When I was a freshman in Bible college, one of my professors was something of a zealot for Bible memorization. During the semester he had us memorize 150 verses, punctuation included, using the King James Version. I had an excellent short-term memory, so the feat wasn’t that hard. I’ve since read the Bible in several versions, but I still recall a lot of Scripture in the KJV. In that respect, I’m still living off the capital of that investment in memorization.
While I’m thankful for the discipline of that class, I feel compelled to state something obvious: memorization isn’t Bible study. Memorization is, well, committing something to memory for later recall. But being able to recollect a verse with precision does not mean you understand it. You could memorize your tax forms, but that isn’t going to resolve any confusion that may arise from what they say. It’s the same with Scripture. I could memorize the entire Bible, but how does that nurture my comprehension? My precise recall would be the same as simply reading the text word-for-word had I never bothered to memorize it. Whether reciting or reading, I might not know what any of it means in any given place.
My point is not to call for a memorization boycott. Nor is it an opportunity for revenge on my college professor. Rather, my aim is for you to realize that memorization and study are not interchangeable concepts. Real Bible study demands thinking. Memorizing words is not the same as pondering what words mean. For example, you could easily commit the following sentence to memory: “New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group.” Knowing what the words mean, though, takes some reflection . . . and a sense of humor.
Many things we read, especially in the Bible, aren’t as easy to parse as this headline. Many readers will have memorized Ephesians 2:8–9:
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
But how many of us have bothered to ask the obvious question: What is the gift of God? Is it grace? Faith? Both? Something else? How would we know? Memorizing these verses is a good idea, but understanding what they mean is even better.