Intellect

Post 170

It would not be proper to end this discussion series without addressing at least in passing the topic of the intellect; i.e. The knowledge of the mind.

I often have conversations with “good solid Christians” who have a lifetime of learning under their belts and years of religious practice.
Yet in a short time it is easy to show them the mirror of truth in which they can see their knowledge comes short of the promised life of peace and joy and power.
There is a moment when I see realization dawn as they recognize themselves in the mirror, seeing perhaps for the first time their actual desperate state, but in their new excitement of realizing they already know the real answers to real problems, they turn away from the mirror thinking to enter the conversation showing agreement, but actually use their vast biblical knowledge as an intellectual equal, and talk themselves right out of what they just saw in the mirror, all the while thinking they agree with the one trying to help.
I go away deeply sad, they go away thinking they made a connection.

What happened?

Knowing about something, and actually doing it are two different things.

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: (presumably a mirror *1)
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgeteth what manner of man he was.” James 1:23-24

In this case the intellect usually has the encouragement of an adoring heart.
And so with the heart and mind in agreement over its knowledge, there is little that can be done to provide a new life altering understanding to the familiar words already known.

“The surest barrier to truth is the assumption you already have it.” Chuck Missler

I know a man who lives in more poverty than most Americans, yet given the opportunity I am confident he would give Bill Gates financial advice.

I think we all know people who live in perhaps less dramatic variations of this same mentality, because what they think they know for sure, does not seem to be affected by their inability to implement it in reality!

This is the condition of an intellectual Christian whose vast knowledge fails to provide successful application in their lives.
Yet because their heart is in love with their mind, they cannot accept that what they see in the mirror of truth actually applies to them.
So their heart uses their very intellect to explain that their desperate condition is the intended state of normality.
This is called Pride.
I am still shocked at the degree of depravity we are capable, and yet remain proud of it.
This is self deception.

* * *

So what does the above passage tell us is the solution to such a state?

Lets go back a few verses to get the answer:

“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness 4507 and superfluity 4050 of naughtiness, 2549 and receive with meekness 4240 the engrafted 1721 word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21

filthiness 4507 rhuparia; from 4508; dirtiness (moral).
superfluity 4050 perisseia; from 4052; surplusage, i.e. superabundance;
4052 perisseuo; from 4053; to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous; also (trans.) to cause to superabound or excel.
naughtiness 2549 kakia; from 2556; badness, i.e. (subjective) depravity, or (actual) malignity, or (passive) trouble.

This is a verse that is usually and incredibly missed as we read this entire passage, but it is here where we find the answer to the problem.

Skipping over for a second the “Wherefore” reason for the directed action, we see in this verse we are directed to actually do two things;

1st - Put away from us all immorality and our incredible abundance of depravity.

But the verse does not end there. The removal of something is to be replaced by something else;

meekness 4240 prautes; from 4239; mildness, i.e. (by implication) humility.
4239 praus; apparently a primary word; mild, i.e. (by implication) humble.
engrafted 1721 emphutos; from 1722 and a derivative of 5453; implanted (figurative).
1722 en; a primary prep. denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest…

2nd - AND receive with appropriate humility the deeply rooted, life altering, stabilizing word of God…

Is this passage disparaging knowledge?
By no means. It is instructing us to not only acquire it, but to incorporate it into our very beings.
It is instructing us to actually learn by experience the use of the knowledge to produce a specific result.
The goal is not knowledge, but the result that the knowledge makes possible.
That result is the salvation of our souls...by application.

In other words, stop hanger flying with words, and go get your airplane off the ground to actually live your talk and see how it flies.
Only here in application is where your knowledge of faith is tested to prove your faith.
It is by trial that your theoretical knowledge is converted into practical experience.

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer…” James 1:23
“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” I John 1:6

God is experienced... Not intellectually known.

I find myself discouraged of hope for the person who’s life shows them to be a spiritual basket case, but who excitedly quotes the scriptures that would give them life if they would just apply it.
This kind of knowledge without successful application is actually an inoculation against a converted soul, because their personal experience tells them it doesn’t work in reality.
This is bad enough, but these people cannot quit flapping their lips of true but empty words, and poison the potential faith of others as well.

"But woe unto you,... Hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." Matthew 23:13 (see also Matthew 23:15, 15:3-9)

* * *

Now lets go back and take a look at the “wherefore” that gives reason for the action directed;

wherefore 1352 dio; from 1223 and 3739; through which thing, i.e. consequently.

To see this we need to back up to the verse immediately preceding the wherefore;

“Of his (God’s) own will begat 616 he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures.
Wherefore…” James 1:18

Begat 616 [only use, elsewhere begat is 1080] apokueo; from 575 and the base of 2949; to breed forth, i.e. (by transf.) to generate (figuratively).

We see that it is God himself who of his own will, gives us new birth using the word of truth.
Following the context of James we readily see that Jesus himself is this word of truth which the scriptures speak words of truth to reveal.
It is experiencing this word of truth in our real life application that presents us a kind of prototype of his intention for life.
(James was written to the Jewish believers who are actually the first-fruits James was describing, yet in this church age, Gentile believers are also of this class yet perhaps second-fruits as it were.)

Consequently, my beloved brethren, let us all be swift to hear, but hesitant to hanger fly our faith, and slow to wrath even for a righteous cause:
Because the wrath of man (even men of faith) does not work the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20 paraphrased

Since even righteous wrath of man does not accomplish God’s intended righteousness, how much less our filthiness and abundant uncleanness?
“Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21

Now we can continue to the next verse;
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:23

We now easily see that two men can hear the same word; one results in successful application of faith as a doer, where the other results in an empty faith with nothing but words ending in self deception.

“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” II Timothy 3:5

* * *

We see in this verse the topic is people having a form of godliness which we are to have nothing to do with.
Now lets go to the earlier verses to see the characteristics of these religious people;

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God;” II Timothy 3:1-4

We don’t recognize by this description (ending with a semicolon) that these are people showing themselves to be godly, and so we miss the entire purpose of the passage!

Most people reading this passage can say;
Do I love myself? Nope… not more than I should.
Do I covet? Nope… though there are things I see others have I wish I could have too.
Do I boast? Nope… I am really good at not boasting!
Am I proud? Nope… Pride is evil, and I am not evil like others!
Do I blaspheme? No way!... though nearly every movie I watch and every friend I have does, and occasionally I might use God’s name in an expression, but that is not intentional blasphemy.
Am I disobedient to my parents? Nope! And I’m sure glad I grew old enough to get out of their house, they are really hard to get along with, you know, like most parents these days.
Am I thankful? I would be, but I don’t have anything to be thankful for. I had to scratch for everything I have and I made my own way in this harsh world.
Am I without natural affection? What is that? Natural is a relative term. I don’t have any affections that aren’t natural in our world today.
Am I a truce breaker? No. I am loyal to all my friends, I would die for them! But if you cross me, watch out!...

And on and on the list goes.
You see if we read the generic list it is easy to say “Nope, not me.” But if we seriously evaluate it, we find that we have to add explanations that make our actual breach of the list ok.
Today far too many Christians fall into nearly every character flaw in this list!
But we have modified our Christianity with reasoning that allows it.
This is hollow, empty, powerless pretense of godliness.
“…From such turn away.” II Timothy 3:5

* * *

I have been accused of being negative. Yet I have only scratched the surface of the great volume of scripture that carefully covers this great plague of powerless faith.

The purpose is not to beat you with your flaws, but to show you the trap which you may have fallen into, as I myself did.
Only when you see where you really stand, can you apply the proper tools to make the change.

Reading my explanation of scripture may help you look into the mirror with clear eyes, but my words cannot save your soul. You must learn by experience how to apply the word of truth, remembering that the word of truth is Jesus himself.
But you can’t apply what you don’t know.
I beg you to now take the time to read carefully the entire chapters used here and ask God to give you his intent for your personal action.

James 1 and
II Timothy 3


* * * * * * *

*1 Glass 2072
I am not confident the original intent actually describes a mirror.
We read in I Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
This is the same word glass, but here we are looking through it with obscurity. This suggests more like a windowpane than an actual mirror.

Glass 2072 esoptron; from 1519 and a presumed derivative of 3700; a mirror (for looking into). Compare with 2734.
1519 eis; a primary prep.; to or into…
3700 [a complicated form;] to gaze.
2734 katoptrizomai; mid. From a composition of 2596 and a derivative of 3700 [compare with 2072]; to mirror oneself. i.e. to see reflected (figuratively).
2596 kata; a primary particle (prep.) down (in place or time) in varied relations (according to the case…)…[quite complex]

I believe our present passage reads with greater understanding when we comprehend this man sees his reflection in a window pain.
This kind of reflection is less stark and far easier to forget as it is but a ghostly image when staring directly at it. Nothing theological here, just a thought.
*