Method | Knowable Word

Watch for Thesis Statements in Epistles

September 30, 2022 By Peter Krol

Different types of literature work in different ways. So as Bible students, we ought to have some idea of what we’re looking for when we begin to observe a text. And since epistles are logical literature, clearly presenting arguments, with premises and conclusions, we should look for such things. The conclusions are the main ideas of which the author wishes to persuade his audience. They can come in a variety of flavors.

Photo by Jarritos Mexican Soda on Unsplash

Summarizing the entire letter

Sometimes, conclusions come in the form of thesis statements that summarize the main argument of an entire letter.

For example, Eph 4:1 summarizes the letter’s entire argument in two parts: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to [Part 2] walk in a manner worthy of [Part 1] the calling to which you have been called.”

Another example is Hebrews 1:1-3, which states the letter’s thesis up front: “…God…has spoken to us by his Son…who sat down…”

John does the same thing in his first epistle: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).

Introducing a section

Alternatively, thesis statements can come at the beginning of a section, to introduce the topic of the next division.

Hebrews does this all through the letter, weaving the topic statement of each new portion into the transitional paragraphs between sections. For example, see Heb 2:17: “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” This conclusion to the first section introduce the next section, which explains how Jesus is both a faithful high priest (Heb 3:1-4:14) and a merciful high priest (Heb 4:15-5:10).

Another example is 2 Timothy 2:1-2: “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” This thesis introduces the section, which expands on the how to entrust the message to faithful men (2 Tim 2:3-7) before also expanding on how to be strengthened by grace (2 Tim 2:8-13).

One more example: 1 Peter 2:11-12 is the thesis for the entire section that goes from 1 Peter 2:11 to 1 Peter 4:11. Everything contained in the thesis statement gets expanded on throughout the section: abstaining from passions (1 Pet 4:1-6), honorable conduct among Gentiles (1 Pet 2:13-3:7), being spoken against (1 Pet 3:8-22), and glorifying God (1 Pet 4:7-11).

Concluding a section

Sometimes, the thesis comes at the end of a section, summing up the argument in that part of the letter.

For example, Romans 3:19-20 condenses the argument of Rom 1:18-3:20. 1 Cor 14:39-40 states the argument of that chapter (though that argument was also introduced in 1 Cor 14:1). Philippians 4:1 states the thesis of Paul’s argument that he presented all the way from Phil 1:12 to that point.

Conclusion

Whether you are studying a lengthy or brief amount of text, don’t forget that the authors of epistles generally wanted to persuade their readers to believe or do something. They knew as well as writers do today, that one key to persuasion is to explicitly inform your audience what it is you would like to persuade them of. Therefore—here is my thesis statement at the end—we ought to look for thesis statements in the Bible’s logical literature, especially epistles.

When You Study the Wrong Bible Passage

September 26, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

I fear I have become too reliant on the chapter breaks in the Bible. I know these are not inspired and that they do not always produce the optimal portions of Scripture to study. But they are so convenient!

Also, sometimes the chapter breaks are helpful markers. I’ve been studying Ezra and Nehemiah in my small group over the past year, and the chapter breaks in Ezra are great. They occur at logical transitions in the text, and we moved a chapter at a time through Ezra without any issues.

The same has not been true in Nehemiah.

Nehemiah in Jerusalem

There is rarely a single “right” way to divide a book of the Bible into sections for small group study. We might choose to take larger or smaller pieces at a time, and when these divisions resonate with the structure of the book, everything is smooth. When we choose a section that doesn’t match the author’s logical argument, we’re cutting the wood against the grain.

My group studied the first chapter of Nehemiah during one meeting and the second chapter during the next. When I was preparing the third chapter for the following meeting, I realized I’d made a mistake.

Nehemiah 2:1–20 describes how Nehemiah asked the king of Persia for permission to go rebuild Jerusalem. The king granted his request, and this was evidence of God’s work (Neh 2:8).

Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem and inspected the damaged walls and gates by night. He formed a plan and spoke persuasively to the Israelites in the city.

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work. (Neh 2:17, 18)

Biting Off Less Than We Should Chew

Nehemiah 3:1–32 is a list of the successful efforts to rebuild the walls and gates of city. We read of specific people, specific locations, and specific work. It is impressive.

However, at the end of the day, it is undeniably … a list. Lists are challenging to study. It is hard to find the author’s main point in a list.

It became clear to me that our group should have studied chapter 3 with chapter 2. After all, the work in chapter 3 is recorded as evidence to support Nehemiah 2:18 — “And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.”

It’s not that there is nothing fruitful to gain from studying Nehemiah 3. But the purpose of chapter 3 is to illustrate the work of God in chapter 2, so putting a dividing line between the two was not the wisest choice. In fact, I suspect the main point of chapter 2 would have landed with more force had we studied the two sections together.

Lessons Learned

This was another reminder to me of the importance of each book’s structure in the Bible. In preparing for my small group, I want to refer back to my book overview and an outline of the book when selecting the next portion of Scripture to study. This will help align my group’s focus with the logical units in which the original author of the book wrote.

When a Beloved Doctrine is Not a Main Point

September 23, 2022 By Peter Krol

Last week, I cautioned care when we debate doctrines that cannot be found as the main points of particular passages of Scripture. To be clear, I am not saying that such doctrines are false; they very well may be true and worth believing! My point is simply that we ought to spend most of our time debating the main points, lest we lose sight of those main points in favor of issues, however true they may be, of lesser importance (Matt 23:1-36, especially Matt 23:23-24). In other words, the focus of our debates ought to be the focus of the Scriptures themselves.

Perhaps you might agree in theory, but what would this look like in practice? This principle can feel quite threatening when it gets personal.

Julia Manzerova (2010), Creative Commons

Examples

For example, is there any passage whose main point is the timing of a rapture? Is there any passage whose main point is to spell out a specific millennial view?

While the book of Galatians and the latter half of Romans 3 clearly teach the doctrine of justification by faith alone as a main point, the particular mechanism for how that justification takes place is not given the same level of attention. For example, is the primary mechanism for justification the righteousness of Christ being credited to believers (imputation), or is it the attachment of believers to Christ through union with him (incorporation)? Perhaps there are other options as well, but such finer points occupy much theological debate.

What about the various denominational positions on baptism or the Lord’s Supper? Church membership? Styles of worship? Church government?

Again, I am not saying that such things don’t matter. Nor that we can’t or shouldn’t hold positions on them (and discuss or debate said positions). All I am saying is: Does the gravity and emphasis of such debates correspond to the gravity and emphasis of such matters in the Scriptures themselves?

To highlight the problem: If you can argue for predestination from Ephesians 1, or you can present a case regarding gender roles from Ephesians 5, but you cannot articulate the main idea of the letter of Ephesians (God uniting all things together in Christ) or explain how chapters 1 and 5 advance that argument—you may be spending too much time on matters of lesser importance.

Conclusion

Systematic theology has much importance. But if the majority of your theological reflection or debate involves systematic doctrines with proof texts, perhaps some shifting of attention is in order.

Something to Consider in Theological Debate

September 16, 2022 By Peter Krol

I’ve written before that the truths of the Bible that are most worth fighting for are the main points. This does not mean that we can’t or shouldn’t fight for secondary or implied points. It means only that we ought to reserve greatest vehemence—and the greatest market share of air space—to the main points.

The next time you enter a theological disagreement or debate, I dare you to consider: Can I identify a single passage (not merely a verse) of Scripture that has as its main point the thing I’m arguing for? Please note: I am not asking if you can proof text your perspective. I am asking whether a living and breathing author of Scripture (as they will be once again in the resurrection) would concur that the conclusion you wish to fight for was, in fact, a main point of a particular passage in one of his books.

If the answer is “no,” I am not saying you shouldn’t fight for it. I am only asking, are you fighting for that conclusion without conceding the fight for the actual main points of Scripture? If you are not sure what this might look like in actual dialogue in the 21st century, have no fear. I expect to take up this matter further in the coming weeks. And you might want to consider my argument for why this matters.

You Need to Hear Directly From God

September 12, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

Picture it. You’ve made time for devotions. Envision your room, your chair, and (perhaps) your beverage. Now, what book is in front of you?

Angela (2015), public domain

More Than a Preference

You have a lot of options. You could listen to any one of a million sermons. You could grab a devotional book or a study guide or a book on a biblical topic. You could even pick up a commentary.

None of these resources are inherently bad, but they all have one thing in common. They put distance between you and God’s word.

The desire to use an extra-biblical resource is understandable. If you view your devotions primarily as a relaxing way to begin or end your day, you’ll think devotions should be easy. And since reading (or hearing) someone else’s interpretation requires less effort than discovering one yourself, it’s simple to see why many people prefer these materials.

Reading a devotional work or listening to a sermon can stimulate your spirit. But this is not the same as reading and studying the Bible for yourself. You need to hear directly from the mouth of God.

Perhaps two analogies will help.

Analogy #1

Jim is supposed to read Crime and Punishment for his high school English class, but he plays sports with his friends instead. When it’s time to consider the book in class, Jim relies on the plot summary he read online. During the discussion, Jim is able to talk about a few important themes of the book.

But when his teacher asks him pointedly about the book’s impact on him, Jim freezes. He cannot recall any of the powerful scenes or locate any of the moving prose, because he doesn’t know the work itself. He only knows this book through a filter.

Even when filters are reliable and thorough, they don’t offer a genuine interaction with the author.

Analogy #2

In the middle of the afternoon, Sarah knocks on her brother Mark’s door. “Mom wants you to clean up your room before dinner.”

Mark puts his folded laundry in his dresser, makes his bed, and recycles the papers on his floor. Then he returns to his comic books.

At the dinner table, Mark learns that his mother wanted much more than a little straightening. She wanted him to dust the furniture, vacuum the carpet, and clean the windows. She wanted a deep clean.

Sarah wasn’t lying, but she wasn’t clear. And Mark didn’t ask Sarah or his mother for clarification.

In this scenario, the messenger softened the blow, and as a consequence, Mark fell short of obedience.

Your Father is Speaking

Portions of the Bible are impossible to envision without a personal encounter with God’s word.

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)

I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (Psalm 119:15–16)

…but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:2)

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! (Psalm 139:17)

In the Bible, God has told us about himself. He has given his requirements, his promises, and his plan to save his people. He has shared the good news about the Savior of the world, his son Jesus. And he has described what his people should believe and do as they tell the whole world about him.

The Bible is lovingly and wonderfully given by God to his people for their good and the good of the world. You might prefer to read a different book, but when you meet with God, yearn for his voice. Don’t turn away from your heavenly father.

Helping Schoolchildren Learn to Follow a Book’s Argument

September 9, 2022 By Peter Krol

This year, I have the honor of teaching a course on logic for our local homeschool co-op. Learning logic is a great opportunity for studying the Bible, and studying the Bible is a great opportunity for learning logic. So with my twenty 7th-12th graders, a part of every class period is spent working our way through the book of Hebrews.

I chose Hebrews because it marks with explicit clarity its theses and transitions. (If you’re not sure what I mean, check out my interpretive overview of the book.) So even a group of schoolchildren can spot the chief arguments with much confidence.

In this venue, we are not doing a thorough Bible study. We’re not observing everything that could be observed, and I’m not teaching them to look for literary devices. We’re not spending much time on asking or answering interpretive questions. We’re not looking up the Old Testament quotes in their original context. And we’re not (yet) spending much time in application.

Our goal is simply to identify the skeletal structure of the book’s arguments. This requires careful observation of the grammar, sentence structure, and transitional words and phrases. We want to nail down conclusions and premises, and that’s about it. But even that is helping these kids realize that they are not too young for incredibly satisfying and God-delighting Bible study.

On week 1, we spent about 5 minutes looking at Heb 1:1-3. I asked the students to use their knowledge of grammar to identify the run-on sentence’s main clause. Easy peasy: “God [formerly] spoke by the prophets, but [now] he has spoken by his Son.” Clearly, the weight of the sentence falls on the second half: “God has spoken by his Son.” In no time at all, we had a thesis statement for the entire book.

The following week, we worked through the next few verses of chapter 1 to grasp the first argument in support of the main thesis.

Conclusion: The Son is superior to the angels (Heb 1:4).
Premises in support of this conclusion:
- The Son’s name is superior to that of the angels – Heb 1:4b
- God calls the Son (and not the angels) “Son” – Heb 1:5
- Angels worship the Son; the Son does not worship angels – Heb 1:6
- Angels serve the Son; the Son does not serve angels – Heb 1:7
- And so on.

For homework, I asked them to complete the list by figuring out the remaining premises in the rest of chapter 1.

Now, we could spend much more time here. We could look up the OT quotes to make sure we’re getting the nuances right (that Psalm 2 reference in Heb 1:5 is about far more than just the title “Son”!). We could spend more time on historical background and first-century Jewish beliefs (why is it such a big deal, after all, to prove that the Son is superior to angels?). A more precise and thorough Bible study would require such work. But since, with this class, I’m seeking only to develop the skill of following an argument, what we have here is a great start.

How are you doing in your ability to follow a book’s argument?

What We Miss When We Skip the Book of Ezra

August 15, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

The book of Ezra is an odd duck. It bears the name of a man who doesn’t appear in its first half. Though titled like a minor prophet, this is a book of history, one far shorter than most historical books in Scripture. And it is one of the few portions of God’s word set after the Babylonian exile.

I couldn’t find any data to justify this suspicion, but I would guess that Ezra is not commonly read or studied by modern Christians. I get it—among other barriers, there are long lists of names in chapters 2, 8, and 10.

Yet, this little book has much to offer!

God Works in the Hearts of Kings

God rules over kingdoms and kings—this is true everywhere and at all times. But it is made explicit with surprising frequency in the book of Ezra.

We see this in the very first verse of the book: “…the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing …” (Ezra 1:1)

We also read that the Lord “had turned the heart of the king of Assyria” toward the Israelites (Ezra 6:22). The author of the book blesses God “who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty officers” (Ezra 7:27–28). Finally, as part of his confession, Ezra thanks God that he “has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem” (Ezra 9:9).

In Ezra a group of Israelites journeyed from Babylon to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple of God. Since they left captivity, traveled through dangeous territories, and settled in an occupied land, these people needed the approval, help, and protection of the local and central rulers. God gave them this favor, often by creating in the rulers a desire to help God’s people.

In addition to these large examples, the Lord worked in large and small ways to bless his people through governmental (and even bureaucratic) channels.

Repentance Requires Radical Action

Shortly after Ezra arrived in Jerusalem, he learned of widespread sin among the people. They had “not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations” and had “taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands” (Ezra 9:1–2).

God’s people had taken wives who worshiped foreign gods. This was disastrous, as the Israelites were trying to reestablish a community of faith and these marital bonds were likely to lead them in the opposite direction.

It sounds shocking to our modern ears, but repentance in this situation needed to be drastic. Here was Ezra’s prescription.

You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now then make confession to the Lord, the God of your fathers and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the foreign wives. (Ezra 10:10–11)

While the last two chapters of Ezra should prompt a longer discussion about marriage and divorce, one thing is clear. Ezra took sin and repentance seriously. His grief over his people’s transgressions would make the modern church stagger.

Worship is Central

The Israelites headed back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. They began with the altar and when that was finished, before any other part of the temple was constructed, they resumed the offerings, feasts, and festivals (Ezra 3:3–5). When they started to make progress on the temple itself, the people were moved: “And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid” (Ezra 3:11).

When the people finished the temple, they dedicated “this house of God with joy” and kept the Passover (Ezra 6:16, 19).

The narrative of the book then moves to the man Ezra, a priest and scribe. But this too is about worship. “Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). Though the people had resumed the temple practices, they needed the word of God at the center of their worship, so God sent Ezra.

All About Worship

The centrality of worshiping God is a central pillar of Ezra. Even the first two themes I mentioned in this article are connected to worship. (God’s work in kings helped the people build the temple; radical repentance was needed because the people were being led away from worshiping God.)

This is one way that Ezra connects to the overarching story of the Bible. We were made to worship God, but our rebellion means that we need a pure high priest to make our worship possible. Ezra reminds us of this central activity of the community of God and our dependence on him to draw us near.

Check the Context Before and After

August 5, 2022 By Peter Krol

As we’ve sought to demonstrate that literary context matters, we’ve focused primarily on specific verses or short segments of text that are commonly used without regard for the author’s argument to his original audience. But there is another way to make use of literary context in our Bible study, which is simply to pay attention to the texts immediately before and after the text under study. This practice aids interpretation by helping us identify not only what a passage says but also what it is doing to assist the author’s larger argument.

Here are some examples.

Help from the Preceding Text

2 Kings 2 tells the story of Elijah’s ascension into heaven and Elisha’s taking up the prophetic mantle from his mentor. A quick look at what comes immediately before reveals a king who died without a son (2 Kings 1:17-18). That setup (that King Ahaziah has no heir) introduces the chief concern that chapter 2 takes up: What will happen when Elijah goes? Will Israel be left without a prophetic voice?

The armor of God passage in Ephesians 6 begins with an overarching command that governs the rest of the passage: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Eph 6:10). We ought to ask: How does one do that? What does it look like for someone to draw strength / be strengthened by the Lord and his strength? Perhaps help can be found immediately prior? In Paul’s command to masters, he suggests that the power to do good to their servants and cease with threatening comes from “knowing that he who is both their Master and your is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him” (Eph 6:9). So a spiritual battle requires heavenly strength, which will come from trusting that Jesus is seated in heaven, far above all rule and authority (Eph 1:19-21), and giving good gifts to men (Eph 4:7-14).

Help from the Following Text

Genesis 38 tells a dark and tragic story about Judah, his sons, a daughter-in-law, and his eventual heir. Besides the dark content, it is especially strange for having been inserted right in the midst of a larger narrative that is supposed to be about Joseph. In fact, Gen 37:36 and Gen 39:1 repeat the same information in order to signal the fact that the main story line is being put on hold just to narrate Judah’s situation (which took place not all at once but over many years). Just keep reading into chapter 39 to see a number of clear contrasts between the half-brothers Judah and Joseph: experience of power, figurative use of garments, perspective toward God’s moral commands.

In Matthew 4:12-25, Jesus begins his public ministry, and Matthew describes it in a way that parallels Isaiah’s prophecy of a dawning light (Matt 4:15-16): beginning in Zebulun and Naphtali (Matt 4:12-17), passing by the way of the sea (Matt 4:18-22), and going beyond the Jordan (Matt 4:23-25). The next passage informs us that the light is here (speaking with the authority of God from the mountaintop – Matt 5:1-12) and is infecting the new people of God (Matt 5:13-16).

Help from both Before and After

Revelation 4 describes a magnificent scene of the vigorous worship offered in heaven to the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. Immediately prior to this scene, Jesus comes knocking on the door and inviting those who persevere in bearing witness to him to join him on his throne, just as he joined his Father on his throne (Rev 3:20-21). That highlights the significance of Jesus’ own invitation to witness the scene of heavenly worship (Rev 4:1). In addition, the following scene (Rev 5) shows Jesus himself as the only one worthy to receive authority from the Father to execute judgment on the earth. He acquired such authority through his death and resurrection (Rev 5:6). Noticing the flow of thought helps us to preach the gospel very specifically from each text. In chapter 4, the gospel is not one of death and resurrection, particularly, but of Jesus opening the way to the Father. In chapter 5, this gospel is fleshed out by showing how Jesus opened that way and became qualified to receive all authority in heaven and on earth.

Matthew 8:23-9:8 contains three brief narratives of Jesus performing great miracles. The stories hang together as a unity to explain Jesus’ great authority, on both heaven (Matt 8:28-34) and earth (Matt 8:23-27), to forgive sins (Matt 9:1-8). So much, so good, but look at how much more the surrounding context adds. Immediately before, we have would-be followers of Jesus confronted with the great cost of following Jesus (Matt 8:18-22); the question of whether they are willing to pay that cost is left hanging and unanswered. And immediately after, we see not a “would-be” but an actual follower of Jesus responding immediately to the call (Matt 9:9-12). Perhaps the chain of three miracles is there to explain what makes the difference. To explain the chief reason why it is worth paying the cost to follow Jesus. Can sick sinners find authority like this anywhere else?

Conclusion

Whenever you study a passage, one simple discipline to develop is to look at what happens immediately before and after. As you do, consider how those surrounding texts help you to understand what your passage is doing in the larger argument. In just a few minutes of effort, you may get significant help toward interpreting the main point of your passage.

Not Every Interesting Detail is Important

July 29, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

anonymous (2011), public domain

As Christians learn to study the Bible, we pay more attention to the details. We notice repeated words, names, grammar, and genre. We train our eyes to spot anything surprising or out of place.

What we do with these observations is just as important as making them in the first place. Observing the text is like stocking the pantry. We gather raw materials, but we don’t know what we need until it’s time to cook.

The Problem with Interesting Details

Most of our Biblical observations arise because a detail captures our attention. We’re interested in a certain feature, conversation, or nuance in the text.

Yet when we move from observation to interpretation, we must be careful. Though there might be curious or compelling details in the passage, we should try to zero in on the main point. We’re likely to miss what God has for us if we concentrate on what is intriguing instead of what is most important.

Ideally, we should give our attention and thought to themes and details in proportion to their importance. Granted, we don’t usually know the major thrust of a passage until we’ve spent some time with it. But if we want to land on the main point, we should give our energy to the evidence and supporting truths that point in that direction. If we camp out on curiosities, we might be off the mark when stating the main point. And if we miss the main point, our application might be unnecessary or misdirected.

Additionally, we should avoid the trap of speculation. If we get obsessed with a detail or surprise in the passage, we’ll wonder why it’s there. When we interpret, we’ll try to answer related questions even though the answers are nowhere to be found in the text. While enjoyable on an intellectual level, this is merely spinning our wheels—expending mental energy without making progress.

What’s Important?

The natural question, then, is this: How do I know if a detail is important? How do we know what to keep and what to discard?

Here’s the brief answer. If it leads to the main point, it’s important. If it doesn’t, it’s not.

In other words, when you follow the author’s train of thought, is this detail included? Is information about this character or description repeated or used later in the passage? It this detail were omitted from the text, could you still make your argument about the main point?

Here’s an example. The fifth plague is described in Exodus 9:1–7, and we read in verse 6 that all the livestock of Egypt died. However, both later in chapter 9 (verse 20) as well as in chapter 14, additional livestock are mentioned. How can this be if all the livestock died? You might pay attention to the phrase “livestock which are in the field” in Exodus 9:3 and speculate about exactly where the pestilence affected the animals. You might wonder whether Egypt simply stole animals from surrounding nations after all their animals died.

We’re not told. And all the wondering and worrying distracts from the main point of the passage: God judged Egypt and not Israel. The later reappearance of livestock is an interesting detail, but not an important one.

Build on the Main Point

It’s irresponsible to build doctrine on or draw application from mere curiosities in Scripture. Some of the oddities in the Bible are interesting, but not valuable.

When you ask questions related to your observations and turn to answer them, be vigilant. Answer only answer those questions where the text provides an explicit answer or one drawn through reasonable deduction.

We honor the Lord as we draw our main doctrine and application from the main points of Scripture. And to get to the main point, we must make sure to focus on what’s important, and not only what’s interesting.

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You Have Enough Time to Study the Bible

July 22, 2022 By Ryan Higginbottom

In the West, busyness is the norm. Businessmen value themselves and others based on their calendars. Students turn the bags under their eyes into badges of competition and honor.

But busyness isn’t just out there. We’re all on the same bus. With demanding jobs, family obligations, and duties at home, time feels scarce.

Alexandra (2015), public domain

Busyness Is Not the Problem

Among Christians, I suspect busyness is the top excuse for not studying the Bible. It seems we don’t have enough time for God’s word. I’ve made this excuse many times myself.

But we must confront this Biblical truth: We always do what we want to do.

Our actions spring from and reveal our hearts; we can trace this truth throughout the Bible. As part of his confession, David asks God to create a clean heart within him (Ps 51.10). Solomon warns his son that the springs of life flow from the heart (Prov 4.23). Ezekiel’s prophecy about the new covenant focuses on new hearts, not new behaviors (Ezekiel 36:26).

Jesus also teaches clearly on this matter; he says the words we speak flow from our hearts (Matt 15:18). We cannot say of our sinful words, “I didn’t mean that.” Jesus doesn’t stop with our speech—our sinful thoughts and actions also reveal our true desires (Matt 15:19).

This brief survey hands us a difficult conclusion. When we don’t study the Bible, it’s not because we’re too busy. It’s because we don’t want to.

(There are exceptional life situations that leave us too busy to study the Bible. Illness, intense family duties, and extraordinary job demands come up. For most of us, these are the exception and not the rule.)

A Divided Heart

There is a battle within every maturing Christian. The growing, vibrant, new man longs to glorify God, while the putrid, rotting, old man resists God and craves sinful pleasures. These fights are contested among our values and desires.

We skip Bible study because we don’t think it’s important. Studying the Bible takes time and energy, and we doubt it will make a difference. We list scores of activities more worthy of our attention.

Deep Repentance

If the problem lies in our hearts, repentance must extend to these same depths.

We’ve all tried to address sin through a change in behavior. We set an early alarm, make a strict schedule, or enlist an accountability partner. Though these strategies can be helpful, they don’t address the core problem. Without deep repentance, new behavior efforts amount to tying a top hat on a pig. He might look respectable for a time, but he’s still headed back to the slop.

We need to confess our sin specifically. We must admit that we have not believed God when he declares the value of his word (Psalm 19:7–11). We have not loved or acted as we should.

But don’t forget the gospel! The punishment we deserve for our apathy, our tepid hearts, our indifference to the glorious truths of God—this punishment was given to Jesus. He took our place!

This news is thrilling, but we’re only halfway done. Because of Jesus’s perfect life—including his undivided heart—we are God’s children. We are embraced in the family. Neglecting Bible study doesn’t make God love us less, and studying the Bible doesn’t make him love us more.

And we must pray for God’s work within us. Pray for a change of heart and a love for God and his word. Ask God to help you treasure what is most valuable and organize your time accordingly.

How to Begin

How can we learn the value of studying God’s word? Taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8)!

Study the Bible, on your own or with friends, and enjoy the food God brings to your table. See how God repays your effort with his wisdom, his presence, and his transforming power. As you apply the Bible, God will convict you of your sin and encourage you with his faithfulness.

When you see the glory of God and the beauty of his word, making time for Bible study will be easy.

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