John 17:21-23To explicate the significant meaning of the title we need to look at the theme again. For me faith is one’s freedom of will turns into the will of God. That is, my will and God’s will are to unite at some point in order to realize the true genuine faith. To be precise, the desires of God and the human are to actualized for the common good, which is the norm of true active faith. Knowledge is a rational inquiry into the nature of the ultimate reality. Valid knowledge one gets from experience. So, knowledge is relative and conditional. Faith as knowledge constitutes three dimensions.
1. Cosmological Perspectives : It is a fact that knowledge is the cause and faith is the effect. Knowledge is the rational aspect and faith is the activating creative aspect. So, knowledge and faith are not two separate entities but they are the means to achieve something good. Verse 23 says, “ I in them and you in me”. This Biblical passage asserts that God is the efficient cause as knowledge and faith oriented people are the effect. We experience cause and effect encounter in every aspect of life. For instance, why do we have such a corrupt culture in our day to day life? Who is responsible for this corrupt culture? Don’t you think that today’s Church in India is also part of a corrupt culture? Do we any theological vision for the next 25 years? The universal dictum is; we reap what we sow. In fact where there is cause there is effect. We are projecting and propagating only the effects but at the same time we are forgetting the cause of corrupt culture.
2. Faith as Knowledge : Faith as knowledge constitutes intra personal relationships. The hallmark of the Jesus prayer is that God-Jesus and the people will truly be one in love. This typology I call it divine – human expansionism. According to verse 23, Jesus in people and God in Jesus, significantly demonstrates a sense of belonging in which we can experience intimacy, mutuality and reciprocity. Thus faith as knowledge coherently comprises the feeling of interpersonal relationship of oneness which in the basis norm of social life. God’s divine spirit within us is the binding force of unity. This inseparable relationship constantly and consistently provides spiritual, moral and social inclination. When we trust in God, God also trust in us. The causal relationship legitimizes our social faith and social action.
3. Faith as knowledge constitutes Praxis : The significant relevance of faith as knowledge is creativity. The faith oriented people are able to undertake God’s love and practice it every day life. Oneness is our identity that which is to be generated from the love of God. This realization of oneness advocates sensibility and responsibility of one’s life. God needed not only religious geniuses or righteous saints. God also needed faith oriented people in a land where an attempt could be made to translate his will into the economic, social an political fabric of life.
In short, faith as Knowledge constitutes cosmological perspective, interpersonal relationship and praxis.
Author: Rev. Dr. Abraham Stephen is an ordained minister of CSI – South Kerala Diocese, currently on the faculty of The United Theological College, Bangalore.
