1 Timothy 1:3-7 – As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in
Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any
longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote
controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith. The goal of
this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a
sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to
meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know
what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is
God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work.
2 Peter 1:20-21 – Above all, you
must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own
interpretation. For prophecy never had
its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried
along by the Holy Spirit.
The first
part of this series noted the value of mixing the simplicity and substance of
God’s word throughout your lifetime. Never become only spiritual “meat” eaters
but include spiritual “milk” as a regular part of your Scripture diet.
The second
part noted the importance of God’s word being in your heart, the place that dictates lifestyle. Understanding is the gate to your mind and belief is the gate to your heart.
The next question
has to do with the purpose of Scripture. What is to be accomplished by Bible
study? Using the terminology of First Timothy, what is the goal? What are you seeking to achieve by reading Scripture?
American
history includes seasons of spiritual revival. The purpose of revival is bringing
back to life what has become dead by routine and monotony. Revivals are not perpetuated but are for a
limited time. They resuscitate a corpse. The study of revivals reveals the
following: different approach, dynamic
results.
For those desiring a genuine encounter
with the living God, hungering for a fresh touch of His presence, the Lord
makes Himself known in revival settings. During these unique moments of
spiritual stirrings people look for more in their relationship with Him. He, however, is the Perfect Gentleman; you only
gain what you are open to experience. When willing to have a divine encounter unexpectant
things can occur.
During a revival, when in earnest
pursuit of a closer walk with the Lord, I came face-to-face with my unwholesome
pride, with all its implications. Unwittingly I had become a Pharisee. A
comment surprisingly resonated in my soul, “If the first four books of the New
Testament are about Jesus, why are Pharisees given so much attention?” The
recording of numerous activities done by Pharisees serves as a warning of what
can happen to anyone.
Study the
subject of pride in the Bible.
Examine the Biblical characters that were unbending in pride. If you do not
humble yourself, humiliating circumstances are inevitable.
The goal of Scripture reading
Among many
things, Pharisees are misguided in the object of their worship. They worship
the Law more than the Lawgiver, worship Scripture more than God. With Pharisees
it becomes more important to know Scripture then to experience transforming truth.
What kind
of person is more prone to choose a relationship with a Book then with the Author?
There are three!
People who attribute the deepest wounds of
their life to God Himself. They prefer principles and procedures over a
relationship. Laws can be more regulated than a Person. There is risk of being
hurt in a love relationship. Some choose to not let that happen. Those with a
heart of a Pharisee prefer law because it can be regulated.
People who demand being in control of their life.
To these people the task of Bible reading becomes one of cultivating the
mind through discipline and willpower. They believe great knowledge can rule a
person’s environment and control the outcome of every situation. The mind replaces God as the object of worship.
People with an ambition to control others. In-depth
Bible knowledge can give a person tools to control other people. Someone wiser
than their peers can mistakenly think themselves qualified to dictate other
people’s actions. Someone who knows the Bible best can end up wanting to tell
others what is best for them.
The Bible
can be used in misguided ways for controlling
personal hurts, one’s own environment and other people. When done for these
reasons, Bible study is rooted in pride.
In Jesus’
time proud Pharisees wanted control. As
a religious sect of a persecuted race they wanted control over hurt. As a group
of people under Roman rule they wanted control over their lives. Out of
religious piety they wanted to control others.
The goal of
Scripture reading is not learning rules and principles that put you in control.
Entering into God’s kingdom
Since a
meaningful relationship with God is a work of the Spirit, why do many attempt
to progress solely through academics? Progress is accomplished by regaining the
outlook of a little child, not by advanced intellectual skill. We prefer being
smart grown-ups, having an element of control, instead of being dependent kids
who must trust God for everything.
The doorway
to God’s kingdom is faith and the roadway is greater faith. IQ is not the focal
point of spiritual development. The focal point is a healthy faith.
Paul
declared, “Brothers, think of what you were when you
were called. Not many of you were wise by
human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose
the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of
the world to shame the strong. He
chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things
that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before
him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our
righteousness, holiness and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-30)
Jesus healed on the Sabbath and said to some upset
Pharisees, “And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning
me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell
in you, for you do not believe the
one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you
possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse
to come to me to have life.” (John 5:37-40)
Academically
studying Scripture is not the problem. The problem is academics becoming a substitute to an encounter with God and
to living with an active faith.
In pastoral
ministry difficulties develop and sometimes pastors conclude the problem is a
lack of professional training. Some leave the assignment and head back to
school for more education yet, when they return to ministry, they still feel
inadequate. They do not understand! Inadequacy
to do God’s work is part of the assignment, keeping a person dependent upon Him.
Academics can never make someone fully competent to do ministry. Total
dependency upon God is the only solution.
What should
be constantly examined in your spiritual formation is the quality of your
faith.
The result of Bible study
An old
saying, regarding people incarcerated in prison and getting schooling behind
bars, is, “Educate a thief and you have an educated thief.” Education does not
reform wrongful behavior.
Apply the same
concept to Bible education, “Teach Scripture to a sinner and you have a sinner
with knowledge of Scripture.” Many people know the Bible extremely well and still
struggle with anger, jealousy, greed, envy, pride and control. The Bible is read
more for knowledge than for personal transformation.
Simply studying
Scripture only makes a person a Bible scholar. The focus should be a
relationship with God, where the Bible is no longer just a Book but is truly God’s
word.
The
Reformation was a 16th century rebellion that became the catalyst of
division between Protestants and Roman Catholics. The cry of the Reformation
was, among other things, “Back to the Bible” and is still the plea of many
Reform churches. Although a good start, the Bible is not meant to be the end of
the journey.
Does God
want you to only go back to the Bible?
“Therefore,
I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of
worship. Do not conform any longer to
the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve
what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who
with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with
ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2
Corinthians 3:17-18)
Scripture is to change your nature and your destiny.
Before you read the Bible prepare your heart to
experience God. Petition Him to open the eyes
of your heart, more than simply fill your mind. Pause
and ask God to do a work of spiritual formation while reading. The Lord wants to speak to you through the pages of
Scripture, so first turn on your spiritual antenna. The goal of Bible reading is hearing from God.
I shared this story in an earlier article but it also has
relevance here. When serving as a Minister of Youth and Music in South Dakota
many years ago, I was asked to be a judge at a statewide Teen Bible Quiz meet.
One team was coached by a brilliant young man. His knowledge of Bible content
was masterful. He developed a highly competitive team.
After
a few other ministry assignments I started overseeing a Bible College in North
Dakota and spoke at various churches on weekends. In a South Dakota church a
man entered an Adult Sunday School class and sat, never looking up. His eyes were
fixed to the floor. He was not well kept and his life had obviously not gone
well. At the end of class he was invited to introduce himself. He quietly
commented about once serving as a Bible Quiz coach. At that moment I recognized
him as the exceptional coach from earlier years.
We
had a private conversation before the next service. I asked, “What happen?” Looking
away he said, “I don’t know; I just don’t know.” The focus of Scripture content is personal
transformation more than competitive knowledge.
I
saw similar problems at the Bible College. Some students focused on Bible classes
but not daily chapel, became knowledgeable of Theology but neglected weekly
church attendance, and studied Ministry subjects but did not participate in ministry
opportunities. Classes even became the excuse for neglecting daily chapel,
weekly church attendance and active ministry.
These
kinds of students spiritually dried up; some became arrogant, a few walked away
from God and all of them became useless in kingdom work. The purpose of
Scripture is to make you a saint, not
a scholar.
You
may know the 66 books of the Bible in perfect order. You may know how to spell “Ecclesiastes”
and pronounce “Habakkuk” correctly. You may know where the shortest and longest
verses in the Bible are located. You may have many Scripture passages memorized
and know where Biblical truths are found. If Scripture, however, does not work
a Holy Spirit transformation in you, if it does not produce a change in your
life, then it has become personally worthless and you have become a Pharisee.
Why
do many claim to follow Jesus and not reflect Him? Here are a few conclusions:
- They are not
reading the Bible, or
- They are
forgetting the elementary truths of the Bible, or
- They understand
the truths of the Bible but do not allow Scripture to dictate lifestyle,
or
- They approach
the Bible as a textbook more than a means of spiritual transformation.
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