Why Am I Always Asking You to Read?

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15

If you look up various English translations of this verse, you will find them all to be a little different.  The theme is always the same, but the translated words are usually different.  Here is what language teachers call a “wooden” translation:

“Hasten yourself, approved to God, a workman, not ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

Hasten?  What does that mean?  Does it mean “do your best”?  Well, sort of.  It means to be eager, to be zealous.  Then how does a person hasten his or herself?  A good English word for hastening yourself in this context is… study.

The next question is easy to answer – study what?  Study God’s word?  Of course.  But is that all?  The end of the verse gives us the goal for our Bible study – being able to accurately handle the Bible.  That means to correctly understand it, and correctly apply it in your life.  

Can you do all those things without assistance?  No, you cannot.  No one can.  You need (a) the Holy Spirit, and (b) someone smarter than you to teach you.  Since I am not smarter than you in every area, I point you to people who are.  They have written their understanding of God’s word into additional resources – mostly books.  In order for you to obey this verse, you must seek this wise counsel from others.  You must listen to the teachings of those who have gone before us in the faith.  You must read.  It’s really not an option.  We can laugh with each other about how hard it is to read consistently (and it certainly is!) but we must encourage one another and hold each other accountable in our reading.  The books which I select for Lakewood, and display in the hallway outside the office, will teach you, encourage you, lift you up, and ground you in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I pray about the books and select them, specifically with Lakewood in mind, for us to pursue holiness together.  Please read them!

Those who are not trying to learn will only gain knowledge by accident. 

Blessings, 

Pastor Bruce

bruce.cullom@gmail.com