Was Jesus Ignorant? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=818

Was Jesus Ignorant?

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Some claim the Bible reveals that Jesus did not possess superior knowledge. As “proof,” these skeptics refer to such passages as Mark 5:25-34 and Matthew 26:39. In Mark 5, it is recorded that after Jesus’ garment had been touched, He asked the crowd, “Who touched my garments?” (5:30). In Matthew 26, Jesus, praying to the Father, said, “If it is possible, let this cup pass from me” (26:39). Do such statements reveal ignorance on the part of Jesus? Was His knowledge no greater than yours and mine? What is the truth of the matter?

First, for critics to make such a claim about Mark 5:30, they must assume that all questions are asked solely for the purpose of obtaining information. However, common sense should tell us that questions often are asked for other reasons. Jesus did not ask this question to acquire information. Rather, He asked it so that the woman with the issue of blood would “step forward” and confess to having been healed. In so doing, her deep faith and the greatness of the miracle would be manifested to glorify God. It is outlandish to take this question and claim that Jesus did not know who touched Him. Are we to assume that God was ignorant of Adam’s whereabouts when he asked him, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9). In the beginning of God’s first speech to Job, God asked the patriarch, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?” (38:4). Are we to believe that God did not know where Job was when He created the world? Certainly not! What father, having seen his son break a windowpane, has not asked him, “Who did that?” Obviously, the father did not ask the question to obtain information, but to see if the son would admit to something the father knew all along. On occasion, Jesus used questions for the same purpose. In no way is this some indication of His being less than divine.

Critics also jump to conclusions when they claim that the “ignorance of Jesus is very important, because without ignorance He could not sincerely pray in the Garden of Gethsemane that the cup of suffering pass from Him” (cf. Matthew 26:39). They fail to recognize that Jesus is not only 100% divine (John 1:1-5,14;10:30), but also was 100% human while upon the Earth (Philippians 2:7-8). Oftentimes we get the idea that the suffering Jesus endured was not all that painful because He was God—but Jesus also was a man. When praying in the garden, He knew that within a few short hours He would be mocked, spit upon, struck with the palms of hands, scourged, crowned with thorns, and nailed to a cross. However, this knowledge did not make his suffering any easier. Jesus could (and did) sincerely pray, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from me.” This statement intimates no more than that Jesus was really and truly a man, and as a man He could not but be averse to pain and suffering. The law of self-preservation exists in the innocent nature of man, and no doubt existed in Christ. He did not desire a violent death at the hands of angry Jews, but He was willing to endure it to save mankind from the depths of hell. To lift such passages as Matthew 26:39 and Mark 5:30 from the Bible and claim that Jesus did not possess superior knowledge is a gross misuse of Scripture. Such allegations are false to the core, yet, sadly, they are typical of the kind of devices skeptics use to try and strip Jesus of His deity.

From Mark Copeland... "CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?" Regarding Its Ability To Be Understood?

                       "CAN WE TRUST THE BIBLE?"

                Regarding Its Ability To Be Understood?

INTRODUCTION

1. Some will acknowledge that the Bible...
   a. Has been faithfully preserved and translated
   b. Contains the books that serve as our authority (canon) 

      in religion
   c. Is inspired by God
   -- Yet they contend that Bible cannot be understood

2. Or at the very least they will argue...
   a. That we need a guide to help us(such as some church authority)

   b. Or that we need the help of the Holy Spirit to understand it

3. Can the Bible be understood...?
   a. Is it so difficult that the common man cannot understand it?
   b. Is it so mysterious that only 'Spirit-led' people can comprehend it?

[In answer to such questions, let's first note that...]

I. THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD

   A. REGARDING THE OLD TESTAMENT...
      1. It was written for our learning - cf. Ro 15:4
         a. Jesus expected people to understand it ("Have you not read...?") - Mt 12:3,5; 19:4
         b. Paul expected unbelieving Jews to understand it - Ac 17:2-3
         c. The Berean Jews were commended for searching the Scriptures- Ac 17:11
         d. Timothy understood much of it as a child - 2Ti 3:14-15
      2. Didn't some people need help to understand it?
         a. Such as the disciples? - Lk 24:25-27,44-47
         b. Such as the Ethiopian eunuch? - Ac 8:30-35
      3. Yes, because it contained a mystery yet to be revealed
         a. A mystery kept secret since the world began - Ro 16:25
         b. A mystery now made manifest to all nations - Ro 16:26
         c. A mystery now revealed by the Spirit to the apostles and prophets - Ep 3:3-5
      -- With the aid of the New Testament, what was a mystery in the
         Old Testament can now be understood!

   B. REGARDING THE NEW TESTAMENT...
      1. The writers expected their readers to understand
         a. Luke wrote his gospel that one might know - Lk 1:1-4
         b. John wrote his gospel that one might believe - Jn 20:30-31
         c. Paul wrote for people to understand, to have his knowledge - 2Co 1:13; Ep 3:3-5
         d. John wrote his epistle that one might know - 1Jn 5:13
      2. Aren't some things hard to understand?
         a. Like some of the things Paul wrote? - 2Pe 3:15-16
         b. Like the book of Revelation?
      3. Yes, but that does not mean they cannot be understood
         a. It is the "untaught and unstable" that have problems - 2 Pe 3:16
         b. We are expected to grow in knowledge - 2Pe 3:18; Col 1:10
         c. As we mature, we are able to handle the "meat" - cf. He 5:11-14
      -- The New Testament was written to be understood, though in progressive stages

[Not only was the Bible written to be understood, but consider this...]

II. GOD EXPECTS US TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE

   A. HE EXPECTS US TO UNDERSTAND HIS WILL...
      1. He desires all men to come to a knowledge of the truth - 1 Ti 2:3-4
      2. He commands it of His children - Ep 5:17
      -- Would God desire and command that which is impossible?

   B. HE EXPECTS US TO UNDERSTAND IT ALIKE...
      1. Jesus prayed for unity among His followers - Jn 17:20
      2. Paul commanded Christians to have the same mind - 1Co 1:10-13;Php 2:2
      3. There are essentials on which we must be united - e.g., Ep 4:3-6
      -- Did Jesus and Paul demand that which is unattainable?

[Yet is evident that many do not understand the Bible, nor do they understand it alike.  Why...?]

III. WHY SOME DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE

   A. REASONS OFTEN GIVEN...
      1. "It can't be understood"
         a. We seen that it was written to be understood
         b. To say that man cannot understand is to impugn God's ability to provide a revelation
      2. "Only 'Spirit-filled' people can understand it"
         a. This belief actually contributes to much misunderstanding and division over the Bible
            1) Everyone claims the Spirit is leading them to their own understanding
            2) Others are wrong because they don't have the Spirit's leading
         b. It is based upon a misreading and misapplication of 1Co 2:14
            1) That one cannot understand spiritual things without the help of the Spirit
            2) Including understanding the Bible, that it requires the Spirit's aid
         c. But note the context - 1Co 2:6-13
            1) Paul is contrasting God's wisdom with the wisdom of this world
            2) The world with its wisdom cannot know what God has prepared
            3) What is known in the mind of God comes only through divine revelation
         d. Note carefully the process:
            1) God has prepared things which man cannot perceive on his own - 1Co 2:9
            2) God has revealed them to the apostles through His Spirit
               who alone knows the mind of God - 1Co 2:10-11
            3. The apostles received that which the Spirit revealed,
               that we might know the things given to us by God - 1Co 2:12
            4) The apostles speak that which they received, using words
               of the Spirit, not words of human wisdom - 1Co 2:13
         e. Here, then, is the proper meaning of 1Co 2:14-16
            1) The 'natural man' is one who depends upon human wisdom
               (such as the 'rulers of the age')
               a) Without the benefit of divine revelation
               b) Who therefore is unable to receive the things of the Spirit of God
               c) Who depending only on human wisdom considers the things of God foolishness
            2) The 'spiritual man' is one who has the Spirit (such as the apostles)
               a) Who has been given divine revelation of God's will
               b) Who is therefore able to judge all things, and is judged by no one
               c) For such has been given the mind of the Lord (Christ)
            3) Paul is therefore contrasting himself (and the apostles) with uninspired men
         f. Remember now what Paul wrote in Ep 3:3-5
            1) God has revealed what was unknown (the mystery) to the apostles and prophets by His Spirit
            2) Who in turn have written what they received
            3) Whereby when we read, we can now understand their knowledge!
      -- We don't need some special guidance of the Spirit to understand
         the Word; the Word of God itself is the Spirit's own revelation of God's will!

   B. THE REAL REASONS...
      1. Many make little or no effort
         a. They rarely read and study the Bible
         b. They therefore remain ignorant
         c. They remain babes in their knowledge and understanding
      2. Many study for the wrong reasons
         a. They may spend a lot of time studying, but with improper motives
         a. To prove themselves right (reading only to justify their conduct or beliefs)
         b. To prove others wrong (reading only to find arguments to support their position)
      3. Many fail to apply their God-given common sense
         a. Such as looking up words they don't understand
         b. Such as defining words in their context
         c. Such as taking into consideration all that God's word says on a subject
         d. Such as studying the Bible the way it was written
            1) Book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse
            2) Starting at the beginning, reading through to the end
      -- The problem is not with God's Word; the problem is slothful,
         sloppy handling of God's word - cf. 2Ti 2:15

CONCLUSION

1. The Bible can be understood...
   a. By children
   b. By truth seekers
   c. By babes in Christ
   -- Though parts of it will always challenge even the mature Christian

2. God desires that all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth - 1Ti 2:4
   a. He gave His Son as a ransom - 1Ti 2:5-6
   b. He sent His Spirit to guide us into all the truth - Jn 16:13
   -- Through His apostles and prophets His truth and salvation can be known!

The question is not whether God's word can be understood, but whether we
will make an honest and sincere effort to understand and obey it!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

 

From Gary... Timing is everything!!!

(taken from the NASA website)
An Evening Sky Conjunction 

Image Credit 

& Copyright: Tunç Tezel (TWAN)

Explanation: Eight years ago, an evening sky held this lovely pairing of a young crescent Moon and brilliant Venus. Seen near the western horizon, the close conjunction and its wintry reflection were captured from Bolu, Turkey, planet Earth on February 19, 2007. In the 8 Earth years since this photograph was taken Venus has orbited the Sun almost exactly 13 times, so the Sun and Venus have now returned to the same the configuration in Earth's sky. And since every 8 years the Moon also nearly repeats its phases for a given time of year, a very similar crescent Moon-Venus conjunction will again appear in planet Earth's evening skies tonight. But the February 20, 2015 version of the conjunction will also include planet Mars. Much fainter Mars will wander even closer to Venus by the evening of February 21.

Today's post from NASA I found quite interesting, as the cyclical nature of Astronomy has reflections within our own lives. And, this calls to mind something from my past.

When I worked for Degussa in Piscataway, N.J., there was a man who worked in the Biocide lab opposite the coatings lab; I have forgotten his name, but I do remember his obvious intelligence and one specific discussion we enjoyed, so many years ago. Timing was the topic and he had thoroughly worked out his belief that timing was everything in this world. To a great extent- he was right!!! However, in retrospect, he downplayed the will of God for our lives. It seems to me that things "don't just happen" for those that try to faithfully follow the Almighty- there is an underlying plan and the source of that plan is heavenly. Much of our lives is the direct result of the choices we make, but I believe God works in this world and especially through Christians. The first chapter of Hebrews seems to fit in this line of thought...

Hebrews, Chapter 1 (WEB)

  1 God, having in the past spoken to the fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  2 has at the end of these days spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the worlds.  3 His Son is the radiance of his glory, the very image of his substance, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purified us of our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Imagine a plan involving literally millions of people and thousands of years. God can. Continuing this thought, consider...

Galatians, Chapter 4 (WEB)

 4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,  5 that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children. 

If God can do all this, isn't it reasonable to believe that God can guide us, and in fact is guiding us. How? Well, probably in ways that I will NEVER UNDERSTAND- but, I can understand The Scriptures and they will help me to do God's will!!!

One last thought from Paul...

2 Timothy, Chapter 3 (WEB)

15 From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.  16 Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness,  17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

Follow the guidebook (The Bible) and become wise. Today would be a good time to begin. Remember: Timing is everything!!!