But ye have not so learned Christ, if so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus. Ephesians 4:20-21
My son was speaking about a particular teacher whose ideas he appreciated, and he asked me if I knew the man. My response was that I knew who the man was, and also appreciated his writings, but that, unlike Tom, I had never met him. We will all agree that there is a huge difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing the person. That is why it is important to note in our text that the apostle is not referring to learning about Christ. He is referring to learning Christ. And that is the very basis of our faith.
In the previous verses, the apostle reminds the Ephesians of the vanity and blindness of those around them that resulted in rebellious and vile lifestyles. In contrast, he points out that the Christians have had an encounter that has transformed them from the rebellion and sinfulness that marked their unconverted days. They have not merely learned a set of facts about Christ, but have actually heard Him and have responded to His call for repentance and faith. We place ourselves in the same situation as the Ephesian Christians. Formerly lost and far away from God, we have come to know His Son, and have become transformed by the relationship that we have in Him.
Think about the disciples as they followed the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry. They were personally acquainted with Him; they did not merely know about Him, but actually knew Him as their Lord and Teacher. They listened to His sermons to the crowds, and to His explanations of those sermons as He addressed His disciples afterwards. They watched His actions and reactions to the events and the people they encountered. Although He often surprised them with His wisdom and power, they developed a deep knowledge of Him by being in His presence. That’s how we learn Him today.
No, the Lord Jesus is not bodily in our midst today, although He assures us of His presence when we have been gathered together in His Name. He is with us all the time because the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in each believer. And the Spirit’s role is to give us knowledge of the Lord Jesus and conforms us into His image. We also have the Word of God, that divine, vibrant, infinite Volume whose message is Christ. To know the Book is to know Him. The more we learn the Scriptures, the more we learn Christ.
How much greater is our faith than the vain and empty claims of religion! The religious might know little or much about Christ. But we know Him and long to learn Him more. – Jim MacIntosh