We had the privilege of watching the BCS National Championship game last Monday night with one of my elders – at least the first half. They also invited another member named Rodney to join us. Rodney is a walking sports encyclopedia. You would guess he knows UK basketball. But he also knows college football – not just UK either. He knows the NFL. I was impressed. We talked a little about Major League Baseball and he knew a good bit of facts there too. Maybe I should have thrown some NHL at him, just to test his knowledge.
At one time, members of the churches of Christ were known as walking Bible encyclopedias. We knew the Bible. I got in to a discussion with a man door-knocking one time, in Piedmont, AL. I was answering some of his questions at the door when he said, “Well, some people know the Bible and some people know Jesus.” I answered him, “But how can you know Jesus if you don’t know the Bible?”
There was a joke that circulated at one time. A judge in the courtroom was having trouble finding a Bible on which the witness could place his hand and make his oath. The judge said, “Well, is there a member of the church of Christ here? He could just place his hand on that person’s head.” That would be an honor if it were true. What a great testimony to the church in times past.
I fear, however, that television has destroyed our habit of reading and studying. I hope it has not. If there is one thing I want the church here to say about my tenure as the preacher is that I believed deeply that we needed to read, study, and know the Bible.
I mentioned Sunday that God helps us meet the challenges He places before us. I used Ephesians 3:16 to prove the point. There, Paul says, “according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” I very much believe that the Spirit strengthens our inner man. But I also believe Ephesians 6:17 where Paul tells Christians to take up the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
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The Scriptures are clear. The Holy Spirit works through His word. He cannot strengthen us if His word is not in us. Nor can He convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment, as Jesus says He does in John 16:8, if we don’t have the Bible in our minds and in our hearts.
Guess what? That doesn’t come easily. There is no spiritual vitamin you can take to get the Bible into your heart. It takes time. It takes reading; it takes study; it takes meditation. There is no other way to do it.
I hope the Paris church of Christ is known as walking Bible encyclopedias. Let’s read it. Let’s study it. Let’s memorize it. Let’s live it. Let’s teach it.
–Paul Holland
