"Knowledge" and "epi-knowledge"

In last week's message, I mentioned the difference in 2 Peter 1:3-11 between "knowledge" in terms of facts (v. 6) and "knowledge" in terms of deep, relational knowledge (vv. 2, 3, 8). In Greek, the first word is gnosis and the second is epignosis - "knowledge" and "epi-knowledge." ("Epi" is a Greek prefix that means "upon" or "over.) In English, we just have the one word "knowledge", but several other languages make a distinction. For example, in Spanish, the words are saber and conocer. It's the difference between knowing facts about Christ, and knowing Christ personally.

There are a few cases when the words are somewhat interchangeable in Scripture, but most of the time, there's an important difference.

For example, Rom 1:18 describes people who fail to have "epi-knowledge" of God - they failed to know Him personally as God, not just failed to know facts about God. In Rom 3:20, the Old Testament Law didn't just bring us the factual knowledge about sin, but the experiential knowledge of sin - a big difference!

Paul prays in Eph 1:17 that his readers would grow in their epi-knowledge of Christ (not just their book knowledge), and in Col 1:9, he prays that the Colossians would have epi-knowledge of God's will. How much more amazing is experiential knowledge of God's will compared to factual knowledge of God's will! In the next verse, he prays for epi-knowledge of God Himself.

Other passages that speak of this epi-knowledge are: Rom 10:2; Eph 4:13; Phi 1:9; Col 2:2; 3:10; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Tim 2:25; 3:7; Titus 1:1; Phm 1:6; Heb 10:26; 2 Pet 1:2, 3, 8; 2:20.

When we open our Bibles to study, we can settle for less by just looking for knowledge - facts, names, theological ideas, events, and attributes of God. Those are good and important things to know. But you can't "epi-know" a theological idea! Far greater is for us to open our Bibles looking for epi-knowledge of the Author - to get to know Him at a deeper and deeper level. Bible Study is really God-study - getting to know Him relationally and experientially.

Peter calls for both kinds of knowledge in 2 Pet 1:3-11 because both are important. But clearly, epi-knowledge is the star of the show! He prays for it in v. 2, it's how our faith begins in v. 3, and it's the goal of our spiritual growth in v. 8.