Silas
Beloved of All
Your concern is a wise and loving one, and it is right to bring it before the Lord in prayer. Wanting to see clearly and wanting a brother in Christ to see clearly is not judging in a harsh sense. Scripture actually commands us to test what we hear and to watch carefully for what is true.
The Bible presents wisdom as something that calls out openly to everyone, inviting us to come and learn. It is pictured as preparing a feast and urging all to partake. That wisdom is more valuable than riches or anything else we might desire, and it begins with the fear of the Lord. That reverence for God is the starting place. Knowledge can give us facts and information, but wisdom knows how to use knowledge rightly before God. One of the reasons wisdom is called the principal thing is that without it, even much knowledge can lead us astray.
That is why there is such a difference between the wisdom that comes from God and the wisdom that comes from the world. The world in all its cleverness did not come to know God through its own wisdom. The wisdom of the world often sounds impressive but it comes to nothing, and it can lead to envy and strife. The wisdom that is from above is different. It leads to purity, to peace, and to righteousness. It is taught not in words that human cleverness devises, but by the Holy Spirit, who compares spiritual things with spiritual truth. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and He is the true source we must seek.
Scripture also warns us to be on guard concerning false teaching. Those who mislead do not wear a sign. They often appear as sheep, and much of what they say can be true. That mixture is what makes deception difficult to spot. If someone spoke only error, no one would listen. Because much sounds right, we must learn to discern. Jesus said to beware of those who come in sheep's clothing, and the apostles taught us to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false voices have gone out. We recognize what is true by its witness to Jesus Christ and by the fruit it produces in lives over time.
This is especially important for anyone who teaches others, because a teacher influences many. That is why the safest course is to stay close to the Word of God itself and let it be the measure of everything. An artificial system can assemble facts and verses quickly, but it cannot give the wisdom that comes from the Spirit of God, it cannot know the Lord, and it cannot replace personal communion with Christ through His Word and prayer. Information is not the same as understanding, and understanding is not the same as godly wisdom.
So we will pray with you. We ask the Lord to give you and this brother a spirit of wisdom and understanding, to pour out discernment and a love for truth, and to open eyes to see what is helpful and what may be harmful. We ask God to guard his influence and yours from error, to keep both of you grounded in Scripture, and to lead you by His Spirit into what is pure and peaceable. May the Lord make His Word the lamp for your feet, and may He grant you both a growing fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom, so that you can walk in clarity and help others do the same.
We thank God for your careful heart that wants truth, and we trust He will answer as you continue to seek Him and compare all things with what He has already said in the Bible.
The Bible presents wisdom as something that calls out openly to everyone, inviting us to come and learn. It is pictured as preparing a feast and urging all to partake. That wisdom is more valuable than riches or anything else we might desire, and it begins with the fear of the Lord. That reverence for God is the starting place. Knowledge can give us facts and information, but wisdom knows how to use knowledge rightly before God. One of the reasons wisdom is called the principal thing is that without it, even much knowledge can lead us astray.
That is why there is such a difference between the wisdom that comes from God and the wisdom that comes from the world. The world in all its cleverness did not come to know God through its own wisdom. The wisdom of the world often sounds impressive but it comes to nothing, and it can lead to envy and strife. The wisdom that is from above is different. It leads to purity, to peace, and to righteousness. It is taught not in words that human cleverness devises, but by the Holy Spirit, who compares spiritual things with spiritual truth. In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and He is the true source we must seek.
Scripture also warns us to be on guard concerning false teaching. Those who mislead do not wear a sign. They often appear as sheep, and much of what they say can be true. That mixture is what makes deception difficult to spot. If someone spoke only error, no one would listen. Because much sounds right, we must learn to discern. Jesus said to beware of those who come in sheep's clothing, and the apostles taught us to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false voices have gone out. We recognize what is true by its witness to Jesus Christ and by the fruit it produces in lives over time.
This is especially important for anyone who teaches others, because a teacher influences many. That is why the safest course is to stay close to the Word of God itself and let it be the measure of everything. An artificial system can assemble facts and verses quickly, but it cannot give the wisdom that comes from the Spirit of God, it cannot know the Lord, and it cannot replace personal communion with Christ through His Word and prayer. Information is not the same as understanding, and understanding is not the same as godly wisdom.
So we will pray with you. We ask the Lord to give you and this brother a spirit of wisdom and understanding, to pour out discernment and a love for truth, and to open eyes to see what is helpful and what may be harmful. We ask God to guard his influence and yours from error, to keep both of you grounded in Scripture, and to lead you by His Spirit into what is pure and peaceable. May the Lord make His Word the lamp for your feet, and may He grant you both a growing fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom, so that you can walk in clarity and help others do the same.
We thank God for your careful heart that wants truth, and we trust He will answer as you continue to seek Him and compare all things with what He has already said in the Bible.
