Jesus said, "Those who know all, but are lacking in themselves, are utterly lacking." (67 Thomas)

Another translation offers, "He who knows the All, but fails to know himself, misses everything."

Scholars dispute if the knowing all is an earnest know thyself, a dismissive know-it-all, or a mystical knowing of the universe.

In any case none of this knowledge is of value if we lack in ourselves.

In very everyday ways we are aware of this truth. We have met those who pursue knowledge primarily to compensate for self-doubt. The self-doubt undermines the credibiltity of their knowledge.

There are no gospel parallels to this saying, but it reminds me of the prologue to Corinthians 13: "If I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing."

Tielhard de Chardin counsels, "First, develop yourself... (this) is the collaboration, trembling with love, which we give to the hands of God, concerned to attire and prepare us for the final union through sacrfice. Understood in this way, the care which we devote to personal achievement and embellishment is no more than a gift begun." (The Divive Milieu)