IN HIM: True Knowledge & Wisdom
Take
this simple true or false quiz. 1. "Prayer is more important than
mowing your widowed grandmother's lawn. 2. Sharing the gospel is more
important than taking a meal to a new mother and father just home from the hospital.
3. Doing "sacred" work, such as preaching or being a missionary, is more
important than "secular" work, such as accounting or being a
lawyer.
If
you answered "true" to any of these questions, you've been deceived
by the ancient heresy of Gnosticism." We will see how so.[1] In our "In Him"
series, we have been learning about the incredible spiritual riches found in
Christ in the book of Colossians. So far, we have learned that in Christ we
belong to God and His family of brothers and sisters, both locally and
globally.
One
of the spiritual benefits of belonging to God's family is that we can be
protected against heretical teachings that derail our Christian Faith. In our
passage today, the apostle Paul tackled a heretical teaching called Gnosticism
that plagued the Church in Colosse by pointing them to Christ, in whom True
Knowledge & Wisdom are found. Colossians 1:9-12
I.
The Heresy of Gnosticism: Both Then and Now.
The
Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Colossian believers to warn them about
Gnosticism, a heresy that affected the believers in the early Church in the
first 200 years. This heresy was repudiated not only by the writers of the N.T. Epistles, but also by the Church Fathers.
Irenaeus
exposed Gnosticism by saying, “Error never shows itself in its naked reality,
in order not to be discovered. On the contrary, it dresses elegantly, so that
the unwary may be led to believe that it is more truthful than the truth
itself." What is Gnosticism? How does Gnosticism mask itself today, and
how does it affect our Christian faith? The word is derived from the Greek
word, gnosis meaning, "knowledge." The Gnostics separated matter from
thought.
They
considered matter as evil and thought or knowledge as the ultimate for
salvation. That heresy led them not to attribute humanity to Jesus Christ,
since humanity, being material, was evil to them. Such a belief developed into
two directions. One was a complete denial of sexual and other bodily appetites,
virtual asceticism, and the other was the unrestrained indulgence of the body.
The key belief is that the spiritual is good, the physical is bad.
Gnosticism
disguises itself in contemporary culture. According to an article on Gnosticism
by the Christian Institute, "Millions of people today unknowingly hold
Gnostic beliefs that are central to the transgender debate. The distinction
between men and women should be rejected because it is part of the useless
creation order, which led to Gender Identity Issues.
Many
famous people were influenced by Gnosticism, such as the Swiss Psychiatrist
Carl Jung. A music legend, John Lennon, said, “The only Christians were the
Gnostics, who believe in self-knowledge, i.e, becoming Christ themselves,
reaching the Christ within.” Gnostic themes, “chime in with contemporary ideals
of self-discovery, self-awareness, self-actualization and self-salvation, not
to mention a dislike of any kind of authority, especially the Church.
The
New Age movement shares common thoughts with Gnosticism. Gnosticism affects all
aspects of life, for instance, the Gnostics would say, “since the real you is
what you feel deep inside, the inner person overrules all external factors, including
objective biological reality.
So
the transgender movement claims that gender identity doesn't necessarily align
with birth sex. A person can look within to write their own script—whether
that's male, female, or some other option, regardless of their body." How
does this flawed thought get refuted biblically? God, in his supreme Wisdom,
"Created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him male and
female. He created them." Gen 1:27. The Gnostics claim to have access to
superior knowledge and Wisdom, but what is their real source of knowledge and Wisdom?
II.
Worldly Knowledge & Wisdom
The
scripture indicates two sources of knowledge and Wisdom: worldly and godly.
What is the difference between knowledge and Wisdom? The dictionary defines Wisdom
as "the ability to discern or judge what is true, right, or lasting."
Knowledge is "information gained through experience, reasoning, or
acquaintance." Knowledge can exist without Wisdom, but not the other way
around. One can be knowledgeable without being wise. For example, knowledge is
knowing how to use a gun; Wisdom is knowing when to use it and when to keep it
locked.
Not
all worldly Knowledge and Wisdom is bad. For instance, developing and properly
using education, medicine, science, and technology could improve society and
the quality of life. Here are some Biblical views on worldly knowledge and
Wisdom. Paul notes that knowledge without love amounts to nothing. I Cor 13:2. Human
Knowledge makes one arrogant. 1 Cor 8:1.
King
Solomon noted that pursuing knowledge without God is foolish. "Then I applied myself to the understanding of Wisdom, which, too, is
chasing after the wind. For with much Wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge,
the more grief.
Ecclesiastes
1:17-18.
Paul
urges us to "Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what
is falsely called knowledge.”1 Tim 6:20-21. James 3:13-16 reads, “Do you want to be
counted wise, to build a reputation for Wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well,
live wisely, live humbly.
It's the way you live,
not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't Wisdom.
Boasting that you are wise isn't Wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves
sound wise isn't Wisdom. It's the furthest thing from Wisdom, it's animal
cunning, and devilish plotting. Whenever you're trying to look better than
others or get the better of others, things fall apart, and everyone ends up at
the others' throats.” (The Message). If the Gnostics' source of knowledge comes
from the world, where does true Knowledge and Wisdom come from?
III.
In Him: True Knowledge & Wisdom
We
don’t combat Error with more Error but with truth. The apostle Paul dealt with
Gnosticism, not with worldly knowledge and Wisdom. Instead, he implored Godly
Knowledge and Wisdom. James explains that Godly Wisdom comes from heaven, which
is pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit,
impartial, and sincere. James 3:17
The
Apostle Paul prayed that the believers would be filled with True Knowledge and
Wisdom. Colossians 1:9-10, “We continually ask God to fill you
with the knowledge of his will through all the Wisdom and understanding
that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of
the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work,
growing in the knowledge of God.” Where do we find True Knowledge & Wisdom?
In Him alone!
Man
can create AI (Artificial Intelligence). But only God is the source of True Knowledge and Wisdom. Since He is the
source, they are called godly knowledge and Wisdom. One of God's natural
attributes is that He is Omniscient, which means “All-Knowing God.” Everything in the
universe, on earth, and in your life is known to God.
That
all-knowing God challenges the wise people. “Let not the wise boast of their
Wisdom, but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the
understanding to know me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice,
and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” Isaiah 9:23-24. How well
do you know Jesus, who became Wisdom for us?
Our lives will change when we know the One who is the True knowledge and Wisdom. We live wisely “Pleasing God in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that we may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” Col 1:11-12.
