If you've been following the conversation around quiet time practices lately, you might have noticed what feels like a tension between two camps: those who emphasize deep biblical study and theological understanding, and those who prioritize the relational, habitual practice of simply showing up to meet with God.
But what if this isn't an either/or situation? What if the goal isn't to choose between biblical literacy and relational intimacy, but to hold both together in a way that actually strengthens our walk with Jesus?
The Real Question Both Sides Are Asking
Recently, there's been helpful dialogue around different approaches to quiet time. On one side, there's concern about "quiet time culture" becoming shallow—encouraging emotional experiences without deep engagement with Scripture's meaning. On the other, there's concern that dismissing the habit of quiet time altogether might discourage people from the relational practice of spending regular time with Jesus.
Here's what I find interesting: both perspectives are guarding against something real and important.
One asks: "Do you know what you're reading?" The concern is that we'll build confidence without comprehension—that we'll feel close to God without actually understanding His Word.
The other asks: "Are you still coming?" The concern is that we'll prioritize correct understanding over consistent presence—that we'll know about God without actually knowing Him.
And honestly? The Church probably needs both questions.
Why Biblical Literacy Matters
Let's start here: biblical literacy is not optional for mature Christian faith. Understanding context, genre, theology, and the larger narrative of Scripture matters deeply. We can't grow in our faith if we're constantly misapplying verses, cherry-picking passages to fit our feelings, or building our theology on isolated fragments taken out of context.
The concern about shallow spirituality is legitimate. There is a version of "quiet time culture" that treats the Bible like a spiritual fortune cookie—crack it open, find your verse for the day, apply it to your life, and move on. This approach can leave us vulnerable to bad theology, emotional manipulation, and a faith that crumbles when feelings fade.
We need to know what we're reading. We need to understand the difference between poetry and prescription, between cultural context and timeless truth. We need to engage with the difficult passages, wrestle with the parts that challenge us, and let Scripture shape our understanding of God rather than bending it to fit our preferences.
Biblical literacy protects us from error and deepens our capacity to hear God's voice clearly.
Why Relational Intimacy Matters
But here's the other side: relationship with God is not a byproduct of information. You can be biblically literate and relationally distant. You can understand context, genre, and theology and still not actually know Jesus.
The habit of showing up—the practice of regular, consistent time with God—forms something in us that study alone cannot. It shapes desire. It builds intimacy. It trains our hearts to recognize His voice, to notice His presence, to long for Him even when we don't feel anything.
This is why the question "Are you still coming?" matters. Because faithfulness in relationship isn't measured only by what we know—it's also measured by whether we show up.
Think about any meaningful relationship in your life. You don't sustain it only through deep intellectual conversation. You sustain it through presence. Through showing up on the ordinary days. Through building a rhythm of connection that holds even when you don't have anything profound to say.
The same is true with God. Quiet time as a relational, habitual practice matters because it forms us into people who abide—not just people who understand.
The Danger of False Dichotomies
Here's where I think we get stuck: when we treat biblical literacy and relational intimacy as opposing values instead of complementary ones.
The truth is, we need both. And more than that—they actually need each other.
Biblical literacy without relational intimacy produces religious expertise without love. It creates people who know the Bible inside and out but don't actually walk closely with Jesus. It can lead to pride, judgment, and a faith that's more about being right than being transformed.
Relational intimacy without biblical literacy produces sincerity without truth. It creates people who feel deeply connected to God but are vulnerable to deception, shallow theology, and a faith that shifts with every emotion. It can lead to spiritual immaturity, self-focused theology, and a version of Christianity that's more about our experience than God's revelation.
But when you hold them together? You get something powerful: people who know God's Word deeply and walk with Him closely. People whose understanding is grounded in truth and whose hearts are alive with love.
What This Looks Like in Practice
So how do we actually grow in both biblical literacy and relational intimacy? Here are a few practical thoughts:
Start with Relationship, Strengthen with Study
If you're just beginning to build a habit of time with God, don't start with a complex study plan. Start with presence. Show up. Read a Psalm. Pray honestly. Let the habit form first.
Once that rhythm is established, begin adding layers of deeper study. Use a study Bible. Read commentaries. Learn about context and genre. Join a Bible study that challenges you to go deeper.
But don't abandon the relational foundation in pursuit of knowledge. Keep showing up even on the days when study feels dry.
Let Your Study Lead You to Worship
Biblical literacy shouldn't make you more distant from God—it should draw you closer. When you learn something new about a passage, let it move you to prayer. When you understand the context of a psalm, let it deepen your worship. When theology clicks into place, let it fuel your love for God.
Study that doesn't lead to relationship isn't doing its job.
Practice Both Disciplines
Some days, your quiet time might be deep study—working through a passage with a commentary, wrestling with theology, taking notes. Other days, it might be simple presence—reading a familiar psalm, sitting in silence, praying through your day.
Both matter. Both are faithful. Both form you.
The key is not to let one completely replace the other. Don't abandon study because it feels too hard, and don't abandon simple presence because it feels too unproductive.
Engage with the Larger Body of Christ
One of the best protections against both shallow spirituality and cold intellectualism is community. Engage with other believers who can challenge your understanding and encourage your heart. Join a Bible study. Sit under solid teaching. Read books by people who know Scripture deeply and love Jesus deeply.
You don't have to figure this out alone. The Church has been wrestling with how to know God and understand His Word for two thousand years. Let that wisdom shape you.
The Goal: Knowing Him
At the end of the day, the goal of both biblical literacy and relational intimacy is the same: to know God. Not just to know about Him, but to actually know Him—to understand His character as revealed in Scripture and to walk with Him in daily life.
This isn't a competition between knowledge and relationship. It's a recognition that true knowledge of God is relational, and true relationship with God is grounded in truth.
We need to ask, "Do you know what you're reading?" because understanding matters.
We need to ask, "Are you still coming?" because presence matters.
And when we hold both questions together, we grow into people who know God's Word and know God's heart—people who are being transformed not just by information or emotion, but by the living Word of God Himself.
So don't choose between biblical literacy and relational intimacy. Choose both. Pursue understanding. Pursue presence. Let them strengthen each other. And watch how God uses both to draw you deeper into the life you were made for—a life of knowing and being known by Him.
