The history of the Reformation is part of the history of the Christian church. Terms like regeneration and reprobate are used to help define what Reformed believe are doctrines formed from Scripture.
I personally find it helpful to have a systemized theology that one can take from point A to point B. It helps because Scripture seems to me to be very orderly, as God reveals what He desires us to know about Himself.
Recently, after reading someone's post on another thread about a different topic, I put it aside, grabbed my Bible, and proceeded to do a word, phrase, passage, and passages study on the word and or phrase that poster had used.
I began at Genesis and worked my way all the way through to the last chapter in Revelation.
Took me about two hours.
Along the way, I found what I often find when engaged in this simple practice - I found that every so often, I would run accross some thing or other on another subject I had been studying out in this same manner at some other time.
Years at this along with simply reading through Scripture on a regular basis, has resulted in a great familiarity with this great big Book called the Bible.
A sense of that that is much like that of one's familiarity with one's own neighborhood. Where, over time; one comes to know where the various shops, schools, eateries, and so on, are, and they just pop into one's mind whenever one needs one thing or another.
In this, I find this practice of time in Scripture itself in this way, a much better use of my time then reading what is supposedly "about" things in the Bible by others.
Further, when reading "about" a thing in men's endless books supposedly "about" the Scripture, there is the very real reality that one ends up accepting the views of said writers because they "appeared to" make sense.
Over time, their supposedly "sound" sense of things ending up the "sense of things" of those who over rely on the writings of men.
In stark contrast to their knowing "about" a thing, is actually knowing it first hand.
If how that is to be allowed to properly come about is not yet obvious - it is not yet obvious in light of what is, when one actually goes to, and sticks to The Book one suppesdly claims to believe in.
Or as The Apostle Paul reminded young Pastor Timothy...
2 Timothy 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
