Theology

At the beginning of this study we asked the question, "Why should we study the Bible?" Knowledge of the Bible is very important, and that has been seen as we looked at the commands in 2 Timothy earlier in this study. But knowledge by itself has no value.

1 Corinthians 8:1 "Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies."

1 Corinthians 13:2 "And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."

These two texts point out the impotence of bare knowledge. At the beginning of the class, we looked at Psalm 119 where the author clearly links together righteous behavior, and familiarity with the Word. If one wants to grow spiritually, he must be in the Word. These two passages from 1 Corinthians, however, guard against the opposite error. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is useless. The usefulness of knowldge is found in whether a person acts upon that knowledge.

The Importance of Application

Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. 25 "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. 26 "And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. 27 "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall."

This is a popular passage from which we derive a popular kid's song:

The foolish man built his house upon the sand…
The wise man built his house upon the rock…
The rains came down and the floods came up…
So build your life on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Many people understand this passage to teach that we need Jesus. It is quite true that we need Jesus, but that is not exactly the point of this passage. The last line in the song betrays a similar understanding. We tend to think that the foolish man did not listen to Jesus. Yet, in this passage, both the foolish man and the wise man listen to the words of Jesus, the difference between them is that the wise man acts on these words.

James 1:21-25 "Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. 22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does."

James is more explicit in this passage declaring the absolute importance of being doers of the Word. Why does James say, "if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was." The Word of God shows us who we are. It reveals things about us to us. It shows our sins, our blemishes and spots that need to be cleaned. As Paul said, "And I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive, and I died" (Romans 7:9). The word, the law, shows us our need for a savior (Gal 3:24). If we do not take action and become doers, it is as if we have forgottong what we look like. We go about our day with filth on our faces, not having bothered to cleanse what the mirror revealed.

Hebrews 5:11-14 11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.

This passage again links behavior and knowledge. The rebuke starts with condemning their lack of knowledge. They do not have understanding, and that is a shameful thing.They have been Christians long enough that they ought to be teachers by now. Then verse 14 kind of jars what we would expect to hear. "But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil." It is the practice of it that, in part, makes us mature. This same relationship is found in John 8:31-32 When Jesus says, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." It is the very act of doing that seems to bring a certain level of understanding.

Matthew 28:18-20 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, " All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 " Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

The great commission is one of the most popular, but most neglected commands. It is a passage that is often used for evangelism, and it should be, but its usefulness does not stop there. There is a command here to teach them. It is a monumentous task in the first place to teach someone all that Christ commanded. However, this passage teaches even more. We are to teach them to obey everything Christ commanded.