Bible First

A look at the Importance of Bible Study, The Dangers of Books, and the Role of Christian Literature in the Life of the Believer

Part 1: Why Study the Bible

My eighth-grade year, I attended a school for missionary kids. The school taught a religion class in which we were assigned a false religion to study. My parents decided to remove me from the class saying, “We want our daughters to focus on learning the truth, not the lies.” And learn the truth we did. We studied the Bible together as a family. My parents provided a daily saturation in the Word which was never compulsive, never forced, but always unavoidable. The Word of God was such a part of our household and daily routines that it was inseparable from the acts of rising, working, eating, playing, and going to bed. They taught us to not just go to the Bible during a daily devotion, but to live in the Bible during our daily routines. They wanted us to know the truth for ourselves, not what they said was true or the church said was true, but to know what was true because we knew what the Bible said. They wanted this for us so earnestly that my mother encouraged me, during the infancy of my salvation, not to read even the best of Biblical commentaries. Indeed, she forbade it. Instead, she would point me to the Bible and say, “Read the Bible. Know the Bible first.”

But why? Why should believers, no matter their stage of maturity, build their lives and schedules around a study of the Bible? For that matter, why study the Bible at all? First, because God instructed us to do so. Jesus said, “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Second, we study the Bible because the Bible is truth. Jesus prayed to God the Father, “Sanctify them in truth; Your Word is truth” (John 17:17). To the world it seems foolish, but to us who are being saved the Gospel of Christ is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). We know that all His Words are true, every single one (Psalm 119, Proverbs 30:5). Third, we study the Bible because we want to learn that which is pleasing to the Lord (Ephesians 5:6-10). We study the Bible because it was written for our instruction, to give us hope and encouragement. “For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures” (Romans 15:4). Next, we study the Bible because the Bible is the only book we need. If we have the Spirit within us, then we need no other book to explain to us the truth of the Bible. It is the Lord who gives understanding (2 Timothy 2:7). In His letter to believers, John wrote, “But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in Him” (1 John 2:27).

If you still need more reasons why you should study the Bible then look to Psalm 19:7-11.

Study the Bible because:

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever.
The rulesof the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Because moreover, by them is Your servant warned.
Because in keeping them there is great reward.

If you have not been abiding in the Word then stop reading this article here and now and go read the Bible.

Part 2: The Dangers of Books

Before we go further, I need to define what I am referring to when I say “books.” For the purpose of this article “books” refers to written words whose declared goal is to help the reader understand the Bible. I’m referring to written words that attempt to teach us, encourage us, or exhort us in our Christian walks. This could include books, magazine articles, or blog posts. Yes, like the thing you’re reading now. So, please join me as we examine together the risks you are taking in reading this article.

Danger #1: Books that claim to be Bible Studies, but aren’t

Most “Bible Studies” on the market today are not actually Bible Studies. They are commentaries. It doesn’t mean they are necessarily bad books, but they aren’t what they claim to be. However, we know the importance of studying the Bible, and sometimes we benefit from direction on how to do it; so, it is important to be able to identify what is a Bible study and what is a commentary.

Not sure how to tell the difference? Here is a test:

Does the author give instructions, or do they give opinions? I believe a Bible Study will direct you to the verses and let you discover for yourself what the Bible says, without (or at the very least before) encumbering you with what the author thinks It says.
During the study do you spend your time reading the author’s words about the Bible or the actual words of the Bible? A Bible study should cause the students to spend time in the Word, not in reading man’s words about It.
Does the author direct you to highlight their own words or only the words of the Bible? If you’re highlighting someone else’s words, you’re probably not doing a Bible study.

Let’s try the test out! Is the article you are reading right now a Bible Study? Nope, it’s not. I’ve been giving some pretty strong opinions and, though I hope they are all backed up with Scripture, I’m still telling you what I believe. If this were a Bible Study, then I’d be asking questions and giving you the verses to go find the answers first for yourself in the source of truth.

So, sorry, but if you were reading this article as your Bible Study for the day; then go ahead and stop reading and go read the Bible.

Danger #2: Replacing the Bible with Books About the Bible

Books are beautiful gifts from God, but– they do not replace the Bible. It is God’s Word which is truth; it is God’s Word which sanctifies us (John 17:17). No commentary or book about the Bible can ever replace a diligent study of the Bible. Sadly, I have seen many believers doing just this. They spend their limited time, reading books and neglecting the Bible. Even the very best books will never be a replacement to the living and active word of God (Hebrews 4:12) and they will never satisfy or produce the growth which only comes from abiding in the Word of God (John 4, John 15).

I love reading about nutrition. But reading books about nutrition doesn’t replace my body’s need to actually eat a nutritious diet. This also applies to reading Christian literature. It can be good and helpful, but even the best Christian books cannot quinch a Christian’s hunger for the Word. If the only nourishment you are taking are the books about nourishment, then you will starve on them. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). And in John 15 He says, “Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:3-5). Go to the Bible eat and drink regularly and thoroughly of Him. Only when you are being satisfied in the Word can the other books be of any value to you (1 Corinthians 3:11).

Danger #3 Building Your Faith on Man Rather Than on Christ

Do not build your faith on the sinking sand of man’s words, but on the solid foundation of Christ alone. Jesus said, “Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great” (Luke 6:47-49).

A few years ago, I was having lunch with two sisters in Christ. The younger woman shared with us a question she had been pondering. I proudly related to her what I’d recently read in a very “spiritual” book. The third woman listened to what I had to say and then gently replied, “But what does the Bible say?” She didn’t say that what I had read was right or wrong. Her point was that I should never stand on man’s words. People are flawed, our interpretations are often flawed. If reading a book ever causes us to say, “well so-and-so believes” or “pastor such-and-such says” then close the book, stop, and consider. The truly good books are the ones that drive us to the Bible. They deepen our understanding of God’s Word and cause us to say, “The Bible says.”

In the first letter to the Corinthians we learn that the recipients were experiencing jealousy and strife saying, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos.” But Paul says they are only servants through whom they believed, as the Lord assigned; and that neither he who plants or he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:5-7). Paul goes on to say “According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilledmaster builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11) and he goes on saying, “Let no one boast in men” (1 Corinthians 3:21) So, be careful. Ask yourself who are you boasting in, Christ or man? Who are you building on, Christ or man? “Each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). Will your house stand?

Danger # 4: The Danger of Written Lies

When my parents forbade me to read Biblical commentaries as a child, and told me instead to read the Bible, they did so because they knew the risks. They wanted to be sure I was equipped to recognize lies. Who can recognize a lie without first knowing the truth? So, they pointed me to the pure milk of Scripture that by it I might grow into salvation (1 Peter 2:2). Remember it is only through abiding in Christ that the fruit is produced (John 15:4-5).

Not everyone who claims to teach the truth is actually doing so. In Acts 20 Paul speaks to the Ephesian elders saying, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). Studying the Bible can be hard. Peter himself wrote that some things Paul wrote are hard to understand (2 Peter 3:16). Because of this it may seem easier to study the Bible through the watered-down channel of a book. Why study when you can let the scholars do the hard work? Because, as Peter goes on to warn us, the ignorant and unstable will twist the Bible to their own destruction, as they do other Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:17-18).

So, what is the guard again this threat? It’s there for you to see in 2 Peter 3, “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Do you have a burning question regarding your life? Don’t look it up on your favorite pastor’s website. Go to Jesus! Read the Bible first, see what It says before seeking man’s council.

However, it might not always be possible to learn what the Bible says about a subject before you hear what men say about that subject. As Christians we are called to community. We learn together, we go to church, we talk, we ask each other questions. You aren’t always going to be able to study what the Bible has to say about a topic before that topic is presented to you. In this case, be a Berean. In the book of Acts the Bereans received the Word with eagerness, but they also examined the Scriptures daily to see if what they were being taught was true (Acts 17:11). They didn’t believe because someone said so, they believed because the Scriptures said so. Be Bereans. Go to the Word before you seek man’s council and go to the Word after you get man’s council.

Danger #5 The Pride of Knowledge

^“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, ‘He catches the wise in their craftiness,’ and again, ‘The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile’” (1 Corinthians 3:18-20).

Recently, I was talking to someone about what I believed regarding the role of repentance in salvation. I was doubting what I’d said, so I went to a mature believer and asked anxiously, “Am I right?” I expected a yes of course you are, maybe even an at’a girl. But she looked at me gently and said, “You’re not right, the Bible is right.” The point hit home. It drove me to the Bible to find the exact passages that I was standing on. It stripped me of the pride of anxiety and left me with all that matters: what does the Bible say? When we stand on the Scripture alone, there is no room for anxiety or shame. When we are standing on the Scripture alone we can say with Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17). We make mistakes, we misinterpret, misunderstand, but the Bible is always right. It is perfect and it is perfectly complete (Psalm 19, Psalm 119:89). This is a guard against pride, because confidence in the Word of God produces humbleness of self. I am not right, the Bible is right, so may the words “According to the Scripture” be my rhetoric when discussing God’s Word (1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Matthew 4:4,7,10).

Danger #6: Believing You Should Move Past Scripture in Favor of “Deeper” Books

Fellow Believer, be warned. There is a lie from the enemy which says the Word of God is the milk and that theological books and teachings are the true meat; that once a believer matures, they should move past the study of Scripture in favor of “deeper” books– books written by man. This arises from what I believe is a misinterpretation of Hebrews 5:12-14 which says, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Why do I believe these verses are being misinterpreted when people say mature believers should move on from studying the Scriptures in favor of man written books? First, because I know the Word of God is both the milk and the meat (John 6:35). Second, because Jesus commanded us to abide in His Word (John 8), so there should never be any circumstance in which we move past the study of the Bible. Third, because I know it is the Word which sanctifies us (John 17:17). And fourth, because I’ve studied Hebrews 5:12-14 within the context of the whole book of Hebrews. If this is a passage you are struggling with, then go read Hebrews 5:12-14 in context. Read at least all of chapter 5 and 6, but better yet, prayerfully read the entire book of Hebrews asking God to give you understanding. He has already promised He will (James 1:5).

Part 3: The Role of Books in the Life of a Believer

Am I saying you should never read or share any theological books or Christian writings? No! If I believed that then I wouldn’t be a writer. We are called to proclaim the excellence of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). What better way to do that than through the written word? Books do have a place. In his letter to the Philippians Paul tells them to “keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (Philippians 3:17). In his letter to the Galatians Paul says we are to bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2). 2 Corinthians 1:3-6 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.” So, I believe when we read the words of men, we do so to walk with one another, learn from one another, and comfort one another.

But, the role of books in a believer’s life is miniscule– finite compared to the role of the Bible. Books do have a place in the life of a believer, but they are not the priority, they are not the goal. You may have seasons when you set aside the reading of books in order to have all available time surrendered to the unadulterated study of Scripture. And you may have seasons when you are drinking deeply of the Word and are reading books too. In his letter to the Philippians when Paul tells them to “keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us” (Philippians 3:17); he follows it up with a warning, “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:17-18). So let us read good books, let us learn from them, be comforted by them. But let us go to the Bible first so that we know the truth and let us measure everything we read against the Word (Acts 17:11). Let us always take care that we build on the foundation of Jesus Christ alone so that when someone asks “why do you believe this?” You can open your Bible, point to the verse, and say, “Because the Bible says so right here” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11).

*If you were blessed by this article then please consider sharing it with your friends. You can also subscribe to receive an email update when future articles are released. I’m praying for you. -H.M. Coker

*All Bible quotations are taken from the ESV unless otherwise stated.