I know, you're thinking "what could possibly be wrong with studying the Bible?" Trust me, there is nothing I love more than a good discussion over the meaning of God's word and how it should be lived out in my life. But we have moved away from truly seeking God and His word. We now seek the opinions of professional teachers, looking for answers to all the questions that escape our grasp.
The question must be asked, "why do we do these formal Bible studies?" Are they beneficial or just another form of American Church consumerism where I get my fix on knowledge from a pusher? I'm afraid the tendency is for the students to find the best teacher to sit under. This inevitably leads to impossible expectations for the teacher and disappointments for the students. Does scripture have anything to say about a better way? I believe Paul does.
Ephesians 4:11-16 tells exactly what the goal of teachers and leaders within the body should be.
Notice that the only usage of knowledge in this text refers to "knowledge of the Son of God." This is not mere intellectual knowledge, it can't be based on the rest of this text. It must have something to do with an existential knowledge of Jesus that produces maturity, unity, work, and love. The goal of teaching in Christ is not that we might have all the right answers, but that we might know Jesus more as a result.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
This has led me to examine our method for passing on doctrine and Christian living. I believe we have relegated all of what Paul says to Timothy to the intellectual realm, (II Timothy 2:2-"and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.") But Paul's instructions to Timothy in both letters deal with how doctrine is lived, not just its content. In fact, teaching without the above mentioned goals will always reveal itself for what it is:
II Timothy 3:5-7-"having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth."
The church needs Jesus above all else and Jesus has sent one teacher, namely His Spirit. He has gifted some to be teachers, but these individuals should be leading the heads, hearts, and hands of people into total service of Jesus.
Teachers, if we are engaging people's heads only, then we are producing a consumeristic people hungry for knowledge, not necessarily a knowledge of the Lord. To all of us, if we are more hungry for a class than to study the word on our own, then we are consumeristic addicts. If we are full of knowledge but unable to do anything about it, then James says we are actually deceived. If we continually hear the word of God but never repent, then John says we are liars. God forgive us of our wanderings and may we feast on You and You alone.
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how is studying the Word within a class any different then studying it by ourselves? I'd rather study the Word within context of community then on my own. Sola Scriptura to begin with is a very dangerous doctrine, but encouraging too much study of the Word on one's own is a little dangerous. I think that left to one's own devices they could really misunderstand things and preach a false Gospel or end up being the next Jim Jones.
ReplyDeleteI see no wrong in seeking the advice and guidance of a teacher in studying of the Word. Jesus himself took upon himself the YOKE of two certain Rabbis' interpretation of the Scriptures. I would actually make a case that Sola Scriptura is not Biblically. We see that Paul, too, came to the feet of his teacher and was learned and trained.
Just my thoughts.
Thank you for your comments and taking the time to read what I have written. I really enjoy discussing these matters.
ReplyDeleteMy mistake for not being clear enough in what I was saying. I am not against teacher, prophets, evangelists, apostles, or other giftings that strengthen the body of Christ. But we are not to depend on them, rather on the Gospel to lead us to a knowledge of Jesus. I believe study of scripture should be worked out in community, but most of our class structures are not holistic. They encourage people to come and hear our wisdom on a text, rather than to discover it and live it.
Hopefully this is not the case in your setting. I try to avoid this as I am a preacher and teacher of the word. But our responsibility is not to figure it all out for the church, but to equip them to do the work of ministry. Our goal is not knowledge impartation, but spiritual transformation.
Having formal Bible studies and studying the word in community are not equivalent. I would want to be careful not to equate them as the same.
Hopefully this helps clear up what I was saying.