for us to believe in a way that would be easier for us. Thank you for your response. Love ya-Amy