This is the eleventh in our bible study series “The Gospel and Spiritual Growthâ€. The first half of this series of online Bible studies focused on the question “What is the Gospel?†The second half will address the concept of spiritual growth. How does it work and how do we become better Christians? For this episode, we will look at the importance of a clear and deep understanding of the scriptures.

Study in more depth

Last week was a review of ideas and concepts in the New Testament that we need to study in depth. These ideas are not so important to understand in terms of our salvation but they are essential in terms of grasping the gospel. As Bible study students, these ideas will help us to understand at least the composition, the structure and the components of the gospel. It will also help us understand the means by which the gospel impacts the human heart

Furthermore, an in-depth study will help prepare us to be able to deliver the gospel. A deeper study of these New Testament principles and ideas help us not to succumb the mediocrity of ideas that you find common nowadays. Today ,there is an environment of mediocrity in our churches and this is often a cause of conflict among the members within churches over doctrines. We have unstudied people and unprepared students and teachers. They have not been exposed to the practice of analyzing the scriptures and to the discipline of being precise about it.

The Notion of hearing and perceiving realities

 

          The last two or three episodes reviewed New Testament concepts that are not often discussed in contemporary classes. Examples are the notion of hearing and the idea that Christians are equipped to discern realities that are not ambiguous abstractions or hypothesis but true realities.

Christians are uniquely equipped to discern these kinds of realities that constitute the bulk of everything we believe to be true. Understanding what hearing means is essential. It allows us to follow the argument that:

1. 
   
2. Reality is not discernable  by human resources
   
3. Reality is only discernable by means of spiritual faculties.
   

It will be difficult to grasp and accept these intellectually and academically if we do not understand the notion of hearing. What we believe to be true only depends on understanding this concept.

Why some People understand and why some don’t

In the fourth chapter of 2^nd Corinthians, Paul writes of many issues, many of which are addressed in the first letter to the Church of Christ in Corinth. These passages deal with why some people understand and why others don’t. Let us first go to 2^nd Corinthians 3:18.

2 cor. 3:18 “^18   But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.â€

Continuing on to Chapter 4;

2 Corinthians 4:3-4  “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, ⁴ in whose case the god of                  this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,         who is the image of God.â€

Verse 18;

“18 … while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.â€

Paul is the talking about the way the Jews were during his time. This also applies to many people today. Verse 18 emphasizes that this world is temporary. Everything will end. Even the learned people of today understand that this planet will not endure. They understand this not as a matter of faith but as a matter of science. A rational and informed person would not argue this point.

Anything temporary is not real

The scripture tells us the same thing. All material things are temporary. It is the scriptures’ principle that anything temporary is not real. Every physical concrete thing is only a shadow or an imperfect copy of reality. Reality is eternal and eternal is invisible. If it is physical, it is perceivable. If it is perceivable, it is temporary. If it is temporary, it is not real.

In 2 Corinthians 4:18, we can substitute the word temporal with shadow or copies of reality and the thing which is not seen is eternal and eternal means real.

The first letter of Paul to the Corinthians contains important passages ,which are foundations of this principle.  These passages tell us why people ,who are earthly, have difficulty understanding the gospel.  We have learned in previous lessons that the road to faith is through hearing and hearing comes about by means of the word about Christ. We will see how this fits into the words of Paul is 2 Corinthians 4:18

In the first three chapters of 1^st Corinthians, Paul discusses the gospel often.  In these discussions, he presents a number of things that gives a clearer picture of what he meant in 2^nd Corinthians 4:18 and what Jesus meant in John 8, 32, 24, 28.

 

In the same mind and in the same judgment.

1 Corinthians 1:10 â€10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Paul addresses issues and concerns that reached him. His writings are always have a context. This means that we have to study everything he says and not superficially take the individual verses out of their context. In 1 Corinthians 1:10, he adresses the Church of Christ in Corinth about a real situation that they have.

The passage does not mean that we can’t have doctrinal disagreements in a congregation. It does not mean that we should all agree – all the time. That is not what it says. The Greek word for mind in this text is “noi†and the word for judgement is “gnomeâ€

“Noi †means a particular mode of thinking or evaluating.

“Gnome†means mind concerning what ought to be done, mind consciousness, state of mind.

Paul is not saying that they have to be on the same page doctrinally all the time. It is not the problem. The problem is the division among them due to the fact that they are not of the same mind (noi) and not on the same judgement (gnome). This would not be if they were to have the same mind or all be made complete in the same mind with Christ.

We will all get into a disagreement or two at some point. We have different backgrounds and different levels of understanding. What we want to achieve is a common level of Christ-likeness. This is not a subtle distinction. It does not mean that we have to agree on all point of doctrine. Paul says that if we have disagreements, we have to approach this academic issue with a frame of mind that is Christ-like.

What does Paul mean when he says “made complete� We are told in Matthew 5:48 and Ephesians 4:15 that we are supposed to grow up in all aspects into Christ who is the head. Balanced, perfect, mature.

Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Ephesians 4:15 “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,

If we are growing towards spiritual maturity, we do need to castigate anybody because they disagree with us. We have to approach it, not because we like to have an argument, but because we all want to achieve spiritual growth and we want to know the Truth.

Epistemology

In 1 Corinthians 1:11, Paul says that he has heard of quarrels among the members of the Church of Christ. He cites a specific argument. One is about people identifying with whoever baptized them. Paul makes it clear that this is a stupid thing to quarrel over. In verse 18, Paul begins a segue. An argument begins to flow into what is Paul’s understanding of what is known as epistemology. Theologically, this is a very important word.

Epistemology (Greek epistēmē) has something to do with letters, writings from them. It is the study of what is written. It is a study of knowledge, study of limited knowledge, and knowledge in general. Paul begins to segue into this discussion because it is central to him. Why some people don’t understand? Jesus asks the same question in John 8: 43

John 8: 43 “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.â€

Jesus ,also, says you should know the truth and truth shall set you free. He is dealing with that same issue of epistemology. How do you know what you know? What are the limits and the extents of what you know?

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.â€

Paul states here that the word of the cross, that is the Gospel, is foolishness to those who are perishing. This is why they are perishing. The gospel is foolishness to those ,who are perishing. But to us ,who are being saved, this is why we are being saved. It is the power of God unto salvation.

Paul is writing to the Church of Christ in Corinth. He is writing to Christians and to us who are being saved.

Paul is intimately familiar with the power of God for salvation, which is the gospel. He sees it as a power, a motivating ,driving ,consuming power that God has  bestowed upon him. He can’t help but share it with others. Woe to him if he did not. He feels its power.

For it is written in verse 19 that God will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the cleverness of the clever He would set aside.

19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.”

20        Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

21        For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

22        For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;

23        but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,

24        but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

25        Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26        For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;

27        but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

28        and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are,

29        so that no man may boast before God.

30        But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

31        so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

What Paul is saying is that the realities in which we live in 24 hours a day are not going to help us understand what the gospel is. Why? Paul talks about it in Romans 1 and 10 when he talks  about faith or “pistisâ€.

In Hebrews 11, Paul says “By faith we understand.†Also in Ephesians 3:18 and 19. What the scriptures tell us is that, there are realities which we can grasp internally even though they are beyond knowledge. So ,by means of faith, we ultimately understand, discern, know the truth. On that basis alone, faith is far more than what we tend to limit it to.

Thank you for watching! Do visit our website www.abetterbiblestudy.org if you want to look at study notes and if you want to see previous episodes