Understanding

Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

I want to look at the word understand. I also wanted you to see the context in which it was said. Now I am one who believes that the words used in the Word of God are intentional and used for a reason. The words were used for a reason. I said that twice to emphasize the point.I do not have a short term memory problem.

The word understand is the Greek word  synesis to hear it pronounced click here. There is also more information about the word.

Now the definition needs to be explained a bit more. The word means the place where two flowing rivers meet and merge into one river.


 

In the above graphic you see the Mississippi River and you see how The Ohio River, The Arkansas River, and the Missouri River all run into and become a part of the Mississippi. That is the word synesis where your rivers of understanding all come together and form a greater understanding.

We all have many streams of understanding. We have all learned English for instance. We learned to add and subtract as well as learning some higher forms of math. We had friends and family who all added to the streams and we all have had some kind of instruction in biblical matters.Each of these streams contain information which we assimilate then process. All the streams come together and it forms who and what you are and what you are becoming. For those of us who study and try to apply what the Word of God says this is an ongoing process according to Romans 12:1,2.

So all this information is processed some may get deleted when we decide that the Minister of whatever in Nigeria did not send that email. But when you got that email with the video with the kittens you kept it because of it's cuteness value. It is all in the value we put on a stream when it comes to us.

Now this word synesis is used seven times in the Word. The number seven is significant in the Word. E W Bullinger did a study of numbers in the bible. There have been others and you can google them. In the The Companion Bible by E W Bullinger he has Appendixes that go into some of his research and here is what Bullinger has to say about the number seven.

10.  THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF NUMBERS.

Seven.  Denotes spiritual perfection.  It is the number or hall-mark of the Holy Spirit's work.  He is the Author of God's Word, and seven is stamped on it as the water-mark is seen in the manufacture of paper.  He is the Author and Giver of life; and seven is the number which regulates every period of Incubation and Gestation, in insects, birds, animals, and man.
Now Bullinger wrote a book which is far more detailed you can see it at:
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/number01.htm

There are seven church Epistles the two to the Corinthians is really one in two parts The same for Thessalonians. The seventh administration is the Paradise Administration Christ is ruling we have justice the resurrections all happen.
So this word synesis is important to understand. Let us look at the rest of the uses of  synesis.

So to reach this spiritual understanding you must know there is only one true God.

Luke 2:42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.



43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.



44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

his
45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

Again it is the word understanding is the word we are looking at. At the age of twelve Jesus was already amazing the the PHD's. That would keep happening right up till his Crucifixion. Never forget Jesus had to learn the word just like we do. He had to take the time to process all the information that kept coming into his river. He had to weigh what to believe and what was garbage that the Pharisees were trying to feed him. Just the same as we do with anyone who teaches the word we have to decide if the person knows what they are talking about or if they are making up stuff. 


The second point like Christ we must be about our fathers business. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

Verse 18 is translated by Bullinger as:
18 For the message of the cross is to those that are perishing foolishness: but to those who are being saved, even us it is the power of God.

Remember to those being or are (As it is translated in King James) saved is talking about Romans 10:9,10. There is no power in the cross but in believing God raised Jesus from the dead. Anyone can die only one man has gotten up and stayed up.

God says he will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

So here the rivers coming together can lead to misunderstanding and wrong conclusions. There is a day coming when no one will laugh at God or make fun of our brother or use his name to curse out anyone. Every knee shall bow and these clowns who are so arrogant will have to give an account and answer for what they said or did. That isn't the day we need to worry about we look forward to the day the trump of God will sound and we will hear the voice of the arch angel and we will meet the lord in the air.


Third we accept the wisdom of the spirit over the wisdom  of the world.

Ephesians 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)



Here it is the word knowledge and not understanding. The word here for understanding means to perceive with the mind.

We can understand the mystery, or an even better translation here would be secret, the same as Paul did. This was a secret that had been hidden since before the foundations of the world because God knew there was a possibility that Adam might mess it up.So God made a plan b and kept part of it as a secret. Why you may ask. Well it is explained in in 1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

As hard as it was for the devil to deal with Jesus Christ directly he would rather have that than having to deal with millions of people who have Christ in them and can wield the power of holy spirit at any moment. Even if he he has most of them confused, bewildered or flabbergasted there are some of us who know God's power and are not afraid to use it. We were instructed to use this power.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

This is why God wants us to understand the secret so we can act in Christ's stead.We represent Christ to the world. What he would do is now up to us to do.

Fourth we need to know the sacred secret.

Colossians 1:3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;

6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.

9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;


God and the Lord Jesus Christ want us to have understanding those synesis moments that we see the deeper where all of our streams come together and we see the deeper truths of the word, not just he surface stuff but the depth of the meaning. If you have ever had one of those moments you will know it. When suddenly at the part you are dealing the word opens up like a flower and you see layers you never saw before. If you have not had that happen hang in there it will.

 We need to keep studying the word because that is where you get spiritual understanding. There is also false understanding as well. The devil is willing to give you a piece of truth in hopes of giving you false information.

Fifth we need to be filled spiritual knowledge using it wisely.

Colossians 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Colossians2:1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;




So there is assurance with that understanding when we acknowledge the mystery. We are given we assurance from God himself.


Our hearts are knit together in love, the love of God. We show that love to each other and the body of Christ works the way it is set up to function.

Sixth we need to be of one heart and accord

Last but not least:

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be to teach others also.

3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.

7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

It will always come back to God. He is the one who gives that understanding where the streams all come together and make you what you are.

Finally God will give us understanding in all matters and we need to teach it to others.

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