The Bible has a lot to say about knowledge and its importance in the Christian life. At the heart of the Bible’s teaching on knowledge is the idea that true knowledge comes from and leads to God. As Proverbs 1:7 states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” To truly know, we must first know God and submit ourselves to Him.
Some key truths that the Bible teaches about knowledge include:
- All true knowledge comes from God. Proverbs 2:6 says, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” As the Creator of all things, God is the ultimate source of truth and knowledge.
- Knowledge of God is the most important knowledge we can pursue. The apostle Paul counted everything as loss compared to “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8). Knowing God in a personal, intimate way should be the goal of every believer.
- Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Knowledge by itself leads to pride, but when joined with love for God and others, true wisdom is found (1 Corinthians 8:1). Knowledge must produce humility, not arrogance.
- Knowledge will pass away, but love remains forever. In eternity, our knowledge will become obsolete, but love for God and our neighbors endures forever (1 Corinthians 13:2, 8).
- The purpose of knowledge is to lead us to wisdom and righteous living. As Psalms 111:10 states, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.” Biblical knowledge should lead to godly living.
- All believers should grow in knowledge. Peter instructs Christians to make every effort to add to their knowledge (2 Peter 1:5). An increasing knowledge of God’s Word and world should be a lifelong pursuit.
- Right knowledge comes from believing the Bible. We must receive God’s Word with humility and be transformed by the renewing of our minds, not conformed to the world’s pattern of thinking (Romans 12:2).
- Human knowledge is limited. Only God fully knows all truth. As Isaiah 55:8-9 states, God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours. We see only dimly compared to God’s perfect knowledge (1 Corinthians 13:12).
- Jesus possesses all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). He supremely embodies divine truth and insight.
- Loving God with our minds is essential. Jesus called the greatest commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind (Luke 10:27). Our minds must be devoted to knowing and obeying God.
In summary, the Bible clearly emphasizes the importance of true, godly knowledge that comes from and leads to a relationship with God. Knowledge disconnected from love, humility, and obedience to God is vain. But when our knowledge brings us closer to God’s heart and conforms us more into His image, it has immense value and leads to wisdom and righteousness.
Here are some key Bible passages that reveal more about what God’s Word teaches concerning knowledge:
1. Proverbs on knowledge
The book of Proverbs has much to say about the nature and importance of godly knowledge and wisdom. Key verses include:
- Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” True knowledge begins with reverence for God.
- Proverbs 2:6 – “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” All true knowledge comes ultimately from God.
- Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Knowledge is closely tied to wisdom and insight that begin with relating rightly to God.
- Proverbs 10:14 – “The wise lay up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool brings ruin near.” Knowledge should be treasured and lead to righteous living.
- Proverbs 15:14 – “The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly.” The godly seek after knowledge, while fools reject it.
- Proverbs 24:5 – “A wise man is full of strength, and a man of knowledge enhances his might.” True knowledge strengthens and empowers the individual.
2. Knowledge comes from God
A key truth emphasized throughout Scripture is that all true knowledge and wisdom originate from God. As the all-knowing Creator of the universe, God is the ultimate source and foundation of truth and knowledge. Key passages include:
- Psalm 119:66 – “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.” Knowledge comes from allowing God to teach us.
- Jeremiah 10:12 – “It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.” God created the heavens and earth by His wisdom.
- Daniel 2:20-21 – “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” All wisdom and knowledge belong ultimately to God.
- Romans 11:33 – “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” God’s knowledge is perfect and far beyond human understanding.
- 1 Corinthians 1:30 – “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” Christ is the wisdom from God.
3. Pursuing godly knowledge
The Bible frequently instructs believers to pursue spiritual knowledge, wisdom and understanding. We are to hunger and thirst for the knowledge of God, His Word, and His ways. Verses that emphasize this include:
- Psalm 119:66 – “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.”
- Proverbs 2:3-5 – “If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.”
- Proverbs 18:15 – “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
- 2 Peter 1:5 – “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge.”
- 2 Peter 3:18 – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
4. The limitations of human knowledge
While pursuing knowledge is commended, Scripture also warns that human knowledge is finite and subject to human weakness. True certainty and understanding come from God alone. Relevant verses include:
- 1 Corinthians 8:2-3 – “If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” Human knowledge is incomplete.
- 1 Corinthians 13:9-10 – “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.” Our knowledge is partial until Christ returns.
- 1 Corinthians 13:12 – “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” We only know partially until we see God face to face.
- Proverbs 3:5 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” We should not rely fully on our own limited human insight.
5. Knowledge must lead to righteous living
Scripture clearly teaches that knowledge in itself is useless unless it leads to transformed living. Knowledge should produce wisdom, righteousness, and good fruit in the believer’s life. Relevant passages include:
- Psalm 111:10 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”
- Titus 1:1 – “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness.”
- 2 Peter 1:3 – “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”
- 2 Peter 1:8 – “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Knowledge of spiritual truth must lead to transformed living, moral excellence, and good deeds that glorify God and serve others. Merely possessing knowledge without obeying the truth is worthless.
6. Loving God with our minds
Loving and knowing God involves the full engagement of the mind. Scripture calls us to think rightly about God and His truth. Relevant verses include:
- Matthew 22:37 – “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
- Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
- Philippians 4:8 – “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
- Colossians 3:2 – “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Loving and serving God requires engaging the full capacity of our minds. As Romans 12:1-2 explains, we worship God by offering our entire selves to Him, including our minds.
7. Knowledge puffs up, love builds up
One of the great dangers of knowledge highlighted in Scripture is intellectual pride. Knowledge can easily lead to an inflated view of oneself and arrogance toward others. But God desires that our knowledge would produce humility and love. Key verses include:
- 1 Corinthians 8:1 – “Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:2 – “And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”
- 1 Corinthians 13:8 – “Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.”
Knowledge is temporal, but love is eternal. Knowledge used rightly serves others; knowledge used wrongly serves only to inflate the ego.
8. Christ possesses all knowledge
As the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ possesses the fullness of divine knowledge and wisdom. Verses testifying to this include:
- Matthew 13:54 – “And coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?”
- John 16:30 – “Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.”
- John 21:17 – “He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus knows all things.
- Colossians 2:3 – “In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
Jesus supremely embodies the knowledge, wisdom and understanding of God. As the divine Son of God, He knows all things perfectly.
9. Human vs. divine knowledge
A major theme in Scripture is contrasting the limits of human knowledge with the depths of divine knowledge. God’s knowledge infinitely surpasses our own. Key passages include:
- Psalm 147:5 – “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.”
- Isaiah 40:28 – “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.”
- Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
- Romans 11:33-34 – “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
There is simply no comparison between God’s infinite knowledge and man’s finite understanding. We must humbly acknowledge the limits of our knowledge.
10. True knowledge comes from fearing the Lord
The ultimate source of knowledge and wisdom is the fear of the Lord – humbly submitting our minds and lives to God. Passages emphasizing this include:
- Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
- Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
- Proverbs 15:33 – “The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.”
- Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
Knowing God begins with reverence, humility, and seeking Him above all. As we submit ourselves wholly to God, He grants insight, wisdom and knowledge that the unaided human mind can never achieve.
Conclusion
In summary, the Bible provides invaluable revelation and perspective concerning knowledge. True knowledge begins with a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. As we seek after God with humility and devotion, He grants wisdom, discernment and understanding. Knowledge must lead to righteous, loving living and service to others. Ultimately, God alone has perfect knowledge, and we must acknowledge the limits of human perspective. Our highest aim should be to know, love and obey God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind.
