Coffee with Paul is a new Bible Study initiative that
has been under development for the last 5 years.
We've held numerous classes with over 500 hundred participants, produced numerous drafts, and have continued to
update the project all along the way.
Why is it taking so long? We are trying to do something
new with Bible study!
Unrelenting Faith (the first series) encourages a
strong and unstoppable face even in the midst of troubled
times, waning
hope, and day-to-day struggle.
We have pulled draft copies off the market for now while
we continue to develop our approach. But here is a formal summary of our
project:
_______________________
Formal Summary
The Coffee with Paul project will
directly tackle the documented rising tide of biblical
illiteracy among Christians in North America and the world.
Accepting the historic and continued value of traditional
academic and devotional approaches, this project will focus on
a gaping hole between
the two, evidenced by the soaring problem
of illiteracy. Much more than a series of "devotional books," this study will argue for a new synthesis between academic and
devotional approaches to Scripture, establishing new standards
in what will be called, “Instructive Devotion,” and developing
a specific “conversational” methodology for experiencing
Scripture (as if having coffee with a New Testament author).
Based on a new and fresh translation of what is likely the
first written document of the New Testament (1 Thessalonians),
a new-kind of daily resource for reading Scripture will be
published (along with a “Conversation Journal”). Contextually
responsible to both text and life, this new resource will be
written in the first person, as if by the Apostle Paul himself;
will be grounded in a thorough understanding of academic
discussions about Paul and his first letter; and will reflect
an intimate knowledge of the layout of Paul’s sociological and
geographic contexts—yet in conversational style, as if over
coffee
__________________________________________________
In the meantime, check below to see what people have said about
our approach to date and what we are attempting to do.
"Having
a cup of coffee with the authors of the NT" is both an exciting and
appealing way to conceive of what is a unique encounter with the text of
the NT. Gary Collier, the moving force behind the program, is an extremely
gifted Bible scholar and at the same time an especially exciting and
effective teacher. Those who participate in this program will not only
receive the very best instruction but will find practical resources for
their spiritual life and their daily walk. I know of nothing comparable to
this exciting innovative program and I am happy to recommend it with the
highest enthusiasm.
Dr. Donald A. Hagner, Ph.D.
George Eldon Ladd Professor of New Testament
Fuller Theological Seminary
I'm
not kidding when I say this:
I LOVE IT! Wow! It really grabbed me. It is written with such finesse
that it drew me in and kept me wanting to read more--out of curiosity if
nothing else. But that's not all; I love the "imagining" of having
Coffee with Paul. What a great idea!
When I first heard about this program, I was afraid it would be over my
head or something I couldn't do or use. Well forget about that ...I
have to say, this is fabulous!
Portia Regan,
Senior Corporate Leadership
Training and Development
Indianapolis, IN
Through
the Coffee with Paul program, the best of New Testament scholarship
is made available to the rest of us in usable form. Scholars, ministers,
interested Bible students everywhere--get ready to learn, to be
challenged, and to grow in your Christian life. There's something here for
everyone who wants to learn more about the New Testament, early Christian
origins, and serving God faithfully in today's world.
Dr. James Savage, Ph.D., Ph.D.
Life Stories Christian Counseling,
Mayfield, KY
From
the moment I first heard about
Coffee with Paul,
I was excited. It offers something for everyone interested in the
New Testament. Whether you study the Bible at home by yourself or
are a teacher of others, this approach is fantastic. By training and
profession I'm a teacher of the Bible and New Testament Greek, and
everybody should take a serious look at this program.
Beverly Watkins,
Martin University
Indianapolis, IN
Most
Bible studies are academic and instructive or devotional and
practical, but few are both. For several years,
seminary/university teacher (Fuller, Iliff, Martin), preacher and
gracEmail subscriber Gary D. Collier has been developing an
interactive approach that combines serious contextual analysis
with inspirational personal application. This happens through an
imaginative reading of Scripture in which the reader interacts
conversationally with the biblical author (over a cup of coffee),
while participating in and internalizing the story being told,
with the spiritual goal of drawing closer to God. I hype you not:
if this project turns out to be even fractionally as good as it
looks to me, I believe it has the potential of revolutionizing
Bible study, bringing more unbelievers to Christ and bringing
divine energy to a lethargic Church.
Edward Fudge,
Edward Fudge Ministries and
GracEmail
Houston, TX
Coffee
With Paul is a truly unique type of devotional. Like most
devotional literature, Coffee with Paul teaches us about God and His
relationship to us. It speaks to our everyday situations, trials,
and desires. But unlike others, Coffee with Paul unveils these
truths by walking verse by verse through a letter written by Paul.
It brings Paul -- his world, his Christian experience, his teaching
-- to life through Paul's own words. Rather than a verse followed by
an author's ideas about that verse, Coffee with Paul builds verse by
verse to bring us into conversation with Paul, to let him speak for
himself. And, in the process, the reader learns how to read and
understand Paul. Gary Collier draws on his vast knowledge of Greek,
culture, history, and Scripture to bring us into this conversation.
I have had coffee with Paul on several occasions and left the
meetings encouraged, taught, convicted, and challenged. Coffee with
Paul is not simply a spiritual moment to get us through the day; it
brings us face to face with the ultimate Reality who gives us each
moment and teaches us how to know Him more through His Word. I
strongly recommend Coffee with Paul to anyone who desires to know
and love God through His Word to us.
Brian Martin Senior Pastor
Wellsprings Christian Church
Greencastle, IN
If that is not enough, here are some more. . .
I
recently started Coffee with Paul and immediately fell in love with
it! The writing style is smooth and engaging. I like the experience of
having coffee with Paul (he prefers Decaf, but you'd never know
it)—reading “his” intro the first day helped me feel the “anxiety” for his
fledgling church, born out of the circumstances that it was. And yet what
he hears about their witness makes plain not only the level of excitement
he shares about them, but also the sincere belief he has in the power of
the Saving Message of Christ in their lives! I could also go on about the
scripture based praying, the daily variety of “devotions and exercises,”
how the daily scripture focus has a positive cumulative effect on my
spirit and mind, and the joy of being part of a study that treats context
with the utmost respect, but . . . I won't. . . experience it for
yourself!
Dan DeVilder
Minister
Monroe, MI
Click to hear a 25
second excerpt from
"Heaven"
When I dove into this study I found that I very much enjoyed doing it. It
is a fresh and new approach to a Bible devotion. I found the journaling to
be rewarding and although it took me a few days to adjust to the idea that
I was sharing a study with Paul, when it set in it left me wanting more. I
look forward to continuing this study when it is available.
Stacey Roberts Singer/songwriter
Bloomington, IN
As
a pastor, teacher and Bible student, I have found the CWP to be an
invaluable help for me in my ministry.
Rev. Frederick L. Greene,
Wayman Chapel AME Church,
Kokomo, IN
I
don’t even need to read the entire devotional to tell you that
this is incredible. Spending time with a devotional has always been
a struggle for me. Not something I looked forward to. There always
seems to be too much to do at the end of a reading section to really
process the information or have the time. This devotional is so
different putting all others to shame. I found it easy to read and
understand. The writing sections are short and easy to find the time
to do. I wake each morning anxious to complete the next days
devotional and the translation is so enlightening. When you compare
the KJV and this it makes understanding the text so much easier.
When are you and your team going to do the rest of the Bible. I
want more. More understanding, more understanding of what God has
for me. How incredible it is to really understand that the trials I
have been through and what the early Christians face are so
completely different. Would I have been as faithful as they were.
Sadly at this point no. But I am inspired to work on this now after
6 years of walking alone without trusting God to help me on the path
that I am on I feel myself open to his leading once more. This
revelation came all after only two days with Paul. God has placed
this text in my path for me to open my eyes to him once again. I
have yearned to have him back in my life but it always seemed to
difficult to grasp. Coffee with Paul is a blessing to the world. I
am completely blown away by the message it has to give. Structurally
it is by far the easiest devotional to follow and really sink your
teeth into what Paul was saying. What incredible faith both he and
the early Christians had. They are an example for all of us to
follow. Thank you for sharing this and your love of God with
me. Kudos on finding an incredible way of spreading the word of God
in an understandable way.
Shannon Hayward
Middleville, MI
As
Paul and I started discussing the Saving Message of Jesus Christ
through the Coffee with Paul book, my whole world began to change.
My eyes began to open up to things that I had never seen before. I started
learning things, growing in my spirit, comprehending the things that I was
reading. And for me that was a feeling of accomplishment in itself.
The way I viewed myself, others, and life itself started to change. I
could not only feel the changes but I could see the changes
happening in my life. Talking with Paul every day helped me to find
positive solutions for the not so positive things that were happening in
my life. This allowed me to get stronger and overcome times of
distress in my life.
Andrew J. Wymer
Quoted from his article,
"How Talking With Paul Has Changed My Life"
"Having
a cup of coffee with the authors of the NT" is both an exciting and
appealing way to conceive of what is a unique encounter with the text of
the NT. Gary Collier, the moving force behind the program, is an extremely
gifted Bible scholar and at the same time an especially exciting and
effective teacher. Those who participate in this program will not only
receive the very best instruction but will find practical resources for
their spiritual life and their daily walk. I know of nothing comparable to
this exciting innovative program and I am happy to recommend it with the
highest enthusiasm.
I'm
not kidding when I say this: 
Through
the Coffee with Paul program, the best of New Testament scholarship
is made available to the rest of us in usable form. Scholars, ministers,
interested Bible students everywhere--get ready to learn, to be
challenged, and to grow in your Christian life. There's something here for
everyone who wants to learn more about the New Testament, early Christian
origins, and serving God faithfully in today's world.
From
the moment I first heard about
Coffee with Paul,
I was excited. It offers something for everyone interested in the
New Testament. Whether you study the Bible at home by yourself or
are a teacher of others, this approach is fantastic. By training and
profession I'm a teacher of the Bible and New Testament Greek, and
everybody should take a serious look at this program.
Most
Bible studies are academic and instructive or devotional and
practical, but few are both. For several years,
seminary/university teacher (Fuller, Iliff, Martin), preacher and
Coffee
With Paul is a truly unique type of devotional. Like most
devotional literature, Coffee with Paul teaches us about God and His
relationship to us. It speaks to our everyday situations, trials,
and desires. But unlike others, Coffee with Paul unveils these
truths by walking verse by verse through a letter written by Paul.
It brings Paul -- his world, his Christian experience, his teaching
-- to life through Paul's own words. Rather than a verse followed by
an author's ideas about that verse, Coffee with Paul builds verse by
verse to bring us into conversation with Paul, to let him speak for
himself. And, in the process, the reader learns how to read and
understand Paul. Gary Collier draws on his vast knowledge of Greek,
culture, history, and Scripture to bring us into this conversation.
I have had coffee with Paul on several occasions and left the
meetings encouraged, taught, convicted, and challenged. Coffee with
Paul is not simply a spiritual moment to get us through the day; it
brings us face to face with the ultimate Reality who gives us each
moment and teaches us how to know Him more through His Word. I
strongly recommend Coffee with Paul to anyone who desires to know
and love God through His Word to us.
I
recently started Coffee with Paul and immediately fell in love with
it! The writing style is smooth and engaging. I like the experience of
having coffee with Paul (he prefers Decaf, but you'd never know
it)—reading “his” intro the first day helped me feel the “anxiety” for his
fledgling church, born out of the circumstances that it was. And yet what
he hears about their witness makes plain not only the level of excitement
he shares about them, but also the sincere belief he has in the power of
the Saving Message of Christ in their lives! I could also go on about the
scripture based praying, the daily variety of “devotions and exercises,”
how the daily scripture focus has a positive cumulative effect on my
spirit and mind, and the joy of being part of a study that treats context
with the utmost respect, but . . . I won't. . . experience it for
yourself!
As
a pastor, teacher and Bible student, I have found the CWP to be an
invaluable help for me in my ministry. 
