Reflections on Research – Part 2

Learning January 13, 2025

In Part 1 of this series, I outlined core concepts of research found throughout the Bible. This installment explores how those biblical instances and principles of research guide our own research endeavors.

To begin, we must believe that research is vital. We should also hold that truth loses nothing by close examination. Rather, both reason and faith can and will be strengthened by a God-centered approach to research.

At the same time, we must also acknowledge that research has inherent limitations. Although we endeavor to safeguard the truthfulness of our conclusions, we recognize that we cannot arrive at certainty based on empirical data. Rather than state “research has proved,” overstating the certainty of the findings, we should instead speak in terms of evidence that bears “witness to the truth” (John 18:37 NKJV).

We must each, therefore, model authenticity and humility as we conduct research. This includes recognizing the limits of our knowledge, being honest about our deficiencies, and expressing the tentativeness of our conclusions. It also implies openness to input from others and a passion for continued growth. In the end, it suggests that as believing scholars, we must come together, under the guidance of the Spirit, to build a dynamic Word-based community in search of truth.

As Christian researchers, we in turn must conduct research ethically and responsibly, following biblical principles of beneficence, justice, and respect for persons. We must also interact directly with the repositories of truth, revealed through Scripture, in the person of Jesus Christ, and in God’s world. Above all, we must communicate confidence in the trustworthiness and importance of special divine revelation—a “more sure word” (2 Peter 1:19 KJV), which we do well to heed.

As the prophet Daniel surveyed the broad scope of history, he observed that an increase in knowledge would be a defining characteristic of “the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4 NIV). Together, we should be committed to staying at the forefront of the surge in research and scholarship that is characteristic of our day. 

In sum, while recognizing that research has inherent limitations and constraints, we hold research to be a valuable and valued tool for discovering, understanding, and appreciating God’s truth, an activity to be carried out within a Christ-centered frame of reference (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17).

Author

John Wesley Taylor

John Wesley Taylor V, PhD, is Associate Director of Education at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He has served as teacher and educational administrator in North America, Latin America, and Asia, and in elementary, secondary, and higher education settings. He is a friend of young people and a colleague of teachers.

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