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Anti-Intellectualism: Difference between revisions
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=The call to comprehend= | |||
Paul writes in Ephesians: | |||
:''Therefore do not be foolish, but '''understand''' what the will of the Lord is.<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Eph 5:17.</ref> | |||
We are being told here that we need to to [learn to] comprehend what is the will of the Lord. The verb “to comprehend” (syniēmi; cf. the noun “understanding,” synesis, in 3:4) sets a slightly stronger accent upon intellect or intellectual grasp (see Eph. 3:18–19) than other verbs denoting the act of gaining knowledge. The use of the related noun in Eph 3:4 should also be examined: | |||
:''When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ...<ref>The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), Eph 3:4.</ref> | |||
''Perceive'' (learn about) and ''insight'' (understanding) translate two related terms, the verb “to grasp, perceive, know” and the noun “insight, grasp” (see the verb “to understand” in Eph 5:17). "you can perceive my insight" may be expressed as ""You can learn about my understanding" or “you can find out how I understand” or “you can come to learn how I regard”.<ref>Robert G. Bratcher and Eugene Albert Nida, A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, UBS Handbook Series (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 71.</ref> This all involves the use of one's intellect. | |||
Ephesians 5:17 demonstrates that, despite the emphasis placed upon the practical orientation and theoretical limitation of knowledge, Paul is not anti-intellectual; the saints are encouraged to make use of their reasoning power. | |||
Paul is stressing the following three things in learning to understand or comprehend: | |||
#“Comprehending” includes, or is included in, the learning “by experience” (dokimazō) mentioned in Eph 5:10. | |||
#Comprehension is an ongoing process and always an unfinished business—especially when the “will of the Lord” is its object and total “submission” of the self (Eph 5:21) its essence. | |||
#The man who “understands” (ho synhiōn) is silent in the “evil time,” according to Amos 5:13. Eph 5:17 may include the advice to learn by listening rather than by speaking too much.<ref>Markus Barth, Ephesians: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary on Chapters 4-6, vol. 34A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 579.</ref> | |||
=The proper use of reasoning= | =The proper use of reasoning= | ||