The ancient inscription on the Delphi Temple read, “Know thyself.” That two word command (or is it an invitation) summarizes
almost all of ancient philosophy; all the great thinkers beginning with Plato sought to do just that – to “know thyself.” It wasn’t just the pagan philosopher either; Christian theologians quickly adopted the motto and reoriented it towards knowing thy true self along with true knowledge of God. Here is a sampling of Christian theologians on “knowing thyself.”
Clement of Alexandria: ”If one knows himself, he will know God.”
Augustine: ”I desire to know God and the soul.” Nothing more?” ”Nothing whatever.”
Augustine (again): ”Let me know myself, let me know Thee.”
Calvin: “Nearly all wisdom we possess … consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.”
What does it mean, then, to “know thyself” and how does it help us know God? Calvin gives a couple of suggestions. First, to “know thyself” is to consider how we were meant to be when first created. We are to ponder all of the great gifts that God gave to us in creation – intellect, creativity, dominion, love, justice, relationships, etc – and to realize that none of these came from our own hand, but by the gracious hand of God. In like manner, the Psalmist bursts into song: ”What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands…” (Ps. 8:4-6). What a delight to contemplate our intended place in God’s good creation!
Seconldy, however, Calvin points out that in “knowing thyself” we understand our “miserable condition” we now find ourselves in because of sin. An honest assessment of who we are now, says Calvin, will reveal to us a “sorry spectacle of our foulness.” (This, I suppose is where we get the image of all the sour-faced Calvinists!) But, thankfully, we don’t stop there. Calvin writes, “From this source arise abhorrence and displeasure with ourselves, as well as true humility; and thence is kindled a new zeal to seek God…” (II.I.i). Earlier he states, “No one can look upon himself without immediately turning his thoughts to the contemplation of God, in whom he ‘lives and moves’” (I.I.i).
So, with a healthful look at thyself, seeing thy intended beauty and realizing thy “sorry spectacle,” turn thy gaze from thyself to the Living God.
