Colossians 1:9-10 shows what it will take to get students from merely knowing about God to truly knowing Him in a more personal and intimate way. The path to knowing God better begins with laying a good foundation of truth that moves students from head knowledge to understanding. It then goes from understanding to application, from application to bearing fruit, and from fruitfulness to knowing God better. (Subscribe to this blog to be notified of upcoming posts covering each step in this path.
Grasp the Importance of Laying a Good Foundation of Truth
The Apostle Paul prayed for the Colossian church, asking God to fill them “with the knowledge of His will” because he knew the importance of truth. We’re sanctified by truth (Jn. 17:17), becoming godly because of it (Titus 1:1), as truth is that which sets us free from all that binds us (Jn. 8:32).
Jesus told a parable of a wise man who built his house on a rock, a good foundation, so when the storms beat against the house, it didn’t fall (Matt. 7:24-27). We can build magnificent structure that can come crumbling down if not constructed on the right structure. Foundations are important, so in teaching we must begin by laying a foundation of truth, God’s Truth, upon which students’ lives are built.
In his prayer, Paul used the Greek word for knowledge, epignosis, which denotes a “precise and correct knowledge” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon), an “exact or full knowledge” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). This is gaining such a thorough head knowledge of truth that you can recognize that which is true from that which is not.
Take Students from Head Knowledge to Understanding
Knowledge of God’s Truth won’t take students very far if they don’t understand it. Consequently Paul continued his prayer that the Colossians would be filled “with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives” (Col. 1:9). This is about seeing the implications of Truth to life, making the connection between what they learned and how it potentially affects their lives.
Pay careful attention to the means by which this happens — “through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.” Bible teachers can’t make students understand. That’s the Spirit’s job. When Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, He said, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (Jn. 16:13)
As Bible teachers, we can only explain “spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words” (1 Cor. 2:13). Students can only receive and truly understand those words “through the Spirit” (1 Cor. 2:14). No wonder the Apostle Paul zeroed in on praying for the Colossians. Spiritual truths are spiritually discerned and that by the Spirit of truth (1 Cor. 2:13-16).
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