Knowledge,
wisdom, love, and belief, all of these attributes are essential to a
well-balanced relationship with our Creator.
In
this article we will look at the primary attributes given to believers and try
to reveal if one of them is superior above the rest.
4Through these there have
been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, so that through these you might be
partakers of the Mighty-like nature, having
escaped from the corruption in the world, caused by
lust. 5And for this
reason do your utmost to add to your belief
uprightness, to uprightness knowledge,
6to knowledge self-control,
to self-control
endurance, to endurance reverence, 7to reverence
brotherly affection, and to brotherly affection
love. 8For
if these are in you and
increase, they cause you to
be neither inactive nor without fruit in the knowledge of our Master Yah’shua Messiah.
9For he in whom
these are not present is blind, being shortsighted, and
has forgotten that he has been cleansed
from his old sins. 10For
this reason, brothers, all the more do your utmost to make firm your calling and
choosing, for if you are doing these matters you shall never stumble at all,
11for in
this way an entrance into the everlasting reign of our Master and Saviour
Yah’shua Messiah shall be
richly supplied to you.
These
writings show the primary attributes that we as believers should have. They are
integrated, and layer upon layer help the believer to be strong in faith and
able to put off the lusts of the world. Starting with a base of belief which is
also faith we build upon this, adding gifts of the spirit and perfecting
ourselves with the spirit of love. Was love placed last on the list purposely
or was it placed in this order randomly? Let us read on.
The
gifts of the spirit
4And there
are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5There
are different kinds of services, but the same Master. 6And
there are different kinds of workings, but
it is the same Elohim who is working all in all. 7And
to each one is given the manifestation of the
Spirit for profiting, 8for
to one is given a word
of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another a
word of knowledge according to the
same Spirit, 9and to another belief
by the same Spirit, and to another gifts
of healing by the same Spirit, 10and
to another operations of
powers, and to
another prophecy,
and to another discerning of
spirits, and to another kinds of tongues, and to another interpretation
of tongues…..
28And Elohim has
appointed these in the assembly: firstly
emissaries,
secondly prophets,
thirdly teachers, after that miracles,
then gifts of healings, helps,
ministrations,
kinds of tongues. 29Are all emissaries?
Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are
all workers of miracles? 30Do all have
gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31But earnestly seek the better
gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way…………
If I speak with the tongues of men and of messengers, but do not have love,
I have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have
prophecy, and know all secrets and all knowledge, and if I have
all belief, so as to remove
mountains, but do not have love, I am none at all. 3And if I give out all my
possessions to feed the poor, and if I give my body to
be burned, but do not have
love, I am not profited at
all. 4Love is patient,
is kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, is not puffed
up, 5does
not behave indecently, does not seek its own, is not provoked, reckons not the evil, 6does
not rejoice over the unrighteousness,
but rejoices in the truth, 7it
covers all, believes all, expects all, endures all. 8Love
never fails. And whether
there be prophecies, they
shall be inactive; or tongues, they shall cease; or knowledge, it shall be inactive. 9For we know in part and we
prophesy in part.
10But
when that which is
perfect has come, then
that which is in part shall be
inactive. 11When I was a child, I spoke as a
child, I thought as a child, I
reasoned as a child. But when
I became a man, I did away with childish matters. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly,
but then face to face. Now I know in part, but
then I shall know, as I also have been
known. 13And
now belief, expectation, and love remain
– these three. But the
greatest of these is love.
The
gifts of the spirit are given to us today to help us to do YHWH’s will. We may
use these gifts as teachers, prophets, etc. for these are vehicles that the
Eternal uses to get His great message out to the world. We are taught that it
doesn’t matter how many gifts we have, if we don’t have love they don’t profit
us at all. Wisdom, knowledge, prophecy, etc. are temporary gifts that have
relevance in today’s world, but will be as nothing in the coming Kingdom. Love
and its attributes will remain with us throughout our lives and will be with us
in the coming Kingdom. Love is refered to as being perfect and never failing.
The
fruits of the spirit
Galatians 5 partial
22But the
fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustworthiness, 23gentleness,
self-control. Against such there is no Torah. 24And
those who are of Messiah have impaled the flesh with its passions and the desires. 25If
we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26Let us not
become conceited, provoking one another,
envying one another.
Here
we see love and the other fruits. Knowledge is not among the fruits because it
is a temporary gift and not actually a fruit of the spirit.
1Corinthians 2 partial
12And we have
received, not the spirit of the world,
but the Spirit that
is from Elohim, in order to
know what Elohim has favourably given us, 13which we
also speak, not in
words which man’s wisdom
teaches but which the
Set-apart Spirit teaches,
comparing spiritual matters with
spiritual matters
1Corinthians 8 partial
And concerning food offered to idols: We
know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up,
but love builds up. 2If anyone thinks that
he knows somewhat, he does not yet
know as he should know. 3But
if anyone loves Elohim, this one is known by Him.
1 Corinthians 3 partial
18Let no one
deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be
wise in this age, let him become
foolish, so that he
might become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is
foolishness with Elohim. For it has been
written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20and again, “YHWH knows
the thoughts of the wise, that they are worthless.” 21So then, let no one boast in men,
for all belongs to you.
Knowledge
is a double-edged sword; it brings forth good and bad. Unlike love, which is
perfect, knowledge and wisdom are flawed in that they can lead men astray,
allowing pride and vanity to interfere with the true knowledge, which is given
as a gift through the spirit. Many men have succombed to the fleshly trappings
of knowledge throughout the ages, and it continues even today.
Matthew 5 partial
43“You heard that
it was said, ‘You shall love your
neighbour and hate
your enemy.’ 44“But I say to
you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating
you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you, 45so
that you become sons of your Father in the heavens.
Because He makes His sun rise on the
wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and
on the unrighteous. 46“For if you love those loving you,
what reward have you? Are
the tax collectors not doing the
same too? 47“And if
you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others? Are the tax
collectors not doing so too? 48“Therefore,
be perfect, as your Father in the heavens is
perfect.
Straight from Yah’shua’s teachings, this shows us that
hypocritical love is not perfect love. Perfect love is for us to love all men
despite their faults. If we judge others, and refrain from loving those who we
deem as undeserving, what we are showing is partiality and bigotry. If these
types of thoughts are in our minds, we need to repent and ask forgiveness from
our wonderful Abba.
It is somewhat humorous to listen to those who warn their flocks of those who come under the guise of love to take the flock away with false doctrine. If one thinks about this they may find that it is easier to take the flock away from the truth with false knowledge than with false love.
Summary
Knowledge is a gift of the spirit. All gifts of the spirit are for the uplifting of the flock. Love is above all spiritual gifts, it the greatest and is able to bear the most fruit. When knowledge passes away, love will remain. Those who downplay the significance of love in the believer’s life, as well as those who mock and belittle those who sincerely have loving dispositions should examine their motives and reasoning for doing so.
Shalom & Agape in YHWH’s precious Name
11Put on the
complete armour of Elohim, for you to have power
to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12Because we do not wrestle against
flesh and blood,
but against
principalities, against authorities,
against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age,
against spiritual matters of wickedness in the
heavenlies. 13Because of
this, take up the complete armour of Elohim, so that you have power to
withstand in the wicked day, and having done all, to
stand. 14Stand,
then, having girded your waist with truth, and having put on
the breastplate of righteousness, 15and having fitted
your feet with the preparation of
the Good News of peace; 16above
all, having taken up the shield of belief
with which you shall have power to quench all
the burning arrows of
the wicked one. 17Take also the
helmet of deliverance, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the
Word of Elohim, 18praying
at all times, with all prayer and supplication in
the Spirit, watching in all perseverance
and supplication for all the set-apart ones;
