Before I decided to go to graduate school, I spent some time in seminary. One of my professors was known for memorable phrases. One of his off-the-cuff quips has stuck with me for decades: “If you don’t think the ministry is hard work, you aren’t in it.” I never went into the pastorate, but that phrase rings through the corridors of my mind whenever I think about Bible study. It lends itself to a suitable adaptation: If you don’t think Bible study is work, you aren’t doing it.
Bible study is work. The word “study” implies activity and effort. I know from experience that this truism is foreign to many. There are reasons for that.
Some people never graduate from Bible reading to Bible study. Reading doesn’t require much effort, especially if you aren’t thinking while doing it. Running your eyes over words on a page is one of the easiest things an adult does at any given point of their day. But Bible reading isn’t Bible study.
Others associate Bible study with “getting a blessing.” This confuses devotional reading with study. The goal of Bible study isn’t a spiritual buzz. Bible study isn’t in search of a feeling. It’s in search of understanding what the biblical text says and what it means. That isn’t to suggest personal application is irrelevant or ought to be avoided. Instead, it’s to suggest that “applying” anything in the Bible without knowing what it means is at best useless and at worst dangerous.
Another reason is that small group Bible studies are usually passive. Little actual study happens, at least for anyone other than the person tasked with leading the group. While the leader may have put serious work into the effort, everyone else is a listener. True, the material may stimulate questions, but asking a question isn’t Bible study. It’s where Bible study often begins.
Most of us know that “study” is a verb. You know that if you went to college, prepared for your driver’s license exam, wanted to research a pending medical procedure, or are serious about fantasy sports. A better synonym for Bible study than “reading” would be “research.” And research isn’t easy. It takes tools, tenacity, and time.