Do You Know What You Know?

​In essentials unity,
in non-essentials liberty,
in all things charity

Do you ever get tired? Right now, I am texting back and forth with a friend about the Iran/Israel/ USA situation. I have another text waiting for me from an old friend asking me to call them. Based on the video that was sent with the text, I’m thinking they want to talk about the Iran/ Israel/USA stuff too. I have a confession. I like to know stuff. And I enjoy telling people the stuff that I know. The older I get though, I’m realizing that I don’t know as much as I thought I did.

For the last almost three years, I have been studying at Dallas Theological Seminary. One thing that has been encouraging and perhaps a bit surprising to me is how willing these highly educated and knowledgeable professors are willing to respond to questions with an, “I don’t know,” or “Maybe you should ask so and so in such and such department. They would know more about it than I do.” In a world where everyone seems to be an armchair expert on everything, especially on the internet, anyway, I find people who are willing to say, “I don’t know” to be quite refreshing. Of course we should “know” some things. John encourages believers by saying, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). But it is folly to be quick to argue so much about this thing or that. I must confess I am too guilty of this. Yes, we should be well informed. Yes, we should, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks [us] to give the reason for the hope that [we] have” (1 Pet. 3:15). But we don’t have to have an answer or an opinion about everything. How could we? One famous preacher opined that it was OK to say, “I’m not sure, I’m not finished thinking about that yet.”

From those who were so sure of the date of the return of Christ (looking at you 88 Reasons) to those whose eschatology is perfect in every way, we all know the sad consequences of “knowing too much.” Perhaps some humility is in order. -Chad