Posted on 07/09/2017 10:35:23 AM PDT by OneVike
Gaining wisdom does not make you arrogant, it makes you humble. That's because when you know the truth you realize how stupid you have been, and then you will desire to help others who are as foolish as you once were. Thus the reason I enjoy sharing a Proverb a Day, while sharing what nuggets of gold I found found in this wonderful book. When one understands that Christ is the Wisdom of God, how could you not desire to have that which encompasses the very brain of our Creator?
I had a college history professor who answered a question from another student on why we should study history. She had two answers for him. The first was the classic response we all know;
1.) "We study the history of the world so that we will learn from the successes and failures of those who came before us. Those who forget these lessons will be doomed to repeat the bad ones."The second reason she gave has stuck with me as much as anything I ever learned in College,
2.) The more we know, the more we don't know, and those who believe they have learned everything there is to know are bound for failure.Thus the reason I shared the quote from the American humorist, Evan Esar,
"The disadvantage of becoming wise, is that you realize how foolish you've been."While it is not a biblical quote, it is a true one. We are always learning something new, and each time we do we should realize what Solomon came to realize in his later years when he wrote Ecclesiastes. Life without God is vanity. From a worldly perspective, Solomon had it all. Wealth, power, prestige, popularity, women, education, everything that people associate with happiness and success. Yet he states,
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2).Even when God blessed Solomon with wisdom, which brought him knowledge and wealth, he eventually realized he needed God. Without God, even wisdom can be unsatisfying and empty. Paul tells that we all have knowledge, but then he tells us that Knowledge puffs up, while love edifies. (1 Corinthians 8:1) However, many take this verse so out of context that they actually decry the knowledge one has of the Scriptures and the world. As if they are trying to puff up ignorance and stupidity at the benefit of love. Yet we know God tells us in Proverb 1:7 that,
I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
The fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge", and according toThus the reason I say that 1 Corinthians 8:1 has been historically misused in Evangelical Christianity. Which leads to the question, "Then when is the proverb knowledge puffs up appropriate?" Certainly not when one encounters a lover of learning. It is appropriate, and necessary, when a believer does not know to the degree that they need to know. As in 1 Corinthians 8:1-4, when a Christian is not using his knowledge to build up his brother, or when his knowledge is not coupled with love. Then a believer is deserving of correction. He is not to be discouraged from further learning though, but encouraged to grow in knowledge and love.
Bfl
08 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you;
00 Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
Another favorite.
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