To know, know, know him

Is to love, love, love him

Just to see him smile

Makes my life worthwhile

To know, know, know him

Is to love, love, love him

And I do.

This is the first stanza of a 1958 Pop song which was written by Phil Spector at age 17. He was inspired to write it after viewing a photo of the grave stone of his father who had committed suicide 9 years earlier. The stone read, “To have known him was to have loved him”. This song launched his career after his newly formed R & B group, The Teddy Bears, sang it on American Bandstand in December, 1958. Even though these inspiring words were in reference to his father he transposed them into a song regarding a teenage girl singing about her sweetheart.

There is, however, a much older and more profound use of this particular phraseology, “to know him is to love him”, and it comes from the Bible where the Apostle Paul is writing to the Philippians. In chapter 3, verse 10, it says, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death”.

I know this is quite a transition from Pop music to the writings of Paul, but bear with me and I will attempt to make some interesting observations. Let’s start with the word “know”. In Strong’s Bible Concordance the word “know” in Phil. 3:10 is the Greek word, “ginosko” which means: to know absolutely or intimately. It is the same Greek word used in Luke 1:34 where Mary is talking to the angel of the Lord about becoming the mother of Jesus when she says, “How shall this be, seeing I know not a man”, or “I am a virgin”. I believe that the main point Paul is making in Phil.3:10 is that he wants to know Jesus so personally that it borders on the most intimate relationship a man can have with his wife.

The next word we will tackle is “power” which, as used here, is the Greek word “dunamis”, meaning: force, ability, mighty, or miraculous power. Paul wants to have the same power to perform the miracles that Jesus did. When we read all the other books of the Bible that involved Paul we will see that he, indeed, did have this same power.

The translation from The Amplfied Bible for Phil. 3:10 sheds further light on what Paul is saying. It reads: For my determined purpose is that I may know Him; that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection, which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed, in the spirit, into His likeness, even to His death.

The above statement from Paul is so extreme when compared to today’s lukewarm Christianity. Could it be that our creature comforts have made us into a church that may know about Jesus but which is not intimate with Him? Are we just holding our relationship with Christ at “arms length”? But, you may say, “that was the Apostle Paul. I’m just little old me”. You may also think, “What did it get Paul, but persecution?”. Yes, it did but look at what he accomplished for God and remember: he wrote over 60% of the New Testament.

It may look bleak in America today, but there is hope, because there are dedicated Christians praying fervently for our nation which brings God’s forces to bear on our society. Just yesterday I heard Lou Engle, organizer of the youth intercessory group, The Call, say on the 700 Club, “I believe that God is going to pour out on the people of this nation a desire for him that is stronger than the lusts of this culture”.

Also while watching the 700 Club, I heard Wellington Boone, a black minister, who wrote a new book called, “Black Genocide”, say, “We Christians should be directing our culture rather than the culture directing us”, and “I believe that there are some Joseph’s and David’s out there that are hidden from the public now. They have not written their books yet but they are spending a lot of time with the Lord in secret. They will come forth and influence this nation back to God”.

In conclusion, I will quote King David from Psalms 42:1, (all scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit) “As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God”. The picture here as described by one of my mentors, Dr. John Casteel, is that in the dry season in Israel when the water is very scarce the deer race through the forests panting and desperately searching for the hidden water brooks. The prime thought here is one of desperation and urgency. If we would have that kind of attitude toward God the benefits that would accrue to us would be: 1) Great peace with God and ourselves, 2) Knowledge about things that are uncertain to us now, 3) Hearing his “still small voice” and 4) An anointing to accomplish great things for God. So be it!

Glory to God,

Hal Mitchell

Halmitch@cox.net