The value of Knowledge versus Wisdom

[Crossfire]

There is an entire world of difference between carnal knowledge and true spiritual wisdom. While text books and catechisms can be very useful tools, they are nothing more but the perspectives of men and often times contain more flawed carnal knowledge than spiritual wisdom. True spiritual wisdom can only be obtained in the presence of God. One does not need to be a genius or a scholar to truly know the heart of God and feel his love towards men. If one needed to be a scholar then Jesus would have never chosen the likes of Peter, John, Andrew or Matthew.

While some might be wowed with expensive degrees and fanciful terminology, years in the classroom can never replace hours in prayer. Church history and the bible itself both possess testimonies of God utilizing the simple to utterly dumbfound those who thought they were wise. I praise God for men like Andrew Murray, E. M. Bounds and A.W. Tozer - all incredibly smart men - who truly understood the magnitude of meekness and the value of spending personal time in the presence of God through prayer. The wisdom such men share is indeed priceless.

Please don't misunderstand. Knowledge is a good thing. However, knowledge without the necessary wisdom to apply such knowledge practically is useless. In fact, knowledge without the necessary wisdom to discern right from wrong can be down right dangerous.

In the vast scheme of things, if I had to choose between 10 scholars who have spent thousands of hours in the class room and one praying grandma who has spent thousands of hours in prayer, I'd take grandma because it is she who knows how to communicate with God and receive spiritual wisdom and instruction from the source Himself.

Praise God for people on this board, Pickles for example, who radiates the presence of God in her posts. She is more valuable than 100 'arm chair preachers' who spend more time in books than they do in prayer.

 

[jonathanbchristian]

Knowledge from the Bible can lead you to Christ and eternal salvation. No other knowledge can do this. Wisdom from God can direct your paths in the way of holiness. Man's wisdom can only lead you in the ways of men.

 

[RedTent]

There is an entire world of difference between carnal knowledge and true spiritual wisdom. While text books and catechisms can be very useful tools, they are nothing more but the perspectives of men and often times contain more flawed carnal knowledge than spiritual wisdom. True spiritual wisdom can only be obtained in the presence of God. One does not need to be a genius or a scholar to truly know the heart of God and feel his love towards men. If one needed to be a scholar then Jesus would have never chosen the likes of Peter, John, Andrew or Matthew.

While some might be wowed with expensive degrees and fanciful terminology, years in the classroom can never replace hours in prayer. Church history and the bible itself both possess testimonies of God utilizing the simple to utterly dumbfound those who thought they were wise. I praise God for men like Andrew Murray, E. M. Bounds and A.W. Tozer - all incredibly smart men - who truly understood the magnitude of meekness and the value of spending personal time in the presence of God through prayer. The wisdom such men share is indeed priceless.

Please don't misunderstand. Knowledge is a good thing. However, knowledge without the necessary wisdom to apply such knowledge practically is useless. In fact, knowledge without the necessary wisdom to discern right from wrong can be down right dangerous.

In the vast scheme of things, if I had to choose between 10 scholars who have spent thousands of hours in the class room and one praying grandma who has spent thousands of hours in prayer, I'd take grandma because it is she who knows how to communicate with God and receive spiritual wisdom and instruction from the source Himself.

Praise God for people on this board, Pickles for example, who radiates the presence of God in her posts. She is more valuable than 100 'arm chair preachers' who spend more time in books than they do in prayer.

This is so well explained! We need to put God first, it is fundamental and simple.

We have had posts that say knowledge is a snare from Satan; even the men who dedicate their life to putting together the Dead Sea Scrolls are simply misleading us they say. Imagine a young person who has been deciding on studying for the ministry reading such as this! Ministers cannot be blind to every single thing not mentioned in scripture.

It is amazing how the truth of scripture, taken to any extreme, can lead to what is far from truth! We need to know God intimately, and to know it is fundamental knowledge that doesn’t require scholars. It is the basis of everything, something all other knowledge has to be put up against to discern truth. After that, to discourage any learning is truly a snare from Satan.

 

[Red33]

In order for us to grow we must grow in GRACE and KNOWLEDGE of a person, our Lord Jesus Christ. As a member of HIs body we must grow up into our head, CHRIST. Wisdom is the application of knowledge and we exercise ourself and apply that knowledge BY FAITH. Knowledge without grace can become legalism and grace without knowledge can become liberalism. But knowledge applied by faith through the grace of God reveals Christ and the fulness of God in the body of Christ.

Christ as the head of the body can not be revealed without a body. As members of His body, flesh and bones we receive the word of God in meekness and in the plan of God we apply it by faith in the details of that plan. That is how we walk in wisdom and in the light of the word we have received. When we do this and operate by faith, we get understanding in our experience. The knowledge through the application of wisdom gives us understanding in our experience and this is how we grow in grace and knowledge of Christ. This is done together with other believers and not as an independant Christian, so that we can reveal Christ as the head of the body.

 

[Crossfire]

This is so well explained! We need to put God first, it is fundamental and simple.

We have had posts that say knowledge is a snare from Satan; even the men who dedicate their life to putting together the Dead Sea Scrolls are simply misleading us they say. Imagine a young person who has been deciding on studying for the ministry reading such as this! Ministers cannot be blind to every single thing not mentioned in scripture.

It is amazing how the truth of scripture, taken to any extreme, can lead to what is far from truth! We need to know God intimately, and to know it is fundamental knowledge that doesn’t require scholars. It is the basis of everything, something all other knowledge has to be put up against to discern truth. After that, to discourage any learning is truly a snare from Satan.

Amen. The way I see, biblical knowledge without true spiritual wisdom only results is dead religion.

 

[Crossfire]

In order for us to grow we must grow in GRACE and KNOWLEDGE of a person, our Lord Jesus Christ. As a member of HIs body we must grow up into our head, CHRIST. Wisdom is the application of knowledge and we exercise ourself and apply that knowledge BY FAITH. Knowledge without grace can become legalism and grace without knowledge can become liberalism. But knowledge applied by faith through the grace of God reveals Christ and the fulness of God in the body of Christ.

Christ as the head of the body can not be revealed without a body. As members of His body, flesh and bones we receive the word of God in meekness and in the plan of God we apply it by faith in the details of that plan. That is how we walk in wisdom and in the light of the word we have received. When we do this and operate by faith, we get understanding in our experience. The knowledge through the application of wisdom gives us understanding in our experience and this is how we grow in grace and knowledge of Christ. This is done together with other believers and not as an independant Christian, so that we can reveal Christ as the head of the body.

Red, this actually a pretty good post however I have to disagree with your statement near the end which I highlighted in bold. We should never, ever overlook or dismiss personal time in prayer. It is in those intimate moments when God reveals himself to us most. God's presence is indeed tangible and can be felt. At times He will allow us to experience an overwhelming sense of peace. At other times we may experience an over whelming sense of His lov / heart towards ourselves or others. Such intimate moments with God are truly amazing and life transforming.

 

[Red33]

Red, this actually a pretty good post however I have to disagree with your statement near the end which I highlighted in bold. We should never, ever overlook or dismiss personal time in prayer. It is in those intimate moments when God reveals himself to us most. God's presence is indeed tangible and can be felt. At times He will allow us to experience an overwhelming sense of peace. At other times we may experience an over whelming sense of His lov / heart towards ourselves or others. Such intimate moments with God are truly amazing and life transforming.

There is a difference between Christ revealing Himself to you personally and when He reveals Himself to you corporately in the body of Christ. The fulness of God is in the body and not in an individual personal relationship. We are one body but many members that make up that one body and Christ is the head. He is revealing Himself to His body corporately and not just to individuals. Our identity in Christ is in His body and not as independent believers.

When this mystery of the church and body of Christ was revealed to Paul, it was given to him to be preached and taught to the church that had established local bodies of believers in many areas. When he dealt with various issues, he dealt with the local believers as a body. We read the NT scriptures and often only apply them personally when we should be also applying them corporately as a body. When you read the NT epistles the plural pronouns are used everywhere in those epistles. The doctrines of these same epistles are given to the church and to all the local expressions of the church that make up the body of Christ.

Jesus did not ask only one disciple to follow Him but twelve. He sent them out by twos, two are better than one, a three-fold cord can not be easily broken, five will chase a hundred and a hundred will send ten thousand to flight. When we are taken up we are all taken up together, both the dead in Christ and and those that remain alive. At eh judgment seat of Christ, we will be judged individually and as local bodies that functioned as a church under Christ. Remember from Pentecost on how that Christ added many to the church, such as should be saved...

Acts 2:41-47

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Eph 2:14-22

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Rom 12:4,5

4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office (or function):
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

 

[Crossfire]

There is a difference between Christ revealing Himself to you personally and when He reveals Himself to you corporately in the body of Christ. The fulness of God is in the body and not in an individual personal relationship. We are one body but many members that make up that one body and Christ is the head. He is revealing Himself to His body corporately and not just to individuals. Our identity in Christ is in His body and not as independent believers.

When this mystery of the church and body of Christ was revealed to Paul, it was given to him to be preached and taught to the church that had established local bodies of believers in many areas. When he dealt with various issues, he dealt with the local believers as a body. We read the NT scriptures and often only apply them personally when we should be also applying them corporately as a body. When you read the NT epistles the plural pronouns are used everywhere in those epistles. The doctrines of these same epistles are given to the church and to all the local expressions of the church that make up the body of Christ.

Jesus did not ask only one disciple to follow Him but twelve. He sent them out by twos, two are better than one, a three-fold cord can not be easily broken, five will chase a hundred and a hundred will send ten thousand to flight. When we are taken up we are all taken up together, both the dead in Christ and and those that remain alive. At eh judgment seat of Christ, we will be judged individually and as local bodies that functioned as a church under Christ. Remember from Pentecost on how that Christ added many to the church, such as should be saved...

Acts 2:41-47

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Eph 2:14-22

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Rom 12:4,5

4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office (or function):
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

I see what you're saying now and do I agree. Our church family is important. I absolutely adore my current church family. It took a few years to find the perfect fit but I see myself being based out of this church for some time until God calls to plant another very much like it.

There's nothing like a Church family who actually knows God intimately where prayer is being answered daily, souls are being saved consistantly and lives are being transformed. Every week there are new faces being added to our numbers through authentic church growth and not church swappers. This is true church!