10 Toxic Traditions That Are Killing the Church

Reducing discipleship down to more head knowledge.

For years discipleship (growing in your faith) has been one thing only: more Bible knowledge. If you want to become a stronger Christian, learn more Bible, go to another Bible study. Now please hear me: studying the Bible is great. I’ve done it for years and plan on doing it the rest of my life, but who were the people in the New Testament that knew the Old Testament Law the most? The Pharisees, the very people Jesus rebelled against. That’s why Paul warned the Corinthians that “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). If we reduce discipleship down to simply more Bible knowledge without obedience, community, evangelism, serving, giving and ultimately a thriving, growing, vibrant relationship with God, all we’re doing is training up and unleashing modern-day Pharisees on the world, and we’ve seen where that’s gotten us.