MUCH LEARNING, STILL NOT MAD

My mother used to tell me that "keeping your head in a book is going to burn your brain out.” And I do agree that Solomon said that continual study does make the mind weary (Ecclesiastes 12:12).

I understand that Mom was concerned about me. Still, at 72 years old, having earned five higher ed degrees and spent a lifetime reading, studying, teaching, and asking questions, I can gratefully report that my mind has not burned out and is still intact. Thanks be unto the Lord, it is still functioning, and I still want to learn. I recognize I am a lifelong learner. Weren't we created in God’s image?!

That memory comes to mind when I read about Paul standing before Festus and King Agrippa. As Paul defended his faith, Festus interrupted, saying, “Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.” Paul answered, “I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness” (Acts 26:24–25). What an accusation made against him! The very learning that helped Paul explain his convictions became something his listener used to discredit him.

Paul’s response was composed and respectful. He did not apologize for knowing the Scriptures or abandon his testimony because someone found it difficult to accept. He maintained that what he was saying was truthful and reasonable. Then Paul appealed to Agrippa’s knowledge. “For the king knoweth of these things,” adding, “for this thing was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26). Paul was pointing to the public character of the events surrounding the gospel. His testimony concerned matters that could be examined, rather than a private claim insulated from scrutiny.

I sometimes wonder whether dismissing Paul was easier for Festus than seriously considering what Paul was saying. Scripture does not tell us that Festus was jealous, insecure, or incapable of studying the Word, so I cannot assign those motives to him. Nevertheless, the encounter raises a question worth considering. How often do people belittle what they have not taken the time to understand?

Even Peter acknowledged that some things in Paul’s letters were difficult to understand. Yet Peter did not denigrate him. He described Paul as a beloved brother writing according to the wisdom given to him. Difficulty did not prevent Peter from recognizing the value of Paul’s contribution (2 Peter 3:15–16).

There is a lesson in that response. We can encounter something challenging and become willing students. We can ask questions, examine the Scriptures, and consider whether another person’s understanding might benefit our own soul. Or we can dismiss the person and spare ourselves the effort. But how will that play out on the day of judgement?

I am not placing myself on the same level as the apostle Paul. My degrees do not confer apostolic authority, and education does not make every interpretation correct. I remain responsible for examining my conclusions carefully and receiving correction humbly. But neither do I believe that humility requires pretending I have learned nothing.

My five degrees represent years of discipline, sacrifice, curiosity, and perseverance. I pursued them because I wanted to learn as much as possible about God, His creation, and how to live productively within it. Studying human thought, behavior, development, and aging has given me further reasons to marvel at the complexity of the people God created. My education has also equipped me to teach and serve.

Paul’s discussions of his own credentials and accomplishments help me think carefully about this. In 2 Corinthians 11, he reluctantly defended his ministry, and his account included suffering, sacrifice, and weakness. In Philippians 3, he listed his religious credentials while making clear that knowing Christ surpassed them all.

Those passages challenge me to examine the purpose behind mentioning my own accomplishments. Am I seeking admiration, as some would intimate, or explaining how God has prepared me to contribute? Am I making much of myself or acknowledging the opportunities and strength, He has given me? I can be grateful for an accomplishment while remembering the One who made it possible.

There are times when insecurity or jealousy can make another person’s gifts uncomfortable for some. Someone else’s understanding may expose an area where we need to grow. Their persistence may remind us of work we have postponed. In those moments, belittling them can feel easier than learning from them. That temptation deserves examination in all of us, including me.

When God gives someone an ability to teach, study, explain, or recognize connections in Scripture, the church has an opportunity to benefit. We should examine what is taught faithfully and carefully. We should also be willing to receive something valuable through a person whose gifts differ from our own. A degree cannot settle the meaning of a passage. Neither can a dismissive remark.

Understanding requires attention. Growth requires humility. Sometimes receiving help requires admitting that another person has spent years studying something we are only beginning to explore. I want my learning to produce patience, clearer teaching, greater compassion, and more faithful service. If I understand something deeply but cannot communicate it graciously, I still have learning to do. If I expect others to consider my insights, I must remain willing to consider theirs.

At 72, I still find joy in opening a book, examining a passage, listening to God's spirit speak to me about His word, and discovering a connection I had not previously seen. There is much I do not know, and that gives me a reason to keep studying.

Mother, I know you worried that all that reading would burn my mind out. By the grace of God, it has not. I am still reading. I am still learning. I am still teaching. And for every opportunity to use this mind in the service of God and others, I give Him thanks. :)

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