In Book VIII of the Confessions, Augustine describes how he was struggling with doubts and confusion about his faith when he heard a child’s voice saying “take and read, take and read.” He took this as a sign from God and opened the Bible to a random passage, which happened to be Romans 13:13-14. This passage spoke directly to Augustine’s doubts and confusion, and he experienced a profound spiritual transformation as a result.
Many Christians today are deeply engrossed in reading commentaries about the Bible, reveling in exploring its composition and interpretation, as well as analyzing its literary devices. I do not mention this to humiliate anyone, but rather to share my personal experience. While completing my Master of Theological Studies program at NationsUniversity, I found myself preoccupied with matters that diverged from biblical principles. Regrettably, it is easy to be distracted without even being aware that we are prioritizing things other than the Bible. While these pursuits are inherently valuable, they should serve as stepping stones rather than endpoints.
If individuals fixate solely on these aspects without allowing them to lead back to the Bible itself, they miss the essence of their purpose. The ultimate goal should be to direct people towards engaging directly with the biblical text, fostering a widespread readership of its contents. Unfortunately, it is evident that many are more familiar with biblical commentaries than with the content of the Bible itself.
This is a factor contributing to the decline of faith. It is the Word of God that is inspired and, as such, it carries with it the power to dictate doctrine and the moral code by which we ought to lead our lives. In cases where individuals fail to accord the appropriate priority to the Word of God, no matter the amount of extrabiblical texts that they read, they will continue to be left vacuous, superficial, and carnal. They fool themselves into thinking that they have a vast knowledge of God, when in reality, what they know comprises nothing more than subjective and inferior opinions of others. They are partaking of a subpar quality good.
Instead of allocating their time to God through reading His Word, they divert their attention to diluted commentaries. As stated beforehand, engaging with extrabiblical materials is commendable if in conjunction with the reading of the Scriptures. However, if we disregard the Scriptures and dedicate ourselves solely to poring over biblical backgrounds and commentaries, we have strayed from the important, pivotal matter at hand.
As it stands, God is beckoning each and every one of us to “take and read”. There are many who would not have backslidden if only they had laid hands on the Holy Bible and read it. Many foolish words would not have slipped past our lips had we taken the time to acquaint ourselves with biblical texts. Saint Augustine of Hippo picked up the Bible and read. This single act caused an immense impact- Augustine emerged as the father of Western theology, influenced Christian thought, and his teachings have endured for generations even after his death over sixteen centuries ago. His voice is still heard simply because he took to reading the Word of God. Do you not wish to imitate Augustine, and also aspire to pick up the Bible and read? I am certain you are capable of acquiring knowledge from his example. Soli Deo Gloria.
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