The “Real Meat” of Scripture is for the selfish.

I’ve always been bothered when churchgoers say that they want to go “deeper” in Bible study or want “the real meat” when it comes to approaching the word of God. First of all, I’ve found it insulting to the people currently leading the Bible study in question. It’s as if their hard work and preparation in leading people to the word of God was somehow inadequate. It wasn’t good enough. These people felt that they were above this. On top of that, it seemed to me like a very selfish request, as if they didn’t care about others who needed more “foundational” studies. For these reasons, it offended me greatly. I have always found these words upsetting.

However, it recently dawned on me the true meaning behind my uneasiness with this notion of looking for “real meat” or going “deeper.” Ed Stetzer in Breaking the Missional Code clarifies this for me eloquently (emphasis mine):

Ironically that “deep meat” is often a focus on the obscure or unclear in Scripture rather than the life-changing nature of what is clear. The irony is that most people crying for “meat” are really crying for minutia. They want to learn deeper truths about the times of the rapture rather than how to live the Christian life. True meat teaches people how to be transformed by the renewing of their minds so that they will live like Christ, love like Christ, and leave what Jesus left behind…but believers often think it is more important to [learn] about controversial subjects rather than transformational truths.

My seminary training has helped me to learn and sort through the minutia and theological controversy. I can discuss lapsarianism, dispensations, and the Zwinglian view of the Eucharist all day. But if that is what I am doing, I have failed. Jesus calls me to love God with all my heart, and then to love others.

The measure of a follower of Jesus is not how much theology they can discuss; it is how much they reflect the character of Jesus Christ, imitating Him. Are we putting His commands in action and transforming our behavior?

²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. –James 1:22-24

Dr. Henry Holloman at Talbot is famous for saying “It’s not about your spiritual “IQ”, it’s about your spiritual “I do!” Are we always looking to learn as much as we can about the antichrist, double predestination, or the hypostatic union? Or are we letting God change our hearts so that we can impact others for His kingdom?

The people who had the highest theological IQ during the time of Jesus were the same ones that Jesus constantly condemned for their hypocrisy: the Pharisees. If we are trying to go “deeper” and get more “meat” without being changed to do good works and love others in the name of the gospel, then we are a group of Pharisees.

The passage in Hebrews about solid food is within the context of acts of righteousness:

¹³Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.  –Hebrews 5:13-14

Will we arrogantly say that we want more, that we are above all this simple stuff? That we want to create a “spiritual” elite group of people who have all head knowledge but without the hands and feet of Christ?

Or are we willing to die to self and consider the spiritual nourishment that our pastors and Bible study leaders have (by submission to the Spirit’s leading) offered us? Will we let the word transform us and live our lives like Jesus did, caring for the less fortunate, loving people with the good news, creating an inclusive environment that is redemptive?

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
–Ephesians 2:10