Unexpected Joy: Finding True Purpose in SurrenderSample

Developing “Epignosis”: Experiential Understanding

We can’t set a course to go anywhere until we have a real awareness of where we are at the start.

Any chance of receiving the promise of God for a life of great joy starts with a posture of active awareness. We should begin by honestly asking the question, “Why do I believe what I believe?”

We must also be willing to deal with the answers and their implications. If we are willing to actively pursue an awareness of what we believe and why, we are then in the right place to genuinely seek a deeper understanding of the elements of the Christian faith that will inevitably lead to those experiences that validate the truth of Scripture.

Epignosis

Peter wrote, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

Jesus and the writers of the New Testament consistently point to an EXPERIENTIAL UNDERSTANDING of key doctrine as the catalyst for growth in Christ.

Paul described this as “the full riches of complete understanding” (Colossians 2:2). A brief look at how levels of understanding are addressed in the Greek language is helpful here. The Greek root word eido is most simply defined as “knowing, to know,” or “to see and know.” We might think of this as passive awareness or basic understanding. Eido and its various forms are used hundreds of times throughout the New Testament.

There is a deeper level of understanding, however, that only comes through experience. The root word in Greek for this kind of understanding is ginosko. It means to “experientially know,” to understand through personal, intimate experience. This is related to the words gnosis and epignosis, that build on the definition to include prudence, discernment, and precise and correct knowledge. Epignosis is a deep and correct understanding derived from personal experiences.

Paul intentionally used these special Greek words whenever he wanted to stress the importance of an accurate understanding of key ideas and doctrine in the Christian faith, an understanding that leads to action. Here is a prime example:

We continually ask God to fill you with the epignosis of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the epignosis of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light (Colossians 1:9-12).

According to Paul, even Jesus wants us to have experiential understanding: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to an epignosis of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4).

As we become more actively aware of what we believe, as we seek to understand those beliefs, and as we take action on the burdens God gives us, we will have intimate experiences with him that will validate the truth of Scripture.

So how do we get the kinds of experiences that lead to greater understanding and, eventually, to mature perspectives? Unfortunately, we can’t force this process. Our role is to choose a posture of active awareness and pursue a deeper understanding of Scripture. God will burden us, call us to obedient actions, and graciously allow us to experience him in the process.

Something to Remember:

Embracing an active pursuit of awareness and understanding creates the environment to have the faith-building experiences with God, which confirm the truth of what God says, through Scripture, about who he is and everything in the world he created.