"First-class content
in high-definition quality!"

[The following note was sent, unsolicited, to our study group
by Lee, a longtime member of the group, during the year-long study topic
"The Apocalyptic Context of the Bible."]

I was unable to attend LIVE on Sunday, so I just now finished watching the recording. I’m grateful that our sessions are recorded for us and are available in our online Virtual Commentary. The recording is first class in terms of technology. Those who have not been with us from the beginning (2012) are likely not aware of how much work/time/money has been put into the process of developing such high quality video recordings. I am very pleased that IABC has invested so heavily in this area. Watching the video is almost like being there in person. There were a number of times in watching the recording when I just about started to type something in the chat box 😊.

Not only that, the class content bears witness to the same level of investment. It’s nice to start getting a sense of how the journey we have taken thus far in the study of the roots of Apocalyptic concepts through the literature of ancient Mesopotamia and the like will bear fruit in our contemplation of Biblical texts.

Lee Patmore
Preacher, Shepherd Team, Student of the Word
Saskatchewan, Canada

Keep scrolling down for more.

Who Are We?

IABC is an organization of Christians women and men from the US and Canada devoted to responsible, contextual, and conversational readings of biblical texts, and in an environment of Supportive Engagement.  

Our goal is to engage biblical authors in conversation through energetic interaction with their texts. In this way, we seek an active and ongoing conversation with God, and we seek to impact how people around the world engage biblical texts. 

We seek light and enlightenment through careful readings of biblical texts. By starting up conversations with biblical authors through their texts, we believe that God speaks with us still.  For much more about us, click here.

Our Primary Focus

Our primary focus is the pursuit of responsible and contextual biblical-text study which seeks to apply academically sound approaches to everyday, real-life settings. Our ultimate goal is to achieve and teach conversational biblical text interactions that bring all readers closer to God, to his longing for us, and to his people.

Our Study Partners

Our study partners come from all walks of life.  PhD's, MD's, college degrees, no degrees---highly motivated Bible readers, all.  Women and men from all adult ages, they live in the US, Canada, and parts of Europe.  Those attracted to what we offer have the following traits:

• although respectful of traditional readings, they all want to think critically about the Bible and Biblical texts.
• they are, or want to become, independent Bible thinkers.
• they might be independent Bible students, or they might be small-group leaders, ministry leaders, teachers, preachers, pastors, elders, deacons, or missionaries.

Led by . . .

Under the leadership of Gary D. Collier (Ph.D. biblical studies), IABC communally developed the PROBE approach for reading biblical texts conversationally. Collier taught biblical languages and literature at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA., Iliff School of Theology in Denver, CO., and Martin University, Indianapolis, IN., before founding in 2004 what is now IABC.  A full academic bio will open in a new window here.