Justin J. Petrick

I love digging into scripture on a theological level and really examining it.  You hear people who advise not getting so wrapped up in knowledge and theology but I would enjoy a strong debate with those critics.  Yes, you can have to much of a focus on knowledge in which it takes away from your focus on Christ himself and will lead you astray, but in reality Christ is knowledge.  Christ is the Word of God.  The Word of God is Truth.  Truth sets you free (John 8:32:  Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free ).  There is a reason knowledge is mentioned 172 times in the King James Version.

So, while “digging” I have come across a scripture that speaks on knowledge.   And in this verse, there is also a subtle difference in the translation  (NIV compared to KJV) that will make all the difference in the world regarding the context of the verse.   We will save this discussion for the next blog, but until then see if you can recognize the inaccuracy of one of the versions listed below for next time.  Until then, we will talk about why knowledge is important.  This verse in question is 2 Corinthians 10:5 and we will look at the NIV translation and the KJV translation:

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV): We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV): Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Basically this verse is speaking about a psychological term known as “social constructions”:  Social constructions are beliefs that you are taught by you culture that you accept “just because”; they are beliefs that you do not test or validate for accuracy..  An example of this is that girls should only play with “girl” toys and boys should only play with “boy” toys.  This gender difference in toys is not something that children do not reason or deduce by themselves, it is a standard of normalcy that they accept simply because it was taught to them.

And some of these social constructions can be about our God and can be inaccurate.  2 Corinthians 10:5 is talking about when you have knowledge or beliefs that are inaccurate, and you place more validity in them than the Word of God.  This is very destructive as Hosea 4:6 states: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge”.

A biblical example of this is the story of Job.  Job had inaccurate beliefs, or social constructions about God that caused Job to live in fear which put HIMSELF in the hands of Satan.  God did not put him in Satan’s hands, and is not in line with the character of God.  That is another blog in itself.

The reason Job was restored is because he took responsibility for his lack of knowledge, which then enabled his  inaccurate belief to be stripped down, which then enabled it to be replaced by Truth, which enabled him to SEE God. 

Job 42:3 (NIV): Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.

Job 42:5 (NIV): My ears have heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.

Job had only heard about God through social constructions or knowledge passed down by His culture.  This caused Job to live in fear and literally wreaked havoc on his life almost eliminating it.  Job sought God, God revealed himself to Him and Jobs social constructions were eliminated and he saw the true nature of God.  This is freeing.

This is why knowledge is important.  Dig into God’s word.  Everything that you believe and hear stand it up to the Word of God.  This is seeking Him, and when you seek Him you will find Him and His love and will be freed.