Sermon Tone Analysis

Maturity in our Walk

There's a story about a proud young man who came to Socrates asking for knowledge.

He walked up to the philosopher and said, "O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.

Socrates recognized the foolishness in him.

He led the young man through the streets, to the sea, and chest-deep into water.

Then he asked, "What do you want"?

"Knowledge, O wise Socrates, said the young man with a smile.

Socrates put his strong hands on the man's shoulders and pushed him under the water.

Thirty seconds later, Socrates let him up.

"What do you want"? he asked again.

"Wisdom, the young man sputtered, "O great and wise Socrates.

Socrates crunched him under again.

Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five.

Forty.

Socrates let him up.

The man was gasping.

"What do you want, young man"?

Between heavy, heaving breaths, the fellow wheezed, "Knowledge, O wise and wonderful... Socrates pushed him under again; forty seconds passed then 50.

"What do you want"?

"Air!" he screamed.

"I need air!" Knowledge alone and the search for it is useless without clearness of thought or maturity in judgment.

Or as Paul wrote wisdom and understanding.

Colossians 1.9-14

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Paul to this point has buffered the coming teaching and corrections for the Colossian believers.

Having received a good report from Epaphras Paul decided to commend them in the opening remarks of this letter.

Paul included them in his prayer life, and was thankful for the progress they had made since receiving the Gospel.

The evidence was obvious to Paul in their fruit bearing and growth.

God’s grace is ever connected with (ἐν) what is truth and nothing but truth and never is it connected with anything that is of a different quality.

Paul’s final commendation confirmed the faithfulness of Epaphras and recognized him as a fellow servant.

Prayer for Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding

Verse 9

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Knowledge

What is knowledge?

Webster defines it as :

(1): the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association

(2): acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique

b (1): the fact or condition of being aware of something

(2): the range of one’s information or understanding 〈answered to the best of my knowledge〉

c: the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning: COGNITION

d: the fact or condition of having information or of being learned 〈a person of unusual knowledge〉

Knowledge - The sum or range of what has been perceived, discovered or learned.

gnōsis = knowledge acquired by learning, effort, or experience.

Greek Epignosis - what I see or observe

Greek use of the word Knowledge is epignosis - the sense is that of seeing or observing and possessing information.

Think back to the opening illustration.

Experience was the teacher.

What is recognizable

Knowledge is achieved by inspection from without.

Its object is thought of as something present and open to the scrutiny of the observer.

The observer is himself there, and his knowledge is thus objective; any participation in what is known is limited to seeing.

the act in which man comprehends the objects and circumstances of his world

Hebrew Daath - Consequences in life

What is spiritual and hidden God’s

Thus knowledge has an element of acknowledgment.

But it also has an element of emotion, or better, of movement of will, so that ignorance means guilt as well as error.

Linguistically this is expressed primarily in the fact that knowledge, as a grasping of the significance and claim of what is known, can have the connotation of an anxious concern about something, whether in relation to God or man.

Above all, however, ידע is used for acknowledgment of the acts of God

In Hebrew use it is learning by hearing and knowing consequences.

Think of running a red light - the Greek would see it and learn from it.

the Hebrew would not run the red light knowing you should not do that.

An obedient and grateful acknowledgment of the deeds and demands of God is linked with knowledge of God and what He has done and demands.

It is in keeping that this Christian knowledge is not a fixed possession but develops in the life of the Christian as lasting obedience and reflection.

For this reason γνῶσις is regarded as a gift of grace which marks the life of the Christian.

Proverbs states it this way in 1:7

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;

fools despise wisdom and instruction.

A reverence of God is your starting point.

Thirst for knowledge, more specifically knowledge of His will.

Think of times in your life when you needed to know something - how did you approach it?

Knowledge of His will

Hi will is his design, purpose, plan, intention.

The whole purpose of God as revealed in Christ.

His intention for our conduct in life.

Where do we gain this knowledge?

For contrast Ephesians 4:17-18

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds.

18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Are you putting effort and time into knowing His will?

Request to be filled with...

Complete, overflowing, satisfied, stuffed, pregnant.

Filled in our entire being - our:

Thoughts

Affections

Purposes

Plans

Also, generously supplied with....

With this knowledge I also need wisdom and understanding

Here is the concept of spiritual wisdom, “real knowledge of God’s will knows how to use and to apply this knowledge in life’s situations, for instance, when error confronts one”

When you connect understanding to wisdom such knowledge will analyze and combine, will take one point after another of the error and will set against each point the part of truth regarding God’s will which refutes and exposes that error.

What are the benefits?

I am under the control of the Holy Spirit

I am able to use His wisdom for living my life in this World

I am able to discern

Wisdom is the use of knowledge - understanding is a mental grasp of a subject.

I don’t just know God’s plans for my life but I understand them and am able to apply them.

As a result of this I can walk

“The end of all knowledge is conduct” (Lightfoot).