By Andy Nash

From the Adventist Church’s earliest days, we’ve always said our only creed is Scripture.

One reason early Adventists felt nervous about creeds was because they’d been kicked out of other churches for breaking them. “The first step of apostasy,” said John Loughborough, “is to get up a creed, telling us what we shall believe. The second is to make that creed a test of fellowship. The third is to try members by that creed. The fourth is to denounce as heretics those who do not believe that creed. And, the fifth, to commence persecution against such” (“Doings of the Battle Creek Conference,” Review and Herald, October 5 and 6, 1861).

But it wasn’t just “living up” to a creed that had early Adventists concerned. They were also concerned about “living down” to a creed. What if new light became avail- able? Would a creed prevent us from walking in the fullness of God’s blessings? “Making a creed,” added James White, “is setting the stakes, and barring up the way to all future advancement. . . . The Bible is our creed. We reject every- thing in the form of a human creed.”

Over time, Adventists felt increasing pressure to define a list of beliefs—to clear up misunderstandings about who exactly we were. But each list of beliefs pointed back to Scripture itself as final authority and creed.

“Seventh-day Adventists,” reads the current preamble to our 28 fundamental beliefs, “accept the Bible as their only creed and hold certain fundamental beliefs to be the teach- ing of the Holy Scriptures. These beliefs, as set forth here, constitute the church’s understanding and expression of the teaching of Scripture. Revision of these statements may be expected at a General Conference Session when the church is led by the Holy Spirit to a fuller understanding of Bible truth or finds better language in which to express the teachings of God’s Holy Word.”

Having a list of fundamental beliefs is fine in itself . . . unless we forget the source of that list. When our children grow up studying a list of beliefs about the Bible rather than the Bible itself—when they learn how to do Bible studies rather than Bible study—then we’ve departed from the spirit of our pioneers.

The earliest Adventists didn’t grow up with multiple choice questions and fill in the blanks about Adventist beliefs. They just had Scripture, and deep into the night they studied, verse by verse.

Studying Scripture for ourselves

In the spirit of our Adventist pioneers, here are three recommended ways to study Scripture for ourselves—verse by verse.

Walk through Scripture

God’s Word is meant to be savored, step by step. To begin (or renew) your walk in Scripture, here’s a pathway:

1. Select a book of Scripture, a short book such as Ephesians, Titus, or Jonah—or a longer book such as the Gospel of John.
2. Select one or two good biblical commentaries from your local Adventist or Christian bookstore—for example, a commentary specifically on the book of Ephesians. The “Exploring” commentary series by George Knight is excellent, as is the new SDA International Bible Commentary.
3. Study one chapter at a time: Ephesians 1, Ephesians 2, etc. Don’t be afraid to underline and write notes in your Bible and commentaries, interacting with God’s Word. Even better, have a weekly “meet at the text” small group; you’ll be refreshed by each other’s insights.
4. When you’ve finished your book, move on to another book, then another. You’ll begin noticing beautiful connections within God’s Word.

Run through Scripture

The prophet Daniel wrote that end time believers “shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4, NKJV). This beautiful imagery is of believers literally running back and forth in the scrolls of Scripture. When we’ve learned how to walk in Scripture, we’re ready to run. For example, when you’ve carefully studied the book of Daniel verse by verse, you’ll be ready to study the book of Revelation verse by verse. Studying 1-2 Kings and 1-2 Chronicles, verse by verse, prepares you to study the prophets from this same time period: Isaiah and Jeremiah, Hosea and Micah.

Studying Scripture in context also helps guard against misunderstandings. For example, one of the most well-loved verses in Scripture, Jeremiah 29:11, is widely misunderstood. When God said, “I know the plans I have for you . . .,” God’s exiled people in Babylon responded not with celebration but with stunned silence. Unlike the false prophets (of Jeremiah 28), God was telling His people that they wouldn’t be going back home to Jerusalem. Instead, most of them would die in Babylon. The good news? God’s plans for His people were much greater than they ever dreamed. (See Daniel 9.)

Fly through Scripture

Along with walking and running through Scripture, there’s also a time to take flight. Instead of reading through the Bible in a year . . . how about reading through your Bible in a month?

You can do it. Reading your Bible in a month is a spiritual system shock that will change your life. The key is to read without stopping—approach the Bible like one grand story. As you fly over the windswept peaks of the Old Testament, you’ll feel yourself longing for a Messiah. The day you reach Matthew, you’ll never forget.

Reading through the Bible in a month isn’t as hard as it sounds: about 40 pages a day (divide the total pages of your Bible by 30).

When you wake up and go to bed with Scripture, when you have it for breakfast, lunch, and supper . . . God’s Word will become your daily bread. And like the earliest Adventists, you’ll never be the same.

–Andy Nash is the author of The Book of Matthew: Save Us Now, Son of David. He leads biblical study tours to the Holy Land. Email him at: [email protected]