Knowledge and Faith

In speaking of the activity of faith we believe that faith is first of all knowing.  There have, however, always been those who wish to separate faith from knowledge and to see faith as "blind" acceptance or trust.  This is especially common today.

Roman Catholicism has always taught that faith and knowledge can be separated, especially in its teaching about implicit faith (faith without any intellectual content).  This, according to Rome, is the faith of many or most laymen.

The tendency of modernism and neo-orthodoxy is to teach this also.  One neo-orthodox theologian, for example, described faith as a "leap into the dark" (one of his opponents said that instead of being a leap into the dark, it was a leap into the light).

The charismatic movement and other "anti-doctrinal" movements do the same.  They do not actually deny that faith includes knowledge, but separate faith and knowledge by denigrating and speaking scornfully of "doctrine" and teaching.

Sadly, this inclination is also found among some Reformed theologians and teachers.  They, too, do not explicitly deny that faith is knowledge, but end up doing so nonetheless when they promote paradoxes and contradictions as part of their theology.

These are the people who say that God loves all men (in the gospel) and does not love all men (in election); that He wants to save all men (according to His revealed will) and does not want to save all men (according to His secret will).  He well-meaningly offers salvation to all and yet has not determined to give faith to all.

Such talk is irrational and anti-intellectual.  No one can understand such contradictions.  They can only be implicitly accepted and faith then becomes a blind leap, not a matter of knowing.  Nor is there any confidence in not knowing.

All this is contrary to Scripture.  In John 17:3 Jesus defines saving faith as "knowing" God and Jesus Christ whom God sent.  This knowledge, He says, is eternal life.  Not merely trusting, you understand, but knowing!

In II Timothy 1:12 Paul speaks of his own faith as a "persuasion" but says that he is persuaded because he first knows.  Indeed, it is impossible to be persuaded that Jesus Christ is able to keep us, unless we first know that He is the only-begotten Son of God, the One come in the flesh, who suffered and died on the cross for our sins.

We may not despise knowledge.  All alone it is profitless - there must also be trust.  But Scripture makes it clear that knowledge is nevertheless a good thing.  Thus we read of "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (II Cor. 4:6 - cf. also Lk. 1:77. Eph. 1:17, 4:13, Phil. 3:8, Col. 2:3, I Pet. 1:2, 3, etc).

Faith without knowledge is indeed a leap into the dark.  But God is not in the dark.  He dwells in the light!  Nor is our Lord Jesus Christ to be found by leaping into the dark.  He is the Light of the World and to believe in Him we must come to the light!

It is urgent, then, that we learn from God's Word - that we search and study the Scriptures - that we may know Him whom we have believed.