The Knowledge of God and Jesus Christ
While technology expands exponentially, the kind of knowledge we urgently need to survive ebbs and wanes.
Many passages in the Bible make it clear that knowledge of and about God the Father and Jesus Christ is intensely important. For example, the apostle Peter emphasizes this particular theme in his second New Testament letter.
The introduction to Simon Peter's second general epistle states: "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2). The next passage talks about "the knowledge of Him who called us" (verse 3). Other Scriptures show us that it is the Father who does the calling of the firstfruits into the Church (John 6:44, 65), "as many as the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39).
Adding true knowledge should be a spiritual pursuit of every Christian (2 Peter 1:5). If we grow substantially in the qualities of faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love, then we will be "neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (verse 8).
Not only does Peter urge Christians to add knowledge to their spiritual armor, he also reminds them of the importance of the true knowledge that they already have (verses 12-13).
The firstfruits who have escaped from worldly pollutions and defilements have done so "through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 2:20). In his conclusion, Peter gives us a warning about twisting the truth of God (2 Peter 3:16). "You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked" (verse 17).
Then in the closing verse Peter concludes with the positive admonition to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (verse 18). Reading and studying the four Gospel accounts would be a good start. WNP
An Article from:
World News and Prophecy: September - October 2006
Course Content
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
