Notes on Colossians 1:9-10

Greek (SBLGNT): Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀφ’ ἧς ἡμέρας ἠκούσαμεν, οὐ παυόμεθα ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν προσευχόμενοι καὶ αἰτούμενοι ἵνα πληρωθῆτε τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ θελήματος αὐτοῦ ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ συνέσει πνευματικῇ, περιπατῆσαι ἀξίως τοῦ κυρίου εἰς πᾶσαν ἀρεσκείαν ἐν παντὶ ἔργῳ ἀγαθῷ καρποφοροῦντες καὶ αὐξανόμενοι τῇ ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ θεοῦ,

M.J. Harris: Επίγνωσις (ἐπί + γνῶσις), -εως, ἡ, may mean “complete understanding,” “clear knowledge” (Weymouth), “deeper knowledge” (TCNT), or “ever-growing knowledge” (Barclay; intensive or perfective ἐπί; cf. R 600; Robertson, Pictures 475; sim. Lightfoot 136), but this compound noun need not signify more than γνῶσις (cf. R. Bultmann, TDNT 1: 704– 8). Indeed, after a detailed discussion of the issue (pp. 248– 54), J. A. Robinson concludes that γνῶσις is the wider word, “knowledge” in the fullest sense and in the abstract, ἐπίγνωσις expressing knowledge directed toward (ἐπί) a particular object that, if expressed, is indicated by the obj. gen. (St. Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians [London: Macmillan, 1928 ²], 254), viz., τοῦ θελήματος in v. 9 and τοῦ θεοῦ in v. 10. See also the discussion of ἐπέγωτε in 1:6 and K. Sullivan, “Epignosis in the Epistles of St. Paul,” Studiorum Paulinorum Congressus Internationalis Catholicus 1961 (Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1963), 2.405– 16. See For Further Study 12, “The Will of God (1: 9).”

Harris, Murray J. Colossians and Philemon (Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament) (Kindle Locations 1277-1287). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

G.K. Beale: The content of the “knowledge” (ἐπίγνωσις) is defined as consisting “in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”: ἐν (en, in) plus the dative (πάσῃ σοφίᾳ καὶ συνέσει, pasē sophia kai synesei) modifies the verbal noun “knowledge” (ἐπίγνωσις) and indicates content.6 It is possible that the prepositional phrase modifies “filled,” so that “in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” is the instrumentation by which God will “fill.”7 However, that “wisdom and understanding” modifies and unpacks the content of the verbal notion of “knowing” (i.e., “knowledge”) is apparent from our preceding observation that this phrase is part of an allusion to Exod. 31 and 35 and 1 Kings 7, as well as perhaps secondarily Isa. 11:2, where “knowledge,” “wisdom,” and “understanding” are placed in synonymous parallelism, and all convey the general notion of “effective understanding.”8 This is a “wisdom and understanding” about God’s will, especially how he wants them to live.

Beale, BECNT on Colossians, Philemon.