Esoteric Knowledge

Esoteric knowledge is the problem with Christian education.

Esoteric knowledge is the knowledge that can only be understood by an elite few.

God wrote His Word for the masses of people of any and all ages old enough to read. There is no wisdom or knowledge that is so deep and secret that a born-again believer cannot understand from the pure and simple reading of His Word.

When we do not understand a passage because of the difficulties from translating His Word into a language it was not written in, such as English, then the Holy Spirit will give the understanding. Other people who are further along in their walk can help us at times, but since they too can be wrong we must take what they say to the Bible to prove whether or not it is true.

Those who love their intellectualism will often be led astray into strange doctrines full of error. Pride is at the root of desiring to know more than others, even know things others cannot know. This mentality appeals to those who wish to be superior to others.

If you run across a teacher of the word who cannot be challenged or instructed you have met one of these "esoteric" types. They cannot tolerate anyone knowing something they don't know.

One of the tactics of these esoteric types is to ignore the person who corrects them or mock them as inferior. Intimidation is a common tactic of these preachers who must appear all-knowing and elevated in the eyes of others.

2 Timothy 2:23-25 "…23 But reject foolish and ignorant speculation, for you know that it breeds quarreling. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach (meaning able to be taught), and forbearing. 25 He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.…"

This passage has been misunderstood often in our culture. Many people use this verse as evidence that a preacher must be talented and gifted in teaching. However, this is not a proper rendering of the passage. This passage is telling us that the teacher must be "able to be taught himself. No man should be a teacher in the gathering who is not able to be corrected or instructed by others in the group.

A teacher of the word in the gathering does not have the final word, he merely presents the information, and the others judge according to scripture to be sure he is correct. If he is not correct they are to say so and bring the evidence from the Bible to prove it.

1 Corinthians 14:29-30 "29 Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. 30 And if a revelation comes to someone who is seated, the first speaker should stop.…"

Even Paul the apostle was tested by the Bereans.

Acts 17:11-12 "11 Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.…"

We are never to hold a man in high regard any more than any other man. We are to give teachers double honor in the sense that they must be treated with respect and helped in their ministry but they must never be elevated to the point no one can criticize them. We have many protestant popes and worshiped seminary graduates in our culture.

Many people elevate the teachers and college graduates above Christ. Every person who is born again is able to discern the truth when they seek Christ. No teacher or "ordained by man" teacher is above anyone else.

There is no model in the Word of God for "ordained preachers" who have been commissioned by men. Everyone who has been called to preach was called by God and most of them mentioned in the word had no other education than the instruction of the Holy Spirit.

John 6:63

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."

Psalm 118:8

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."

Jeremiah 17:5

"Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord."