“What About Them?”

Thursday, December 05, 2019

     I am very confident in my faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, but I try to study other religions as well because I wonder how I am going to witness to them and tell them the truth if I know nothing about what they believe.  My question is: is it wrong to study other religions?  A few people have told me it is.

Sincerely,
Ready To Research

Dear Ready To Research,

There isn’t anything wrong with studying other religions, but it would be a problem if you spent more time studying a false religion than you did studying the Bible.  How we spend our time is indicative of our priorities.  God tells us to study to show ourselves approved (2 Tim 2:15) and that we should grow in our knowledge, so we can teach others Jesus’ message (Heb 5:12).  It is useful to know what false religions practice (even Paul had studied the pagan poets of his day – Acts 17:28), but it is not nearly as useful as knowing what the Bible says.  The best way to prepare yourself to “give an answer for the hope that is within you” (1 Pet 3:15) is to make sure to study your Bible diligently.  Once again, studying other religions isn’t wrong, but you need to make sure it is properly balanced with Bible study habits.

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