[UntoHim]

Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!

What would I rather have - perfect knowledge about God's nature and not have a living relationship with Him; or have imperfect knowledge of God's nature, yet have a living relationship with Him?

You have created a false dilemma. Who has ever said we need to have "perfect knowledge about God's nature?" In the past 50 years, I cannot recall anyone ever saying anything like this. I guess one could easily think that Witness Lee thought such things...Lord knows he taught such things. This kind of thinking is what led Lee to say: "The traditional explanation of the Trinity is grossly inadequate and borders on tritheism". Of course he never considered the opposite side of the coin: His "processed triune God" teaching is grossly overstated and borders on modalism.

And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
John 17:3

I would posit that it is virtually impossible to "experience" someone that you don't know. The Lord Jesus did not say "that they may have perfect knowledge of you", he said "that they know you". I think that he means intimate knowledge. Knowledge that issues in love and grace. Love and demonstrable grace towards our neighbor - our fellow man. Does the knowledge come before love, or love before knowledge? The answer to this one is way above my paygrade, but at the end of the day, I will simply believe and say amen to the Lord Jesus' prayer to the Father: "that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

It's the old "Would you rather know the book or the Author?" question. (of course, having both - knowing the Author and accurately knowing His book - is best) If I know the Author, He will show me what I need to know about Him. But if I just know the book, without understanding - that's as far as my knowledge goes.

Ah, "accurately knowing his book". I think you mean biblical theology, right? I mean, all of us have a theology. For some of us, our theology has gotten bent, twisted and turned every which way by some misguided, yet well-meaning "Bible teachers". The most dangerous ones, in my observation and experience, are teachers who say things like "people have been getting this all wrong for these 2,000 years....God has shown me the way it was from the beginning...What I teach is recovered truth!". (sound familiar?)

Theology does matter. Correct and accurate teaching does matter. I question anyone who says they know the Author but cannot accurately articulate the most basic tenets of the Christian faith, and basic historical, orthodox Christian theology. And yes, I also question someone who has all the things I've just listed, yet displays no grace towards their fellow man - believers and non believers. Anyone who knows the Author, and has a relationship with the Author, will treat others, love others and serve others just as we see the Author did in the Gospels.
-