The old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” isn’t exactly true. I’m an old dog, and I’ve been learning a new trick. I’m learning how to be computer literate so I can keep up with the times.
Learning is an important part of life. We live in the Information Age — and the more you know, the more effective you will be. Now that’s true for everybody – including Christians. The Bible is our authority for life, and the more we know it, the more effective we will be.
In 2 Timothy 3, Paul describes the “last days” as “perilous times.” Then later in the chapter, he tells Timothy how he can be effective in those days. In verses 14 and 15 he says, “But continue thou in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child you have known the holy scriptures…”
Timothy had been taught the Holy Scriptures since he was a child. And now Paul was telling him to continue learning the Bible as the means of reaching people in the last days. “But continue thou in the things which you have learned…”
The word “learned” is a Greek verb that means “to find out something in order to understand it”. Now this verb is in the active voice – which means that he was to actively pursue the learning. And it is a verb in the past tense, referring to things he had learned in the past as the basis for continued learning.
In other words, for the Christian – we never stop learning from the Word of God. We just continue on – learning all the time.
So, how’s your learning coming? Are you merely caught up in spiritual experiences – or do you actually study your Bible? The effective Christian is learning something new every day with regard to what God says in His Word.
Hey – Don’t just be a “happy-clappy.” Be a learner – study your Bible.