Monday – March 7, 2016
I hope this is not my face or your face this Monday that the Lord has been merciful to grant. It is time to dive right into God’s Word making His Word our word.
Colossians 2:1-3 (KJV)
1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
I left off on Friday with the discussion about the difference in the word ‘acknowledgement’ in verse two and ‘knowledge’ in verse three. The Greek word translated as ‘acknowledgement’ in verse two is ‘epignōsis’ (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary) which is clear, exact, engaging, motivating one to change type of knowledge. The Greek word translated ‘knowledge’ in verse three is ‘gnōsis’ (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary) which is a “present and fragmentary knowledge as contrasted with ‘epígnōsis’ and exact knowledge which expresses a more thorough participation in the object or knowledge on the part of the knowledgeable subject.” (Complete Word Study Dictionary, The New Testament) So the word ‘knowledge’ in verse three is a lesser level of knowledge in comparison to acknowledgment in verse two but it can also be life transforming. This is the knowledge that leads to salvation and other Godly change.
2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (KJV)
14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
You see the Greek word translated as ‘knowledge’ in verse fourteen is this lesser knowledge and it is where we all start.
This lesser knowledge may be transformative if we receive it and make it our thought, our word, and our way. I don’t want to belabor this too much and hone a point that is too fine but notice in verse three it says “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. The word ‘all’ is the key here, although we can know anything that God knows at any given time we cannot know all that God knows all at once. God and His thoughts are infinite and although we will grow in knowledge infinitely we will never be even close to the surpassing infinite knowledge of God.
On the other hand in verse two with the phrase “the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;” is within our grasp now. After all if we had the lesser knowledge which is temporal (subject to change over time) and fragmented concerning the mystery of God how could we have “all riches of the assurance of understanding”? These seemingly nuances of words in Scripture are important for they tell us more precisely what God has promised therefore what we should be pressing into and what we should expect to receive. The use of the word ‘acknowledgement’ in verse two would generally be interpreted to mean a greeting or a casual response but that is not the case; it means to have a high level of knowledge concerning the “mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;” Quite a difference, one is a casual hand wave, the other is an intimate life changing experience.
Tomorrow I will pick-up a discussion of the mystery of God.
Ephesians 3:9-12 (KJV)
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
The take away point is that the Word of God is very exact and to operate in the fullness of what God has assigned to each of us we must dive into and operate in His exactness. Otherwise we are not saying what He says and if we are not saying what He says than we are saying it ourselves or something the enemy is saying and that will not further the Kingdom of God.
By Pastor David R. Wood
