Debunking fear of knowledge

Some Christians seem to suffer from gnosiophobia --- fear of knowledge. (Gnosis is one of the Greek words commonly translated knowledge, and phobos is a Greek word commonly translated fear.) When you begin to talk about doctrine, theology, the absolute nature of truth, they begin to stress out and act defensive.

I think there are two primary objections to knowledge that give rise to this fear. First, this fear may be caused by a distaste (rightly so!) for the divisiveness that is often caused by knowledge, whether it be the Calvinism-Arminianism debate or differing beliefs about the eschaton. Second, they may be trying to prevent Christian knowledge from becoming an intellectual pursuit that is reserved for the select few who are very smart.

Obviously, knowledge is imperfect. Truth is perfect reality, while knowledge is our faulty human understanding of that reality. That's why 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 says that knowledge will pass away when the perfect comes. And, not every Christian is gifted with knowledge. But, should we fear or reject knowledge (if not fully, then at least in some measure) because of the mentioned objections?

I think underlying those objections are some wrong assumptions. First, there is the wrong assumption that when some Christians have greater knowledge than others, division is inevitable. And, second, there is the wrong assumption that only the intelligent are capable of gaining knowledge and deep insight into God. Let's address these assumptions in order.

Wrong assumption #1: Knowledge Means That Division Is Inevitable

In 1 Corinthians 8:1, Paul is addressing an issue where some of the Corinthians were claiming that they had better knowledge than others and that it was permissible to eat food sacrificed to idols. But, those others were saying that it was wrong to eat it. There was division. However, Paul didn't tell them to stop having knowledge. Paul told them that the issue should be resolved by loving one another. In other words, those who had stronger faith/knowledge should not cause their weaker brothers to stumble. In fact, Paul affirmed that their knowledge was partially correct (1 Corinthians 8:4-7), but only after challenging them to seek for better knowledge (1 Corinthians 8:2). The better knowledge is that it is a sin to use (or boast in) knowledge without discretion, and thus cause your brother to stumble.

Paul's answer to the misuse of knowledge (which caused division) was not disuse, but correct use. Paul is telling us to not cast away the fork because we bit on it, but to seek to use it correctly.

Wrong assumption #2: Knowledge is only for the Intelligent

There are actually two components to my response to this wrong assumption.

1. Every Christian is relationally equal in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). That is to say, we are all given equal status as children in the household of God --- regardless of our gender, race, socioeconomic status, &c. However, we are not all functionally equal in this current age --- whether it be our gender, vocation, or giftedness. Gifts, remember, are given by God's grace (Romans 12:6), and men and women have unique, irreplaceable roles (Ephesians 5:22-32). In heaven, there will be no gifts (1 Corinthians 13:8-13) and no marriage (Luke 20:35).

So, even though every Christian is exhorted to grow in knowledge (2 Peter 3:18), not every Christian can obtain it on their own. This is why Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:11-13 (emphasis added) that

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ ...

Simply put, not every Christian is able or even supposed to be able to build themselves up in knowledge. This passage from Ephesians claims that God gave some people the gift of teaching to accomplish just that.

2. The knowledge of God is not merely intellectual but spiritual. Knowing God well is not as much a function of an intelligent mind as it is of the Holy Spirit giving us understanding. Anyone who lives and breathes can understand the deepest truths of the Bible, because true Christians have the mind of Christ. Like 1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (emphasis added) says,

...these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Although not all of us can gain knowledge on our own, unaided by other Christians, all of us have equal capability of understanding knowledge once it is taught to us. Let's close by remember why we should pursue knowledge.

Hosea 6:6 (NASB) 
For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

If I claim that I love my wife Lisa, but I don't know her --- her dreams and fears, her weaknesses and strengths, her habits, her character, her preferences, her convictions --- almost anyone would tell me that I don't really love her. And, if I don't do things to care for her and make her happy, then also I would not love her! If I try to do things for her without knowledge of her, she will be saddened that my primary desire isn't simply to know her well, and although she might accept my ill-offered service, she won't be pleased with it because it doesn't conform to reality. And, if year after year at our anniversary I am satisfied with giving her a second-rate gift, and I never seek to know what she really wants, she will be disappointed and may doubt my love.

I want to blog more on this topic. I'd like to talk about how in Proverbs, wisdom is personified as a woman crying aloud for all mankind, and especially the simple and the foolish to gain prudence and understanding (Proverbs 8).

Your comments, whether encouraging or disputing, if thoughtful, are most welcome!

Jim Cymbala and bold preaching

I thought that I would disagree with much of what Jim Cymbala has to say in his book, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. But, I'm finding much with which I agree! I guess being open minded is worthwhile after all.

On page 123, he makes some points that I strongly agree with and find very encouraging:

Boldness can only be imparted by the Holy Spirit. There is no such thing as "taught boldness." You cannot get it through a seminar. Second Timothy 1:7 says, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline."

New Testament preachers were boldly confrontational, trusting that the Holy Spirit would produce the conviction necessary for conversion. They were not afraid.

Listen to Peter on the Day of Pentecost: "You, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross" (Acts 2:23). This was the last thing the crowd wanted to hear. If David Letterman had a Top Ten list of things not to say to a Jewish audience, number one would be "Guess what -- with your own hands you just killed the Messiah, the one Israel has been expecting for centuries."

But Peter's boldness did not drive the people away. Instead, it stabbed their consciences. By the end of the day a huge group had repented of their sin and been converted.

That quote is set in a chapter entitled, "The Lure of Marketing." The chapter begins by saying that no church should be measured by attendance. I wonder how many churches today are thinking this way? I see churches not wanting to simply and boldly preach the Word because it's too academic, or people don't like it, or no one learns that way in this generation. You see more churches wanting to craft experiences than simply teaching the Word of God. It's all about the experience. I got a pamphlet in the mail the other day, urging me to come to their church because it's relevant (whatever that means).

I'm sorry (I lied -- actually I'm not sorry), but I think that deep, timeless truth from Scripture is the most timely teaching for our generation. Remember Mary and Martha? Jesus rebuked Martha for her busy-ness (she was trying to create a hospitable and welcoming experience for her guests), while he commended Mary for quietly listening to his teaching (Luke 10:38-42).

The pursuit of true religion

It's interesting what this quote expresses. The devil wants us to consider Christianity as a pursuit of some earthly gain rather than the pursuit of God in Christ Jesus.

"On the other hand we do want, and want very much, to make men treat Christianity as a means; preferably, of course, as a means to their own advancement, but, failing that, as a means to anything - even to social justice. The thing to do is to get a man at first to value social justice as a thing which the Enemy demands, and then work him on to the stage at which he values Christianity because it may produce social justice."
- C.S. Lewis (writing as the demon Screwtape), The Screwtape Letters

Hosea 6:6 comes to mind as a corrective from thinking Christianity is a pursuit of transient gain. God would rather that we know Him well and are loyal to Him than that we sacrifice or strive. The more I come to know the Trinitarian God through the Bible, theology books, sound teachers, experience, and prayer, the more I am convinced that He is beautiful and He is the only thing worth having, in this life or in the life to come.

Of course, if we know God and are loyal to Him, we understand that He cares deeply about social justice, but this (and other issues) must be always secondary in our hearts and minds to Jesus Christ Himself.

O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise,
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of His grace!
- Charles Wesley, 1739

Boasting in Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Notice how Paul ends this passage. He is not only content with weaknesses, but he boasts in them!

Well, one of my great weaknesses is my utter lack of relational skills. I'm usually timid...or overbearing, when I'm trying to compensate for my timidity. I usually don't know what to do in most social contexts. I don't even know how to introduce myself to someone, strike up a conversation, let alone sustain a meaningful conversation (except for people whom I know well). When I'm going to talk in front of other people, my adrenaline rushes (even though I'm not really scared), and I can feel my jugular pulsate like the thumping of helicopter rotor blades.

However, something unique happened today at the gym. After I had finished working out, the Holy Spirit pointed out a certain guy in the gym and commanded me to give him a book I had just finished reading. At first, I was confounded. Getting clear direction like that from the Holy Spirit happens a good bit, so I shouldn't be so surprised, but I had to think about it for a few seconds. Then, I walked up to him, introduced myself and began conversing with him. I directed the conversation toward the idea of endurance (not hard in a gym), and then reading, and then what types of books he enjoyed, and having confirmed that he enjoyed such books, offered it to him. (At this point, we had been talking for five or ten minutes.) He accepted it and thanked me. Awhile later, I met him again in the locker room, and he said that he looked forward to reading it and then discussing it with me.

So, what happened?

As I've said, I have horrible relational skills. However, God gave me a task and filled me with the Holy Spirit to accomplish it. Not only was I an adequate conversationalist, I initiated and sustained an exceptionally interesting and meaningful conversation.

After my conversation with this guy, I initiated and sustained two more conversations in the steam room with two other guys. These conversations were more preevangelism than anything else, but they were equally meaningfully and gave me a lot to think about. But, again, remember that I have horrible relational skills! Yet, I was able to sustain three purposeful conversations with unbelievers who didn't hate me after I left.

Like Paul, I will boast in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. For, what a delight it is that Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24) is with me!

The Defilement of our Tongues

James 3:5-6
So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

We're going to examine the two words in bold. The first word can also be translated "defile," which is how we're going to discuss it. We're going to spend the majority of our time examining the first word and then close with an observation about the second word.

When Jesus came to earth, He declared that no food eaten can make us unclean (Mark 7:14-23). Food no longer defiles us. But, Jesus also told us what does defile us: our tongues.

In Daniel 1:8, the protagonist faithfully "resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food." We remember how he sought the approval of God for his actions, instead of the approval of man. Let's examine the defilement that Daniel resisted. In the Old Testament, if someone even touched a carcass of a dead animal that was designated as off-limits (see Leviticus 11), that person was "unclean until evening." The offender was required to wash themselves and be separate from the rest of the Israelites until the sun set. They were defiled.

The evil things that arise from our hearts, when spoken, have a similar defiling effect on our mind, body, and soul. These spoken evils destroy our fellowship with God and with others. The evil in our hearts was always there, the tongue neither created nor increased this evil, but the tongue is witness to the evil in our hearts and it speaks from what it knows. Like Jesus said, "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45).

When I awake in the morning and don't properly care for my heart by calling on God in prayer with my whole heart and by listening to and heeding His words in Scripture, my family is torn apart. My hot temper and my frustrated, impatient outbursts at my wife and the rest of my family tear apart the close fellowship I have had with them. It defiles me and my family's actions throughout the day and sets our course toward more defilement and away from Jesus and peace, kindness, righteousness, justice, mercy.

So, what is the solution? We can't just suppress the evil within us! The solution lies in believing Jesus, recognizing our place as sinners dependent upon God’s sovereign grace. Even though we're saved, we're huge sinners and are in constant need of renewed strength (Isaiah 40:31) and fresh mercy (Lamentations 3:23). It is only by the atoning work of Jesus on the cross that we are saved. But, practically, how do we believe Jesus and overcome wicked, evil hearts, and the fiery destruction of our unruly tongues?

Philippians 4:8-9
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me -- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Our culture and our sinful natures inundate us with bad ideology and sinful temptations. As we take these things in, they become part of us, often subconsciously. We must keep our heads above the current of sinful, godless pressures which are seeking to pull us under and asphyxiate the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. We do this by filling our hearts to brimming and overflowing with good, Godly things (and then practicing and speaking these things from our heart), like Philippians 4:8-9 said above.

Here are some practical ideas that help me and my family:

• Don't waste time on the elliptical! Read a good story or biography that is Christocentric. Better yet, read a good theology book or the Bible.
• Don't waste commutes! Get the Bible on audio CD or download sermons and burn them onto CD. There are a lot of great, free sermons available.
• Have a time of family Scripture reading every day, or twice a day if your schedule allows, in addition to personal Scripture reading.
• Have family prayer times every day. They don't have to be long. Also have husband/wife prayer times.
• If the family or the parents are beginning to conflict, stop and pray for help together and/or read some Scripture that convicts you in the particular situation and points you to the cross. Jesus suffered so much for us and loves us so much.

Let's examine that second word, in closing. Remember that the passage said that "[our tongue] stain[s] the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life." Jesus is jealous for us and wants our course to be toward him. He wants our loyalty. He wants all of us: our heart, our soul, our mind, our strength. If our strength is analogically a car, then our mind is the driver, making rational decisions toward accomplishing a goal. Our heart would then be the purpose, the destination, the plan. Proverbs 16:9 says that "the heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps" (emphasis added). As we speak the evil within our hearts, it hardens our hearts further and sets our course away from communion with Jesus and fellowship with other Christians. But, as we fill our hearts with good things, we will find our purposes and our plans in life to be more toward Jesus and less toward sin! For, that is the goal and desire of our lives: to be made into the likeness and image of our Savior, who loves us so much that he died so that we might be given his righteousness and made acceptable to God.

I was inspired to write this after watching this short dramatization of James 3 from the 2008 Desiring God conference, which really convicted me.

Every ministry has a preparation

For the past couple of months, I've been struggling intensely with desiring to know and begin the good works that God has prepared for me to do (Ephesians 2:10). (This struggle was intensified by needing to decide about an opportunity to join a Christian metal band, which I ended up turning down.)

And, then it hit me: Jesus didn't begin his ministry until he was thirty years of age (Luke 3:23). I'm only twenty-four year of age.

Perhaps now is the time for me to prepare for ministry.

So, here's what I'm going to do over the next three years:

• Read God's Word
• Pray
• Teach and lead my family
• Serve my local church
• Learn Greek
• Pay off forty thousand dollars of debt

Those last two are the most functionally relevant to the inklings that I have of what God might want for me to do. I want to be free to serve God wherever He might send me.

After those three years, I would like to obtain some high quality formal theological training.

So, three years here, learning Greek and paying off debt; four years of theological training. That's seven years. At that point, I'd be thirty-one years of age.

Little decisions in the fear of God

Adeline has not been easily falling asleep, lately. She'll cry vehemently when we leave her alone for the night. Normally, we come in a few times, sing or rock her some more, and then eventually she'll go to sleep. Tonight, that didn't work.

Lisa suggested it could be that we fed her yogurt, but she didn't drink much water. Right after Lisa said this, Adeline stopped crying and fell asleep.

At this point, I was faced with a dilemma. Should we wake her up and feed her some water? Or, should we let her sleep? I didn't want her to have digestion problems from lack of liquid in her tummy, but I also didn't want to put her (and us) through any more pain of crying (waking her up will probably cause more crying). I didn't know what to do.

But, then, I was reminded of Proverbs 9:10. When I stand before God for judgment, I don't want to hang my head in shame and admit that I consciously chose to not provide for one of her needs. The right decision is to care properly for my daughter, even if she doesn't initially like it, even if it causes her to cry some more, even if it is inconvenient for me.