There is a popular Bible training DVD called “Learn the Bible in 24 Hours.” I highly recommend it, as it does a pretty good job summarizing the story and themes of Scripture in 24 1-hour segments.
But guess what? I can summarize the Bible in 24 words…
Learn the Bible in 24 Words:
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your strength, and your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.
Of course, this isn’t MY summary. It comes from Jesus. He used slightly different words in various places in the Gospels, but this is the basic gist of how Jesus summarized the entire Bible (cf. Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:27-28).
Of course, do we Christians really believe that Jesus was right? It often seems that we do not. We often seem so intent on believing the right things, and knowing the right things, and doing the right things, and forcing other people to believe, know, and do the right things also, that we neglect to actually show love.
Which begs the question… What does it matter if I am an expert in Bible trivia, can speak to angels in my prayers, and can quote a thousand Bible verses, but have not love? Have I understood the first thing about Scripture? I think not.
What benefit is there to attending church Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night, and a Bible study on Friday night, if I have not love? Have I understood the first thing about God? I think not.
If I can perform miracles and cast out demons and get politicians to jump at my every word, but have not love, am I truly following Jesus? I think not.
Pastors and seminary professors today bemoan the fact that Christians are biblically illiterate, and they do everything they can to teach people more about the Bible.
I say the problem is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of love. And to love God and love others, you don’t need Bible studies and sermons, books and podcasts, or Reverends and Ph.D.s.
How to Learn the Bible
Learning the Bible is important, but learning the Bible doesn’t help you love; loving helps you learn the Bible. We study the Scripture, not simply to learn what it says, but to learn better how to love. This means that if you have no intention of trying to show tangible love to your friends, neighbors, and coworkers, then you have no reason to study the Bible. Where there is no love, the study of Scripture is nothing more than an empty religious exercise.
So you want to learn the Bible? Start by loving others.
Who does this? Who has met the person? Religion does not produce such people. Nor does theology or voluminous knowledge of every nuance of Scripture. Ask your non-religious friends how many people they have met in their lifetimes who come even close to this. Their “long list” might have one name or two, or no names at all.
If such people exist, why have we never met them? Why has their love never shone in our direction? We know only religious people who want to use Scripture to beat us over the head. Maybe we’re not very lovable and their love gets rationed out to some one else.
Because we have never met this person does not prevent us from being this person. If Jesus lives and if what he says is possible, we can be this person to others. If we can’t, then the entire Jesus thing is a giant sham, as many people think, since they have never met such a person.
Sam,
I have met a few of them, but they are rare, and most of them cannot be found in a church or religious institution. Most of them had to leave their faith traditions when they actually started to live out love. Religious leaders, it seems, are threatened by people who would rather love on a person than threaten and condemn them for their sin.
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So true, Edwin. I too have met a few, but they’re not the authorities on religion, theology and the Bible, They put loving others into practice, and they’re noticed by those they love, not by the religious folks. They hang out in the alleys of life, not in the cathedrals. But we know who else hangs out in such places.
I think that love in practice IS real theology. I love studying, reading, and writing about theology, but I have found that living my theology helps in ways I never could learn from a book or a blog.
Excellent post.
We must become the Word of God by embodying the essence of Christ. This is done by faith which works by love. Until we can do that, we all should close our Bibles. If we don’t we are just modern day Pharisees.
As Christ told the Pharisees, “search the Scriptures, for in them you THINK you have life.”
Great comparison to the Pharisees. You are right. They almost worshiped the Book, as do we.
I have found that when I study the Bible to learn information about the Bible, I have come no closer to becoming like Jesus. Yet, as I am more and more studying the Bible to learn from the man Jesus, I am growing constantly! The Scriptures show me what love does NOT look like (the Pharisees, for example), how love manifests itself in everyday life with others, and how extreme love is meant to be (love your enemies, too!). The apostle Peter instructed the saints to add on brotherly and agape love “in increasing measure”. I have found the Scriptures to be an essential ingredient to my discipleship to Jesus because in them is the very Word and Example of my Master. Jesus is the One who knows how to love fully, and I must be His disciple if I am to learn how to do so. How does a disciple learn from Jesus without the Scriptures? One can have the Scriptures and fail to learn from Jesus, but one can hardly learn from Jesus without the Scriptures!
yes! I think that the primary purpose of Scripture is to give us good and bad examples of what love looks like. It can inspire us to live like the good examples we read about in Scripture, or to avoid the bad examples.
I love Him because He first loved me. The Bible is the story of that love. As I learn more of that story, I gain better clarity of His love for me. As my understanding of His love grows, my love for Him grows deeper. The expression of my deepening love for Him is my demonstration of love for His Church (my brothers and sisters in Christ). I expect my love for Him to deepen throughout my life, culminating in absolute understanding and appreciation and reciprocation of His love throughout eternity with Him.
By the way, I also recommend Dr. Missler’s “Learn the Bible in 24 Hours” as a great overview.
So true, Michael. Also, I recommend Dr. Missler’s study. I have used it from time to time since it came out.
Regarding love for others, you mention love for brothers and sisters in Christ. Do you think we should also show love to people outside of Christ? If so, how?
By bringing them to Christ.
I believe that once we are born again, and through our deepening relationship with Christ, His desire to love His church becomes evident through us. Christ is outside of time (sees the end from the beginning), so when I say “His Church”, I mean past, present, and future. It is not for me to try to figure out who is in His Church (in my future), so I love those around me (my “neighbor”).
Great answer. I agree.