The Danger of “Leaving it to the Experts”

Barriers to Bible Study

A huge barrier to some is the wrong-headed idea that the “ordinary people” are not intended to and should not try to read and interpret the Bible themselves. This is not a new idea.

What is the means of illumination? Is it through the hierarchy of church leaders (whether they by Roman Catholic, or Protestant), or through the learned ones with education (the scholarly caste) or is it through the individual soul bent in submission to the Word and the Spirit of God — longing to understand.

This is an important question. Now, I do see value in listening to and harkening to the words of learned men, and such men can give good guidance — of course. But none of these groups ought hold a monopoly on the interpretation of scripture in the lives of the saints. To do so is dangerous.

I want to begin with the positive argument here;

If you are a believer, you have God’s Spirit in you, and his work is a work of teaching. You do not need third-party teachers to teach you. You have the ability in and of yourself in Christ.

The short of it is here in this passage from John’s First Epistle.

1 John 2: 26-27 / I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

God’s Spirit is working in believers and helping them understand and learn from God’s Word. The anointing abiding in us is directly related to the Holy Spirit and his indwelling presence. See the promise that Jesus spoke of in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you. Or, elsewhere in John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.”

This is the source of illumination, the understanding of the truths of scripture. It is the Spirit dwelling in us and not the pastors ruling over us. It is in the Holy One not in the scholars. To mix this up in any degree is dangerous.

The injunction to “trust the leaders” on things of scriptural understanding is an injunction to put men before God in our individual understanding of Scripture — I would rather encourage you to self-study. If human leaders were fully impervious to error such a statement would be fine. But we know, they are not. Jesus harshly discouraged leaders taking heavy-handed intermediary rolls in people’s relationship with God (Matthew 23:8-12). It would be beneficial to all for anyone who assumes to be a leader to take these warnings to heart.

Rather than bullying people or manipulating them into doctrine, we need to encourage the on-on-one encounter with God that is the basis for the true Christian life. Each man, woman and child encountering God personally — reading and studying the life-giving word. Each one sitting like Mary at Jesus’ feet listening to the Words he so freely gives — eschewing the anxiety-driving pursuit of Martha, mere human driven endeavors that clamor for our attention and mind-space.

We are encouraged in the first question of the Westminster Catechism as our chief end to glorify God and enjoy him forever. If we do not spend time with Him we cannot enjoy him and this would make glorifying Him all the. more difficult

Illumination is the doctrine that God has enabled believers by the Spirit indwelling in them to personally understand the Word of God; it is the third theological step in God getting information to such people as us.

1. Revelation — God is revealing truth to us and desires to do so in a special way.
2. Inspiration — God moved in the hearts of the biblical writers to write down, through their own lives and personalities, God’s Words
3. Illumination — God’s indwelling Spirit in the believer helping them to understand the truths written in scripture.

We see here a God-given desire to communicate — a God-provided means of that communication — and a God-infused means to bring that revelation to the heart of man. It is not a human empowered experience, it is of the Spirit, through the Spirit and by the Spirit.

You see, it’s a bit like a game of telephone, but with God’s Spirit engaged in the steps. It is not foolproof as people can ignore God’s Spirit or worse usurp his role in the illumination process. If we don’t engage in the Word firsthand we impede the process of God’s revelation.

See this in action;

• Consider Acts 17:10-15 / Look at the Apostle’s attitudes toward the people of Berea as they were skeptical of the teach of Paul and Silas; they welcomed the Bereans study of Scripture and were not offended by it.
• Consider 2 Corinthians 4:1-6 / Paul’s description of God’s light “shining out of darkness” giving illumination of the knowledge of Jesus.
• Consider Matthew 16:17 / Peter’s declaration of Jesus’ deity does not come from the mouth and mind of people, but from God.

And so, dear Christian, don’t settle for second-hand-truth. Delve into scripture in a first-hand manner. Study it. Ask for God to illumine your understanding. Such is your privilege. Such is your responsibility.