Formations: "Meeting the Author"           May 03, 2026

I love the Bible. I think I always have, at least since my children’s Sunday school days when I learned the names of all the books and began to memorize the key verses my teachers encouraged me to learn. My parents, both faithful church folks, encouraged me to learn the Bible and obey its teachings. 

Engaging with Scripture inspires me spiritually and evokes warm memories of growing up in a kind and loving family. I have found comfort in the promises of Scripture. And I have found intellectual stimulation through plumbing its depths through formal theological education.

Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the Bible, extols the goodness of God’s word and the importance of delighting in all God’s decrees and statutes. God’s word keeps us from sin, revives, strengthens, and teaches us. Therefore, it must be our focus as we strive toward godliness.

That all sounds good, doesn’t it? Sadly, not everyone shares my positive experience with the Bible. I’ve met too many people who have found in the Bible and those who teach it little but abuse, manipulation, self-righteousness, and violence. They give the Bible a bad name. 

Yes, Scripture can be a source of strength and comfort, but it can also be hard to understand. And sometimes it can be a weapon in the hands of those who only want to use it to control others. 

My college pastor once said, “There is a difference between studying the Bible and meeting the Author.” As soon as I heard it, I wrote it in the margin of my Bible. The thought has been a guiding light for me ever since. I wish it’s something everyone who handles Scripture could understand. 

To be sure, the phrase “word of God” encompasses more than words written in the Bible—for example, the prophets speak of “the word of the LORD” that came to them. But for Christians, the Bible remains a key part of our spiritual journey, and the psalmist’s vocabulary (“commandments,” “statutes,” etc.) suggests not just an experience but also a body of content from which he draws strength and inspiration. 

God’s word comes to us in many ways—not least through the words of Scripture. How does this powerful word guide and shape our faith?

Darrell Pursiful is the editor of Formations. He is an adjunct professor at Mercer University and an active member of the First Baptist Church of Christ in Macon, Georgia.