Paul was asking about the people who think they know something when in reality they know nothing worth knowing. Jesus despised the manner of the typical Pharisee who "knew" the Scripture (often memorizing the Torah) but didn't recognize their king amongst them. The Word should open our eyes and be the way God communicates to us. "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me" (John 5:39).
We need preachers who have more than just a second-hand knowledge of Christ and don't just quote the so-called authorities or experts like the Pharisees did--what has God revealed to them, not what do the great teachers say. What has God been showing them? The point of the Holy Writ is to point to the person of Jesus and to aid us in finding our God. Jesus rebuked them, "You know not the Scriptures, nor the power of God," (cf. Matt. 22:29). Thus equating the two, but His interpreting of "knowing" the Scriptures was seeing Himself in them and the point is to lead them to Him.
Beware lest we get academic and study the Bible to know the "facts" or the trivia (distinguish between knowledge about the Bible and knowledge of the Bible) and not the lessons, which are the real doctrines or teachings. We should study to show ourselves "approved unto God," and that means a basic understanding and ability to interpret what is relevant to us as we apply it; mere knowledge for its own sake is vain and leads to being "puffed up" as Paul warns us in 1 Cor. 8:1 that "knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." Knowledge of the Word is a means to an end, and not the end or goal per se. True knowledge of God is vital: "Therefore, My people go into exile, for lack of knowledge" (Isa. 5:13); "My people perish for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6).
We can take pride in how much we know and this serves no purpose. Some of us (e.g., pastors, teachers, and evangelists) have more so-called knowledge as a byproduct, but, for the run-of-the-mill believer, knowing the Author is more important than knowing the Word, however vital that is. "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth, men should seek instruction--because of he a messenger of the LORD Almighty" (Mal. 2:7). There is a need for theologians, for instance, but in a sense, all believers are theologians because they espouse and believe in certain doctrines; but they have a bad rap and many simply regard their knowledge in a matter-of-fact manner and don't apply what they know.
We are not to despise knowledge per se, because God has repeatedly rejected the priests who have turned against knowledge ("Because you have rejected knowledge, I have rejected you as my priests," says Hosea 4:6). Proverbs says that the wise "store up knowledge" and "the lips of the wise spread knowledge" (Prov. 15:7). "A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but a fool feeds on folly" (Prov. 15:24). "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge" (Prov. 19:2). "They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Rom. 10:1). Therefore, we should not be against knowledge per se, but realize its place and a relative value; the real substance is in knowing Christ; our relationship is with Christ, not the Word.
We develop a taste for the Word: "O how I love thy Word, I meditate on it all day long." "Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and they were the joy of my heart" (Jer. 15:16). Personally, I relate to Psalm 119:92 which says, "For if thy law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction." David says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good..." (Psa. 34:8).
We learn to love the Word, and there is nothing wrong with being a person of the Book (as believers were once called), as we seek God's guidance and counsel to us (God is able to speak any way He chooses, but He has promised to speak to us in His Word); Note Deut. 32:47: "They are not just idle words for you--they are your life." We turn to the Word, not to any person for authority. Sola Scriptura (the Word alone) was the cry of the Reformation and they took away the authority of the priest, pontiff, or tradition to compete with the sole authority of the Word. Soli Deo Gloria!
We need preachers who have more than just a second-hand knowledge of Christ and don't just quote the so-called authorities or experts like the Pharisees did--what has God revealed to them, not what do the great teachers say. What has God been showing them? The point of the Holy Writ is to point to the person of Jesus and to aid us in finding our God. Jesus rebuked them, "You know not the Scriptures, nor the power of God," (cf. Matt. 22:29). Thus equating the two, but His interpreting of "knowing" the Scriptures was seeing Himself in them and the point is to lead them to Him.
Beware lest we get academic and study the Bible to know the "facts" or the trivia (distinguish between knowledge about the Bible and knowledge of the Bible) and not the lessons, which are the real doctrines or teachings. We should study to show ourselves "approved unto God," and that means a basic understanding and ability to interpret what is relevant to us as we apply it; mere knowledge for its own sake is vain and leads to being "puffed up" as Paul warns us in 1 Cor. 8:1 that "knowledge puffs up, but love edifies." Knowledge of the Word is a means to an end, and not the end or goal per se. True knowledge of God is vital: "Therefore, My people go into exile, for lack of knowledge" (Isa. 5:13); "My people perish for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6).
We can take pride in how much we know and this serves no purpose. Some of us (e.g., pastors, teachers, and evangelists) have more so-called knowledge as a byproduct, but, for the run-of-the-mill believer, knowing the Author is more important than knowing the Word, however vital that is. "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth, men should seek instruction--because of he a messenger of the LORD Almighty" (Mal. 2:7). There is a need for theologians, for instance, but in a sense, all believers are theologians because they espouse and believe in certain doctrines; but they have a bad rap and many simply regard their knowledge in a matter-of-fact manner and don't apply what they know.
We are not to despise knowledge per se, because God has repeatedly rejected the priests who have turned against knowledge ("Because you have rejected knowledge, I have rejected you as my priests," says Hosea 4:6). Proverbs says that the wise "store up knowledge" and "the lips of the wise spread knowledge" (Prov. 15:7). "A discerning heart seeks knowledge, but a fool feeds on folly" (Prov. 15:24). "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge" (Prov. 19:2). "They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (Rom. 10:1). Therefore, we should not be against knowledge per se, but realize its place and a relative value; the real substance is in knowing Christ; our relationship is with Christ, not the Word.
We develop a taste for the Word: "O how I love thy Word, I meditate on it all day long." "Thy words were found, and I did eat them, and they were the joy of my heart" (Jer. 15:16). Personally, I relate to Psalm 119:92 which says, "For if thy law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction." David says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good..." (Psa. 34:8).
We learn to love the Word, and there is nothing wrong with being a person of the Book (as believers were once called), as we seek God's guidance and counsel to us (God is able to speak any way He chooses, but He has promised to speak to us in His Word); Note Deut. 32:47: "They are not just idle words for you--they are your life." We turn to the Word, not to any person for authority. Sola Scriptura (the Word alone) was the cry of the Reformation and they took away the authority of the priest, pontiff, or tradition to compete with the sole authority of the Word. Soli Deo Gloria!