Intellectual Arrogance
Several days ago I was told by someone who believed in the “thousand-year days” theory of Genesis 1-2 that I could not understand the real meaning because I only had my “lay” experience to rely on. One thing is for sure – you can’t teach someone who has already learned it all!
Several times throughout the scriptures you can find people who simply tried to out-think the plain meaning of God’s word. The result wasn’t good. They resisted the truth in the past just as Jannes and Jambres did in Egypt, and many continue to do the same thing today (2 Timothy 3:1-8). Often times these individuals rely heavily upon the “enlightenment” they receive at the feet of their earthly teachers and their words to reveal the “true” meaning of scripture, but they worry little about sitting at the feet of God with his word and allowing scripture to reveal to scripture.
Now, is there necessarily anything wrong in and of itself with attending a religiously natured school and gaining knowledge from those who have been students of both God’s word and experience for many years? Absolutely not. In more ways than one there is everything right with properly studying the scriptures of God (2 Timothy 2:15). Some receive fine educations at these institutions without a doubt; but without a doubt some only get ”schooled and wooled” by false teachers with an ego (2 Peter 3:15-16). Some students leave the complex at the campus while others leave the campus with a complex!
When one’s education (spiritual or secular) causes a person to look down their nose at others, then that person has fallen prey to his or her own brain. There is a difference between being “book smart” and being “wise in the word of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-31).
There is much more that I could say on this topic, but why write a book to share something when it only takes a few paragraphs to explain it? After all, I only have my “lay” experience to rely upon.
”Now when they saw that Peter and John were without fear, though they were men of no education or learning, they were greatly surprised; and they took note of them that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 – BBE)
Kevin Beard, 
Jon Zirpolo, and 1 other are discussing. 
Robert Floyd, 
Tina is discussing. 
Your words remind of the very things I encounter (especially point #2) when I have conversations with people on wordpress almost on a daily basis. Even though I have only been on there for about a month it absolutely amazes me how many people who write under the topic of “Christian based, Jesus believing, God loving” articles have disdaining and negative attiudes toward and about the Bible and absolute truth. I just had one right before I came here.
It really is sad when someone wants to talk about Christianity or Jesus but they will not accept anything that the Bible says unless it supports what they believe. If it doesn’t then it “automatically” becomes “just the words of Paul” or something that another man wrote in and “not what God wanted taught.” It has really made me think about the saying, “there are none so blind as those who will not see” in a whole new light.