You have perhaps heard the story of the church member who in admiration of the visiting preacher’s knowledge of Scripture said, “I’d give anything to know the Bible like you do!” Emphasizing the point, the member gushed, “I’d give my life to know the Bible like you do!”
To which the preacher replied, “That’s exactly what I gave!”
August was a reading and study month for me. I have spent a majority of the days and of my time reading, preparing, studying, and refreshing my knowledge of Scripture. A church secretary once told me, “I think you must spend at least 30 hours each week reading and studying, preparing sermons and classes, reading books, thinking about and talking about the Bible.” That may be a fairly accurate estimate–which got me to thinking….
An estimate: 30 hours per week, 50 weeks per year, for 40 years, equals 60000 hours of study.
A full time job: 40 hours per week, 50 weeks per year, 30 years, 60000 hours.
The equivalent of 30 years of full-time work–devoted to understanding the Bible and knowing the message of God, devoted to communicating effectively in classes and sermons the essence of what God has revealed about himself and his will for humankind.
I recognize that the estimate may be off a bit–perhaps my secretary was being too generous. Maybe I’ve missed more days than I would like to admit.
I know this–knowing the Bible does not come in little snippets here and there. Preachers: if you are serious about the God-given task you have accepted, become a person of the Book. Devote yourself to reading Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Be diligent in these matters, give yourself wholly to them, persevere in them, because if you do, you will save yourself and those that hear you. Incidentally, I trust that you recognize that the preceding words are not mine, but Paul’s!! [See 1 Timothy 4:13-16.]