|
Study of the Bible can
occur in group settings or individually. Both methods, used by themselves
can lead to knowledge; however, when both are used to compliment one
another, greater understanding can be achieved. Weekly church sermons only
skim the surface of most topics. Incorporating Bible study into the
remainder of the week allows Christians to delve more deeply into the
message presented on Sunday. A good concordance will assist the students so
they may easily and quickly locate all references on a particular topic.
This gathering of all related passages within the proper context is the most
appropriate means to gaining full understanding.
If a person attends church every week, is
independent Bible study really necessary? Yes. There are so many good
lessons to learn through the Bible that even a good preacher can't possibly
hope to cover everything. If a member of a particular church kept track of
sermon topics, they'd notice that, more often than not, these topics
follow a trend. The main points are covered year after year and often
repeated within the same year. When a new pastor is assigned to a church, he
or she may repeat the same topics covered by their predecessor. It's very
doubtful there are any congregants who'd stand up and point out the
fact that the sermon is a repeat. While it's true these repeated
lessons have validity and importance, there's more to learn.
Paul told Timothy,
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 Timothy 3:16,17). Believers
can't be completely equipped by learning only a small portion of the Bible
in oft repeated sermons. Believers will not understand how God protects them
from evil if they're never taught about the armor of God (Ephesians
6:10-18). A preacher who lives a life full of hypocrisy can never be rebuked
by congregants who haven't been given examples of hypocrites [ex: Matthew
23:2-4]. Most of all, no one can even attempt to correct false doctrines
that may have crept into the church if they don't study. By only taking one
or two passages, church officials can make their statements sound
reasonable. Only by independent study of scripture, in full context, can
some false teachings be corrected.
When it comes to studying the Bible, there are
many versions from which to choose. With each new version that's published,
there are deeper discussions as to which version is the most accurate. There
are people who stick to their staunch "King James Version Only" stance and
there are others who insist that the language of the KJV is so antiquated it
should be placed in a museum and never used. Perhaps there may be a few
versions that should be rejected. Rumors abound concerning feminist versions
that refer to God as female, as well as versions that completely delete any
mention of the abomination of homosexuality. One version, the Heretics
Bible, was published with a major typographical error - Exodus 20:14
reads, Thou shalt commit
adultery. These corrupted versions should indeed be avoided;
otherwise, the most important thing to remember is that the only good Bible
is the one that is read.
There's one important verse that's rarely, if
ever, spoken about in church sermons and Bible studies. Acts 17:11
Now the Bereans were of more
noble character . . .,
for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the
Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true . . . These
Christians didn't take for granted everything Paul taught them was accurate.
These men didn't turn to church tradition to verify Paul's teachings, nor
did they read Scripture and determine the meaning based on anyone else's
opinions. Regardless of some denominational teachings, Scripture does
explain Scripture. Today's Body of Christ needs more Bereans. As the old
song says, "get the dust off the Bible". By complementing Sunday sermons
with Bible Study, believers can read the Word, understand the Word, and live
the Word. |
