Knowing God

22 January 19920 Comments

This deep lecture by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III discusses “Knowing God” as the essence of spiritual life. He explains that knowing God is not merely intellectual or theoretical or academic knowledge, but a real knowledge born from a personal relationship and living spiritual experience with God. Intellectual knowledge alone is not enough, and knowledge from books or theology does not replace the experience of unity with God in love and obedience.

The distinction between types of knowledge
The Pope explains that there are two kinds of knowledge:

Theoretical knowledge: based on thought, information, and books, such as knowing God’s attributes or theological studies. This knowledge may be correct but remains incomplete if not accompanied by life.
Experiential knowledge: the knowledge that results from living with God and being in a personal relationship with Him, through which God reveals Himself to man by grace, so that one tastes God through the heart, not just concepts.

The goal of knowing God
Christ defined the divine goal of knowledge: “That the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” The purpose of knowing God is that it leads us to love Him deeply and unite with Him. Any knowledge that does not lead to love is false knowledge.

Practical examples from the Bible
The Pope cites examples showing the difference between superficial and true knowledge:

Adam after the fall knew God with fear, not with love.
The Pharisee prayed but did not know the humble and loving God.
Many lived near Christ yet did not recognize Him, like Mary Magdalene and the disciples of Emmaus.
Job said, “By the hearing of the ear I heard of You, but now my eyes see You,” revealing the passage from hearing to experiential vision.

The spiritual danger of theoretical knowledge
The Pope affirms that many know about God but do not live for Him, like someone carrying books but never reading them. Knowledge that does not change the heart or lead to repentance is useless. God is known through love, obedience to His commandments, and walking in righteousness. “He who says he knows Him but does not keep His commandments is a liar.”

Fruits of true knowledge
True knowledge leads to:

Love for God and for people.
Keeping the commandments.
A constant sense of God’s presence everywhere.
Continual awareness of standing before God.
The Pope likens knowing God to a journey that begins on earth but continues and grows endlessly in eternity.

The Orthodox spiritual dimension
Pope Shenouda views knowing God as a divine gift granted to the pure heart, beginning with grace, repentance, and union with Christ. It is a journey that starts with faith, deepens through experience and obedience to God’s commandments, and transforms into a heart’s vision of God that fills the soul with heavenly joy.

Conclusion
Knowing God is both the beginning and the end of the spiritual path. It is a call to repentance, to love, to union, to making God present in the heart, mind, and whole being. Whoever truly wants to know God must draw near to Him, live with Him, and walk in His commandments.

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