How do we know what we know?

Do you know how many wise men there were?  Of course we know this - it is in every nativity scene ever.  There were three.  In fact, they have names.  And did you know that Jesus did not cry the night He was born.  He was perfect after all.  And did you  know . . .  Of course both of these things are absolutely false.  We do not know how many wise men there were, we know how many gifts there were.  And Jesus did make sounds when he was born.  "No crying He makes. . . " is a farcical fancy of someone's imagination. If Jesus did not cry how would Mary know he was cold, or hungry or needed changed!

This begs the question, "How do I know what I know?"  Many times we allow ourselves to know things without considering their source or authority.  We do this every time we click on a headline that is fanciful and eye catching.  When we believe a political pundit without fact checking we commit this problem.  The bottom line is that we really ought to know why we know what we know.  And the other major bottom line is this.  If it does not come from Scripture, it is suspect. 

Many take tradition as a source of knowledge, but tradition is insufficient and often leads to un-biblical practice.  Many use experience as a source of knowledge, but simply because we experience something does not make it true.  We live in a culture and time when truth is something that is hard to come by - which should drive us all the more the Scripture.  There we have the promise from the faithful God Himself that "My Word is Truth".  We turn to Jesus who was the Way, the Truth and the Life.  And we hold most dear the truths that we know from Scripture. 

So, how do you know what you know?