There are many threads that delve into what the Bible says in its original language (OT Hebrew, NT Greek). English has never been my strong suit, let alone foreign languages of any kind and this got me wondering. I rely on English translations as an English speaking person. Is it even fair to say those who reference the original languages are merely reading? I think not.
I recall in a Study Bible class the Pastor got up to get a reference on what a certain word meant in the original language. For some reason, many of the crowd bemoaned him doing this. However, I supported his efforts saying, "This is not called Bible Read but Bible Study."
My guess is very few who post in this forum would say they only read but do not study the Bible. Thoughts?
A pastor told the story one time of a day he spent in Bible study. He had seen something in a verse in Ephesians that caught his eye. He began looking at translations and commentaries, and looked at the original language, and after a good solid 8 hours of digging and searching, found a nugget of truth he hadn't seen before, but was a true treasure! And he related how satisfying it was to be able to access all these materials, and to be able to understand the Greek behind the translation, and how to find the relevant parallel passages.
That Sunday, after the serving of the Word, he was greeting the people, and one of the widows came to him, "Pastor Chuck! Let me show you what the Holy Spirit showed me in my Bible reading this week! And she went straight to that verse, and told him the very same thing he had discovered. She saw it as she read. Rather the Holy Spirit showed her. And him. But in different ways.
Why? I don't know. I imagine it has to do with the sorts of lives He wants us to lead.
A teacher of men should have, I think, a good understanding, a good solid foundation for what he teaches others. He should have done all the things Pastor Chuck did. But someone not teaching others, it's a private matter between them and God.
I'm driven to know everything I can know about the teaching of the Bible, and to understand it to the degree that I can share it's truths in a simple fashion, and mostly in just quoting Scripture. That's me. I also just curl up with God and His Book, and just soak in it, in Him, as it were!
Someone needed to serve some food, and Martha was doing all the work of service, but Mary chose the better part, to just sit at His feet.
But there has to be balance,
Who is that wise and faithful servant whom the Lord set to feed the servants at the appointed time? Happy is he if he is found so doing when his Master comes. Something like that.
I think we should do what we believe the Lord is calling us to do. And "Study" to show thyself approved, I think that more means in today's words, "be diligent to show thyself approved . . ." It's not just a matter of books.
Much love!