A common question these days is to ask if someone has received their “Covid shot.”  For centuries, we humans have made attempts to inoculate ourselves against various diseases.  The history of vaccines is interesting with some historians suggesting that the earliest attempt at inoculation started some 200 years before Jesus came.  We cannot be certain other than to say humans have been aware of disease for a long time and have tried various ways to find prevention.  Some of these attempts actually involved being exposed to a different disease process other than the one the person is trying to avoid.  Sometimes there was success but often there was failure and even loss of life.  Nevertheless, we have persisted; and now in so-called modern days we do have various ways of inoculating ourselves against some diseases.  And, as has always been the case, there is both success and failure even resulting in loss of life.

When we consider this ongoing effort to inoculate ourselves against disease processes, comparison can be made with the attempt at learning.  Inoculations today involve the introduction of an infectious agent (a pathogen) into a host (a person) with the idea that the body will develop antibodies that fight against the targeted disease keeping it from becoming toxic to the body.  Learning is similar in that a little knowledge is like an inoculation causing the person from actually coming to a complete understanding of what they supposedly want to learn.  A little knowledge of the Bible can sometimes ‘inoculate’ a person from continuing to learn what the truth is about God and about who Jesus Christ really is.  The outcome of a little knowledge is a cult or a sect which purports to “know or have the truth” but in reality is actually ignorant of who God really is or who Jesus Christ really is. 

Perhaps one of the most important verses in the Bible comes from Jesus when he said that we will know the truth and the truth will set us free. (John 8:32)  Alexander Pope wrote in 1709 that “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”  It isn’t that we are learning a lie but rather a distortion of what the truth may actually be.  In addition, some find themselves being “puffed up” as the ancients stated.  Cults can actually destroy people’s lives (Jonestown, Ghana for example) and sects that call themselves Christian but do not believe that Jesus was both fully man and fully God simply lead people astray and rob them of an eternal truth.  With so much exposure to such things, what are we as believers in Jesus as Lord and Savior to do?  The answer is quite simple – make a commitment to actually learn the truth by continually learning what the Bible teaches. 

Bible Study is a life commitment and endeavor.  The Apostle Paul noted that the Jewish people “have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” (Romans 10:2)  Their lack of knowledge led them to reject the Messiah Jesus who is actually God Incarnate.  Many today reject this Biblical truth because they “lack knowledge” and are like the Sadducees who Jesus said simply did not know the scriptures.  My prayer is that you will not only read the bible but study it.  And, when you have opportunity look for a Bible Study to join.  If this is something that interests you, then let’s have a conversation.

Pastor David