Friday, September 7, 2018

Full Assurance of Understanding


Colossians 2:2 “That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ.”

There are two key aspects to this message. Our hearts need encouragement by “being knit together.” The result will produce a “full assurance of understanding” and an acknowledgment of the mystery of the triune Godhead.

The comforted hearts are to be “knit together.” The Greek term in this verse is (συμβιβάζω) “symbibazō” and means “to force together, to compact.” Paul uses this term to illustrate the impossibility of teaching God anything. Positively, the strength of the church body comes from being “joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies”. Those “joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increasing with the increase of God”. The result of the encouragement is wonderful: We should attain to the riches of “full assurance.” The Greek term (πληροφορία) “plērophoria is only used four times: promising (1) understanding in our text, (2) a full assurance of the gospel and (3) of hope, and (4) the full assurance of faith.

Romans 4:20-21 “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”

 

The Greek synonym plerophoreo identifies “sure belief” among us, being “fully persuaded” of God’s promises. We should be “fully persuaded” in our own mind, while making “full proof” of our ministry. All of this makes our testimony “fully known” in the world. Perhaps the goal of “full assurance” is that we “may speak boldly, as [we] ought to speak”. 

Blessings in Christ.

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