“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” Psalm 133

It is an awesome thing when people work together toward a common goal. An athletic team that truly works as a team can accomplish things far beyond expectations. A business where all the employees cooperate and are productive will likely achieve great success. In like manner, the church has the potential for accomplishing great things in God’s sight. The condition, however, is that we work together. Since we are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27), we must learn that 1) everyone has a place in the body and 2) that everyone must do the work he/she is capable of doing. Please consider the following observations:

When the church works together…
• There will be less bickering and more forgiveness (Philippians 4:2).
• There will be less criticism and more encouragement (Hebrews 10:24).
• There will be less excuses and more evangelism (Acts 2:46, 47).
• There will be less selfishness and more selflessness (Philippians 2:3, 4).
• There will be less discussion of personal preferences and more Bible study and seeking to know the will of God (Ephesians 5:17).
• There will be less worry about the future and more prayer for the strength and courage to face the future ((1 Thessalonians 5:17).
• There will be less dissatisfaction with worship and more concentration on God himself within our worship (John 4:24).
• There will be less individual glory and more glory to God (Matthew 5:16).

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:1-3

-by Lance Cordle, Church of Christ, Calvert City, KY
as printed in January 2005 Bulletin Digest

There is a great deal of difference in just reading the Bible and studying it. Webster defines the word study as follows: “A busying one’s self about a thing, zeal application of learning; the act or process of applying the mind in order to acquire knowledge, as reading and investigation of any subject: careful attention to and critical examination and investigation of any subject; to fix the mind closely upon a subject, to meditate to ponder.”

We are commanded to study the Bible. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). The word translated study is defined as: “to use speed, to hasten, to be eager, diligent.” It is translated “forward” in Galatians 2:10; “endeavoring” in Ephesians 4:3; “labor” in Hebrews 4:11; and “diligent” in II Peter 3:14.

Is there any book that you are more eager and diligent in studying than the Bible? Are you at your best in studying it? When the Bible comes up for discussion do you have to apologize for your lack of knowledge?

Study is work. Study of the Bible demands desire to know and understand. It requires concentration and patience but its rewards are far beyond whatever the cost may be.

Feel A Deep Need For Truth

Little profit comes from the study of the Bible unless there is recognition of the need of knowing the truth. If one is a sinner he should realize the depth of sinfulness and separation from God and the fact that he must learn the truth in the Bible to be saved. If one was lost in a desert and found a map how would one study the map? Would it be with a passing notice? Would it be consulted occasionally? Would one feel that it made little difference whether the map was followed? How many treat the Bible the way they would treat a map if lost and trying to find their way out of a wilderness? We are travelers from time to eternity and we cannot guide our steps. “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). The Bible is the most important book one will ever study.

Study To Practice What You Learn

Many seem to have the idea that the study of the Bible is simply a mental exercise. They read with no thought of trying to put into practice the things learned. Jesus said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17). An infidel may learn some things the Bible teaches but he will never learn the truth that saves unless he seeks to do what it teaches. A girl may memorize a cook book but she will never become a cook until she puts something into the oven. I read that a child learns 10% of what he hears, 80% of what he sees and 90% of what he does.

Is your knowledge of the Bible growing? How much more do you know today than yesterday, last week, last year? You may know as much as you are willing to eagerly and diligently search out to do.

– Franklin Camp (adapted from article at thebible.net)
-submitted by Jerry Sturgill

Throughout human history various mediums have been utilized to transfer information. Early in history, oral tradition was the chief source of knowledge. Since books had to be handwritten, they were quite rare and very expensive, making them unavailable to the masses. The drawbacks to oral tradition are fairly obvious. Accuracy and advancement of knowledge were limited by the memory of the elders of a society. Any truth discovered had to be remembered well enough to pass to the next generation.

The invention of the movable type printing press revolutionized information exchange. Books became more available, libraries became more numerous, and discovered truths could be more easily kept in the more permanent form of a book for later generations to consult. There were still drawbacks in regard to the limited number of people who could publish information. Those who had the money and power would have more access to publishing their views, while a poor minority who may have had the truth would not be able to disseminate it. I have some books in my library that document the history of the Lord’s church through the published works of their oppressors who wrote about the reasons for their hostility toward the “heretics.” Six hundred years ago, (and for centuries before that time), the Lord’s church existed underground because oppressive false religion had the reins of the government in its hand. While the Lord’s church did spread the truth, almost all of the material that has survived from that period are the writings of those in power who punished the true followers of Christ as “heretics” for rejecting their manmade traditions. This is just one example of the limits of information exchange during that time.
The Internet, while not solving all of humanity’s problems regarding the exchange of information, certainly revolutionized the world. Since the 1990s, when the Internet began to be used by the masses, people all over the world have been given the ability to exchange information with a level of convenience never before known in the history of humanity. While this has helped some of the past problems in regard to publishing information, it has also introduced some new problems. One of the major problems is the rapid spreading of false, but popular, ideas. We all should know that we should not believe everything we read, especially on the Internet. What is mainstream and popular may likely be false (Matthew 7:13-14).

However, there is one work that spans all the ages of information exchange and gives us the best information. It can be trusted; it is the most reliable source of truth the world has ever seen (John 17:17). That book is the Bible. God delivered, once and for all (Jude 3), a body of information that is vital to our eternal wellbeing (2 Timothy 3:15-17). While it may not hurt to be misinformed in regard to some trivial matters, when it comes to our souls, we cannot afford to be wrong; we absolutely must go to the guidebook. When asked what to do to inherit eternal life, Jesus pointed men to what was written in the Bible (Luke 10:25-26). There is a haze of false information out there regarding what we should do to go to heaven (1 John 4:1). Will you be lost in it or will you cut your way through mist of false doctrines with the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), blazing your way to the narrow path (Matthew 7:14) that leads to salvation? Brethren, let us always check the Bible, the source book of truth, before we believe or practice anything.

–Mark Day