The Berean Expositor
Volume 22 - Page 141 of 214
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Agnoeo.
"Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
His death?" (6: 3).
"Know ye not brethren . . . . . how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he
liveth?" (7: 1).
Ginosko.
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Christ" (6: 6).
"I speak to them that know the law" (7: 1).
"I had not known sin, but by the law" (7: 7).
"For that which I do I allow (know) not" (7: 15).
Oida.
"Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more" (6: 9).
"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are
to whom ye obey" (6: 16).
"I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet" (7: 7).
"We know that the law is spiritual" (7: 14).
"I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing" (7: 18).
It is extremely difficult to distinguish the differences that are resident in the two words
ginosko and oida. Perhaps the difficulty will be recognized if we give the following
usages:--
"Then will I profess unto them, I never knew (ginosko) you" (Matt. 7: 23).
"Verily I say unto you, I know (oida) you not" (Matt. 25: 12).
It assists us to remember that these passages occur in the same Gospel, and therefore
suggests some real distinction.
We notice that in Matt. 7: 23 the words of repudiation are followed by: "Depart
from Me, ye that work iniquity", but that no such severe statement follows the second
reference (Matt. 25: 12). Both, however, are united by the fact that in each case "the
wise and the foolish" are in view, in the one builders, in the other virgins. The trouble
with the foolish virgins was that they were not "ready", on the other hand, those
repudiated in chapter 7: had made great profession, but had not done the will of God.
The foolish builder heard the Lord's sayings, but did them not.
Now of the two, ginosko expresses the more intimate knowledge, and so fits the
context. Epignosko is translated sometimes "acknowledge", and this meaning well fits
the usage of ginosko in Rom. 7: 15: "For that which I do I do not acknowledge", and,
moreover, it makes good sense with the other three references:--
"Acknowledging this, that our old man is crucified with Christ" (6: 6).
"I speak to them that acknowledge the law" (7: 1).
"I had not acknowledged sin, but by the law" (7: 7).