Why does it feel as if I’m going through an intellectual exercise when I talk about the Bible to others?
Question:
As I study the Bible more and talk with people more about it, it seems like sometimes it becomes an intellectual exercise instead of my way of life. It definitely is my way of life; I feel like I'm living properly as far as I can tell, I do the things I do because I recognize the love God has shown me, and I want to show it back not just for the sake of following commandments. But sometimes it feels like I'm answering math problems in my Bible study and my conversations with others about Christ. Is that a problem? Should it feel differently?
Answer:
What it sounds like is that you are losing your concern for other people. That can happen. You speak to people about God and Christianity, you want them to be saved, but you get rejected so many times that you start putting some distance between you and the people you teach so you don't get hurt as much. Yet that is the very thing you don't want. It is a concern for other people that drives preachers. "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men" (II Corinthians 5:10-11). It does mean you get wounded. You can see it in Paul's writings:
- "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works" (II Timothy 4:14).
- "If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (I Corinthians 3:15).
So allow yourself to get involved with people more.
