In today’s session, titled of Revelation Knowledge and the Church, I will shed light on revelation knowledge. There are two kinds of knowledge. They are revelation knowledge and sense knowledge, the former has to do with the spirit of man (inward man) and the later his senses.
People with sense knowledge can cite the scriptures, but the word is not operational or effective in their daily life. You can’t walk with God without revelation knowledge; without revelation, Christian walk becomes a struggle and it is void of results.
Remember, in Mathew 16:13-18, a discourse ensued between Jesus and his disciples: When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He wondered about people’s perception of him and posed a question to his disciples, saying, whom do men say that I the Son of man am? Responding, they said, some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
After hearing their response, he asked them another question: But whom say ye that I am? Or “Who do you say I am?”
This time, there was disquiet among the disciples. Whereas they all echoed an answer to his first question, Simon Peter alone responded to the second question, saying, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
Note the next verse, 17: And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona or Simon the son of Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
You see, the word “revealed” in verse 17 is translated from the Greek verb apokalupto; it denotes to uncover or lay open what has previously been veiled or covered up. To disclose what was previously unknown.
Put differently, verse 17 reads, Your senses have not revealed this to you or this is not sense knowledge. This revelation you have (That I am the Christ (the anointed), son of the living God) was given to you by my father.
You cannot work with God without revelation. By revelation I mean the exact knowledge, that is when God takes the cover off of the things He has prepared for you to receive, and He reveals the truths to your spirit (Inward man) through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Revelation Knowledge comes from the Holy Spirit to our spirit (inward man) into our consciousness (mind). When we have revelation knowledge on something, then we know that we know that we know, and no man can take it away from us. Even if we were banished to the Island of Patmos, like John the Revelator, it is there in our spirit and will work for us.
Continuing in verse 18, Jesus affirmed, And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
So much injustice has been done to the above verse by religion and theology: some have taken this verse of scripture out of context and opined that Peter was the foundation upon which the church was built. But that’s far from the truth. Jesus affirmed thou art Peter (petros — a rock or a stone), and upon this rock (petra — a large stone) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The revelation knowledge that God the father gave through Peter: Thou art the Christ (anointed), the Son of the living God is the foundation upon which the church is built.
You see, sometimes, translations of the Bible don’t portray the thought conveyed in the original translations. When we look at the Greek rendering of Mathew 16:18, it discloses something that is not obvious in the English rendering of the Bible. It states …you are Peter (πέτρος, petros- a rock or a stone) and upon this rock (πέτρα, petra- a large stone) I will build My church… Unlike in English, in Greek nouns have gender. The Greek word “petros” (Peter) is masculine, “petra” (Rock) is feminine.
The man, Peter (formerly known as Simon, the son of Jonah), is aptly referred to as Petros. But Jesus said that the rock he would build his church on was not the masculine “petros” but the feminine “petra” …upon this rock (πέτρα, petra- a large stone) I will build My church…”
Put differently, the above text reads: upon this very rock (petra), this true confession of yours, this revelation, that I am The Messiah, The Anointed, The Christ; I will build my church…
You see, church in this context is not referring to the building where we congregate, but the individual believers… And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all (Ephesians 1:22-23).
In essence Jesus, who is the head of the church (His Body), is saying: I will build the Church — the believers, the body — through revelation knowledge and the gates of hell cannot prevail against it or against revealed knowledge.
If the gates of hell cannot prevail against the revelation knowledge in your spirit (inward man), they cannot prevail against you. Hallelujah!!!
Until next week, remember, humbly receive the engrafted word — It is able to save you!!!
By Emmanuel Emeke Asiwe
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