Biblical teaching that leads to spiritual maturity (Part 5)
“Therefore, now that we have moved beyond the primary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying a foundation again, namely, repentance from dead works and faith in God” (Hebrews 6:1)
Knowledge and discernment
In Paul’s inspired letter to Hebrews, he refers to two forms of knowledge, the elementary teaching and the “solid (spiritual) food”, which is a more complex knowledge. In the Greek text, there are two words that refer to these respectively two categories of knowledge. They are in the second letter of Peter, Gnosis and Epignosis: “May undeserved kindness and peace be increased to you by an accurate knowledge (Epignosis) of God and of Jesus our Lord. (…) For this very reason, put forth all earnest effort to supply to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge (Gnosis), to your knowledge self-control, to your self-control endurance, to your endurance godly devotion” (2 Peter 1: 2,5,6) .
In this translation of the Bible, the expression “accurate knowledge” seems to illustrate the precision of a more complex, more detailed biblical knowledge. It allows knowing when the Greek word “Gnosis” (Knowledge) and “Epignosis” (Accurate knowledge), appear in the Greek text by means of this translation of the Bible. Nevertheless, any knowledge, no matter how difficult of comprehension it requires, should be “exact” (at least for its holder). Therefore, it is interesting to examine the definition of these two words and then return to Paul’s inspired letter to Hebrews. The Greek word “Gnosis” is translated as knowledge in the general sense (in several fields) or science (Strong’s Concordance (G1108)). The Greek prefix “Epi” (before Gnosis) has the general meaning of elevation or direction (Strong’s Concordance (G1909)). Therefore, the Greek word “Epignosis” alludes to a “higher” knowledge, which requires a greater degree of intelligence, the discernment. The “directional” meaning of the prefix “Epi” indicates a more specialized, more detailed knowledge (Strong’s Concordance (G1922)). Therefore, the understanding is to the knowledge (Gnosis), what is the discernment or insight to the more complex knowledge (Epignosis).
Returning to the letter to the Hebrews: “For although by now you should be teachers, you again need someone to teach you from the beginning the elementary things of the sacred pronouncements of God, and you have gone back to needing milk, not solid food” (Hebrews 5:12). The elementary things are quoted: “Therefore, now that we have moved beyond the primary doctrine about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying a foundation again, namely, repentance from dead works and faith in God, the teaching on baptisms and the laying on of the hands, the resurrection of the dead and everlasting judgment. And this we will do, if God indeed permits” (Hebrews 6:1–3). And the “solid (spiritual) food” is in almost all the inspired letter to Hebrews (chapters 1–13). Although very interesting, this deep biblical teaching is not always easy to understand at first reading, even to the very point that the Apostle Peter himself wrote about Paul’s inspired letters: “Furthermore, consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you according to the wisdom given him, speaking about these things as he does in all his letters. However, some things in them are hard to understand, and these things the ignorant and unstable are twisting, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:15,16).
Despite the fact that it is not always easy to understand at first reading this sometimes very deep Bible teaching, all Christians who aspire to reach Christian maturity, especially Bible teachers, must make an effort to understand it, praying for God’s help (Matthew 11:25, 1 Corinthians 2:16, Hebrews 5: 11–14–6: 1–3).
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