Intellectually speaking, Israel possessed a North Star. They knew in which direction they should orient themselves ontologically. They possessed a Global Positioning System by means of the covenant, providing a path to their destination. They also possessed a gyroscope to maintain equilibrium amidst turbulence and uncertainty. The fear of the Lord balanced their minds amidst disorienting messages from the other nations. Most importantly, they perceived the intrinsic value of the epistemological map provided to guide them on their spiritual pilgrimage—Scripture. Yahweh Elohim told them, “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you” (4:2).

God created a world for beings that were fit for thinking and learning in all forms. He made them with intellectual curiosity and a thirst for the transcendent. To carry out their vice-regency, Adam and Eve had to apply their cognitive abilities and religious aspiration in compliance with the God who made them and the real world they lived in—that is, covenantally. The bond between creation and the Creator, between the first couple and God, was a Lord–servant alliance. (Such a Mind as This, 22)

The New Testament scholar, Kenneth Bailey, once remarked quite honestly, “I discovered that I had been unconsciously trained to admire everything about Jesus except his intellectual astuteness.”

I suspect that many Christians view Jesus in much the same way. Of course, he is our savior, protector, and provider. But he is not often seen as a brilliant thinker or intellectual role model. And so, we do not often connect the dots between Jesus’ mental profile and our obligation to love God with the mind, for which he is the paradigm.

Remember that, when Jesus was asked, “Which commandment is the most important of all?,” he cited the famous Shema (Deut 6:4–5), affirming the creedal nucleus and core spirituality of the Old Testament: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:28–30).

Jesus loved God with all his mind. We should do likewise and learn to love God with all our minds.

Below I outline briefly various themes regarding Jesus’ intellectual profile, in accord with the Shema. This is very important and quite relevant because we are commissioned to imitate his thought life, though finite and fallen. And we should train disciples to do the same.

First, Jesus demonstrated the supreme importance of listening to God alone. For this reason, he prayed often, especially in moments of decision. He confessed, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing” (John 5:19).

Second, Jesus acknowledged the primacy of scripture. When he was tempted by the devil, he cited passages from Deuteronomy. When he was dying on the cross, he referred to the Psalms. He continually cited the Old Testament and reasoned from its precepts. To put it another way, he presupposed the biblical worldview, and he reasoned covenantally. Everything Jesus thought, spoke, desired, and performed was conditioned by God’s Law.

Third, Jesus modeled the fear of God intellectually and ethically. He embraced Proverbs 1:7a, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” He embodied Proverbs 3:5–7: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”

Fourth, Jesus was supremely wise. He knew what was truly important and what to do about it in the most fruitful manner. He could not be distracted or manipulated by folly. He could not be deterred from his Father’s mission to pursue a fool’s errand.

Fifth, Jesus was supremely knowledgeable. Evidence indicates that he spoke Aramaic and Hebrew. He likely communicated, as well, in Greek and Latin. He could read, as most scribes could. He was well familiar with the ethnic and religious distinctives of Palestine. He possessed a thorough knowledge of Jewish history and scripture, as well as familiarity with the literature of the Second Temple period. He manifested keen situational awareness, and astute theological reasoning.

Sixth, Jesus knew how to communicate with whomever he interacted with. He understood how to keep every interchange on point, how to refute and critique false reasoning, and how to guide each seeker towards the truth. In other words, he thoroughly comprehended human depravity and the intellectual impact of sin.

Seventh, Jesus’ knowing was historically situated. He understood that culture, revelation, sin, and the supernatural impact how and what we think in all its various forms. He discerned the antithetical mindset of the devil and his dominion. He perceived the twisted nature of sinful ideology and oppressive institutions. He recognized the battle of ideas and imagination.

Eighth, Jesus’ knowing was eschatologically conditioned. He defined his earthy existence in terms of God’s redemptive plan from creation, through Israel, to restoration. He knew exactly where he came from, where he was in first century Palestine (with its social, religious, and political complexity), and to where (or to whom) he would return.

Nineth, Jesus’ thinking was ontologically situated. He thought in communion with the Father and Spirit, which is to say his knowledge was Trinitarian. After he died and when he returned to the Father, he sent the divine pedagogue, the Holy Spirit, to guide us until his reappearance, which indicates the significance of the mind from the Trinity’s point of view.

In short, Jesus loved God with all his mind, despite the chaotic, confusing, and demonic context he which he ministered. He embodied the wisdom of the Sons of Issachar, “who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chron 12:32). In accordance with the Shema, he manifested right thinking, pious motivation, and wise application.

We should do likewise and learn to love God with all our minds.

People often refer to the “simple gospel,” as if the Synoptics and John are clear and easily understood. Others, however, assert that they are overly simplistic, meaning that they overlook deeper truths and imply ready-made solutions. The gospels, they say, claim too much or propose answers to questions that are no longer relevant. Their reasoning and assumptions reflect a worldview that is superseded today.

I argue, on the other hand, that the gospels are neither simple nor simplistic. They demonstrate an intellectuality (all the ways that we think) that is multi-faceted and profound. Intellectually, the worldview depicted in the gospels is just as real today.

The gospels presume a high degree of Old Testament literacy. First-time listeners and readers were expected to know the Old Testament worldview and to reason from the Old Testament. According to Jesus, “every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 13:52a) perceives the suffering Messiah depicted in Israel’s scripture and listens to his teaching (Luke 24:25–27). In this way, a true disciple “brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old” (Matt 13:52b).

The gospels utilize argumentation and refutation. Ideas―individual, of groups, and ideologies―were subject to Jesus’ withering critique. Erroneous theological constructs and practices were rejected. Willful ignorance and folly were denounced (John 3:10; Matt 22:29). These encounters show that Jesus was obviously brilliant, but his listeners were often foolish.

Jesus should be considered a genius, not merely because a vast number of people today claim to follow him but also because of the cleverness and wisdom of his teaching. The teaching ascribed to him combines impressive factual knowledge with even more impressive depth of insight, coherence, and simplicity. –Peter J. Williams

Jesus interacted with the major theological perspectives of his time. He dialogued with sophisticated intellectuals vested with power and privilege, poised to oppose him. He also engaged the common folk, male and female, Jew and foreigner. Pedagogically, he used various rhetorical devices to probe the minds of interlocutors: questions, puzzles, stories, and assertions. He utilized common logic, story-telling, and scribal reasoning.

In the gospels, therefore, the mind plays a critical role. Why? Because Jesus was the greatest thinker who ever lived. In the gospels, learning, reasoning, and understanding were paramount. Those who sought discernment were revered. Knowledge acquisition and wisdom attained were prized by Jesus. And those at that time, and now,  attempt to follow his example and imitate his mindset, though finite and fallen thinkers.

The gospels chronicle the intellectual journeys of those seeking understanding, but also those seeking to avoid it. Most of the people who heard the Lord’s teaching did not perceive the message or his significance. They could not “connect the dots” between Old Testament testimony, current messianic expectations, and Jesus’ proclamation. His message did not appear simple or within grasp for many; but rather opaque or even farcical. As a result, confusion, denial, and offense were the typical responses. Though the gospels seek to alleviate this knowledge deficit, as John wrote, “The world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (1:10b–11).

According to the Synoptics and John, therefore, our intellectual matrix and the intellectual profiles of belief and unbelief have not changed since the advent of Jesus Christ. The intellectuality of the gospels is just as relevant now as it was in the past. Would-be followers of Jesus Christ today must still learn to “love God with all their mind” (Mark 12:30).