Has Bible Study Become An Excuse?

To Do Nothing

A couple of recent conversations got me thinking about the validity of Bible study and what it really is. I pointed out the clear Bible answer to a question under discussion in the first conversation. The answer came back; “good point I’ll have to study that some more.” I thought to myself ‘what is there to study? It is written clearly on the page.’ The second conversation elicited this response; “ I guess I’ll learn more about that as God draws me into His truth.” I said, “I don’t believe God draws us into His truth. He presents us with it as a whole book, expecting us to read it, believe it, and most importantly, to do it,”

The two answers I received reveal a thought pattern prevalent among Christians, and one that is detrimental to Christian living. Put briefly; you can’t understand the Bible instantly from what is written on the page. Both statements have the underlying implication that you will never get around to doing anything for God until you do more study, or He draws you into His truth over time. The second is a real deception. It puts all the responsibility on God, and excuses me from doing anything at all. It’s Ok if I wait my whole life doing nothing, because He has not drawn me sufficiently into His truth.

I think these ideas have their roots in the Bible College Movement. The American Bible college movement developed in reaction to the secularization of U.S. higher education. The Bible institute/college movement has been described as ‘a protest to the inroads of secularization in higher education and as a base for the education of lay workers and full-time Bible teachers, evangelists, and pastors’. As one historian put it, “It is not a coincidence that the Bible institute movement grew up during the very period when the philosophy of naturalism became prevalent in American education”. Between 1882 and 1920, 39 Bible schools were founded in the United States.

I am not pointing the finger at Bible Colleges, although I do think the supernatural element was not given enough prominence. After all Christian living is all supernatural. Rather, that the idea developed from them, of the need for a secular type education to succeed in Christian living. It is interesting to note the early founders of Bible Colleges such as Spurgeon, A B Simpson and Moody, were…

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