As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“In Alive to the Purpose: The Readerly Reading of Scripture (Greenville, SC: JourneyForth, 2020), the late literary scholar and Bob Jones University professor Ronald A. Horton seeks to correct unbalanced Bible study. There are multiple legitimate ways to study, but neither special study nor perfunctory reading should keep us from seeing Scripture for what it is.
by Randy Leedy
“More and more churches seem to be moving to a sermon-based curriculum for their small groups. That is, they review and study the same text the pastor preached on the previous Sunday. On the other hand, I’ve met church leaders who oppose this approach. Here’s a summary of the arguments I’m hearing” - Church Leaders
Reposted from DBTS blog.
Have you ever read one of the Gospels in one sitting? I believe many Christians have not. Have you ever read Romans in one sitting? How would such a reading change your perspective on the book?
I require my students to read the Bible in large portions. For instance, in the Gospels class, I require students to read an entire Gospel in one sitting. While most choose Mark (it’s the shortest!), I usually encourage them to read John or Matthew.
How important are Hebrew and Greek skills for interpreting the Bible well and thriving as a Christian?
It’s an important question, since we believe Christians ought to grow in their ability to interact directly with Scripture and discern truth from error—and not only feed themselves well, but hopefully teach and admonish one another well also.
Any learning that has the potential to further those ends has to be seriously considered.
Views on the languages question range from “all you need is good intentions and the Holy Spirit” to “nobody lacking Greek and Hebrew skills can get the Bible right.” Debaters tend to characterize one another as holding one of these two views, but the reality is that most attitudes fall somewhere between.
I have heard it from theologically liberal theologians. I have heard it from supposedly conservative pastors (usually those with no theological training). I have heard it from lost people and immature believers: “We don’t follow Paul or Moses, we follow Jesus. All we need is the Gospels.”
Such a viewpoint stands in contrast to that of the Apostle Paul, who taught,
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (ESV, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, emphasis added)
According to Paul, all Scripture is inspired, and all Scripture is profitable. We are to teach it all, use it all for correcting and training. We need all Scripture to be “complete” and “equipped.”
Read the series so far.
If you’re a Christian, you should want to know as much about your God as possible. He is the God who decided to save you before the world even began. He knows who you are. He knows every sin you have committed, are committing right now, and will ever commit in the future.
Discussion