--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most excellent study for expanding…" description: "\"“The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/j-i-packer-2-17620_education_the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-t_1300347.jpg" --- # The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the… ![“The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great…” quote by J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/j-i-packer-2-17620_education_the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-t_1300347.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/j-i-packer-2-17620_education_the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-t_1300347.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/j-i-packer-2-17620_education_the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-t_1300347.jpg) > ““The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity.”” [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Studying Christ’s life, death, and the Trinity deepens spiritual insight and expands human understanding. **In simple terms:** Learning about Christ and the Trinity grows the soul. Key Takeaway Pursue deep, ongoing study of Christian doctrine. Themes spiritual growth theology knowledge faith intellect Mood reverent inspired reflective Type theological devotional educational When to use this quote - personal prayer - Bible study groups - seminar discussions - spiritual retreats Key Concepts Trinity Christology devotion intellectual humility Questions to Reflect On - How does understanding the Trinity affect your daily decisions? - What practices help you maintain earnest study? A Different Perspective May overlook practical application of doctrine in daily life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Spirituality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirituality/) ## Related quotes > [Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued, investigation of the great subject…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/nothing-will-so-enlarge-the-intellect-nothing-so-magnify-the-whole/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [The most excellent study of expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/the-most-excellent-study-of-expanding-the-soul-is-the-science-of/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [To one degree or another, everybody is connected to the Mystery, and everybody secretly yearns to expand the connection. That requires expanding the soul.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/to-one-degree-or-another-everybody-is-connected-to-the-mystery-and/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Knowledge of the sciences is so much smoke apart from the heavenly science of Christ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-calvin/knowledge-of-the-sciences-is-so-much-smoke-apart-from-the-heavenly/) [John Calvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-calvin/) > [I am a little too absorbed by science to be able to philosophise much; but the more I look into myself, the more I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/i-am-a-little-too-absorbed-by-science-to-be-able-to-philosophise-much/) [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/) > [“He was there alone with himself, collected, tranquil, adoring, comparing the serenity of his heart with the serenity of the skies, moved in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-was-there-alone-with-himself-collected-tranquil-adoring-comparing/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The life and soul of science is its practical application, and just as the great advances in mathematics have been made through the desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-kelvin/the-life-and-soul-of-science-is-its-practical-application-and-just-as/) [Lord Kelvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-kelvin/) > [“Everything science has taught me strengthens my belief in the continuity of our spiritual existence after death. I believe in an immortal soul. Science…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-von-braun/everything-science-has-taught-me-strengthens-my-belief-in-the/) [Werner Von Braun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-von-braun/) > [“I maintain, then, that scientific psychology (and, it may be added, the psychology of the same kind that we all unconsciously practise when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-spengler/i-maintain-then-that-scientific-psychology-and-it-may-be-added-the/) [Oswald Spengler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-spengler/) > [“…numerical precision is the very soul of science, and its attainment affords the best, perhaps the only criterion of the truth of theories and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-arcy-wentworth-thompson/numerical-precision-is-the-very-soul-of-science-and-its-attainment/) [D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-arcy-wentworth-thompson/) > [Numerical precision is the very soul of science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-arcy-wentworth-thompson/numerical-precision-is-the-very-soul-of-science/) [D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-arcy-wentworth-thompson/) > [There is no scientific way to validate anything that I or you can say about the soul because science cannot validate the existence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-zukav/there-is-no-scientific-way-to-validate-anything-that-i-or-you-can-say/) [Gary Zukav](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-zukav/) > [Once you understand that there's a spiritual math, add soul to the science and subtract the riff-raff. 24-7-365, cause 9 to 5 ain't alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kool-moe-dee/once-you-understand-that-there-s-a-spiritual-math-add-soul-to-the/) [Kool Moe Dee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kool-moe-dee/) > [There cannot be a greater mistake than that of looking superciliously upon practical applications of science. The life and soul of science is its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-kelvin/there-cannot-be-a-greater-mistake-than-that-of-looking-superciliously/) [Lord Kelvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-kelvin/) > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) ## More by J.I. Packer > [“Trafton, by the way, has taken a lesson from Lewis and written a delightful children’s tale, The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic (see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/trafton-by-the-way-has-taken-a-lesson-from-lewis-and-written-a/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“as signs of inadequacy and weakness, they look on wealth as a source of stability and strength. Our proud hearts shrink from weakness, real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/as-signs-of-inadequacy-and-weakness-they-look-on-wealth-as-a-source/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“the nasty thing which no polite person nowadays will talk about in public. But death, even when unmentionable, remains inescapable. The one sure fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/the-nasty-thing-which-no-polite-person-nowadays-will-talk-about-in/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“The preacher should work to convert his congregation; the wife should work to save her unbelieving husband. Christians are sent to convert, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/the-preacher-should-work-to-convert-his-congregation-the-wife-should/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“Humility is the product of ongoing repentance as one decides against, turns from, and by watching and praying seeks to steer clear of pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/humility-is-the-product-of-ongoing-repentance-as-one-decides-against/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“Taste and see that the LORD is good,” says the psalmist (Ps 34:8). To “taste” is, as we say, to “try” a mouthful of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/taste-and-see-that-the-lord-is-good-says-the-psalmist-ps-34-8-to/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“Historical exegesis is only the preliminary part of interpretation; application is its essence. Exegesis without application should not be called interpretation at all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/historical-exegesis-is-only-the-preliminary-part-of-interpretation/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“There is something exceedingly improving to the mind in a contemplation of the Divinity. It is a subject so vast, that all our thoughts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/there-is-something-exceedingly-improving-to-the-mind-in-a/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“the Son of God told his disciples to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/the-son-of-god-told-his-disciples-to-baptize-in-the-name-of-the/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“so we are cruel to ourselves if we try to live in this world without knowing about the God whose world it is and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/so-we-are-cruel-to-ourselves-if-we-try-to-live-in-this-world-without/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“Nor is it the spirit of those Christians - alas, they are many - whose ambition in life seems limited to building a nice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/nor-is-it-the-spirit-of-those-christians-alas-they-are-many-whose/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/meditation-is-the-activity-of-calling-to-mind-and-thinking-over-and/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“You sum up the whole of New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/you-sum-up-the-whole-of-new-testament-religion-if-you-describe-it-as/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“Many have found it hard to see what claim the law can have on the Christian. We are free from the law, they say;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/many-have-found-it-hard-to-see-what-claim-the-law-can-have-on-the/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) > [“What we have to grasp, then, is that the bad conscience of the natural man is not at all the same thing as conviction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/what-we-have-to-grasp-then-is-that-the-bad-conscience-of-the-natural/) [J.I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) [Explore all 36 J.I. Packer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/) [Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/) > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity. Nothing will so enlarge the intellect, nothing so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "J.I. Packer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-the-soul-is-the-science-of/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-the-soul-is-the-science-of/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/j-i-packer-2-17620_education_the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-t_1300347.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/j-i-packer-2-17620_education_the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-t_1300347.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ad9/j-i-packer-2-17620_education_the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-t_1300347.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The most excellent study for expanding the soul, is the science of Christ, and Him crucified, and the…” — J.I. Packer", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "J.I. Packer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer-2/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The most excellent study for expanding...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-the-soul-is-the-science-of/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer-2/the-most-excellent-study-for-expanding-the-soul-is-the-science-of/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```