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Christian Knowledge (Hebrews 5:12) | Jonathan Edwards · Reformed Thinking

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Welcome to Reformed Thinking. We are thrilled you decided to
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tune in today. The mission for today is a
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thorough, rigorous examination of a specific text, a sermon
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written by the 18th century theologian Jonathan Edwards
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titled Christian Knowledge. We have a substantial stack of
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notes in historical context to get through, and the goal is to
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extract the core arguments Edwards makes about why every
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single believer must acquire a significant, robust
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understanding of theological truths.
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This is not going to be a light skim.
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We're going to look closely at his logic step by step, and
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bring it into our modern context.
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That is precisely the goal, to set the theological stage for
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our discussion today. It helps to clarify our
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perspective right out of the gate.
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As Protestant Christians who adhere to the Westminster
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Confession of Faith, we view the Scriptures as the supreme
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standard for faith in life. The Westminster Confession makes
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a very helpful distinction. It states that while some things
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in Scripture are harder to understand than others, the
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things necessary for salvation are clear enough that anyone can
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comprehend them through ordinary means.
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However, grasping those truths requires actual effort.
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The Confession talks about a due use of ordinary means.
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We are going to analyze Edwards's arguments through this
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reformed lens, specifically focusing on his assertion that
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gaining theological knowledge is an absolute necessity for every
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believer, not an optional hobby. I want to address you, the
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listener, directly for a moment. Do you ever feel like studying
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theology is something best left to pastors, academics, or the
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people who write thick commentaries?
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Maybe you think your job is just to show up on Sunday, listen to
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the sermon, try to be a good person, and leave the heavy
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lifting to the professionals. Perhaps you feel intimidated by
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systematic theology, assuming it is too dry or too detached from
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everyday life. Today's deep dive is going to
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dismantle that assumption entirely.
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We are going to use Edwards's rigorous logic to show that
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growing in the knowledge of divinity is actually the primary
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business of your life. So let's get into the text
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Edwards uses as his base. He starts with a severe review
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found in Hebrews chapter 5 verse 12.
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The text says for when for the time you ought to be teachers
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you have need that one teach you again, which be the first
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principles of the oracles of God and are become such as have need
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of milk and not of strong meat. Traditionally this is understood
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as the Apostle Paul or whoever authored Hebrews complaining
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about the Hebrew Christians lack of proficiency.
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Yeah, they had regressed. By now, considering how long
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they have been believers, they ought to be teaching others.
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But they still need milk instead of strong meat.
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What's fascinating here is the specific context surrounding
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this rebuke. The author of Hebrews was
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building a massive, intricate theological argument just a
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verse or two prior. He was talking about Christ
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being a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
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Right. And Melchizedek is a very
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mysterious figure. Very mysterious.
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He's from the Old Testament, specifically from the book of
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Genesis who interacted with Abraham.
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Abraham actually paid a tithe to him, and in the Old Testament,
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the oracles of God hold Melchizedek up as an eminent
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type or foreshadowing of Christ. He appears without a recorded
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genealogy, without a beginning of days or end of life.
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Making him a perfect picture of an eternal priesthood.
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Precisely one that predates the Levitical system entirely.
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And the author of Hebrews wanted to unpack these mysteries, which
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contain wonderful, dense gospel truths about how Jesus fulfills
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the Old Testament shadows. But he has to hit the brakes.
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He just stops mid thought. He stops mid thought and
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essentially says I have many things to say about this and
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they are hard to utter seeing you are dull of hearing.
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He was afraid that because of their weakness and knowledge,
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they would only be puzzled and confounded.
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They would receive 0 benefit from this glorious truth.
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Right. The critique here is not about a
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lack of spiritual feeling or emotional zeal.
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It is a direct critique of their lack of doctrinal comprehension.
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OK, let's unpack this. The author of Hebrews is
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frustrated because he wants to hand them a thick, juicy steak,
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the strong meat of typological theology connecting Melchizedek
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to Jesus, but he realizes they do not even have the teeth for
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it yet. They are still needing the
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bottle. Yeah, they are stuck in the
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spiritual alphabet when they should be writing essays.
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And Edwards takes this historical situation and
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establishes his main thesis. Growing in the knowledge of
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divinity is a primary business for every single Christian.
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It is not an accidental side effect of occasionally attending
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church. Exactly.
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It is the core curriculum of being a Christian, Edwards says.
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These believers were scholars in the school of Christ.
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If they had improved their time, they would be teachers by now.
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It raises a very convicting point for all of us.
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The fault, as Edwards points out, is that their proficiency
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was not answerable to their time, to whatever business
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anyone has devoted. We expect their skill to match
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the time they have spent learning it.
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I mean if you have been studying carpentry for 10 years, you
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should be able to build a house or at least a very good sturdy
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table. Or share that doesn't wobble.
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Yeah, exactly. If you have been studying a
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foreign language for a decade, you should be able to hold a
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fluent conversation. So if you have been a Christian
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for 10 years, your knowledge of divine truth should reflect a
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decade of rigorous study. Christians should not remain
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Dave's forever. They need to learn to digest
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strong meat. I think we need to ask you, the
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listener, to consider your own time spent as a Christian.
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Look back at the years you have been a believer.
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If you've been walking with the Lord for 510 or 20 years, have
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you made progress answerable to the time you have had to learn?
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It's a tough question. It really is.
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Are you still operating on the exact same basic principles you
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learned in Sunday school or when you were first baptized?
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Have you graduated beyond the foundational elements of
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repentance and faith? It is a heavy question, but it
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sets the baseline for everything Edwards is about to argue.
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It does. Before we go further though, I
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want to pose a question. If we are supposed to be
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studying, what are we studying? How does Edwards define the
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subject matter? That is the logical next step.
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To understand what we are supposed to be learning, we need
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to clearly define our terms. Edwards moves to define what he
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means by divinity, which is the object of this Christian
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knowledge. He describes it as the science
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or doctrine which comprehends all those truths and rules
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concerning the great business of religion.
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It is the doctrine of living to God, or more accurately, the
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doctrine of living to God by Christ.
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He makes it clear that this is a distinct category of knowledge.
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He draws a very sharp contrast here between divinity and all
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other natural sciences. Yes, he does.
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He mentions philosophy, astronomy, studying the visible
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heavens, navigation, studying the sea, geography studying the
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earth, anatomy, studying the human body.
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Those are all learned by the improvement of man's natural
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reason. You can put a human body on an
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operating table, dissect it, and learn anatomy.
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You can look through a telescope and deduce the orbits of the
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planets, but divinity is fundamentally different.
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Yes, and this is where our Reformed theological framework
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really comes into focus. Yeah, Edwards addresses the
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concept of natural religion. We acknowledge that there are
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truths concerning God and our duty to Him that are evident by
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the light of nature. Like looking at the sheer scale
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of the universe. Right.
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Or observing the moral law written on the human conscience
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that gives us some knowledge of a Creator.
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The apostle Paul talks about this in Romans 1, noting that
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God's invisible attributes are clearly seen in the things that
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have been made. Yeah.
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However, because of our fallen state, what Reformed theology
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calls total depravity, that light of nature is severely
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insufficient. The light of nature leaves men
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without excuse, but it cannot save them.
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It cannot teach us the gospel scheme.
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No, it can't. You can study the stars for a
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lifetime, chart every constellation, and never deduce
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the necessity of a mediator, or the dual nature of Christ, or
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the doctrine of justification by faith alone.
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Right. Looking at a beautiful mountain
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range or a stunning sunset might tell you that a powerful Creator
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exists, and it might even tell you that you fall short of his
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perfection. But it will never tell you that
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Jesus Christ died for sinners. That information only comes from
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one place. It is solely the Word of God
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contained in the Old and New Testaments that provides this
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instruction. Divinity depends entirely on
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revelation. God has given us a book full of
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instruction for this specific end.
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He had to speak to us directly because we could never figure
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out the gospel by staring at trees or doing math equations.
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Which means that every single doctrine, every rule, and every
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promise in Scripture relates directly to this concept of
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living to God by Christ. This knowledge has a dual
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purpose. OK, what are they?
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First, it tends to promote our living to God here in this
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world, guiding us in a life of faith and holiness.
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Second, it tends to bring us to a life of perfect holiness and
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happiness in the full enjoyment of God hereafter.
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The things we study in Scripture are not abstract trivia.
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They're the very mechanics of our present holiness and our
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future internal state. This is highly practical stuff.
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That distinction between abstract trivia and practical
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holiness brings us to a crucial part of Edwards's argument.
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He outlines 2 distinct kinds of knowledge when it comes to
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divine truth, speculative and practical.
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Also known as natural and spiritual.
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Right, let's look closely at speculative knowledge first, he
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says. This kind remains only in the
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head. It consists in having a rational
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knowledge of the things of religion, obtained by the
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natural exercise of our faculties, without any special
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illumination of the Spirit of God.
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It is entirely possible to ace a seminary exam on the Trinity
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while your heart remains completely cold toward God.
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Yeah, that's a scary thought. It really is.
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And then he contrasts that with practical or spiritual knowledge
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which rests not entirely in the head but concerns the heart.
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It consists principally in the sense of the heart.
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It is not just intellect. It involves the will and the
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inclination. Pasting the truth.
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Yes, Edwards describes it not just as seeing, but as feeling
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or tasting the truth. Having a right speculative
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notion of a doctrine is one thing.
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Having a due sense of its sweetness and reality in the
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heart is the practical knowledge.
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I think we need a modern analogy here.
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It's like the difference between memorizing the Wikipedia page
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for a massive roller coaster and actually sitting in the front
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car during 100 foot drop. Oh, that's a great way to put
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it. The speculative knowledge of the
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track, knowing the height, the speed, the angle of the descent
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is accurate information, but the practical knowledge is the
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actual experience of the ride, the wind in your face, the drop
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in your stomach. The sheer terror.
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Yeah, now people might hear that and think, oh, well then
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speculative knowledge is bad and practical knowledge is good.
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I just need to feel the truth in my heart.
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I don't need all that head knowledge.
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Give you the ride. Skip the manual.
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But Edwards vehemently denies that.
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He absolutely does. He clarifies that speculative
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knowledge without practical knowledge is ultimately a
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tragedy of in fact, it only increases our condemnation
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because we knew the truth and did not love it.
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The demons have impeccable speculative knowledge of God and
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they shudder. However, speculative knowledge
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is an absolute prerequisite for humans.
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You cannot have spiritual knowledge without first having
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natural knowledge. You cannot bypass the heads to
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get to the heart. You cannot love a God you do not
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know. He writes that no object can
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reach the heart except through the door of the understanding.
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That is such a vivid image. The understanding is the door.
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If the door is locked, nothing gets into the house, nothing at
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all. He relates this directly to the
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means of grace. Think about preaching or the
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sacraments. They are totally useless that
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the intellect is not engaged. This is a vital reformed concept
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regarding the means of grace. Teaching is in vain without
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learning. Christ appointed an order of men
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to be teachers in His Church, but their preaching only becomes
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a means of grace by conveying knowledge to the understanding.
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Edwards uses a brilliant illustration here.
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He says if a minister preaches in an unknown time, it yields 0
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spiritual fruit. Why?
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Because the intellect grasps nothing.
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There is no difference between preaching in an unknown tongue
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and preaching to an audience that simply lacks the
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theological vocabulary to understand what is being said in
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their own language. That makes total sense.
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If a pastor preaches a brilliant sermon on propitiation, but the
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congregation has never taken the time to learn what that word
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means, he might as well be speaking ancient Sumerian.
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He references Paul's argument in First Corinthians 14 about
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speaking in tongues. If you do not understand the
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words, the speaker might as well be speaking into the air.
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God deals with man as a rational creature.
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Edward states plainly. Hearing is absolutely necessary
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to faith because hearing is necessary to understanding.
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You cannot believe in someone you have never heard of.
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But let me stop and ask a slightly challenging question
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here. If Reformed theology teaches
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that we are totally depraved and rely entirely on God's sovereign
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grace to open our blind eyes, doesn't Edwards heavy demand for
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intellectual effort sound a bit like trying to earn our way to
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heaven through studying? Are we saying you have to have a
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high IQ to be saved? That is an excellent point.
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To clarify, No, Edwards is not arguing for a meritocracy of
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intelligence. The Reformed view, which Edwards
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held tightly, is that the Holy Spirit's the one who grants the
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sense of the heart. He turns the lights on, so to
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speak, but the Holy Spirit operates through the truth.
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The Spirit does not give you a mystical feeling about a blank
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page. He illuminates the actual
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doctrines you have put into your mind.
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You study the Scriptures. You do the hard work of
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gathering the dry wood of speculative knowledge.
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And then the Holy Spirit strikes the match.
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I love that gathering the dry wood.
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If you refuse to gather the wood, you have nothing for the
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fire to catch, Edwards says. It is against the nature of the
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human soul to love an object that is entirely unknown.
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The heart cannot be set upon an object of which there is no idea
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in the understanding. The reasons which induce the
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soul to love must first be understood before they can
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influence the heart. So applying that to an actual
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doctrine, you can't marvel at the cross if you don't grasp the
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mechanics of what happened there.
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You need to understand concepts like justification,
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substitutionary atonement, and imputation.
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Yes, imputation is the staggering reality that Christ's
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perfect, flawless record is literally credited to your
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account, while your sin is credited to His.
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If your mind doesn't grasp that legal transaction, your heart
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can't feel the weight of the grace.
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It just can't. If your understanding is not
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first informed about how those things were done, you cannot
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have a taste of the sweetness and Excellency of divine truth.
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That's right, he says, the Bible could be written in a language
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we do not speak, and it would profit us just as much as an
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unread Bible in English. The sacraments, too.
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They represent things by visible signs, the bread and the wine
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and communion. But what is the point of a sign
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if you do not know what it signifies?
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Without knowledge, the faculty of reason God gave us is wasted.
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We might as well be beasts if we do not use our reason to
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understand the end for which we were created.
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Precisely. Here's where it gets really
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interesting. Since understanding is the door
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to the heart, and since divine truth is the only way to know
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God, Edwards does not just say you should study your Bible
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because it's good for you. No, he goes much deeper.
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He builds an ironclad, A philosophical and theological
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case. He lays out a massive multi
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point logical argument for why studying theology must be a
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primary business. He offers 9 distinct points and
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we are going to weave through them.
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Edward starts by looking at human anatomy, specifically our
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brains, pointing to the superior faculty God gave us.
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God gave humans reason to distinguish us from the beasts.
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The Creator designed us for a superior employment.
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The logic here is inescapable. If God gave us a superior
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faculty, the faculty of understanding, he intended it
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for a superior object. If we make the improvement of
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our intellectual faculty a minor side hobby, we are treating our
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highest faculty as a minor, insignificant tool.
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Those who do not make acquiring knowledge their business, but
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instead use their understanding merely to gratify animal
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appetites and please their senses, are subverting God's
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design. Think about how much brain power
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humans use to invent more comfortable beds, faster cars,
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or more entertaining video games.
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Billions of hours of brain power.
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God did not give us reasons so we could figure out how to be
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more comfortable animals. He gave inferior powers to serve
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the understanding, not the other way around.
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The primary purpose of human reason is to comprehend divine
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truth. Edwards notes that the wiser
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heathens understood this partially.
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Ancient Greek philosophers New Reason was their highest
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faculty, so they devoted themselves to studying logic and
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ethics. But we have the light of the
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gospel. God has given us a book full of
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divine instructions, holding forth glorious objects.
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We have no excuse to ignore the improvement of our understanding
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from the human mind. Edwards then looks at the
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subject matter itself, focusing on its superlative excellence.
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The truths of divinity are as much above the things treated in
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other sciences as heaven is above the earth.
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Think about the subject matter, the eternal 3 in one Jesus
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Christ, the God, man and Mediator, the glorious work of
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redemption, the heavenly inheritance, the work of the
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Holy Spirit on the hearts of men.
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The most excellent objects in existence.
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Exactly. You can study the mating habits,
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bits of beetles, or the composition of moon rocks and
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that is fine, but it pales in comparison to studying the
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nature of the God who spoke the moon into existence.
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Edwards uses a very compelling analogy here.
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He says, imagine a great treasure of gold and pearls was
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accidentally found and open to the public, and anyone could
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gather as much as they wanted. People would drop everything
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they would. They would make gathering that
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treasure their entire business while it lasted.
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We see this in history, right? The California Gold Rush men
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left their families travel thousands of miles across
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dangerous territory just for the chance to dig in the dirt for
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shiny metal. Today, people will spend hours
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analyzing charts trying to find the next cryptocurrency to
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explode. Everyone is busy getting earthly
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riches, but the treasure of divine knowledge contained in
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the Scriptures is far more valuable than any physical
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wealth. Divine truth is infinitely more
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valuable, and God has provided it for everyone to gather.
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But unlike a gold rush where some strike at rich and others
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go bust, this treasure is guaranteed for those who dig
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and. That ties into his next point,
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the infinite stakes for all. This is where Edwards completely
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dismantles the idea that theology is just for the
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academics or the clergy. Unlike philosophical disputes,
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which do not alter our daily lives whether we know the
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answers or not, divinity concerns eternal salvation.
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Right. If two scientists are arguing
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about string theory or the exact age of a distant Galaxy, I can
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just leave them to it. My doily life does not change
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based on who wins the debate. I still have to pay my taxes and
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mow my lawn. But matters of divinity relate
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to every man's eternal salvation and happiness.
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The common person cannot say. Let the ministers dispute among
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themselves. Because the doctrines relating
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to the essence of God concern everyone equally.
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He is the God in whom we all live and move.
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The doctrines relating to Jesus Christ, His incarnation, life,
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death, resurrection, and intercession concern the common
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person as much as the divines. Every single person stands in
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equal necessity of justification before God.
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Eternal condemnation is equally dreadful for the mechanic, the
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Baker, and the software engineer as it is for the theologian, the
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Holy Spirit's work and effectual calling.
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And sanctification is required for every soul.
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Therefore the stakes are infinite for all.
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Theology is the most democratic science in the world because
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every human being is going to die and stand before the same
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judge. But Edwards doesn't just look at
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the human side of the equation. He flips the perspective to look
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at God's actions. Think about the staggering
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lengths God went to just to reveal this information.
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It's amazing to consider. For other sciences, God left us
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to the light of our own reason. He let humans figure out
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agriculture and mathematics on their own timeline.
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But for divine things, because they are of infinite value, He
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did not leave us to an uncertain guide.
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He gave us a specific revelation.
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And look at the massive effort God put into revealing these
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truths. He raised up prophets in
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different ages, inspired them with the Holy Spirit, confirmed
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their doctrines with innumerable miracles.
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Out of the established course of nature, He parted seas, stops
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the sun in the sky, and sent fire from heaven.
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Just to get our attention. He separated the entire nation
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of Israel from all other people, giving them dietary laws and
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civil codes just to keep them distinct so he could commit the
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oracles of God to them. He sent angels to deliver
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messages, and finally, in these last days he said his own son
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into the world to bleed and die, to be the great prophet, to
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teach us divine truth. Edwards quotes Jeremiah 7.25,
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where God says He sent his servants the prophets daily,
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rising up early and sending them.
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He points out this figurative speech, rising early.
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When does someone rise early? When they have a business of
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great significance, something their heart is earnestly engaged
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in? God rose early to teach us.
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If God put such massive, determined effort into teaching,
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we must put effort into learning.
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We cannot treat God's curriculum with a casual shrug.
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If the Creator of the universe went out of his way to write you
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a letter, the least you can do is open it.
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Which brings us to the physical reality of that letter, the
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abundance of Scripture. This is a very practical
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observation. Consider the sheer volume of the
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Bible. Much was taught by Moses, then
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David, Solomon, the prophets, then Christ and the apostles.
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It is a massive book with great variety.
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History, poetry, epistles, apocalyptic visions.
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It's huge. If God intended for us to treat
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theological study as a casual hobby, he would not have
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provided such a massive volume of instruction.
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He could have given us a single pamphlet, A1 page list of rules,
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but he gave us a library. He directs us to search the
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Scriptures to seek out the book of the Lord and read.
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Edwards argues that everything in Scripture was written to be
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understood. God doesn't waste words.
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If we do not endeavor to grow in knowledge, a very great part of
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those instructions will be in vain to us, because we can
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receive benefit by no more of the Scriptures than we
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understand. There is a sharp conviction here
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regarding hypocrisy. We often thank God for the
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Bible. We carry it to church.
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We put it on our shelves. But Edwards says if God opens a
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massive treasure to supply our wants, and we thank him for it
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but remain destitute of most of it because we are too lazy to
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gather it, that does not show sincere thankfulness.
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Ouch. To thank God for the Bible but
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leave it unread and unstudied is hypocritical.
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It's like thanking someone for a massive feast they cooked for
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you and then pulling a protein bar out of your pocket and
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eating that instead. And even if you read it every
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day, you will never master it because it is an inexhaustible
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subject. No one can ever use the excuse.
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I already know it all. I read it cover to cover back in
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2018 and no one can say I don't need to study because I don't
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need to know all of it. There is room enough to employ
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ourselves forever in the science with the utmost application.
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Even those who have studied the longest and made the greatest
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attainments know but little of what is to be known.
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The divine Being is infinite. His perfections have no end.
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The work of redemption is full of unsearchable wonders.
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Edwards quote, Psalm 119.96. I have seen an end to all
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perfection, but Thy command is exceeding broad.
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Exceeding broad. I like that.
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The Scriptures contain enough to keep the ablest divine's
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occupied to the end of the world.
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In fact, Peter tells us in his first epistle that angels long
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to look into these things. The gospel is so fascinating
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that angels who live in the direct presence of God bend down
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to study the mechanics of human redemption, which means it
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should be our primary focus as well.
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Edwards argues that this is the Christians primary calling.
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Everyone should endeavor to excel in the things that pertain
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to their principal calling. The calling and work of every
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Christian is to live to God. That is your trade.
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No other business should be done except as it is some way a part
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of this. He uses very relatable
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analogies. A soldier must excel in the art
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of war. A mariner must excel in the art
24:04
of navigation. A physician must excel in the
24:06
knowledge of medicine. It would be absurd for a soldier
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to refuse to learn how to clean and fire his rifle, or for a
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mariner to ignore how to read a compass, or a doctor to refuse
24:15
to study anatomy. In the same way, it becomes all
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who professed to be Christian Christians to endeavor to excel
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in the knowledge of divinity. If you call yourself a
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Christian, this is your profession.
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He also makes a brilliant logical deduction based on
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church structure. He looks at Ephesians 4.11,
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noting that God appointed apostles, prophets, evangelists,
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pastors, and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints.
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His point is simple. Teachers imply learners.
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If God ordained an office of teachers and made it their
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business to impart knowledge of divinity, it logically follows
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that He requires a congregation of learners.
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Teachers and learners are correlates.
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One was never intended to exist without the other.
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God did not command ministers to spend their lives sweating over
24:58
commentaries learning Greek and Hebrew just to impart knowledge
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to people who are not obliged to apply themselves to receive it.
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If your church pays a pastor to study and teach, the
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congregation has a moral obligation to listen and learn.
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And he points out that the common name for Christians in
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the New Testament is disciples, which literally means scholars
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or learners. We are all put into the school
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of Christ. Finally, Edwards points to the
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explicit biblical directives. It is the revealed will of God
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that Christians should be enriched with all knowledge.
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Paul thanks God in First Corinthians one that the church
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is enriched in all knowledge. He prays in Philippians 1.9 that
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their love may abound more and more in knowledge and in all
25:36
judgement. Peter commands believers in
25:39
second Peter 1.5 to give all diligence to add knowledge to
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their faith. Scripture constantly commands
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believers to pursue this. It is not a suggestion, it is a
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command. So what does this all mean?
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We've walked through Edwards logic.
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The human mind was built for this.
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The subject matter is the best in the universe.
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The stakes are eternal. God went out of his way to give
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us a massive book. Angel study it.
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It's our core job and the Bible commands it.
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How does Edwards apply this to daily life?
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This brings us to his exhortation where he tells his
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congregation to redeem the time. Edwards issues a very direct
26:12
rebuke to those who waste time. He tells them to consider
26:15
themselves scholars in the school of Christ.
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He warns them not to be content with just knowing their
26:20
childhood catechism or the bare minimum required for salvation.
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Let your teacher see you bending your minds to learn.
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It makes teaching a pleasure instead of a heavy, burdensome
26:31
task for your pastors. But the real sting comes when he
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talks about how people spend their leisure time.
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He rebukes those who go from house to house, spending hour
26:40
after hour and unprofitable conversation just to amuse
26:43
themselves and wear away the time.
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He says evening visits are often spent to a much worse purpose
26:48
than mere amusement. Edwards goes hard after people
26:51
who waste their evenings chatting.
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And honestly, reading this, I felt incredibly convicted
26:55
thinking about my own screen time.
26:57
How many hours do I spend doom scrolling on social media,
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watching mindless videos or debating sports on a Tuesday
27:03
night when I could be reading something that actually
27:05
nourishes my soul? That conviction is universal.
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In Edward's day it was sitting by the fire gossiping.
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Today it's the glowing rectangle in our hands.
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He quotes Proverbs 10.19 in the multitude of words.
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There wanteth not sin. When people have nothing to do
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but sit and chat, there is great danger of falling into foolish
27:25
and sinful conversation. They vent their corrupt
27:27
dispositions, talk against others, expressed jealousies and
27:30
evil surmises about their neighbors.
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He cites Matthew 12.36 reminding them that men will give an
27:36
account in the day of judgement for every idle word.
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This idle talk leads to a poverty of soul.
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He suggests A radical substitution.
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Substitute unprofitable evening amusement with searching the
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Scriptures, he says. Young people could find
27:50
something much more profitable to do than spending time in vain
27:52
company. Even aged people incapable of
27:55
physical labor could spend their twilight years searching the
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scriptures and comparing truths. It is a noble way to spend time.
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He mentions the Bereans in Acts 17.11 who are called more noble
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than those in Thessalonica because they received the word
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with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily to
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see if what Paul said was true. If we connect this to the bigger
28:14
picture, this knowledge is exceedingly useful in Christian
28:17
practice. Knowledge acts as a shield.
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The devil often takes advantage of Christians ignorance to ply
28:23
them with temptations that would otherwise have no hold on them.
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If you don't know the promises of God, Satan can easily
28:31
convince you that God has abandoned you.
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If you don't understand justification, Satan can crush
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you with guilt over past forgiven sins.
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If you have knowledge you are furnished against these attacks,
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you can conduct yourself with prudence and discretion.
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He also mentions A fascinating point about church dynamics.
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He says that many good people full of a good spirit actually
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wound religion because of a lack of prudence.
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They have a zeal for God, but it is not according to knowledge.
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That kind of unguided, hot headed zeal does more hurt than
29:02
good to the reputation of the church.
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The issue isn't a lack of grace, it's a lack of knowledge.
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They act rashly because they haven't studied the nuances of
29:10
biblical wisdom. We also need to consider the
29:12
incredible advantages we have right now.
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Edwards pointed out to his congregation in Northampton that
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they had far greater advantages than the Old Testament Saints
29:20
because the Canon of Scripture was enlarged, evangelical truths
29:23
were more plainly revealed, and the printing press had
29:26
multiplied Bibles and theological books, making them
29:29
cheaper and more accessible. Let's extrapolate this for you,
29:31
the modern listener. Edwards was amazed by the
29:34
printing press in the 1700s. Books were still relatively
29:37
expensive, but available. You right now have a smartphone
29:41
in your pocket. You have Bible apps with instant
29:44
cross references, digital commentaries from the greatest
29:47
minds in church history, audio discussions, Greek and Hebrew
29:50
lexicons and concordances available for free in seconds.
29:54
You're under vastly greater advantages than the Old
29:56
Testament prophets, the early Christians, or even Jonathan
29:59
Edwards congregation. With all these tools at our
30:02
fingertips, remaining ignorant is a choice.
30:04
We are swimming in resources. Because of that reality, Edwards
30:08
concludes with providing very practical directions for
30:11
acquiring this knowledge. This isn't just theory.
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He gives a road map. First he says to be assiduous in
30:17
reading the Holy Scriptures. It is the fountain.
30:19
Once all knowledge and divinity must be derived.
30:22
Do not let this treasure lie by you neglected.
30:25
Second, he warns against a cursory reading.
30:28
Do not just skim it without regarding the sense.
30:30
That is a bad habit many fall into, especially when we are
30:33
just trying to check off a box on a Bible in a year.
30:36
Reading plan. When you read, observe what you
30:39
read. Take notice of the drift of the
30:40
discourse. Compare one Scripture with
30:42
another. Look for the harmony of the
30:44
text, because Scripture casts great light upon itself.
30:47
When a difficult passage is cleared up for you in a sermon
30:50
on Sunday, mark it, lake it up, and remember it. 3rd procure and
30:55
diligently use other theological books.
30:58
Here is a very practical, almost blunt piece of advice from
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Edwards. Do not be cheap Regarding your
31:04
spiritual education, he notes. There is a great defect in many
31:08
people because through a reluctance to be at a little
31:11
expense, they do not furnish themselves with helps.
31:14
They might have a few old books they read on the Sabbath, but
31:16
they have read them so often it has become a dull task.
31:19
Buy good books. Invest in your mind.
31:22
Spend the $20 on a good commentary instead of another
31:25
streaming subscription. 4th Improve conversation with
31:28
others. He encourages people to use
31:30
their social time for mutual edification.
31:32
Do not hide your ignorance. If you do not know something, do
31:35
not be ashamed to ask and learn from others.
31:38
Bring up a sermon point over dinner.
31:39
Ask your friend what they think about a specific verse, and if
31:42
you do have knowledge, communicate it without pride and
31:44
ostentation. And that brings in the necessary
31:46
reformed caveats about our hearts.
31:49
The fifth direction is about checking your motives.
31:52
Do not seek to grow in knowledge chiefly for the sake of applause
31:55
or to enable you to win debates on the Internet.
31:57
Seek it for the benefit of your soul and to inform your
32:00
practice. If your goal is applause, you
32:02
might be LED into error to your own perdition.
32:05
Paul warns in First Corinthians 8.1 that knowledge puffs up.
32:08
Rational knowledge without the right motive breeds a very ugly
32:11
kind of religious pride. 6th Seek God's blessing and
32:15
direction. God is the fountain of all
32:17
divine knowledge. You must labor to be sensible of
32:20
your own natural blindness. First Corinthians 3.18 says if
32:23
any man would be wise, let him become a fool, that he may be
32:26
wise. Ask God for wisdom, as James 1.5
32:29
instructs. Recognize your absolute
32:31
dependence on the Holy Spirit to illuminate your understanding.
32:34
Before you open a book, pray that God would open your eyes.
32:36
Finally, the seventh direction. Practice what you know.
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This is a profound mechanism for gaining further comprehension.
32:43
Obedience leads to insight, the psalmist says in Psalm 119.100.
32:48
Zero. I understand more than the
32:51
ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
32:53
Christ himself said in John 7.1 S Teen, If any man will do his
32:57
will, he shall know of the doctrine.
33:00
Putting truth into practice clarifies the truth in your
33:02
mind. When you obey God's commands
33:04
regarding forgiveness, you suddenly understand the doctrine
33:07
of God's forgiveness much more clearly.
33:09
We've covered an immense amount of ground today.
33:11
To give a brief recap, Edwards has laid out an inescapable
33:14
mandate. Growing in the knowledge of
33:16
divine truth must be a central business of our lives.
33:19
We are commanded to utilize our highest faculty, our
33:21
understanding, to comprehend the greatest possible subject, the
33:24
nature of God and the work of redemption.
33:27
The stakes are eternal, the resources God has provided are
33:30
abundant, and the excuses we make for our ignorance simply do
33:33
not hold up under scrutiny. Theology is not just for the
33:35
pastor, it is for you. I want to leave you with a final
33:38
thought to Mull over. Building on what Edwards
33:40
mentioned regarding the superlative excellence of the
33:43
subject, consider the eternal state.
33:46
The primary occupation of the angels in heaven and the
33:49
expected occupation of all glorified Saints for eternity is
33:52
examining the glorious perfections of God and the
33:55
unsearchable wonders of the work of redemption.
33:58
We will be studying theology forever if that is what heaven
34:01
consists of. How can anyone expect to enjoy
34:04
heaven if they find the study of theology tedious, boring, or
34:08
irrelevant in this current life? That is a weighty thought to end
34:11
on. If we don't like God's resume
34:12
now, we won't enjoy reading it for eternity.
34:15
Thank you for joining this deep dive on Reformed thinking.
34:17
The tools are in your hands, the text is before you, and the
34:20
mandate is clear. Open your Bibles, get a good
34:23
book, and start studying.