Join us in this enlightening episode of the International Gospel Hour, as we explore the profound concepts of desired and needed knowledge. Delve into the teachings from the book of Proverbs and uncover the significance of understanding in both secular and spiritual realms. With rich insights from the Scriptures, we navigate through the importance of scripture in developing a comprehensive knowledge that enriches our lives.
Today, from the International Gospel Hour, let’s talk about the knowledge that is desired and the knowledge that is needed. What an awesome thought and what a study ahead today! Stay with us here on the International Gospel Hour.
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Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour. Welcome to our broadcast today. For over 90 years, Churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s Word through our broadcasts. Just ahead is another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour. Let’s begin.
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Well, thank you to our Jay Webb for his kind words. He always does a great job, and you’ll hear from Jay throughout our broadcast today with some study tools that we think will be of help to you. And with that being said, greetings and hello, everyone. Thank you for joining me again right here on the International Gospel Hour broadcast. Proverbs 18.15 states, An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. In the 31 chapters of the book of Proverbs, the word knowledge is noted 26 times. So there is no question it clearly teaches the importance of knowledge. Knowledge defined simply means acquaintance with facts, truths, or principles as from study or investigation. I’m sure all of us have knowledge in a number of ways. When we work in our secular jobs, we have to grow of knowledge within that job to make it better. A number of years ago, and my, it seems that number grows longer and longer every year, I represented a national food company. And I remember the days of writing out our orders and literally mailing them in. And then they gave us what they called an HHT, a handheld terminal, to where we would then put our orders in that terminal, plug it up at night, and send it through the phone. We had to grow in our knowledge of how to use that. Anybody that would refuse to use it, well, they would be behind and, to be honest, would lose a job. We grow in knowledge in school. Every year our boys and girls grow in knowledge or they’ll take another study that will help them to grow. And so we understand knowledge in every area of life. But I know of no better book of knowledge to study or to investigate than the Holy Scriptures, God’s Word. In 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17, the Bible tells us that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. If we were to continue into chapter 4 of 2 Timothy, That’s when Paul tells Timothy, I charge you therefore, going back to what was written before, I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word. Well, how can you preach the word unless you have a knowledge of the scripture? Jesus challenged those in his day in John 5 and verse 39 who were doubting him and questioning him. He said, Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. The same Scriptures that those Pharisees, those Jews would rely on, were the same Scriptures that would teach them of Christ. And that’s where Jesus challenged them to search the Scriptures. What about those wonderful people in Berea, that in Acts 17, verses 10 and 11, the Bible says that they were more noble or fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, and that they received the word with readiness of mind, the preaching of the word, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so. There is no better book of knowledge to study and to know than the Holy Bible. So let us today pursue our study of knowledge. We’re going to do that in a moment. But first, friends, I want to pause and defer to our J-Web and to parallel our study of the Word of God. We want to share a special free booklet with you.
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In a world of division and even confusion in the religious world, friends, please know this. The Bible is always right. The free booklet, Something is Wrong, But the Bible is Right, is available from International Gospel Hour. Please call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, your address, and just say, Bible Tract. That’s it. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com and leave us the same information, name, address, and type Bible Tract in the message box. We will get it to you right away.
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Since only an abnormal person called by philosophers a nihilist would question actual knowledge about the existence of the universe, of a person, of a person’s mind, and of a dependable working of a person’s mind, The existence of those four realities, well, folks, it’s self-evident and should be taken for granted. Furthermore, religious or salvation knowledge is humanly attainable. For God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge or a discernment or recognition of the truth. 1 Timothy 2 and verse 4. But sadly, some refuse to have God in their knowledge. Romans 1, 28. And nihilists even deny the possibility. of the existence of any basis for knowledge or truth. Nihilists affirm that nothing exists, and if anything does exist, it is unknowable and cannot be communicated. But a nihilist who writes that nothing exists is present to do his writing. Then a reader reads his writing. Yet he contends that communication is impossible and that neither he nor his reader is in existence. Actually, the nihilist affirms the existence of knowledge. He writes that he himself knows that nothing is knowable. In his saying that he knows nothing is knowable, he is affirming omniscience. For we cannot know that nothing is knowable unless we already know everything. An observation by David Elton Trueblood in his book Philosophy of Religion, page 57. Only God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit have absolute knowledge. In Psalm 147, verse 5, Great is our Lord, and abundant in power. His understanding is beyond measure. Of Romans 11, 33, O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and how inscrutable His ways! From Colossians 2, 2 and 3, as Paul instructs, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 10, these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. With all that God has provided for us, friends, let us heed the words of Ephesians 5, 17. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Saving knowledge, all the knowledge that we need, is attainable, might we submit to you in four ways. First of all, consider simply on-site evidence. The Hebrew word for knowledge originally means to see or to know or to perceive. From Exodus 2 and verse 4, Miriam stood afar off to see what would happen to her baby brother Moses. And in a similar way, the Greek word means to know or is derived from a Hebrew word or is derived from a word rather, to make it correctly, to mean or to see. Let me try that again. The Hebrew word means to see and the Greek word to know is derived from a word that simply means to see. Now, illusions are possible. When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water, they were alarmed, saying, A ghost! And they cried out in fear, Matthew 14, 26. On another occasion, after Jesus’ resurrection, when He Himself stood in their midst, they were startled and became fearful, thinking that they were looking at a spirit, Luke 24, 37. When the disciples told Thomas, We have seen the Lord, John 20, 25, he thought that they had had an illusion. A week later, when Jesus appeared again to the disciples with Thomas present, Thomas was convinced they had not experienced a delusion, and he heard the Lord say to him, Because you have seen me, you have believed. John 20, 29. Yes, on sight evidence brings knowledge, or as in the saying, seeing is believing. But may we submit to you a second verse. A second way to see knowledge or to embrace saving knowledge. What about the testimony of witnesses? You know, eyesight evidence is not available to establish a matter or to impart knowledge. And in such cases, a matter is decided by the testimony of two or more witnesses. We find this taught in the Old Testament, Numbers 35, 30, Deuteronomy 17, verse 6, and Deuteronomy 19, 15. And, of course, in the New Testament of Matthew 18, verse 16, and 1 Timothy 5, 19. The resurrection of Jesus’ body from Joseph’s tomb, the most important event in history, was established by a plurality of witnesses. As the Apostle Peter said in Acts 10, 40 and 41, God raised him on the third day and made him visible, not to all of the people, but to witnesses who had been chosen before by God, to us who ate and drank with him after he was raised from the dead. Soldiers guarding Jesus’ tomb were paid to tell a lie, Matthew 28, 11-15. And men were bribed to testify against Stephen, Acts 6 and verse 11, but false witnesses will not die to back up their lies. On the other hand, truthful witnesses, when a simple lie would save their lives, would not recant their testimony about the resurrected Christ. Stephen, when he was gnashed with teeth and stoned as he died, even prayed for his murderers, Acts 7, 54-60. Peter, instead of denying that he knew Jesus as he had done, Matthew 26, 69-74, was so captured by the risen Christ that he asked his killers to crucify him upside down because he was, as he said, unworthy to be crucified after the same form and manner as the Lord was. This record from John Fox in his Book of Martyrs, page 4. When Thomas saw the risen Christ… Jesus said to him, Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. John 20, 29. Thomas’ ministry in Parthia and in India was ended with a spear thrust, again according to John Fox and his Book of Martyrs. Thousands of dedicated Christians, non-eyewitnesses, have suffered death-forgiving testimony about Jesus. Antipas was a martyr at Pergamos, a city we learn about in Revelation 2 and verse 13, and how this was even affirmed. Polycarp at Smyrna, in his trial before the consul Marcus Aurelius in February 23, the year 155, refused to recant his faith, saying through flames, 86 years I have served him. He has never done me wrong. How can I deny him now? The record according to the writer, Fawcett. So friends, so far we see on-site evidence. How saving knowledge or how we attain knowledge by what we see. But also friends, the testimony of witnesses and how all of this is affirmed and even takes us back to the scripture. But let’s notice a third reasoning. This one may bring a smile to your face, but yet it brings a lot of truth forth. Irrefutable evidence for knowledge is also found in human reasoning or rational deductions. The story is told of an atheist and a Christian spending a night together in a tent on the Sahara Desert, disagreed about the existence of God. The atheist said that knowledge only comes through our five senses, seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. And since his Christian friend admitted that he had never seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or felt God, he would have to say that he could not affirm that he had knowledge that there is a God. The next morning, as the atheist looked out their tent door, he said to his friend, A camel passed here last night. And the Christian asked him, Did you see the camel? Hear, smell, taste, feel of the camel? The atheist friend replied, No, but only a camel leaves tracks like those in the sand. Indeed so, said the Christian. And only God leaves such tracks in our universe that we are bound to say that we have knowledge that a Creator has been here. Human knowledge of the existence of God is established in this way. Romans 1.20, His unseen things, His eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made so that they, unbelievers, are without excuse. Someone wrote the following, an infidel said to a Quaker friend, So you walk by faith? To which he replied, Yes, we walk by faith and not by sight. The infidel said, I do not walk by faith, but only by my five senses. And his Quaker friend asked him, Didst thou ever taste thy brains? No. Well, didst thou ever hear thy brains? No. Didst thou ever feel thy brains? No. Well, didst thou ever smell thy brains? No. Dost thou ever see thy brains? Well, no. Then, said his Quaker friend, thee hast no brains. Yes, friends, rational deductions impart irrefutable knowledge. But let’s consider a fourth area of saving knowledge and the knowledge that we need. What about revelation? The most important area of knowledge is divine revelation. For without knowledge from above, the cemetery is the end of a human. Even the sharpest minds with the highest IQ can give me no relief when I bury a loved one or put hope in my heart as I die. Scholarly men of leading universities, indeed, some of the world’s intelligent or intellectual giants, signed the Humanist Manifesto I in 1933 and No. 2 in 1973. The documents are egotistical and presumptuous and false in the following statement, among others. From Humanist Manifesto, Part 1, page 10. Man is at last becoming aware that he alone is responsible for the world of his dreams, that he has within himself the power of its achievement. The godless and hopeless philosophy of those calling themselves humanists originated with the Greek sophist Protagoras, who lived from 480 to 410 B.C. He wrote, Man is the measure of all things. But Jeremiah said, who lived from 628 to 586 B.C. with divine knowledge, wrote of man’s helplessness. When he said in Jeremiah 10.23, O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself. It is not in man who walks to direct his steps. Thus Jeremiah expressed man’s crying need for a book from above to give him knowledge how to live and how to die in hope. Thank God there is such a book, only one, that imparts all the knowledge one needs. Under the simple title, The Bible, an unknown author wrote the following. This book, The Bible, contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, its decisions immutable. Read it to be wise. Believe it to be safe. Practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword, the Christian’s charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven is opened, the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good in design. Our good, also its design, the glory of God, its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, a river of pleasure. It is given to you in life, will be opened at the judgment, will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and condemns all that trifle with its holy contents. The famous unbeliever Robert G. Ingersoll, in an oration at his brother’s grave, said this, Life is a narrow veil between the cold and barren peaks of two eternities. We strive in vain to look beyond the heights. We cry aloud, but the only answer is the echo of our wailing cry. From the voiceless lips of the unreplying dead there comes no word. But in the night of death hope sees a star, and listening love can hear the rustle of a wing. Recorded by W. L. Oliphant and Charles Smith Debate, page 76. Paul, writing in words taught by the Spirit, exalted knowledge when he said, from Colossians 1, 9 and 10, But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, so that we bear the aroma of His knowledge everywhere. That’s 2 Corinthians 2, 14. Now, from Colossians 1, 9 and 10, We are praying that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. to please him in every way, bearing fruit in every good word, and increasing in the knowledge of God. Again, Colossians 1, verses 9 and 10. Dear friends, what a wonderful study concerning knowledge, and the knowledge that is desired and needed. With that being said, friends, as we mentioned earlier of our free track to you, our free booklet, Something is Wrong, but the Bible is Right, We’d like to send you another gift. So if you haven’t called us for the first one, we can send both of these to you. We’re going to pause for our J-Web once again to tell you about a wonderful study called God and Man, How to be Saved from Sin.
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An additional Bible study by mail is now available from International Gospel Hour. It’s titled, God and Man, How to be Saved from Sin. This study booklet addresses a number of questions about the salvation from God to man. And friends, like all materials, it’s free. Call us toll free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address and just say God and man. Or you can go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, address, and type God and man in the message box. Another Bible study that is free from IGH and our friends at godandman.com. That’s god-and-man.com. And, you know, since you can’t see it, let me just spell that out for you. We’d love to hear from you.
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And again, friends, we will be more than honored to send to you this material, both our Bible study by mail, God and Man, How to Be Saved from Sin, and also the booklet, Something is Wrong, But the Bible is Right. So again, friends, when you call us requesting this free material, if you would just simply say Bible tract and God and Man, we can send them both to you at one time. and we would be honored to do so. We appreciate each and every listener of our broadcast from the International Gospel Hour, and we’re thankful for you. Our study today comes from the pen of the late Hugo McCord. It was an article simply titled, Knowledge, that appeared in the Firm Foundation periodical September of 1998. Now, although Brother McCord passed in 2004 and the Firm Foundation periodical ceased printing in 2010, the truths that we have studied today are still relevant and most profitable. We need to grow in our knowledge of the Word of God and how grateful we are that we can pick up the Bible and to see God’s will for our lives. I love the writing of the Bible, and we don’t know to whom the author that we can credit, but how it speaks of the power of God’s Word and how God’s Word indeed leads us today. And it is the tool from God through the Son, through the Spirit, that we have to teach and to instruct us, and we can know God’s Word and we can know God’s will through the knowledge of the Word of God. That’s why we come to you here with our broadcast today from the International Gospel Hour. And we’re thankful we could spend this time today. Let me add another good study tool. Now this one you’ll have to go online to receive. So again, we’ll mail you the Bible track, something is wrong, but the Bible is right, and God and man had to be saved from sin. Again, a simple call of 855-444-6988, and leaving us your name and address, and just say, Bible track, God and man, and we’ll send it right to you. It’s free, under no obligation. But also, let me mention this online study, and how you can get something else free. It’s called AddedToTheChurch.com. That’s one whole word, AddedToTheChurch.com. This is a great effort by DJ and Sarah Curry of Parkersburg, West Virginia. There are exceptional articles within by them and others. And you can subscribe to two digital publications free. They’ll email them each month. The Mountain Messenger and the New Testament Expositor. So just go to the website addedtothechurch.com Once again, that’s addedtothechurch.com, and you can sign up to receive those digital publications absolutely free. We want to help you to grow in your study of the Word of God. So, friends, we’ve shared a lot with you today, but we’ve also shared with you material that, again, is absolutely free. So we’ll hope you’ll take advantage of these studies and give us a call. If nothing else, give us a call and tell us where you’re listening to our broadcast from. We love to hear from our listeners, and we appreciate all of you. And we’re going to continue this study together at another time. Thank you for joining me today here on the International Gospel Hour broadcast. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
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God be with you till we meet again.
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Thank you for listening to our broadcast today, and we hope you continue onward with your search and study of God’s Word. Please join us next time and visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.
