THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEAD KNOWLEDGE & HEART KNOWLEDGE
1. The Scripture is the Written WORD and the Spirit is the Living Word… they work together…in fact, a fundamental principle of wise Bible interpretation is the Spirit and the Word must agree.
1 John 5:10 to 15 was written to highlight a very important factor for those genuinely seeking for truth … it contrasts the difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge, the difference between experimental and experiential.
1 John 5:10-15:
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1John 5:10-13)
NOTICE: The WORD for KNOW in this verse is the Greek Word “OIDA”. This is VERY IMPORTANT! ( Ταῦτα ἔγραψα ὑμῖν τοῖς πιστούουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα εἰδῆτε ὅτι ζωὴν ἔχετε αἰώνιον, καὶ ἵνα πιστεύητε εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. )
“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 1Jo 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (1John 5:14-15)
BOTTOM LINE: What we know with our HEADS must be confirmed in our HEARTS.
Notice the GREEK WORDS used here for KNOWN and KNOW
ENGLISH: “yet ye have not known him; but I know him” John 8:55
NOTICE there are 2 different words used in Greek for “know”
1. known in this verse is the Greek word ginosko
2. know in this verse is the Greek word oida
FROM: VINES EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT WORDS By W.E.Vine, MA;Macdonald Publishing Company, McLean Virginia Ó1940:
“The differences between ginosko and oida demand consideration: a) ginosko frequently suggests inception or progress in knowledge, while b) oida suggests fullness of knowledge. Eg, John 8:55 “ye have not known Him” (ginosko) i.e. begun to know, “but I know Him” (oida), ie, ‘know Him perfectly’; 13:7 “What I do thou knowest not now,” ie Peter did not yet perceive (oida) its significance, “but thou shalt understand,: i.e “get to know (ginosko) hereafter.” ; 14:7 “If ye had known Me (ginosko) ie., “had definitely come to know me” , “ye would have known my father also” (oida), ie, ‘would have had perception of’ “from henceforth ye know Him” (ginosko), ie., have unconsciously been coming to the Father, as the One who was in Him, they would now consciously be in the constant and progressive experience of knowing him.”
The HOLY SPIRIT ENDORSES the WORD
1.GOD USED HIS HOLY SPIRIT TO CONFIRM THE TRUTH of the WORD
“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard [him]; God also bearing [them] witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will? ” Hebrews 2:3,4
2.THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WITNESS TO THE TRUTH: A WITNESS IS ONE WHO CONFIRMS AN EVENT
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God…” Romans 8:16
3.CONTINUALLY THE HOLY SPIRIT ENDORSED THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLES
“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” Acts 10:44
4.THEY HAD THE WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT EVEN BEFORE THEY UNDERSTOOD IT ALL
“…of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace [that should come] unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.” 1Peter 1:10-11
5.NOTICE CHRIST LEFT THEM BODILY BUT WORKED WITH THEM SPIRITUALLY
“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” Mark 16:19,20
6.CHRIST TOLD HIS PEOPLE HE WOULD GUIDE THEM FROM WITHIN
“Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I [am] in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” John 14:19-23
7.HE WOULD GUIDE THEM INTO A FULL UNDERSTANDING RIGHT INTO THE FAR FUTURE
“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.” John 16:12 ,13
8. HE TOLD THEM TO RELY ON THE GUIDANCE OF THE SPIRIT ESP. OVER DECEPTION
“These [things] have I written unto you concerning them that seduce (try to confuse & mislead ) you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 1John 2:26-27
9.HE SAYS SPECIFICALLY THAT GOD IS THE ONE WHO OPENS OUR UNDERSTANDING
“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 of him:e eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints…” [Ephesians 1:17,18]
“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned.” (1Corinthians 2:13 -14)
“And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed [it], and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke24:30-32) See also Matt 9:30, LUKE 24:45