Last post of the year!

A long while back I became interested in how “know” is used in the Bible after reading John 10 – The sheep know my voice.  How do we know his voice?  So, I did a word study.

There are nine Greek words in the New Testament translated as the word “know”, but six of them are used sparsely, such as only once and then translated as other words.  I’m going to concentrate on the other three that are used most often.  (I’m using KJV and Strong’s Concordance; I’m choosing not to type out the verses as that would make this post very long.)

EIDO

• Definition – perceive or come to know information
• Other translations –See and Saw: as often as it’s translated Know
• Examples – Matt 9:6, Luke 23:24, Romans 8:28, Phil 4:12
• I was blind but now I see
• Lest they should see with their eyes and believe

EPIGINOSKO

• Definition – recognition or identification
• Other translations – Acknowledge
• Examples – Matt 7:16,20, Luke 1:4, I Cor 13:12, II Cor 13:5

GINOSKO

• Definition – process of understanding with personal involvement
• Other translations – Understand; most often used with will, shall, and should have
• Examples – Matt 13:11, John 8:28,32, John 10, John 17, I Cor 2:14,16, Gal 4:9, Phil 4:5

These can be put together into a progression…

• Eido – I know that you are there; I perceive it.
• Epiginosko – I recognize who you are; I can identify you.
• Ginosko – I understand you in the process of getting to know you.

Likewise our “knowing” Christ is also a progression…

• Eido – I know that there is a Christ
• Epiginosko – I recognize that he is the Son of God
• Ginosko – I understand him through the process of getting to know him.

Although God has known us before we were born, for us as sheep, coming to know him and understand him as shepherd is a process. What an awesome thought that God wants us to know him and provides the means for that process to take place through prayer, reading, meditation, the Holy Spirit, worship, fellowship, and gratitude.

May 2018 be a continuation of this process for all of us!

The last post ended with a sentence of, “I can rest…”
I wanted to share another set of verses I looked at having to do with rest – Matthew 11:28-30.

“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

This included another set of interesting definitions.

1. Labor – (G2872 kopiao) feel fatigue, work hard, be wearied
2. Heavy laden – (G5412 phortizo) overburden with ceremony or spiritual anxiety
3. (Give you) Rest – (G373 anapauo) repose, to refresh, take ease
4. (Find) Rest – (G372 anapausis) intermission, recreation, rest
5. Yoke – (G2218 zugos) servitude, pair of balances
6. Easy – (G5543 chrestos) employed, useful, gracious, better, kind
7. Burden – (G5413 phortion) task or service
8. Light – (G1645 elaphros) smaller in size, easy

Come unto me, all ye that [work hard and feel fatigued] and are [overburdened with spiritual ceremony or anxiety.] Take my [servitude] upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find [intermission, recreation, rest] unto your souls. For my [servitude] is [useful, gracious, better] and my [service] is [smaller in size, easy.] (emphasis mine)

New song posted

Once I understood more of God’s unconditional love, I could start to understand how sanctification actually works.  In researching for this post, I came across a really cool connection that I’d not seen before. Looking into scripture on sanctification led me to Hebrews 10:4-10, 14-18.

“For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Wherefore when he [God] cometh into the world, he saith,

Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin
thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.

He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord,
I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

As I read through that, I recognized the teaching of sanctification as being God’s work with our cooperation; God asks not for sacrifice and burnt offering but for us to allow him to write his law on our hearts.  The interesting connection came when I read the part indented above. It looked like Paul was quoting the old testament, and it sounded familiar. Then it hit me – Psalm 40!

Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done,
and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee:
if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened:
burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,
I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
I have preached righteousness in the great congregation:
lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness & thy salvation:
I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD:
let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me.  (Psalm 40:5-10)

Once when I was struggling with the concept of grace, God’s love, works, liberty, etc. one of my therapists brought up Romans 6:1-2 – “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”  They explained that “when we truly understand the love of God, the grace he gives us (both unmerited favor and power to overcome), and how much he wants us to draw near to him in relationship, the absolute last thing on our minds is to go out and sin!  We’re ready to fall down before him and worship.”

I know at the time I heard this, I wanted so badly to believe it!  Over time it became more real, AND I really struggle to hold onto it and believe it every day. Another result of believing God’s love and grace means I have to give up my idea of who I am and see myself through God’s eyes.  That’s both scary, as I know I have a lot of sanctification left, and awesome, as I can seek rest in the knowledge that I don’t have to earn his love.