Modern Christians have the tendency of making principles from the Scriptures into binding Law for all Christians.
For instance, we are corporately commanded to make disciples of all nations. But if you haven't gone on a missions trip of some sort, you're sinning.
Or - we're commanded to meditate on the Scriptures. Let the doctrines dwell richly in us. Speak to others in doctrinal language. Sit under the right preaching of the Scriptures in a Bible-loving church.
But nowhere are we commanded to read the Bible (unless you're a pastor!) On the other hand - if you choose to read good Christians books written by good teachers (Piper, Sproul, Bridges, Bunyan, Packer, etc.) instead of the Bible, you're looked down upon.
Why? The command - the law - doesn't exist!
Surely the Scriptures are wonderful, and in them we see God revealed in Jesus - but lay Christians are not necessarily sinning if they don't study them. True - there may be a heart condition that is sinful and the reason they aren't.
But folks - let's not be legalistic. Let's hold people accountable to God's laws - not to 'spiritual disciplines' we made up.
Good thoughts about this topic Derek. I agree that if we try to saddle people with Christian "requirements" that we invent we do them a disservice. With that being said, what should the role of spiritual disciplines be within a Christians life?
ReplyDeleteI seem to disagree with you on the point of Modern Day/lay Christians should not be held to a the command to meditate on his laws. How are they to know what the laws are if they do not know how to read the Bible. I do believe there are many christian authors may lend to aiding understanding. Honestly, isn't this(not looking to the Word) why there is so many dissensions within the church, because the christians are not looking for answers in His Word and more on man's understanding.
ReplyDeleteChris - thanks! And good question. I think that needs to be addressed with this question: what are the spiritual disciplines?
ReplyDeleteVicki - I don't disagree with you - Christians are commanded to meditate on and speak God's word. But they are never commanded to read it. They are commanded to listen to it read and preached.
Dissensions in the church exist because of lack of submission to God's word. And the shepherds are at least partially to blame.
so.. Its ok if I dont read my Bible? :)
ReplyDeleteDerek, even though I am not commnaded to read scriptures, dont you think it falls under the context of meditate and speak God's Word. How else do we get our spiritual feeding? Can we get it all from just hearing it from the pulpit/hearing it being read?
Sure!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not saying it shouldn't be read. Just that there's no Law that says that it must be.
Meditation and speaking to each other in psalms, creeds, and spiritual songs must happen. And if the personal reading of Scripture is a way to get that done, then certainly, do it.
But it was done for 1500 years (and more if we're talking OT) without mass produced, written Scriptures. People learned the Scriptures from the pulpit and through catechesis on the Sabbath.