Doctrine: The Necessity of Knowledge

Is knowledge of doctrine essential for the Christian life?

In a society characterized by the denial of absolute truth, many professing believers might be tempted to answer no. This is because the absence of an objective standard of truth in the world’s consciousness has subtly influenced the church’s thinking. Christians have been fed the lie that clear statements of doctrine are prideful or needlessly dogmatic.

But for faithful believers, the authoritative Word of God provides doctrinal absolutes—absolutes which form the foundation of our conduct.

Ignorance is not bliss. Nor can anyone please God by principles they do not know. This is why most of Paul’s letters begin by laying a doctrinal foundation before giving practical exhortations. For example, Paul gives eleven chapters of doctrine in Romans before turning to godly living in chapter 12.

Godly living is directly linked in Scripture to knowledge of doctrinal truth. That’s why a lack of biblical knowledge can be deadly.

The Loss of Knowledge

Proverbs 19:2 says, “It is not good for a person to be without knowledge.” It was for lack of knowledge that Israel went into exile (Isaiah 5:13). God says in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” First Corinthians 14:20 warns us, “Do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.” Ephesians 4:13–14 tells us that lack of knowledge produces “children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.” Verse 18 describes unbelievers as “being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them.”

This was a central theme in the apostle Paul’s writings. He said of the Corinthians, “In everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge” (1 Corinthians 1:5). He prayed that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory” would give the Ephesians “a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him” (Ephesians 1:17). To the Philippians he wrote, “This I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9). In Colossians 2:3, we learn that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. Our new self “is being renewed to a true knowledge” (Colossians 3:10). As those verses indicate, true biblical knowledge is not bare speculation; rather, it results in obedience.

Paul articulated this truth in Colossians 1:9–11,

We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience.

Paul’s petition was that the Colossians be filled with the knowledge of His will—that is, completely filled, or totally controlled by it. This knowledge was to be deep and thorough, not just a superficial understanding of the basics.

How to Obtain True Knowledge

If knowledge is so important, the next question is, How does a person obtain knowledge?

First, he must desire it. In John 7:17 Jesus says, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.” That thought is echoed in Hosea 6:3, “Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord.” Second, he must depend on the Holy Spirit. It is through Him that we know the things God has revealed to us (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:10–12). Finally, he must study the Scriptures, for they make the believer “adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

In Colossians 1:9, Paul specifically prays that we would have knowledge of God’s will. God’s will is not a secret—He has revealed it in His Word. For example, it is God’s will that a Christian be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:17–18 says, “Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” Our sanctification is also God’s will: “This is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

If we want knowledge and, more specifically, knowledge of God’s will, we must have knowledge of God’s Word.

The Result of True Knowledge

Having the knowledge of God’s Word control our minds is the key to righteous living. What controls your thoughts will control your behavior. Self-control is the result of a controlled mind, which is dependent on knowledge. Thus, as Paul indicates in Colossians 1:9, the knowledge of God’s Word will lead to “spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

While wisdom and understanding can be used as synonyms, here, “wisdom” refers to the ability to collect and concisely organize principles from Scripture. On the other hand, “understanding” may be a more specialized term, referring to the application of those principles to everyday life. Paul calls both wisdom and understanding “spiritual”; they deal in the nonphysical realm and have the Holy Spirit as their source.

Believing, submissive Bible study leads to the knowledge of God’s will. A mind saturated with such knowledge will also be able to comprehend general principles of godly behavior. With that wisdom will come understanding of how to apply those principles to the situations of life. That progression will inevitably result in godly character and practice. And that is where Paul goes in verse 10, “So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects.”

“Walk” is used in the Bible to refer to one’s pattern of daily life. A mind controlled by knowledge, wisdom, and understanding produces a life worthy of the Lord.

Is knowledge necessary for the Christian life? Absolutely. Next time, we’ll explore this reality further by showing how doctrine and Christian living are inseparable.