“Countless evils have arisen from ignorance of the Scriptures. From this the plague of heresies has broken out. From this there are neglectful lives. From this there are labors without benefit. For just as men deprived of daylight of this world do not walk rightly, so those who do not look to the gleaming of the Holy Scriptures must be frequently and constantly sinning, in that they are walking in the worst darkness.
John Chrysostom (from his Homilies on Romans, ca. 390 A.D.)
[Here is a similar quote from Chrysostom which I posted previously]
Thanks, Chuck. Yes, that is a really helpful article.
Along this line, I’d recommend the stellar essay by Philip Towner:
“The Function of the Public Reading of Scripture in 1 Timothy 4:13 and in the Biblical Tradition.” The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 7 (2003): 44–54.
It is particularly helpful when considering the notion of the reading of Scripture in the congregation, where it acts to combat false worldviews in the lives of the congregation, constructing a proper one as a basis for life, ethics, etc. Well worth reading, and not even that lengthy!
I give more detail in a post of my own (https://cbumgardner.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/the-public-reading-of-scripture-2/), but would recommend the article itself if you haven’t read it already.