Do you remember those days back in high school when the teacher returned the graded tests you and your classmates worried over the day before in class? There were certain students who, upon getting their paper back, would quickly begin asking other students who had received their test paper back how they did on the test. They were not so much interested in knowing their classmates scores, as they were that their classmates know their score. They had scored well, and knew that they would be asked how they did by everyone whose score they asked after.
As a high school teacher, I recognized this to be a guaranteed ritual that accompanied every passing out of graded tests. “I studied, I learned, I know the material, and I want to be recognized for it.” That’s really what is going on and it’s driven by pride. While we should “study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” 2 Tim 2:15, there is a human pride that can easily creep into this situation.
Such pride may show itself in someone quoting numerous verses from memory unnecessarily to demonstrate how many they know. Or it might show when one person feels the need to publicly correct another over a minor point of scripture which is of no consequence to the discussion being had and could have been handled privately, anyway. Such pride could be demonstrated by a preacher from a public pulpit, or by a “lay” member in an unserious foyer conversation. Wherever, whenever, and however it occurs, it is something a Christian should avoid.
Besides 2 Tim. 2:15, Paul answers the question of why we study the Bible in 1 Timothy 1:5. “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” By “goal” Paul means the completed result. When all is said and done, this “goal” will be what we have been trying to accomplish. By “instruction” Paul means the authoritative teaching of the apostles, and even Christ, Himself. In other words, when a person “studies” the authoritative teaching of the Bible, where should it lead them? What will be the completed result of all the study? In a word, love. “The goal of our instruction is love.”
But Paul doesn’t leave it there. He lists three things that must be true of this love. It must come from a pure heart. It must be from a good conscience. It must be from a sincere faith. So I study (with diligence) and the end result, the goal, is that I arrive at love. But I must also have a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith in which that love is embedded, or it is not the love of which Paul is speaking
In 1 Corinthians 8:1, Paul makes a statement of fact that transcends the topic he is discussing. He says, “Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies.” This is a truism. We see it in the high school classroom where the students with the good test scores (knowledge) have the concern of informing the other students of their good grade (knowledge.) Everyone of us has seen many instances in which a person arrogantly takes advantage of some situation to make sure everyone understands how much they know. Knowledge makes arrogant.
But Love edifies. A loving father or mother does not arrogantly berate their children over the child’s lack of knowledge while unoading facts and figures intended to impress the child with the parent’s knowledge. That would be a terrible instance of child abuse. Instead, the loving parent works tenderly with the child to increase its knowledge base so the child will be better suited to face whatever the world may present. The loving parent edifies. Love edifies.
So must the Christian operate in an attitude of love. When presenting material, or a concept with which those who hear us are unfamiliar, do we adhere to this requirement? Is the new material presented in such a way that our knowledge is highlighted and the listeners are impressed by us? This would be very satisfying to our arrogant selves, but it is not at all in keeping with Christian character. Love edifies. Our goal, and our manner should be such that the Biblical concepts and material are highlighted for the listeners to add to their knowledge base while we receive neither praise nor glory for the experience. That will be fine because those who heard were edified. That, by the way, is love in action.
As it should be in teaching, formally or informally, so it should be in our study. We study and learn for our own edification and can pass that growth on to others for their edification. What we don’t do is study so that we can figuratively hold our A+ test paper (our knowledge) up for all to be impressed. The former is edification that results from love. The latter is arrogance that results from pride.
Speaking of edification and the Christian character, Paul says in Ephesians 4:29,”Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth , but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.” Pride is unwholesome. Stifle it. Trash it. Give no place to it. Arrogance has no place in a Christian heart, a pure heart in which love is found. Instead, whatever the need of the particular moment might be, the Christian is herein obligated to find some wholesome words of edification by which grace, may be imparted to the one who hears.
This obligation is the essence of Christian behavior and attitude. In Romans 13:8, Paul says, “Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law . . . Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” In Romans 13, the Christian is obligated to love his neighbor. In Ephesians 4, the Christian is obligated to pass on wholesome words of edification which is one of the ways in which we love our neighbors.
But if love is not the catalyst from which our edification springs, or from which our own study flows, then our efforts are useless. Paul covered this concept in 1 Corinthians 13:1-2, “If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.” If my behavior is not born from an attitude of love that dwells in my heart, then I (not just my words, nor just my efforts) I am worth nothing. I am worthless. He goes on to say in verse 2, “ If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge . . . But do not have love, I am nothing.” I am nothing.
This is not surprising. It is totally consistent with the rest of the Bible. What, after all, was the end result of our studying (diligently) the authoritative teaching of the apostles and Jesus supposed to be? Paul said it was love in 1 Timothy 1:5. Love. That is what all the studying was about and if we don’t get there as the end result, we have accomplished nothing. We are striving above all else for love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.
Because what does knowledge provide without love? Arrogance. Where does that rate with God? Proverbs 6:16, “There are six things which the Lord hates, Yea, seven are an abomination to Him;” Solomon then provides the list. First on the list? “A proud look.” In a word: arrogance.
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