Today’s Bible Study, Authored by Arthur
Cincotti. 09/25/2022
Listen to our Bible
Study Discussion at: Bible Study Podcast
Or watch the Video Zoom Session of our Study on YouTube: “Good Wisdom – Bad Wisdom” On YouTube
Good Wisdom / Bad Wisdom
“But the wisdom that is
from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of
mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” Js. 3:17
We live in a
hyper-educated society. I’m not the first to say this, but James Joyce also
said it of the early 20th cen.
We have placed great
emphasis on education. In truth, it hasn’t changed anything.
D. L. Moody said, “If
you take a man who has been stealing bolts off the rail, and educate him, he’ll
steal the whole train.”
The same hyper-educated
scenario can and has seeped into the church. It’s one thing to know about God,
but it’s an entirely different matter to know God.
Pr. James Finn use to
say, “every great move of God begins in a cave and ends in a cathedral.” He was
speaking of the comparison between David’s, “cave of Adullam” experience verses
Solomon’s temple.
If we contrast the lives
of these two kings of Israel we can discover
some interesting, and timeless principles that apply to the church throughout
the ages as well as today.
David was a shepherd Solomon was a
prince.
David was a musician Solomon, no
indication
David wrote Psalms Solomon wrote
proverbs
David became a man of
battle Solomon a man of
intellect
David built a kingdom Solomon inherited it.
David was a man after
God’s Solomon’s “wives
turned
own heart. I Sam. 13:14
away his heart. I Kg 11:4
David had Nathan Solomon, no prophetic voice
he
was on his own.
It seems as though whenever the church moves into an
intellectual mode of operation it equally drifts from power. See I Cor.
2:1-5;Also see Acts. 4:13
Acts 17:16-34 tells of Paul’s experience in Athens,
competing with some of the intelligentsia of the day; the Greek philosophers.
Whenever we enter into a battle of wits conjecture wins the day, but manifest
power is a daunting apologetic. In Mt. 12:22-27, the Pharisees (intellectuals)
try to undermine Jesus by saying, “This fellow does not cast out demons
except by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.” But Jesus points out the fallacy
of this logic.
It is very important to study the Word of God and seek to
understand it. II Tim. 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
But if we fail to cultivate our relationship with God, through
prayer, and the application of faith, then all we will have is head
knowledge.
The adage goes, “Too
much word, not enough Spirit and you dry up; too much Spirit and not enough
word and you blow up”
Paul says, “Knowledge
puffs up, but love edifies” I Co. 8:1
We must consider the heart behind our “Godly activity”. Do
we genuinely long to see friends, family members, coworkers, etc. delivered
from the bondage of sin, or do we wish, instead, to be thought perky,
charismatic, right, exalted, and superior???
Great evangelists of recent church history such as Peter
Cartwright, Billy Sunday, D. L. Moody,
and George Fox the founder of the Quaker movement, were unschooled in theology,
yet powerfully used by God to advance His kingdom here on earth.
When we engage in a strictly intellectual gospel we run the
risk of moving exclusively in our own strength. “The joy of the LORD is (our) strength,” Neh. 8:10 and our greatest joy comes only from
knowing Him!!!
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Encouragement for the Path of Christian Discipleship
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