Some people read the Bible to admire it as magnificent literature. Where in the world, indeed, can we find such wonderful stories, such vivid poetry and imagery as in the Bible? Some people read the Bible to verify its history. A whole science of archaeology has grown up around the inerrant way in which the Bible touches on the histories of men and nations. Other people study the Bible to seek out its teachings on nature, science, philosophy, and psychology. No other book deals so accurately with matters that fall within the province of science.

Some people make a lifelong study of the great legal codes of Scripture. The Mosaic Law is an acknowledged masterpiece of legislation and the foundation of many of our modern legal systems. Some people study the Bible to uphold or to disprove the soul-destroying theories of the so-called higher critics. Some people spend their time disproving the teachings of the various cults of Christendom, most of which claim to be based on the Bible. Some people study the Bible to become expert in its Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic vocabularies and grammar and, in so doing, compile vast concordances and lexicons with which to weigh each jot and tittle of the text. Some people study the Bible devotionally, others study it doctrinally, some study it analytically, some study it synthetically, and still others study it homiletically.

Nearly all of these ways or reasons for studying the Bible have their place. But over all of them James writes the words, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Bible study is not an end in itself; it is a means to an end. The Bible calls for a response. We must do what it says. Obviously! It is the Word of God. If we don’t do that, it is like pouring water into a sieve.