Is it Impossible for You to Learn?
What you think might make learning impossible.
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” - Epictetus
Epictetus was a Greek philosopher associated with the Stoics who lived from around AD 55-135. He was a great teacher, and people would come from all over to sit in one of his lectures.
Epictetus identified a potential problem among all of us as students - if we have the attitude, “I’ve already got this all figured out - nothing for me to learn here,” then we cease to be students.
It is possible to know the truth. Jesus says we can know the truth (John 8:32). However, even those who know the truth must continue to be students of the Master Teacher - Jesus Christ.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)
Making someone Jesus’ disciple is the idea of enrolling them in His school to learn from Him. The learning process doesn’t end with becoming a Christian - that is merely the beginning of being Jesus’ student.
While we as students may be at various points in our “education” from the Lord, I hope we all maintain a student's mentality.
No matter how much we learn, let us remain humble and eager students of the Master by being aware that there is still much we can learn from our Lord and His Word.