I N D E X
`That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto
you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge (acknowledgment)
of Him' (Eph. 1:17)
With these words, the great prayer opens.  Before examining any of its
parts or phrases, it is incumbent upon us to explain the reason why we have
added the word `acknowledgment' in brackets where the A.V. uses `knowledge'.
The word under consideration is the translation of the Greek epignosis.  This
word undoubtedly is used for `knowledge' in several passages, but it is also
rightly translated `acknowledgment' in others.  This is true also of the verb
epignosko.  In some instances the A.V. translators have used one word in one
occurrence and the other word in a parallel passage.  Thus in 2 Timothy 2:25 we
read of `repentance to the acknowledging of the truth', whereas in the next
chapter we read `never able to come to the knowledge of the truth' (2 Tim. 3:7).
Which is right?  Why should the words be translated differently?  The Revised
Version uses `knowledge' in both places.
Let us consider one or two passages where the word `knowledge' is used.
Suppose we believe that epignosis means full knowledge.  We read in Matthew
7:16: `Ye shall know them by their fruits'.  If we import `full knowledge' into
this passage we rob it of its intention and we state an untruth.  A peasant to
whom the words biology and botany would be meaningless, would be able to
recognize grapes, figs or thistles, not from any profound knowledge of the
science, but by sheer `recognition'.  When the Saviour, speaking of John the
Baptist, said `That Elias is come already, and they knew him not' (Matt. 17:12),
it is evident that He meant that they did not recognize him.  In Mark 6:33, it
is clear that the people `recognized' the Lord at a distance and ran to meet
Him.  So in some passages the A.V. uses the word `perceive' instead of `know'
(Mark 2:8; Luke 1:22 and 5:22).  The word `recognize' aptly suits Luke 24:16,
`their eyes were holden that they should not recognize Him', so in Acts 3:10;
4:13; 12:14; 19:34; 27:39; all these passages are better understood if the word
recognize is substituted.  Epiginosko is translated `acknowledge' in the
following passages in the Authorized Version: 1 Corinthians 14:37 `let him
acknowledge'; 16:18 `therefore acknowledge'; 2 Corinthians 1:13 `shall
acknowledge' (twice); 1:14 `ye have acknowledged'.  So, with the noun epignosis,
the A.V. reads `acknowledgment' or `acknowledging' in Colossians 2:2; 2 Timothy
2:25; Titus 1:1 and Philemon 6.
Writing in Titus, the apostle seems to have followed much the same path as
is indicated in the first chapter of Ephesians.  After introducing himself as a
servant and an apostle he stops, and in parenthesis says according to (1) the
faith of God's elect; this is comparable to the charter of the church; (2) the
acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness.  The sequel is the prayer
and the acknowledgment which follows in Ephesians 1:15-19.  Here too, is `hope'
and `promise' and a period `before the world began' and a period called `due
time' for its making known, and a committing of the same to Paul.  In Colossians
2:2 Paul writes, at the conclusion of another prayer, `that their hearts might
be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full
assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God --
Christ (Revised text), in Whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and
knowledge' (Col. 2:2,3).  We believe that in Ephesians 4:13 and Colossians
1:9,10, the truth is better expressed by `acknowledgment' than `knowledge'.  The
verb epiginosko occurs once in the epistle to the Colossians, namely, in the
phrase `and knew the grace of God in truth' (1:6) and the substantive,
epignosis, occurs four times, as follows:
`That ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will' (1:9).
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