Knowledge and Love

 Read 1 Corinthians 8

Today’s chapter was short and I will cover enough of it in the next service to feed you for the week.

So, I’m going to take a small part from the beginning of the chapter and see where it takes us.

Now about food sacrificed to idols: 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.  But whoever loves God is known by God.

Knowledge puffs up!  What? What does that mean.

Sometimes knowing a little makes us dangerous. We know enough just to present our ignorance to others. Those who have taken on a course of study know that the more you learn, the more there is to learn.

We know just enough not to know enough, but we think we do.

If you embark on learning, it should be for a lifetime.

What happens too often is that we want to be an authority on something even if we don’t know much.

Actually, I was just looking for an excuse to use my inverted pyramid again.

The pyramid can obviously not stand on its own, at least not for long.  It must be buttressed on each side or it falls over. I used this to encourage Marines of all ranks to read.

Consider the bottom (pointed end) as actual combat experience. Whiles Marines and Seals get a lot of action is places where we don’t drag the whole army, combat experience compared to all service is small. Mine was less than 10%.

But Marines have to be ready for more than they have experienced. How do they do this?

Read and study and continue their education whenever and wherever they can.

Human nature says that you know enough. Now just boast about what you know. It’s a placebo for actually continuing to learn.

Except for the younger children, does anyone think they don’t’ need more education?  I am not talking combat but Bible-basked, faith-based, take his yoke and learn from him based instruction.

The younger folks may think that they have classes that never end. They do and then you are left on your own to learn for the rest of your lives.

Some realize this dynamic early and others accept the puffed-up approach as their life strategy.  Most of us know that we should be if we are not there already, life-long learners.

Take his yoke. Learn from him. Grow in grace.

 

The Biblical Growth Buttressed Pyramid

 

 

Our Christian education should not make us arrogant, puffed up, or condescending. It should make us hungry for more of God’s word and God’s ways.

But it can help to have a model.

So knowledge puffs us—makes us think more of ourselves than we should, but love builds up.

Keep studying. Learning, and growing in God’s grace and love God, love mercy, and love being known by your love.

Love. It’s what makes things happen!

Amen.