I believe that one of the greatest challenges in the church today is intellectualism. Of course, I also see a strong anti-intellectual streak as well. But intellectualism is an even graver danger. Some scholars have so intellectualized the faith that it seems beyond the reach of everyday Christians. Seminary grads are often seen as out of touch with the people in the pew. One example is the trend in modern textual criticism. Someone has even suggested that when lay people get involved in this form of biblical interpretation they engage in "drive by" textual criticism. Academics now seem out of touch with the people in our churches.
The Spirit of God is not to be tamed. Neither is he to be intellectualized. Serious Bible study is not just for scholars. It is for the whole church.
