Intellectual Humility (Are You Teachable?)

Over 30 years ago, I finished seminary with a great sense of accomplishment. I completed a four-year master's program at one of the country's top theological schools.  I was truly appreciative of the solid foundation and motivated to take the next step into whatever God had for me.  One of the greatest takeaways I learned from my professors was the importance of staying teachable.  No matter where life takes me, or how high I rise in leadership, I need to keep an open mind and a willingness to learn from others. A willingness to be corrected in wrong thinking about life, church, and theology. This was great wisdom that I have many times failed to live out. 

The bible has revealed the truth about God, His Son, and our lives.  There is much that is not debatable. We need to live by it and defend it. There is also much in scripture that we do not have 100% clarity on, and about which the church has had much debate and division. It is not my goal here to list those areas of controversy.  You can readily think of them. God has used some key people in my life to challenge my preconceived ideas.   If we’re honest, our biases and assumptions often lead us to misread situations and draw the wrong conclusions. This can also result from never going outside our circle of people, our

thinking, or our comfortable environment. 

Jesus was constantly challenging the status quo and the preconceived notions of his own culture and his disciples. As he talked about his purpose and plan for his own life, the disciples had it wrong. They didn't initially "get it." When Jesus explicitly told the Twelve that they were heading to Jerusalem to fulfill prophecy—detailing how he would be mocked, tortured, and killed before rising again—the disciples were completely lost. Luke 18:31-34 notes that the meaning was hidden from them. They weren't looking for a suffering servant; they were bracing for a political conqueror. They expected an earthly kingdom of power and prestige, making the idea of a captured and executed Messiah unthinkable. This tension boiled over when Peter, after hearing Jesus predict his own death, actually pulled the Lord aside to correct him. "Never, Lord!" Peter insisted, "This shall never happen to you!" (Matthew 16:21-23).  Well, it was, and it did.  

Peter was an open book of impetuous thinking and behavior. Often confidently asserting the wrong idea or direction. God would correct him on many occasions. Another example was in Acts 10 when Peter was hungry, and through a vision God instructed him to eat “all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds”. He resisted and called them unclean, revealing his sinful bias.  It wasn't just about food; it was about God breaking down the social and religious barriers between Jews and Gentiles.  Peter received the correction because he was teachable.

May I suggest some helpful principles for intellectual humility?

1.      Discipleship is defined by teachability, and we are always disciples. We may grow in knowledge and faith and even disciple others. To remain teachable, we must always be open to discipleship; otherwise, we risk being like the Pharisees. Jesus rebuked their spiritual pride as hard-hearted arrogance.  No one “has arrived” until we get to heaven.

2.      Acknowledge your limitations. This simply means admitting that “I could be wrong about…”  You fill it in. This is particularly true of those areas of scripture that leave room for opposing interpretations.  Too many of us believe we have been given a special dispensation of truth that others down through history have not received. Therefore, we will die on a hill of truth that God has never fully defined for us. Maybe he does not want us to know it?  Scripture says God gives peace that passes all understanding because understanding is not the goal; rather, faith that goes beyond it will be most fruitful.

3.      Expand your world.  If you have lived in a small evangelical bubble within the same church all of your life, you may feel safe and secure, but you will never be adequately challenged. The body of Christ is a beautifully diverse family that varies in style, methodology, and theological thinking.  Go experience it humbly with a willingness to learn. Along the way, you may even be given the opportunity to challenge them.

4.      Seek to understand.  I will certainly be criticized by some for using this phrase, as they think it is a call to tolerance.  Jesus showed us that we can engage thoughtful conversations with plenty of listening (the rich young ruler and Nicodemus), to help others see the truth of God.  My ability to be heard, especially by those far from God, is directly related to my ability to listen to others. We want people to be open-minded to the Gospel as we share it, so we must be considerate of their thoughts and values. Open-minded people are willing to look at the evidence, and all the evidence points to Jesus Christ as “the way, the truth, and the life.”

Al Rossi BS, THM