Why Study the Bible?

A couple of weeks ago the Sunday morning theme at church was 'Why Study the Bible?'  As I'm currently on sabbatical from church to enable me to study the Bible, I was asked to record a video contribution to the discussion.  Here are the questions I was asked, and my answers, probably a little more polished than in the video...

Why did you decide to study theology at an academic level?*

I've always been interested in what the Bible says, right from Sunday School!  I've always enjoyed learning more about the story and stories of the Bible, and how they point to God.

In 2011 there was space in my life for study, and it seemed a useful thing to do, so I very tentatively - very part-time - started a BA course at Spurgeon's College which I completed in 2017.  In 2018 I started a part-time MA in Contemporary Missiology at Redcliffe College, which I am due to complete this summer.

What did you gain from the course?

I remember the first course I did - it was called Reading and Using the Bible.  I found it encouraging and enlightening - encouraging because I found that knowledge I already had was relevant and useful (all the way back to what I'd learnt at Sunday School); enlightening because I got a bigger picture of how it all fitted together, and because there were new things I learnt.

From this, and the rest of my courses as I've gone on, I have gained confidence in my knowledge and understanding of the Bible (although, of course, there's always more to find out), and a broader, bigger picture of who God is.  That includes more of how different people have understood God, Jesus and the Bible.

What challenges did it present?

I had to learn to write proper essays.  I reckoned that I'd not written as essay as such for about 27 years (having done science A-levels and an engineering degree) so I had to learn to write in an academic way.

There were some hard subjects, with some challenging ideas - some because of the size of the subject (such as the Trinity) and others because they made me think about some of the beliefs and assumptions I'd always made.

And there were a range of types of subjects - in my order of preference: biblical studies; theology/doctrine; practical theology; history.

Why did you choose Spurgeon's College?

One very practical reason was its closeness to home, making weekly travel there possible.

It's a Baptist college, which fits my upbringing, and also a similar starting point to my current church.

And one reason I'm pleased I chose Spurgeon's (although I didn't necessarily think of it beforehand) is that it's a 'confessional' college, i.e., one where studies start from a position of faith and explore from there, rather than challenging the fundamental ideas of God and faith.

Would you recommend to others the course you did / the college you attended?

Yes!

More than that, I would recommend studying the Bible!  This needn't be at an academic level but study, not just read, the Bible.  This can include:

• Attending to the actual words you are reading
• Finding out what other people have said about them
• Not assuming you know what the words meant when they were written, or how they've been understood since - talk to others, find podcasts, books, videos...

You don't have to go to college to do this - do it with a friend or with a group.

Yes, the Bible is good for reading through as a story, for prayer and meditation, and hearing from God - but also for study, and God speaks through the Bible is all these ways.

An example from my current studies into Joseph and his care for Jesus: Matthew 1:19 tells us that Mary's husband Joseph was a righteous man, and that (having found that she was pregnant) (i) he was going to divorce her, and (ii) he was going to do it quietly.

How would you understand Joseph's righteousness?  Most modern readers take it that Joseph's righteousness was linked to his kindness is not wanting to shame Mary, even though he felt obliged to divorce her (or break off their engagement).  But, from my studies, it is clear that the primary meaning of righteousness, as it would have been understood at the time, related to being a faithful follower of the law and so related to the decision to divorce Mary.  The desire to do it quietly was additional kindness, not thought to be part of the righteousness of following the law.

More than that, though, one thing that the rest of Matthew's gospel shows is that God's ideas about righteousness require more than strict adherence to the law - Jesus called for righteousness greater than that of the Pharisees - and so Joseph was Matthew's first example of someone acting in this way.

Joseph too showed himself as open to spiritual direction and guidance when he changed his plan altogether after receiving divine guidance in the next verse!

How did your course help you to go deeper with God?

Taking the time to study on both of my courses has made time for God to speak, or at least for me to listen.

In listening to what God is saying, and has said, to other people, I have heard the challenges to what I think and believe, which has deepened and broadened by knowledge of and relationship with God.

My studies have helped me to appreciate that we can't put God in a box - we can't think we understand God fully, even though through the Bible, God is made known in the person of Jesus and the witness of people to the work of the Spirit.

Why don't you read, and study, a book of the Bible you've not looked at for ages - how does it grow, challenge, or deepen your knowing God?

*I wanted to point out the academic difference that I've learned about over the years between biblical studies and theology, but decided that wasn't the point of the question!