How Leaders Read the Bible

I’ve written before about how we must learn from the Bible before we’re qualified to teach it. Seminary professor Dan Doriani has similar thoughts. He writes to pastors, but his words apply equally to Bible study leaders, Sunday school teachers, and parents.

I especially appreciate the section where Doriani explains the stages of a ministry leader’s devotional life:

1. Naive and devotional – new Christian, or new to the Bible, and excited about every word.
2. Sophisticated and devotional – learning basic principles of Bible study, reading in context, etc.
3. Technical – becoming an expert in language and interpretive techniques.
4. Technical and functional – expert interpreter who considers how to communicate these truths to others.
5. Technical and devotional – expert interpreter who considers applying these truths to himself or herself.

As we spend more time in ministry, we’ll be tempted to separate our study from our own application. We must not do this. We must keep pushing ourselves into that fifth stage.

Doriani’s article is worth reading for anyone who feels the tension between “ministry prep” Bible study time and “personal devotions” Bible study time.

Check it out!