[At least] Two kinds of knowing -- scientific and persoanl. At some point, our faith cannot be rationally explained. It must simply be accept in faith.
The only way one can truly know another -- actually, let's say it this way, the only way I can know you is for you to fully surrender to me. Shepherd calls it "defenseless personability." And the bible puts it this way --- You shall know the Truth and the Truth shall make you free.
truth cannot be detached from the person of Christ. the only way for me to know Him is for Him to become defenseless and that is exactly what He did.
A word of caution, as I go over my notes of Shepherd's discussion - a word of caution as we wind down on this discussion of the God/Man Jesus. "Transcendence is not the value of the cross -- victory is" (Victor Shepherd)
In answer to the question , "What is God?" Shepherd answers "He is the inter-relationship of the Father, Son and Spirit."
The purpose of our fellowship is to present each man mature in Christ (Col 1:28.) It is in this maturity that God illuminates the Christian concerning those things freely given (I Co 2:6-16)
Revelation is the activity of God in reconciliation and illumination is the result of this activity [Shepherd} and when one goes to I Cor 2:6-16, he sees this very realtiy described. As maturity is apprehended, illumination becomes more profound..
Moral people always believe they are righteous !!! (V.S.)
'Only in the apprehension of the redemptive cure can we know of the seriousness and degree of our estrangement" (VS). A wonderful point. We only know how sick we really were when are we are fully cured !! Maturity, then, is the apprehension of the Cure (?) or should I say "the apprehending of the Cure."
I tried to be specific when quoting or referencing VS . Other comments, sadly, are mine.
jd
