Knowing Jesus Versus Listening to Jesus
The distinction between knowing Jesus and listening to Jesus is rooted in biblical texts that emphasize the importance of both understanding and obedience. In John 8:47, Jesus states, "The one who is from God listens to the words of God. Because of this you do not listen—because you are not of God” [3]. This verse highlights the connection between being "from God" and listening to God's words, implying that merely knowing Jesus is insufficient without also heeding His teachings.
The biblical concept of "knowing" Jesus involves a deep, personal understanding that goes beyond mere intellectual awareness. In Philippians 3:10, the Apostle Paul expresses his desire "to know Christ" and to experience the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings [8, 9]. This knowing is not just about cognitive understanding but also about a relational and experiential knowledge that involves obedience and discipleship.
In contrast, "listening to Jesus" emphasizes the importance of obedience to His teachings. Jesus Himself teaches that discipleship involves not just knowing Him but also obeying His commands (John 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10) [7]. The connection between listening and obedience is further underscored in 1 John 4:6, where it is written, "We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us" [1, 2]. This passage links knowing God with listening to the apostolic testimony about Jesus, suggesting that true knowledge of God is demonstrated by obedience to His word as proclaimed by His messengers.
The early Christian tradition, as reflected in patristic sources, also grappled with the distinction between knowing and listening. Origen, for example, discusses the difference between believing in the name of Jesus and believing in Jesus Himself, highlighting the deeper level of commitment involved in truly believing in Jesus [12]. This nuanced understanding of faith emphasizes that merely knowing about Jesus is not enough; one must also trust and obey Him.
In the Catholic Scholastic tradition, Thomas Aquinas articulates a sophisticated understanding of Christ's knowledge, distinguishing between different types of knowledge in Christ, including infused knowledge and empirical knowledge [5, 6]. While this discussion is primarily Christological, it underscores the complexity of the concept of "knowing" in Christian theology and its implications for understanding the relationship between knowledge and obedience.
Reformed theologians like John Calvin and Charles Hodge also address the issue, emphasizing the role of faith and the necessity of understanding in the reception of revelation. Calvin notes that faith involves a certainty of persuasion that goes beyond human comprehension, citing Paul's description of comprehending the love of Christ, which "passeth knowledge" (Eph. 3:18-19) [11]. Hodge stresses that without knowledge, there can be no faith, as faith requires understanding the meaning of the words to which one assents [10].
The biblical names and dictionaries provide additional insight into the Hebrew and Greek roots of the concepts involved. For example, the name "Jesus" is derived from the Hebrew "Joshua," meaning "hearing or obeying the Lord" [4]. This etymology underscores the intrinsic connection between the name "Jesus" and the concept of listening or obeying.
Sources
- 1 John “1 John 4:6 (NASB) — We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
- I John “I John 4:6 (BSB) — We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.”
- John “John 8:47 (LEB) — The one who is from God listens to the words of God. Because of this you do not listen—because you are not of God.””
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Ishmaiah — hearing or obeying the Lord”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Knowledge Imprinted or Infused on the Soul of Christ, Art. 4: Article: Whether in Christ this knowledge was greater than the knowledge of the angels? I answer that, The knowledge imprinted on Christ's soul may be looked at in two ways: First, as regards what it has from the inflowing cause; secondly, as regards what it has from the subject receiving it. Now with regard to the first, the knowledge imprinted upon the soul of Christ was more excellent than the knowledge of the angels, both in the number of things known and in the certain”
- theology (Catholic (Scholastic)) “Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Third Part (Tertia Pars), Of the Acquired or Empiric Knowledge of Christ's Soul, Art. 4: Article: Whether Christ received knowledge from the angels? I answer that, Since the human soul is midway between spiritual substances and corporeal things, it is perfected naturally in two ways. First by knowledge received from sensible things; secondly, by knowledge imprinted or infused by the illumination of spiritual substances. Now in both these ways the soul of Christ was perfected; first by empirical knowledge of sensible things, for which there is no need of angelic ligh”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 8:31: 8:31-32 Discipleship is more than knowing who Jesus is. It is also about obeying his teachings (3:36; 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10). • Because Jesus is the truth (14:6), knowing him brings discernment of what is true and what is false. • set you free: The truth brings freedom from darkness, falsehood, and sin.”
- Phil (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Phil 3:10: 3:10 to know Christ: In knowing him, a person knows and is accepted by God (cp. 3:7-8; John 1:12-13; 17:3). • Believers experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead, both now and in eternity (see Rom 6:4-14; 8:10-11; Col 3:1-4). • to suffer with him, sharing in his death: Joined to Christ, a believer has the privilege of experiencing his life and death (see Phil 1:29; 2 Cor 4:10-12; Col 1:24; 1 Pet 4:13-16).”
- Philippians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Philippians 3:10: 3:10 to know Christ: In knowing him, a person knows and is accepted by God (cp. 3:7-8; John 1:12-13; 17:3). • Believers experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead, both now and in eternity (see Rom 6:4-14; 8:10-11; Col 3:1-4). • to suffer with him, sharing in his death: Joined to Christ, a believer has the privilege of experiencing his life and death (see Phil 1:29; 2 Cor 4:10-12; Col 1:24; 1 Pet 4:13-16).”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 12: nothing of that of which it knows nothing. 86 2. The Bible everywhere teaches that without knowledge there can be no faith. This, as just stated, is the doctrine of the Apostle Paul. He condemned the speaking in an unknown tongue in a promiscuous assembly, because the hearers could not understand what was said; and if they did not know the meaning of the words uttered, they could neither assent to them, nor be profited by them. In another place ( Rom. x. 14 ) he asks, “How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?” “Faith,” h”
- CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 57: in order to reach it. Nor even when it has reached it does it comprehend what it feels, but persuaded of what it comprehends not, it understands more from mere certainty of persuasion than it could discern of any human matter by its own capacity. Hence it is elegantly described by Paul as ability “to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,” ( Eph. 3:18, 19 ). His object was to intimate, that what our mind embraces by faith is every w”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 9: Gospel of Peter, Diatessaron, Origen's Commentaries — 28.THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BELIEVING IN THE NAME OF JESUS AND BELIEVING IN JESUS HIMSELF. (part 1): "Now, when He was in Jerusalem at the passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, beholding His signs which He did. But He, Jesus, did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all(men) and because He needed not that any should testify of man, for he Himself knew what was in man."(2) One might ask how Jesus did not Himself believe in those of whom we are told that they believed. To this we must say it was not those who b”