Part X6.1 - Epignosis
The MatureKnowledge-Epignosis As presented in the last chapter, the Scriptures speak of a particular aspect of faith-the faith-which encompasses all that is contained in the Word of the Kingdom and how to enter into the Reign of the Heavens. We are called to walk by faith, not by sight, and we walk by faith as we hold to the faith. Our Lord is coming and we have a tremendous hope set before us. It is the hope of entering into His Kingdom and reigning with Him in glory. In our search to further understand the Word of the Kingdom and the way into the Reign of the Heavens, we discover that there is a specific type of knowledge and a specific type of truth which refer to that blessed event when our Lord comes as the King of kings and His Kingdom is established.
John, the beloved and elderly apostle, wrote a personal letter to his beloved Gaius, whom he loved in truth (3 John 1:1): I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth (3 John 1:4NKJ). Just as we are to walk in the faith, we are to walk in the truth. In John’s day, believers were being led away from the truth into many other things. As he wrote to Gaius, John brought to his attention a brother named Diotrephes who loved to have the preeminence among those in a local assembly (3 John 1:9NKJ). This is one of the sad commentaries of church history; down through the centuries, men have sought to be preeminent amongst God’s people rather than lift up the Head of the Church, the Preeminent One, our Lord Jesus. Is it any different today?
It is the truth that sets men free from such tyranny, the tyranny of self-exaltation. In John’s gospel, our Lord stated: "If you abide in My word, {then} you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32). The word abide means "to remain" or "to continue." Thus, the Lord was stating that if a true believer (John 8:30) is to become a true disciple, he must continue in His word. Where do we find the truth today? It is in the Word of God. It is here that we know the truth. As stressed throughout this book, there is no greater truth than the truth about God’s King and His coming Kingdom. Coming into this truth truly sets one free. In the Scriptures, there are many facets of knowledge and truth. Upon knowledge and truth are built the doctrines that are held by Christians, and we must hold to the knowledge and the truth that God reveals to us in His Word. Without them, we have no foundation upon which to stand or to build. As with the faith, we discover that there is a particular type of knowledge and truth. There is the knowledge and the truth. In fact, there are five verses that contain the phrase the knowledge of the truth; these verses speak of a mature knowledge that is vital to every child of God who desires to grow up to be a son of the Kingdom. We must grow from babes in Christ who feed on milk to spiritual sons in Christ who feed on the meat of the Word. Understanding the mature knowledge will open up the Word of the Kingdom and unlock the Scriptures to all who are serious about coming into the Reign of the Heavens. To this end, the goal of this chapter is to reveal that the mature knowledge is the foundation of the epistles, and this foundation is the King and His coming Kingdom. This foundation is our hope and it is this hope upon which all prophetic Scripture is built.
TheKnowledge
What is the knowledge? In the Bible, one of the Greek words for knowledge is gnosis, which simply means "knowledge," such as attaining basic understanding of facts and various things. Initial salvation is based on knowledge. As the Holy Spirit convicts the lost, they are to come into a personal knowledge of Jesus Christ. When the Spirit speaks to a heart, He enables the person to believe that Jesus is the Christ; and after a person is saved, this knowledge is to be manifested through him, as well.
"And this is eternal life, that they may know [ginosko-the root word from which gnosis is derived] Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent." (John 17:3) To give to His people {the} knowledge [gnosis] of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. (Luke 1:77) But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge [gnosis] of Him in every place. (2 Corinthians 2:14)
However, there is another Greek word used in the Scriptures which often is translated as knowledge, but the greater meaning is lost in the translation. The word is epignosis, which is an intensified form of gnosis. When the prefix epi is added to gnosis, it adds a greater dimension to the knowledge. It means "deeper, superior, after, above or beyond." Thus, epignosis is "deeper knowledge," "superior knowledge," "after knowledge" or "an above knowledge." A simple way of defining epignosis is that it is themature or full knowledge.
Epignosis is found only in the epistles and is used twenty times. Paul used it fifteen times, Peter used it four times and it is found once in the letter to the Hebrews (Romans 1:28; Romans 3:20; Romans 10:2; Ephesians 1:17; Ephesians 4:13, Php 1:9; Colossians 1:9-10; Colossians 2:2; Colossians 3:10; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:25; 2 Timothy 3:7; Titus 1:1; Philemon 1:6; Hebrews 10:26; 2 Peter 1:2-3; 2 Peter 1:8; 2 Peter 2:20). The Word of the Kingdom is the mature knowledge which is the central message of the Scriptures and which is expressed in various ways when the word epignosis is used. The mature knowledge is very much the same as the faith. We are to come into themature knowledge, just as we are to contend earnestly for the faith. Coming into the mature knowledge means that a person not only knows the truth or this superior knowledge but also appropriates it in his daily walk. In other words, the mature knowledge is the truth by which a Christian lives. The Christian is called to come into the mature knowledge, to live by it, to be absorbed by it, to be led by it and to overcome through it. It is the goal that sets the course for the life of the Lord’s people as they sojourn to His coming Kingdom.
Some people might think that the Lord’s return and His Kingdom are not for the mature, rather it is for the babes in Christ. However, the Scriptures are abundantly clear that the Second Coming of Christ and all that this means is theepignosis. The mature saints are looking for His return. They are watching and waiting for His return with eager expectation, and it is this hunger for the Lord that directs their lives each day.
TheTruth
What is the truth? All truth of the Scripture is summed up in the One who is the Truth, our Lord Jesus Christ. However, there is a specific aspect of the truth that encompasses the central theme of the entire prophetic Scriptures. As our Lord Jesus was about to be crucified, Pilate asked Jesus, "Are You the King of the Jews?" Jesus spoke of His Kingdom that is not of this world, to which Pilate replied, "So You are a king?" Jesus answered: "You say {correctly} that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice" (John 18:37{ea}). Of what did Jesus bear witness? What was the truth? "I am a king. For this I have been born." Thus, one of the most fundamental aspects of the truth refers to the fact that Christ is the King. He is not only the King of the Jews but He is the King of the coming Kingdom of Heaven. When Christ came the first time, He was the King who wore a crown of thorns, suffering unto death on a cross. When He comes the second time, He will be the King who is crowned with many crowns, crowned with glory and honor. This is the truth.
Now, let us look at the Scriptures. The whole purpose of studying these Scriptures is to prove that the Word of the Kingdom is the mature knowledge. In fact, it is the structure upon which all the epistles are built. In other words, no matter what the overall theme is of the epistle, the Word of the Kingdom or the Kingdom of God’s Son is the truth that supports the writing.
TheKnowledge OfTheTruth
First, let us look at the phrase the knowledge of the truth, which is found in five places (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:25; 2 Timothy 3:7; Titus 1:1; Hebrews 10:26-27).
TheMatureKnowledge OfTheTruth In Timothy As he was nearing the end of his life on earth, Paul wrote two letters to his beloved Timothy, his true son in the faith. In his first letter, Paul exhorted: First of all, then, I urge that entreaties {and} prayers, petitions {and} thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge[epignosis]of the truth. For there is one God, {and} one mediator also between God and men, {the} man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:1-5{ea}). At first glance, we might see these verses as a command to pray for peace and for the gospel of the grace of God (eternal salvation, salvation of the spirit) to go forth. In other words, we need good government so that we can lead the lost to the Lord. Truly, Paul wanted to see the lost saved, but this was not Paul’s driving motivation. He saw eternal salvation as the door into the Kingdom when Christ comes in the glory of His Father to sit upon the throne of the Kingdom of Heaven. Paul declared the whole purpose of God, testifying solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God and preaching the Kingdom (Acts 20:24-25). What is God’s purpose? To call out a people from the Gentiles who will be co-heirs with His Son in reigning over this earth in the age to come (Acts 15:14).
Notice that Paul had a purpose in his exhortation for entreaties (supplications), prayers, petitions and thanksgivings (intercessions) to be made, and that was for believers to live a tranquil and quiet life (peaceable) in all godliness and dignity (reverence). What is good and acceptable in the sight of God? That believers live a godly and reverent life. The emphasis of Paul was on the believer, not the lost. As Paul wrote, God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. We need to underline this and. Eternal salvation is not the end; it is only the beginning. Once we are saved, we are exhorted to come into the knowledge of the truth; and this truth is centered on the one Man, Christ Jesus, who is the mediator between God and men. This knowledge is more than some basic facts; it is the mature knowledge of the Man Christ Jesus, and this knowledge deals with the coming reign of Christ. To prove this point, consider the foundation of Paul’s two letters that he wrote to Timothy at the end of his life. What did he emphasize to Timothy? If we see his emphasis, we will see the foundation and we will see the mature knowledge. In 1 Timothy, he wrote of the gospel of the glory of the blessed God [glory refers to the coming Kingdom (1.11 ASV)]; the mystery of the faith (3.9); that which is to come [the Kingdom Age (4.8; 6.19)]; striving (agonizing) or fighting the good fight of the faith, laying hold on the life of the age to come [the Kingdom Age (6.12 NKJ)]; making the good confession [Jesus is King! (John 18:37)]; keeping this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing [His Second Coming (6.14 NKJ)]. In 2 Timothy, he wrote of life and immortality (1.10); that Day [the return of the Lord (1.12,18)]; salvation and glory (2.10); reigning with Him [during His millennial reign (2.12)]; the resurrection and the faith (2.18); vessels of gold and silver, vessels of honor (2.20-21); judgment and His appearing and Kingdom (4.1); the crown of righteousness awaiting all who have loved His appearing [when He comes to Judge (4.8)]; and the Heavenly Kingdom which awaited Paul (4.18). This is themature knowledge that Paul wanted to leave with Timothy. Yes, there were practical instructions given; but Paul never strayed from the goal of the Kingdom, and he was faithful to keep it before Timothy, as well. Why? Because it is the foundation of our hope! We need epignosis, themature knowledge, thesuperior knowledge, the knowledge that comes after we receive the knowledge of eternal salvation. It is the gospel of the Glory of Christ, the Day of Christ that is coming.
Like the faith, themature knowledge is something that we must lay hold of and not let go. But what did Paul see as he was about to depart this life? He saw believers falling away from the faith, and he saw some not able to come into it because of men who had a form of godliness but denied its power (2 Timothy 3:1-7). These men preyed upon weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to themature knowledge of the truth. Paul, along with Peter, James and Jude, warned of apostasy in the last days, believers falling away from where they once stood. In other words, they had fallen away from themature knowledge. They were the ones who said, "Where is the promise of His coming?" (2 Peter 3:4).
Paul did not tell Timothy to discard those who were a problem. On the contrary, he counseled Timothy how to approach ones who were in opposition to the truth as he had taught it. And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge[epignosis] of the truth, and they may come to their senses {and escape} from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26{ea})
What was Paul’s heart in the matter? That those in opposition would be granted repentance leading to themature, full knowledge of the truth. Obviously, these were Christians who had gone astray (fallen away from the faith), having fallen into the snare of the devil; or as Paul told Timothy; "They have turned aside to follow Satan" (1 Timothy 5:15). The mature knowledge is not for the lost, for they must start with the basic knowledge of Christ. Believers are the ones who are in danger of becoming ensnared by the devil (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9).
God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth; and once we come into it, we are encouraged and exhorted to remain in it. As the Lord Jesus said, "If you abide (continue) in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine." The MatureKnowledge OfTheTruth In Titus
After his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul began to travel; and at some point in his journey, he visited the island of Crete. When he left the island, he left behind Titus, a true child in the common faith. Later, Paul wrote a personal letter to Titus, instructing him on some important matters. The letter to Titus along with the letters to Timothy represent Paul’s last written words before he was martyred in Rome.
There was a problem in the church on the island of Crete. Paul instructed Titus to set in order or "to straighten further" the things that were lacking or that remained to be done (Titus 1:5). There were idle talkers and deceivers who were teaching things which they ought not. They were out for dishonest gain. Even one of their prophets said that "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." As people, the Cretans were ungodly people who were living for the lust of the flesh. They were impure, slanderers, thieves, hateful, contentious, divisive and many other things that are not unto godliness (Titus 1:10-16; Titus 2:3; Titus 2:10; Titus 2:12; Titus 3:3; Titus 3:9-11). It is clear that the believers in Crete were saved, but they were still living according to the old man, the lust of the flesh.
Paul left Titus in Crete to deal with this condition amongst God’s people. In instructing Titus, Paul emphasized themature knowledge.
Paul, a bond-servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge [epignosis]of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago. (Titus 1:1-2{ea})
Paul was not writing about mere facts; he was writing about something that is mature. It is the mature knowledge of the truth. There are many truths unfolded in the Scriptures, but themature knowledge in regard to godliness and the hope of eternal life refers to the way into the Kingdom and the hope of the life of the age to come. Godliness is one of the qualities which is added to faith in securing the abundant entrance into the Kingdom (2 Peter 1:5-11). To fully understand what Paul meant when He wrote of the hope of eternal life, we need to understand the phrase eternal life as used in this letter. In the Greek language, there is no word for eternal as the English language uses the word. The Greek word used for eternal is aionios, which refers to "a period of time," usually thought of as "an age." Therefore, to properly understand the use of this word eternal in the Scriptures, we must understand the context of its use. It may mean eternal in the usual sense of the English word, or it may refer to a specific age or period of time. In other words, we should not apply the word eternal the same way in all cases. We need to understand the word based on the context in which it is used. In most of the modern English-language Bibles, the word eternal is used; but in some translations that have attempted to retain as much as possible of the original Greek thought, we discover the use of the phrase age-lasting or age-during instead of the word eternal. In Young’s Literal Translation of the Holy Bible, Titus 1:2; Titus 3:7 read "hope of life age-during" and "heirs we may become according to the hope of life age-during." In other words, Paul’s hope was life in the age to come and the Reign of the Heavens. This hope sums up the very heart of Paul and all of his writings. For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. (Titus 2:11-13)
Paul’s foundation was the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior. It was as if Paul continually wrote: "Okay, now that you have eternal life, let me show you, let me reveal to you what lies ahead and the course that we must follow to get there. We need to press into this goal, into this heavenly calling, into this upward call. It is our blessed hope!" When we read Titus, we need to see that at the very center of the letter is this blessed hope. It is themature knowledge of the truth that God promised long ages ago. This appearing occurs in association with the coming age when our Lord will take the scepter of the Kingdom of Heaven and reign. As a Christian, our hope is in relation to this day and our participation in His Kingdom and Glory. It is our hope to be partakers of Christ’s glory. As Paul wrote to the Colossians: "When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4). Paul also encouraged the Thessalonians to walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own Kingdom and Glory (1 Thessalonians 2:12). A day is coming when the Lord Himself will be glorified in His saints (2 Thessalonians 1:10).
We not only have a hope but a blessed hope or a happy hope. In other words, what is set before us should bring joy to our hearts and a hunger to press on toward this day. It is our "happy" hope. It even is an anchor to our soul (Hebrews 6:19), which so easily gets upset by the trials of this life. When the times get too difficult for us, we need to rejoice because we have a blessed hope set before us. We will have momentary afflictions but they are light afflictions that are producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Nothing compares to the glory of Christ and His coming Kingdom. In Titus 3:7, after unfolding eternal salvation and being justified by His grace, Paul moved beyond our present possession and proceeded to our blessed hope-that we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life, the hope of life age-during. We only can be heirs if we are justified by grace; but once justified, we must see that we have an inheritance set before us and that inheritance has to do with the Kingdom of Heaven. James wrote of being heirs of the Kingdom which He promised to those who love Him (James 2:5). Notice that there is a condition to this inheritance, and it is love for our beloved Savior. Love never fails!
Thus, in Titus we have the thought of a hope for a life and an inheritance in an age to come. The age that Paul wrote of is the Kingdom Age which precedes the eternal ages or, as Peter called it, the Day of Eternity (2 Peter 3:18). Hope and inheritance are not used in reference to our eternal salvation, which is our present possession, but in reference to what lies before the endless ages. The blessed hope set before a Christian refers to the hope of entering into His Kingdom as one who has been a good and faithful steward in this life. The reward will be given to Christians for faithful service to Christ while He has been away receiving a kingdom, and it will be in relation to assuming governmental positions of reigning in the coming Kingdom of our Lord, of entering the Reign of the Heavens. This was Paul’s gospel that he faithfully preached and what he himself fought for so diligently so that he would not be disqualified from receiving the reward (prize) of the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 9:24-27). This is the mature knowledge of the truth. The MatureKnowledge OfTheTruth In Hebrews The central theme of the epistle to the Hebrew believers is given to us: For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking (Hebrews 2:5). In other words, the letter is about the world to come or the age to come which is the Kingdom Age. The first chapter of Hebrews clearly reveals the theme, and it is centered on the Son and His Kingdom. But of the Son {He says} "Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom." (Hebrews 1:8)
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the writer gave six warnings to Christians about coming into the age to come (Hebrews 2:1-4; chp. 3 and 4; 6.1-2; 10.26-27; 12.14-17; 12.25-29). This age is spoken of as the seventh day, the day of rest (Hebrews 4:4), and a warning is given of the possibility of a Christian coming short of the promise of entering into this day (Hebrews 4:1). We are exhorted: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 3:15; Hebrews 4:7). The fate of the nation of Israel when they rebelled against God and fell in the wilderness due to unbelief is placed before us as a warning that we too could fall in our sojourn on this earth. We are exhorted to hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm to the end (Hebrews 3:6), and to hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end (Hebrews 3:14). We are given great encouragement that today our Lord Jesus is our High Priest ministering in the heavenly sanctuary on our behalf. Because of His blood which is sprinkled on the mercy seat, He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).
All of this and much more speak of the mature knowledge. The writer even exhorted the Hebrews that they had fallen short of maturing in their knowledge because they had come to need milk and not solid food, which speaks of the mature knowledge (Hebrews 5:12). Adults require solid food; babies require milk. In chapter 10 of the Hebrew letter, we come to the fourth warning, and it is in reference to the mature knowledge of the truth. For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge[epignosis] of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. (Hebrews 10:26-27{ea}) In the verse before this warning and in the verses that follow, the writer tells us what is the mature knowledge of the truth.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging {one another} and all the more, as you see the day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23-25) For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay. But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. (Hebrews 10:36-39)
These verses are filled with the mature knowledge. "Hold fast the confession of our hope" speaks of our blessed hope of the appearing of the glory of our Savior. The Day that is drawing near is the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the same as the confession of our hope. Endurance is needed to run the race of the faith. If we endure, we shall reign with Him. "He who is coming, and will not delay" speaks for itself. Having faith to the preserving of the soul is the goal of our faith-the salvation of our soul that we will receive in the Day of our Lord if we lose our soul-life during our days on earth. The warning is directly related to the salvation of our soul. If we go on sinning willfully, not availing ourselves of the ministry of our High Priest on our behalf, we will lose our soul-life in the Kingdom Age and suffer great loss. [Losing the soul-life means that one will not enter into the joy of the Kingdom but will suffer in his soul (weeping and gnashing of teeth) over what he could have had. He lost the privilege of reigning with Christ.] But notice that this warning is related to having received the mature knowledge of the truth. In other words, if after hearing and understanding the Word of the Kingdom, we continue in sin, not bringing it under the blood, then there will be a terrifying expectation of judgment. We all must appear at the judgment seat of Christ, and this occurs when the Lord comes for His people in the day of His Kingdom. Is there any doubt as to what is the mature knowledge of the truth? We are exhorted to come into it and to hold fast to it, and to live a life of faith and godliness. When we do sin, we must confess our sin to our High Priest who is merciful, faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness (Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 1:9). Thank God for our High Priest!
Now, as we continue to look at the mature knowledge, we will discover that it is presented differently in the remaining Scriptures, but the Word of the Kingdom can be seen closely aligned with the verses. The MatureKnowledge In Romans In the letter to the Romans, epignosis is used three times. In each case, themature knowledge is used in reference to loss. These references are instructive as to what happens to those who do not come into it in the first place or do not hold the mature knowledge once received.
First, the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. There were those who knew God but did not glorify Him as God and God gave them up to uncleanness. Why? Because they did not retain the mature knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind (Romans 1:28NKJ). Once we come into themature knowledge, it is something that we are to retain. If we fall away from it, our latter condition will be worse than the beginning (2 Peter 2:20).
Later in Romans, Paul wrote of the law and sin: Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the mature knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20NKJ). Thus, the law brings one into the mature knowledge of God’s view of sin. Themature knowledge of sin is good because it causes us to flee everything that is displeasing to God so that we will be counted worthy in the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Also, themature knowledge of sin should cause us to hunger for the mature knowledge of Christ.
Finally in Romans 10:2, Paul spoke of Israel who had a zeal for God but not according to mature knowledge. This is a direct reference to the Kingdom. Israel was offered the Kingdom when their Messiah stood in their midst, but they rejected Him and suffered the loss of the Kingdom. Mature knowledge would have given them the right view of their Messiah, and the same mature knowledge will give us the right view of our Lord and His Kingdom.
TheMatureKnowledge In Ephesians For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which {exists} among you, and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention {of you} in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge[epignosis]of Him. {I pray that} the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. (Ephesians 1:15-19{ea}) As he was writing his letter to the Ephesians, Paul was so caught up with the Lord Jesus that it was as if he stopped and began to pray for the believers. He wanted the eyes of their heart to be enlightened. He wanted the Holy Spirit to give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in thesuperior knowledge, themature knowledge of Christ. This was no small request of Paul. The Ephesian believers were already saved and were growing in the grace and love of Christ. They had faith in the Lord, and they loved one another as the Lord commanded. In other words, they were a good group of Christians. Anyone visiting them would have had to conclude that the Lord was in their midst. But this was not enough in Paul’s eyes. They needed to grow more. They needed to come into a greater depth of knowledge of Christ. It was as if Paul was saying: "All right; you are saved and you are doing many right things as Christians, but now press on to maturity."
Paul prayed that they would see the hope of His calling. What is this? Hope is used many times in the New Testament, and it is used always in reference to the Lord’s return and His coming Kingdom. It is not a hope for this life but for a new day that is coming when He will seize (rapture) His people to meet Him in the air. It will be the last day for His Body. Christ was raised from the dead, and He will raise all of His people who have fallen asleep in Him and those who remain and are alive on the earth when He comes. It is His calling. The Lord Jesus is calling a people to join Him in glory forever. These believers are the glory of His inheritance. In other words, when He has His beloved Bride standing in His presence, He will be glorified in her. She will be presented to Him, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. She will be holy and without blemish (Ephesians 5:27). She will be His glorious Bride.
Oh, we need to know the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. But for what purpose is this power? It is to conform us to His image. It is to make us like the Bridegroom in character, holiness and righteousness. He is the Resurrection and the Life, and He was raised with power according to the Spirit of holiness (Romans 1:4). The hope of His calling, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints and the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe all point to the mature knowledge, after knowledge, and our hope to qualify to occupy a position of rulership with Christ in His Kingdom and Glory. Paul prayed that the eyes of their heart would be opened to see how tremendous this call is and to walk worthy of the calling (Ephesians 4:1). For this reason, Paul exhorted the Ephesian saints to put off the old man and put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness; to walk in unity; to walk in love; to walk in light; to walk in wisdom (Ephesians 4:1-3; Ephesians 4:22-24; Ephesians 5:2; Ephesians 5:8; Ephesians 5:15). The Kingdom of God is righteousness in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5)? Paul exhorted them not to walk in the ways of the sons of disobedience and not to be partakers with them (Ephesians 5:5-8).
We have an inheritance in the Kingdom of God, but we will not come into this inheritance unless we walk in a manner worthy of this tremendous calling.
Paul also spoke of the mature knowledge in reference to the Lord giving to the Church apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers (Ephesians 4:11) for the sole purpose of equipping the saints for the work of ministry and for the edifying of the Body of Christ until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge (epignosis) of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (Ephesians 4:12-13).
Here we discover that there is a goal in view-the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God. This is to be the goal of everyone who teaches the Lord’s people. It is to bring the saints into the faith and into the mature knowledge of the Son that they will be prepared to enter the Kingdom Age. Within Paul’s epistle, we discover seven things that must be taught to the Lord’s people in regard to the faith and the mature knowledge: the believer’s position in Christ (1.3,20); the inheritance (1.11,18); the purpose of salvation (2.4-6); the fellowship of the mystery, God’s eternal purpose (3.1-12); the need for maturity in the faith (4.11-16); the need for the filling of the Spirit (5.18-21); and the spiritual battle in which every believer is to be engaged, along with how to properly fight the good fight (6.10-18). But note what will happen if the teachers do not do as they are called. The brethren will be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine. They will fall for the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting (Ephesians 4:14NKJ). What will be the result? They will not fight the spiritual warfare in which every Christian is to be engaged and they will be overcome by the powers of darkness (Ephesians 6:10-18). When the brethren are brought into the proper understanding of the faith and the mature knowledge of Christ, they will be properly equipped to fight the good fight of the faith and ultimately finish the course victoriously.
Why is there so much confusion in the church today? Why are so many of the Lord’s people following after every wind of doctrine? Why are they being tossed to and fro with every new movement that comes along? Because the pastors-teachers have failed to present the mature knowledge to the brethren! The MatureKnowledge In Philippians
We see Paul’s love in one of his most personal letters to the saints in Philippi. Paul was in chains for Christ, having been put under house arrest in Rome. But this did not stop him, for he received all who came to him and he preached the Kingdom of God and taught the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence (Acts 28:30-31).
Paul thanked God for the Philippians and made mention of them in his every prayer. He longed for them with the affection of Christ Jesus (Php 1:8). This affection was a deep inward affection and tender mercy. He continued by sharing his prayer for them: And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge [epignosis]and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Php 1:9-11{ea}).
If we could only capture the real heart of Paul in these words and come into them ourselves, it would transform our own lives. Paul was praying that their love, which was already strong, would abound still more and more. The word abound means "abundance" or "excess." In other words, he prayed that their love would be superabundant to overflowing. But this superabundant love was to be in relationship to real knowledge and discernment. The real knowledge Paul wrote of is epignosis or mature knowledge. If we could just be caught up in superabounding love, which comes from a mature knowledge of our beloved Lord Jesus! If we have a mature knowledge of Him, we must love because we are touched by His love for us: "I have loved you" (Revelation 3:9).
Later in his letter, Paul expressed the deep passion of his heart-to know Jesus. It was not just knowing of Him in facts and history but knowing Him personally, intimately, experientially. When we know Jesus in this way, we will abound in love. Paul was a living example of what real knowledge does in a person’s life. It leads the believer to continually press on toward the goal (the Kingdom) for the prize (reigning in Glory) of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Php 3:14). But what was in view for Paul in reference to this real knowledge, this real mature knowledge? Paul encouraged the Philippians to "approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the Day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." What was in view for Paul? The Day of Christ, the day in which He returns to meet His people in the air. This day commences with the end of Man’s Day that leads into the Lord’s Day when He will sit upon the throne of the Kingdom of Heaven with His beloved Bride and upon the throne of David with His beloved nation of Israel.
Paul never lost sight of the coming Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. It drove Paul to run the race of the faith, even to buffet his body, making it his slave, lest he be disqualified to enter the Kingdom in that day (1 Corinthians 9:27). This is why he encouraged the saints; Paul’s desire for them was that they would be found sincere and blameless in that Day. He wanted to see them live fruitful lives, righteous lives which only come through Jesus Christ. In this way, God would (and does) receive glory and praise.
Paul longed for that Day because he loved the One who is coming.
TheMatureKnowledge In Colossians In a very similar way as he did to the Ephesians, Paul unfolded the knowledge of the truth to the saints and faithful brethren in Colossae. In the Colossian letter, Paul used the word epignosis four times (Colossians 1:9-10; Colossians 2:2; Colossians 3:10).
Paul did not cease praying that they would be filled with themature knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Colossians 1:9). The will that Paul wrote of is not the everyday knowing of how one is to live, what one is to do and where one is to go. It is necessary for God’s children to know what God’s will is for their lives, but this was not Paul’s prayer. He prayed that they would come into the mature knowledge of His will, which points beyond today to the day which is coming, the day in which God’s will for man is restored. When God created man, He declared His will for man-to have dominion (Genesis 1:26); and this is summed up in the subject of this book-the Reigns of the Heavens.
Paul continued on in his letter by exhorting the Colossians to walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the mature knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10). Paul had great concern for those in Colossae and in Laodicea. He encouraged them to attain to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the mature knowledge of the mystery of God, which is Christ Himself (Colossians 2:2). What is themature knowledge of the mystery? It is coming into the mature knowledge of Christ, who He is, what He has done and what He is bringing forth. It is coming into all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge which are in Christ. God is calling out for His Son a people from amongst the Gentiles and a remnant of the Jews who are a one new man in Christ. From this one new man will come the helpmate for God’s Son, the Bride of Christ, the Queen who will reign with the King of kings during His millennial reign. Paul exhorted the brethren to "put on the new man who is renewed in mature knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek (Gentile) nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, salve nor free, but Christ is all and in all" (Colossians 3:10-11).
Throughout his letter to the saints in Colossae, Paul wrote with a view to the coming Kingdom, themature knowledge of Christ. Colossians is full of themature knowledge and we can only touch upon it. He wrote of the hope laid up for them in heaven and the gospel that is bearing fruit (Colossians 1:5-6). [The gospel in this case does not refer to eternal salvation but the gospel associated with the mature knowledge, the gospel of the Glory of Christ.] When Israel rejected the offer of the Kingdom, the Lord said that the Kingdom of Heaven would be taken from Israel and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it (Matthew 21:43). The one new man in Christ is that nation, and themature knowledge of Him is to bear fruit. Paul reminded them that the Father had qualified them to be (enabled them to become) partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians 1:12). What is this inheritance? It is reigning in the Kingdom of His dearly-loved Son (Colossians 1:13RFW).
Paul wrote of the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles. This mystery was hidden in all the past ages but was revealed through Paul. What is the mystery? Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). When does this glory come? It comes with the Kingdom, for He is the Lord and King of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:8; Psalms 24:7-10). When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4). When does He appear? When He comes in His Kingdom and Glory. No wonder Paul exhorted the brethren not to let any one cheat them of their reward (Colossians 2:18). Our reward is to occupy a position of rulership in the Kingdom. We must seek those things that are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). One day He will ascend the throne of His Kingdom and call out a bride who will sit with Him upon His throne as He has sat upon His Father’s throne (Revelation 3:21). Is there any doubt as to what is the mature, superior knowledge of Him? The MatureKnowledge In Philemon Finally, while he was under house arrest in Rome, Paul wrote a personal letter to a dear brother in Christ, Philemon.
I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment [epignosis]of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. (Philemon 1:4-6NKJ {ea})
Paul heard of Philemon’s love and faith toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints. This obviously brought joy to Paul’s heart to know of a brother in Christ who loved the Lord and manifested this love toward others in the house of God. Paul was thankful because this was the same heart that Paul had toward the Lord and for all the saints. You could say that Paul and Philemon were kindred spirits in this regard.
It is evident that Paul was praying that Philemon’s faith would be shared and become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing that was in Philemon, which is in Christ. In other words, the fruit that came from Philemon’s life came from the life of Christ. This is how all Christians are to bear fruit because Christ is the Vine and we are the branches; we can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5), but we can do all things through Him (Php 4:13).
Now, this word acknowledgment in the Greek is epignosis. This letter to Philemon actually sums up all the other references to the mature knowledge. Why? Because it brings this word epignosis to the very heart of the matter, and that is a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. This relationship is in Christ Jesus. Themature knowledge of the good things (faith and love) in us is a reflection of a life that is hid in Christ. Themature knowledge of Christ is a personal knowing of Christ and this knowing leads to a life of love and faith.
Love and faith lead to fruitfulness in the true, mature knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, and this will lead us into the abundant entrance into the Kingdom (2 Peter 1:5-11). Being fruitful is a kingdom matter (Matthew 21:43).
Love and faith are the fruit that God is after. They are the qualities that will lead us into the Kingdom. This is what Paul heard was in the life of Philemon and it led to a fruitful life. This is the mature knowledge-epignosis.