Too Academic?
by Chadwick Brewer
Why are some Christians so academic in their approach to Scripture? When you make your study academic, don’t you miss the big picture of loving God and rejoicing in the Spirit? Don’t academic pursuits rob us of the heart of a true worshiper?
Careful study is not fundamentally opposed to heartfelt worship, and here are a few things to consider:
- Academic study can be, and should be, the pursuit of deeper, more accurate knowledge of truth. Remember, the truth sets us free.
- We often accumulate and inherit many inaccurate spiritual notions.
- It is easy to be deceived and self-deceived. We need to study the truth diligently to illuminate our errors.
- Words have meanings and passages have contexts. We have to work to understand those meanings and contexts.
While it is certainly true that academic study of God’s word can devolve into just intellectualism, a diligent and careful study of God’s word should be a zealous pursuit of growing in knowledge, faith, and love for the author and finisher of our faith.
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).
