StephenMartyr
Puritan Board Freshman
This might sound like a dumb question. But it’s been something I’ve been anxious about.
Someone on the board in the Sermons forum posted this great sermon: https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?m=t&s=82618117166 and while I really enjoyed it it was pretty convicting.
As I’ve gotten to read more books on theology I’ve become more interested in it. As one goes into the past there are such deep, rich things people have written.
I haven’t been as thankful as I should have been that I’m reading these things. But in terms of the above message, is wanting to learn and read other things greedy? Maybe it can be. I’ve just been praying about it and have seen God’s Word itself as the eternal fountain of wisdom and understanding seeing that any other good book written has come from a person deeply in the Word of God. All other books are not only fallible but are kiddie pools compared the infinite and infallible depths of the Bible.
Where my question comes up is in an area of discernment. At the very start of my reading I came across an article that I could buy on my phone by Machen. I ended up getting it but felt a “You shouldn’t read this.” at the time before I bought it. Some time later I was interested in reading (and getting the books of) Murray. At that time I was convicted in such a way that the garden scene in Genesis applied to that situation with those books. Basically it’s come down to “God has given you every tree to eat from (the Bible) but this one tree (theology books) you are not allowed to eat from”.
Sounds super silly but even when the pastor in the above message talked about that garden scene, there that struggle came up again.
Would God forbid a good thing to one person where He might allow it to another?
I really like reading Thomas Brooks (has been awhile though!), but here is a guy not only expounding scripture but bringing up history and philosophy! “A Christian can’t read philosophy!” one will say. But he did. He was able to quote from various philosophers. And you can’t quote unless you read them. Maybe it’s within one’s own understanding of their limits / abilities in how they feel they’re capable of handling various ideas?
Anyways, just something I’m going through. I’m scared of being deceived:
1Pe 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:...”.
Is it just the evil one trying to derail me and have me not be encouraged by older books or could God saying no to them?
Ps. For those interested, it was I think Pilgrim’s Progress that was my first book that started me off.
Someone on the board in the Sermons forum posted this great sermon: https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?m=t&s=82618117166 and while I really enjoyed it it was pretty convicting.
As I’ve gotten to read more books on theology I’ve become more interested in it. As one goes into the past there are such deep, rich things people have written.
I haven’t been as thankful as I should have been that I’m reading these things. But in terms of the above message, is wanting to learn and read other things greedy? Maybe it can be. I’ve just been praying about it and have seen God’s Word itself as the eternal fountain of wisdom and understanding seeing that any other good book written has come from a person deeply in the Word of God. All other books are not only fallible but are kiddie pools compared the infinite and infallible depths of the Bible.
Where my question comes up is in an area of discernment. At the very start of my reading I came across an article that I could buy on my phone by Machen. I ended up getting it but felt a “You shouldn’t read this.” at the time before I bought it. Some time later I was interested in reading (and getting the books of) Murray. At that time I was convicted in such a way that the garden scene in Genesis applied to that situation with those books. Basically it’s come down to “God has given you every tree to eat from (the Bible) but this one tree (theology books) you are not allowed to eat from”.
Sounds super silly but even when the pastor in the above message talked about that garden scene, there that struggle came up again.
Would God forbid a good thing to one person where He might allow it to another?
I really like reading Thomas Brooks (has been awhile though!), but here is a guy not only expounding scripture but bringing up history and philosophy! “A Christian can’t read philosophy!” one will say. But he did. He was able to quote from various philosophers. And you can’t quote unless you read them. Maybe it’s within one’s own understanding of their limits / abilities in how they feel they’re capable of handling various ideas?
Anyways, just something I’m going through. I’m scared of being deceived:
1Pe 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:...”.
Is it just the evil one trying to derail me and have me not be encouraged by older books or could God saying no to them?
Ps. For those interested, it was I think Pilgrim’s Progress that was my first book that started me off.