January 28, 2008
Love God with All Your Mind!
Henry B. Smith Jr., MA
This article was first published in the Summer 2006 issue of Bible and Spade.
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:2–4).
One of the most troubling characteristics of today’s Western
Christian church is the susceptibility of its members to emotional
manipulation by charismatic leaders and to secular arguments and
ideas. This general tendency is a direct result of neglecting the pursuit
of the intellectual riches found in knowing Christ and in the study of
his Holy Word. A worldview and life governed by emotions leaves
Christians vulnerable to false doctrines and secular thinking antithetical
to Scripture.
As I have outlined in a previous editorial (2005), the Christian
educational establishment has generally neglected the study of apologetics,
thereby woefully missing a necessary component of preparing
pastors and teachers for their work in an increasingly secular culture.
Apologetic study, such as the archaeological research that ABR conducts,
is vital in sharpening the mind and allowing the Christian to
“Test everything, hold onto the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1
Thes 5:21–22).
Historical assertions that impugn God’s Holy writ are indeed evil,
for they essentially call God a liar. The Christian must use his or
her intellect by the power of the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of
Scripture, not feelings and emotions, to discern truth from falsehood.
The public education system, television programs and the university
establishment all claim in one way or another that the Bible is not reliable.
The battlefield of the mind is where today’s war is being waged
and, unfortunately, much of the Church is losing this fight because
of intellectual neglect.
God calls us to worship Him with our entire being. Scripture is
replete with examples that demonstrate the use of reason and intellect
to spread the Gospel or to bring about some other purpose of God.
Take the Apostle Paul for example:
Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths
reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and
demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the
dead (Acts 17:2–3).
Or, consider the attitude of the Bereans:
Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians,
for they received the message with great eagerness and
examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was
true (Acts 17:11).
Note how the Bereans did not blindly accept what Paul said, nor
did they merely conduct a worship service or prayer meeting. They
examined the Word of God to discern truth from falsehood.
“What is the greatest commandment?” asked the expert in the law.
Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your mind” (Mt 22:37). The mind is a co-equal
part of our being, not one that should be subservient to the heart and
soul. In fact, Paul admonishes us:
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect
will (Rom 12:2).
The Christian mind must submit and conform itself to the Word of
God in all things, including matters of history. All Christians, not just
scholarly people, can and must sharpen their minds by studying the
Scriptures and evidences that support the Christian worldview.
As the mind of the Christian is transformed, he is able to more easily
discern truth from falsehood. As the mind becomes more sanctified, it
becomes easier to reject arguments, ideas, and assertions that undermine
the Bible. Arguments and philosophies that oppose the Word of God are
abundant, subtle and shrewd. This is why Paul warns us:
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive
philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic
principles of this world rather than on Christ (Col 2:8).
And, “I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding
arguments” (Col 2:4).
So, all of us here at ABR encourage you to pray for insight and wisdom
as you study and read the Bible. Most importantly, we admonish
you to be discerning as you watch history programs about the Bible
on TV, review the books your children use at school, sit under teaching
in your church (some sectors of the church undermine the Bible,
too!), and interact with sincere skeptics who have questions about the
Christian faith.
Bible and Spade can help you supplement your study of the Bible
by providing archaeological evidences that uphold the history of the
Biblical text. We hope you enjoy this new and exciting issue of our
magazine. We pray for your increased edification and learning. Glorify
and worship God with all your mind!
Henry B. Smith Jr. is Director of Outreach for ABR, and is currently enrolled in the MAR program at Westminster Theological Seminary, Glenside, PA.
Bibliography
Smith, Henry B., Jr.
2005 Biblical Archaeology—Eternal Implications. Bible and Spade 18:97.
Recommended Resources for Further Study
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