|
|
|
|
“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” (John 17:20–21 NLT)
It is important that when we study God’s word, we invite not only the Holy Spirit to enter into the space and time in which we practice this discipline, but also allow other voices to join us, voices of those we respect and who follow the teachings of Jesus and the apostles and the prophets. It’s not that the Bible is lacking—it isn’t—or that the Bible is too complicated to understand—it’s not; simply, we would be foolish to think we held a monopoly on how the truth of the Scriptures is understood. After all, Jesus prayed that we would be one, both the disciples He taught and those of us who came after.
There is wisdom in seeking out how others understand the letters of Paul, the writings of Peter, the teachings of Jesus, and the prophecies of Isaiah so that we as individuals can grasp the fuller picture of what the Bible means and, better yet, how it impacts our lives. Study as a solitary discipline can only get us so far; studying with those within our immediate faith community takes us further along the journey; studying with writings from church leaders and theologians of the past and present will lead us further still. The end goal is to hear the voice of the living God and to learn, in everyday ways, to easily and naturally obey His voice.
Today, open up your study of the word of God to different voices, all in the ambition of hearing from God himself. You might consider seeking out a few commentaries on the passage, or you could spark a conversation about the passage with a friend whose thoughts you respect.
|
|
|
When we meet Jesus around people who are just like us and then continue to follow Jesus with people who are just like us, we stifle our growth in Christ and open ourselves up to a world of division. However, when we’re rubbing elbows in Christian fellowship with people who are different from us, we can learn from each other and grow more like Christ.
—Christina Cleveland
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
