Study The Bible
By Grant Phillips
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of
truth.
(2 Timothy 2:15)
Is it really
necessary to study
the Bible? After
reading the above
Scripture, God seems
to think so. I have
come to the
conclusion that many
Christians think
that only those who
preach, teach, or
evangelize, as a
profession, need
study the Bible.
However, others are
mightily blessed by
doing so. Even
though the passage
above was written by
the Apostle Paul to
his protégé Timothy,
God means for it to
be taken seriously
by all who are His
children.
It doesn't take a
very long
conversation with
another Christian to
determine if they
are a student of the
Word, and their
level of
understanding. I
have heard
Christians make
comments on
spiritual matters
that have
embarrassed me on
their behalf.
We live in a society
where mysteries are
solved in an hour or
less on the
television. We can
even get the short
versions in a very
old and popular
magazine. Meals are
prepared in minutes
in microwave ovens
as opposed to hours
in a conventional
oven. Travel
destinations have
been cut to a
fraction of the time
from not too many
years ago. Even most
church services
today last an hour
or less. Church
revivals and/or
evangelistic
meetings may go for
three days or a week
end. I remember well
when the church
services would be
closer to two hours
and the revivals
and/or evangelistic
meetings would start
at two weeks, then
proceed from there.
Vacation
Bible School
was two weeks, and
they actually taught
the Bible, from the
Bible. I remember
when the Bible was
actually taught in
the church services,
and at home. But
now, we just don't
have time.
Let's take a closer
look at the verse
above. First compare
2 Peter 1:21 and 2
Peter 3:15-18. We
find in these
passages that all
scripture is the
Word of God in
written form. He
used different men
to write the text,
but it is all God's
Word.
2 Timothy 2:15
starts out with the
word “Study”.
This is an
imperative command
from God that we are
to study His Word.
We could probably
stop at this point,
since the case is
made to study the
Bible. There is
absolutely no excuse
for any Christian to
do otherwise. If you
are not a student of
the Word, you are
disobeying a direct
command from God.
This word also does
not mean to just
browse or do a
casual reading. It
means to study to
the point that
effort must be
applied in
understanding what
the Lord is saying
to you.
Then He tells us why
we should study, and
that is “to show
thyself approved
unto God”. When
we study the Bible,
we are breathing in,
so to speak, God's
Word. As His Word is
planted in us, it
grows, and is
exhaled out from our
life to the lives of
others. This is when
we begin growing or
maturing as a
Christian
(sanctification). We
are now a disciple,
or a student. As we
learn, He can now
use us for His work
in an area that
matches our
understanding and
maturity. We study
so that we meet
God's approval, not
just for our lives,
but also for the
lives of others He
may help through us.
Sometimes Christians
are quite busy in
the Christian
sphere, but are like
a car's tire
spinning in the
snow. They're going
nowhere. Far, far
too many times I
have witnessed
people teaching or
preaching in the
church who just talk
in circles. They
haven't a clue of
what they are
talking about. They
are either not a
student (disciple)
of the Word, or they
are attempting to
teach or preach
beyond their
ability. In other
words, don't try to
teach trigonometry,
if you are still
learning basic math.
The next phrase
says, “a workman
that needeth not to
be ashamed”. A
lot of people think,
“Well I'm a
Christian now. I'll
just show up at
church once in a
while on Sunday
morning and pay my
respects, but the
rest of the week
belongs to me.” This
is easily determined
by the attendance
from Sunday morning
to Sunday night to
Wednesday night. If
you are a Christian,
God expects you to
put your working
clothes on and get
to work. He will
place you in an area
of His choosing for
service. I cannot
find anywhere in the
Scriptures, and I
have tried, where
our Lord expects
anything less than
complete surrender
and service to Him.
If you are a “fly by
night” christian,
who thinks you can
say the magic words
and now you’re in,
and then sit on your
keester until the
Lord comes to pick
you up, you do not
belong to Jesus. You
are not one of His
sheep. I fear this
may apply to many
Sunday morning
christians. God
chooses those who
will bow the knee to
Him at all times,
not just when they
may be in the mood.
Christians work,
not for salvation,
but because, now,
they are a child of
God and there is
work to do for Him.
The verse ends with
“rightly dividing
the word of truth”.
Right here is the
reason why there are
so many different
opinions even on
scriptural matters
that are crystal
clear, such as;
salvation by grace
alone, works cannot
save, homosexuality,
Jesus is the only
way to the Father,
eternal security for
the true Christian,
the Church has not
replaced Israel,
seven years of
Tribulation, Heaven,
hell, lake of fire,
judgment, and
others. One of the
key reasons for this
is due to not
listening
objectively to what
God is saying
through His Word.
The Bible needs to
be studied with an
open mind, tossing
out all preconceived
opinions. It isn't
to say that every
Christian will agree
on everything, but
there should be no
conflict over
scriptural matters
that are so clearly
defined.
I've said before
that to actually
study the Bible
takes a great deal
of hard work, and it
takes time. God does
not have a funnel in
Heaven that he
sticks in our ears,
and pours in our
minds everything we
need to know about
His Scriptures, all
in one big whoosh.
It also takes a
thorough mixing of
prayer for guidance.
It takes a humble
heart that is
willing to learn at
the feet of the
Master, and not a
know-it-all who
thinks he already
has it all figured
out. We must
remember that He is
the teacher, not us.
We are the disciple,
which simply means
“student”. When the
student gets “too
big for his
breeches” he is
going to wind up in
the coat room (for
those of you who are
old enough to know
what I am saying).
Let me close by
saying that studying
the Bible is not a
chore. It is an
honor. Many in this
world do not have
the advantages that
we have in this
country, and would
give anything to be
in our place. The
more you walk
through the pages of
the Scriptures, the
more humble and
excited you become.
All of the
Scriptures are
actually about one
subject … Jesus
Christ, the Son of
God. The more you
learn of Him, the
more you want to
know. God said,
“Learn of me”. Let's
get started.
Grant Phillips
grantphillips@winstream.net
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