Be encouraged!

And sooner or later, their ignorance will be revealed in their preaching or teaching. The problem is that they won't even know it enough to be embarrassed.. And their ignorance could very well lead someone astray.

 

drfuss: The problem I have with depending on commentaries is: What commentaries do you depend on? Roman Catholic? Jewish? Calvinists? Arminian? Lutheran? 7Th Day adventists? etc.

Every commentary has an agenda. The problem is most Christians limit their commentaries to those of their own theology. This is particularily true on BB with the Calvinists. I suspect in other forums, the same limitations are practiced with other theologies. Some Christians are fearful of reading commentaries of other theologies which may contradict their own taught theology.

I study the secipture without the commentaries and read the commentaries as only someone's opinion. Many times the commentaries are helpful, but I don't depend on them for my basic theology.

 

I will say that I approach other books and commentaries in a twofold fashion:

1) They are often a sermon in print (we do not give up listening to preaching, why would would give up reading preaching - to put it lightly)

2) As I study to reconcile a man's sermon with Scripture, so too do I with the writings of man.

 

Good advice, Reformed Baptist! We must compare Scripture with Scripture, but the commentaries and sermons have lasted for hundred or more years for a reason - they contain great wisdom.

When I read commentaries that don't agree with my view, it makes me go back and make certain that my view is Biblically based. If I think it is, I treat it like eating fried chicken: I eat the meat and throw away the bones.

 

Well said.

 

The only thing that will lead you astray is not blieveing in Jesus Christ.1Jn 2:27 But the anointing which ye haue receiued of him, abideth in you: and yee need not that any man teach you: But, as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is trueth, and is no lye: and euen as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

 

There are people to whom God has given a gift of great intellect, and a desire to apply that intellect to reading and understanding the scriptures. Some of them are also given a teaching gift for our benefit. We should appropriate those benefits to ourselves.

I have personally benefited from the preaching, teaching and writings of a number of my pastors and others so gifted. They have broadened and deepened my understanding of the scriptures which I doubt if I had the intellectual capacity to achieve on my own.

 

God gives you understanding then.

 

Encouraged

Not read books ? Not use commentaries? - Must be kidding!!
Why would I not know what commentaries to read and what books to read? I may be old but not that old !
Commentaries I look at who publisher is, I listen to advice of others who's opinion I value. I believe I own three commentaries and several other reference volumes. The commentary that I use most often is a two volume set published by Dallas Theological Seminary. The next one was written by J. Vernon McGee. I read this one from beginning to end once - took me two years mostly because it was not the only thing I read. However my all time number one writer of expository commentaries is James Montgomery Boice (a Presbyterian in case you are curious) Each chapter of his books is about eight pages in length because they were also his sermons (at least most were). I would say that in a majority of his chapters at the end he talks about salvation. Which you don't find in many publications these days.
Regarding books my favorite authors are Dr Blackaby, Rick Warren, Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, and others that I will remember when I get over this senior moment! I also like fiction books and get most of them from discount places about $4.99 or so and the language used has sometimes made me regret spending even $4.99, I also like books on Alaska.