I like a good overview and a deep insight in all meanings of the words. Therefore, I prefer to look at several translations of the Bible, particularly when I only look at one verse – an even more important when my focus is on a single word.
When I look at the ingredients of Peter’s fruit-recipe, I need to do it word by word. Today it is about the Greek word ‘gnosis’, and most English version choose ‘knowledge’ in their translation:
“add to your …virtue knowledge,”‘Gnosis’ can be translated: ‘knowledge, understanding or insight’ – therefore knowledge is 100% acceptable. Personally, I prefer ‘insight’, and I had to check the English definition of the word, and here is one: Insight = ‘penetrating mental vision or discernment; faculty of seeing into inner character or underlying truth’.
2 Pet 1:5
I realise that I have English as my second language with the limited ‘insight’ that involves, but I think Peter has the spiritual insight in mind when he uses this ingredient in his recipe. And even thought knowledge may contain this nuance as well (1), I feel that ‘insight’ better explains why it is placed as the third ingredient in the recipe, or third link in the chain.
It begins with faith, and to faith I add the virtues I choose as values for my life. This choice leads to a new insight, an inner recognition of the fact that I stand in a meaningful relation both with God and my fellow men. This create a form of base on which a small seed may find enough nourishment to start to grow. The seed is the hope of fruit
‘Manna’ for today:
Insight nourishes hope for fruit------------------------------
(1) Three reflections on knowing:
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