Lu 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
Ho 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, ….
In Jesus’ time the people known as lawyers were the experts on the Mosaic Law. This article will take a quick look at the lawyers of today. Not the experts in civil or criminal law, but the experts on the Bible. We will see what the Key of Knowledge is and exactly how today’s experts have taken it away from great numbers of believers in today’s churches.
Literalism Is The Problem
A great number of bible scholars and teachers tell us that the proper way to understand the bible is through consistent literal interpretation. This is expressed as The Law of Literal Interpretation. This law says:
Always interpret scripture literally wherever possible.
"If the literal sense makes sense, seek no other sense."
Now what’s most unusual about this is that there is never any scriptural justification offered for adopting this principle. You will find many reasons offered, and all of them sound logical, but no bible verses. It’s not so much what they are telling us to do, but what this law is telling us not to do? It’s telling us not to seek; seek no other sense. That is not to seek any further than the literal meaning of scripture. But what does the bible say? It says just the opposite. It tells us to seek, long, hard and diligently. We must seek after wisdom with a passion.
Scriptures on Seeking
Pr 2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
Mt 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Lu 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Ps 27:4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
Isa 45:11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Pr 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
The Key of Knowledge
It’s a simple matter to under stand what all these scriptures are getting at. We could write several more pages analyzing these verses, but it’s pretty plain what they mean. The Key of Knowledge is to seek for it. But here we are being told by supposed experts not to seek after wisdom and knowledge. And this is exactly how the Law of literal interpretation takes away the Key of Knowledge, by teaching us not to seek for it. So the ‘lawyers’ who teach literalism today are just like the ones in Jesus’ day. They don’t acquire any knowledge themselves, and they hinder those who would.
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3
Hidden in Christ [who is the Word of God] are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. This means deep revelation, rich understanding and mature insight await those who seek into the Word after it. The Bible says to seek after it. Literalism says ‘don’t bother looking’, the literal meaning is all there is.
1Co 8:2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
So keep on seeking.