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  • Writer's pictureBible Brian

Resisting the proud to their face


Ever been in an argument and your opponent comes out with something along the lines of "do you really think you know more than me?" Most people would think this is the kind of thing you only see in primary schools. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Cards on the table, this article was inspired by one such Christian(?) who repeatedly asserts that anyone who tells him Genesis means what it says is arrogant for believing they know more about science than him.


Although he's the one who inspired this article, he's not the only one who makes this kind of argument. It's a fallacy known as argumentum ad verecundium (appeal to authority). Basically, the world is wired up in such a way that having greater knowledge than someone else does not mean you are automatically right when you disagree. Indeed, the Bible itself states that God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27), that He resists the proud (James 4:6), and that there is more hope for a fool than someone who is wise in his own eyes (Proverbs 26:12).


In Galatians 2, we see an excellent example. Although there is no scriptural evidence of any kind of hierarchy among the Apostles, it just makes sense that Peter, who spent Jesus' entire ministry by His side, would know a little more about the Gospel than Paul, who started off persecuting Christians to their deaths. Nevertheless, Paul felt perfectly comfortable standing right in front of Peter and calling him out for his hypocrisy.


In theory, Peter could have puffed up his chest and said "you think you know more about the Gospel than me?" But Peter was wiser and more humble than that, and so he acknowledged that in this one instance, he goofed. In the same way, anyone can be smart and wrong, or stupid and right.


If you don't have many, or even any qualifications, don't worry about it. God can use you like David slew Goliath with a single stone. And even if you have enough qualifications to paper your bedroom wall, do not let it go to your head. A Phd is not a certificate of infallibility from God, and if you abuse the privilege, rest assured He is perfectly capable of using a simple 4 year old to knock you off your high horse. Let no flesh glory before God, because He's not friendly to those who try to sit in His throne.

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