But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 2 Peter 1:5-7
I must credit Edwin Jones for the concept in this article. In a Bible study years ago, he likened Bible study to using a recipe to cook up a fine meal. His conclusion was that, like a recipe, Bible study requires more than gathering ingredients and mixing them together. This discussion highlights the need to become proficient in Bible study, a process that requires a type of reading that often eludes us in our fast-paced lifestyles. Like using a recipe, it is not always a simple point A to point B process as we will see. Neither can we rush through the process if we are to succeed. We must have a holistic way of thinking to get the desired results.
First, various biblical concepts are weightier than others. Some might argue otherwise because all Scripture is important, which is true as far as it goes. However, Jesus plainly stated that some things are more fundamentally important. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus confronted the Pharisees over their mixed-up priorities. They were careful to pay tithes from all their increase right down to the least significant of items: mint, anise, and cumin, but they had neglected what Jesus referred to as “…the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.” It was not that tithing did not matter, but without proper attitudes its value before God was nullified (cf. Isaiah 1:10-17). If we will not give God our hearts, we are just as well off to keep our offerings.
Another example of this is 1 Corinthians 13 where Paul placed love at the forefront of Christian service. Paul argued that without proper love, all religious activities are worthless (vv. 1-3). After describing what love is and does (vv. 4-7) Paul named three abiding things Christians are given: faith, hope, and love (vs. 13). While not undermining the place of faith and hope, Paul plainly stated love’s primacy. As Jesus said to the Pharisees, the less weighty matters are not to be neglected, but we must give proper priority to the weightier matters for the others to be useful in service. Just as the loaf of bread must have eggs, yeast, salt, etc., if you leave out the flour, who will want to eat it?
A second point to ponder is the sequence of introducing these ingredients. We must not assume that we can put the various ingredients (Bible principles) in without giving some consideration to what comes first. Certain things must be grasped first before the rest can properly react within the whole. For instance, we cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). However, we cannot come to faith without hearing (or reading/studying) His word (Romans 10:17). This faith must then generate a changed mind or repentance (Acts 2:36-38a). Then we are poised to render obedience to the gospel demands to be baptized into Christ and receive the forgiveness of sins (Romans 1:5; 16:25-26; Acts 2:38b; Romans 6:3-4; James 2:14-26). Macaroni and cheese only has about four ingredients, but what happens if you put the cheese sauce in with the macaroni while it is boiling? Though the ingredients are the same, the result is drastically different.
Also, some things take more time than others. After becoming a Christian through obeying the gospel, there is a process of growth expected (Matthew 28:20; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 1:5-11; 3:17-18). The expectation is that we all become teachers (Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 5:12). Spiritual growth is a process, and some parts of that process take longer than others.
More could be said about this process, but hopefully this will motivate us to become more proficient in our spiritual meal prep. Like cooking up fine foods, properly handling the Bible takes time and effort (2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 5:14). We must abandon our microwave mindset if we are to produce the desired results.