veryone who hears these words of mine.’
Matthew 7:24
Certain products carry a label that says: ‘Warning! This can be hazardous to your health.’ Instead of helping you, certain kinds of Bible study can actually hurt you. The Bible says, ‘Knowledge puffs up’ (1 Corinthians 8:1 NIV 2011 Edition). The Greek word for ‘puffs’ contains the idea of being inflated, like a hot air balloon. By the time a Pharisee was ordained, he could quote hours and hours of Old Testament law. Yet Jesus said the Pharisees were like beautifully painted gravestones: filled with dead men’s bones. Satan knows the Scriptures so well that he was able to quote them to Jesus in the wilderness temptation. And what is Satan’s chief quality? Pride. It’s the sin that got him thrown out of heaven. The whole point in studying the Scriptures is to make you more dependent on God and give you the right approach to life. People mainly read the Scriptures for three reasons: 1) To find proof texts that support their views. 2) To find promises that apply to their particular needs. 3) To discover principles to live by. If you’re wise you’ll be a member of this third group. Jesus said, ‘Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.’ When the storms of life came, the wise man’s house stood firm while the foolish man’s – the one who didn’t practise what he knew – came crashing down. Added knowledge brings added responsibility. So if you’re not planning on applying the knowledge you’ve received from your Bible study, you’d be better not to study it at all.
Gen 16-17, Matt 5:27-48
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