When you study the Bible, what is your mindset? Are you merely reading the Scripture to advance your bookmark, so that, at the end of the year, you can say, “I have read the Bible from cover to cover?” Or, do you view your study of the Scripture as an act of worship? When we hear the word “worship”, it isn’t uncommon for us to instantly think of music and hymns on the Lord’s Day. Congregational worship is a time when we openly express our love for God, and we do so with reverence. But, when it comes to studying Scripture, or reading theology, we so often can separate those acts from the function of worship; yet this shouldn’t be the case.
Baptist theologian, John L. Dagg (1794-1884) wrote in his Manual of Theology:
“The study of religious truth ought to be undertaken and prosecuted from a sense of duty, and with a view to the improvement of the heart. When learned, it ought not to be laid on the shelf, as an object of speculation; but it should be deposited deep in the heart, where its sanctifying power ought to be felt. To study theology, for the purpose of gratifying curiosity, or preparing for a profession, is an abuse and profanation of what ought to be regarded as most holy. To learn things pertaining to God, merely for the sake of amusement, or secular advantage, or to gratify the mere love of knowledge, is to treat the Most High with contempt.”
The purpose of studying the Scripture, and theology in general, is to worship God and grow in our understanding of Him. May all our study be done with a heart longing to know more about God, and not merely to produce sermons, assignments, or increase our own intellect.
Josh is an Evangelist and holds a postgraduate Diploma in Theology from Malyon College in Queensland. He has also completed studies through the London Reformed Baptist Seminary. Josh resides in Brisbane, Australia, with his wife, Louise, and their three children, Thomas, Elizabeth, and Henry.
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