{"id":18299,"date":"2009-04-07T21:20:00","date_gmt":"2009-04-08T02:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=18299"},"modified":"2025-09-16T20:03:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T01:03:41","slug":"can-we-be-in-danger-of-losing-our-salvation-if-we-do-not-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-we-be-in-danger-of-losing-our-salvation-if-we-do-not-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Can we be in danger of losing our salvation if we do not study?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

Is it possible to study and understand all of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments? I was talking to an older man who told me that it was impossible to understand all of the Bible or even most parts of it. I did not agree with him, and I was thinking that with God’s help, we can understand most, if not all of it, if we commit ourselves to studying his word and ask his help through prayer.\u00a0 I think of you and others who are very knowledgeable of the scriptures, and wonder what made you want to study the Bible so extensively.<\/p>\n

As Christians, could we be in danger of losing our salvation\u00a0if we do not study?<\/p>\n

What is your\u00a0complete understanding of\u00a0II Timothy 2:15?<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

If it was impossible to understand the Bible, or even most of it, then God gave Christians an impossible command when He stated, “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is<\/em>” (Ephesians 5:17). Sure, there are some difficult parts. Even Peter said as much, “… as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures<\/em>” (II Peter 3:15-16). Notice, though, that Peter only stated that some of what Paul wrote was hard — not all or most. And if you continue to read, you see what Peter recommended to prevent the twisting of the Scriptures. “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen<\/em>” (II Peter 3:17-18). Growth in knowledge prevents falling away, but such growth will not come to a person who believes it is impossible to do. So, yes, a lack of growth can lead to falling away.<\/p>\n

For a detailed study of II Timothy 2:15, see “An Urgent Need to Study<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Question: Is it possible to study and understand all of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments? I was talking to an older man who told me that it was impossible to understand all of the Bible or even most parts of it. I did not agree with him, and I was thinking that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[913,47],"class_list":["post-18299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-bible-study","tag-salvation"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":28518,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-your-own-thinking\/","url_meta":{"origin":18299,"position":0},"title":"Do Your Own Thinking","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 12, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"by Bob Buchanon via\u00a0The Eastside Edifier Not many of us think for ourselves when it comes to matters of religion. Most of us are what we are religiously because of the way our parents reared us and have never questioned whether we were right or wrong. We prefer to leave\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/thinking3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":44729,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-meant-by-the-ignorant-and-unstable-would-twist-scriptures-to-their-own-destruction\/","url_meta":{"origin":18299,"position":1},"title":"What is meant by the ignorant and unstable would twist Scriptures to their own destruction?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 21, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What was Peter talking about in II Peter 3:16 when he said that the ignorant and unstable would twist scriptures to their destruction? Answer: \"And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37464,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/scholarly-perversions-of-the-word\/","url_meta":{"origin":18299,"position":2},"title":"Scholarly Perversions of the Word","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 2, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"by Eugene W. Clevenger via\u00a0Preceptor, December 1951 \"I know that is what the Bible says alright, but what do the scholars say about it?\" I have heard that statement made many times, and it reflects an attitude. There is a widely prevalent idea that the final word to be said\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/scholar-260x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":57245,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-cant-make-you-read-this\/","url_meta":{"origin":18299,"position":3},"title":"I Can’t Make You Read This","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 23, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Steven Harper We are told within the revealed and written Word of God that God had established a plan for man's salvation through Jesus Christ even before the foundation of the world (I Peter 1:20) or, as Paul said it,\u00a0\"before time began\"\u00a0(II Timothy 1:9). We are also told within\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/12\/blindfold.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":90782,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-still-a-mystery\/","url_meta":{"origin":18299,"position":4},"title":"Is It Still a Mystery?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by J. F. Dancer, Jr. Some people read the Bible every day. Others read it occasionally, and some never open it. All have different views on what it teaches. Do you think God had it written so that we would \"understand\" it differently, allowing each of us to believe what\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":66774,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-commentaries-contain-gods-words\/","url_meta":{"origin":18299,"position":5},"title":"Do commentaries contain God’s words?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 25, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In these dark days of political upheaval, financial uncertainty, and more, Christians and non-Christians alike have been asking many questions! Deep spiritual questions. I have questions, and I am not the only one in our Bible study groups! l think you will agree that men of God have written\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18299\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}