Sunday, 9 March 2014
…that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge... 1 Corinthians 1:5
This verse carries on from the previous one where Paul thanked God continuously for the grace He had bestowed upon the Corinthians. This grace, given by Christ Jesus, was endowed so that they would be “enriched in everything by Him.”
The knowledge of Christ is an exceedingly great knowledge, granted by grace. It enriches our lives in every way and is what leads us to the greatest knowledge of all, the depths of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. These are available to us through the teachings of the apostles who were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as they uttered out the words of the Bible. Paul and the other apostles gave their instructions to the churches directly; now we have the Bible which serves this purpose. In the Bible then is “everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge.”
God has spoken by Christ everything we need for our spiritual life and practice. This verse, among many others unfortunately, leads folks to believe that because they have accepted Christ, they have all knowledge and all discernment in Christ. Relying on “Holy Ghost” power and instruction, they actually delude themselves and others into accepting whatever nonsense they utter at any given time – prophecies, teachings, proclamations, etc. But this isn’t how things work. The apostolic instruction has been given and it has been recorded. Now, in order to understand “all utterance and all knowledge” we actually have to open our Bibles, read, study, and apply.
This is hard work and that is tedious to many. How much easier it is to simply pull out individual verses and misapply them to life’s momentary trials or victories. But the Bible, and all it contains, is God’s word and demands that we keep it in context as we study it. Through this precious word we are edified, built up, and given our proper knowledge.
Life application: To fully understand God’s intentions for us is a long and difficult task. The first thing we need to do is to get right with Christ, receiving Him as Savior. After that, we should actively seek Him out through His superior word. Take time, every day, to read and study this infinitely precious treasure.
Lord God! How I treasure every new discovery in Your word. I revel in it and love to see its deep riches unfold before me. And thank you for others who have so diligently studied it, finding patterns, parallels, and precious pearls of wisdom. When I read the things others have discovered, it reminds me that there are so many faithful people pursing Your wondrous gift to us. Thank You for Your great word, O God. Amen!