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It doesn't matter what we think, it matters what God says, and God says, "Much knowledge puffs up." (1 Corinthians 8:1) Now lest we take this proverb out of context, let us look at what it means in light of the rest of Scripture.
The emphasis of Scripture is doing as opposed to simply knowing about. As Disciples of Christ, the exhortation of the Lord over and against the religious leaders of Jesus' day (and many today) is to move form pride-engourging knowledge to Christ-exalting, ministry-applied love. To know God over knowing about God. God does not condemn knowledge, He condemns self-centered pride. Today, the great challenge is to grow in Christ without growing in knowledge-based self-reliance.
The temptation is to retort, "Well, the more you study God, the closer you get to Him and therefore, this is not an issue." The public and private disgrace of many spiritual leaders throughout history testify to the false nature of this assumption. The subject of 1 Corinthians 8:1 is not study or knowledge, but the pride that comes from attaining much knowledge. There is much knowledge in many churches today. Many of those same churches are also experiencing a drought of Biblical wisdom and practical, personal love. Many intellectually mature disciples live out the truth of Proverbs 18:13 daily, "It is to a mans' folly and shame to offer counsel without first seeking understanding," while at the same time remain very distant from the truth of Matthew 7:12, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the prophets." Which flows from, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10:27)
The problem is one that James spoke about when he wrote, "So speak and act as one who is to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgement is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy, Mercy triumphs over judgement." (James 2:12-13) This is his Spirit-led conclusion to a conversation starting with, "But be doers of the Word and not hearers only...if anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart (pride of knowledge), this persons religion is worthless." (James 1:22 and 26). Everything in between amplifies this dichotomy. Intellectual freedom in Christ is a liberation from knowledge that magnifies man's stature, to that of wisdom that magnifies the "measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Eph. 4:16)
So how do we experience this Intellectual Freedom in Christ? We "walk by faith". Sounds simple, but let's look at how that is the solution and why it doesn't compromise growing in knowledge the right way.
That comes in part two tomorrow!
With you for His glory,
