Paul the Apostle, after being saved at least two decades, still longs to know Jesus (in a deeper way)!

My proof verse for such a statement … Philippians 3:10.

“THAT I MAY KNOW HIM, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.”

How well do YOU know Jesus? And YOU too, Brother Bagwell? Do we not all, like Paul, crave a closer, more intimate relationship with our Lord?

“That I may know him,” the verb here being “ginosko.” Perceiving Him and understanding Him … those ideas are involved. My laptop Lexicon says of “ginosko” … a direct quote: “a knowledge grounded on personal experience.”

Wow!

HOW does one “know” the Lord like this?

Surely, through His Words … the New Testament is full of them, especially the Gospels of course. In 1 Timothy 6:3 Paul calls Jesus’ Vocabulary … “wholesome words.” I say “Amen!” Study Jesus’ Sayings!

Through the Holy Spirit … “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of himself; He shall glorify Me.” Jesus spoke these words in John 16:13-14.

Through prayer … in John 14:13 Jesus promises “And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do.”

Through abiding in Him, no doubt, consciously being aware of His sweet Presence! One of His expectations of us … “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you.” Reciprocal indwelling, John 15:7.

Paul, I feel, accomplished his goal!

He more and more as time progressed … KNEW THE LORD JESUS … in an ever deepening way!

Again I ask, how about us?

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Then Paul lists the ways He wants to know Jesus better … “in the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings.” Look at that remarkable order! Chronologically reversed! Number one … Resurrection! Number two … His Sufferings, both in His Life and His vicarious Death I suspect.

Because … Paul first (unlike the Disciples) knew the Resurrected Jesus! (Beginning with the Apostle’s miraculous Damascus Road conversion!) So he next wanted to know Jesus in His sufferings, including Calvary! (Here illogical order mentally becomes 100%perfect order theologically, spiritually!)

Whereas the Twelve knew Jesus in the flesh first … His sufferings … then (finally) they knew Him as the Resurrected Saviour!

Interesting!

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