Search for Knowledge |
Paradox of Christian Learning
Why do two people sitting under the same
message respond so differently? Does God withhold His revelation from one
while allowing another to receive it? Why does a particular passage of
Scripture suddenly "leap off the page" and speak powerful
revelation to one's heart although it has been read many times before?
Does God delight in causing us to search continually while doling out
nuggets of truth only in bits and pieces?
Why does it seem so difficult to learn the
ways of God? Does God have respect of persons? If not, why then, does it
seem one person knows more or learns faster than another?
There is an amazing paradox that is largely
unknown by most Christians in experiencing the revelation of God. Jesus
indicated this "mystery" of experiencing God when He said,
. . . I thank thee, O Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it
seemed good in thy sight . . . And he turned him unto his disciples, and
said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:
For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those
things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things
which ye hear; and have not heard them. (Luke 10:21, 23-24)
There is something definitely mysterious in
the eyes which saw not and in the ears which heard not of the prophets and
the kings of Israel.
They perceived themselves to be as a
nation, the one true seeker of God. Paul wrote,
Behold, thou art called a Jew, and
restest in the Iaw, and makest thy boast of God: and knowest his will,
and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out
of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the
blind: a light of them which are in darkness. (Rom. 2:17-19)
However, how they saw themselves was not
how God saw them: ". . . all day long I have stretched forth my hands
unto a disobedient and gainsaying people" (Rom. 10:21). They were
hearing, but they were hearing amiss and were even obstinate in their
faulty hearing. In fact, Paul added, " . . . Israel hath not obtained
that which he seeketh for . . ." (Rom. 1 1:7). They actively sought
God, but somehow in their seeking they did not find Him. They
misunderstood the unique godly principle that receiving the revelation of
God is by the grace of God.
Searching for God
The question has been raised, "Canst
thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto
perfection" (Job 11:7). Paul, in his Corinthian letter raised the
same query, "Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the
disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this
world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not
God . . ." (I Cor. 1:20,21).
One of the foundational truths of the ways
of God is that the wisdom of this world is not capable of "finding
out God." Regardless of how hard the mind may seek, the wisdom of man
cannot cross the "great chasm" into the mind of God. In fact,
Paul recorded this statement of God to Moses, " . . . I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will
have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that
runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy " (Rom. 9: 15,16). The secret
in finding God lies not in the determination and effort of man, but,
rather, it rests in the mercy of God.
Self-Disclosure of God
If man cannot "find out God" by
his own seeking and searching, then any knowledge of God that is acquired
by man has to come from God's own revelation of Himself. If God had never
chosen to reveal Himself, man could never have come to know God or
anything concerning Him. Paul wrote,
But as if is written, Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed
them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea,
the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save
the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no
man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the
world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in
the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him.
neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he
that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no
man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?
But we have the mind of Christ. (I Cor. 2:9-16)
For man to acquire any knowledge of God,
God has to be the giver of that knowledge.
In other words, man learns of God as he
encounters God through the disclosure of God. God has revealed Himself in
a self-opening out of His being. This is the statement of John when he
wrote, "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an
understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that
is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal
life" (I John 5:20). If it had not been for the coming of Jesus
Christ, the ultimate revelation of God, mankind could never have come to
"know him that is true . . . the true God." Although man cannot
find out God by his own searching, he can know God because God chose to
reveal Himself by His grace.
Drawing Back the Veil
Again, in his letter to the Corinthians,
Paul gave more of his insights into the uniqueness of Christian learning.
Speaking concerning the "hidden wisdom " of God (I Cor. 2:7),
Paul wrote, " . . . God hath revealed [it] unto us by His Spirit . .
. " (I Cor. 2: 10). The word "revealed" literally means
"a drawing back of the veil." That which had been concealed from
man by a veil and could not be penetrated by man's wisdom is now revealed
or made known by the drawing back of the veil.
The belief in the existence of God and His
revelation are the result of God's initiative. Man could never know of
God's existence or experience His revelation if God had not a chosen to
reveal Himself. Moreover, man receives that revelation of God as he
encounters or experiences God. All that man has or knows of God is a
result of his experience with God.
Mystery of Revelation
Paul recorded another dynamic statement
concerning the uniqueness of Christian learning. He recorded the words of
Isaiah who was quoting God, ". . . I was found of them that sought me
not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me" (Rom.
10:20). This seemingly difficult statement lies at the very heart of
understanding the unique Christian approach to God.
Although God stated He was found of them
that sought Him not, Jesus said, "Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for
everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him
that knocketh it shall be opened" (Matt. 7:7,8). These two seemingly
contradictory statements (God is found by them that did not seek Him and
Jesus' admonition to seek and "it" shall be found) can be
understood by recognizing that obviously there is a way to seek God that
is not "seeking" Him.
Failure to Find God
Moreover, Paul seems to indicate that man's
effort to seek God by his own study, skills, or acts of wisdom may
actually hinder the process of finding God. He wrote, "for Christ
sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of
words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect" (I Cor.
1:17). His own preaching was ". . . not with enticing words of man's
wisdom . . . that . . .faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in
the power of God" (I Cor. 2:4,5). Man trying to experience the
revelation of God, is actually hindered by his attempt to know God through
his "own" skill, will, or determination.
A Misunderstanding
Perhaps it would help to clear up a
misunderstanding of the most often quoted verse concerning ''study"
in the Bible. In II Timothy 2:15, Paul stated, "Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth." Many Christians understand this verse as
a command or an admonition of Paul to Timothy to study the Word of God.
However, if the mind of man cannot comprehend the things of God, why would
Paul encourage Timothy to attempt something that is impossible?
Any good English dictionary will give a
beginning clue to understand correctly what Paul really said. All
comprehensive English dictionaries give two shades of meaning for the word
"study. " The first one is the more common understanding,
"the use of the mind to gain knowledge or the act or process of
learning about something." The second definition is "to apply
the attention and mind to a subject." This second definition comes
closer to the meaning of the original language of the New Testament.
Study to Show
Paul is telling Timothy to apply his
attention to the subject of being a workman approved unto God. He is not
telling him "to study" in the sense of the most common
understanding of the word. More specifically, Paul is telling Timothy not
only to apply his attention but to make haste about it, for in the
original language, the word translated "study " (actually the
phrase "study to show " is the translation of the original word)
means "to make haste, to exert one's self, endeavor, give
diligence."
One is to "study to shew "
himself approved. He is to make haste about it. The entire verse will
illustrate the meaning. The word "approved" in this context
means a workman who has been put to the test and, meeting the
specifications, has won the approval of the one who has subjected him to
the test. Thus, Paul is actually telling Timothy, "Make haste, be
approved of God."
Conclusion
A workman such as this, one who is
approved, has no cause for shame when he is inspected. The reason he does
not need to be ashamed is that he has "rightly handled" (NIV)
the Word of truth. Rightly handling the Word of truth will always produce
a workman who is approved by God because the "Word of truth" is
Jesus. When Jesus is "rightly handled" approval is always given.
A believer will not be ashamed of himself or of the work for he will have
the approval of God through Jesus Christ.
Finally, there is the urging on, the
exhortation to make haste. Thus, the "study to show" of this
verse does not relate to the idea of the use of the mind to gain
knowledge. Rather, it is an admonition to hurry up and let God do His
work.
Christian learning will not come by human
ingenuity. It does not come from the study of the written word but from
the revelation of the Living Word, Jesus Christ. Or, as Paul wrote to the
Ephesians ". . . Ye have not so learned Christ: If so be that ye have
heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus"
(4:20,21). Christian learning can come only by hearing Jesus and being
taught by Him. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Him
(Col. 2:3). Jesus Christ is Christian learning.
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