Always learning, but misunderstanding the Truth…

Have you ever noticed that some people seem to be "always learning, but never coming to the knowledge of truth"? (2 Timothy 3:7)

That particular referenced passage reminds me of this one:

Ecclesiastes 12:12  In addition, my son, take heed: one can write many books - there's no end to it; and one can study so much that it wearies the flesh. (CJB)

I know people who exemplify both verses.  Some are "always learning but never coming to the knowledge of truth," while others read and study until their eyes fall out – and they wear themselves out on a daily basis, and come away still NOT knowing much of anything!  Why?  Because they're not really STUDYING the BIBLE!

They are busy “cherry-picking” Scripture, and absorbing the "cool stuff" they find in extra-biblical books and commentaries; or picking up some "great ideas" by watching some pontificating YouTube "expert....

I've  seen so many led down the wrong paths because of their refusal to simply STAY in Scripture!   

I mean – I personally know people who have decided to chuck Torah and return whatever flavor of Christian denomination they came out of, because they didn't like the idea of having to do all the feasts or give up pork and shellfish.  Still others I know have decided to "leave Messiah and the New Testament" altogether because some shmo on Facebook convinced them that "Jesus and the NT are myths."  I've even seen those who have "read and studied" their way right out of belief in YHWH/Y’shua/Torah to ultimately become atheists!

Matter of fact, I have a former Facebook "friend" who allowed herself to be turned on to Islam and, last I heard, she was talking about moving to Afghanistan to marry some Muslim.  (Boy, is SHE ever in for a rude awakening!  Hope she’s enjoying life inside her Burkha where she’s  no longer allowed to read books, drive, or open her mouth to voice an opinion for fear of being beheaded.)

What I'm getting at is this:  Many love to talk ABOUT God and the Bible, but they never take the time to READ, much less STUDY it.  It's easier to cherry-pick and post their favorite verses in order to impress others, or to follow some self-proclaimed Facebook pastor/rabbi/teacher with ear-tickling messages for others to regurgitate…

The Bible warns us this would happen!

2 Timothy 3: 1. But know this: That in the latter days hard times will come:  2. and men will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money, boasters, proud, revilers, unyielding towards their own people, deniers of grace, wicked,  3. unloving, addicted to irreconcilable malicious gossips, ferocious, haters of the good,  4. treacherous, rash, inflated, attached to pleasure more than to the love of Elohim,  5. having a form of respect for Elohim but wide from the power of Elohim. Them who are such, repel from you.  6. For of them are they who creep into this and that house and captivate the women who are plunged in sins and led away by divers lusts,  7. who are always learning, and can never come to the knowledge of the truth. (AENT)

I guess I may be simply venting here, but so many people fit into at least one of the categories mentioned in the passage above. They have themselves convinced they are "godly" and "knowledgeable" and many even believe they are qualified to teach others; yet their fruits show their thinking to be immature and skewed.  They are completely without discernment because they really DON’T know Scripture because they’ve always let their human mindsets get in the way of studying Scripture via the filter of the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit).

And so, the result is that they've wearied their flesh by "always learning, but never coming to the knowledge of truth"…