Ryan Martin makes an important point about Bible study. Though we love to “go deep,” doing so often causes us to get lost and miss the point. He explains three dangers of Bible study that gets too focused on provocative details or word studies without retaining the author’s train of thought:
- Words are flexible and contextual. A word doesn’t always mean the same thing every time it’s used.
- Details can distract from the flow of a text. Following our biggest questions may obscure the author’s biggest intentions.
- An individual text doesn’t need to carry the whole weight of Christian theology. It’s okay if a particular passage causes you to focus on a single attribute of God or a particular aspect of the gospel; don’t ‘overharmonize’ the diversity of Scripture.
These are important considerations for those who seek to know God through his word.
