The Epistemological Crisis of the Cross

Part 3, A Complete Misperception of Christ

There's a rich footnote in Alexandra Brown's The Cross and Human Transformation: Paul's Apocalyptic Word in 1 Corinthians that details the dense perceptual language in 1 Corinthians 1-2. 

From Brown's footnote:

Greek Word / Translation / Verse

aiteo / seek, ask / 1.22

anakrino / question, examine, discern / 2.15

apodeixis / proof, demonstration / 2.14

apokalypsis / unveil, reveal / 1.7; 2.10

apokrypto / hide, keep secret / 2.7

blepete / see / 1.26

dexomai / accept, approve / 2.14

didaktos / instructed / 2.13

eidon / see, perceive / 1.16; 2.2; 2.11

eraunao / search, examine / 2.10

ginosko / know / 1.21; 2.8; 2.14; 2.16

gnome / intention, mind / 1.10

gnosis / knowledge / 1.5

krino / judge, consider, decide / 2.1

moraino / make foolish / 1.20

mysterion / mystery / 2.1

nous / mind / 1.10; 2.16

oida / know / 2.12; 3.16

peitho / convince / 2.4

phronimos / thoughtful, sensible / 4.10

proorao / foreknow / 2.7

sophia / wisdom / 1.17 (+16 more references in the letter)

sygkrino / combine, compare / 2.13

symbibazo / unite, conclude, instruct / 2.16

synesis / comprehension / 1.19

zeteo / seek, consider / 1.22

I find this list illuminating as it helps map out a large semantic territory. And what it helps illustrate, to the point of this series, is the epistemological nature of the gospel. 

Why would that be of interest?

It's of interest to me because of how we tend to moralize the gospel. Christian life is about moral living. And it is that. But seeing comes before doing, knowing before moral action. Consequently, my interest in the rich matrix of perceptual and epistemological words listed above is that I think something primary is at stake, something prior to moral considerations. For how can you take proper action in the world if you're blind, lost, deluded, ignorant, or confused? As Jesus said, the blind end up leading the blind and everyone falls into the pit. Sight is required for navigation. 

Let me give concrete example of what I'm driving at. When we survey the moral failures of the church are these, at root, moral failures, failures to do the right thing? Or are we witnessing something deeper and more fundamental, a confusion about the very nature of the gospel? (I'm not talking about moral failures of pastors, but moral failures of churches, whole groups of Christians and denominations getting wildly off track from the gospel.) We see evidence of both, of course. But my point in asking the question is that when we see Christians behaving badly what we're often witnessing are epistemological failures of the sort Paul is describing in 1 Corinthians. The problem is less about failing to live up to Christ than a complete misperception of Christ. And when Christ is misperceived all sorts of bad things soon follow.