In most Sunday Schools held in many churches, there is usually a quarterly devotion to either specific books of the Bible or to a specific topic. However, I would like to suggest a odd but very different quarterly topic that I think Sunday Schools should devote a quarter of the year to teach.

Grammar and punctuation

But that is supposed to be taught in the schools? To some degree, yes, but I really am starting to wonder if we have forgotten about not only the rules of punctuation but how reading comprehension skills take place in reference to observing the punctuation.

I first came across this ‘different’ thought about Sunday School curriculums while doing a very slow read of 1 Corinthians with emphasis on Chapters 12-16 in reference to some questions that I had. While reading these chapters, I came to realize that in order to fully understand what was being stated, I had to follow three strict rules

(1): Read in context to what was stated in verses before and in verses after those particular verses

(2): Read the text very slowly

but what really became the clincher was rule number three

(3): Follow the rules of punctuation….

You know the ones that define the period as being the end of a sentence and a paragraph as being the end of a thought. This is in addition to the many rules defining the use of commas and semicolons.

It was during a phone conversation with my buddy “Triple-P” that I began to see more and more of the importance of the grammatical aspect of Bible reading combined with Bible reading in context with the surrounding verses. I will admit that in the past, I really did not pay much attention to these grammar rules. In fact, I will admit that most of the time, those sermons I heard were usually exercises in text cutting where only a certain section was discussed without respect to the proper interpretation from the Greek and also without respect to the context of the verses before and after.

I had told him that 1 Corinthians 15 was really eye-opening after applying these three simple rules because the chapter is full of those grammar rules and punctuation rules that if you do not follow, you will miss out on much of what the apostle Paul is saying concerning the resurrection. I will admit that it took me forever to read that chapter but after reading it, see the resurrection more clearly than I had ever imagined because without the resurrection.

I am convinced now that maybe, we do need a refresher course in English grammar and reading comprehension. I feel that it will solve many of our problems in understanding what the Bible clearly states.

The next problem to overcome is now retaining what I have learned via paying closer attention to reading comprehension and the grammar rules.