Knowledge is - information or facts about a subject.

There are basically 4 words in the New Testament used to speak of knowledge

  • Gnosis
    • This word is used to speak of general knowledge; intelligence, what someone knows by comprehension
    • When we speak of common sense – this is what we know to be true, practical useful knowledge
    • When we know doctrine so thoroughly we think everyone should know this.
    • The opposite is to lack knowledge; to lack common sense.
  • Ginosko
    • Used when we begin to know things, when we are in the process of learning.
    • ILL: when we start a new job we do not know all we need to know but we can learn it.
    • Jesus used this word when he said, “you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” In this sense He was telling the disciples – you do not know all you need to know but you can know it and when you know it to that degree it will set you free or give you freedom.
    • The opposite of this is to be ignorant in the sense of not knowing the answer to a question on a test (agnosia)
  • Epignosis
    • To recognize something.
    • To know someone because we have a relationship with them; we know their likes and dislikes.
    • To know by divine revelation. The more we know God by spending time with Him in His Word, the more we know truth and the more we know Him.
    • When we know someone to that degrionee we are blessed by what we know.
    • It is also used to speak of the knowledge we have that helps us avoid error
  • Eido (1492)
    • To know by using our five senses (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling); to know by observation.
    • To know by experience. This includes knowing joy and suffering.
    • To understand.
    • Used to speak of the absolute knowledge God has
    • To know what we need to know to make a decision
    • ILL: Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are in the news a lot these days. Most of us do not know enough to invest in these products and we know one of the basic rules of investing is – do not invest in what you do not know about.
    • The opposite of this is to be blind, ignorant, or to forget
  • Agnosia
    • This is the lack of knowledge
    • This is where we get word agnostic – to refer to someone who does not know and believes he cannot know.
    • To not be acquainted with something
    • This includes intellectual ignorance or moral defect
    • This could include willful ignorance.
    • ILL: When people do not go to Bible Study or church because they do not want to know they are willfully ignorant. The problem is God will still hold them accountable for what they do not know through willful ignorance.