Subject: Is there more needed than Rom 1:18-32 |
Bible Note: Greetings Ed! I wanted to throw a little more information out there for everyone's consideration. Rom. 1:21 clearly states that the pagan world 'knew' God, but refused to worship Him as God. Yet, DocTrinsograce sent me an e-mail with some references that clearly state that the world does not know God. I quote: "Given all the passages that specifically deny that some do not know Him (John 1:10; 14:5; 1 John 3:1; Jeremiah 2:8; 22:16; etc.) we have to look at this word the way we use it in English. There are all kinds of knowing, but the particulars ride in the context. I would have distinguished between knowing and loving. There is Psalm 9:10... but I think John as a whole connects knowing Him and loving Him." Doc makes an excellent point. 'Knowing' God definitely has different meaning in different contexts. In the verses Doc points out, 'not knowing' refers to a lack of a loving relationship. Or, one could say, 'not knowing' refers to a lack of a saving knowledge of God. In Rom. 1:21, they knew enough about God to be held culpable for their rejection of Him, but not enough to be saved. It is also interesting that each author differs in their use of the term. John seems to be quite fond of using 'to know' in terms of a loving relationship, while Paul doesn't seem to make that connection as much. This is a great reminder why we need to always look at the context in which a word is used, to look at who is using the word, and to examine the various ways in which a word is used. Keep up the great study! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |