Getting Educated!

The school year is rapidly drawing to a close. Students are cramming for finals and scrambling to complete work to be turned in for final grades. Another school year has provided opportunity for much to be learned. Hopefully Summer will be entered with having gained more knowledge than what was possessed last Fall.

Someone has defined education in the following way: “Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.” [source: calendar quote] Is that descriptive of our own learning experience?

Peter and John were noted as being “uneducated, common men”. ( Acts 4:13 ESV) However, they willingly accepted and followed Jesus when they were called. Jesus equipped them and the other disciples for the work of reaching out with the good news of salvation in Him. From the Lord we could say they received a HIGHER EDUCATION that prompted boldness in their ministry.

Paul, on the other hand, appears to have been the most educated of the Apostles. Nevertheless, where did that education get him? Though highly educated, what he did not know caused him to develop a zeal for persecuting the church. His education had seemingly taken him away from accepting the Lord. After Paul’s conversion and late in his ministry for the Lord -- when he was arrested in Jerusalem and began making a defense before his Jewish brethren -- before recounting his conversion to Christ he mentioned his earlier education.

He stated…
“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, EDUCATED AT THE FEET OF GAMALIEL ACCORDING TO THE STRICT MANNER OF THE LAW OF OUR FATHERS, being zealous for God as all of you are this day.” ( Acts 22:3 ESV)

In his letter to the church at Galatia Paul stated…
“(13) For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. (14) And I WAS ADVANCING IN JUDAISM BEYOND MANY OF MY OWN AGE among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers.” ( Galatians 1:13-14 ESV)

Wow! What progress! How educated Paul was among his peers! However, he still was in need of learning what he didn’t know he didn’t know! There was a HIGHER EDUCATION of which Paul had been in need and he received, being convicted of the truth that Jesus was the fulfillment of all that the Law and the prophets had declared.

Backing up two verses we read…
“(11) For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. (12) For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I RECEIVED IT THROUGH A REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.” ( Galatians 1:11-12 ESV)

No matter how old we are, we should guard against becoming complacent with our knowledge, thinking we have gotten it all together. We may not know what we don’t know until we keep growing in our knowledge. The HIGHER EDUCATION we receive from the continual study of the Scriptures will serve to bring us to higher levels of faith and righteous living. If we claim to be disciples of Jesus, let us continue to be His students.

Have a great day IN HUMILITY KNOWING THERE IS YET MORE TO KNOW!
Carl

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