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KNOWLEDGE PUFFETH UP:

TRUTH WITHOUT LOVE CAUSES


SPIRITUAL PRIDE
"[1] Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge
puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

[2] And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

[3] But if any man love God, the same is known of him." - I Corinthians 8:1-3

IS GETTING KNOWLEDGE BAD?

"[14] Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction." - Proverbs
10:14

"[14] The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools
feedeth on foolishness." - Proverbs 15:14

"[15] The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge."
- Proverbs 18:15

"[6] My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I
will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy
God, I will also forget thy children." - Hosea 4:6

"[22] How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning,
and fools hate knowledge?" - Proverbs 1:22

WHAT TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE SHOULD WE GET?

"[6] For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt
offerings." - Hosea 6:6

[10] The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is
understanding." - Proverbs 9:10
"[6] For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." - II Corinthians
4:6

"[9] For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire
that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

[10] That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work,
and increasing in the knowledge of God;" - Colossians 1:9,10

and we know that this knowledge is found in the word of God

Jesus said, "[39] Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are
they which testify of me." - John 5:39

TO WHOM DOES GOD SHOW TRUE KNOWLEDGE?

"[7] The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and
instruction." - Proverbs 1:7

You don't even begin to have knowledge unless you fear God. Someone can say they fear God,
but how do you know if they really do?

"[13] Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments:
for this is the whole duty of man." - Ecclesiastes 12:13

Those who fear God, keep His commandments

"[13] The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the
froward mouth, do I hate." - Proverbs 8:13

Those who say they fear God, yet they are proud and arrogant, ARE LIARS.

It also said those who fear the Lord hate the froward mouth. What is froward?

FROWARD - Perverse, that is, turning from, with aversion or reluctance; not willing to yield or
comply with what is required; unyielding; ungovernable; refractory; disobedient; peevish; as a
froward child.

"[1] Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the
house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?

[2] For all those things hath mine hand made, and those things have been, saith the LORD: but
to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my
word." - Isaiah 66:1,2

God looks to those that are humble. God also looks to those that reverence His word and that
doesnt just mean saying you believe it's "the inspired, inerrant, infallible" word of God, it
means you show your reverence by OBEYING IT. And by obeying it, I mean all of it, not just the
parts that you prefer.

"[9] Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them
that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

[10] For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line;
here a little, and there a little:" - Isaiah 28:9,10

- Who is still on the milk?

"[1] And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto
babes in Christ.

[2] I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither
yet now are ye able.

[3] For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are
ye not carnal, and walk as men?" - I Corinthians 3:1-3

- Carnal babes and those who ACT LIKE carnal babes are on the milk. They cause strife and
divisions and they are motivated by envy. What else does the Bible say about the attitude and
character of those that cause strife and contention?

"[10] Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." - Proverbs 13:10

They are proud

"[6] A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes." - Proverbs 18:6

They are fools

"[10] Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease." -
Proverbs 22:10

They are scorners

What does the word scorn mean?

SCORN - 1. Extreme contempt; that disdain which springs from a person's opinion of the
meanness of an object, and a consciousness or belief of his own superiority or worth. (PROUD)

"[34] Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly." - Proverbs 3:34

God will return your scorn upon your own head and give grace to the humble

"[6] A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that
understandeth.

[7] Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of
knowledge." - Proverbs 14:6,7

Even though a scorner may study the Bible every day of his life and fill his head with
knowledge, God will not let him find the whole truth because his heart is not right.

Foolish men don't have true knowledge, just a form of it

"[1] Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way
of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." - Psalm 1:1

"nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; by whom may be meant proud and haughty persons, in
opposition to the humble and lowly, as in Proverbs 3:34; such who are proud of their natural
abilities, knowledge, and wisdom, of their honours and riches, or of their own righteousness,
and despise others; or such who are desperate in wickedness, of whom there is no hope; ; and
Deists and atheists, who scoff at divine revelation, and mock at a future state, at death, hell, and
judgment, as in Isaiah 28:14.

Now happy is the man that does not sit or keep company with such persons; who comes not
into their secret and into their assembly; does not associate himself with them, nor approve of
their dispositions, words, principles, and actions; . Such were the Scribes and Pharisees in
Christ's time; they derided him and his doctrines, scoffed at him when he hung upon the cross,
and despised him and his apostles, and his Gospel; but there were some that did not join with
them, to whom he, his ministers, and truths, were precious and in high esteem, and to whom he
was the power and wisdom of God. " - Gill

This doesn't just apply to lost people, it applies to saved people who backslide and ACT like
lost people as well.

It starts by walking in the wrong direction, than you stop walking altogether, then you sit
down. At that point you do nothing for God, but instead condemn those that do. That is when
your pride has affected you so much that you think you are better than everyone else. You
become hyper critical and all you begin to do is analyze other people's words or preaching so
much that you can pick out any little bit to criticize. This is nothing less than straining at gnats
just like the Pharisees did. They ignored everything good Jesus taught and were only waiting
for Him to say something wrong so they could condemn Him.
"[24] Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.

[25] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup
and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

[26] Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside
of them may be clean also.

[27] Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres,
which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all
uncleanness.

[28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy
and iniquity." - Matthew 23:24-28

- God doesn't give true knowledge to the foolish babe and the proud scorner

"[5] Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

[6] But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace
unto the humble." - James 4:5,6

THERE IS A RIGHT WAY AND A WRONG WAY TO USE KNOWLEDGE

"[2] The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out
foolishness." - Proverbs 15:2

"The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright,.... As the heart of a wise and good man is
filled with useful knowledge, civil, moral, spiritual, and evangelical; so he takes care to
communicate it, at proper times and seasons, in proper places, and to proper persons; adapting
it to their case and circumstances, so as it may be for their comfort, edification, and instruction,
and minister grace unto them; which is using knowledge "well", as the word signifies: such an
use of it recommends it, and makes it appear beautiful and lovely, decorates and adorns it. Thus
every good man, out of the good treasure of knowledge in his heart, brings forth his good things
seasonably, to the use of edifying; in like manner, ministers of the word, scribes well instructed
in the things of God, bring forth both new and old, to the profit of those to whom they minister;
so Christ, as man and Mediator, had the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in season to
weary souls;

but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness; their knowledge, as they take it to be, but it is
no other than folly; this they throw out in great plenty, in a hurry, without fear or wit; they
"babble" it out, as the word signifies, as water out of a fountain; their hearts are full of it, and
their mouths proclaim it," - Gill

THOSE WITH GODLY KNOWLEDGE LISTEN MORE THAN THEY TALK

"[27] He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent
spirit.

[28] Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is
esteemed a man of understanding." - Proverbs 17:27,28

"[23] Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." - Proverbs 21:23

"[19] Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to
wrath:" - James 1:19

When someone goes on and on about all they know, you know it's because of pride, not
because they have true godly knowledge. They aren't interested in hearing what other people
have to say. They don't think they have anything to learn. They always make it a competition
and try to "one up" everything you say or make it all about them.

(This isn't talking about preaching and teaching because obviously you have to talk a lot during
that time, but during times of conversation with people.)

WHAT SHOULD YOUR MOTIVATION BE TO ACQUIRE AND TEACH KNOWLEDGE?

"[1] Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge
puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

[2] And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.

[3] But if any man love God, the same is known of him." - I Corinthians 8:1-3

we know that we all have knowledge; and the meaning is, that the apostles and other
Christians knew, and were conscious to themselves of their light and knowledge, and were
assured, that they all, or the most part, only some few excepted, had the same knowledge of
Christian liberty as they had; knew that an idol was nothing, and that eating meats offered to
them could not defile, or do them any hurt; for they were very sensible there was nothing
common or unclean of itself, and yet did not think fit to make use of their knowledge to the
grieving and wounding of their fellow Christians:

It was the saying of Socrates, that that this one thing he knew, that he knew nothing; but men
wise in their own opinions know everything:
knowledge puffeth up; not true knowledge; not that which comes from above, which is gentle
and easy to be entreated; not sanctified knowledge, or that which has the grace of God going
along with it; that makes men humble, and will not suffer them to be puffed up one against
another; but a mere show of knowledge, knowledge in conceit, mere notional and speculative
knowledge, that which is destitute of charity or love:

but charity edifieth; that is, a man that has knowledge, joined with love to God, and his fellow
Christians, will seek for that which makes for the edification of others; and without this all his
knowledge will be of no avail, and he himself be nothing.

Verse 2

And if any man think that he knows anything,.... Whoever has an opinion of himself, or is
conceited with his own knowledge, and fancies that he knows more than he does; which is
always the case of those that are elated with their knowledge, and treat others with
contempt, and have no regard to their peace and edification:

he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know; if he did, he would know this, that he ought to
consult the peace, comfort, and edification of his brother; and therefore whatever knowledge
he may fancy he has attained to, or whatever he may be capable of, and hereafter obtain, for the
present he must be put down for a man that knows nothing as he should do; for he knows
neither his duty to God nor man; if he knew the former, he would know the latter.

Verse 3

But if any man love God,.... As they do, and show it, who love their brethren, and are careful
not to grieve them; and make use of their superior knowledge, not for their destruction, but
edification:

the same is known of him; is taught by him, made to know more by him; such an one increases
in spiritual knowledge, or he is highly approved of, esteemed, and beloved by God: he takes a
special and particular notice of him, manifests his love to him, and will own and acknowledge
him another day, when proud, haughty, overbearing, and hard hearted professors, will be
rejected by him.

If someone truly loves God, other people will know, that person will not have to tell anyone
that they love God.

"[2] And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge;
and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing.

[4] Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not
puffed up,

[5] Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no
evil;

[6] Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

[7] Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." - I Corinthians
13:2,4-7

"[13] Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good
conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

[14] But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the
truth.

[15] This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

[16] For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

[17] But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be
intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

[18] And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." - James 3:13-18

"[5] And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

[6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

[7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

[8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[9] But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he
was purged from his old sins." - II Peter 1:5-9

Those who boast of their knowledge and use their knowledge to despise others have forgetten
the pit God dug them out of.

"[15] But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even
Christ:" - Ephesians 4:15
We know that love without truth is ecumenical antichrist false love. But what about speaking
the truth NOT motivated by love? What about using your supposed knowledge of the truth to
hurt others? That's not love, it's pride.

The choice is not truth or love. We are supposed to speak the whole truth boldly motivated by
love for God and love for neighbor. If we do not have the edification of our brother in mind
when we speak the truth, then we are just using knowledge to beat people over the head
with.

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