I once heard Dr. Howard Hendricks, Distinguished Professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, say "Practice does not make perfect."

In fact, he said that only precision practice under a skilled instructor will lead to perfection.

Then, he applied it to where most of us were in the ministry. He said that he was tired of people claiming that just because they had been in the church and had been reading their Bibles for 40 years that somehow that "qualified" them as experts.

He said in many cases their 40-year stint more often than not only demonstrated the grace of God.

The Point
The point is simple: just being "in ministry," "in the church," or "reading your Bible" (or reading popular-level books from the local Christian bookstore) does not make you an expert, no matter how many years you've been at it. The question is, HOW have you been practicing? Have your studies been under the watchful eye and mentorship of a skilled and qualified instructor? Have you submitted your thoughts and ideas to colleagues for "peer reviews"?

Most of us know that there is far more to biblical hermeneutics than simply knowing that the "red letters" mean that Jesus is speaking. I have talked with "old timers" (I mean that in a respectful way) who could quote verse after verse (most often in the KJV). I remember a time being very impressed by such memory recall. I figured that a person with that much Scripture in his mind must certainly be a spiritual person.

However, as I grew in the faith I realized that all too often the verses quoted had a completely different meaning on the lips of the "old timer" than it did to the original author.

I now realize that the verses employed were often used to buttress preconceived notions or theology.

The "old timer" had spent many years "reading his Bible" but without the benefit of a skilled instructor.

Oh, please do not misunderstand me, I am acutely aware that the Holy Spirit is our instructor, and He helps us understand the Scriptures by illuminating the sense of God's Word to our hearts and minds, but this can hardly be accomplished when the person stubbornly has his mind made up about what the passage already means and how it fits into his present situation, or agenda.

And, I know that there will be those who read this and simply dismiss it. After all, they surmise, they've been ministering or preaching or going to church for years and they seem to be doing just fine, thank you very much.

Seek Out a Mentor and Others Who Know More Than You Do
I learned something from a man in a chariot many years ago . . . to seek out someone to "explain it to me."

The Spirit told Philip,
"Go to that chariot and stay near it."
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet.
"Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?"
So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him (Acts 8:29-31).

Over the years I have had the privilege of sitting under the teaching ministry of many great men. I have been further blessed to be able to go to some of them and talk one-to-one with them. I have sought out experts who will, as the man in the chariot said, "explain it to me."

When I was a young pastor, there was a former college professor who was then pastoring 60 miles from my home. I was about 30 years old at the time, and would drive about once a month to his location, buy his lunch and "pick his brain." Another professor of mine and I became very close, and over the years I have contacted him many times for knowledge and advice, and I still do.

Younger Experts
One interesting aspect of human pride that I'm sure most of us have fallen prey to at one time or another is the idea that the experts we look up to should be older than we are. After all, what does some "kid" have to say about the topic? He is so much younger.

However, this idea, though prevalent, is absurd. One of my students was a woman in her late 60's, and every now and then she'd call me "kid." As a man in his 40's with multiple degrees, I'd hardly consider myself a kid, but she did. Then, recently, I was talking with someone about a person who is a brilliant scholar, and the other person asked how old he was, and I said, "He's in his early 30's." And, my friend, who is in his early 40's said, "Well, he's just a kid."

An Illustration
Let's say a person majored in U.S. History and holds a master's degree in the field. Let's also say that he is only 27 years old. Should I then say that since he is 20 years younger than I am that he has nothing to teach me on the topic?

In fact, I have my Greek and Hebrew experts that I turn to . . . and they are younger than I am. Oh, I've studied Greek (not Hebrew), and I've even taught it . . . but I did not become an expert in it, and it has been years since I have done a systematic study of it. But my younger colleagues have kept up with both languages.

I also have my philosophy and apologetics experts; again, they are younger than I am. And, yes, I have studied both apologetics and philosophy. But, when I get in "over my head" in this field, I'll call others whom I know are experts in those disciplines.

If we limit the people that we "tap into" based upon the idea that we can only gain information from those older than ourselves, then we will be looking at a dwindling resource with each passing year.

The Kid Was the M.D.!
Those of you who are about my age and older will likely remember the first time you visited a medical doctor's office only to find a young kid who was the attending physician for the day . . . and what a shock it was. For about 40 years, all of my medical doctors were older, wiser, and experienced in the ailments that I was then enduring. However, one time I went to my M.D. only to find that he was out of the office that day and a colleague was covering for him.

When the "kid-doctor" walked into my room, I figured that he was the previous patient that had been in that room, and he had come back to retrieve the bubble gum that he had left behind. I was shocked however when he approached me and said, "Hi, I'm Dr. Holcom; Dr. Grant is out of the office and I'm covering for him; what can I do for you today?"

The first thing that nearly stumbled off my tongue was, "Have you ever shaved before?" I mean, I remembered having a face that smooth myself back some 30 years before. Though young, this kid-doctor treated me with professionalism, and I was very pleased with the end result. And think of it . . . this young man, though half my age, had spent at least seven years studying medicine, and I had spent no time studying the topic. How foolish would it have been to think that this kid had nothing to teach me because he chewed bubble gum and didn't own a razor? We who are older (and that's relative anyway, I have colleagues who are in their 70's) must be careful not to dismiss our younger colleagues simply because they are younger.

The Point
We who "practice studying the Word" should do so under the watchful eye of experts, especially if we plan to teach others. I have seen many pastors over the years who have come up with some pretty strange Bible interpretations. Many of them were graduates of college and some were even seminary graduates. Yet, for some strange reason, they assumed that as soon as they graduated, they no longer needed the expertise of others. They feel like they are "on their own." It is sad that many of them have no experts or "peers" to review their ideas and interpretations.

Next, too many leaders in the Christian church refuse "peer review" and simply teach whatever they come up with. None of us, at any level, should stop turning to those who are more studied than we are.

If there is one thing that I would tell every CES student who plans to be in a position of leadership in the Christian church it is this: as you continue your "practice of the Word" throughout the years, continue to submit yourselves to the watchful supervision of experts and seek peer review.

Over the years, I have often brought my Bible interpretations to experts and peers and asked, "What do you think of my interpretation, and why?" Sometimes my interpretations were confirmed, and sometimes they were exposed as wrong. I was happy to receive both reviews.

One of my students is a musician; specifically, his expertise is drums. He emailed me this note:

I know some outstanding young drummers. While they have only half as many playing years as I have, the years they played were spent with other great musicians.

During their years of "practice," these drummers were "educating" their ears, and "crafting" their instrument under the watchful supervision of experts.

This far supersedes the player who has spent more years playing, but doing so in his basement with little or no real band experience, and no skilled instructors to lead him to perfection.

Invite Skilled Instructors
We all should have our "cadre" of experts in certain fields to whom we can turn and ask questions. Interestingly, yesterday, I called a man (younger than I am) who knows far more than I do about a topic that I was dealing with. After 20 minutes on the phone, I was able to come to a reasonable understanding of the issue. Then, later yesterday evening, a pastor who is older than I am called me about a topic in theology that he was struggling with. So, in one day I tapped into an expert and someone tapped into my expertise.

When was the last time you called someone who knows more than you do for the purpose of actually learning from that person?

"Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?"
So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him (Acts 8:29-31).