Is Christian knowledge really knowledge?

Is Christian knowledge really knowledge? Some people with "knowledge" are afraid of Christian knowledge. And some Christians are afraid of knowledge. The conclusion, for them, must be that Christian knowledge isn't knowledge. But is that true?

Take a look at the adjacent image.

Bing Chat /DALL-E generated it for me in response to my request for "An image of the difference between general knowledge and Christian knowledge"

Now, if you've read much here lately, you know my thoughts on so-called artificial intelligence is that it's not all that intelligent. It only does what its programmers tell it to do. It can only learn from what it's told. As such, any "intelligence" it has is only a reflection of the intelligence of its programmers and trainers.

This opinion comes after working in the field for more than 35 years, starting as an operating systems specialist and ending up as director of IT infrastructure at a large university.

With that in mind, look at the image again. The left side is DALL-E's representation of general knowledge. The right side is Christian knowledge. Did you notice, there's a cross on both sides of the image?

Christians who aren't afraid of knowledge know that God is the source of all knowledge. That's something I've been writing for quite some time.

The beginning of knowledge

The Bible tells us that God is the beginning of knowledge. This comes from Solomon in Proverbs. Before we go any further, for those who may not know the intent/purpose of the book of Proverbs, here's a few words on that.

Proverbs

The purpose of the book of Proverbs is “attaining wisdom and discipline ... giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young” (Prov 1:2-4). The person addressed in the book is called “son,” and the counsel given is referred to as “your father’s instruction” and “your mother’s teaching” (1:8).

In his defense of divine wisdom, the writer turns first to the dangers of the evil influence of sinners and the devastating effect they can have on the young. Turning then to the metaphor of wisdom as a woman, the writer speaks of her crying aloud in the streets. She is a mother seeking her wayward son or a wife calling out to her unfaithful husband. She is looking for him in the very streets and public squares where he abandoned her. By contrast, finding wisdom is like finding a virtuous wife. Such wisdom God himself possessed in creating the universe, and he rewards those who have it.

With these exhortations and examples as a backdrop, the book opens up into the full array of Solomonic proverbs (Prov 10-24). They cover the whole range of human life and all levels of human social activities: relationships between family members, business partners, neighbors, friends, and enemies. Within these proverbs are two distinct groups. The first consists of short, single line sayings (Prov 10:1-22:29); the second (23:1-24:22) expands the sayings by introducing a new dimension into the discussion of wisdom—divine judgment and future punishment. Here wisdom has been brought into the arena of divine revelation. This is not just good advice for the here and now, it is eternal advice.

A further collection of Solomon’s wise sayings was gathered by court officials during the reign of King Hezekiah (Prov 25:1) and added to the book (chs. 25-29). The content of nearly all these sayings relates to political rule or governance, though the application of these principles applies to private life as well. One could entitle this section, “Principles of Leadership.”

The book of Proverbs has little recognizable structure to aid in the interpretation of each saying. Consequently, the reader must understand each saying apart from any literary context. In seeking an appropriate context we must search within the context of our own life for an application. Perhaps for just this reason the author of Proverbs closes the book with a close-up account of three individuals, Agur (Prov 30:1-33), Lemuel (31:1-9), and “wife of noble character” (31:10-31), in which we see wisdom through the lens of their lives. They become the model for the reader’s own life-application of wisdom.

With that backdrop, here are the opening verses of Proverbs. Pay special attention to the last verse. When you do get there, realize that fear of the Lord may not mean what you think it does.

Proverbs - Prologue - Purpose and Theme

Prologue: Purpose and Theme