David Hamilton

Through the teaching and mentoring that I received from IBI, I was
introduced to theologians and authors of a calibre that radically enhanced
my knowledge and experience of God. Without a doubt, my IBI experience has
been the highlight of my journey of faith of some forty years. My only
regret is that I did not connect with IBI earlier as a young Christian.

In the Biblical Interpretation module, I learnt a comprehensive method of
using appropriate tools to study different genres in the Bible. This greatly
enhanced my faith and although I may not know all of the answers to every
question about God, working on the assignments gave my confidence in
tackling challenging issues a great boost. For example, as a church leader I
have dealt with some very real concerns of believers relating to a
Christians response to State restrictions due to the Pandemic. I believe I
was able to approach these challenges with a new level of competency,
because of the IBI training I had received.

My early encounters with IBI at the commencement of my course could be
likened to upgrading from a black and white TV with bunny ears to the most
recent smart high definition colour set. My experience of God and
Christianity became sharper, clearer and to be truthful, much more
colourful. I recall being impacted by one author, Grant Osborne, who
recommended treating Bible study as a “hobby.” I have followed his advice
and it put a new perspective on my enjoyment of study, leading to a greater
appreciation of God and his word. The resources available within IBI,
through the staff, library and online help make this possible.

David Hamilton.