Do You Know Scripture, or Just What Theologians Say About It?

I have been thinking about Scripture a lot lately. This should not be surprising since I am a minister of the gospel and a seminarian. But I wasn't simply thinking about a particular passage to expound on, I was thinking about Scripture as a whole. The reason for this thought process is because of an assignment we were given in school. We were asked to write out a personal theological statement of ministry. When I got to the portion where I would express my beliefs on the subject of Scripture, I saw that I wasn't writing out my beliefs, I was regurgitating words I have seen in Luther and Calvin's writings, and words I've heard from my favorite Pastor Alistair Begg (shameless plug time (best preaching in America)). To be sure, there is nothing wrong with learning, or being formed by someone's writings or sermons, but that cannot be the end of your learning. A good student should go beyond their teacher's ideas and develop an understanding of their own. So as I was unknowingly plagiarizing the minds of the men that formed my theology, I sat back and came to the realization that I did not have a firm grasp on what Scripture is, and how it is to be viewed. I will try and be more faithful in this blog to regularly post my findings on Scripture, and hopefully someone may actually stumble across this site and help, correct, or lead me down a helpful path. Only helpful conversation please, even if it's a rebuke.

I think it might be helpful to write down a bit of personal history that has led to my current view of Scripture. I was born in Nigeria to parents that were called to the mission field, but unlike most missionaries who go from America to another country, we came from Nigeria to America. My parents were some of those old school type that actually made their children read the Bible and pray. Every morning before we would go to school we would kneel around my parent's bed, read a Scriptural devotion, and pray. I am not trying to say we were a perfect family, I certainly was not a perfect child, but I do think we were led down the right path. My dad listened to a wide variety of preaching from men like Kenneth Copeland to Chuck Swindoll, and sometimes I would listen with him; but it wasn't preaching that piqued my interest in Scripture, oddly enough it was eschatalogy, more specifically it was the dispensational view of eschatology. I began reading Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins Left Behind Series, after I would finish a book I would open Revelation and devour it, my whole life was lived in expectation of Jesus coming back to snatch me from whatever I was doing and take me to heaven (my views on this have changed). A few years later, while attending school at The Ohio State University, I became involved in a Bible study group that introduced me to young people that really loved studying the Bible, and in a monkey see monkey do way, I began studying and memorizing Scripture myself, in fact, this is where I fell in love with Scripture. When I graduated from OSU I found myself with loads of free time and I began reading for pleasure again. This time I didn't read Left Behind, I picked up John Bunyan's classic, The Pilgrim's Progress, this book changed my life and led me on a fast pace into the world of reformed theology. A few weeks later I stumbled across the preaching of Alistair Begg and Sinclair Ferguson (who is also reformed) and since then I have viewed Scripture in a whole new light, and I would be lying if I said that my life was not transformed as a result of my discoveries. I am eternally thankful to God for parent's that didn't leave me to "discover my own path," and preacher's that feel so passionately about the gospel that they give their all to preach it.

I think I have written enough for today, the reason I think that is because my daughter just woke up and she see's me typing, therefore she will soon come and type with me :-). Before I go I just want to say that this is a journey, and I pray that God will guide me to the discovery of what His word is, and how we are intended to view it. Perhaps I will find myself coming to a deeper understanding of what I already know, stick with me and we will see. In the next blog I will write down some things I learned from a recent visit to Hot Head Burrito with my professor of New Testament, David Watson.

Okay, she is crawling over, and she has a little drool already so I am out.

Peace!