Hosea, States that the people of his time were. Thus should we not be asking the same question?
Hos_4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Many today will brag about their knowledge of scripture and how they have great command over the Greek and Hebrew languages yet little truth will be found in their words at all. These men have become puffed up and arrogant and for all their learning they grow no wiser. Paul warned Timothy of these types of men, 2Ti 3:1-7 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. For all their so-called knowledge the simplicity of God's word escapes them.
These false teachers today who claim to have found some new way to interpret the scriptures to justify a false belief are still just as wrong today as they were some two thousand years ago. The Lord made it clear to the Jews of His day who chose to believe on Him the the truth will free one from ignorance. Joh 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Friends, God wrote down what He wanted for man through the Holy Spirit via the Apostles. It was written so simply and understandable that one must work hard to not understand it today. Yet man seeks his own wisdom, his own way of doing things and under the delusion of having knowledge the false teacher draws away captive those who know no better or those seeking to justify their own sinful behavior.
So many are led astray today because they fail to study and therefore do not know if what they are taught is the truth or not. It is dangerous to assume that just because some preacher or teacher opens his bible and reads from it that he understands any better than you what it says. But, you say he is the preacher or the teacher he is supposed to know. Blind trust in man will be your downfall.
Ask yourself, if I do not know what the scriptures teach then how am I to teach others? Rest assured that if those of the first century could understand what was taught then you can also. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1Co_14:33).
We like Paul should be willing and able to say…. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Rom_1:16). Therefore this requires us to read and understand the plain simple truth taught in God's word. You must remember it is man that tells you that you can't understand the word Not God. How loving would God be if He gave us instructions we could not follow or understand?
Maybe today more than ever has the deception of Satan been so readily accepted and embraced. Yet we will all reap what we sow. That is why Paul also said…. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Gal 6:9-10). By heeding the words of Paul as the Galation's did we can be assured that our lives will be pleasing to God.
Will you perish for lack of knowledge?
