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Surprised by Lack of Bible Study

In Australia, those door-knocking groups who exist on the fringes of Christianity are pretty rare. It isn’t too often that a pair of ‘missionaries’ wants to come in and share with you.

But on those occasions when I’ve been approached, I’ve been surprised at the limited Bible study of these evangelists. They wish to accost me in my home or at the local bus stop. They want to tell me the truth. But there isn’t the Bible study to back it up.

How very disappointing. I’m a member of a mainline protestant denomination, and am regularly engaged in Bible study. This is, of course, not enough to satisfy these fringe missionaries. It’s great that I’m a Christian—but I’m not their sort of Christian. Why not, I inquire? I’m fed a variety of answers. I challenge these from Scripture, especially those verses which seem to have been turned on their heads.

The most disappointing reply came a few weeks ago. Having been pursued along a street, and having given abundant signals that I wasn’t in the mood for a fresh round with the new guys, I found myself being a bit short with them. Why are you claiming to have the truth, when your own Bible study is lacking? Why are you misusing passages like John 21? Err, we don’t know, came the reply; what’s in John 21? I was stunned that this, a central passage in their own arsenal of reasons why I ought to reconsider my commitment to orthodox Christianity, was so foreign to them. I wasn’t impressed: it’s your argument, tell me why you think I should reinterpret Scripture? And the sad and telling reply: I’m sorry, sir, I’m not a scriptorian.

The last is not a word I’d heard before. But it’s implications were clear. Here was a young man, probably still a teenager, making his way as a missionary in a foreign land. He was trying to sell me a new and improved Gospel. And he wasn’t even familiar with the Scriptures he was trying to sell this Gospel from. He didn’t have the Bible study to back it up.

Yes, this may be something of a rant against such sectarian groups. But I find the negative story yet another positive reason to actively promote good Bible study. It is a fresh reminder that we can combat error with the truth. And it reminds us of the need to be conversant with our own Gospel, before we dare to offer it to others who need it.

Submitted by Andrew Malone