1. INTRODUCTION Why is it that too many Christians have been weak and beggary? Because of their ignorance. It praise that you do be filled with this kind of knowledge. A knowledge that changes a man’s life. That knowledge is required.That’s the kind of knowledge that you receive as you grow in Christ. That’s what makes the difference between the mature Christian and the one that is not. 1. GNOSKO For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...that he would grant you…to know (Grk: Gnosko) the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge (Grk: Gnosis) (Ephesians 3:14-19) GNOSKO is“revelation knowledge”; it is a knowledge with completeness without intellectual activity.
GNOSIS here is the Greek word for “science”. He is talking about scientific knowledge, a knowledge that requires intellectual activity. So he says that revelation knowledge surpasses science. So the love of Christ is beyond to what science can show to you. He is letting you know that the love of Christ can only be discovered through revelation. Science cannot unveil to you the love of Christ; science cannot unveil to you the passion of Christ which was demonstrated on the cross of Calvary. No matter the Books of this world that you study, you will never get to know the importance, the significance of the crucifixion of Christ; you will never know what it actually meant. You may know about it, you may even describe what happened, but you will never have the understanding of it, because you see the Word of God is received through spiritual understanding, it is not human understanding. That’s why a man can be listening to the gospel and start weeping because now he can understand what Jesus did for him. But another man who is trying to reason it out
cannot understand it because it’s beyond human understanding. 2. AIDO (Or OIDA or EIDO) …We know (Grk: Oida or Eido) that we all have knowledge. (1Corinthians8.1) “Oida” or “Eido” is “awareness”. We know (we are aware) that we all have gnosis. And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge (aido, he was aware) of that way, he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know (Grk: diagnosko) the uttermost of your matter. (Acts 24:22) We know (we are aware) that all things work together to them that love God (Romans8:28) DIAGNOSKO is where you got diagnosis. DIAGNOSKO is the evaluation of that matter to determine the case that had been brought before him. He is going to explore it and make conclusion based to his looking into the matter.
3. EPIGNOSIS Wherefore I also, …Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge(Grk: epignosis) of him (Ephesians1:17) EPIGNOSIS is full and exact knowledge, complete knowledge. Something that makes a difference between EPIGNOSIS and the two previous kinds of knowledge is the participation of the knower with the object of knowledge. That means there is a relationship between the knower and what he knows. There is a koinonia, a fellowship between them that influences, and affects and changes the attitude of the knower. That’s epignosis. It is a full knowledge that doesn’t do without altering the thinking process of the knower. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge, the exact knowledge, the complete knowledge of him(Ephesians1:17)
If that knowledge was not possible, he wouldn’t tell us that the Father would grant it us. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge (Greek: Epignosis) of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding(Col1:9) It’s possible. He prayed that you would be filled with this kind of knowledge, a knowledge that changes a man’s life. It was not automatic, otherwise he wouldn’t pray. It is a knowledge that is required, a knowledge that you receive as you grow in Christ. And that’s what makes the difference between the mature Christian and the one that is not. You can be a Christian for many years and not understanding these things. There are people who quote Scriptures that don’t change them because they have not related with what they know; and this is one of those things that mediation gives you. The Knowledge of God’s Word is the difference between success and failure. And I am talking about lasting success. That’s why
God wants you understand the Word because He wants your life well-seasonned because what God wants to build with your life is great. So the foundation needs to be deep enough and it’s only through the Word like we are sharing now. And that foundation will be strong enough to support the tallest building that God wants to put on it. Remember, your life is a building. The Bibkle says…ye are God’s building (1Corinthians 3.9) I told you that this particular word “epignosis” is used majorly by the apostle Paul and he used that word 16 times out of 20 times that it is used in the bible. The other 4 times, it was used by Peter. That’s to show you how important this word was, connected directly with the Pauline revelation. Hallelujah. We should have the following knowledge
The Epignosis of God (the Father and His son Jesus) (Eph. 1.17, Col.1.10, 2Peter12&3, 2Peter1.8) The Epignosis of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus (Philemon 1.6) The Epignosis of the truth
4. GNOSKO AND EPIGNOSIS Gnosko is the revelation that is imparted to you, and from gnosko, you go beyond to Epignosis through meditation, study of the Word with your spirit. You’re opened up to God to be taught, informed, enlightened by the Holy Ghost. Epignosis is the fuller revelation than what you have with gisnosko. It comes to you through meditation of the Word. For example you know that Jesus was born of a virgin. Somebody says: scientifically you can make a virgin give birth. Yes, by artificial insemination. That’s true and the virgin will become pregnant and deliver a baby. Definitely! But thank God, my Father was the first to do it. You know that Jesus was born of virgin. It’s a revelation because you were not there. You believe he is the Son of God, you know He died for the whole world. Jesus was born of virgin. I believe. It’s a revelation. It’s ginosko to me. I know through the spirit that He was born of a virgin. But you see that doesn’t mean that I know why. That doesn’t mean that I know the power of it, the significance of it. And what that means to me. So I have ginosko but I
don’t know what it means to me. If I knew more about the virgin birth I could be blessed more. I could discover something more about myself and about God and about this great kingdom. But how is that going to come? That’s going to come from my study and meditation on the Word. Then I get Epignosis, exact knowledge, full knowledge. This is a revelation but it is full knowledge to me now. Now I can use it, now I have grown by this knowledge. Now my faith has increased, my spirit has been built, I know better. And I can use that knowledge for the glory of God. I believe that all Christians believe that Jesus was born of a virgin. But most of them don’t know why. Most of them don’t know what it was for; the purpose of it. Most of them don’t know what to do with the information. They just don’t know. But there is so much about it. I gave my heart to Jesus, I am born again. That’s ginosko. But do I know the significance of this life that I’ve received? That’s another matter. That’s epignosis, I got to into the realm of the spirit, I got to study with my spirit, not with my head. Because the
scriptures are not written with sense knowledge understanding. The bible says that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2.14) So you study with your spirit, your spiritual eyes will have to be open to discern these things. So when he says that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2Corinthians517). Wow! Ginosko; I know I am a new creation. But what does that mean? Epignosis. I got to find out what it means to be a new creation. I am blessed to know I am a new creation. That’s big. The world cannot understand that, it’s big but now what is the significance of it. What does it mean, what is the laptop in that truth? That’s epignosis; another kind of knowledge. And it is going to come by meditation. Epignosis is the knowledge that stays with you, a knowledge that you can use, a knowledge that you can live by.
When you meditate on the Word of God, something actually happens within your spirit. You become what you read. When you read the newspapers, you don’t become what you see but something happens. There is a knowledge that is transferred into you thay you may not immediately be aware of. For example, the more you readf about violent crimes, the more afraid your life becomes. The more bad news you hear, the more it produces fear in your spirit because you are a spirit being and your spirit is controlled or modeled by words. So in that way, it eventually affects you, over time it will affect you. But here, when you behold the Word of God through your spirit, it can change you now, it would work now.And the more you look the more you become. GNOSKO is the knowledge beyond believing. You gnosko Jesus is the son of God, you don’t believe it, you know it. You may not have scriptures to tell it nor know how to explain it but you just know, it is a revelation knowledge. Now you get to the level where you understand why he was buried and that you were buried
with him, you understand it much better, this is epignosko; a fuller knowledge until it becomes epignosis: you are more than reading, more than receiving it, you have come to know, you are living in it now, you are a part of it. That’s what Paul has to when he said: I was crucified with Christ… the life that I live now… (Gal2:20) He has come to the epignosis, a full knowledge of it; he has come to katalambano a full knowledge of it.He had comprehended it, he has arrived…Christ in you the hope of Glory (Col1:27) Oh what a meditation, he had maditated until the Word of God begins to course through his veins, to course through his muscles, begins to course through his system. He has arrived. 1Timothy4.15&Joshuah1.8: The power of it is in talking it. …appears to all…in 1Timothy4.15 comes from the Greek”PHANEROS” which means”to spread abroad”or” to cause to shine”. This means your progress will spread abroad, it will go to other nations, your life, your spiritual walk, and everything about you will spread abroad. GNOSKO is that knowledge that is imparted to you, revelation knowledge which you get when
you receive Christ into your life and the Holy Spirit comes into your life, you are brought into a new Kind of knowledge, a revelation knowledge that got nothing to do with your intellect. You can’t reason it out but you just know: the Spirit of God has ministered to your spirit. Now you know you are a child of God, you have been awekened to the fatherhood of God. The Other One is Eido: an awarenes. We know (are aware) that all things work together for good to them that love God. But even though I know, what is my role? That’s where EPIGNOSIS comes in. Because EPIGNOSIS is knowledge with participation.This is the kind of knowledge that you apply in the realm of the Spirit.That’s why he says: …let your love abound more and more in knowledge (Philippians1.9) because you arleady have love (Rm5.5) but that doesn’t mean that you are growing in love but through epignosis which is revelation knowledge that comes to you full through your participation in that knowledge. What happens is now you understand what you have received, how it works. Now you know how to apply your knowledge of the crucifixion of Christ, your knowledge of his
resurrection. Now you can put it to work in your life. It is that knowledge that you gain as you meditate in the real m of the Spirit and that kind of meditation is what brings you rhema. For example:
”the epignosis of Christ” is that knowledge that makes you become like Christ. The epignosis (full knowledge, exact knowledge) of His will (Colossians 1:9). No asumption. Paul said: “we are praying for you “why? Because Paul has had it. That’s what put him ahead of others. God wants us to walk in the perfect will of God and when you know the will of God, it’s revealed in you, you become a part of His will.
And he says…in all wisdom and spiritual understanding (Col 1.9). It doesn’t matter what field you are into, it doesn’t matter where you work, it doesn’t matter what kind of profession you are into or business; when you are filled with the knowledge of his will, as you meditate on God’s Word and you are brought into this kind of knowledge (epignosis), you begin to
function with all wisdom, inside into realities, you know beyond what you see, and it’s a spiritual understanding.You know what’s the power behind it, you know exactly what to do. The more we meditate on the Word of God, and study with the Spirit, the more we become what he says we are , in other words we get to know as we are known.So what He says I am, I discover I really are. So I know as I am known by the Word. (1Corinthians13.12 & Hebrews 4.12-13) The problem is that not many of God’s people are well-informed, otherwise…hahaha, go and read Elijah. The Bible says that the Spirit came on Elijah and he outruns the best horse in Israel. Okay, let’s talk about the knowledge of the truth. 5. THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth (1Timoty 2.4) You see, God’s purpose is to have men saved, and to come unto the epignosis (full
knowledge) of the truth. He doesn’t want you to just have some little information about God. He wants you to have the full knowledge of the truth, to be equipped with the full knowledge of the truth. And this truth is reality. Jesus is reality. Remember he says I am the way, the truth (reality) and the life. Everything else is a lie, the truth is in Christ. He is truth. How important that is. …in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; (2Timoty 2.24-25) The bible was not written in English. We got the English translation from the Greek for the NT section and from Hebrew for the OT section. And whatever we are reading in English, a lot of time we want to find out from where they got it so that we are not limited by the understanding of the translator, especially when you know that most of the translators interestingly didn’t have the Holy Spirit. A lot of them did it as a business, a lot of them because they were professors of languages. So when you read through the spirit you can see that there is something more in that word that
has been given you. The Holy Spirit can show you that there is something more. So he says:… in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…; (2Timoty 2. 25). The expression those that oppose themselves is all in one Greek word. So in English you don’t get the best understanding of it, it actually refers to one who opposes himself. He did use the plural tense. He is talking about those who oppose the truth. He talks about them in the 3rd chapter…, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth… Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was. (2Timoty 3. 5-9). They resist the truth. They oppose the truth, they walk against the truth. In the other area where we read, he didn’t use the same word, even though he said “those that oppose themselves”. In chapter 2, it is a disposition against the truth. Here (chapter3) it means taking a position that works against you.
We are looking about the difference between disposition and position. The one in the disposition against the truth, he fights the truth. The other one in the position against the truth and therefore it works against him. Another expression for the one who opposes himself is one who overthrows himself. He says in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves, not that they oppose the gospel; they are walking against themselves. How many times have you walk against yourself? I will tell you. Then he says: if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging (epignosis) of the truth. So they will begin to discover the truth for themselves. Paul is saying to Timothy: Look, the servant of the Lord should be meek and gentle and endeavor to instruct those who oppose themselves, who get themselves off the right tract and God peradventure will grant them repentance so that there is a change. You have a change of heart and come to the epignosis of the truth. Then verse 26, that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. He says
that these folks are taken captive at the devil’s will. Whatever he wants to do in their home he does, whatever he says he want to do in their body he does. He just walks into their house and afflicts them with fever, typhoid. He walks in and kicks their business. He just walks and afflicts the whole family with sicknesses in the home everywhere. Because they oppose themselves. Now he says: Instruct them, teach them patiently, in meekness, so that God will grant theme repentance! Now they will begin to see the truth: have the correct, accurate, full, exact knowledge of the Word of God. They will say: Now I know, I know who I am , I found my place Some Christians think their in need of prayer. They say they ate something in their dream,…they are in need of deliverance. But the Bible says you don’t need prayer. You don’t need deliverance, all you need is deliverance. He says that through Epignosis you will recover yourself. You will awaken and when you are awakened, you just walk out of the devil’s captivity. The devil has no hold on you.When you wake up, you walk out.Wake up
through epignosis, discover somebody. Hallelujah!
who
you
are
The Knowledge of the truth. What is the truth? Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world (1John 4:4). I am awakened to that reality that the greater one lives in me. I cannot be oppressed; I refuse to be sick, I refuse to fail, because I have the epignosis of the truth. The greater one lives in me, hallelujah, I refuse to fear, the greater one lives in me. What is the truth? Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.But now are we the sons of God (1 John 3:2) What is the truth? As he is, so am I in this world. (1 John 4:17)
I am a partaker of the divine nature (2Peter1:4) What is the truth? I will tell you: Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.(James 1:18) Hallelujah! I am peculiar, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that I should shew forth the praises (excellencies, perfections) of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light(1 Peter 2:9). I know who I am. I know who I am. I know who I am. Hallelujah! What is the truth?
It doesn’t matter what I go through, in all these things I am more than conquerors through him that loved me (Romans 8.37). Tonguing! What is the truth? I will tell you.
I am Abraham seed, I am Abraham seed, I am Abraham seed, I am a success, I am Abraham seed.
What is the truth?
If the Spirit of Him that Raised Jesus Christ dwelleth in you He that raised Jesus from the dead shall also vitalized your mortal body (Romans 8.11); every fiber of your being, every bone of your body. Tonguing…Glory to God!
I am blessed, I am blessed, I am blessed. Every thing I touch I am blessed. In my going out and in my coming in, I am blessed.
They say: How are you sister (or brother)?
I AM BLESSED!
Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of him who hath called us to glory and virtue (2Peter1:3) He has called us to a life of glory and virtue (excellence)…that by these you might be partakers (participators) in the divine nature (divine experience, divine life) (2Peter1:4) You see the Word of God that you build into your spirit will give you a character. The Word
that’s found itself in every fiber of your being, in every bone of your body and in every cell of your blood.Meditate on the Word until it gets into your system! So you are seasonned with the Word. 6. IF THESE THINGS BE IN YOU,…. Add to your faith virtue Add (Greek: CHOREGEO): Sponsor, supplier, somebody who lavishly sposnored the drama. That the communication of your faith may become effectual (effective, powerful, results producing) by the acknowledging (epignosis) of every good thing that is you in Christ Jesus (Philemon1.6) Now these things that he is telling us to add, they are in us already.What he is telling us is this: dig into the deep and bring them out! Like what James said that faith without works is dead being alone (James2:20). He is telling you to bring out what you have on the inside. VIRTUE Moral excellence, dependent on moral energy, the power to do right.It is the work of the Spirit
of God on the inside. You can’t find it anywhere else, only by the Holy Ghost in you. And now you can walk in the light of it.So you can refuse to cheat. Moral excellence is in you now. Put it to work, bring it out! Remember he said: But you shall receive power (inherent power) after that the Holy Ghost has come on you (Acts1.8). This power is an inherent power meaning that when the Holy Spirit comes to live in you, you will no longer need supply from heaven. KNOWLEDGE (GNOSIS) The Word Knowledge means here GNOSIS. GNOSIS is the knowledge that you gain through intellectual activity.It’s called”mental prowess” which means God wants you to become erudit.He wants your mind to be sharp. He wants you to study; He wants you to get knowledge. If you study, it will become yours, it will reside in you.Then you can put it to work, you can live in it. Gnosis is the intellectual soundness, knowledge that you gain through mental activities, he wants His children to become erudit, to be smart, to be informed. We have
sound mind (2Tim1.7)…. Jesus is the embodiment of all gnosis (Colossains 2.3); He knows all things about physics, He knows all things about chemistry, biology…and He can pass some of those informations through your mind, just let Him! TEMPERANCE (ENGKRATEIA) Temperance is self control. It comes from the Greek word “engkrateia” which means”to hold oneself in”. It was referred to the athlete; the guy wants to it but he holds himself back because he wants to be a champion. He has what we call”self restraint”.Now he told us to have self restraint, to have the ability to say “no” to what is not right. You refuse to watch, to look, to eat or to stop your anger. You hold yourself. You take control over your anger, over your body, over your eyes, over your spirit…You do what you chose to do, you restraint yourself, you have become the master over everything. You only do what is right the right time because you have self-control which means you dictate the way things ought to be. You pray when you decide to pray, you refuse to eat when you want…Only what you want happens. Rule over your body, rule over you
yes, rule over senses. This where you walk in dominion. You feel weak but you refuse to sleep or to sit down. You feel sleepy but you awake up. Somebody insults you, you bless him, he even bit you but you let him go in peace because you are reigning from the inside. You are free to choose and to act.You grab yourself from the inside.You do what you want. Praise God! PATIENCE Endurance, stickability, it the power keep keeping on in the face of opposition.There are times, especially at the beginning of the faithlife where things may go hard, learn to endure!That Bible says to endure hardship, as a soldier (2Timothy2:3). Sometimes the Company you are working in has some hardship and is not able to pay you. If it’s not consistent with their character, don’t just live! Endure; find out what you can do to help in such a time.Learn to endure! Endure with hope! It’s patience with hope because patience without hope is useless. Patience means endurance or staying power. It is the ability to
go through anything.No matter what happens you don’t run away. The Bible says…holding forth the Word of Life… (Not excuses) (Philippians 2.15); GODLINESS (EUSEBEIA) It’s Piety towards God.It is devotion to spiritual or godly activities.Godliness comes from the Greek “EUSEBEIA” which means a “well directed reverence” He is talking about devotion to spiritual activities.This word does not refer to inner righteousness at all. It refers to the externals only;they see you outwardly and they say ”this man is a godly man”: prayer, going to church…Many christians don’t have what we call quiet time, when they must close the door, kneels down and prays without disturbance. But the Bible says you ought to have it: exercise yourself unto goodliness (1Timothy 4:7). That’s what he was talking about. Godiliness is the outward demonstration of the inner life. There are things you must do as a Christian even though anybody who do them is not necessary a Christian. For example, you must go to church.
BROTHERLY KINDNESS (PHILEO) Brotherly kindness is from one Greek “Philadelphia” which is from the root”phileo” which means “love for your friends or love for your brothers” (Romans12:10).Phileo is love for friends. Recognise your brothers and sisters in Christ. Accept them and be willing to help them (Heb13.1)! You be kind towards others. You don’t compete with anybody.Outdo yourself, outdo your past but don’t outdo someone else because you don’t know what journey that God has given to that one to run. So don’t try to run with him! LOVE (AGAPE) It’s a higher kind of love, the love of God to us. You’ve been born with the nature of love (Rm5.5) but it’s like a seed. But you are going to have to grow in love; you are going to learn to love in spite of the object of love and that’s the difference between agape and phileo: Agape is the love that you have in spite of the behavior and thinking of that other person. Jesus said: Agape your ennemies!
Husbands, love (Grk: agape) your wives! Eph 5:25
Women be sober, love (phileo) your husbands, love (phileo) your children, (Titus 2:4) That means: Be friend with your husband…! But not many wives are friends with their husband; they only know that the husband doesn’t love them anymore but the Bible says: make friend with your husband! You say: “He is very terrible” but try! Agape is love that includes devotion, you love anyhow, in spite of the other person.Greet those that don’t greet you, do them good. And when you greet someone, look at his face! If these things be in you, you will be successful. This is what to do to be a success in any endeveour.
Three Kinds of Knowledge part 12 When you meditate on the Word of God, something actually happens within your spirit. You become what you read. When you read the newspapers, you don’t become what you see but something happens. There is a knowledge that is transferred into you thay you may not immediately be aware of. For example, the more you readf about violent crimes, the more afraid your life becomes. The more bad news you hear, the more it produces fear in your spirit because you are a spirit being and your spirit is controlled or modeled by words. So in that way, it eventually affects you, over time it will affect you. But here, when you behold the Word of God through your spirit, it can change you now, it would work now.And the more you look the more you become.
You’ve been born with the nature of love (Rm5.5) but it’s like a seed. But you are going to have to grow in love; you are going to learn to love in spite of the object of love and that’s the difference between agape and phileo:
(Philadelphia: the root for) Phileo: Love for friends Agape: Love that you have in spite of the behavior and thinking of that other person. Jesus said: Agape your ennemies! Husbands, love Ephesians5:25
(Grk:
agape)
your
wives!
Titus 2:4 …women to be sober, to love (phileo) their husbands, to love (phileo) their children, That means: Be friend with your husband…! But not many wives are friends with their husband; they only know that the husband doesn’t love them anymore but the Bible says: make friend with your husband! You say: “He is very terrible” but try! GNOSKO is the knowledge beyond believing. You gnosko Jesus is the son of God, you don’t believe it, you know it. You may not have scriptures to tell it nor know how to explain it but you just know, it is a revelation knowledge. Now you get to the level where you understand why he was buried and that you were buried with him, you understand it much better, this is epignosko; a fuller knowledge until it
becomes epignosis: you are more than reading, more than receiving it, you have come to know, you are living in it now, you are a part of it. That’s what Paul has to when he said: I was crucified with Christ… the life that I live now… (Gal2:20) He has come to the epignosis, a full knowledge of it; he has come to katalambano a full knowledge of it.He had comprehended it, he has arrived…Christ in you the hope of Glory (Col1:27) Oh what a meditation, he had maditated until the Word of God begins to course through his veins, to course through his muscles, begins to course through his system. He has arrived.
Virtue: Moral excellence, moral energy, the power to do right.
Knowledge: Gnosis, intellectual soundness, knowledge that you gain through mental activities, he wants His children to become erudit, to be smart, to be informed. 2Tim1.7…sound mind. Jesus is the embodiment of all gnosis; He knows all things about physics, He knows all things about chemistry,
biology…and He can pass some of those informations through your mind, just let Him
Temperance: yourself in
engkrateia,
to
hold
Patience: endurance or staying power, the ability to go through anything.No matter what happens you don’t run away.
The Bible says…holding forth the Word of Life… (Not excuses) (Philippians 2.15)
Godiliness: Outward demonstration
