追求有用的知識Pursue Useful Knowledge
作者: W. Robert Godfrey 譯者: Maria Marta
這段短視頻錄制自2012年召開的全國大會，視頻中，戈弗雷（W. Robert Godfrey）博士鼓勵我們追求有用的知識。
約翰加爾文意識到基督教歷史上各種與智力有關的緊張與張力。正如他《基督教要義》中寫道，基督徒當中有兩個極端，一端認為我們不必知道所有事情，另一端則認為我們要比所知道的了解更多。
在他所著的哥林多前書註釋書中，在第八章他引用了一句古老的諺語：「傲慢自大，莫過於無知」。你若知識豐富，你可能很清楚這諺語的含義，因為曾與你交談的無知之人，他們不知道你所知道的，但卻聲稱他們知道。傲慢自大，莫過於無知-------除非被知識充滿。
加爾文說道，「我們如何平衡這兩個極端？我們讓聖經來為我們保持它們的平衡。」我們渴望了解有用的知識——不推測我們無法理解的，對我們來說太深奧的事；不拒絕思考聖經已向我們啟示的，鼓勵我們要知道的事。我們渴望追求有用的知識，這些知識對我們心思、意志的更新非常有用，這些知識能讓我們明白上帝在祂的聖言中賜給我們的真理的奇妙深度，並鼓勵我們作徹底、全面、仔細的思考，研究它們的含義。
上帝吩咐我們要更新我們的心意。上帝吩咐我們要全心意愛祂。上帝吩咐我們要認識我們的救主就是真理，並提醒我們救主對我們說過的話：「你們若持守我的道，就真是我的門徒了；你們必定認識真理，真理必定使你們自由。」（約八31-32 ; 《聖經新譯本》）
Pursue Useful Knowledge
FROM
W. Robert Godfrey
In this brief clip from our 2012 National Conference,
W. Robert Godfrey encourages us to pursue useful knowledge.
Transcript
John
Calvin was aware of the various strains and tensions in the history of
Christianity in relation to the intellect. As he says in his Institutes, one
extreme amongst Christians is to think we don’t need to know anything. And the
other extreme is to think we know a lot more than we know.
In
his commentary on 1 Corinthians 8, he quotes an old proverb: “Nothing is as
arrogant as ignorance.” If you know anything, you probably know that because
you’ve talked to some ignorant person who doesn’t know what you know yet claims
they do. Nothing is as arrogant as ignorance—unless it’s being puffed up with
knowledge.
And
Calvin says, “How do we balance these things? We allow the Bible to balance
them for us.” We desire to know useful knowledge—not speculating into things
that we can’t comprehend, that are too high for us, and not refusing to think
about what the Bible has revealed to us and encourages us to know. We desire to
pursue useful knowledge, knowledge that is useful for our minds and for our
wills, knowledge that will enable us to understand the wonderful depths of the
truth that God has given us in His Word and encouraged us to think through,
think out, and study the implications of.
God
calls us to the renewing of our minds. God calls us to love Him with all our
minds. God calls us to recognize that our Savior is the truth and reminds us
that our Savior said to us, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my
disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John
8:31–32).