Untitled article by M. Larsen

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 2, 1893

STUDY OF THE BIBLE—ITS IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS. NO. 1.

By M. Larsen

(Continued.)

"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:31, 36.

The truth, the word of truth, is for that purpose, to make us free. Hence, Christ prayed, "Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth." John 17:17.

Now since the word of God is designed to sanctify us, make us free, and bring us into harmony by thoroughly furnishing us unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:16, 17), being by it born again, it necessarily follows that in order for us to receive such benefit from it, we must acquaint ourselves with it by a careful and prayerful study of its contents. Therefore says an apostle:—

"Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby." 1 Peter 2:1, 2.

Hence, the obligation to STUDY THE WORD OF GOD. It must be evident to anyone that no one can expect to receive very much benefit from that which they do not understand, nor can they expect to understand that which they do not investigate or study. Says the Psalmist:—

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." Ps. 1:1-2.

Hence Christ's command, "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me." John 5:39. This is sufficient to establish the existence of the obligation to study his word.

But here we are brought face to face with another important question—the extent of that obligation. How extensive is the obligation? We are aware of the fact that we are living in an age when the idea is becoming more and more prevalent that the obligation to study or search the Scriptures is confined to the ministry; in fact, it is quite commonly believed that the Bible is composed of such dark sayings, is made up of such deep, incomprehensible mysteries, that none but the trained, educated mind of the sanctified minister is capable of comprehending, of understanding, and explaining its teachings, or of solving its mysteries, and that, therefore, they alone are under obligation to study it. But does it seem reasonable that a God of infinite wisdom and love would, after having devised the plan of salvation, a plan as universal as the race of mankind, a plan in which all have a reason to be interested, a plan upon which their eternal destinies are dependent,—does it seem reasonable that such a God would turn and trifle with them by so enshrouding the revelation of that plan in clouds of such impenetrable mysteries that none but a select few could understand or fathom, and that all the rest must be dependent upon them for their instruction and understanding in the matter? Is it not rather reasonable to expect, and to believe, that God would place that revelation in such simple language that even the child might comprehend and understand its unsearchable riches, and that as universal as is the race, so universal is his plan and the revelation of that plan, and so universal also would be the ability to understand and the duty to study the same? What! Did God endow some with intellects and reasoning powers to comprehend his will, and others only to bestow upon the things of this earth? or did he not rather design that we all should, first of all, seek to know his will and strive to glorify his name? And if so, must we not conclude that the duty to study his word is extended to all?—Most assuredly!

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." 1 Peter 3:15.

But how can we do this unless we not only know what we believe, but also why we believe? Here, then, we find the duty of studying his word is virtually enjoined upon all. Not infrequently do we meet with individuals who do not even know what they believe. Of course they belong to some church, and believe as that church believes, but if you should ask them what that church believes, they could not tell; and if they could, perhaps about the only reason they would be able to give for believing the same would be that they believe so because the church or minister says so, or because their father or mother said or believed so, and of course they were real good people, etc. But our father or mother believing or saying thus or so, or the minister teaching this, that, or the other, does not make it so; nor would that constitute a good and sufficient reason why we should believe it. Let them be ever so good, the question with everyone should ever be, Does the word of God teach it? If not I have no right to believe it. My father or mother may have believed as our forefathers did, that the earth was perfectly flat; but that did not make it so. Anything short of a "Thus saith the Lord" is not a sufficient or valid reason for my either believing or disbelieving a thing. But when we can give the "Thus saith the Lord," chapter and verse, we submit to any candid mind if we have not given all the Lord calls for, all anyone ought to call for, a good and all-sufficient reason for our faith and hope?

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever." Deut. 29:29. Not to the ministers alone, but to "us and to our children."

"But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim. 3:14, 15.

If Timothy when but a child could know or understand the Scriptures, is it not just to conclude that they are still within the reach of the child's comprehension? Or shall we conclude that children are less capable of comprehension or of understanding now than they were then?—Assuredly God's word is the same.

(To be continued.)