The greatest protection from error is knowing the truth. “What you do not know will not hurt you”—this does not apply to the Christian and his Bible. Much more applicable is Alexander Pope’s dictum, “A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring.” Error stems from ignorance and superficial knowledge.
In the Scriptures we find Truth—a revelation of things man can never discover from any other source. How great, then, is the ignorance of those who do not know or willfully neglect the Scriptures, who capriciously question them or reject them outright.
The Sadducees, who denied the concept of the supernatural and miraculous, of course rejected out of hand the reality of the resurrection. On one occasion a group of them came to Jesus with an absurd hypothetical story about seven brothers who had died, one after the other, and who in accordance with the law of Moses had in succession married the older brother’s wife. Now the Sadducees asked triumphantly, “In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife” (Mark 12:23).
Our Lord’s reply must have been devastating for them, and it also speaks volumes to us today: “Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?”
The Sadducees were involved in a theological error about the resurrection because they were ignorant of the Scriptures. And being ignorant of the Scriptures, they were also ignorant of God’s power.
Within the Church today, even in many theological seminaries, the prevalent ignorance of the Bible is appalling. The modern-day Sadducees consider the supernatural and miraculous suspect. Many persons look upon the Scriptures as a more or less human document, and therefore discount their worth. In so doing they remain ignorant of the truth and the power of the living God.
Even a casual conversation with the average Christian will reveal ignorance of the Word. It may be that the pressures of daily living have crowded the Bible out of its rightful place, or that some casual seed of criticism has grown into a tree of unbelief. Whatever the cause, the result is disastrous, for out of ignorance comes error, not only such deviations as may be found in the cults that thrive on every hand, but devastating errors having to do with God and man, good and evil, sin and judgment, time and eternity, heaven and hell, and above all else, Christ and redemption.
Ignorance of the Word of God leads to futility and frustration and accounts for the world’s tumult as well as for disordered individual lives. It leads up every blind alley of the human mind and to the “wisdom of this world,” which is folly with God.
We are told that man has come of age, and that he is now capable of living without God. How far will such foolishness go? If man sows the seeds of rejection of God, he will surely reap the harvest of rejection by God.
What, then, should we do?
This is a plea that men replace their ignorance of the Bible by a knowledge that not only will stand the test against error but also will bring into true perspective the power of God in the redeeming work of his Son, in the indwelling presence of his Spirit, and in the written Word. When this is done, God leads the willing and obedient heart into all truth, and in that truth there is a freedom otherwise unknown.
To give the Bible its rightful place is to recognize that daily Bible study is as important for spiritual growth as is food for the physical body.
It also means that the Bible is allowed to speak for itself. While it is true that some people take “proof texts” out of context, thereby coming up with some invalid conclusions, nevertheless those saturated with the Word attain a perspective that enables them to rise to any situation and apply to it the clear teachings of this divine revelation.
In Josiah’s time reformation came when the Law of Moses was discovered and reapplied to personal and national life.
The false doctrines of Jesus’ day were the result of ignorance of the Scriptures together with the practice of “teaching for doctrines the precepts of men” (Matt. 15:9).
During the Dark Ages the Bible was kept from the people with tragic results, but with the Protestant Reformation there came a release of the Word through the translation and circulation of the Bible. This ushered in a new era of personal and corporate Christianity.
Today, the most flourishing churches are those that honor the Bible. And the nations with the greatest degree of moral light have been those where the Word was best known. Where the Bible is known and obeyed, we find also more true personal religion. The godliest families are found to give the Scriptures top priority, and those who live closest to God are the ones who make the Bible their own infallible rule of faith and practice.
To live thus is bound to arouse some opposition—many times fierce opposition. Satan’s sneering question, “Yea, hath God said?” (Gen. 3:1), is asked in every generation—the difference today being that the Bible is most vigorously attacked from within the Church.
Let not sneering criticism, outright opposition, or any other device of Satan deter you from reading, studying, believing, and obeying God’s Word! It is truly the “Sword of the Spirit,” and Satan has never been able to stand against it.
Far from being “obsolete” or “irrelevant” to today’s world, the Bible is the most up-to-date and relevant book in all the world. In Proverbs alone young people can find answers for all the problems that confront them. The Psalms put into words the holiest and highest aspirations of the human heart, as well as words of worship and praise that lift the soul to the heights of spiritual expression.
Make Bible study as much a part of your daily program as your meals, work, and exercise. Study it book by book, or choose a theme and follow it through. Do not fail to read the Scriptures through to catch the continuity of God’s revelation to man. Take a fine red pencil and underline passages that speak a special message to your heart. This will be a help at the time and a blessing in subsequent studies.
For the faithful student of the Word there are unending surprises as passages suddenly take on new meaning, often speaking to a specific need of that time. Believe what you read and obey God’s leading. Like the psalmist, pray to see God’s truth: “Let my cry come before thee, O LORD; give me understanding according to thy word” (Ps. 119:169).
L. NELSON BELL
