To have knowledge, you must first have reverence for the LORD. Stupid people have no respect for wisdom and refuse to learn.

"Foolish people! How long do you want to be foolish? How long will you enjoy making fun of knowledge? Will you never learn?

It does a fool no good to spend money on an education, because he has no common sense.

Happy are those who reject the advice of evil people, who do not follow the example of sinners or join those who have no use for God.

Instead, they find joy in obeying the Law of the LORD, and they study it day and night.

So everyone from the town went out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their territory.

Now, concerning what you wrote about food offered to idols. It is true, of course, that "all of us have knowledge," as they say. Such knowledge, however, puffs a person up with pride; but love builds up.

Then he uttered this prophecy: "The message of Balaam son of Beor, The words of the man who can see clearly,

Who can hear what God is saying And receive the knowledge that comes from the Most High. With staring eyes I see in a trance A vision from Almighty God.

Since you are eager to have the gifts of the Spirit, you must try above everything else to make greater use of those which help to build up the church.

Of course some of them preach Christ because they are jealous and quarrelsome, but others from genuine good will.

They have left the straight path and have lost their way; they have followed the path taken by Balaam son of Beor, who loved the money he would get for doing wrong

These people are like dried-up springs, like clouds blown along by a storm; God has reserved a place for them in the deepest darkness.

They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits---for we are slaves of anything that has conquered us.