Personally, I think one can study the Word of God from a purely academic standpoint without applying it and honestly without even being a Christian. There are dozens of Biblical commentary you can dive into to read up on the historical background, what theologians say about the meaning of certain verses...but that only takes you so far. I think the key difference is "knowing of" or "knowing personally". Lee Strobel could run circles around the academic study of the Bible, but he didn't truly know until he came to accept Jesus into his life and apply it. I could read up on the Greek and Hebrew definitions of submit, as well as the cultural and historical background and supporting verses...but I couldn't truly tell you what it means to submit to God until I experienced it myself.
Personally, I think one can study the Word of God from a purely academic standpoint without applying it and honestly without even being a Christian. There are dozens of Biblical commentary you can dive into to read up on the historical background, what theologians say about the meaning of certain verses...but that only takes you so far. I think the key difference is "knowing of" or "knowing personally". Lee Strobel could run circles around the academic study of the Bible, but he didn't truly know until he came to accept Jesus into his life and apply it. I could read up on the Greek and Hebrew definitions of submit, as well as the cultural and historical background and supporting verses...but I couldn't truly tell you what it means to submit to God until I experienced it myself.