A seeming contradiction among theologians, particularly evangelical theologians is their claim that scripture can be understood by the average reader with little to no academic training in exegesis, philosophy, theology etc and their practice of entering innumerable debates about seemingly endless doctrinal points, disputes and concepts. How can this be so? If scripture is so clear, why is their disagreement or uncertainty at all about what it teaches and what Christians should believe? I can give no complete answer here, but only a broad arrow that points in the right direction.
It seems to me that all the (Protestant) Christian means by "the clarity of scripture" is that the basic message of God's redemption through Christ can be clearly seen by reading scripture. That is to say that a sort of mere Christianity can be established by reading scripture without any extensive knowledge of the subject matter. We can illustrate this with a child's observation and interaction with a television. The child understands the broad purpose and basic proper use of a television without any extensive knowledge of how it works. The child knows a tv when he sees one and probably has a vague idea about what powers it. If you ask an electrical engineer, however, what a tv is and how it works, you'll probably be engaged in a lengthy discussion. Likewise the child understands how to change channels and find the shows and programs he wants to watch or even how to play videogames. The engineer, however, may have more understanding about how to get more out of the tv such as how to hook up new systems like a computer or dvr to it. He will also likely know how to fix the tv when it is broken and needs repairs.
In the same way a Christian who has no interest in or access to scholarly resources on the Biblical text understand what the Bible is and how to use it. As such in depth theological study is not necessary for being an orthodox Christian. On the other hand, the more knowledgeable a Christian is in matters of Biblical interpretation and study, the more use and better grasp of the Biblical text she will have. This allows for a deeper understanding of Christian doctrine and a bigger tool chest for reasoning through problematic passages. By extension this allows the studious Christian to aid other Christians who are despairing over an apparent contradiction in the text.
Still, churches see personal Bible study as centered around personal application and ethical teachings. The dirty work of exegesis and contextual studies is forced to the sidelines. Theology is increasingly seen as unnecessary. This may be true if one is speaking of a bare minimum requirement for the Christian life. A Christian can survive without much in depth study, but that Christian cannot thrive on it. Christ did not command the Church to do the bare minimum when it comes to anything else in our lives, whether it means giving to the poor, evangelism or worship. So then why do Christians feel justifiably complicit in their refusal to use the entirety of their cognitive resources for the glory of God?
