--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The truth is that we don't know much…" description: "\"The truth is that we don't know much about the spiritual world except for what Scripture tells us, so it's unwise to think we can speak with clarity ab..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/michael-s-heiser-25482_belief_the-truth-is-that-we-don-t-know-much-abo_1372209.jpg" --- # The truth is that we don't know much about the spiritual… ![“The truth is that we don't know much about the spiritual world except for what Scripture tells us, so it's unwise to think we can speak with clarity about what a divine being can or cannot do. The tools of analyzing the natural world are of no use for analyzing the supernatural world. For the…” quote by Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/michael-s-heiser-25482_belief_the-truth-is-that-we-don-t-know-much-abo_1372209.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/michael-s-heiser-25482_belief_the-truth-is-that-we-don-t-know-much-abo_1372209.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/19c/michael-s-heiser-25482_belief_the-truth-is-that-we-don-t-know-much-abo_1372209.jpg) > “The truth is that we don't know much about the spiritual world except for what Scripture tells us, so it's unwise to think we can speak with clarity about what a divine being can or cannot do. The tools of analyzing the natural world are of no use for analyzing the supernatural world. For the latter we need rules of logic, and the supernatural beliefs of the biblical writers are quite defensible in that arena.” [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Human reasoning tools suited for the natural world fail to explain the supernatural; logical frameworks and biblical context are needed for divine matters. **In simple terms:** Science can't fully explain the divine; we need logic and scripture. Key Takeaway Use appropriate methods when exploring spiritual topics. Themes faith epistemology theology Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - religious study - philosophical debate - personal belief formation Key Concepts logic scripture limitations of science Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance scientific inquiry with spiritual belief? - What logical tools help us understand divine concepts? A Different Perspective Science alone can't address supernatural questions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Biblical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biblical/) [Clarity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clarity/) [Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine/) [Logic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/logic/) [Natural world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-world/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Scripture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [How much of what the biblical writers believed about the supernatural world do I believe? They weren't us. We are products of the Enlightenment;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/how-much-of-what-the-biblical-writers-believed-about-the-supernatural/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [“All religions, I claim, involve counterintuitive beliefs in supernatural beings. Moreover, such beliefs are systematically counterintuitive in the same basic ways. As we shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-atran/all-religions-i-claim-involve-counterintuitive-beliefs-in/) [Scott Atran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-atran/) > [My objection to supernatural beliefs is precisely that they miserably fail to do justice to the sublime grandeur of the real world. They represent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/my-objection-to-supernatural-beliefs-is-precisely-that-they-miserably/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [When people have supernatural beliefs I think they should be respected but there is no reason why they need to impose them on others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mcewan/when-people-have-supernatural-beliefs-i-think-they-should-be/) [Ian Mcewan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mcewan/) > [The powers of darkness are still part of the spiritual world - they don't become something else when they rebel against God. Disembodied believers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/the-powers-of-darkness-are-still-part-of-the-spiritual-world-they-don/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [The supernatural world, the sci-fi world - they give you scenarios that can truly be life or death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-plec/the-supernatural-world-the-sci-fi-world-they-give-you-scenarios-that/) [Julie Plec](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-plec/) > [I don't like to pretend I was guided in any way by the supernatural world, but the more you talk about that, the easier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-kent/i-don-t-like-to-pretend-i-was-guided-in-any-way-by-the-supernatural/) [Hannah Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-kent/) > [Which is so important, I mean, that's what's so great about the books, is, you know, those two worlds are sort of, the slacker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-elizabeth-winstead/which-is-so-important-i-mean-that-s-what-s-so-great-about-the-books/) [Mary Elizabeth Winstead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-elizabeth-winstead/) > ['Legacies' is its own show, and it takes on a younger twist to the supernatural world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-rose-russell/legacies-is-its-own-show-and-it-takes-on-a-younger-twist-to-the/) [Danielle Rose Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-rose-russell/) > [The supernatural world has always been more real to me than the real world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/the-supernatural-world-has-always-been-more-real-to-me-than-the-real/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) > [I’d been declared—over my loud and sustained protests—Pythia, the chief seer of the supernatural world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-chance/i-d-been-declared-over-my-loud-and-sustained-protests-pythia-the/) [Karen Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-chance/) > [I like something where I can really use my imagination and be an active participant in the construction of the monster and usually that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-raimi/i-like-something-where-i-can-really-use-my-imagination-and-be-an/) [Sam Raimi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-raimi/) > [“The supernatural world was like an onion. You peel back the layers, only to find more layers, on and on, hopelessly trying to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-vaughne/the-supernatural-world-was-like-an-onion-you-peel-back-the-layers/) Carrie Vaughne > [“People look like crazy, they do crazy things and they love their crazy life; stop inspiring them with your supernatural world and let them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-f-moonzajer/people-look-like-crazy-they-do-crazy-things-and-they-love-their-crazy/) [M.F. Moonzajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-f-moonzajer/) > [“Nulls are the wrecking ball of the supernatural world: we swing in and out of situations, creating damage and chaos. But sometimes in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-f-olson/nulls-are-the-wrecking-ball-of-the-supernatural-world-we-swing-in-and/) [Melissa F. Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-f-olson/) ## More by Michael S. Heiser > [We think "reading the Bible in context" means thinking about the handful of verses before and after the verses we're looking at on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/we-think-reading-the-bible-in-context-means-thinking-about-the/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [If I were one of the gods who just wound up supervising humans, I'd want to influence the decision-makers to live according to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/if-i-were-one-of-the-gods-who-just-wound-up-supervising-humans-i-d/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [What I mean by context is worldview - having the ancient Israelite or first-century Jew in your head as you read. How would an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/what-i-mean-by-context-is-worldview-having-the-ancient-israelite-or/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [Why are you uncomfortable with the supernaturalist worldview of the biblical writers? Evangelicals don't want to just say, "Well, the inspired writers were wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/why-are-you-uncomfortable-with-the-supernaturalist-worldview-of-the/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [We like to pretend the core ideas of the faith are more palatable or workable within our modern rationalistic approach to Scripture than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/we-like-to-pretend-the-core-ideas-of-the-faith-are-more-palatable-or/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [Our contexts are foreign. They derive from church tradition that is thousands of years removed from the people who wrote Scripture and the audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/our-contexts-are-foreign-they-derive-from-church-tradition-that-is/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [Rebellion against God results in being cast out of his service. God doesn't run the affairs of the spiritual world or our world with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/rebellion-against-god-results-in-being-cast-out-of-his-service-god/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [If you don't have the worldview of the people who produced the Bible - under inspiration no less, - you can't understand what they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/if-you-don-t-have-the-worldview-of-the-people-who-produced-the-bible/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [The powers of darkness are still part of the spiritual world - they don't become something else when they rebel against God. Disembodied believers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/the-powers-of-darkness-are-still-part-of-the-spiritual-world-they-don/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [Ruling the way God wants you to rule means fostering the ordered relationships he desires, not because he is a killjoy, but because that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/ruling-the-way-god-wants-you-to-rule-means-fostering-the-ordered/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [God doesn't save us to perpetuate a particular Christian sub-culture. He saves us to advance a supernatural kingdom that is not of this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/god-doesn-t-save-us-to-perpetuate-a-particular-christian-sub-culture/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [“Conversations didn’t always end well. That sort of thing happens when you demand that creeds and traditions get in line behind the biblical text.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/conversations-didn-t-always-end-well-that-sort-of-thing-happens-when/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [We impose our modern worldview on the Bible to make it conform to our intellectual happy place. But we deceive ourselves into thinking this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/we-impose-our-modern-worldview-on-the-bible-to-make-it-conform-to-our/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [How much of what the biblical writers believed about the supernatural world do I believe? They weren't us. We are products of the Enlightenment;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/how-much-of-what-the-biblical-writers-believed-about-the-supernatural/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) > [Angels can fail because God allows them to make decisions and they are lesser beings than the perfect God. They can go astray, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-s-heiser/angels-can-fail-because-god-allows-them-to-make-decisions-and-they/) [Michael S. Heiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) [Explore all 23 Michael S. Heiser quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-s-heiser/) ## More Belief quotes > [“Cine a ucis stelele? Cine a surpat drumul spre viitor al celor din morminte?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ionel-teodoreanu/cine-a-ucis-stelele-cine-a-surpat-drumul-spre-viitor-al-celor-din/) [Ionel Teodoreanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ionel-teodoreanu/) > [“MIND & GRIND Self-belief and hard work can propel you past more talented peers”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamil-ali/mind-grind-self-belief-and-hard-work-can-propel-you-past-more/) [Kamil Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamil-ali/) > [Philosopher is a dictator who modifies accepted standards with his thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilkin-santak/philosopher-is-a-dictator-who-modifies-accepted-standards-with-his/) [Ilkin Santak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilkin-santak/) > [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/) [Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/) > [It took me 20 years of hard training to get the physique I have today. what you need is what i had - BELIEF…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-warren/it-took-me-20-years-of-hard-training-to-get-the-physique-i-have-today/) [Branch Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-warren/) > [“Here is a fundamental difference between the man of faith and the man of unbelief. The unbeliever is 'of the world', judges everything by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-w-pink/here-is-a-fundamental-difference-between-the-man-of-faith-and-the-man/) [Arthur W. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-w-pink/) > [“She herself vacillated when it came to belief. She did not particularly believe in God. Or, rather, she didn't believe in a particular God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allegra-goodman/she-herself-vacillated-when-it-came-to-belief-she-did-not/) [Allegra Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allegra-goodman/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [“Rigid traditions capture souls prisons of spiritual thought man’s religion has captured a god grown too small and very weak.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-earle/rigid-traditions-capture-souls-prisons-of-spiritual-thought-man-s/) [David W Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-earle/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. 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Arguments which penetrate into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-koestler/the-inner-defenses-are-unconscious-they-consist-of-a-kind-of-magic/) [Arthur Koestler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-koestler/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [In business, as in politics, it is never easy to go against the beliefs and attitudes held by the majority. The businessman who moves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/in-business-as-in-politics-it-is-never-easy-to-go-against-the-beliefs/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [There's no greatest moment in the arts. It's a life; it's a continuity thing. You can't have a great moment because it's spiritual. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-neiman/there-s-no-greatest-moment-in-the-arts-it-s-a-life-it-s-a-continuity/) [LeRoy Neiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-neiman/) > [To preserve an unclouded capacity for the enjoyment of life is an unusual moral and psychological achievement. Contrary to popular belief, it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-branden/to-preserve-an-unclouded-capacity-for-the-enjoyment-of-life-is-an/) [Nathaniel Branden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-branden/) [Browse all 10,268 Belief quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The truth is that we don't know much about the spiritual world except for what Scripture tells us, so it's unwise to think we can speak with clarity about what a divine being can or cannot do. The tools of analyzing the natural world are of no use for analyzing the supernatural world. 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