I used to think those who sat down for an interview in front of a backdrop of books stacked high on a bookshelf were very smart and insightful. I also got the impression that someone who quoted obscure intellectual sources, or a person who had advanced educational credentials attached to their names was very intelligent. I no longer think that. Obtaining spiritual wisdom is not the result of our achievements or our displays of credibility. It is what God reveals through us no matter who we are or what we have accomplished.

Original thinkers in God’s Kingdom do not quote from other sources. They quote from the Spirit. These original Kingdom thinkers are at the forefront of new revelation that has no source but God. An openness to the Spirit is their only credential.

We have become enamored watching interviews with a backdrop of books on a bookshelf noting a person’s literacy.  We place people on a higher intellectual plane when we hear them quote prominent thinkers or see the post-nominal notations of a person’s educational achievement after their name, all as badges of truth and trustworthiness. These are not the evidence of the position of revelatory insight. These backdrops and accompanying credentials reveal that someone is informed on a subject but may not understand the depths of the spiritual reality they are addressing. 

The Apostle Paul, a man who was very educated in his day, clarified this issue, “God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise” (I Corinthians 1:27-28). Paul also said of his life, “I am the least of all apostles” (I Corinthians 15:9). Paul was not impressed with anyone’s credentials including his own.

We need to remember Paul’s words the next time we watch an interview and see a bookshelf in the backdrop of an interview, or hear quotes from intellectual sources to support a position or read someone’s educational bio. While those things seem impressive and do take labor to accomplish, they are not what releases God’s revelation. God’s revelation only comes from a heart submitted to God and from someone open to hearing what the Lord is saying to the Church. These revelations may contradict the opinions of those we consider elite based on their qualifications. That kind of revelation is open to anyone, even the simplest among us, who carries none of the credentials the world considers important but is willing to speak the truth of a matter from the heart of God.