* This study was given to the workers of the Lake Union Conference atit* tenth quadrennial session held at Detroit, Michigan, March 9-12,1959.
PAUL in his letter to the Romans (10:2) speaks of his countrymen aspossessing a zeal that was not according to knowledge. Such zeal is notconfined to the enemies of God but is often witnessed among those whoare endeavoring to carry on the work of the Lord. The result is nevergood. Zeal not according to knowledge may be a thing of danger as wellas weakness. It prompts a man to move, but often in the wrongdirection. It results in tearing down rather than building up, andfrequently causes a man to do the work of the enemy rather than of God.Paul was zealous but wrong at a time when it would have been a virtuefor him to be less zealous but right.
Zeal not according to knowledge may nullify the effectiveness of aman's service for God, for his judgment does not exceed his knowledge.It may result in personal embarrassment, as was the case with Ahimaaz,the son of Zadok, who in his zeal outran Cushi but was asked by Davidto step aside because he had no tidings. To a much greater degree thanwe are willing to admit, our lack of power in the work of God is oftendirectly due to our lack of knowledge.
Zeal not according to knowledge may involve a man in many needlessdifficulties and perplexities, may cause him to think unkindly andunjustly of God, and may cause him to bear an untrue witness of theLord. Such was the case with Job when he declared, "The Lord gave, andthe Lord hath taken away" (Job 1:21), not realizing that it was Satanand not God who had taken away his children and his goods. It was Job'slack of knowledge of the workings of both God and Satan that caused himto complain that the arrows of the Almighty were within him (chap.6:4), that the Lord had broken him with a tempest and had multipliedhis wounds without cause (chap. 9:17), and that He "destroyeth theperfect and the wicked" (verse 22). It was lack of knowledge thatcaused Job to be "full of confusion," believing that the Lord huntedhim as a fierce lion and also showed Himself marvelous to him (chap.10:15, 16).
We must admire the fidelity and integrity of Job although we cannotadmire his knowledge when he declared that he would
trust the Lord even "though he slay me" (chap. 13:15). And we can onlypity him in his ignorance when in his pain and bitterness he cried,"He teareth me in his wrath . . . : he gnasheth upon me with his teeth.. . . God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over intothe hands of the wicked" (chap. 16:9, 11).
It was Job's lack of knowledge, causing him to justify himself ratherthan God, which kindled the wrath of the Lord's spokesman Elihu (chap.32:2) and drew from him the blunt rebuke that, "Job hath spoken withoutknowledge, and his words were without wisdom. . . . Therefore doth Jobopen his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge" (chaps.34:35; 35:16).
When "the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind" it was with thepiercing question: "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by wordswithout knowledge?" (chap. 38: 1, 2). It was then that the Lord setbefore Job the fierce dealings of leviathan, the seven-headed monsterwhich to the ancients was a symbol of Satan and was "king over all thechildren of pride" (Job 41:34).
Then at length the eyes of Job were opened and he saw what he had notseen before—that it was Satan and not God who had brought to him allhis woes, and that at length drew the belated admission: "Who is hethat hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that Iunderstood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. . . .Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (chap. 42:3,6). Of what did Job repent? It was his zeal without knowledge, drawingfrom him his bitter complaints and his misleading testimony concerningthe nature and works of God.
In discussing this question today it is not our purpose to dampen theardor or quench the zeal of any spokesman for God, but to increase theeffectiveness of our witness by helping to make sure that our zeal isaccompanied by knowledge.
Modern Christianity, unfortunately, is largely divided into twocamps—one that places its emphasis upon blind faith in preference to aserious pursuit of knowledge, and the other, that regards thetraditional faith of our fathers as an outmoded relic which is to bereplaced by a modern, scientific, materialistic but basically godlesstechnology. Many believe that it is necessary to make a choice betweenBiblicahsm and intellectualism—between an anti-Biblical scholasticism andan anti-intellectual Biblicahsm. This is tragic, for there is no basicconflict between faith in God and His Word, and the highestintelligence. There is no need of making a choice between piety andknowledge. Both are Christian, and both are eminently Godlike.
What is needed in this age of increase of knowledge is a Christlikeunion between holiness and learning, between a search for godliness andan earnest search for truth, between a respect for character andintegrity as well as for scientific realities.
What is needed more than ever before is such a high regard for truthand such an eager passion for knowledge that men will be willing to paythe price, whatever it may involve in the expenditure of effort, time,or money, that will secure the essential, unanswerable evidence neededin our modern age to make truth secure against the attacks of themost learned skeptics.
It is unfortunate that so often we have allowed ourselves to act as ifwe regard zeal to be a substitute for knowledge, as if prayer canreplace earnest inquiry and research, or as if pulpit eloquence cantake the place of right or reason.
Let it be remembered that a diligent, honest, persistent inquiry for,and insistence upon, truth constitutes one of the most proper andurgent activities of the true child of God. There exists no necessityfor drawing a line between saints and scholars, between holy men of Godand competent, informed, intelligent leaders. Daniel, trained for threeyears in the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans, was as much a saintas were the untutored fishermen of a later age. Moses, who was learnedin all the wisdom of Egypt, was no less a man of God than if he hadbeen clothed in a leather girdle or had subsisted on a diet of locustsand wild honey. Paul, who sat at the feet of Gamaliel, was as true andeffective a follower of Christ as were the unlettered Peter and John.
God never places a premium upon righteousness at the expense ofreason, nor does He ask men to underestimate intelligence in order tosecure a proper respect for integrity. We are never asked tosubstitute a shallow and hollow piety for brains, or a zeal withoutknowledge for a rigorous endeavor at investigation and verification ofall facets of truth.
On the other hand, it should also be made clear that knowledge cannever substitute for holiness, nor reason for righteousness. The onemust never be critical of the other. Both are necessary, both areChristian, and both are intrinsic attributes of God. And both mustcoexist in the life of the man who would be re-created in the fullimage of God. The true Christian will be an informed and intelligentChristian, and the most effective witness for Heaven will be the manwho can give the most effective testimony to the certainty and valueof truth.
He who will come closest to God must not only possess faith, but hemust add to his faith virtue, and to his virtue knowledge. The one whoclimbs highest on the ladder of godliness will be the one who advancesfarthest in the realms of clear, sound Christian thinking as well asChristian living.
True Christian leaders will be men of competence as well as compassion,of enlightenment as well as reverence, of proficiency as well aspiety. The freedom to know is as much a right and as much a duty as thefreedom to believe.
God is as much a God of knowledge as a God of love, of power as ofmercy, and the secret of His power lies in the supremacy of Hisknowledge. Love without knowledge is blind and weak. Without knowledgeGod would never be in a position to play His omnipotent role as Rulerof the universe. It is His omniscience that is the secret of Hisomnipotence. He can do all things because He knows all things, and Hedoes all things well because of His wisdom as well as His love.
The knowledge of God is thorough, correct, intimate, and infallible.The perfect knowledge of God constitutes the first and greatestchallenge to man to be diligent in his pursuit of knowledge. The betterwe know God the better we can be His witnesses. The better we know theWord of God the better can we preach that word. The more we know of thelove of God the better we can preach and live that love.
And the better we know the message for these times, the better will webe able to proclaim that message and finish God's work.
Every unsolved problem of our age is a challenge to greater knowledge.Every unfinished task constitutes a challenge to a more diligentseeking of knowledge. The many amazing accomplishments by men of theworld should constitute a powerful stimulus to men of the Word toacquire greater knowledge that they may accomplish a greater work. Theincreasing magnitude of our problems and the growing intensities andperplexities of our times constitute a challenge to the acquirement ofgreater knowledge. Only as we realize this and only as we giveourselves diligently to the acquirement of knowledge will we be in aposition to effectively carry out our great commission and complete thetask before us.
