Can study be a poison?

Here I am. I've found myself opening the Bible and searching through its pages. The goal is not find special knowledge or enlightenment. Rather, I am at a point where I do not know what to do and my only hope is that God, in his power, has written somewhere in these pages an answer to my dilemma. In Bible College I'm surrounded by people that study. They study Greek and Hebrew, Hellenistic Philosophies, New Perspectives on Paul, historical contexts, systematic theology, missiology, eschatology, and a long list of other things. If only we could remember that study is not our chief purpose, and that knowledge is not the most precious of things to obtain.

My fear is that people in ministry may sometimes use Jesus as a tool to form their own identity. Their lives lack transformation, and like a cup that is only clean on the outside, their inner hearts are broken and longing for satisfaction. There is a definite danger in studying without the aid of the Holy Spirit. It can turn someone's heart sour to the true things of God like love, kindness, and faithfulness. It can be a poison that plants the seed of pride deep into our hearts and lets it grow, or it can be an immense blessing that opens our eyes to the active movement of God in our lives.

I keep hearing talk about community and love, but I have no respect for someone that doesn't live by what they teach. Genuine Christian living is not taught. It is caught. If you don't have it then you will be powerless to give it to anyone else. My hope for everyone is that in studying Christ, they would not just know about Christ. It would be much better for them to be like Christ. A well worded quote by John Ortberg or Dietrech Bonhoeffer would be in order here, but instead I'm going to list a few verses from the Bible.

"He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God."
Micah 6:8


"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former." Matthew 23:23

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean." Matthew 23:27

"He also told them this parable: 'Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.' Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Luke 6:39-41

"Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.We know that the law is good if one uses it properly."
1 Timothy 1:6-8