I was not a good student during my high school years because of the turmoil in my life. Three times I was incarcerated in the county jail, not because of any law I had broken, but only because I was fighting against the abuse in my home and because my father could use his power as county commissioner to have me placed in solitary confinement upon his orders. When the juvenile court judge in Lewis County learned of my plight, he held a hearing and liberated me to live with other families of my choosing.

Even though I attended three different high schools, I still managed to graduate. Following a stint in the military, I saw education as my only hope, and with the assistance of some very generous individuals and by working two jobs, I managed to earn a college degree. But I still had difficulty learning.

One of my first classes in seminary was Greek. I began by flunking daily quizzes. How was I to complete my degree if I failed Baby Greek? I resorted to what I learned about learning in my undergraduate studies in education. I used as many of my five senses as I could: writing everything down, reading by sight and out loud, listening to a recording of what I read, and moving about physically as I read or listened. My grade shot up from F to A in a week. My Greek professor was so impressed that he asked me to teach this learning technique to others in the class. Later, as a college professor, I taught every class to do the same.

Learning takes effort. Paul wrote to Timothy:

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim 2:15 KJV)

The term for Study is spoudazo, and is translated in other contexts as endeavor, diligence, labor.

The Jews were instructed:

“You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul;. . .” (Deut 11:18-21ff.)

In Ezra 7:10, we read:

Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10)

Paul wrote:

“and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Rom 12:2)

A professor once said, “learning requires a change in behavior.” Learning is not by osmosis. It takes attention, effort, and a desire to learn. The term disciple (Noun: mathetes) occurs 261 times in the New Testament but is never used beyond the book of Acts. The term learn (Verb: manthano) occurs 25 times, most in the epistles. For further details on discipleship, see my article Discipleship: The Missing Ingredient.

We all learn in different ways. The essential ingredient for every believer is to be a learner, one who thirsts for an understanding of God’s Revelation, which He has preserved and passed down for us to assimilate.