Which is more important to you - faith or knowledge?

[Hestha]

Which is more important to you - faith in Jesus Christ or knowledge in the Bible and Christianity?

For me, I'd rather have knowledge about the Bible and Christianity. I would rather be a person knowledgeable about the Bible than a devout Christian who doesn't know what he believes in (yes, I have seen the news about them).

 

[PashNut4Jesus]

Which is more important to you - faith in Jesus Christ or knowledge in the Bible and Christianity?

For me, I'd rather have knowledge about the Bible and Christianity. I would rather be a person knowledgeable about the Bible than a devout Christian who doesn't know what he believes in (yes, I have seen the news about them).

Faith in Jesus Christ is more important to me. However, faith comes by hearing the Word of God. So study and gaining knowledge is imperative. However, someone who gains a lot of knowledge without being built up in the love of Jesus is setting him/herself up to become prideful. I Cor 13:1 says that that person is like a clanging cymbal. A lot of annoying noise to the hearer.

You raise a good point, though. Christians who get saved and remain like little babes, by not learning and growing, do not reflect well on our Lord to others. The bible says to always be ready to give answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in us.

Thank you for the thought provoking question.

 

[elopez]

Which is more important to you - faith in Jesus Christ or knowledge in the Bible and Christianity?

I don't see why the two are made to be mutually exclusive?

 

[Puptart]

Which is more important to you - faith in Jesus Christ or knowledge in the Bible and Christianity?

You make it sound as though I must choose one to be more important than the other.

I do not have to choose.. that is your error.

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Hi,

To me faith comes from experience, as you experience God your faith grows. But with out the bible you have nothing to believe God for. The bible gives knowledge of the fact that we can ask God for stuff and see him answer. Christianity should be experiential. We need to have a relationship with God that is two way, us communicating with God, and him communicating back. Often this only comes from deep commitment to God, but with out it our faith will not last.

 

[Hestha]

I don't see why the two are made to be mutually exclusive?

Imagine an illiterate peasant in the Middle Ages who claims that he believes in Jesus Christ, but because he can't read or write, he requires the priest to read the Holy Scriptures for him. Now, the priest is corrupt and intentionally misreads the Bible for his own gains: to control the life of the peasant.

Imagine an irreligious person in the modern age who claims that he does not believe in Jesus Christ, but instead focuses on reading the Holy Scriptures and talking with Christian friends to learn more about Christianity and the Bible. He remains irreligious, though.

 

[someguy14]

God is all faith and knowledge.

 

[someguy14]

Imagine an illiterate peasant in the Middle Ages who claims that he believes in Jesus Christ, but because he can't read or write, he requires the priest to read the Holy Scriptures for him. Now, the priest is corrupt and intentionally misreads the Bible for his own gains: to control the life of the peasant.

Imagine an irreligious person in the modern age who claims that he does not believe in Jesus Christ, but instead focuses on reading the Holy Scriptures and talking with Christian friends to learn more about Christianity and the Bible. He remains irreligious, though.

The focus is fully on God, for God is all that one requires friend.
All mankind has failed. God is the answer. The only answer. All of the answers. He loves you friend. We all learn of this by God alone and here is a verse from a believer in God that proves that. James 3:17
John 4:19
God is first, because He created it friend and loves each of us so very much. John 15:18

 

[talitha]

Hestha, knowledge is more important - but of course not in the way that you meant in your question. The Bible says that eternal life is this: knowing God. So to know Him is the most important thing......

but faith leads to this knowledge, which leads to more faith and in turn more knowledge. Which came first, the faith or the knowledge? I don't know.

I believe that what is required of us is to believe the truth that we know. Now, when I say that, I do not mean that, for example, a Muslim must believe Islam and a Hindu must believe in the Hindu pantheon, because that is not believing truth but lies. When I was a missionary in Siberia, I remember a young girl who lived next-door to me. She professed to be a Christian and was baptized very shortly after meeting me and my roommates. Some weeks later I asked her how she could so quickly believe. She said that even though all her life she had been fed all of the atheist propaganda from the Party, and even though her grandmother never told her the meaning of the mysterious building where she went to light candles and stand in silence, in her heart she knew that there was someone or something out there, a loving, protecting force or person, and when we came and she accompanied us to an outreach on the street, she recognized what was being demonstrated and talked about to be that loving, protecting person that she had always known in her heart. When a person truly believes that there is a God who loves them, who will reward his seeking of Him, even if he cannot verbalize this belief, this is the beginning, the seed of faith, and a person with this seed of faith will recognize the truth when he sees it. The required action is to respond in faith to the truth (the gospel). A person with the seed of faith will not settle upon a lie; there will always be something inside that hopes for the truth, the truth that liberates our minds from others' efforts to control. Mere head-knowledge of the Scriptures will never replace the seed of faith and the knowledge of actual Truth.

blessings
tal

 

[elopez]

Imagine an illiterate peasant in the Middle Ages who claims that he believes in Jesus Christ, but because he can't read or write, he requires the priest to read the Holy Scriptures for him. Now, the priest is corrupt and intentionally misreads the Bible for his own gains: to control the life of the peasant.

Imagine an irreligious person in the modern age who claims that he does not believe in Jesus Christ, but instead focuses on reading the Holy Scriptures and talking with Christian friends to learn more about Christianity and the Bible. He remains irreligious, though.

I can do that too.

Imagine one who can read and write while has knowledge of the Bible and Christianity.

 

[Hestha]

I can do that too.

Imagine one who can read and write while has knowledge of the Bible and Christianity.

Similar to what I said.

 

[DCJazz]

Which is more important to you - faith in Jesus Christ or knowledge in the Bible and Christianity?

For me, I'd rather have knowledge about the Bible and Christianity. I would rather be a person knowledgeable about the Bible than a devout Christian who doesn't know what he believes in (yes, I have seen the news about them).

Whether you know it or not, you are drawing a false comparison, and as a result implying faith is without knowledge. It is because of the knowledge of what Christ did for me that I am able to have faith in his promise of salvation. Without that knowledge I am as lost as anyone else, even if I call myself "christian".

Can you have faith in Christ without knowing every single word of the bible? Of course you can. But knowledge only enhances it; neither is a detriment to the other when applied correctly.

 

[Hestha]

It is because of the knowledge of what Christ did for me that I am able to have faith in his promise of salvation. Without that knowledge I am as lost as anyone else, even if I call myself "christian".

Hmmm... it looks like you are treating knowledge as more important than faith.

 

[talitha]

I also responded to your thread, Hestha. Just curious what your response might be to what I said.

 

[Hestha]

Hestha, knowledge is more important - but of course not in the way that you meant in your question.

OK.

because that is not believing truth but lies.

So, you are saying that Christianity provides "truth" and Islam and Hinduism provide "lies"?

When a person truly believes that there is a God who loves them, who will reward his seeking of Him, even if he cannot verbalize this belief, this is the beginning, the seed of faith, and a person with this seed of faith will recognize the truth when he sees it. The required action is to respond in faith to the truth (the gospel). A person with the seed of faith will not settle upon a lie; there will always be something inside that hopes for the truth, the truth that liberates our minds from others' efforts to control. Mere head-knowledge of the Scriptures will never replace the seed of faith and the knowledge of actual Truth.

So, you are suggesting the following:

Faith in God ==> Seek for God ==> See the "Truth" or the Gospel of Jesus Christ ==> React to the "Truth" (the Gospel of Jesus Christ), not "Lies" ==> Therefore, you should believe in Jesus Christ, and through faith, you know the "Truth".

In short, you are saying that the seed of faith in God is what launches one to seek God in order to seek more knowledge about God, and that knowledge is more valuable/important than faith, even though it starts with just faith, because it helps that person become a good Christian.

 

[hedrick]

It's an odd question. If you asked the authors of most of the NT books what their purpose was, I believe they would say it is to produce faith. I don't think they saw themselves as secular historians. The classic quote, of course is, James 2:19: Even demons believe, but it doesn't do them any good. On the other hand, Luke at least makes it clear that his goal is to help his reader know the truth. As others have pointed out, having faith that's based on a mistake tends to produce problems.

Understanding probably should come first. If you let your faith bias your understanding, you'll miss things that God is trying to say through Scripture. We have all seen examples of this. But if in the end your learning doesn't affect your life, you've missed the point.

 

[ephraimanesti]

Which is more important to you - faith in Jesus Christ or knowledge in the Bible and Christianity?

For me, I'd rather have knowledge about the Bible and Christianity. I would rather be a person knowledgeable about the Bible than a devout Christian who doesn't know what he believes in (yes, I have seen the news about them).

MY FRIEND,

Faith is based on knowledge--the two go together. A Christian without either faith or knowledge--i.e., a faithless, or an knowledgeless Christian would be a oxymoron.

By the way, watching the news on T.V. tends to make people silly.

ephraim

 

[talitha]

So, you are saying that Christianity provides "truth" and Islam and Hinduism provide "lies"?

Yes.

So, you are suggesting the following:

Faith in God ==> Seek for God ==> See the "Truth" or the Gospel of Jesus Christ ==> React to the "Truth" (the Gospel of Jesus Christ), not "Lies" ==> Therefore, you should believe in Jesus Christ, and through faith, you know the "Truth".

Well, I personally find that more confusing than what I said, but - okay, I think.

In short, you are saying that the seed of faith in God is what launches one to seek God in order to seek more knowledge about God, and that knowledge is more valuable/important than faith, even though it starts with just faith, because it helps that person become a good Christian.

As I was implying, it's kind of a chicken-and-the-egg conundrum as to which comes first - but the ultimate is to KNOW HIM. Knowing Him is really what it's all about - not head-knowledge nor behavior.

 

[Hestha]

Yes.

How so? Can you give an example?

 

[ViaCrucis]

Imagine an illiterate peasant in the Middle Ages who claims that he believes in Jesus Christ, but because he can't read or write, he requires the priest to read the Holy Scriptures for him. Now, the priest is corrupt and intentionally misreads the Bible for his own gains: to control the life of the peasant.

Imagine an irreligious person in the modern age who claims that he does not believe in Jesus Christ, but instead focuses on reading the Holy Scriptures and talking with Christian friends to learn more about Christianity and the Bible. He remains irreligious, though.

I don't really think the two concepts presented are like for like. It's like asking which is better, eating healthy or visiting family on vacation. The one is not like the other and thus they aren't measurable against the other.

In the former case, "faith in Jesus Christ", that is important (speaking from a Christian POV) because our trust in Him--even if we be illiterate, uneducated, or whateverhaveyou means that we are found in Him, who is now saving and redeeming us.

In the latter case, "knowledge about the Bible and Christianity", that is important (speaking from a Christian POV) because it is important to have an examined faith, to be able to articulate and comprehend the robustness of the Christian faith and not be ignorant about what it is that we--as Christians--confess and believe.

For the one who is without faith, I'd like it that they try and understand Christians and our Christianity when they engage us in conversation; principally because it is frustrating for anyone if and when someone imagines what it is you ("general" you) believe, confess, and/or think.

I don't think there should be a choice between the two, I think preferably the two go hand-in-hand. A Christian who believes, but is unwilling to learn about their religious faith, does for themselves no good service; someone who has a working knowledge of Christian teaching, practice, etc, but is without faith, robs themselves of the divine life found in Christ available for and to all.

-CryptoLutheran