Some years ago while at the seminary (and this memory is as faint as it can be so I can’t remember who, when or why but) I remember someone saying that even Evangelicals (think the reference was primarily to Pentecostals and Charismatic groups) have fallen into a state of just being nominal organisations. In the context back home we say an election won by the Jamaica Labour Party in a country that political commentators have said over and over again is a People’s National Party Country. This might very well be true, people will tell you that I am a labourite (Jamaica Labour Party supporter) or a socialist (People’s National Party supporter), but in the end those who matter the most are those who get in and stand firmly behind they professed allegiance.
A similar situation exists in the Irish context, where one has to belong to one side or the other. In my experience here, most of the persons I have come in contact with have belong to one side of the fence…at least nominally. In church on Sunday the speak spoke about leading a young man to Christ who had been a Baptist from birth, but had never come to know Jesus.
That dear friends is the important reality in this life in the Kingdom. Do we know him? The Greek and Hebrew paint an interesting picture that gets blurred when we read our English translations. When we look through the Old Testament (written in Hebrew) we find the use of the term know to connote sexual relations between a man and his wife. This lends a vivid picture of knowing someone and the intimacy involved in this knowledge of the person.
The Greek paints another picture using diverse terms to capture the type or level of knowledge it is speaking about in the particular context. In 1 Corinthians 13:12, we see Paul pointing to the fact that we have a hope of coming into the fullness of knowledge knowing all things as everything is known about us by God. This is clearly a hope for the future. We shall epignosomai (fully perceive) even as we are epegnosthen (fully perceived).
That is something to look forward to in the glorious return of Christ. There is a reality now however that we are called to and this is to know Christ. Philippians 3:9-11
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
10 I want to know (gnonai) Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
A similar situation exists in the Irish context, where one has to belong to one side or the other. In my experience here, most of the persons I have come in contact with have belong to one side of the fence…at least nominally. In church on Sunday the speak spoke about leading a young man to Christ who had been a Baptist from birth, but had never come to know Jesus.
That dear friends is the important reality in this life in the Kingdom. Do we know him? The Greek and Hebrew paint an interesting picture that gets blurred when we read our English translations. When we look through the Old Testament (written in Hebrew) we find the use of the term know to connote sexual relations between a man and his wife. This lends a vivid picture of knowing someone and the intimacy involved in this knowledge of the person.
The Greek paints another picture using diverse terms to capture the type or level of knowledge it is speaking about in the particular context. In 1 Corinthians 13:12, we see Paul pointing to the fact that we have a hope of coming into the fullness of knowledge knowing all things as everything is known about us by God. This is clearly a hope for the future. We shall epignosomai (fully perceive) even as we are epegnosthen (fully perceived).
That is something to look forward to in the glorious return of Christ. There is a reality now however that we are called to and this is to know Christ. Philippians 3:9-11
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
10 I want to know (gnonai) Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Paul makes some connections between knowing Christ and the realities of that knowledge. The term above signifies to be taking in knowledge, to come to know, recognize, understand. This is where we are being pointed by the apostle. Have we really recognized who Christ is and the implications of knowing Him. We might say well we can’t know Christ fully, but when you find the scripture to that effect let me know. However, I don’t want to be misunderstood as saying that there is no mystery in Christ, because there is much. But there is enough to be known about him to produce the effects that Paul speak about.
What are the implications of knowing Christ. Well just in listing form since I am already going beyond the attention span of most of my readers. In verse 9 Paul speaks about two things in my mind,
1. the knowledge that comes through faith and
2. the righteousness that comes through that knowing-faith.
Knowledge in some sense is not the basis for our faith, but rather the product of our faith. It is after we have placed our faith in God that we come to know God. In verse 11 we see the likely reward of knowing Christ is the resurrection to glory from the dead for those of us who will die. Verse 10 speaks about the height of our knowledge, the resurrection of Christ…none has ever risen above him since He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. Then there is the depth of our knowledge, his death (including his burial)…being buried, He descended into hades and took the keys of death and the grave. There is also the width of our knowledge, His suffering…the process and progress of becoming like Christ is partaking in his suffering.
“In the NT ginosko frequently indicates a relation between the person "knowing" and the object known; in this respect, what is "known" is of value or importance to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship.” Our relationship with God is based and developed on us knowing Him. He is the object of our ginosko hence what is known is of great value and importance to us. 1 John 5:20 says, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” This "knowledge" is obtained, not by mere intellectual activity, but by operation of the Holy Spirit consequent upon acceptance of Christ.”
“In the NT ginosko frequently indicates a relation between the person "knowing" and the object known; in this respect, what is "known" is of value or importance to the one who knows, and hence the establishment of the relationship.” Our relationship with God is based and developed on us knowing Him. He is the object of our ginosko hence what is known is of great value and importance to us. 1 John 5:20 says, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” This "knowledge" is obtained, not by mere intellectual activity, but by operation of the Holy Spirit consequent upon acceptance of Christ.”
Step from the nominal God does not really care what we call ourselves, it matters more who we know and what we are propelled to do with our knowledge of him.
Let us seek to know!!!
Well a suh mi si it…wah yu tink.
Bibliography
Vine, W. E. "Know, Known, Knowledge, Unknown," Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. Blue Letter Bible. 1940. 1 Apr 2007. 20 Nov 2007. < type="GetTopic&Topic="Know,+Known,+Knowledge,+Unknown#Vines">
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