Those who follow Christ are often considered fools, (1 Corinthians 4:10), but according to the Apostle Paul that is to be a badge of honor. It is also a title that was misunderstood by society and sometimes by those in the Church. John Calvin sought to remedy that in his book, Concerning Scandals:
By “being fools” we do not mean being stupid; nor do we direct those who are learned in the liberal sciences to jettison their knowledge, and those who are gifted with quickness of mind to become dull, as if a man cannot be a Christian unless he is more like a beast than a man. The profession of Christianity requires us to be immature, not in our thinking, but in malice (1 Cor. 14:20). But do not let anyone bring trust in his own mental resources or his learning into the school of Christ; do not let anyone be swollen with pride or full of distaste, and so be quick to reject what he is told, indeed even before he has sampled it.
Calvin’s words – “do not let anyone bring trust in his own mental resources or his learning into the school of Christ” echo even today in cultural, and dare I say, political realms. While evangelicals are not to be anti-intellectual, elitism and haughtiness regarding “superior intellect or education” has no place either.
Source: The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Mark A. Noll
