Martin Niemöller once stated that instead of study, he trusted the Spirit for his sermons. An older colleague commented: “as for me, the Holy Ghost never spoke to me in the pulpit. Yes, I remember, he did speak to me once. When I was going down the pulpit steps after a poor sort of sermon, the Holy Ghost spoke to me. He said only three words, and what he said was, ‘Heinrich, you are lazy!’” Dewitt Matthews understood him to say, “the Holy Spirit has much more important work to do than to substitute for human indolence” (Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey, p. 15). It is sad so many today take the unbiblical approach of Mr. Niemöller. 

God has given us this great Book and expects us to read it and understand it.

A causal reading of the Gospel of Mathew reveals Jesus’ relation to Scripture (e.g., Matt. 7:28-29; 19:1-9, 16-21; etc.). The followers of Jesus were also serious about Scripture. Read through Acts and see this on display (Peter’s use of the OT in his sermons, Acts 2 and 3; in front of the Sanhedrin, Acts 4; Stephen’s masterful use of the OT throughout Acts 7; Philip’s desire and ability to expound on the OT Messianic text of Isaiah 53, Acts 8; Paul’s use of the OT in Acts 13; and the councils’ use of the OT in Jerusalem in Acts 15). We should all desire to be serious with the Sacred.

Paul admonished young preachers to “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15, NASB). The call to apply yourself is hardly limited to preachers If anyone wants a relationship with God they will find it by devoting themselves to knowing His word. The negative implication of Paul’s comment is if you fail to apply diligence and you fail to accurately handle God’s word, you will find yourself before God disapproved. The early disciples exemplified this behavior. If we want to be faithful today, we must do the same.