I’ll let St. Jerome answer this question, from the beginning of his famous commentary on the book of the prophet Isaiah:

I interpret as I should, following the command of Christ: “Search the Scriptures” (John 5:39), and “Seek and you shall find” (Matthew 7:7). Christ will not say to me what he said to the Jews: “You erred, not knowing the Scriptures and not knowing the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29) For if, as Paul says, “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:24), and if the man who does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.

Itaque et tibi et illi per te reddo quod debeo, obediens Christi praeceptis, qui ait: Scrutamini Scripturas; et, Quaerite, et invenietis. Ne illud audiam cum Judaeis: Erratis, nescientes Scripturas, neque virtutem Dei. Si enim juxta apostolum Paulum Christus Dei virtus est, Deique sapientia; et qui nescit Scripturas, nescit Dei virtutem ejusque sapientiam: ignoratio Scripturarum, ignoratio Christi est.

(English translation courtesy of Crossroads Initiative)