Into the Word
Why did the Bereans study the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true? Why did they not trust his words? Acts 17:11.
Because Paul preached Christ from Scripture, showing that He was the promised Messiah, those who heard him with an open mind where driven to study the Scriptures for themselves to see if these things were indeed so. In other words, even Paul’s words weren’t good enough. They had to be confirmed by the Bible.
What do the following texts tell us about the importance of the study of Scripture? Prov. 2:1-6, Isa. 34:16, Matt. 4:4, Rev. 1:3.
Ellen White consistently lifted up God’s Word and encouraged church members to study it. “I recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice,” she wrote in Early Writings (p. 78). In the introduction to The Great Controversy she wrote, “In His word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience.”—Page 9.
Why did the prophets throughout history admonish God’s people to read and study God’s Word? The reason is simple: God “gave His word to men as a revelation of Himself. Every new truth discerned is a fresh disclosure of the character of its Author. The study of the Scriptures is the means divinely ordained to bring men into closer connection with their Creator and to give them a clearer knowledge of His will. It is the medium of communication between God and man.”—Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 69.
Ellen White’s writings are never to be used in place of the Bible; on the contrary, she spent her life trying to get church members to read the Bible and make it the rule of faith for their lives.
| What are ways that you can get more out of your own Bible study? How can you make your time in the Bible more profitable than it is now? |
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