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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Rowdy, Rowdy, are you sure? | 1 Tim 2:9 | BradK | 132477 | ||
Aixen First, I hope you're not suggesting that the study of Gods' Attributes is of no value? I've found the opposite to be true! we get to know Him and His character- who He is - through the attributes. Second, the reference to 2 Tim. 2:15 does not necessarily imply a vain, intellectual excercise. In fact, I see it as far more than just that. You're quite correct that we should not study the Word just to get to know the Word (intellectually), but that we should study it to get to know the Person of the Savior! We study the Word to get to know the Author, as Paul implores us in Phil. 3:10: "that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" To use the old cliche, "Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater." As James tells us we should be doers of the Word, not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. In that we should agree. Speaking the Truth in Love, BradK |
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2 | Rowdy, Rowdy, are you sure? | 1 Tim 2:9 | Aixen7z4 | 132482 | ||
Hi Brad: Make a list of the attributes of God as they are revealed in the Bible. Then tell yourself that it is only what God has revealed and that it is possibly only an infinitesimal part of what God is, that he has revealed to us (Deuteronomy 29:29). Then tell yourself that the human mind is not able to grasp terms such as omnipotent and omniscient and omnipresent, that we cannot fathom infinity and eternity. One of the attributes of God is that he is inscrutable. We will never understand him in those terms. As I said before, he has provided that we can understand him in terms of his kindness, his mercy, and such. That is the way he wants us to know him (Exodus 34; Jeremiah 9). God is over us. We cannot put him under our microscopes. On the other point, please understand that 2 Timothy 2:15 is not talking about an intellectual exercise at all. Though some translations use the term “Study”, the apostle is really asking us to be careful. It is not asking us to do an intellectual thing to gain knowledge but to pay close attention to our behavior. Of course, we have to do that in light of Scripture. “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9)? “Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" (James 1:25). Etc. But here again we find the need to match our knowledge with our practice. Even for the purposes of knowing him, we do not simply study. Knowing him is more than knowing about him. Knowing that he loves us, we decide that we should not henceforth live unto ourselves but unto him (2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Peter 4:2). We count all else but loss so we can get to kow him better (Philippians 3:7,8). This will cause us some difficulty, but we embrace the fellowship of his suffering (Philippians 1:29; 1 Peter 2:21) and look forward to his resurrection (Roman 8:11; 2 Corinthians 4:11). We learn Christ by taking his yoke upon us (Matthew 11:29; Ephesians 4:20-32; Philippians 2:5, 12ff.). I think we understand that this knowledge (of him) is not an intellectual thing either, but a deeper understanding that comes from intimacy. We know him from the experience of walking with him (Revelation 3:20; John 14:21-23). |
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