How Can You Use a Two-Column Journal to Compare Tozer With Scripture?

Short answer: Use a two-column journal by placing Tozer’s claim or idea in the left column and the relevant biblical text, context, and evaluation in the right column. This method keeps the reading devotional without making Tozer the authority: his words are studied, while Scripture judges and governs the conclusion.

Why use two columns?

A devotional classic can be powerful precisely because it uses memorable language. That strength also creates a risk: a striking sentence may be remembered more readily than the biblical passage that should govern it. A two-column journal slows that process down.

Acts 17:11 provides a useful posture. The Bereans received teaching eagerly and examined the Scriptures. The lesson is not suspicion for its own sake. It is receptive discernment: listen carefully, then test carefully.

Set up the page

Draw a vertical line down the middle.

Left column — Tozer

Record:

the chapter;
a brief quotation or, preferably, a concise paraphrase;
the claim you think Tozer is making;
any key term that needs definition.

Right column — Scripture

Record:

one or more relevant passages;
what those passages mean in context;
whether they confirm, qualify, redirect, or leave open Tozer’s wording;
your final biblical conclusion in plain language.

The right column should be larger in authority even if it is not larger on paper.

Example 1: “Following hard after God”

In the left column, summarize Tozer’s opening emphasis: grace does not make pursuit unnecessary; grace awakens pursuit. In the right column, study passages such as Psalm 63, Philippians 3:12–14, and Hebrews 11:6.

Then write a conclusion such as: Christians do not pursue God in order to earn acceptance. Because God has acted graciously, believers are called to seek, know, love, and follow Him.

That statement keeps grace and pursuit together.

Example 2: “Possessing nothing”

The left column may say: Tozer uses Abraham and Isaac to expose inward possessiveness and the need to surrender what competes with God.

The right column should prevent an overstatement. Scripture does not teach that ownership itself is always sinful. It teaches stewardship, generosity, contentment, and freedom from idolatry. The biblical conclusion may be: God can entrust possessions to a believer, but no possession should own the believer’s heart.

Example 3: the “universal presence”

Tozer emphasizes that God is not geographically more present in one ordinary place than another. In the right column, study passages on God’s omnipresence such as Psalm 139, while also recognizing biblical distinctions concerning God’s covenant presence, gathered worship, and special manifestations of His glory.

The journal helps you preserve both truths rather than forcing a devotional phrase to carry every theological distinction.

Example 4: the “gaze of the soul”

Tozer’s inward-gaze language is a devotional picture of faith and attention. In the Scripture column, examine Hebrews 12:1–2, John 3, and passages about trusting Christ. Then ask what the metaphor clarifies and what it does not define.

A metaphor can illuminate faith without becoming the biblical definition of saving faith.

Use four evaluation labels

At the bottom of the right column, choose one label:

Confirmed — Scripture clearly supports the idea.

Clarified — the idea is useful but Scripture supplies needed definition.

Qualified — the phrase can mislead if taken too absolutely.

Question remaining — more study is needed before reaching a conclusion.

Avoid a fifth category called “I like it.” Emotional impact is not the test of truth.

Quote accurately and paraphrase honestly

If you copy Tozer word for word, use quotation marks and record the chapter or location. If you summarize his meaning, label it as a paraphrase. This matters because readers can accidentally turn their own summary into a supposed Tozer quotation.

The same principle applies to Scripture. If you are not certain of exact wording, cite the reference and summarize rather than placing the wording in quotation marks.

Keep the journal from becoming merely academic

The purpose is not to win an argument with Tozer. After the biblical evaluation, add one short line under both columns:

Response: What should I believe, confess, obey, or practice because of the truth Scripture has confirmed?

For example, a study of surrender should eventually address something actually being held too tightly. A study of meekness should eventually affect defensiveness. The journal should lead from discernment to obedience.

Use the method in a group

For a small group, give everyone the same paragraph and ask them to complete the two columns independently. Then compare which Scriptures were chosen and why. Require participants to explain the context rather than merely list references.

This method can also prevent a leader from lecturing. The text and Scripture become the shared objects of study.

Common mistakes

Do not search for a verse that merely sounds similar to Tozer.
Do not use isolated phrases of Scripture without context.
Do not assume every devotional metaphor is intended as a technical theological definition.
Do not treat disagreement with one phrase as rejection of the whole book.
Do not let appreciation for Tozer prevent honest biblical qualification.

Put It Into Practice

Choose one paragraph from your current chapter. Write a one-sentence paraphrase in the left column. In the right column, study two passages in context and label the result Confirmed, Clarified, Qualified, or Question Remaining. Finish with one specific response you can practice this week.

Conclusion: A two-column journal lets you read Tozer appreciatively and responsibly. It preserves the right order: Tozer can prompt the question, but Scripture supplies the governing answer.