Studying The Infinite

“Gentlemen, studying the infinite requires eternity.” James Denney We all have those ‘cringe’ moments when reflecting back upon our younger days. At age 21, thankfully one incident for me only remained just a thought and went no further. I was living in Hollywood, California working at a Christian ministry for the homeless. I had just given a ‘message’ before a Saturday night crowd proudly thinking I had smashed it out of the park. Of course, now looking back it was nothing more then an incoherent, rambling disaster. But that wasn’t the ‘cringe’ moment. It was afterwards. Even though I had no biblical or theological training (Not to mention I was only 21) I honestly remember thinking to myself that perhaps for a few t’s to cross and a few i’s to dot I knew just about everything I needed to know about God and the Bible! CRINGE!! The Scottish preacher and teacher James Denney (1856–1917) would tell budding young preachers that if they thought seminary would teach them everything about God they were mistaken. “Gentlemen,” he would say, “to study infinity requires eternity.” Well, almost 30 years has past since that ‘cringe’ moment. I’ve had some biblical training and have read the Bible through many times, and I can honestly say that except for a few t’s to cross and a few i’s to dot I feel that I know very little about either the Bible or God.