Lack of Knowledge by J. O. CORLISS

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 18, 1875

Lack of Knowledge.

By J. O. CORLISS

SAYS the prophet, “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.

There never was a time when the above specifications were more fully met in the condition of the religious world than at the present time, though there was never a time in the history of the church when prosperity, as indicated by numbers, wealth, and popularity, seemed to attend it as at present. There never was a time when there was such a surplus of religious teachers as to-day; never a time when greater facilities were afforded for an education than now; and never a time when more talent and education were displayed in the pulpit than at the present day. Yet, notwithstanding this, God says his people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

The deficiency spoken of by the prophet cannot be a lack of knowledge of the arts and sciences; for surely the world is steadily gaining information in that direction; but of the will of God—a knowledge which can only be gained through the study of his word. We would not ignore education, neither would we trust wholly to it in teaching the word of truth; for a liberal education, well seasoned with common sense and sanctified by the Spirit of God, we believe to be a great help in the propagation of the gospel.

The tendency of the human mind has ever been toward extremes, especially in teaching the way of life and salvation; for while one class of teachers discard the work of the Spirit in conversion and cling entirely to the word, another class reject the word and hold up the “blessed Spirit” as a sufficient guide. By thus separating the word and the Spirit, which are mutually indispensable as a pilot to man, they are left to pursue a course of their own, which generally leads to discord and every kind of fanaticism.

A few days ago it was our lot to attend a quarterly meeting of a sect holding the latter view. And as we had been holding meetings in the neighborhood, their discourses and many of their exhortations, were but a series of warnings against false teachers who were able to turn from Genesis to Revelation and produce a plausible argument from the Bible. Reason: A knowledge of the Bible is not necessary to the life of a Christian. In proof of this position, Phil. 3: 16 was made to testify as follows: “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.” The rule and thing were explained to be the Spirit, without reference to the context.

To strengthen this position, Col. 2: 6 was quoted: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” But according to the explanation of the text, we were not to walk at all, but stand still just where we received the Lord, and we were not to try to understand his word, as that would lead to infidelity. It was enough to have the blessed Spirit in the heart. The same minister, on being asked where the dream of the metallic image was recorded, said he thought it was in Jeremiah or Daniel, but he was not certain which.

We have no faith whatever in a Spirit that keeps one in such profound ignorance. “Search the Scriptures” is a plain command of our blessed Saviour, and if we heed this requirement, sincerely desiring to know the truth, the Spirit of God will accompany the word, and our hearts will be impressed with a sense of our obligation to obey its written precepts. This is in harmony with Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians (chap. 2: 13), in which he says that God has chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. Peter says we become the elect through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience.

The word is the sword, which, being wielded by the Spirit of God, is quick and powerful to show us our sins, and teach us the ways of righteousness. The apostle, exhorting the Ephesians to faithfulness, said, “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God.” The pieces which compose this armor, enumerated in their order, are, the girdle of truth (the law of God. See Ps. 119: 142, 151), the breastplate of righteousness (right doing), shoes the preparation of the gospel, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Add to these a life of prayer and watchfulness, and we shall be able to conquer the adversary of our souls, and receive at last a welcome at the gates of the city of God.

J. O. CORLISS.