Know The Bible...Study It For Yourself

2 Timothy 3:6-8 -   They are the kind who craftily sneak into other people’s homes and make friendships with silly, sin-burdened women and teach them their new doctrines. Women of that kind are forever following new teachers, but they never understand the truth.

Paul knew that one of the worst threats to the gospel was false teachers.  They preyed on the weakest of Christians…new converts…those that had no background in the scriptures….especially women. The culture of that day withheld education from them…so when someone offered knowledge…they soaked it up like a sponge….not knowing if it were true or not.

This concept still threatens the truth of the gospel message…even in a world where most are given the gift of education.  Even in America…where education is free to all…new doctrines pop up all the time…some very well thought out and logical. The only defense we have is to check its teachings against the Bible.

Paul’s comment here highlights one of the reasons we need to study the Bible for ourselves. If we don’t…we run the risk of believing anything a well-spoken leader says. We don’t need to believe everything a speaker says…just because he says it is supported by the Bible. We need to know if they are telling us the truth or not.  We need to know what we believe and where God said it is the truth in the Bible.

I will testify that before I began to study the Bible for myself….I was just as vulnerable as these women. If the words came from someone I respected…I believed what they said. Now…I believe or reject because I read it for myself….checking the things I haven’t heard before by the references they give…or using commentaries to research for myself. In a world where God gave us internet and more inspirational books than ever…we really have no excuse.

Father…thank you for the Bible.  Thank you for the ability to read and study its words and understand what it says.  Forgive me for the times that I have let false concepts take root in my mind and heart because I forgot how important it is to know your word for myself. Help me to find all the time I need to study and let its words soak into my heart and mind…so I will recognize and be able to quote where you wrote it down for me. Amen.