Day 158, Year 1

Discerning Different Kinds of Knowledge

“Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.” (1 Corinthians 8:1 NKJV)

The last part of today’s verse indicates that not all knowledge is suitable for believers. It goes on to explain that idols are nothing and offerings to them hold no spiritual significance. Still, some new believers, who were accustomed to worshipping idols, might strongly want to sever all things related to idol worship. As a result, they refused food that had been sacrificed to idols, which was right for their conscience. Meanwhile, some believers thought that since idols were nothing, eating food offered to them should not be a problem. But Apostle Paul pointed out that if believers are allowed to eat and drink inside any pagan temple, that would be a problem. This is because if new believers, who had just turned away from idol worship to the true God, saw other believers eating and drinking in temples, they might misunderstand that they could believe in Jesus while worshipping previous idols.

Paul presents a crucial principle here: The application of knowledge is important, but edifying others through love is even more salient. Besides, he indicated that although idols themselves are nothing, the sacrifices offered to idols are actually to the demons behind, which is a grave sin (1 Corinthians 10:20). So, having a bit of knowledge merely concerning the right or wrong of an issue is not enough. We need comprehensive knowledge when considering the consequences, externalities, and others’ understanding before we make the best decisions.

Furthermore, today’s verse points to a subjective facet of knowledge. The knowledge considered correct or good for some people could be incorrect or bad for others. Moreover, in the journey of faith, some knowledge might be suitable at one stage but not at another. Hence, we might receive certain knowledge or wisdom from Jesus, but that does not necessarily mean we need to share it all with those around us. As mentioned previously, we should interact with outsiders wisely. The key lies in understanding what kind of knowledge is suitable for whom, which always requires us to seek the Lord’s guidance before sharing.

It is also notable that some knowledge is bad because it is inherently wrong or unsuitable for some people. Bad knowledge could make people proud. Good knowledge, if fallen into the hands of someone with the wrong attitude, could also lead to pride. In the journey of pursuing knowledge, we need to continually discern the knowledge we have received, promptly rejecting what is bad, incorrect, or unsuitable, lest we become corrupted or arrogant.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you think sometimes it is very personal to consider whether a piece of knowledge is good or bad? Why?

2) From the perspective of faith, do you know how to discern bad knowledge? If you find it difficult to do so, what would you do?