KNOWLEDGE
OF THE TRUTH?
There is a verse in the book of Hebrews which should strike
fear into the heart of all Christians who sin.
"For if we sin deliberately after receiving the
KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH,
there no
longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
but a
fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire
which
will consume the adversaries."
Heb 10:26-27
The author was saying that
Christians should be sure to gather
together and exhort each other (v:25) because if they were to
sin willfully after receiving "the knowledge of the truth" their
only prospect was "judgment and a fury of fire".
WHAT IS THE "KNOWLEDGE OF THE
TRUTH"?
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If we dip beneath the surface of
the English translation we
quickly discover that it is not just knowledge (Gk gnosis)
rather, it is "epi - gnosis".
The Greek preposition "epi"
is an intensifier which when
combined with gnosis "always refers
to knowledge which
very powerfully influences the form of religious life." and
implies a "full" knowledge.
Standard reference works explain
epignosis in this way...
Strong's Dictionary of the NT 1922 epignosis -
recognition, i.e. (by implication) full
discernment,
acknowledgment:
Thayers Lexicon 1922 epignosis-
precise and correct knowledge; used in the New
Testament of
the knowledge of things ethical and divine
If you apply those definitions to
"knowledge of the truth" we
see that it refers to a full and CORRECT knowledge of things
ethical and divine which in turn influences ones religious life.
Vines expository dictionary agrees:
2.
epignosis 1922,....denotes "exact or full
knowledge,
discernment, recognition," and is a strengthened form of No. 1,
[gnosis]
expressing a fuller or a full "knowledge," a greater
participation by the "knower" in the object "known," thus more
powerfully influencing him.
The author of Hebrews was
pronouncing a dreadful warning to
those who had received this "epignosis of the truth". The
warning was: "...sin deliberately
and there would be no more
hope, only the prospect of judgment."
So, if epignosis refers to
full and complete knowledge of the truth, what is "the truth"?
There are two things which come to
mind when we see the
term "the truth" (not simply truth, but THE truth)
1. Jesus, who is referred to as "the
truth."
"I am the way, the truth and the
life." (John 14:6)
2. The
law of God, which is "the truth".
"Thy law is the truth." Psalms 119:142
The law of God and Jesus are forever intertwined.
If you know Jesus, you keep the
commandments of God.
And conversely, if you keep the
commandments of God, you
know that you have come to know Jesus.
Not true you say - argue with the
apostle John...
"And by this we know that we have
come to KNOW Him,
if we keep His
commandments. I Jn 2:3
"The one who says, "I have come
to KNOW Him," and
does not keep
His commandments, is a liar, and THE
TRUTH is not in him; 1 John 2:4
The term "knowledge of the
truth" is used elsewhere by Paul
and if we look at those verses they will help us to understand
what this enigmatic phrase really means.
Titus 1:1
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of
Jesus Christ, to
further the
faith of God's elect and their KNOWLEDGE OF
THE TRUTH which accords with godliness,
In this verse we see that it is the
"elect" who have the
"knowledge
of the truth"; and we see that the
knowledge
of the truth has to do with godliness.
The word "elect" in the
Greek text is a form of "eklektos"
which is sometimes translated as "chosen" as indicated by
Strong's Greek Dictionary:
1588 eklektos: select; by implication,
favorite:
KJV-- chosen, elect.
It is important to understand this
because according to
Paul, it is the chosen (elect) who have the
knowledge of the
truth . In the gospel of Matthew Jesus
used the same word
"eklektos"
when He said:
'For many are called, but few are
CHOSEN" Matt
If you refer to the definition of
eklektos you will see that Jesus
was saying that many are called, but few are selected. That is
many are called by the Father - but only a few are "elect".
Many Christians have been called by
God and given the gift
of faith, but not all of them will be selected (chosen) by God to
receive eternal life. Those who are
chosen, are those who
have received the knowledge of the truth.
("...the elect
and their knowledge of the truth."
Tit 1:1 above)
Peter also referred to this process
of calling and choosing when
he said:
10 "Therefore,
brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain
about His CALLING and CHOOSING you; for as long
as you
practice these things, you will never
stumble;
Was Peter really talking about
salvation? The next verse makes
it absolutely clear that he was...
"...for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our
Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
2 Pet
That is why the author of Hebrews
warned the Christians to
make sure that they continued to gather together and exhort
each other about love and good works because if those who
had come to the knowledge of the truth were to "sin
deliberately, they could be certain of
"a certain fearful looking
for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the
adversaries."
Why are those who have
"received the knowledge of the truth"
and then "sin deliberately" punished so severely?
"How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by the
man who has
spurned the Son of God, and profaned the blood of
the covenant by
which he was sanctified, and outraged the
Spirit of grace? Heb 10:29
Because, after receiving the
"full and correct" knowledge of the
truth, they have spit upon the blood of the covenant by which
they were sanctified and outraged the Spirit of grace by rejecting
obedience to God's law and deliberately committing sin.
PETER GIVES THE SAME WARNING!
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Peter said this about Christians
who have come to the
knowledge (epignosis) of Jesus and have known the way of
righteousness and then turn back to committing sin...
"For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world
through the KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD and
Saviour
Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome,
the last state is become worse with them than
the first.
For it were better for them not to have KNOWN THE WAY
OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, than, after knowing it, to turn back
from the HOLY COMMANDMENT delivered unto
them."
2 Peter 2:20-21
Like the dog returning to its vomit these people escaped the
defilements of the world and ceased from sin through the
KNOWLEDGE of Jesus (The Truth) and
then turned back to
sin.
They had KNOWN the way of
righteousness (the truth) and then
chose to "sin deliberately" and
break one of the holy
Commandments of God.
" It has happened unto them according to
the true proverb,
The dog turning to his own vomit again,
and the sow that
had washed to
wallowing in the mire.
The dire warnings found in Peter
and Hebrews are there for
our protection. If the reader is a
Christian who is still
committing sin by deliberately breaking any of the Ten
Commandments and is anxious to
repent, let him take heart, for
if he is able to repent, then he is not one who has come to a
knowledge of the truth and turned back to sin.
The very fact that one wants to
repent is proof that he is
still able to be saved, for God has not yet rejected him and
sent him a delusion as described in 2 Thessalonians:
"...and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish,
because they did not receive the love of THE TRUTH, that
they might be saved.
"And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that
they should believe the lie, that they all may
be condemned
who did not believe THE TRUTH but had pleasure
in
UNRIGHTEOUSNESS." 2 Th 2:10-12
As I sat here pondering how to
close, I decided there could be
no better way than to simply repeat the words that God inspired
in the author of Hebrews as he tried to warn his brethren about
the awful consequences of intentional sin...
"...and let us consider how to
stir up one another to love
and good
works, not neglecting to meet together, as is
the habit
of some, but encouraging one another, and all
the
more as you see the Day drawing near.
For if we sin deliberately after
receiving the knowledge
of the truth,
there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
but a fearful
prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire
which will
consume the adversaries."
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Verses referring to the
"knowledge of the truth"
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1 Tim 2:4
"Who
will have all men TO BE SAVED, AND TO
COME UNTO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.'
2 Tim 2:25
"...in meekness correcting them that
oppose themselves; if
peradventure God
may give them REPENTANCE UNTO
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.
2 Tim 3:7
"...led
away by diverse lusts, ever learning, and NEVER
ABLE TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF
THE TRUTH."
Titus 1:1
"Paul,
a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to further the
faith of God's elect and their KNOWLEDGE
OF THE TRUTH WHICH ACCORDS
WITH
GODLINESS."
Heb 10:26
"For
if we sin wilfully after that we have RECEIVED
THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH,
there
remaineth
no more sacrifice for sins."