ejpignwvsei ªtou' qeou'
] and this knowledge can never be final. All that can be learnt of the course of Nature and History becomes under the action of the spirit of wisdom and revelation a disclosure of fresh truth as to the character and purpose and working of GOD. The eternal life itself consists in this (John 17:3
i{na ginwvskwsi
). He
that loveth is begotten of GOD and knoweth
(
ginwvskei
)
GOD (1 John 4:7). We know that the Son of GOD is come
(
h{kei
)
and hath given us an understanding that we may know Him that is true
(
diavnoian i{na ginwvskomen ª-kwmen
] 1 John 5:20, see notes). In this lies the real glory and hope of experience and labour.
ejn ejpignwvsei aujtou'
]
in the knowledge of Him
, i.e. of GOD, as in
th'" klhvsew" aujtou', th'" klhronomiva" aujtou', th'" dunavmew" aujtou', th'" ijscuvo" aujtou'
(Eph. 1:18,
19).
jEpivgnwsi"
has always a moral value and is used in the N.T. exclusively in reference to facts of the religious order and specially in reference to the knowledge which we are enabled to gain of GOD and of His purpose for man's salvation. It is peculiar to the Epistles. It occurs first in the Epistle to the Romans, and is found in all the later Epistles of St Paul, in Hebrews and 2 Peter. The passages will repay careful study, and furnish a commentary on the thought here.
( a ) Rom. 1:28 oujk ejdokivmasan to;n qeo;n e[cein ejn ejpignwvsei . Rom. 10:2 zh'lon qeou' e[cousin ajllj ouj katj ejpivgnwsin . Eph. 4:13 mevcri katanthvswmen oiJ pavnte" eij" th;n eJnovthta...th'" ejpignwvsew" tou' uiJou' tou' qeou' .
Col. 1:10
aujxanovmenoi th'/ ejpignwvsei tou' qeou'
. 2 Pet. 1:2
cavri" uJmi'n kai; eijrhvnh plhqunqeivh ejn ejpignwvsei tou' qeou' kai; jIhsou' tou' kurivou hJmw'n
.
id.
1:3
pavnta ... ta; pro;" zwh;n... dedwrhmevnh" dia; th'" ejpignwvsew" tou' kalevsanto" hJma'"
.
id.
1:8
oujk ajrgou;"...kaqivsthsin eij" th;n tou' kurivou hJmw'n jIhsou' Cristou' ejpivgnwsin
.
id.
2:20
ajpofugovnte" ta; miavsmata tou' kovsmou ejn ejpignwvsei tou' kurivou kai; swth'ro" jIhsou' Cristou'
.
( b ) Col. 1:9 i{na plhrwvqhte th;n ejpivgnwsin tou' qelhvmato" aujtou' . id. 2:2 eij" ejpivgnwsin tou' musthrivou tou' qeou', Cristou' . 1 Tim. 2:4, 2 Tim. 2:25, 3:7, Tit. 1:1 ejpivgnwsi" ajlhqeiva" . Heb. 10:26 hJ ejpivgnwsi" th'" ajlhqeiva" .
( c ) Rom. 3:20 dia; novmou ejpivgnwsi" aJmartiva" . Phil. 1:10 i{na hJ ajgavph...perisseuvh/ ejn ejpignwvsei k. pavsh/ aijsqhvsei eij" to; dokimavzein uJma'" ta; diafevronta .
This ejpivgnwsi" is at once the condition and the result of growing conformity to the Divine likeness:
Col. 3:10 ejndusavmenoi to;n nevon ªa[nqrwponº to;n ajnakainouvmenon eij" ejpivgnwsin katj eijkovna tou' ktivsanto" aujtovn .
For the verb ejpiginwvskein see Matt. 11:27; Luke 1:4; 2 Pet. 2:21; 1 Cor. 13:12; 2 Cor. 1:13 f.; Rom. 1:32; 1 Tim. 4:3.
The subject, with which this spirit of wisdom and revelation is to deal, is of all the most overwhelming,that men are destined to share in the glory of the exaltation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
18.
pefwt....eijdevnai
]
to the end that having the eyes of your heart enlightened
ye may know
.... The construction is obscure and perhaps confused. It is possible
that
pefwt. tou;" ojfq
. may be paralleled with
pn. sof. kai; ajpok
. and depend directly on
dwv/h
(give you the eyes of your heart enlightened, i.e. enlighten them). But this is