R.C. Sproul says:
"There is a great deal of difference between reading and studying. Reading is something we can do in a leisurely way, something that can be done strictly for entertainment in a casual, cavalier manner. But study suggests labor, serious and diligent work.
Here then is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.
Karl Barth, the famous Swiss theologian once wrote that all human sin finds its roots in three basic human problems. He included in his list of rudimentary sins, the sins of pride (hubris), dishonesty, and slothfulness. None of these basic evils is instantly eradicated by spiritual regeneration. As Christians, we must struggle against these problems through our entire pilgrimage. None of us is immune. If we are going to deal with the discipline of Bible study, we must recognize at the outset that we will need the grace of God to persevere.
...I frequently lecture to groups on the theme of studying the Bible.Usually I ask how many of them have been Christians for a year or more. Then I ask those people how many have read the entire Bible from cover to cover. In every instance, the overwhelming majority answer in the negative. I would venture to guess that among those who have been Christians for a year or more, at least eighty percent have never read the whole Bible. How is that possible? Only an appeal to the radical Fall of the human race could begin to answer that question."
From Knowing Scripture
"There is a great deal of difference between reading and studying. Reading is something we can do in a leisurely way, something that can be done strictly for entertainment in a casual, cavalier manner. But study suggests labor, serious and diligent work.
Here then is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy.
Karl Barth, the famous Swiss theologian once wrote that all human sin finds its roots in three basic human problems. He included in his list of rudimentary sins, the sins of pride (hubris), dishonesty, and slothfulness. None of these basic evils is instantly eradicated by spiritual regeneration. As Christians, we must struggle against these problems through our entire pilgrimage. None of us is immune. If we are going to deal with the discipline of Bible study, we must recognize at the outset that we will need the grace of God to persevere.
...I frequently lecture to groups on the theme of studying the Bible.Usually I ask how many of them have been Christians for a year or more. Then I ask those people how many have read the entire Bible from cover to cover. In every instance, the overwhelming majority answer in the negative. I would venture to guess that among those who have been Christians for a year or more, at least eighty percent have never read the whole Bible. How is that possible? Only an appeal to the radical Fall of the human race could begin to answer that question."
From Knowing Scripture
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.