Read 1 Corinthians 8
When Paul said to the Corinthians that “knowledge puffeth up,” he did not mean to depreciate knowledge, nor was he glorifying ignorance. Knowledge builds up, too. He who is content to be ignorant in this world while the stores of knowledge are accessible, fails to grasp the meaning of life. Knowledge makes one’s life broader and deeper and adds to one’s power of usefulness. But there is a knowledge, which makes a man cold, haughty and proud. He stalks through the world, thinking only of himself, without regard to others. He knows — and he thinks no further about it. He says it is no business of his if any weaker Christians are hurt. They ought not to be so weak. It is all nonsense for them to keep their old superstitions. They cannot expect him to limit his privileges by their narrow scruples. He is going to exercise his liberty without regard to any such childish whims. We may apply the principle to the matter of temperance. A man claims his right to take a glass of wine at dinner. He has always done it, and it has never hurt him. All about him are those who are not so strong as he is. His example may lead them into a course, which will be ruinous in the end. But he knows he has a right to his wine, and that it will do him no harm; so he refuses to think of others. They have no right to be “weak” in this intellectual age. Thus mere “knowledge” puffs up, makes one haughty, vain, coldly selfish.
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