The first heresy amongst Christians was gnosticism. At its core, Gnosticism was a cult of knowledge. Followers believed one needed special knowledge to release the divine spark inside to attain salvation. The rest of their beliefs were a construct to explain why knowledge was the key to salvation – it was all axiomatic/speculation, and not relevant to the discussion.

Either way, that should sound familiar. Modern Christianity – with the advent of digital media, mass printing, and computers – has turned into something akin to those 2nd century Christians. Sure, they have a different construct for why knowledge is the key, but at the end of the day they come to the same conclusion. One can’t be saved unless they have the correct, special knowledge. Not just the “saving knowledge of Jesus,” something more complex and difficult. Something to show your commitment, seriousness, and worth.

With so much data at our fingertips, we’ve gone a bit mad. Because we can, we think everyone must have a Bible to read, with all the translation bells and concordance whistles. Why? How else will we learn everything we need to know? What if we get some little detail wrong, or someone else did via the translation we are reading? It would be understandable if the concern was over preserving the integrity of the text or because of people not maintaining sound core doctrine. But it isn’t what we spend time on; instead we have lengthy sermon series on the function of the Holy Spirit, tithing, and the science of the Bible. Christendom scoffs at the basics, which are ironically those things Jesus actually taught. Jesus is too simple for modern Christians, not grown up enough like Paul or the prophets, or intellectual enough like the sciences. In short, we have used the ability and capacity to increase in knowledge as the rationale for its necessity. That is our construct for why knowledge is so important.

Because we look to the pursuit of knowledge as the next step, we miss what Jesus actually taught us; that the next step is in front of us.

While an enjoyable pursuit, “figuring out” the logic of how God and the world works is not a requirement to follow Jesus. Nor does it make you better at following Him. Discipleship is about practice. Practice is how the Spirit slowly transforms us to be more and more Christ-like. And I will argue that the large-scale efforts to add this detailed knowledge to mainstream beliefs have actually undermined our efforts to preserve sound doctrine.

Complex knowledge comes as a consequence of practice. It is not the thing we should seek.

A final note: As I’ve said elsewhere, this knowledge-based Christianity also undermines the core of the gospel: that salvation is a gift to accept, not something to earn.