“In the beginning was the Logos…”  (John 1:1A)

“Prove all things.”  (1 Thessalonians 5)

“Try the spirits.” (i John 4)

“God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of a sound mind…”  (2 Timothy 1)

 

I was reading a book on Logic by Isaac Watts (cannot recommend it enough) and a doctor asked me if logic and my calling to preach aren’t opposites. This worldy wiseman as do all worldy wisemen believe faith and logic are exclusive one to another. To them a man of faith cannot be a man of logic and a truly logical man cannot be a man of faith. Oil and water mix better than faith and logic.

This is thought to be true by very many in our culture. However, if these ignorant “wisemen’ were to sit down and look at history’s Christ-ians they would see some of the world’s most intelligent and logical men. Some of science’s earliest were men of faith. In fact, they became scientists in order to learn how God operates. Many of the truly great greek and Roman philosphers believed in a god. Whereas many of today’s philosophers are known merely for their atheism.

Men like Augustine, Martin Luther (had a law degree), John Calvin (had a law degree), Arthur Pink (a photographic memory as well as remembering everything he read), C.S. Lewis (also gifted with a mind like the man previously stated), the late R.C. Sproul. and others were all very intelligent men if not genius. Martyn Lloyd Jones and his wife were both medical doctors and counted it all loss for Christ’s sake and he became one of the great Christ-ian minds. Conan Doyle and Joseph Bell, The author of Sherlock Holmes and Doyle’s inspiration, both believed in God. Doyle maynot have been a Christ-ian but Bell certainly was.

My reader, Never be intimidated by “wisemen” and never think thyself a less than to anyone. While it is true, we must not think more highly of ourselves than we should, but neither should we think less of ourselves either!!!.

In our first text we quoted part of 1 John 1, “In the beginning was the Word…”  In our text we rendered the greek word Logos for the english word, Word. The translators give us Word in place of Logos. We do not correct the Scriptures, however we will point out that Logos can also be translated Logic as in, “In the beginning was the Logic…”  If we carry this thought down to v. 14 we read, “And the Logic became flesh and dwelt among us.”  The meaning of these verses are of course, Jesus Christ is the Logic of God and Jesus Christ is the manifestation of Divine Reason.  Readers, if I might paraphrase a Proverb, The beginning of Knowledge is to recognize Christ as God’s outworking of all Logic and all Reason.

One can get all else wrong in life, but one must…must…must gey Christ right.

 

Paul, the Apostle of Christ would teach the church most it knows about Christ, Paul would teach many spiritual truths. Paul would also help us learn how to think, “Prove all things.” John as well, teaches us to, “Try the spirits.”  The Christ-ian faith would teach us to take nothing on blind faith but to prove and to try all things, that is to say, put all things on trial to see whether they be right/wrong, true/false, good or bad. When some new teaching or anything comes before you, put it on trials and prove it’s veracity.

God did not, Paul says, Give us a mind of fear but a mind that is sound and healthy and able to discern all things.  Christ tells us to love God with all our minds.  the Christ-ian is to be a thinking person, a person who weighs all things by the light of Scripture AND logic, logic AND Scripture.

We know person that have debated and or discussed topics with evolutionists and atheist (they are the same in nature). We know these persons to have held their own and bested the “worldy wisemen.”  That fact of the matter, when it comes to debate, no side ever wins, both sides go home believing as they did. Possibly some in their hearing may go home with something knew to think about, but if anyone actually ever changes or converts it will be because the Spirit of God willed it so and Christ died for that person and because God chose that person to be saved.

A warning:  While you are “proving all things”, “trying the spirits,” and using your “sound mind” do not get “puffed up with knowledge.”  The sure way to keep from being puffed up with knowledge is to “love God with all thy mind.”

A Warning to the “worldy wisemen,” Wise up and dumb down.

Godspeed.

And P.S.  We did not let the doctors comment go without being answered.