Knowledge

2 Peter 1:5-8
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Original Word: γνῶσις
Transliteration: gnósis
Phonetic Spelling: (gno'-sis)
Short Definition: knowledge
Word Origin from ginóskó
Definitiona knowing, knowledge
NASB Word Usage knowing (1), knowledge (27), understanding way (1).

Knowledge ~
2. Learning; illumination of mind.
6. Information; power of knowing.

My Notes: On the surface this word sort of speaks for itself. However, I loved some things that I found in my study of it. Knowledge is more than knowing, it's also understanding. How many things do I know because I've read them in the Word, but I don't really understand? It's also an illumination of mind. A light illuminates. There are several references to the Lord being light:

Then Jesus spoke to them again saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12
"I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me, should not abide in darkness.” John 12:46
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 1John 1:5
The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? Psalm 27:1
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
For the Lord will be your everlasting light…. Isaiah 60:20
For You will light my lamp; The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. Psalm 18:28
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
“While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” John 12:36

Through these verses it becomes very clear to us Who the light is, but what I also find very interesting is that if we follow Him, believe in Him, read is Word then He will enlighten our darkness, we will becom sons of light and that light shining through us will bring Him glory. If we are furthuring our knowledge of Him His light will shine brighter and brighter in our lives.

I also loved the part of the definition that said "power of knowing". Matthew 22:29 say, "Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God." If we want to have the power to do things that the Lord says we can do, then we must have knowledge and understanding of those things. We need to know the scriptures and the power of God. If we also receive power from the Holy Spirit ("But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8), then we need knowledge of the Holy Spirit.

I think a couple of great places to start would be Psalms and Proverbs. Proverbs will help you see the value of knowledge and understanding and will help you gain wisdom and understanding. Psalms is a great place to learn about the character of God. Just last night I was going through some of Psalms with my daughter and in the first four chapters we found at least 8 statements of who God is/what He does.

The solution to gaining knowledge is simple.....ask Him to open His word to you, to help you understand it....read it....start somewhere...It doesn't have to be some perfect Bible study. Just start somewhere.... :)