The Use of Biblical Scholarship in the Ministry

The Use of Biblical Scholarship in the Ministry

WONG Fook Kong

This article argues that a major challenge facing Old Testament scholars teaching in seminaries is to democratize their learning. There are many reasons (eg, historical, theological) why Biblical scholarship is not more widely used in the churches than is the case. This article focuses on two inter-related issues. First, Biblical scholarship is not perceived as being user friendly. Most church leaders and pastors cannot afford the time necessary to do research, master Hebrew or Greek, or study the Bible at the level of a professional scholar. In answer to this, the author proposes that most Christians with a bit of theological education can do a bit of research themselves as well as benefit from the works produced by professional scholars.

Second, most people presume that they can rely on the illumination of the Holy Spirit to help them understand the Bible. This renders Biblical scholarship unnecessary or, at the least, of minimal importance. Furthermore, Biblical scholarship seems like an all too human enterprise. Different scholars hold different, sometimes diametrically opposing, views on the same issue and these views themselves change when more information is discovered. Even more damaging to the case for Biblical scholarship is the fact that it is a double-edged sword. It can challenge one's faith just as easily as build up one's faith. While agreeing with the above observations, the author makes the case that Biblical scholarship is a helpful and worthy undertaking for those who want to have a deeper understanding of the Bible.