To be a disciple of Jesus, it is non-negotiable that a person be a student of the Bible. Few things strike me as odd as when I encounter someone who professes love and devotion to God and yet has little interest in serious study of the Bible. How can a person be that excited about someone they know so little about? It seems reasonable that a person who is really excited about God would want to know everything about Him they could. More passion for Jesus is a message frequently heard among Christians today. Well and good, but how about some more illumination along with the infatuation? It is impossible to be enamored and disinterested with someone at the same time. Just a little reality check, in some circles I have actually heard serious study of the Bible discounted as a liability, as if too much theology was an obstacle to or a substitute for a genuine experience with God- a sort of “you have doctrine, I have Jesus” kind of mentality. Two questions I would ask the person holding this position are: 1. How do you know that your experience is legitimate? And 2. How do you know that what you believe about God is actually true? I believe the answer would be that they honestly don’t.
If Jesus’ followers do not step up to be experts in matters pertaining to His kingdom, then who? A person would expect that a brain surgeon would be very schooled in matters pertaining to the brain. No one wants to have their vehicle worked on by someone who just tinkers around with cars. Yet somehow it’s alright for God’s representatives in the world to be uneducated in things pertaining to the knowledge of Him.
Every believer should aspire to be the best theologian they can be. Jesus said “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”(Luke 6:40). Jesus wasn’t a peace & love, flower child, drop-out type of person. He had a command of the scriptures and profound theological insight, which did not materialize simply because He was God. Growing up, whenever He had the opportunity, He would be with the teachers; listening, asking questions, and growing in wisdom (Luke 2:46-51). During His whole life it was His practice to go to synagogue (Luke 4:16). When He was there, it wasn’t to view a seeker-sensitive, multi-media event tailored to entertain the masses- it was a place to be instructed in the word of God. If Jesus in His humanity needed to be schooled in the scriptures, how much more does everyone who confesses Him to be Lord? Jesus’ disciples need to exercise diligence to rightly divide the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Their first response to God’s mercy toward them ought to be offering themselves to Him as a sacrifice and having their minds renewed (Romans 12:1-2). All who desire to be fully trained must concede that loving God with all of our MIND is a mandate, not an option.
