I have a student who genuinely believes all the science involved in a search for a cure for cancer is a scam designed for a few people to get rich and all we need to do to cure cancer is eat raw foods and drink lemon juice. At first I thought she was just spoofing me but she convinced me she was serious. Oh, how I wish she were correct. How wonderful it would be if it were that simple. Something that wonderful could not be kept secret. Good news spreads quickly. This is the same student who did not know that our sun was a star.
Ignorance is not a sin. At the same time to be ignorant is not a crown of glory making someone the envy of the world. On my way home I thought of Paul’s counsel to Timothy, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” II Timothy 2:15. I understand Paul was telling Timothy to be the best pastor he could be. But inherent in the idea is a message for all who are not pastors. Be good at what you do. And to be really good at what you do, one needs to study. We learn from those who have gone before us. We stand on the shoulders of our parents and they on the shoulders of our grandparents. We don’t have to start from scratch every few years.
We should study to rightly understand Scripture. On top of that we should be informed about knowledge connected to our occupation and then to other arenas. Unfortunately, knowledge is growing faster than any of us can assimilate. Therefore, eternal life isn’t just a great idea. It is a necessity.
Written by Roger Bothwell on March 21, 2017
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