My favorite biographical lecture from John Piper is “Martin Luther: Lessons from His Life and Labor.” Piper hones in on Luther’s intense study habits, making application for contemporary pastors. At one point in the lecture Piper explains that for Luther, the touchstone for serious Biblical study is (1) Prayer (2) Meditation, and (3) Trials. It is the latter that he emphasizes. Luther believed that a pastor must experience pain in his study of Scriptures, especially the necessary discipline of consistent immersion in the original languages. I agree.
Listen, and be challenged:
http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/biographies/martin-luther-lessons-from-his-life-and-labor
