"Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding" (Jer. 3:25, NIV).
"... How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?" (Prov. 1:22, NIV).
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid" (Prov. 12:1, NIV).
"The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin" (Prov. 10:14, NIV).
"... We know that 'We all possess knowledge.' But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know" (1 Cor. 8:1-2, NIV).
1 Cor. 8:1 says that "knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." Paul also warns in 1 Tim. 6:20 that there is "knowledge falsely so called." Why is it that Hosea says that the "people perish for lack of knowledge" and that those "without knowledge will come to ruin"? There must be a valid knowledge that God wills us to possess. Point to ponder: Scripture isn't anti-intellectual or anti-intellect. It's not the intelligence or the knowledge that offends God and others, but the arrogance so often accompanied with it. We must cater to intellectual honesty or integrity, but not pander to intellectual arrogance. Job challenged God without proper knowledge and needed to be clued in. He found out that no one has a monopoly on knowledge, wisdom, understanding, or truth.
It is said of sophomores (wise morons) in college that they are wise guys because they have enough knowledge to be dangerous or are half-educated. When you think you have all the answers, like a youth rebelling against parental authority, you don't know as you ought to know. It is said that all knowledge begins in faith and we cannot find a knowledge of the truth unless we are willing to admit we are wrong! Because no one is infallible and can't stand corrected at times. It is no shame to love wisdom and knowledge--philosopher means love of wisdom--because true believers have an innate love of the truth and unbelievers reject the truth (cf. 2 Thess. 2:10; Rom. 2:8).
A sign of a truly wise man is that he's hungry for the truth and is a permanent student in the school of Christ, ever increasing and growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Sir Francis Bacon, Christian philosopher, scientist, mathematician, said that "knowledge is power," echoing Prov. 24:5 that says we increase strength with our increase of knowledge. Getting back to the sophomore analogy: we never really graduate from the school of Christ we have matriculated in and are permanent students of the Book and the more we learn the more we realize we don't know, but that we have merely scratched the surface. A student entering college thinks he knows something, then gets somewhat overwhelmed, then he becomes a wiseguy thinking he knows it all and is "educated," but then gets humbled and finds out how ignorant he is, and hopefully, he will see graduation as only the beginning of his search for the truth and not the endpoint of it. It is said of the true student of Christ that he has a thirst for the truth and knowledge because "all truth meets at the top" (acc. to Aquinas) and "all truth is God's truth" (acc. to Augustine).
There is a spiritual gift of knowledge and God grants a spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so that we all can become wise men and counsel others to the truth. The wise are known as those who are hungry for the truth, while the fool feeds on trash. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge according to Prov. 15:7. We are commanded to add knowledge to our virtue in 2 Pet. 1:5. We must never forget that according to Prov. 1:7 all knowledge is contingent and begins with a fear of the Lord; for without God's knowledge and revelation, we could know nothing for certain. "To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness..." (Eccl. 2:16, NIV). CAVEAT: If we have all knowledge and not love we are nothing; one must keep the main thing the main thing and realize that the aim and focus are to use our knowledge wisely, for the inclination of man is to increase in knowledge and not know how to use it to God's glory. That's why Peter warns us not to be unfruitful in our knowledge (2 Pet. 1:8). Solomon also realized the importance of acquiring knowledge from God to be able to lead Israel.
Solomon noticed that too much knowledge can be a grief and bring sorrow, but that is only when it's not focused on Christ and not oriented to the glory of God and one has no God-centered purpose in learning but is only learning for its own sake or for the wrong motives--knowledge is not an end in itself, but a means to an end! "But since you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you...." (2 Cor. 8:7, NIV). Daniel is the patron saint of those of the knowledge of the system, and the priest is to guard and preserve knowledge for he is the messenger of the Lord (cf. Mal. 2:7).
Likewise, we ought to avoid the presence of the fool, the one in whom we don't find the words of knowledge. Never forget that true knowledge of the Lord is real understanding and wisdom and something to boast in (cf. Jer. 9:24). Remember that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and therefore one must commit to a serious, lifelong pursuit of it to keep from conceit, lest we become like Job who "spoke without knowledge" and his words had no insight, thinking he knew it all per Job 34:35. An example of foolishly using knowledge is to be a showoff or to parade it or to endeavor to "wow" people with our scholarship or higher learning when we need to meet people where they are and connect with them at their level--no one likes the know-it-all.
Some knowledge is too wonderful (cf. Psa. 131:1) for us because of our human limits (cf. Psa. 139:6). A sign of the last days is that according to Daniel 12:4 "knowledge shall increase," but this is the unwise use of it and referring to a technical advance of civilization, not true godly knowledge, which doesn't increase but remains to be discovered anew in each generation. I believe we are going backward in this category! Caution: Ignorance is not bliss, and it's ignorance that binds us not knowledge. In sum, we all need to know the value of knowing the scoop, but we need to add a cup of discernment with it to keep it in perspective and ourselves properly oriented to reality and the main thing that counts--love. ("I desired the knowledge of God ... more than burnt offerings" (Hos. 6:6, NIV). Soli Deo Gloria!
"... How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?" (Prov. 1:22, NIV).
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid" (Prov. 12:1, NIV).
"The wise store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin" (Prov. 10:14, NIV).
"... We know that 'We all possess knowledge.' But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know" (1 Cor. 8:1-2, NIV).
1 Cor. 8:1 says that "knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." Paul also warns in 1 Tim. 6:20 that there is "knowledge falsely so called." Why is it that Hosea says that the "people perish for lack of knowledge" and that those "without knowledge will come to ruin"? There must be a valid knowledge that God wills us to possess. Point to ponder: Scripture isn't anti-intellectual or anti-intellect. It's not the intelligence or the knowledge that offends God and others, but the arrogance so often accompanied with it. We must cater to intellectual honesty or integrity, but not pander to intellectual arrogance. Job challenged God without proper knowledge and needed to be clued in. He found out that no one has a monopoly on knowledge, wisdom, understanding, or truth.
It is said of sophomores (wise morons) in college that they are wise guys because they have enough knowledge to be dangerous or are half-educated. When you think you have all the answers, like a youth rebelling against parental authority, you don't know as you ought to know. It is said that all knowledge begins in faith and we cannot find a knowledge of the truth unless we are willing to admit we are wrong! Because no one is infallible and can't stand corrected at times. It is no shame to love wisdom and knowledge--philosopher means love of wisdom--because true believers have an innate love of the truth and unbelievers reject the truth (cf. 2 Thess. 2:10; Rom. 2:8).
A sign of a truly wise man is that he's hungry for the truth and is a permanent student in the school of Christ, ever increasing and growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Sir Francis Bacon, Christian philosopher, scientist, mathematician, said that "knowledge is power," echoing Prov. 24:5 that says we increase strength with our increase of knowledge. Getting back to the sophomore analogy: we never really graduate from the school of Christ we have matriculated in and are permanent students of the Book and the more we learn the more we realize we don't know, but that we have merely scratched the surface. A student entering college thinks he knows something, then gets somewhat overwhelmed, then he becomes a wiseguy thinking he knows it all and is "educated," but then gets humbled and finds out how ignorant he is, and hopefully, he will see graduation as only the beginning of his search for the truth and not the endpoint of it. It is said of the true student of Christ that he has a thirst for the truth and knowledge because "all truth meets at the top" (acc. to Aquinas) and "all truth is God's truth" (acc. to Augustine).
There is a spiritual gift of knowledge and God grants a spirit of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding so that we all can become wise men and counsel others to the truth. The wise are known as those who are hungry for the truth, while the fool feeds on trash. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge according to Prov. 15:7. We are commanded to add knowledge to our virtue in 2 Pet. 1:5. We must never forget that according to Prov. 1:7 all knowledge is contingent and begins with a fear of the Lord; for without God's knowledge and revelation, we could know nothing for certain. "To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness..." (Eccl. 2:16, NIV). CAVEAT: If we have all knowledge and not love we are nothing; one must keep the main thing the main thing and realize that the aim and focus are to use our knowledge wisely, for the inclination of man is to increase in knowledge and not know how to use it to God's glory. That's why Peter warns us not to be unfruitful in our knowledge (2 Pet. 1:8). Solomon also realized the importance of acquiring knowledge from God to be able to lead Israel.
Solomon noticed that too much knowledge can be a grief and bring sorrow, but that is only when it's not focused on Christ and not oriented to the glory of God and one has no God-centered purpose in learning but is only learning for its own sake or for the wrong motives--knowledge is not an end in itself, but a means to an end! "But since you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you...." (2 Cor. 8:7, NIV). Daniel is the patron saint of those of the knowledge of the system, and the priest is to guard and preserve knowledge for he is the messenger of the Lord (cf. Mal. 2:7).
Likewise, we ought to avoid the presence of the fool, the one in whom we don't find the words of knowledge. Never forget that true knowledge of the Lord is real understanding and wisdom and something to boast in (cf. Jer. 9:24). Remember that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and therefore one must commit to a serious, lifelong pursuit of it to keep from conceit, lest we become like Job who "spoke without knowledge" and his words had no insight, thinking he knew it all per Job 34:35. An example of foolishly using knowledge is to be a showoff or to parade it or to endeavor to "wow" people with our scholarship or higher learning when we need to meet people where they are and connect with them at their level--no one likes the know-it-all.
Some knowledge is too wonderful (cf. Psa. 131:1) for us because of our human limits (cf. Psa. 139:6). A sign of the last days is that according to Daniel 12:4 "knowledge shall increase," but this is the unwise use of it and referring to a technical advance of civilization, not true godly knowledge, which doesn't increase but remains to be discovered anew in each generation. I believe we are going backward in this category! Caution: Ignorance is not bliss, and it's ignorance that binds us not knowledge. In sum, we all need to know the value of knowing the scoop, but we need to add a cup of discernment with it to keep it in perspective and ourselves properly oriented to reality and the main thing that counts--love. ("I desired the knowledge of God ... more than burnt offerings" (Hos. 6:6, NIV). Soli Deo Gloria!
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