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Gnosis, Communion, and Life
By John R. Gavazzoni
Gnosis, the koine Greek word for experiential, intimate knowledge; communion, from Latin, communio, combining "com" for "with" and "unus," for "oneness/union;" (fellowship/sharing/participation); and life, as the ability of an organism to [beneficially] sense, respond to, and interact with its environment. Pondering these three deeply-related elements of existence, brings me to the conclusion that intimate, experiential knowledge=communion=life.
Most basically, life is communion and communion is life. Tracing life, as defined, takes us to the Relational Constitution of God; of Deity; of The Divine Nature. Our God is the living God because of that internal, relational dynamic: the knowledge of shared Being by communion. It probably hasn't occurred to many of us, that "the communion of the Holy Spirit," before it concerns God's relationship to man, is first God's inner relationship with Himself/Theirself.
Life seeks communion, and without communion there is no life. There is no such thing as life in isolation. When isolation is inflicted upon life, there is always loss of life. At the center of life is family, the Family of, and which is, God. As the mystery of Christ, of God, unfolds to and in us, we are brought into what's going on in God. We are made heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. All spiritual reward is simply being grace-granted more experience of that life, of that relationship.
No, you won't be rewarded in eternity with lesser or greater crowns, or be given to sit on bigger, more grand thrones in proportion to your faithfulness. Our reward is more and more of all that is ours relationally in union with Christ. When God becomes All in all, there will be no differences of rewards. In the consummation of all things we will all enjoy all the fullness of God flowing through, among, and to every member of the body of Christ: of the Family of, and which is, God.
How silly to think in terms something like glorying in sitting on a high throne looking down on a lower throne, with having a more bejeweled crown than the one on your brother below you: nonsensical silliness. You might be thinking, "But I've suffered so much more for Christ than most others; I've been more faithful, more self-denying. Won't I get some kind of credit for that in comparison with my less spiritual brethren?" Answer in a word: NO! In fact, on the way to the equality of reward which will be ours together, that attitude, that expectation, will stand in your way and demand correction.
Do you think of running the race as somehow being in competition with other believers? All excellence is for others, not in competition with others, and has nothing to do with comparing ourselves with others. Paul, as translated by Jonathan Mitchell, amplified and expanded:
"For who (or: what) is our expectation (or: expectant hope) or joy, or shall be a crown (victor's wreath; encirclement) of boasting and glorying in front of our Lord Jesus, in His presence (or: in the place facing toward our Master, Jesus, within the midst of His being present alongside [us]), if not even you folks" (1Thes. 2:19 JMT)
Oh, please, read that carefully. Paul's exclamation says it all.
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