"knowledge, Lk. 1:77; knowledge of an especial kind and relatively high character, Lk. 11:52; Rom. 2:20; 1 Tim. 6:20; more particularly in respect of Christian enlightenment, Rom. 15:14; 1 Cor. 8:10; 12:8; 2 Cor. 11:6, et al."
Definition and meaning
knowledge, Lk. 1:77; knowledge of an especial kind and relatively high character, Lk. 11:52; Rom. 2:20; 1 Tim. 6:20; more particularly in respect of Christian enlightenment, Rom. 15:14; 1 Cor. 8:10; 12:8; 2 Cor. 11:6, et al.
In the original Greek the word is written: γνῶσις
Historical context
Luke wrote as a historian addressing a Greek audience. He carefully interviewed eyewitnesses and arranged events in order. The social and economic realities he describes — Roman taxation, Jewish religious hierarchy, the marginalization of women and the poor — are consistent with first-century Judea under Roman administration.
The people who first heard this word were not reading a book — they were living through empires, oppression, exile, and covenant. Every word carried the weight of that reality. Understanding it changes how you read Scripture.
Scripture references
These are the most notable occurrences of gnosis (G1108) across the King James Bible.
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
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Common questions
Strong's G1108 (gnosis) is a Greek word that means: knowledge, Lk. 1:77; knowledge of an especial kind and relatively high character, Lk. 11:52; Rom. 2:20; 1 Tim. 6:20; more particularly in respect of Christian enlightenment, Rom. 15:14; 1 Cor. 8:10; 1... It appears 28 times in the King James Bible.
The word gnosis (G1108) appears 28 times in the original Greek text.
Strong's G1108 is gnosis, a Greek word defined as: knowledge, Lk. 1:77; knowledge of an especial kind and relatively high character, Lk. 11:52; Rom. 2:20; 1 Tim. 6:20; more particularly in respect of C. James Strong catalogued this in his 1890 concordance to help English readers study the original languages of the Bible.
gnosis is a Greek word found in the New Testament.