To Know or to Know
Text: 2 Peter 1:2
May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (NRSV)
One of my favorite activities is learning Spanish. I’m not very good at it but, I enjoy the beauty of the language and the people whose native language it is. Every now and again, something from my studies jumps out at me while I’m reading a Bible verse in English.
In 2 Peter 1:2, the author wishes an abundance of grace and peace to come to the readers through the “knowledge” of God and Jesus. I began to wonder, “By this, does he mean detailed information about the Father and the Son or, does he mean an intimate relationship with the Father and the Son?”
The only reason I asked myself that particular question was because in Spanish, there are two words that mean “to know” which, of course, is the root of knowledge. The one verb is “saber” which means to have information about a concept or an event. The other verb is “conocer” which has a deeper meaning of knowledge based on relationship. Conocer is the word you would use to express the fact that you had a relationship with a person and not just information about a person.
I believe that Peter is talking about gaining an abundance of grace and peace because of an intimate relationship with the Father and the Son, not just because we have heard stories about them and have information about them.
Do you know the Father and the Son? Or, do you simply know about the Father and the Son?
Pray with me:
God of love and God of relationship may each and every day of my life bring me closer to you. May I know you as my own father and brother, and not just as someone I have heard stories about. AMEN.
May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (NRSV)
One of my favorite activities is learning Spanish. I’m not very good at it but, I enjoy the beauty of the language and the people whose native language it is. Every now and again, something from my studies jumps out at me while I’m reading a Bible verse in English.
In 2 Peter 1:2, the author wishes an abundance of grace and peace to come to the readers through the “knowledge” of God and Jesus. I began to wonder, “By this, does he mean detailed information about the Father and the Son or, does he mean an intimate relationship with the Father and the Son?”
The only reason I asked myself that particular question was because in Spanish, there are two words that mean “to know” which, of course, is the root of knowledge. The one verb is “saber” which means to have information about a concept or an event. The other verb is “conocer” which has a deeper meaning of knowledge based on relationship. Conocer is the word you would use to express the fact that you had a relationship with a person and not just information about a person.
I believe that Peter is talking about gaining an abundance of grace and peace because of an intimate relationship with the Father and the Son, not just because we have heard stories about them and have information about them.
Do you know the Father and the Son? Or, do you simply know about the Father and the Son?
Pray with me:
God of love and God of relationship may each and every day of my life bring me closer to you. May I know you as my own father and brother, and not just as someone I have heard stories about. AMEN.
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