For it is the God who said, “Out of darkness light will shine,” who gives light to our hearts with the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.(2 Corinthians 4:6)
Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.(Isaiah 11:1-2)
Isaiah speaks of Christ, on whom will rest the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, of counsel and strength, of knowledge and fear of God. "To the one called both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power and wisdom of God."(1 Corinthians 1:24) This wisdom is not like the wisdom of the world, and it is spoken among the mature, wisdom hidden in a mystery whom God determined before the ages for our glory.(1 Corinthians 2:6-7) It is interesting God delighted to make his wisdom known the way he did. Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit because he said God had hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to little children, for this was pleasing in God's sight.(Luke 10:21) In Christ, God has made known his wisdom in a mysterious way and it pleases him to do so.
making known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ.(Ephesians 1:9)
Paul gives us a picture of God's wisdom. He takes what is despised of this world, the weak, those not born well off, choosing what the world considers insignificant and contemptible and existing nothing so to render useless man's boasting, using what the world looks as foolish to shame the wise and using what the world thinks weak to shame the strong, in Christ is wisdom from God and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption so that boasting is in the Lord.(1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.(2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
Out of darkness light has shone in our hearts, the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.(2 Corinthians 4:6) And the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, the image of God. Therefore the light of the gospel is about knowing Jesus, the glorious knowledge of God. We can go further in this truth. "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men."(John 1:4) Life in Christ is the Light to men. Therefore the light of the gospel of the glory of knowing Christ is experiencing Life in him.
who gives light to our hearts with the light of the glorious knowledge of God in the face of Christ.(2 Corinthians 4:6)
The glorious knowledge of God in Christ is no small thing. "The Son is the radiance of the glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word."(Hebrews 1:3) When Jesus said he was the way, truth, and life, that no one could come to the Father except through him and if they knew him they also knew the Father Philip asked Jesus to show him the Father and that would be enough, but Jesus replied "and you still do not know me? the one seeing me has seen the Father!"(John 14:6-9) Jesus is the radiance of God, also said as reflecting the glory of God through His face. So when we believe "the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ" has shown in our hearts, we have been illuminated, enlightened. Since Jesus is the radiance of God, the glorious knowledge of God has flooded our hearts through Christ.
I have come as Light into the world,(John 12:46)
Jesus is the Light of the world. (John 8:12) The light of revelation to the nations and the glory of his people Israel. (Luke 2:32) The true Light to enlighten every man.(John 1:9) He was the word of God that was with God and was God that created all things and came as a light to men. (John 1:1-3) This Light shone as Life to men, as John proclaims Him the word of Life and eternal life in whom we have fellowship in the Light. (1 John 1:1-6) Thus when we walk in the Light, loving one another, it is seen as a sign of passing from death to life.(1 John 2:8) Surely this type of wisdom baffles some, Christ is seen as the word of life, living bread, and how his disciples are known by how they walk in the Light, loving one another?
... until we all attain to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.(Ephesians 4:13)
The Life of Christ in me is the Light to men, and it is the glory of Christ in me and this is the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, to the world. The more the glory of Christ shines through me the brighter I shine in this dark world. The church grows through the knowledge of the Son, growing into maturity through knowing Jesus more and more. And when our faith grows stronger and we are being enlightened to his power, hope, and knowledge of His love ever deeper, we get closer to glory. We get closer to being conformed to the image of Christ, transformed from glory to glory.
And is this not the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ? "I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I
in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.
Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as
you have loved me."(John 17:20-22) According to his good pleasure he is accomplishing this, "all things God works for the good of those loved of God, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,"(Romans 8:28-29) The working out of good is to be conformed to the image of his Son so that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ shines.
so that their hearts are encouraged, coming together in love and to the extent all the riches of a firm persuasion of understanding, unto the knowledge of the mystery, the one Christ.(Colossians 2:2)
Coming to an understanding in the knowledge of Christ, the glorious knowledge of God. What counts or strengthens is faith working through love.(Galatians 5:6) Love is the bond that leads to maturity.(Colossians 3:14) Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith.(Hebrews 12:1-2) Faith comes by hearing, by the word of God.(Romans 10:17) Jesus is the Word of God.(John 1:1-2;14) The unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God brings us into mature adulthood so we are no longer children, tossed to and fro in deceitful scheming, but the truth in love grow up into him, who is the head.(Ephesians
1:19-23) In the knowledge of Jesus, the body, His church, is brought into fullness in Christ. This is why God placed all things under his feet and gave him? "as head on behalf of the church, which exists his body the fullness of him who fills all in all."(Ephesians 1:19-23)
for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh rather having the power of God for tearing down strongholds, tearing down logic and every lofty idea that is raised against the knowledge of God, and taking captive every thought to make it obey Christ.(2 Corinthians 10:5)
The nucleus of the gospel is in knowing Jesus, to gain him, to be found in him, to know the infinitely searchable riches of Christ who is the wisdom and understanding from God. Therefore the nucleus of the Church or the work of ministry is about this, building up, edifying, growth through knowledge of Jesus, "until we all attain to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."(Ephesians 4:13)
There are blessings, riches from his grace and glory like adoption, redemption, forgiveness, sanctification, truth, love, hope, peace, contentment, joy... These all come through knowing Him. Paul compares knowing Christ, the glorious knowledge of God, as something he is attaining more and more using the analogy of an Olympic race. He is pressing on running this race, through the suffering of the body (it is being conformed to His death) entrusting himself to God so to attain His resurrection life (his grace is sufficient for his power matures, perfects, sustains him) so that he keeps running toward the goal (the glory, the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.) It is not like he will reach the end of the race (not on earth will he know Christ fully nor attain fully Christ's life) but he presses on, to make Christ his own, to gain Christ, to know Christ more and more because of the surpassing worth of knowing him and the glorious truth that Christ has laid hold of him.
"... not having a righteousness from the Law, but through faith in Christ, that I may know Him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering, becoming like him in death, if by any means I arrive at the resurrection from the dead, not that I have already taken in hand nor reached my goal but I press on in order to make it my own to the extent like as Christ also making me his own."(Philippians 3:7-12)