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Why should we study Scripture and doctrine?

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“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”
(Psalms 11:3)

To study or not to study? That is the question.

If we have no solid base, if we know not the words of our Lord, nor comprehend their meaning, we shall surely be laid flat when the gales of false teaching assail us. Without the conscientious study of what God has shown us all, Truth escapes us and the only thing that remains is falsehood.

There is a cancer in the world. It drives men insane and causes them to call idiocy “reason” and reason “irrational.” Men claim to be lovers of logic, and yet embrace atheism, relativism, pantheism, and innumerable doctrines of self-deification. Men glorify the art of observation, but fail to see what lies directly in front of themselves. They exalt theory over fact. Being correct is in current favor over being right. They claim world-love on a grand scale, but behind the facade lies self-infatuation on a grander scale.

So then, what are we to do? We who would claim the existence of God. Of absolutes. Of a holy standard. We who would dare to believe that a god-man beat the king of death and now reigns with authority on High. What are we to do? How can we sturdy ourselves for the onslaught from the mockers and scorners that shall surely come? There are but two ways. The first is by honest, consistent prayer and supplication to the Lord who is ultimately in control of all things. The second is knowledge of and about that Lord and the things He has shown is Scripture (His loving revelation of Truth to us).

Without knowledge of God, His creation, His desires, His work throughout time, and His standard, the unhappy fellow who professes belief in the Christian God will never keep his balance above the world and will surely fall in. On the other hand, only the one who studies and loves the Word of God will be firm enough in his stance to weather the buffets of those trying to pull him into the world, and even pull the occasional fellow out. And as our Lord tells us, it is our sworn duty to pull that fellow out; so it is thus also our duty to know and study God.

Know the Word “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14) and “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

Once the necessity for the study of God has been established, we proceed into the realm of methodology. In what way should the student of God’s revelation to man go about his study? Would it be intelligent and reasonable to accumulate as much knowledge as possible, and yet leave it a mere jumble of un- or partially-related facts? Or should one integrate the learned information into a well-ordered system?

If a man has a jigsaw puzzle of a thousand pieces and he refuses to put it together, he will have a very difficult time trying to figure out what the whole picture is. Now if he organizes the fragments and puts all the pieces together, he shall be able to see the whole picture as well as focus on the details, which he now sees in relationship to the whole. Even better, he will realize which pieces are missing whereas before, he could only guess.

And so it is with theology. We have piles of Scripture containing vast quantities of information. It is when people refuse to systematize that information that heresy is born. If we are to find the Truth in God’s revealed will, we must come to it from a perspective of order.

Comments

  1. I love that this site has information on so much. I have used this site as a resource for years and I have been blessed. The blogs are a great idea. Thank you all so much for helping me grow closer to God in ways you will only know when w reach heaven.

  2. True indeed is Gods word, not in part, not only the old but also the new testament! We long to know truth, and God has set in within our grasp and caused us to understand and be enlightened in His true word (the bible) by the Holy Spirit! what more than do we desire! False religions and lies? We the flesh seek a lie to embrace our sin. We look for a religion, that says nothing about our fornication’s, or drinking and drug habits, inordinate feelings and various other bondage’s. God has breathed His breath unto us and His powerful breath made us a living soul who relates with Him but are afar off from Him.

    Face it! Buddha has no voice and man made religions are just that. They have no power, truth nor light only darkness. When we learn that we have no idea about what truth is and that we sit in darkness, perhaps we can bow down to very God and reach out thankfully to the truth that God has armed man with an in addition the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth!

    Sin got us deceived by choice. Let’s get real, then we can keep it real!

  3. Well said. I was never much of a student of Scripture until I found myself in the postion of teacher for an adult bible class (Interesting story of how that happened. Suffice it to say that the Father had His hand in it.) To my surprise I found that I enjoyed the study and preparation required. I can say with confidence that God put me there, at the very least, to motivate me to study. I have learned far more than I have been able to teach and now I love both the study and the teaching. Understainding Scripture has become my greatest joy and the study of theology, philosophy and apologetics my avocation. Thank you, Lord, for putting me in that uncomfortable postion.

  4. This was a great article! I would like to learn more ways of systematically studying God’s Word. Does anyone have any suggestions?

    • Sheila H.,
      You go, girl. There are a number of systematic theologies out there. My favorite is the one by Lewis Sperry Shaeffer (spelling might be wrong).The original series consisted of eight volumes. A good starter set is now available in two volumes. By eliminating/editing all of the repeated overlaps, the condensed set is a good reader’s digest edition that soundly covers every doctrine. I guarantee that after reading those insightful teachings you will better know our God and all that He has revealed for us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. May God richly bless you studies.

  5. Joshua 1:8 (NLT) Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

    God is faithful! Study the words of life and you will certainly live a full and meaningful life, in all aspects.

    “Lord, give as a daily passion to pursue you as you do us.”

  6. Sheila, I’d like to share some of the methods that have helped me over the years: 1) As a young Christian, I followed my pastor’s suggestion for a very simple method: look up all words in a passage (except articles and pronouns, etc.) in an ordinary dictionary, and reassemble the verse in a more understanding way.
    2) Get involved in a church that teaches through the Bible verse by verse – then every attendance is walking you through a detailed view of the whole Truth.
    3) Attend a good Bible study that requires “homework” – you’ll learn a lot about how to study by the way the homework assignments are set up.
    4) Glean from trusted scholars by clicking on “Commentaries” here on BLB as you read. Taking notes helps me when I do this.
    5) I also recommend the New Inductive Study Bible, which teaches a useful method right in the pages of the Bible.
    May the Lord bless your every effort to learn more of Him!

  7. Those are excellent ideas. The first study that I lead upon taking over my current class was a chronological study of Acts and the letters of Paul. As we worked through Acts, verse by verse, we would, upon coming to a place where Paul wrote one of his letters, hold in Acts and move to study the letter in context of what was going on historically. Upon finishing the letter (which typically took weeks to months) we returned to Acts and picked up where we left off. It took us just over five years to complete Acts and Paul’s letters, but we learned a lot.

    Also, fully agree with Teresa’s recommendations. I do not use the Inductive Study Bible, rather the NASB John MacArthur version. But I may look into the ISB. It seems like a good approach. I also use Greek and Hebew lexicons frequently. I do not speak or read either language, but a good lexicon can help understand the finer shades of word meaning in those languages. Finally, a good digital integrated bible study environment can be very useful. I use Logos. It is fully hyper-linked for verse cross-refrences, Greek and Hebrew, and numerous other helpful references.

  8. Hmmm, order, systematically studying the bible. That’s all good.

    I’ll start with trying to figure out the order when I’m brushing the teeth of my two toddlers, washing their hands, going to the loo, putting on their diapers, then pijamas, and finally reading a bedtime story. All this without them pausing to shout, scream and race around the home 🙂

    • Chronological children’s(illustrated?) Bible? In the beginning….better than ounce upon a time?
      And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
      Deuteronomy 6:7, 11:19, etc.

  9. All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable
    for doctrine,
    for reproof,
    for correction,
    for instruction in righteousness:
    That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
    Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

  10. I am enjoying a well written yet light-hearted book on doctrine by Joshua Harris, “Dug Down Deep” (Multnomah Books, 2010)

  11. What an excellently written and oh-so-true article!! (as are many here!) May I ask who the author is? Thanks.

    Blessings ~
    Suzanne

    P.S.-I recommend a good study bible, I use a MacArthur Study Bible, very thorough and well thought out, took over 30 years to put together!

  12. I wondering why it is that we can study so deeply led by the Spirit and yet end up with 30,000 denominations? Do I assimilate only what I want to? Are my ‘truths’ a result of my background?
    Are there core truths assigned to salvation, all others God winks at?

  13. I use this Blog as my Homepage. I copy the graphic to my desktop everyday.

    I use the Daily Devotional
    Day By Day By Grace
    Bob Hoekstra
    from the Blueletter Bible Site

    And

    Mostly use the Blueletter Bible KJV with Strongs and the other great tools and resources.

    So one could say the Blueletter.org site keeps me in the Word each day 🙂

    God bless!
    😀