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This article was originally written for and published by Good Faith Media on September 16, 2024.
In his December 2017 Ted Talk, Dr. Mikhail Varshavski, D.O., known by his nearly 13 million YouTube subscribers as “Dr. Mike,” warned of a so-called “I Know All” (IKA) expert in the doctor’s office.
Dr. Mike said this expert is someone who enters the doctor’s office thinking they know just what they need to fix their issues. They present convincing theories, usually hoping that a side effect of the doctor’s gullibility is getting what they want.
Dr. Mike also adds that in moments where good science has repeatedly proven that positive outcomes are only achieved through hard work and dedication, these IKA experts flourish in exploiting human laziness.
As an avid follower of Dr. Mike, I have watched this Ted Talk multiple times. In my most recent rewatching, I realized that IKA experts exist not only in the healthcare setting but also in Christianity.
Rather than someone knowing precisely what they need to be cured — or someone spreading false theories on miracle cures — Christian IKA experts offer one thing: salvation.
What do you need to do to achieve this salvation?
Simply get on your knees, tithe to the IKA’s church, and pray to God for forgiveness and repentance. It is a rather easy and simple way to guarantee a spot in heaven.
But no matter how much money you give or repenting you do, there is only one thing that can truly get you into heaven: placing your entire, unwavering faith in Jesus Christ and doing so wholly, truthfully, and completely.
Salvation is a lifelong, arduous process of doing wild and radical things like loving your neighbor and your enemy, feeding people experiencing poverty, clothing the unclothed and housing the unhoused.
Compared to the other option— the quick, easy prayer of forgiveness for sins, with a generous tithe to Pastor Kenneth Copeland— this other way of achieving salvation is downright dirty. But being dirty is a good metaphor for following Jesus.
One of my favorite messages in the Bible is the unknown life each disciple signed up for when responding to that vague, cold command from Jesus: “Follow me.” The disciples left their homes, families and entire way of life to follow someone who claimed to be the Messiah.
If they didn’t understand hard, dirty work, they sure were about to. Imprisonment, judgment, harassment, and discrimination followed these early disciples as they spread the message of God throughout the world. Paul was imprisoned by the Romans for several years, and John wrote the Book of Revelation from a jail cell on the island of Patmos.
Not only do “I Know All” Christians offer an easy way to get into heaven as part of their “cure-all” remedies, but they also come to the Bible with that same “I Know All” attitude.
It is exactly in opening up that red cover and saying, “I know this,” that IKA Christians pervert the idea of modern Christianity beyond recognition. They choose to take only small snippets of the scriptures out of context and even then, twist those snippets around to spread a false belief.
For example, Leviticus states that “man shall not lie with male as with women; for it is an abomination” (18:22). But when taken in the context of the entire Bible and the world as it is today compared to when these words were written, I see something starkly different.
First, Jesus credits the next greatest commandment in the law: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” second only to loving God with your entire being (Matthew 22: 37-39). Jesus said this is the “commandment to hang the law and the prophets on.” Show me another instance in which someone of equal or perhaps higher authority than the Son of God contradicted this teaching and I might consider reevaluating my position that everyone should be loved equally, regardless of sexual orientation.
Second, the IKA Christian often clings to select verses while ignoring the broader context of Jesus’ message of love, compassion, and grace.
For example, some take the words of Leviticus 18:22 at face value without considering the cultural and historical contexts that shaped those writings. Meanwhile, they overlook the far-reaching call of Jesus to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39)– a commandment he defined as central to all other teachings.
Scripture is not a tool to affirm our biases but a guide that challenges us to grow, love and serve beyond our comfort zones. We must approach it with humility and openness rather than an “I Know All” mindset. We must allow God’s message to continually shape and transform us.
Dangerous things happen when someone approaches scripture with an “I Know All” mindset, especially when they twist words to fit their own agenda or seek to offer easy answers.
This journey is meant to be challenging. Just as no pill or quick fix can substitute for a healthy lifestyle in medicine, no simple prayer or hollow ritual can replace the deep, often uncomfortable work of living out the teachings of Christ.
True discipleship is not about certainty or shortcuts. It’s about embracing the unknown, wrestling with difficult truths, and committing to a life of radical love and service.
Followers of Christ must be willing to get our hands dirty— challenging ourselves to go beyond superficial beliefs and engage with the fullness of God’s call day after day. Only then will we reject the dangers of the “I Know All” attitude and embrace the life of humility and genuine faith that Jesus modeled.