Over at the Gospel Coalition,Jen Wilkin considers the reasons why Bible study often leaves us unchanged.
Why, with so many study options available, do many professing Christians remain unschooled and unchanged? Scripture teaches clearly that theliving and activeWordmatures us,transforms us,accomplishes what it intends, increases our wisdom, andbears the fruit of right actions. There is no deficit in the ministry of the Word. If our exposure to it fails to result in transformation, particularly over the course of years, there are surely only two possible reasons why:either our Bible studies lack true converts, or our converts lack true Bible study.
She goes on to identify five insufficient ways of approaching the Bible:
- Xanax Approach
- Pinball Approach
- Magic 8 Ball Approach
- Personal Shopper Approach
- Jack Sprat Approach
You can find the rest of Wilkins article and her descriptions of these approaches here.