Perhaps few of us have noted that a commonly read passage in Gen. 3:6 points to the sin of Eve in desiring knowledge and wisdom. It was the subtle serpent who first suggested that the eyes of her understanding would be opened, and she would gain the knowledge possessed by the Elohim or angels. He did not dwell on the flavor or beauty of the fruit at all. It was Eve who desired to taste it, and who noted the attractiveness of the tree. “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise she took .. . and did eat.” Adam also ate of the fruit. And they became conscious of good and evil, and were responsible for their actions in disobeying the will of God.
It is a coincidence, and significant that I John 2:16 similarly mentions the three temptations of the world, “lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” While pride of intellect, and pride of life do not sound the same, these have much in common, for John’s “pride” means vain boasting, glory, and ostentation, all of which can apply to pride in knowledge.
By studying a certain word in a concordance, one can gain considerable knowledge of its meaning or usage in Scripture. However, a study of the number of occurrences of the words “knowledge”, “understanding” and “wisdom” is not too fruitful. The dictionary definitions of these words yield more light than the study of the original Hebrew or Greek meanings. So we can therefore know, by definition and by Scriptural usage, that what we have to deal with here is a process of upbuilding or edification. It is a process wherein knowledge is primary and basic, basically important, but not a final end in itself.
Whether we are babes or mature brethren, we seek knowledge, but we can at times hold it, as a child holds it, without at first understanding it. So the process continues to advance until we do understand. Still, we do not yet have wisdom, that mature judgment, discernment, prudence, discretion and balance. So we finally advance, by the grace of God through knowledge, and through understanding to wisdom, which is not just knowing, but also doing, and doing righteously. Solomon said: ‘Wisdom is better than jewels and all that you may desire cannot compare with her. I, wisdom, dwell in prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion . . . I have counsel and sound wisdom, I have insight, I have strength. I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me” (Prov. 7:11, R.S.V.).
Solomon also spoke many times of knowledge. True wisdom is of God. This we know, and few men have wisdom in all things. This is why Solomon wrote, (11:14): “Where there is no guidance, a people falls; but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” The elders and the serving brethren are an abundance of counselors, but so also is the whole body of Christ, and each on may, and should discuss the work of God, and take part in its responsibility. This, too, is wisdom.
Now, if our forefathers, Adam and Eve, were attracted strongly by the lust of the flesh and eyes, and a pride of life shown by their willingness to gain superior knowledge, even at the expense of God’s approval (which they lost), are we not likewise prone to fall into the same snares as they? It is written that we are drawn of our own desires and enticed. This the Apostle James called double-mindedness, the mind of the flesh competing with the mind of the spirit.
There were many instances in ancient Israel where men loved their own counsel better than the counsel and wisdom of the Lord. The Elohim, speaking of Adam, said: “And now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life and live forever …” So, apparently, Adam was then capable of such great presumption. Israel was likewise presumptuous and proud. The more clear-cut instances of pride in their knowledge appear in the New Testament.
It was the Jews of the Pharisaic party who must have felt themselves elevated above the common rabble, when they said, as in John 7 49 “But this people, who knoweth not the law are cursed!” Christ said, Woe unto you, lawyers, ye have taken away the key of knowledge” In 1 Corinthians 8 Paul approaches the problem of food offered to idols as a problem concerning the misuse of knowledge, and he begins by making some blunt statements such as we all have knowledge Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth (or builds up) “And if any man thinketh that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know” He summarizes the problem thus “Through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish for whom Christ died?”
He spoke of a similar problem to the Romans in Chapter 14, about the brother whose conscience was so sensitive that he was a vegetarian His command was this (R S V ) ‘As for the man who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to disputes over opinions. “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves ‘ (15 1) That there is a limit to knowledge as to all things, Solomon shows in Eccl 7 16 “Be not righteous overmuch, and do not make yourself otherwise, why should you destroy yourself?’ It is true that “average human intelligence can grasp the elements of the Christian faith their depths the profoundest mind can never plumb” (to quote Brother H Twelves).
James writes “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good life let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom (3 13) Probably no one ever wishes to acknowledge that he has been subject to this pride of intellect or knowledge Yet, looking back over many years of our history, it must have been present judging by the pages and pages that were written and printed regarding controversial subjects that should often have been better muffled, in times of tension That this was so is shown by some of our own able critics and exhorters over the years, writing, for instance, passages like these of Brother Collyer’s “There is danger that we may swell with pride in the consciousness of sainthood and the possession of superior knowledge’ Also, “danger that a destructive strife of words should arise through men getting out of their mental depth in an effort to measure the mind of God.
It is a tragedy if brethren become divided simply through the effort to see further . . . There are literally hundreds of possible differences of judgment which can be magnified to cause strife and a cessation of constructive work Knowledge of the right kind is excellent, but even it may tend to inflate the individual who possesses it ‘. It is significant that not many brethren discuss this type of article.
Being a rather subtle problem, one that does not ‘go before us to judgment” but rather follows after, or is often hidden, there are effects that are not good nor up building A lecturing brother has said “We can study Eureka, and Hebrew and Greek, but we can still be outside of the Kingdom of God if we don’t apply the studies we have absorbed We’re conscientious objectors, but we’re not on speaking terms with some of our brethren Yet these troubles sometimes involve intensive study of the Word of God, or mis study. The results that could be traced to this trait are legion, more than we have time to number They are First, the intellectual, often called the reasonable, rather than the spiritual approach to God Also there are technical elaborations, little tolerance of ignorance, rivalry, denying others the right to reason unspiritual indoctrination, coldness, and other things.
Above all, there is the danger, an actual danger, one that does come to pass, of relying more and more on our purely human logic, on our human minds rather than the mind of God The problem is, of course, always present, and has caused a lack of spirit in the past, at some times and in some places No doubt it will continue a problem closely allied to other problems of the flesh This problem can plague any of us Take an exhorting brother as an example. He generally chooses a definite subject which he elaborates before his audience. Generally, much research and study enter into it, the elements of an intellectual approach. Sometimes the answers are pat, and a great understanding is exhibited. But if humility, that ability to bow before the will of God, is lacking, either in the speaker or in him who listens, the spiritual atmosphere that should exist is also lacking. We cannot say we are loving the Lord our God with all our heart and mind. And as one brother once wrote: “It is possible for brethren to judge each other proudly, and for whole ecclesias to thank God that they are not as others.”
We have as a group entered into the study of God’s truth so deeply that it will always be a peculiar problem of ours to be spiritual, rather than intellectual. knowing all the answers. Perhaps a good example of the void that can exist in our thinking is contained in our so common reference to 2 Tim. 2:15 as the justification for — may I call it our intellectual approach? “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” A truly lovely passage, yet in our glib zeal we must have overlooked the fact that the word “study” had, and still has other meanings beside book learning. The common version is perhaps the only one to translate the original as “study”. It took an English brother, visiting this country, to call our attention to the fact that the original word means to use diligence and to make haste, otherwise we might not have looked it up. So we perhaps missed part of the beauty of the passage, and the spiritual exhortation, beyond the human mind, which it contains. The Diaglott reads: “Be diligent to present thyself to God, an approved workman, irreproachable, rightly treating the word of truth.” The R.S.V. reads: “Do your best to present yourself . . . ” This diligence can certainly include study as meditation, and even book learning which is basic. But let us also include the original idea of making haste to diligently build upon this basis, acting as well as meditating, spiritually before God, and not merely using our own minds. Oddly enough Solomon warns, in the only reference in our concordance to “study” that “much study is a weariness of the flesh.” Odd also is the fact that centuries ago a word crept into the language that today exactly describes the unpleasant condition of the flesh which we are discussing: “pedantry” from “pedant”, “one devoid of taste, who takes pride in book learning; one devoted to a system of rules.” Were not the contemporary critics of Jesus men who conformed to this? Have there not been many men of the world, yes, and among us, too, who came close to fulfilling this definition? It is even possible in this enlightened day and age to spend more time on that system of rules that Moses brought than on Christ’s. But let us devote ourselves to the whole system of rules that Christ has given to set us free as mature sons from the law of sin, or any juvenile or premature code, except the very fullness in spirituality of His own easy and light-bringing principles. We thus truly worship in spirit and in all truth, regarding these principles as mandatory.
Our building process is again commended to us by Peter in 2 Peter 1:5, using the same root word meaning “to speed” and rendered in A.V. “giving all diligence . . . ” R.S.V. gives: “Make every effort to supplement your faith (that is, one’s initial belief) with virtue (that is, moral goodness), and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control (which is the essence of the commands), and self-control with steadfastness (spiritually immovable), and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. Here Peter outlines for us that spiritual building up of each individual which was so firmly implied in the passage from Timothy: “Study”, or “be diligent to show thyself approved unto God . . .” This process need not be necessarily confined to the exact order Peter gives, but should be a constant spiritual process.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One