Tyndale Open Bible Dictionary

KNOWLEDGE

Observation and recognition of objects within the range of one’s senses; acquaintance of a personal nature that includes a response of the knower.

The word “know” or “knowledge” occurs more than 1,600 times in the Bible. The specific connotation of the word group provides insight into the basic messages of both the OT and the NT.

The Hebrew view of man is one of differentiated totality—the heart, soul, and mind are so interrelated that they cannot be separated. “To know” thus involves the whole being and is not simply an action of the mind. The heart is sometimes identified as the organ of knowledge (cf. Ps 49:3; Is 6:10). The implication is that knowledge involves both will and emotions. It is in light of this connotation that the OT uses “to know” as an idiom for sexual intercourse between husband and wife.

The Jew’s concept of knowledge is beautifully illustrated in Isaiah 1:3: “Even the animals—the donkey and the ox—know their owner and appreciate his care, but not my people Israel. No matter what I do for them, they still do not understand” (NLT). Israel’s failure lay not in ritual behavior but in refusal to respond in loving obedience to the God who has chosen her. Only the fool refuses to respond to this revelation. Thus the person who does not respond in obedience obviously has an incomplete knowledge of the Lord. “To know God” involves relationship, fellowship, concern, and experience.

The NT continues this basic idea of knowledge and adds some variations of its own. In the Gospel of John the knowledge of God is mediated through Jesus as the Logos. Jesus has perfect knowledge of God’s purpose and nature, and reveals it to his followers: “If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is” (Jn 14:7, NLT). The identification of Jesus’ own relationship with the Father as a model for the relationship of the disciples indicates that knowledge signifies a personal relationship that is intimate and mutual.

The definition of eternal life in John 17:3 adds further content to this concept: “And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth” (NLT). This concept is vastly different from that of Hellenistic mysticism, in which contemplation and ecstasy are consummated in the gradual merging of the knower and God. In John, by contrast, the result of knowledge is having a personal relationship with God through his Son.

Paul also places the revelation of God in Christ as the source of knowledge. God has made known the “mystery of his will” to the one who is “in Christ.” The spiritual person is taught by the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:12-16) and responds to the truth as it is revealed in Jesus Christ. Again, there is emphasis on relationship and encounter as essential elements in the concept of knowledge.

Christian knowledge of God is not based simply on observation or speculation but is the result of experience in Christ. This knowledge is contrasted sharply with natural wisdom, which operates from an incorrect perspective. Paul is quick to point out that the mystery of God’s redemptive plan has been made known and there is now no room for ignorance. Knowledge, then, is the whole person standing in relationship with God through Christ.