God’s Purpose For Studying His Word - Part 5
2 Timothy 2:15
“15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
There are some godly men who have written good commentaries on a book or maybe even all of the Bible. They were worth reading and considering. There are also godly men alive in any generation who have been called to preach God’s word. The local church needs a pastor/teacher. A man or men called of God to proclaim God’s Word. There are also living evangelists who are called to travel to different places and encourage the local churches through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word. These men are necessary to help the workman study God’s Word properly. Thus there is a need for humility to be willing to accept the input from other godly men in the study of God’s Word. It is important to have discernment in listening to any man. We should not believe any man without examining his teaching on the basis of God’s Word. Does the man use sound hermeneutical principles to teach God’s Word. We should not view the local pastor or the travelling evangelist with scepticism, but we should keep in mind that the man or men are human beings, and not God. As we see in Ephesians 4 God has chosen men to help us to grow in our faith. Men that can help us to be strong in the Lord. There are men we can trust and as we spend time in prayer and in the study of God’s Word, we will be able to discern who is trustworthy and who is not.
Fourth, consulting some good commentaries. As we have mentioned above, God has godly men in every generation. Since the coming of the printing press, it has been easier to retain thoughts for others to benefit from them. It is important to consider carefully who the person is that is writing the commentary. It is important to know what this man believes. What is his testimony of salvation and what does the man believe - what is his theology? If the man does not have the conviction that God has preserved His Word and that He has watched over His word so that we still have an accurate text today, he is not worth reading. God has promised to preserve His word from this generation and for ever (Psalm 12:6-7). For the English speaking world, that is the King James Bible. If a man is reading and studying and comparing the King James Bible with one or more of the many perversions on the market, he will not come to the truth, but will be led into error. Thus, in the study of God’s Word, it is important to consult godly men, who have godly fear of God in their hearts.
It is important to keep in mind that the study of God’s Word is to be such that the student of God’s Word is not ashamed. God’s Word is truth and He does not expect man to twist it for his own ends.