What does "knowledge of our Lord" mean in 2 Peter 3:18? Setting the Scene • Peter closes his letter with a two–fold command: “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). • The false teachers he has been warning about trafficked in distorted “knowledge” (2 Peter 2:20); Peter counters by steering believers to the true, life-transforming kind. What “Knowledge” Means Here • The word translated “knowledge” is epignōsis—more than information; it is full, personal, experiential knowledge. • It carries the ideas of: – Recognition: seeing Christ for who He truly is. – Relationship: living interaction, not distant data. – Response: obedience flowing from understanding. Layers of Knowing Christ • Intellectual: grasping the facts of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). • Relational: abiding in Him daily (John 15:4-5). • Transformational: being conformed to His likeness (Romans 8:29). • Missional: making Him known to others (Matthew 28:19-20). Why Peter Pairs “Grace and Knowledge” • Grace is the source—God’s unearned favor that saves (Ephesians 2:8-9). • Knowledge is the channel—deepening awareness that applies grace to every area of life (2 Peter 1:2-3). • Together they fuel growth; grace without knowledge drifts, knowledge without grace dries out. Connections Across Scripture • John 17:3—“Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.” • Philippians 3:8-10—Paul counts all as loss “because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.” • Hosea 6:3—“So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD.” • Colossians 1:9-10—being “filled with the knowledge of His will” leads to “bearing fruit in every good work.” • 1 John 2:3—“By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.” Practical Ways to Grow in the Knowledge of Our Lord • Daily Scripture intake—read, meditate, memorize. • Prayerful conversation—talk and listen, not one-sided lists. • Obedient action—truth applied cements understanding (James 1:22-25). • Fellowship—learn Christ through His body, the church (Ephesians 4:15-16). • Trials—see His faithfulness firsthand when life tests theory (1 Peter 1:6-7). The Eternal Impact • Present stability—accurate, experiential knowledge guards from error (2 Peter 3:17). • Ongoing transformation—“beholding…we are being transformed” (2 Corinthians 3:18). • Future glory—“To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity” (2 Peter 3:18). Knowing Christ is not a one-time achievement but a lifelong, grace-sustained pursuit that will echo into eternity. |
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