Three Roads to Learning

I.            There are three roads to learning, whether we talk about school work or Bible study

              A.          Prov. 2:6 - The Lord gives wisdom, knowledge, and understanding

              B.          Prov. 24:3-4 - Compared to a house

                            1.           Knowledge is the comprehension of facts. It fills our minds with pleasant and useful things

                            2.           Understanding is the reasoning of relationships. Reasoning or logic is the firm basis on which we stand.

                            3.           Wisdom is the application of learning. It is how we put it all together.

              C.          It is amazing how often these three principles are related in various passages of the scriptures.

II.          Knowledge

              A.          Hannah recognized that God is a God of knowledge - I Sam 2:3

              B.          Ps. 94:10 - God teaches knowledge. He has given us His Word.

              C.          Prov. 1:22 - Fools hate knowledge

              D.          II Tim. 3:7 - Some people “learn” but they never fill their minds with knowledge. It is in one ear and out the other.

              E.          Deut. 1:39 - Children start out with no knowledge of good or evil. We have to teach them the basic facts.

              F.           Knowledge by itself is not adequate

                            1.           Knowledge brings sorrows - Eccl. 1:18

                            2.           Knowledge brings pride - I Cor. 8:1

III.         Understanding

              A.          Our service to God is to be reasonable or rational or logical - Rom. 12:1

              B.          Heb. 5:1-4 - Only by practice and continual training (similar to athlete) can we judge between good and evil

              C.          Eph. 5:10 - Proving what is acceptable to God

              D.          II Pet. 3:16 - Evil people twist passages. In other words, they use faulty logic.

              E.          Our weapon against this is godly reasoning - II Cor. 10:3-5

                            1.           Overthrowing “imaginations” or “speculations”

                                           a.           Means reasoning or logic

                                           b.           Bad logic that works against the knowledge of God

                            2.           Bringing every thought into captivity

                                           a.           Literally all intellect

                            3.           We are to answer every person who asks for a reason, or the logic behind our hope - I Pet. 3:15

                            4.           Knowing the fate of those who do not believe God, we seek to persuade them of the truth - II Cor. 5:11

              F.           The examples

                            1.           Paul - Acts 13:43, 17:2, 18:4

                            2.           Apollos - Acts 18:28

                            3.           Paul using debates - Acts 19:8

                            4.           Many, many, many more scriptures could be sited

              G.          We need to teach our children not just the facts (knowledge) of the Scriptures, but also how to reason; how to construct logical arguments; how to see the flaws in the reasoning of false teachers.

IV.         Wisdom

              A.          James 1:5 - If we lack, ask of God

              B.          Prov. 9:10 - The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom

              C.          To gain wisdom, you have to approach it with the right attitude - Prov. 14:6-8

                            1.           James 1:6-7 - Must ask with no doubting

                            2.           Prov. 14:33 - You must have logic to have wisdom

              D.          Some people only listen to what they want to hear - II Tim. 4:3-4

              E.          I Cor. 1:20-21 - God has overthrown worldly wisdom

V.          To be good servants of God, we need to follow all three roads

              A.          Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge to judge God’s people - II Chron 1:10

              B.          Prov. 23:23-25 - Buy the truth, get wisdom, discipline, understanding. Make your parents happy

              C.          Paul was confident that the Romans were full of knowledge and able to persuade (or admonish) others - Rom. 15:14

              D.          Wisdom, knowledge, a plan, and understanding will protect us from the evil - Prov. 2:10-15

              E.          My prayer for you is the same as Paul’s for the Colossians - Col 1:9-10