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15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. (Ephesians 1:15-17)
In one verse (v.15) the Apostle sums up our lives: knowing God and making Him known to others. We all have two basic needs that determine our lives in large part. The first of these two needs is to be loved. What or who loves us the most in our eyes will define us the most. Paul begins with: "...ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus." Then he follows that up with: "and your love for all God’s people."
The second of these two basic needs is conditioned by the first. In fact, as much as our tank to love is full, we will be able to accomplish the second of these great needs which is to love others. And, the more secure we are in that which loves us will determine how insecure we are in loving others.
Paul, in today's text returns to prayer. So essential to our existence is prayer. D.L. Moody once said, “He who kneels the most, stands the best.” Prayer must not be viewed as a spiritual discipline, one of those things you’re supposed to do. It must be viewed as a spiritual privilege, an opportunity to communicate with the Creator of the universe who loves me and gives me the ability to intercede on the behalf of others.
Note the goal of Paul's prayer in v.17: "so that you may know him (God) better." Knowing God involves so many things, but at the top of the list must be inquisitiveness. Inquisitiveness is so tied to questioning, however many teach us that we should not question God. Many say that questioning God is doubting God and we should not do that.
I say inquisitiveness and doubt are inevitable parts of knowing God. The word that is used here for "know" is gnosko which involves an experiential interaction with God. It is not just knowing Him mentally, one's whole being is involved. Faith is involved.
Now, faith is uncertain and it will always be uncertain. We do not like this part of faith. Where there is certainty there is no room for faith. It doesn’t help simply to deny doubts or to feel guilty about our doubts. Doubts are necessary because they are the underbelly of faith.
Paul tells us that there are two essentials to knowing God in v.17: "wisdom and revelation." The revelation Paul refers to here is apacolypse. These two words do not simply repeat each other, there is a difference between them.
The wisdom the Apostle refers to here is sophia. It is the ability to judge correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on knowledge and understanding. Sophia is the power to confirm and to commend the truth with wise and intelligent argument, once it has been intuitively grasped.
Apacolypse, on the other hand, literally means “revealing", "disclosure", "to take off the cover". This revealing, this disclosure, this take the cover off invites and captures our hearts to follow intimately. God intends for His apacolypse to capture our hearts, creating a believer who follows intently.
As you probably know, we have a dog by the name of Millie. She is a Manchester Terrier, who, when I am around, does not let me out of her sight. Everywhere I go, be it in the bathroom or out in the back yard, Millie follows me. Millie believes in me. We will ignore why, she is motivated, like most dogs, by her stomach. But, she believes in me to the point of following me intently. This is the idea behind these two words.The combination of these two words yield the understanding that we have been invited to know God intimately, in all of His ways. The goal of this sophia and apacolypse is to have enough of a heart for God that we see His heart. And, His heart is good, gentle, and gracious toward us.
We are connected with God through His Son, Jesus. Yet, so essential are sophia and apacolypse, for more intimacy with Him. I dare you to pray this prayer for yourself and watch God do the impossible in your life.
