TH,

             Amen, “Study”!

However there is a fruitless study:

 

Ecclesiastes 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.

 

The wrong book, which is any or all of these other books, and even books “about” the word of God, leads only to a weariness of the flesh.

 

II Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

Yet, the right book is the word of truth, the scriptures, which leads to an approval unto God..

 

I Corinthians 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

 

Then they that are approved,  by studying the word of truth, are thus manifest when they effectively reprove heresies, by the truth of the word of truth.

 

If we do not “study” the word of truth, we cannot even discern heresy, much less reprove it.

 

II Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

 

Doctrine we learn by studying the scripture. Doctrine is important.

The word, doctrine/doctrines, is used a lot in the pastoral epistles: 13 times in two epistles, first & second Timothy, and 4 times in Titus.

That is so opposite of the new trend.

The new trend has people brushing doctrine aside, as not important, and too divisive, that we should simply love Jesus, and not be concerned with doctrine.

Either the Holy Ghost has changed his mind (he inspired those three pastoral epistles), or we are no longer listening to him.

The trend today seems to be to try and hear him by “feeling” him, rather than by what he actually did say, and have committed to writing.

It is similar to WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?), which is 100% subjective where we fill in the blank, based upon what we “think” he would do.

It is far safer to consider WDJD (What Did Jesus Do?), which is not subjective, but 100% objective, since it is all written down in the scriptures.

 

Also, it says, “rightly dividing the word of truth”.

Today, many of us can longer divide the word of truth.

We can no longer divide between the old covenant and the new covenant.

We can no longer divide between the law of God and the gospel of grace.

We can no longer divide between the covenant with Israel and its statutes & tokens, with the church and its ordinances, the Lord’s supper & baptism.

So, again, amen for writing that about “study”.

                          Gino