"With great power comes great responsibility.” In the beloved comic book series turned blockbuster hit “Spider-Man,” Peter Parker's uncle has one piece of advice that means much more to Peter than his uncle could have ever imagined. Being so privileged, we here at Biola have been given a great power, the power of knowledge. Whether you major in art, philosophy, nursing, intercultural studies or anything else, all of us graduate with at least 30 units of Bible. Any given Biola graduate will have more formal Bible training than 99 percent of the world, according to Mickey Klink, professor of theological studies. This prompts the question: What do we do with such power? With this gift of knowledge comes our responsibility to educate others in our church the best we can. This means leading student or adult Bible studies, leading or participating in short term mission trips, or someday becoming a church elder. 

The truth is that we live in a world of Bible illiteracy, and that includes our churches.  Rodney Spark of Baylor University states in his book “What Americans Really Believe” that research shows at most, 30 percent of self-professed Christians have actually read the entire Bible. The tragedy is that there are men and women serving in the mission field working tirelessly to translate the Bible into languages of tribes and nations thirsting for the living word of God, while so many Christians have their Bibles on their shelves collecting dust. This has become an epidemic of the church that needs to be reversed, and we at Biola are called to help.

When we graduate from Biola, most of us will not only have read the entire Bible, we will have studied it for countless hours, learning from some of the top Bible professors in the country. It is our job to take this knowledge we have been given and use it. The sad truth is that most of us will graduate, maybe join a local church, walk in on Sunday mornings and sit in the back pew. This will continue week after week, with the immense amount of Bible knowledge in our heads just rotting away, never being used to advance the kingdom. The beautiful thing about the Bible, and the knowledge we get from it, is that it applies to everyone’s life. This means that each one of us can use it to positively affect someone for Christ.

Honestly, it comes down to Matthew 28 and the Great Commission, Jesus says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." This is a calling to all — yes, I said all — believers. Someone once told me that it is not called the "Great Suggestion" for a reason. It was named the Great Commission by highly trained theologians because a commission is a command; it is a specific order which implies an action as a response.

While you might not be going to another country to live as a full-time missionary, you will hopefully be involved in a local church, and in that local church you have a responsibility to be a Bible authority. The Word of God is power; it can mend broken hearts and bring loved ones to the Lord. I pray that we become superheroes in our churches, making disciples and  bringing the lost to Christ, taking the power we have been given and making it our responsibility to use it for the glory of his kingdom.