Years ago, I ran across a newspaper column containing the following line: “It is not the responsibility of the average person that they should be ‘rightly dividing the word of truth.’” The author claimed that this responsibility belonged to the “ministry,” and that the average person should just trust the ministry to rightly divide the word of truth. We take serious issue with the above statement and practice.
1. God Expects Everyone to Understand His Will. “Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17). This instruction was not given to church leaders. It was given to every member of the church. Earlier in this same epistle, Paul showed how we are to understand: “By which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (3:4). Understanding comes from reading and studying the Scriptures, not from blindly following our ministers and preachers.
2. The Bible Thoroughly Furnishes Us unto All Good Works. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Everything we need to know how to serve God and go to heaven is found in Scripture. If it was profitable for Timothy to study, why wouldn’t it be profitable for everyone?
In an earlier epistle, Paul encouraged Timothy to “exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Tim. 4:7-8). This “exercising unto godliness” would have included a study of God’s Word. How can I benefit from someone exercising for me? I can’t. To profit from exercise I must do it myself. Likewise, we can’t benefit from someone else studying the Bible for us. That is also something we must do for ourselves. Otherwise, Paul’s illustration makes no sense.
3. We Must Work Out Our Own Salvation. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). We have a personal responsibility when it comes to our salvation. Why should I feel satisfied to take someone else’s word for something as important as my eternal salvation? The Bereans are regarded as noble examples because they would not take the word of the inspired apostle Paul. They searched the Scriptures daily to make sure what he told them was the truth (Acts 17:11). We should beware of a mere preacher or minister who discourages us from examining his message by the Scriptures.
4. We Are Destroyed for a Lack of Knowledge. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Dependence upon others for our knowledge of God’s will is not a good thing. It makes us easy prey for false teachers. What better method would a false teacher have of keeping his followers than to discourage them from studying the Bible for themselves? The Catholic Church kept the Bible out of the hands of the common people during the Dark Ages. Modern day ministers do no better when they ask their followers to just trust them to declare the whole counsel of God.
Don’t let anyone or anything convince you that it is not the responsibility of the “average person” to study the Bible for themselves. Such an idea is nothing short of a tool of the devil designed to keep the truth of God’s Word out of your heart. It is important that we all study the Bible for ourselves, allowing God Himself to teach us through His Word.