3. Implications of knowledge. — This Christian knowledge sheds its light on all the facts and aims of life. Thus individuals learn the outstanding features of their own characters (Ja 1-^), the sanctity of their lives as being the temples of God (1 Co 3^'^), the value of their bodies as members of Christ (6^'), and the consecration of all the powers of body and mind as an acceptable service to God (Ro 12'). Christian knowledge leads to a better understanding of all the experiences of life, and to a conviction that in and through every event God is making all things to work together for good to them that love Him (Ro 8-^), and especially to a conviction that the trials of life do not come Avith- out Divine planning but are appointed by the will of God (1 Th 3^). Through Christ there comes likewise a better knowledge of social duties, e.g. in the relation of masters and servants. Servants are expected to render a whole-hearted service because they know that their real master is Jesus Christ, by whom they are to be recompensed.
Masters are required to carry out all their duties with justice and fairness, for they know that they have to account to their Unseen Master, the Lord in heaven (Col 3^^^-). Even minor social problems like tiiose of eating and drinking have new light cast upon them (Ro 14^^), for the light of Jesus Christ has illuminated all life and brought know- ledge where formerly there was doubt or ignorance.
In the Epistles of St. John this Christian gnosis has a predominant place, and it is interesting to note how wide and vital this knowledge becomes according to the Apostle. The knowledge of God is at the centre, and it radiates forth in every direc- tion to a wide circumference, for it includes the knowledge of truth (1 Jn 2-^), of righteousness (22"), of love (3^^), of spiritual life and inspiration (S'"* 4'-), and of the state of those beyond the grave (.3^). In the light of God Christians possess a ligiit that brings enlightenment to them on many problems of experience, perplexities of the present time, and mysteries of the future life.
i. Complements of knowledge. — The apostles uniformly recognize that knowledge of itself is im- perfect and must be always associated with other Christian gifts. To reach its fullness it must be ac- companied by abnegation (Ph 3**), by fellowship with God and with brethren (1 Jn 1*), by obedience to God's commands (2^), by attention to apostolic teaching (4"), and by faith, virtue, temperance, patience, godliness, love of the brethren, and love (2 P 16).
Special notice should be taken of the connexion of knowledge and faith, and of knowledge and love. The apostles do not recognize any essential antagonism between faith and knowledge. Faith does not arise from ignorance but from knowledge (Ro 10^'^), and knowledge does not supersede faith but includes it (2 P 1^). The knowledge of God in Christ is synonymous with faith in Him, and in their essence the two are closely inter-related. In knowledge there is the recognition of the Divine by our spiritual nature, in faith there is the action of the will in virtue of this insight, so that the highest knowledge and the humblest faith go together. There is a kind of knowledge, however, that puffs up (1 Co 8*), and so far from its leading to faith it begets a self-sufficiency and pride that strike at the very foundations of all Christian faith.
At their best there is also no antagonism between knowledge and love. To know God is to love Him, and to reach the highest knowledge love is necessary. ' Every one that loveth is begotten of God and knoweth him' (1 Jn 4'). Christian knowledge is not a matter of the intellect but of the deeper moral and spiritual faculties that find their true expression in love. Still knowledge and love may come into conflict, and in the solution of many practical problems love is even more neces- sary than knowledge. St. Paul deals with this relation especially in his discussion of the attitude to be adopted to things sacrificed to idols. For his generation the difficulty was intense, as some Christians dreaded the slightest approval being given to idol-worship, while others were so con- vinced that idolatry was false that they considered it a negligible quantity. Among the latter were many Corinthian Christians, who had announced to the Apostle their conviction that the whole system of idolatry seemed so false that they could eat any food irrespective of its being associated with idol-worship. But St. Paul in his reply (1 Co 8^^-) argues that a mere intellectual convic- tion is not the only or the best guide in such a matter. In theory the Corinthians might be right, but in practice they must not be guided by know- ledge alone. ' Knowledge pufleth up, but love edi- heth,' and in matters that are intimately coucenued
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with the feelings and prejudices of others love is the safer guide. To a Christian even more than to a philosopher the saying of Aristotle must apply : t6 tAos iariv oO yvCxris aXKa, irpa^is (Nic. Eth. I. iii. 6).
5. Philosophy and theosophy.— The relation of Christian knowledge to philosophy and theosophy is discussed by St. Paul. The Apostle expounds the gospel as being not only ' power ' but also ' wisdom,' yet he refuses to establish this wisdom by any of the current arguments or by the conclusions of Greek philosophy (I Co '2}^-). He is proclaiming a gospel that is folly in the eyes of many, and yet it is the true wisdom to those who understand it. This higher philosophy has been hidden from the sight of men, otherwise they would not have crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. It comes through the in- dwelling of the Spirit of God, who alone can reveal it. Just as the spirit of man alone can understand the things of a man, so the Spirit of God in man alone can understand the Divine philosophy. ' The merely intellectual man ' rejects this philosophy, as he does not possess the spiritual insight to dis- cern its Divine wisdom. Even Christian people may be mere children in this respect, not able to understand this teaching ; and among other indica- tions of this childish mind was the party spirit by which so many were impelled. Thus St. Paul argues that the initiated Christians find in Christ a philosophy as well as a gospel.