LOVE NEVER
FAILS: E agape oudepote piptei. (3SPAI):
(1Cor
13:10,13; Luke 22:32; Galatians 5:6)
Though the prophet’s word may come
to an end, tongues come to nothing, and knowledge have no more value,
love has no end. (BBE)
Love
(26)
(agape
[word study])
(for more discussion see notes on
1Co 13:4)
in the NT usually refers to
unconditional (as in
this verse),
sacrificial, supernatural love, that quality of love that God is (1Jn
4:8,16), that love which God shows (Jn 3:16, 1Jn 4:9) and (to praise
of the glory of His amazing grace - Ep 1:6-note)
that quality of love that God's Spirit enables us as His children (Jn
1:12, Ro 8:16, 17-note)
to manifest (see fruit of the Spirit - Gal 5:22-note).
Do not "try" to "manufacture" this love, but instead learn daily (even
moment by moment) to "die" ("to self", cp Mk 8:34, Lk 9:23, Ro 6:11-note,
Ro 6:12, 13-note,
Ro 6:14-note
Ro 7:5, 6-note,
Col 3:5-note,
Php 2:12-note,
Php 2:13-note,
Ezekiel 36:27 = a promise associated with the New Covenant) that you
might manifest this supernatural Christ-like love (cp Ep 5:1,2-note)
to a lost, dying world (Eph 2:1, 2:2-note,
Ep 2:3-note)
in which even natural love is growing cold (cp "unloving" in 2Ti 3:3-note,
Ro 1:31-note,
cp Jesus' admonition regarding love in the last of the last days = Mt
24:12). (See John Piper's related sermon =
The Greatest of These Is Love
- Dying As a Means of Loving)
Never
(3763)
(oudepote from oude = not even + poté = ever)
means (absolutely and objectively) not even at any time, never at all, neither at any time, never,
nothing at any time. Observe in the following NT passages some things
which can never, ever happen (interesting)!
Oudepote - 16x in 15v in the
NAS -
Mt 7:23; 9:33; 21:16, 42; 26:33; Mk. 2:12, 25; Lk. 15:29; Jn. 7:46;
Acts 10:14; 11:8; 14:8; 1Co 13:8; Heb 10:1-note,
He 10:11-note. NAS = ever(1),
never(14), nothing(1), nothing...ever(1).
Matthew 7:23 "And then I will
declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO
PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'
Matthew 9:33 After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the
crowds were amazed, and were saying, "Nothing like this has
ever been seen in Israel."
Matthew 21:16 and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are
saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read,
'OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED
PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?"
Matthew 21:42 Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the
Scriptures, 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE
CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS
IN OUR EYES '?
Matthew 26:33 But Peter said to Him, "Even though all may fall away
because of You, I will never fall away."
Mark 2:12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went
out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were
glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like
this."...25 And He said to them, "Have you never read what
David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry;
Luke 15:29 "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many
years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a
command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat,
so that I might celebrate with my friends;
John 7:46 The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken the
way this man speaks."
Acts 10:14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never
eaten anything unholy and unclean."
Acts 11:8 "But I said, 'By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy
or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
Acts 14:8 At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet,
lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked.
1Corinthians 13:8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of
prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will
cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
Hebrews 10:1-note
For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and
not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices
which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw
near.
Hebrews 10:11-note
Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the
same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;
Oudepote - 2x in the
Septuagint - Ex 10:6, 1Ki 1:6
1Kings 1:6 His father had never
(Lxx = oudepote) crossed him at any time by asking, "Why
have you done so?" And he was also a very handsome man, and he was
born after Absalom.
Robertson and
Plummer point out that...
Having shown the worthlessness of
supernatural gifts, if love is absent, and the supreme excellence of a
character in which love is dominant, St Paul now shows that love is
superior to all the gifts, because they are for this world only,
whereas love is for both time and eternity. “This is the crowning
glory of love, that it is imperishable” (Stanley); it abides until and
beyond the supreme crisis of the Last Day (Cp 1Co 13:13). (Robertson, A., & Plummer,
A. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the First epistle of St.
Paul to the Corinthians. New York: C. Scribner's Sons. 1911)
Fails (4098)
(pipto) means to fall, fall down, under judgment, under
condemnation, be prostrated or fall prostrate, to fall into ruin, to
perish, lose authority, no longer have force.
Agape love never falls into ruin.
Metaphorically as used in this
verse pipto means to to fall away, to fail or to be without effect.
Pipto usually denotes to fall and that which falls ceases its activity
and that is what supernatural agape love never does beloved! Why?
Because, the Fountain head, the Well spring, the "Head waters", the
Source of this supernatural love is the supernatural God and thus the
Source is inexhaustibly infinite and eternal. Our continual charge and
challenge is to "tap in" to the Source. Our love as human beings does
fail far too often (especially when tested by oppositional people or
adverse circumstances - as someone well said "I could live this
Christian life if it weren't for people!"), but as we progressively
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
(that's called progressive [Think - "Making progress", not an
"arrival" in this present life] "sanctification" or growth in
holiness, cp Jesus' prayer for us Jn 17:17 and Peter's prayer 2Pe 3:18-note
where "grow"
is a
present imperative
= calling for continual, daily growth in Christ-likeness), we will
find that more and more this quality of "unfailing love" is manifest
to and through us (we serve as "conduits" as it were of this unfailing
love flowing from the Throne of Grace) to our spouses, our families,
our neighbors, our co-workers, and the list goes on.
How are you doing?
May we not fall into the trap of
"trying" to manifest this love in our own strength or power. It is
impossible (cp Mk 10:27, Mt 19:26, Lk 18:27, Ge 18:14, Nu 11:23 -
as an aside -
What's the "impossibility" right
now in your life beloved? Forgiveness to someone who's offended you?
Loving someone "unlovable"?).
But as you and I learn to abide in the Vine (Jn 15:5) we come to learn
that what with men is impossible, with Christ is ever "Him-possible"!
Paul's point is that through all
the ages to come, love will go on in that we will still love the Lord
and love one another. Unlike the leaf on a tree, love never
falls off but will abide forever. Paul strengthens his point on the
permanence of love by comparing it to the spiritual gifts which the
Corinthians so highly prized, all these spiritual gifts eventually
coming to an end.
Note that the Textus Receptus
(used to translate the KJV) has the verb ekpipto rather than
pipto which is favored by most modern manuscripts. The Pulpit
Commentary has this note regarding ekpipto...
The word “faileth” (ekpiptei) has
two technical meanings between which it is not easy to decide. 1. It
means, technically, “is never hissed off the stage like a bad actor,”
i.e. it has its part to play even on the stage of eternity. This is
its meaning in classic Greek. 2. It means “falls away” like the petals
of a withered flower (as in Jas 1:11-note; comp. Isa. 28:4). Here,
perhaps, the meaning is not technical, but general, as in Ro 9:6-note and
in the LXX. (Job 21:43). But the reading may be simply piptei (falleth),
as in א, A, B, C. (The
Pulpit Commentary: New Testament;
Old Testament; Ages Software
or
Logos)
Barnes comments that...
Paul here proceeds to illustrate
the value of love, from its permanency as compared with other valued
endowments. It is valuable, and is to be sought, because it will
always abide; may be always exercised; is adapted to all circum-
stances, and to all worlds in which we may be placed, or in which we
may dwell. The word rendered faileth (ekpiptei - Ed: see
preceding note) denotes, properly, to fall out of, to fall from or
off; and may be applied to the stars of heaven falling, (Mk 13:25,) or
to flowers that fall or fade, (Jas 1:11-note;
1Pe 1:24-note)
or to chains falling from the hands, etc., Ac 12:7. Here it means to
fall away, to fail; to be without effect, to cease to be in existence.
The expression may mean that it will be adapted to all the situations
of life, and is of a nature to be always exercised; or it may mean
that it will continue to all eternity, and be exercised in heaven for
ever. The connexion demands that the latter should be regarded as the
true interpretation. 1Co 13:13. The sense is, that while other
endowments of the Holy Spirit must soon cease and be valueless, LOVE
would abide, and would always exist. The argument is, that we ought to
Seek that which is of enduring value; and that, therefore, love should
be preferred to those endowments of the Spirit on which so high a
value had been set by the Corinthians. (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT
Commentary)
BUT IF THERE
ARE
GIFTS OF PROPHECY, THEY WILL BE DONE AWAY: eite de propheteiai,
katargethesontai; (3PFPI):
David Guzik comments that...
Paul is addressing the
over-emphasis the Corinthian Christians had on the gifts of the Holy
Spirit. He shows they should emphasize love more than the gifts,
because the gifts are temporary “containers” of God’s work; love is
the work itself. Therefore, the gifts of the Holy Spirit are
appropriate for the present time, but they are not permanent. They are
imperfect gifts for an imperfect time. (David
Guzik. The Enduring Word Commentary on 1Corinthians 13)
Prophecy
(4394)
(propheteia from pró = before or forth + phemí =
tell) has the literal meaning of speaking forth, with no
connotation of prediction or other supernatural or mystical
significance. The gift of prophecy is simply the gift of preaching, of
proclaiming the Word of God. God used many Old and New Testament
prophets to foretell future events, but that was never an
indispensable part of prophetic ministry. Paul gives perhaps the best
definition of the prophetic gift in (1Cor 14:3).
Prophecy refers
to messages from God, but when we stand before Him and hear His voice
there will be no more need for prophets to relay His words to us.
Barnes
explains...
That is, the gift of prophecy, or
the power of speaking as a prophet; that is, of delivering the truth
of God in an intelligible manner under the influence of inspiration;
the gift of being a public speaker; of instructing and edifying the
church, and foretelling future events...The gift shall cease to be
exercised; shall be abolished, come to naught. There shall be no
further use for this gift in the light and glory of the world above,
and it shall cease. God shall be the teacher there. And as there will
be no need of confirming the truth of religion by the prediction of
future events, and no need of warning against impending dangers there,
the gift of foretelling future events will be of course unknown. In
heaven, also, there will be no need that the faith of God's people
shall be encouraged, or their devotions excited, by such exhortations
and instructions as are needful now; and the endowment of prophecy
will be, therefore, unknown. (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary)
Shall be done
away with - shall be terminated.
Done away
(2673)
(katargeo
[word study]
from kata =
intensifies meaning + argeo = be idle from argos =
ineffective, idle, inactive from a = without + érgon =
work) literally means to reduce to inactivity. The idea is to make the
power or force of something ineffective and so to render powerless,
reduce to inactivity. To do away with. To put out of use. To cause to
be idle or useless. To render entirely idle, inoperative or
ineffective. Cause something to come to an end or cause it to cease to
happen. To abolish or cause not to function. To free or release from
an earlier obligation or relationship. To no longer take place.
Katargeo
- 27x in 26v in the NAS - Lk. 13:7; Rom. 3:3, 31; 4:14; 6:6; 7:2, 6; 1
Co. 1:28; 2:6; 6:13; 13:8, 10f; 15:24, 26; 2 Co. 3:7, 11, 13f; Gal.
3:17; 5:4, 11; Eph. 2:15; 2 Thess. 2:8; 2 Tim. 1:10; Heb. 2:14 and is
rendered in the NAS as abolished(4), abolishing(1), bring to an
end(1), did away(1), do away(1), done away(4),fades away(1),
fading(1), fading away(1), nullified(1), nullify(4), passing away(1),
released from(2), removed(1), render powerless(1), severed from(1),
use up(1).
These gifts will
no longer be necessary, for when we stand before God there will be no
need to speak in other languages since we will all understand
God when He speaks. Prophecies will disappear when the reality
comes. The knowledge that is so important to us now will be
irrelevant then because when we are in God’s presence we will know
perfectly. Praise the Lord!
Radmacher
writes that...
This uncompromising affirmation
contrasts with grace-gifts, which are transitory at best. One day all
the gifts will be needed no longer, but love will continue forever. (Radmacher,
E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. The Nelson Study Bible: NKJV.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
IF THERE ARE
TONGUES, THEY WILL CEASE: eite glossai, pausontai; (3PFMI):
(1Cor 13:1; 12:10,28, 29, 30; 14:39; Acts 2:4;
19:6 )
Tongues
(1100)
(glossa) in the NT is used literally to refer to the tongue as
a part of the body, and figuratively to refer to speech (1Jn 3:18, in
Lxx of Pr 25:25, Pr 31:26) particular languages or dialect as spoken by
people group (Acts 2:11 referring to the language of Cretans and
Arabs, in Lxx of Ge 11:7 where God confused man's language at Babel
because they had the same language Ge 11:6 and self-centered motives
Ge 11:4).
Glossa -
50x in 47v in the NAS - Mk. 7:33, 35; 16:17; Lk. 1:64; 16:24; Acts
2:3f, 11, 26; 10:46; 19:6; Rom. 3:13; 14:11; 1 Co. 12:10, 28, 30;
13:1, 8; 14:2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 13, 14, 18, 19, 22, 23, 26, 27, 39; Phil. 2:11; Jas. 1:26;
3:5f, 8; 1 Pet. 3:10; 1 Jn. 3:18; Rev. 5:9; 7:9; 10:11; 11:9; 13:7;
14:6; 16:10; 17:15. NAS = tongue(25), tongues(25).
Cease
(3973)
(pauo
[word study]
from which we get English "pause") means to cause something or someone
to cease from some activity or state and so to come to an end. Paul's
point is that all three of these supernatural gifts (and perhaps other
supernatural gifts as well) will eventually become unnecessary, the
timing of this cessation being one which is quite controversial (See
notes below by David Guzik and the link to John MacArthur which seem
to be at opposite ends of the interpretative spectrum regarding
cessation of tongues).
Tongues
(with the same figurative meaning) are mentioned again in the next
chapter 15x in 14verses (1 Cor 14:2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 13, 14, 18, 19, 22,
23, 26, 27, 39)
David Guzik comments on this
somewhat controversial section discussing first that...
That which is perfect
(in 1Co 13:10) - Paul says when
that which is perfect has come, then the gifts will be “discontinued.”
But what is that which is perfect? Though some who believe the
miraculous gifts ceased with the apostles say it refers to the
completion of the New Testament, they are wrong. Virtually all
commentators are agreed that which is perfect is when we are in the
eternal presence of the Perfect One, when we are with the Lord forever
either through the return of Christ or graduation to the eternal. The
Greek word for perfect is telos. Considering the way the New Testament
uses telos in other passages, it certainly seems to be speaking about
the coming of Jesus (1Co 1:8; 15:24; James 5:11; Rev 20:5, 7; 21:6;
22:13).
Many who believe the miraculous
gifts ended with the apostles (such as John MacArthur -
For Dr MacArthur's view see
his series of sermons on the miraculous gifts)
claim since the verb will cease is not in the
passive, but in the
middle voice, it could be translated, tongues will stop by themselves.
Their analysis sounds scholarly, but is disregarded by virtually all
Greek scholars.
Even if this translation is correct, it does nothing to suggest when
tongues will cease. John MacArthur claims, “tongues ceased in the
apostolic age and that when they stopped, they stopped for good.” But
this passage doesn’t tell us “tongues will stop by themselves,” and it
tells us tongues will cease only when that which is perfect has come.
John Calvin was one who thought the will cease spoke of the
eternal state. “But when will that perfection come? It begins, indeed,
at death, because then we put off many weaknesses along with the
body.” (Calvin)
In his use of will fail and will cease and will vanish away, Paul,
under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is not trying to say that
prophecies, tongues, and knowledge have different fates. He is simply
writing well, saying the same thing in three different ways. They will
end, but love never fails.
“There is virtually no distinction between the two Greek verbs that
describe the termination of both prophecies and tongues. True, the
verb with prophecies is in the passive voice (believers are the
implied agents), while the verb with tongues is interpreted as the
active voice. The difference is only a stylistic change and nothing
more.” (Kistemaker) (David
Guzik. The Enduring Word Commentary on 1Corinthians 13)
IF THERE IS
KNOWLEDGE, IT WILL BE DONE AWAY: eite gnosis, katargethesetai. (3SFPI):
(Jeremiah 49:7; Hebrews 8:13)
Knowledge
(1108)
(gnosis,
root word gnos - see below) in simple terms is the possession of information of what is
known. Gnosis describes the comprehension or intellectual grasp
of something. Gnosis refers to knowledge gained by
experience in contrast to intuitive knowledge. Gnosis is an
“experiential knowledge,” and not a mere passing acquaintance.
The English
dictionary definition states that knowledge is the fact or
condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through
experience or association. It describes an acquaintance with or
understanding of something (the NT uses of gnosis most often
referring to spiritual/divine knowledge). Knowledge is the clear and
certain perception of that which exists. Knowledge describes
information and/or skills acquired through experience. Knowledge is
that which is or can be known and applies to facts or ideas acquired
by study, investigation, observation, or experience.
Gnosis
can also stand for the content of what is known or what one knows (as
in Ro 2:20, Ro 15:14, 1Co 1:5, 8:1, 7,
10, 11, 2Co 11:6). Some say that gnosis is "fragmentary
knowledge" as contrasted with
epignosis [word study]
(which reflects a fuller participation of the learner in
acquiring and "experiencing" the knowledge or gnosis).
The Greek root
word is reflected in the basic English word "know" (which is an
English form of the root word, gnos). More clearly this root
gnos is seen in such words as "ignorance" (of knowing), "agnostic"
(one who claims that God is unknowable), and the word Gnosticism which Webster defines as "the the thought
and practice especially of various cults of late pre-Christian and
early Christian centuries distinguished by the conviction that matter
is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis." The current "New
Age Movement" manifests many of the characteristics of ancient
Gnosticism.
The difference
between knowledge and wisdom is said to be that knowledge is
the understanding of truth, whereas wisdom is the ability to
apply what truth has been learned.
The Homan
Treasury of Key Bible Words has an insightful comment on the
difference between oida (eido) knowledge and gnosis (and
the corresponding verb ginosko) knowledge noting that...
The Greeks had two words for
knowing, oida and ginosko (the noun form of which is
gnosis). Oida, related to the Greek word for “seeing,”
denotes “perception” and “absolute knowledge.” Once something is
known, it is known for good—nothing can be added to it. ginosko
(gnosis) denotes “inceptive and ongoing knowledge.” It designates
ongoing, personal knowledge, which implies a relationship between the
person who knows and the person who is known (Ed: Which is why
many definitions of gnosis refer to it as "experiential" knowledge).
(Gnosis) knowledge can grow and mature. By way of illustration, we can
“know” (oida) someone’s name immediately, but it will
take a lifetime to really “know” (ginosko/gnosis) that
person. (Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew
Words Defined and Explained)
Hiebert
in his comments on 2Peter says that gnosis
speaks of a practical
knowledge
that admits of expansion and enables its possessor to discern between
right and wrong in facing the duties of life. In order to maintain a
balance, practical intelligence and moral insight must govern a
resolute and aggressive faith. This knowledge stands over
against the spurious "knowledge" of the false teachers (described in
2Peter). The cure for false knowledge is not less knowledge but a
knowledge characterized by moral insight. The operation of such
knowledge distinguishes the believer's conduct from his former
life in spiritual ignorance (1Pe 1:14-note).
Some scholars
state that gnosis is a knowledge which may be concerned with
the intellect without affecting the character. Wayne Barber offers a
parallel thought in his discussion of the two
varieties of gnosis in Scripture, human and
spiritual gnosis.
(1) HUMAN GNOSIS (cp
GNOSTICISM) = These men were in the church but as 1Jn 2:19 teaches "They went out from us, but they were not really of us". The Gnostics
claimed one could find knowledge apart from God. (and they were
right…just check out any encyclopedia.) But the gnosis that
directs a believer's life is found only in God's Word. This is not to
say that we don't need human gnosis (e.g., instruction on how
to drive a car or program your VCR!) but the believer puts a priority
on the Biblical variety of knowledge in order to live that they might
be equipped to live the Christian life. We need Spiritual Gnosis
and/or spiritual revelation from God in order to live this
supernatural "Christ" life (Shift the letters in Christian and you
have "A" " "Christ" "In"!). Human gnosis allowed the people to go to
church, to not feel bad about sin, not to even have to obey and yet to
still be called "religious"! We see this "human gnosis" in many
churches today. Another synonym for gnosis is humanism, an ancient
"-ism" that has not changed much since the fall of man in the Garden
of Eden. Remember that whatever gnosis you are inputting into your
mind, will determine the quality of your behavior and conduct. What
you believe will show itself in how you behave.
(2) SPIRITUAL GNOSIS = that which comes from knowing and
experiencing Christ through obedience to His Word. Remember that the
only way you will receive this spiritual gnosis is by being sold out
to Him. In John 7:17 Jesus declared that...
If any man is willing (thelema
[word study]) to
do His will, he shall know (ginosko - know by
experience) of the teaching (doctrine =
didache [word study]),
whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself.
This verse teaches a powerful
principle: if you ''do'' (obey) the teaching, then (and only
then) will you really "know" the teaching! How many people do
you know that really have spiritual "gnosis"? Be careful! Don't
look at how much a person knows about the Bible. Look at their walk
and it won't take you thirty seconds to determine whether or not they
have true spiritual knowledge or whether they are
walking in human wisdom.
Here is a Scriptural Example that
helps us understand the difference between human and
spiritual gnosis. In Philippians 3 Paul had just given his
''pedigree'' and warned the Philippians to beware of the dogs, etc and
that he put no confidence in the
flesh
(), although Paul had a right to ''brag'' humanly speaking in his
fleshly achievements.
Phil 3:8 "More than that, I count
all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing
(KJV = of the knowledge or gnosis) [Paul is not talking about knowing
Him in the sense of experience. He's talking about the "finished
product" of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. And Paul was no
slouch but he was still willing to discount it all for this great
value!] Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ..."
What is the principle? Paul counted them lost before he lost them.
This is part of the call to be a disciple…they were willing to leave
everything to follow Jesus (see Mt 4:20,22, 10:37, Lk 14:27, 14:33) Paul put aside everything in his
life for the gnosis or knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. How was he
going to get it? By counting everything as loss, by losing it. Then
selling out totally to this knowledge, he experienced it as he walked
in absolute obedience to Christ. This is a beautiful picture of how
you get gnosis....this is something that only comes when you're
walking in the light (the "FM frequency" of Christianity). How many
people do you know who are living on the "AM Band"?(Adapted
from notes from a lecture by Dr Wayne Barber)
Renn
summarizes gnosis as a word that is...
concerned primarily with human
knowledge. Lk 1:77; 11:52; Ro 15:14; 1Co 8:7; 12:8 express the
knowledge of salvation. Ro 2:20 refers to knowledge gained
from the law. Ro 11:33; 2Co 4:6; 10:5 mention human
knowledge of God; and 2Co 2:14; Php 3:8; 2Pe 3:18 speak of the
knowledge of Christ. A number of references point to knowledge in
an unspecified way (e.g., Ro 15:14; 1Cor. 13:2, 8; 2Co 6:6; 8:7; Ep
3:19; 2Pe 1:5, 6). 1Co 14:6 speaks of spiritual truth, and Col 2:3
cites knowledge that is derived from Christ. (Expository Dictionary of
Bible Words: Word Studies for Key English Bible Words Based on the
Hebrew and Greek Texts)
Vincent
(commenting on 1Ti 6:20) states that
Gnosis (knowledge) was the
characteristic word of the Gnostic school, the most formidable enemy
of the Church of the second century. The Gnostics claimed a superior
knowledge peculiar to an intellectual caste. According to them, it was
by this philosophic insight, as opposed to faith, that humanity was to
be regenerated. Faith was suited only to the rude masses, the
animal-men. The intellectual questions which occupied these teachers
were two; to explain the work of creation, and to account for the
existence of evil. Their ethical problem was how to develop the higher
nature in the environment of matter which was essentially evil. In
morals they ran to two opposite extremes—asceticism and
licentiousness. The principal representatives of the school were
Basilides, Valentinus, and Marcion. Although Gnosticism as a distinct
system did not reach its full development until about the middle of
the second century, foreshadowings of it appear in the heresy at which
Paul’s Colossian letter was aimed. It is not strange if we find in the
Pastoral Epistles, allusions pointing to Gnostic errors; but, as
already remarked, it is impossible to refer these allusions to any one
definite system of error” (Word Studies)
Gnosis -
29x in 28v in the NAS (Notice where the majority of uses of
gnosis are found! 16x in letters to one church!) - Lk. 1:77; 11:52; Ro 2:20; 11:33; 15:14; 1Co 1:5; 8:1, 7, 10,
11; 12:8; 13:2, 8; 14:6; 2Co 2:14; 4:6; 6:6; 8:7; 10:5; 11:6; Ep 3:19; Php 3:8; Col 2:3; 1Ti 6:20; 1Pe 3:7; 2Pe 1:5,
6; 3:18 and is rendered in the NAS as knowing(1),
knowledge(27), understanding way(1).
Luke 1:77 To give to His people the
knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness (aphesis) of their sins,
Comment: This context refers
to spiritual gnosis regarding salvation, specifically
revealing that forgiveness of sins is the heart of salvation.
God saves sinner from separation from Him and from eternal hell only
by atoning for and forgiving their sins. {For more on forgiveness see
studies of the main words -
Forgive (grant, freely give,
bestow) (5483)
charizomai ;
Forgive (863)
aphiemi;
Forgiveness (859)
aphesis}
Luke 11:52 "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key
(the correct interpretation of God's word) of
knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered (koluo
[word study] = cut off, restrained, prevented) those
who were entering."
Comment: This context also
refers to spiritual gnosis regarding salvation.
Legalistic teaching always takes away the key to this vital gnosis.
Not only does legalism keep one from (to extend the metaphor of a
"key") opening the door of salvation initially (Jn 10:9) but also
hinders the proper use of the gnosis which is vital to daily living of
the supernatural in Christ (2Co 5:7, Gal 5:7, 3:1, 2, 3)
Leon Morris adds that
"Instead of opening up the treasures of knowledge, the lawyers closed
them fast. They turned the Bible into a book of obscurities, a bundle
of riddles which only the experts could understand. And the experts
were so pleased and preoccupied with the mysteries they had
manufactured that they missed the wonderful thing that God was saying.
They neither entered themselves nor allowed others to enter. There
were ordinary people on their way to the knowledge of God until these
teachers turned them away." (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries)
Romans 2:20-note
a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the
Law the embodiment (morphosis
[word study]
= an outline or sketch) of knowledge
and of the truth
Comment: Here gnosis
refers to "divine" (spiritual) gnosis, knowledge of God's desire for
man as laid out in His law which is "holy and righteous and good." (Ro
7:12-note)
Romans 11:33-note
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of
God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
Romans 15:14-note
And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you
yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and
able also to admonish one another.
MacArthur comments: He is
not, of course, speaking of broad human knowledge but of the deep
knowledge of God’s truth in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Believers in
this church were doctrinally sound. They were well on their way to
“attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of
understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that
is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge” (Col. 2:2, 3). Virtue and truth, here referred to as
goodness and knowledge, are inseparable.
(MacArthur,
J: Romans 9-16. Chicago: Moody Press
or
Logos
or
Wordsearch)
1 Corinthians 1:5 that in everything you were enriched (ploutos =
wealth, richness, possessions and gives us our English plutocrat,
“a very wealthy person"!) in Him (in
Christ), in all
speech and all (all that was necessary to live this Christian life =
nothing lacking) knowledge,
Comment: Speech refers to
outward expression and gnosis refers to inward comprehension.
As Albert Barnes says this gnosis refers to "the
knowledge of Divine truth. They had understood the doctrines which
they had heard, and had intelligently embraced them." In short, they
had apprehended the gnosis which related to "the great and deep things
of God". And since they had "all speech", they had the . ability which
God had given them to communicate this spiritual gnosis to
others. This reference to speech and knowledge also alludes to the
spiritual gifts with which the Corinthians were so richly endowed (cp
1Co 1:7, 2Co 8:7).
1 Corinthians 8:1 Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know
that we all have knowledge. Knowledge (in context this
spiritual gnosis refers to an understanding of the true nature
of idol worship) makes arrogant (literally "blows up" or puffs up,
inflates obviously speaking of one's pride! The corresponding noun
refers to a pair of bellows!),
but love edifies...7 However not all men have this knowledge;
but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it
were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is
defiled....10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge,
dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be
strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through your
knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake
Christ died.
Comment: We often hear the
aphorism "A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing." True but here
Paul says that an abundance of "spiritual gnosis" can
also be a dangerous thing, for it creates in the "gnosis bearer" a
sense of superiority in spiritual matters. To have love without
knowledge is not good, but spiritual gnosis without love is
equally tragic for it makes one proud and self-satisfied.
John MacArthur has a
helpful, pithy comment on the self "inflating" effect of gnosis
- The truly well–rounded Christian thinks and acts in two ways:
conceptually and relationally. He has the ability to understand
biblical truths (Ed: "spiritual gnosis") and the
ability to relate them to people, to himself, and to others. He has
knowledge plus love, because love is the medium through which
truth is to be communicated. “Speaking the truth in love, we are to
grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ” (Ep
4:15-note).
Knowledge by itself brings arrogance, not maturity. Division in
the church may be caused by problems of behavior as well as problems
of doctrine. When some believers insist on exercising their liberty
without regard for the feelings and standards of fellow believers, the
church is weakened and frequently divided.
1 Corinthians 12:8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the
Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the
same Spirit;
1 Corinthians 13:2 If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all
mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to
remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing....8 Love never
fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if
there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it
will be done away.
1 Corinthians 14:6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in
tongues, what will I profit you unless I speak to you either by way of
revelation or of knowledge or of prophecy or of teaching?
2 Corinthians 2:14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in
triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the
knowledge (spiritual gnosis, gnosis of the gospel, the way of
salvation) of Him in every place.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who said, "Light shall shine out of
darkness," is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of
the knowledge (spiritual gnosis brings supernatural light into
a lost person's soul so that in this context the gnosis alludes
to the Good News of Christ, the light of the world Jn 8:12, cp Paul's
experience Acts 8:3, 4, 5, 6) of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
2 Corinthians 6:6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in
kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love,
2 Corinthians 8:7 But just as you abound in everything, in faith and
utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love
we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also.
2 Corinthians 10:5-note We are destroying
(kathaireo
[word study]) speculations
(logismos
[word study]) and every lofty
thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking
every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
Comment: This is a key verse
with which all believers should be fully conversant. The key aspect of
this passage is found in the phrase "against the knowledge of God".
Spiritual warfare is not an ethereal battle with unseen demons per se
(i.e., not a power struggle), but instead is a truth struggle, a
battle over gnosis, the spiritual gnosis of God (as
found in the Scriptures) versus the false, lying gnosis
(including human gnosis as described above) of the evil one (cp Jn
8:44). Logically, it follows that the "battlefield" for this spiritual
warfare is our mind! MacArthur given an added description of
specious gnosis noting that "In 1Cor 3:20, he (Paul) called them the
useless reasonings of the worldly wise —all the anti-biblical
ideologies, false religions, and pseudo gospels spawned by Satan. Paul
knew those fortresses well, having lived his entire life before his
conversion in one of them. He was a zealous follower of the Judaism of
his day, which had turned from its Old Testament roots and become a
ritualistic system of works-righteousness." (2Corinthians Commentary)
2 Corinthians 11:6 But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not
so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this
evident to you in all things.
Ephesians 3:19-note
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that
you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Wuest comments on the
"experiential" aspect of gnosis in the context of this verse
writing that..."This love surpasses knowledge, gnosis,
“experiential knowledge.”
That is, no matter how much the
saint experiences of the love of Christ, yet there are oceans of love
in the great heart of God that have not been touched by his
experience.
One is reminded of the words of
that saint of old who penned the following lines on the walls of his
cell regarding the love of God;
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky. (AMEN!)
(Revel
in the words of this great hymn = The Love of God by Frederick Lehman)
The saints are to have an
experiential knowledge (gnosis) of the love of God “in order that
ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans
or
Logos
or
Wordsearch)
Philippians 3:8-note
More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the
surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I
have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so
that I may gain Christ,
Colossians 2:3-note
in whom are hidden (Apokruphos means hidden from the common gaze, and
therefore secret.) all (no exceptions!) the treasures of wisdom (sophia
[word study]) and knowledge.
Comment: The word hidden
is apokruphos which means hidden from the common gaze, and
therefore secret. The Gnostics (or similar false teachers) in Colossae
believed that a great mass of elaborate knowledge was necessary for
salvation. That knowledge they set down in their books which they
called apokruphos (our English apocrypha) because this
gnosis was barred from "ordinary" men. Paul is saying,
"You Gnostics have your gnosis
hidden from ordinary people, but Christians also have our gnosis,
the difference being that our gnosis is not hidden in
unintelligible books but is hidden in Christ and therefore open to all
men by grace through faith."
The truth of Christianity is not a
secret gnosis which is hidden but, praise the Lord, a "secret
gnosis" which is revealed.
1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you,
avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what
is falsely called "knowledge " (false or "anti-God"
gnosis)--
1 Peter 3:7-note
You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an
understanding way (According to gnosis = With an
intelligent recognition of the nature of the marriage relation), as with someone weaker, since she is a woman;
and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your
prayers will not be hindered.
2 Peter 1:5-note
Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith
supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your
self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
2 Peter 3:18-note
but grow
(present
imperative
= make it the habitual practice of your life to keep on growing) in the grace and knowledge
(gnosis) of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ (cp Col 2:3). To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of
eternity. Amen.
Gnosis -
42x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint - 1Sa 2:3; 1 hr 4:10; Esth 4:17;
Ps 19:2; 73:11; 94:10; 119:66; 139:6; Prov 2:6; 8:9f, 12; 9:6; 13:16,
19; 16:7; 19:23; 21:11; 22:20f; 27:21; 29:7; 30:3; Eccl 1:16, 17, 18;
2:21, 26; 7:12; 8:6; 9:10; 12:9; Isa 11:2; Jer 10:14; 40:14; 51:17;
Dan 2:30; Hos 4:6; 10:12; Mal 2:7
The use of
gnosis in Hosea presents an immutable principle highlighting the
importance of genuine, Biblical spiritual gnosis...
Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed
for lack of knowledge (Lxx = gnosis). Because you have rejected
knowledge (Lxx = epignosis), I also will reject you from being
My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will
forget your children.
Here is another
Lxx use of gnosis which presents an immutable, vitally important
principle (one that all pastors would do well to carefully heed)...
Malachi 2:7 "For the lips of a
priest should preserve (Lxx =
phulasso [word study] = to guard as
does a military sentry!) knowledge (Lxx = gnosis), and men
should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the
LORD of hosts.
Compare
- Ecclesiastes 12:9 In addition to being a wise man, the Preacher also
taught the people knowledge (Lxx = gnosis); and he pondered,
searched out and arranged many proverbs.
Here are some
other uses of gnosis in the Lxx...
1Sa 2:3 "Boast no more so very
proudly, Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth; For the LORD is
a God of knowledge (Lxx = gnosis), And with Him actions are
weighed.
Psalm 119:66 Teach me good
discernment and knowledge (Lxx = gnosis), For I believe in Your
commandments.
Spurgeon: Teach me good
judgment and knowledge. Again he begs for teaching, as in verse
64, and again he uses God's mercy as an argument. Since God had dealt
well with him, he is encouraged to pray for judgment to appreciate the
Lord's goodness. Good judgment is the form of goodness which the godly
man most needs and most desires, and it is one which the Lord is most
ready to bestow. David felt that he had frequently failed in judgment
in the matter of the Lord's dealings with him: from want of knowledge
he had misjudged the chastening hand of the heavenly Father, and
therefore he now asks to be better instructed, since he perceives the
injustice which he had done to the Lord by his hasty conclusions. He
means to say -- Lord, thou didst deal well with me when I thought thee
hard and stern, be pleased to give me more wit, that I may not a
second time think so ill of my Lord.
A sight of our errors and a sense
of our ignorance should make us teachable. We are not able to judge,
for our knowledge is so sadly inaccurate and imperfect; if the Lord
teaches us knowledge we shall attain to good judgment, but not
otherwise. The Holy Ghost
alone can fill us with light, and set the understanding upon a proper
balance: let us ardently long for His teachings, since it is most
desirable that we should be no longer mere children in knowledge and
understanding.
For I have believed thy commandments. His heart was right, and
therefore he hoped his head would be made right. He had faith, and
therefore he hoped to receive wisdom. His mind had been settled in the
conviction that the precepts of the word were from the Lord, and were
therefore just, wise, kind, and profitable; he believed in holiness,
and as that belief is no mean work of grace upon the soul, he looked
for yet further operations of divine grace. He who believes the
commands is the man to know and understand the doctrines and
the promises. If in looking back upon our mistakes and ignorance we
can yet see that we heartily loved the precepts of the divine will, we
have good reason to hope that we are Christ's disciples, and that he
will teach us and make us men of good judgment and sound knowledge.
A man who has learned discernment by experience, and has thus become a
man of sound judgment, is a valuable member of a church, and the means
of much edification to others. Let all who would be greatly useful
offer the prayer of this verse:
"Teach
me good judgment
and knowledge."
Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives
wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge (Lxx = gnosis) and
understanding.
Proverbs 8:10 "Take my instruction
and not silver, and knowledge (Lxx = gnosis) rather than
choicest gold.
Proverbs 21:11 When the scoffer is
punished, the naive becomes wise; But when the wise is instructed, he
receives knowledge (Lxx = gnosis).
Charles Bridges comments:
The wise, though already taught of God; through his daily teaching
thankfully receives increasing knowledge (gnosis). (Pr 1:5.) Among his
most fruitful lessons are the instructions of the rod--instructions
(mark the difference of the term)--not punishment. Often does the
teaching rod seal the teaching law (Ed: the spiritual gnosis).
(Bridges, C. Commentary on Proverbs)
Ecclesiastes 2:26 For to a person
who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and
joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and
collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God's sight. This
too is vanity and striving after wind.
Comment: Divine gnosis is a
gift of God, bestowed on those who are good, not because they merit it
but because God is gracious to give good gifts to His children. The
unrighteous "worldly wise" person is devoid of divine spiritual
gnosis.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your
hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity
or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are
going.
Isaiah 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of
wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The
spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
Jeremiah 10:14 Every man is stupid, devoid of knowledge (Lxx =
gnosis); Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols; For his molten
images are deceitful, And there is no breath in them.
Jeremiah 51:17 All mankind is
stupid, devoid of knowledge (Lxx = gnosis); Every goldsmith is
put to shame by his idols, For his molten images are deceitful, And
there is no breath in them.
Pulpit
Commentary notes that this knowledge...
shall be only annulled in the sense
of earthly knowledge, which shall be a star disappearing in the light
of that heavenly knowledge which shall gradually broaden into the
perfect day. (The
Pulpit Commentary: New Testament;
Old Testament; Ages Software
or
Logos)
Done away
(2673)
(katargeo
- see above) means
that it will be abolished. This however is not knowledge in general
(which will become perfect) but the gift of knowledge.
