{"id":26508,"date":"2020-10-17T15:01:47","date_gmt":"2020-10-17T20:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=26508"},"modified":"2020-10-17T15:02:43","modified_gmt":"2020-10-17T20:02:43","slug":"do-you-want-bible-knowledge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-you-want-bible-knowledge\/","title":{"rendered":"Do You Want Bible Knowledge?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t

by Gary Smalley<\/p>\n

I once heard an aged gospel preacher refer to a comment he received from a person who appreciated his sermons: \u201cI wish I knew as much about the Bible as you.\u201d His reply was, \u201cLady, if you study the Bible for as many years as I have you would know as much or more!\u201d Bible knowledge was prized, desired, and gained in the diligence of study.<\/p>\n

Today, it is very sad to realize that there are many people who have allowed themselves to be convinced that the Bible cannot be understood. Many others hold the view that the Bible is very difficult to understand and for that reason, they do not investigate it for themselves. How dreadful and dishonorable it is for people to not know what God has spoken! The Apostle Paul said people could have the knowledge he had by reading what he had written (Ephesians 3:4; 5:17).<\/p>\n

\"\"

Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash<\/p><\/div>\n

In many cases, people who do not study the Bible for themselves have come to rely upon preachers to provide answers to their questions. Many preachers are very happy to help as many people as possible in gaining an understanding of what God has said. It is the mission of those who preach and teach God\u2019s word to \u201cmake all men see<\/em>\u201d or \u201cbring to light<\/em>\u201d the wisdom of God in the gospel of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:1ff). But we must heed the warning that Christ gave with regard to relying on men as a source of truth. Of the religious leaders of His day, He said, \u201c\u2026they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit<\/em>\u201d (Matthew 15:14). People should study the Bible for themselves. If they do not, they become so easily deceived (1 John 4:1).<\/p>\n

Studying the Bible is not nearly as difficult as some would lead you to believe. Being a worthy Bible student is simple if you will follow these three basic principles:<\/p>\n

Recognize that the Bible is the word of God<\/h2>\n

This amazing book is unique; no other book compares to it. The writers were men, but they wrote what the ultimate author commanded: \u201cBut know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God<\/em>\u201d (II Peter 1:20-21). This incredible one-of-a-kind book reveals where man came from, why he is here, and where he is going. Paul said, \u201cAll Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work<\/em>\u201d (II Timothy 3:16-17). Jesus Christ respected the Scriptures and regarded them as the word of God (John 17:17). You are in good company when you so regard the Bible.<\/p>\n

Hunger and thirst for righteousness<\/h2>\n

Following the Lord\u2019s directive in Matthew 5:6, if we have an intense desire to obtain \u201cthe righteousness of God<\/em>\u201d (II Peter 1:1; Romans 3:22; 10:3), with the same fervor we seek food and drink when hungry, we will obtain it! When we develop an appetite for regular servings of spiritual food, we will indeed grow thereby (I Peter 2:2). These are the ones who take advantage of every opportunity to discuss and learn from God\u2019s word.<\/p>\n

Pay the price<\/h2>\n

Paul admonished, \u201cBe diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth<\/em>\u201d (II Timothy 2:15). Study is work. It is careful examination, analysis, seeking answers to questions with the specific purpose, or intent to understand and learn. There is no \u201ceasy\u201d button to push and no knowledge pill to take. This price is far more than most are willing to pay. The price of that filet mignon causes me to lose my desire for it and choose chicken. The price for knowing the Scriptures causes many to allow others to tell them about their religious views rather than going to the source of truth. Any who are unwilling to do what it takes to know the Scriptures will never know and understand them as they could or should.<\/p>\n

Yes, friend, you can obtain a great deal of Bible knowledge, if you remember and apply these simple basic principles. If you have the proper respect for the Bible as the word of God, a burning desire for the righteousness it contains, and a willingness to pay the price for success, you can understand and know what God has spoken! And with that knowledge, you can enjoy all the spiritual blessings that God has for man, which are found in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).<\/p>\n

May we help you today?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Gary Smalley I once heard an aged gospel preacher refer to a comment he received from a person who appreciated his sermons: \u201cI wish I knew as much about the Bible as you.\u201d His reply was, \u201cLady, if you study the Bible for as many years as I have you would know as much…<\/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,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[913],"class_list":["post-26508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-bible-study"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":39513,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/he-who-knows-not\/","url_meta":{"origin":26508,"position":0},"title":"He Who Knows Not","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"by Irven Lee In my high school days, my biology teacher kept some brief expressions of wisdom written on a small section of the blackboard that was near the ceiling on the front wall of his classroom. He left some of them there for several weeks before he would replace\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":37464,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/scholarly-perversions-of-the-word\/","url_meta":{"origin":26508,"position":1},"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":65342,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/grandmothers-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":26508,"position":2},"title":"Grandmother’s Bible","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by John Shafer One day, a mother told her daughter that she would be spending time at her grandmother's house. The little girl told her mother how excited she was, because of how great grandmother's Bible was. \"Why is it so great?\" her mother asked. The little girl told her\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\/2024\/01\/worn-bible-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":51035,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-preacher-and-his-study\/","url_meta":{"origin":26508,"position":3},"title":"The Preacher and His Study","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 1, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Hiram Kemp The preacher of God's Word is to speak with all the authority God has given him (Titus 2:15). He is to speak as the oracles of God (I Peter 4:11). He is to proclaim the gospel as the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). However, all\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":59917,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/talking-to-others-about-the-lord\/","url_meta":{"origin":26508,"position":4},"title":"Talking to Others About the Lord","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 14, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Author Unknown We tend to talk with others about those things that are of the greatest interest to us. Golfers like to talk about golf, musicians about music, and hunters about hunting. The point here is this: Do Christians like to talk about Christ, the church, and the Bible? How\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":67055,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-do-you-teach-in-an-area-that-holds-strong-prejudice\/","url_meta":{"origin":26508,"position":5},"title":"How do you teach in an area that holds strong prejudice?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, I wanted to ask: What can I do in my local community to get the word of God out, not just about salvation, but the natural progression of the conversation about the right church? For context, I am in South Africa. This is rather significant because most\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\/26508","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=26508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26508\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}