Study Guide: Perspectives on Job
A 6-Session Participatory Journey through the Ash Heap
This guide is designed to be used with the books With Friends Like These …: Job’s Friends and Religious Foolishness by Dr. Larry Dixon and Finding God in Suffering: A Journey with Job by Dr. Bruce Epperly, which have different perspectives, but some converging conclusions about ministry from the book. To read a comparison, see Two Roads Through the Ash Heap: A Participatory Study of Job.
Session 1: Is Job History or Parable?
The Text: Job 1:1–5, 42:10–17
- The Voice of Larry Dixon: Argues for strict historicity. If Job isn’t a real person, his endurance (referenced in James 5:11) loses its weight.
- The Voice of Bruce Epperly: Views Job as a “Wisdom Teacher” and the story as an “adventure of ideas”—a parable designed to challenge our narrow views of God.
- Participatory Prompt: Does it change the way you apply the lessons of Job if the story is a historical record versus a literary masterpiece? Why might both perspectives be useful for a study group?
Session 2: The Nature of God’s Power
The Text: Job 1:6–12, 38:1–11
- The Voice of Dixon: Emphasizes God’s absolute sovereignty. God is the one who points out Job to Satan; God sets the boundaries. Nothing happens outside His command.
- The Voice of Epperly: Presents a God of “persuasion” rather than “coercion.” God works with the world as it is, including its “pockets of chaos,” and suffers alongside us.
- Participatory Prompt: Read God’s speech from the whirlwind in Chapter 38. Does this sound more like a Sovereign Ruler or a Relational Creator? How do these two authors help you see different nuances in God’s reply?
Session 3: The Ministry of Silence (A Convergence)
The Text: Job 2:11–13
- The Convergence: Both authors agree that the friends’ finest hour was their first seven days. Epperly praises the “virtue in silence,” and Dixon highlights that “showing up” is the most profound act of comfort.
- Participatory Prompt: Recall a time you suffered. Did you find more comfort in someone’s “theological explanations” or in their silent presence? How can we practice the “ministry of presence” this week?
Session 4: Why Me? The Source of Suffering
The Text: Job 1:13–22
- The Voice of Dixon: Suffering can be a “celestial challenge” or a test of faith allowed by God for a higher purpose.
- The Voice of Epperly: Suffering often arises from randomness, natural laws, or the freedom of the created order. It isn’t necessarily “appointed” by God but is a reality God helps us navigate.
- Participatory Prompt: Does it provide more comfort to believe your suffering has a specific “divine purpose” (Dixon), or that it is a random event where God is simply “with you” in the pain (Epperly)?
Session 5: Guarding the Tongue (A Convergence)
The Text: Job 4–25 (Selected speeches of the friends)
- The Convergence: Both authors warn against “blaming the victim.” Epperly calls the friends’ logic “theological malpractice,” while Dixon warns against “weaponizing” doctrine to make sense of someone else’s tragedy.
- Participatory Prompt: Look at the friends’ arguments. They are often “biblically correct” in a general sense (God blesses the righteous), but “pastorally wrong” in Job’s specific case. How do we ensure our theology doesn’t become “religious foolishness” when talking to those in pain?
Session 6: Restoration and Intercession
The Text: Job 42:7–10
- The Convergence: Both authors highlight the necessity of Job praying for his friends at the end. For Epperly, this is part of the “adventure of healing”; for Dixon, it is a requirement of humility and obedience.
- Participatory Prompt: Why do you think God required Job to pray for the very people who hurt him before his own restoration was complete? How does listening to both Epperly and Dixon change the way you view the “happy ending” of the book?
How to use this guide:
- Read the Scripture passage first without notes.
- Compare the Voices: Read the summaries of Epperly’s and Dixon’s positions.
- Test the Ideas: Use the Participatory Prompt to check your own reactions. Where do you lean? What did the “other” side point out that you might have missed?
- Practice the Convergence: Focus on the pastoral applications where both authors agree—presence, avoiding blame, and the power of intercession.
