Is Technology Killing Bible Study?

I was talking with a preacher about getting books for the library of a new preacher school in a third world country. As we talked about the books they needed, how to pay for them, and how to ship them, he said with a sigh that the only book they had was the Bible. Realizing how that sounded, we both said, “That’s a good problem to have!”

Never before have we had so many resources for studying the Bible. They serve us well if we keep them in their place. But has the servant become the master in this age of instant information?

Preachers are often overloaded with meeting the needs of the congregation and have little time to study. But they may just fail to make the time to study. The well-known commentator Albert Barnes used to rise before four and five o’clock in the morning and work until nine writing his commentaries. Then he would do other works as minister of the church. That kind of dedication is lacking today.

Gospel preachers of days gone by like Gus Nichols and Franklin Camp studied for hours each day. Of course they used other books, but it was obvious that the Bible was their main focus. It is difficult to find a preacher today who can analyze, explain and apply the Scriptures like the former generation of gospel heralds.

Preachers today often pick a Bible text and spend a few minutes reading it. Then they turn to the internet and down the rabbit hole they go. Thirty minutes later they surface with fantastic insights, quotes and outlines. All that remains is to transfer this material to slides and presto! They have a great sermon. There has been no reflection or meditation. There has been no critical examination of what they read. The statements they are using may not be important or even correct, but they are in such an excited hurry they don’t even bother to think about it. Worst of all, they spend very little time praying and studying the pure Word of God.

Surveys of denominations in recent years reveal complaints about preachers who download a sermon outline and then deliver it after they go over it for fifteen minutes. People can tell if a preacher studies. They know if he is repeating what someone else said or if his heart is into what he is saying.

Now we have AI. Artificial intelligence can write articles for us, and the excuse is, “This program can say it better than I can.” But at what cost? The grammar and word choice may be better, but what about the personal side of the preacher? Even the Holy Spirit used the personalities and styles of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. More importantly, why would we trust a program created by non-Christians to express truths they don’t even believe and may even hate?

I realize there are benefits of technology. You may be critical of this article because I didn’t mention them. But there needs to be some balance and we need to beware of losing our self-discipline and our emphasis on the Word of God. I was able to hear sermons of preachers who lived before the age of the internet, and as a whole there is a marked contrast between the preaching of that generation and the preaching of today. God give us young men who have the strength to devote themselves to a focused study of the Bible.

Kerry

West End church of Christ, July 21, 2024