I'm currently reading this book that has insight on how you should go about studying the Bible. In this book, one the first things that it explains is that sometimes you have to rely on more mature believers to understand passages of the Bible. At the time my brain registered this statement, it created a freeway of thoughts exploding through my mind at a million miles an hour; all creating the question of, what makes a believer mature?
Now that I have you on my freeway of thought, I shall explain what I believe to be a secure answer to this somewhat vast category.
There are many people out there that will tell you a mature believer is someone who has studied the Bible more than you; therefore, when it comes down to it, someone with more knowledge on the Bible than yourself is a mature believer. Other people will tell you a mature believer is someone who has experienced more than you; therefore, a mature believer has had more experience.
As I sat there and thought both of these viewpoints through I came to a conclusion that they were both wrong.
In defense of those who believe more in the Bible category, you must know the Word to fully know what you believe. However, a number of the stories in the Bible have more of an applied meaning to them, rather than listing rule after rule for the duration of the books within. Therefore, you must be able to apply something to that passage to fully utilize it; which helps if it's in the personal realm.
I realized this then, that to be a mature believer you must be able to reveal the glory of God through experience and apply it through your life with the Bible. AKA both of these categories I have explained. Wahlah.
P.S. If you have any other categories or insight to this, please leave me a comment explaining.
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