Word Study of "Know"

From our overview of 1 John, we know that there were false teachers who were teaching things contrary to the gospel that John had previously taught. John wrote 1 John in order to warn the believers about these false teachers and to remind them of what he had previously taught them, so that the believers would be able to tell the difference between the truth and lies. And knowing what they had in Christ, they would be able to stand firm in their faith.

So, what is it that a false teacher would hope for, so that he or she could gain followers from the ranks of the believers? He or she would hope that the believers wouldn't be sure of what they know.

Here's 1 John 2:3 from the NASB:

And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

What does John mean by "know"? Let's do a word study. If you're using the Internet for this word study, follow the directions written in bold text. If you're using Strong's and/or Vine's, use the italicized directions.

Go to www.tgm.org/bible.htm.
Scroll down to "Strong's Number Search Tool" and in the white space, type: know.
In the concordance of Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, find "know."
Since there are so many scriptures in the Bible containing this word, they can't place them all on this page. Scroll down to the bottom where you can see the Bible subdivided. 1 John is partly contained in #28 and the other part is in #29. Scroll down to #28 and click on it.
Notice how many scripture passages contain this word! Keep working your way through the list until you find all the references in 1 John. While you're there, notice which related "know" words also are in 1 John. I found some under "knoweth" and "known." What do you notice about the numbers beside each of these "know" entries for 1 John?
Look at the numbers written after each red "know." Are they all the same number?
What two numbers do you see? Jot them down. Return to the home page with "Strong's Number Search" Tool. Type 1097 into the white space. Click on Greek because we're looking for a reference to this word in the New Testament, which is basically written in Greek. Click "search." Read the definition in Strong's. Jot down that which seems important in the definition. At the top of the page, click on "View Entry" under Vine's. You'll notice that "ginosko" can be translated into several different English words: can, feel, know, learn, perceive, resolve, understand. Read what is said under "know." What more do you learn about the meaning of this word? Jot it down.
Jot down the two numbers. Look up G1097 in the Greek dictionary. Jot down what it has to say. Then look up "know" in the New Testament portion of Vine's. Find #1097 under "know." What more do you learn about the meaning of this word? Jot it down.
Go through the same process for the other number you found.

How can understanding the fine differences in the meaning of "know" help us to better understand what John is writing? Let's look at 1 John 2:29 in the NASB.

If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.

If you were to go back to Strong's, you would see that the first "know" corresponds to the Greek word for G1492, and the second "know" corresponds to the Greek word for G1097. From what you learned about the meaning of each, think about what John is saying by using these two different Greek words.

Did what you think match this word-by-word translation that Wuest wrote for this verse?

Wuest: If you know in an absolute manner that He is righteous, you know experientially that everyone who habitually does this aforementioned righteousness (which God is), out from Him has been born, with the present result that one is a born-one.

Here's that section from The Message:
Once you're convinced that He is right and righteous, you'll recognize that all who practice righteousness are God's true children.

Do you feel now as if you have a better grasp of "know"?

Read 1 John 2:3 once more. Each "know" in this verse corresponds to #G1097, ginosko. This is knowledge that we come to know and understand completely. It's knowledge that doesn't just come from our intellectual processes, but is a result of the Holy Spirit's operation within us, leading us into a fuller understanding of who we are in Christ. Our fellowship with the Father and His Son leads us into this knowledge.

What knowledge have you gained experientially through the activity of the Holy Spirit in your life? What do you know you have in Christ? How does knowing these things help you to stand firm in your faith?