Teaching - When You Think You Know, You Probably Don't

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"We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know."

1 Corinthians 8:1b-2 in the New International Version

This is the 18th lesson of this series]

If you have following the lessons in this series from the beginning then you can tell that there is a consistent theme emerging not by our own agenda, not by coincidence or chance. But rather by God's design and because it is the truth.

Truth we have found and because Truth has found us. The Truth shall set us free but first we need our mustard seed size faith to believe and then everything starts to fall into place.

Knowledge

The Pharisees, the religious leaders, the teachers of the law, the scribes, the priests and the Levites serving in the temple all have knowledge of God and Scriptures, so much more when compared to the average person.

But when they met Christ, the God who they have studied about, face to face, they did not recognize Him and worse they rejected Him.

They have their own image of God in their minds, it blinded them (from seeing the Truth).

All of their knowledge were proven to be worthless like as we have discussed in the previous message.

I can explain but I believe Apostle Paul (once known and feared as the Pharisee Saul and a member of the religious elite) explains this best in in his letter to the first Philippian believers.

"The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it."

Philippians 3 Verses 7-16 in the Message Paraphrase Version


Knowledge puffs up. It makes people feel superior and act as such. Christ is the Word. He is not only Knowledge but also Wisdom. Yet He did not come as or arrive as Someone superior, even though He is in every way.

He came in love, with love and as Love. He came to serve not to be served. He came to save not to condemn. He came to convict not to guilt trip. He came to set free not to add more chains and shackles. He came to heal the sick, not the healthy. He came to call sinners, not the righteous.

Teachers

2,000 years later, there are still those among us who were called to teach the Word. And as one called, stay thirsty for the Living Water, the Spirit of Jesus. Apart from whom teachers will end up as those who Christ called as a brood of vipers -- the religious elite of His day.

Jesus Christ used stories with hidden messages and used the religious leaders and teachers of the law as examples of who not to be like. The words of Jesus meant nothing to those who think of themselves righteous in God's eyes and have a full head's knowledge of God but have none of God's love in their hearts.  Knowledge is learned but Love is received.

When The Word is taught it is Light and Life and the Way back to the Father.

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