There are multiple types of Christian knowledge.

The base layer is knowledge of the Scriptures. This is the foundation of everything a follower of Jesus believes and does. It requires a working understanding of how the concepts of the Bible are shown and connected throughout its pages.

Another layer is the knowledge of “Spiritual Disciplines.” These are the righteous actions of a believer that connect them to God. It includes prayer, giving, fasting, serving, and time to reflect and meditate on God’s word. These actions require us to move into a closer relationship with God as we come to know him on a personal level.

The other type of knowledge is what I refer to as Church knowledge. This is built on an understanding of people and organizations. There are specific dynamics that leaders need to be aware of when making decisions. These aspects are frequently changing in response to cultural shifts, but others are grounded in human nature and remain unchanging. Some of these are explicitly stated in the Bible, while others are not.

One mistake you can make as a follower of Jesus is to think that maturity is possessing a thorough knowledge of everything. That is simply not true. Some great preachers and teachers have little knowledge of the workings of a Church. Some leaders have a vast understanding of the Church, but their scriptural framework is lacking. Still, someone may know both of those and lack a deep relationship with God, and they derail a rapidly growing Church with a substantial sin that makes headlines.

While I hope that all of us continue growing in our knowledge throughout our entire lives, I also believe that Christian maturity is found in appreciating the diversity of the group that God has brought together in the Church. True wisdom is a willingness to humbly acknowledge that we don’t know it all, and we need other people to help us. The scholar needs the prayer warrior. The pastor needs the theologian. The servant needs people with the gift of leadership.

No one person alone knows everything, but together we can know enough to bring God the glory he deserves through the local Church.