Ackchyually…

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Timothy, protect what has been entrusted to you! Avoid profane and foolish discussions and the contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. - 1 Timothy 6:20

You ever met a smart dumb person? You know the type…they know everything, at least according to them. You can barely finish your sentence before you hear, “Ackchyually…” and here comes a correction, explanation, theological breakdown, Greek definition, historical context, and three reasons why you’re wrong when nobody even asked.

Unfortunately, Christians can become really good at this.

We absolutely should study Scripture. Dig into the Word. Learn the context. Compare translations. Study the original language when it helps. Ask questions. Listen to teachers. Pray for revelation. We should want to understand what God has said so we can preach it, teach it, and most importantly…live it.

But there’s a difference between growing in knowledge and becoming impressed with your knowledge.

Paul warns Timothy about arguments surrounding what some people wrongly call “knowledge.” That’s interesting because something can sound intelligent and still be foolish. Something can contain biblical vocabulary and still accomplish absolutely nothing for the Kingdom. You can win a theological argument and lose the opportunity to show somebody Jesus.

Sometimes we aren’t defending God’s truth at all.

We’re defending our need to be right.

That’s where knowledge becomes dangerous. We discover something in Scripture, develop an understanding of it, and slowly our revelation becomes THE revelation. Suddenly everybody who doesn’t see the passage exactly the way we see it must not be as spiritually mature, educated, or enlightened as we are.

That’s not confidence.

That’s arrogance wearing a Bible cover.

There are absolute truths in Scripture, and we shouldn’t water those down. Jesus is Lord. Salvation is through Christ. Sin is real. Grace is necessary. The Word matters. But there are also plenty of places where sincere believers study the same Bible and reach different conclusions about secondary issues. Not every disagreement requires a debate, and not every incorrect statement requires you to become the Holy Spirit’s correction department.

Sometimes you can just keep walking.

Paul points Timothy toward something much more important earlier in the chapter, the good confession. Jesus made His confession publicly, and Timothy was called to do the same. That’s what our lives should be centered around. Our public display of faith should make Christ known, not make our intelligence known.

People shouldn’t see you walking toward them and think, “Here comes the Christian know-it-all.”

They should know you as someone who loves truth and loves people.

Because what good is knowing Scripture if the way you use it makes everyone afraid to ask you a question? What good is knowing Greek if you’ve forgotten kindness? What good is memorizing doctrine if your pride makes it impossible for anyone to receive from you?

Knowledge without humility becomes another form of self-worship.

And sometimes our obsession with being right actually causes us to forgo righteousness. We interrupt. We belittle. We embarrass people publicly. We argue endlessly online. We turn conversations into competitions and then convince ourselves we’re “defending the faith.”

Maybe you defended your position.

But did you represent Christ?

That’s the question.

The more we genuinely learn about God, the more humble we should become. Because every new thing we discover should remind us how unbelievably massive He is and how unbelievably limited we are. Real revelation shouldn’t make your chest stick out…it should make your knees bend.

So study.

Learn.

Teach.

Preach.

Correct when correction is actually necessary.

But don’t become the person who needs everyone to know that you know.

Before your next “Ackchyually…” maybe ask yourself, “Is what I’m about to say going to help this person know Christ better, or do I just want them to know that I’m right?”

Maybe we need fewer conversations beginning with “Ackchyually…”

And a whole lot more lives saying…“I honor thee.”

Here’s the blunt truth: If your knowledge makes everybody see how smart YOU are instead of how great HE is…you haven’t learned nearly as much as you think.

Ackchyually…

1. When I correct someone, am I trying to help them understand truth, or am I trying to prove that I understand it better?

2. Has everything I’ve learned about God made me more humble, patient, and honoring…or just harder to disagree with?