Topic(s):  Bible Study, Wisdom

Bob Prichard

One of the great blessings of our day is that we have so many good tools to use in our study of the Bible, including atlases, concordances, lexicons, and commentaries. These tools allow us to have a deeper understanding of the Bible, and we can benefit from twenty centuries of scholarship and study by others. Bible scholars today stand on the shoulders of others who devoted themselves to the study of the written word and the biblical world. How wonderful that we have these blessings to aid in our study!

But with any aid, there is always danger. Since commentaries are the works of men, they must of necessity be imperfect. Even the most careful and conscientious Bible commentator is subject to making errors. This problem is compounded by the fact that most commentators have a particular denominational bias that they bring with them when they comment on scriptures. Commentaries are very useful in proper place, but they must be used with caution.

The attitude every person should have toward the study of the scriptures is that of the Bereans. After Paul was resisted by the Jews at Thessalonica, “the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:10-11). The Bereans were searching the scriptures every day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. No doubt they found that Paul and Silas were teaching the truth, but the Bereans did not blindly accept what was being taught, even from an apostle. We have no inspired apostles today, so it is even more important to examine the scriptures to judge the teachings of any one, whether it happens to be the pope, Billy Graham, William Barclay, or Bob Prichard.

Jesus said “to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). The Lord intends for every one of us to be able to understand His word so that we can enjoy the freedom the truth of His word offers. We can and must understand, because we are bound to keep what it says. Jesus warned, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

Never begin your Bible study with a commentary. Always begin with the Bible itself, in a good standard translation. (Some Bible versions, such as Good News for Modern Man, which is a paraphrase, are really commentaries themselves). Bathe your study in prayer, and do your very best to understand God’s revelation to you. Only then, turn to the commentaries, always reading them with the attitude of the Bereans, searching the scriptures daily to determine whether the things you read are so. You can learn many wonderful things from the commentaries, but be very careful to reject anything that conflicts with the Word of God.