Even though God COULD know everything, He has decided NOT to know–generally speaking–how we will act under pressure. God’s purpose is to create in us holy righteous character, which requires free moral agency and the opportunity to chose right from wrong. God tests us to see HOW we will act–that is, He tests us to get to know us better in the process of our overcoming the wrong way and accepting and living the right way. Since God knows even the secrets of our hearts (Psalm 44:21) and our thoughts (Psalm 94:11), He knows what kind of trials He can bring upon us, so that we CAN pass them, and which would not be too difficult for us to bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). [Please read pages 58-69 in our free booklet– “Teach Us To Pray!” –for a further explanation of why God tests us, and why we are to pray not to be led into temptation or very difficult trials.]

For instance, we read in Deuteronomy 8:2:

“And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you to KNOW what was in your heart, WHETHER you would keep His commandments or not…”

In addition, Deuteronomy 13:1-4 says: “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’–which you have not known–‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to KNOW WHETHER you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.”

We should take note of what God told Abraham, AFTER he proved to Him his unconditional obedience, manifested by his willingness to give up his son Isaac:

“And He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for NOW I KNOW that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me'” (Genesis 22:12).

God had said earlier, in Genesis 18:19, about Abraham: “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD…” Most translations use the expression, “I have chosen him…” or “I have singled him out.” God called Abraham so that he would pass on his knowledge about God’s way of life to his children. But God still had to get to know Abraham, through tests and trials, to see whether there would be any limit to his loyalty and obedience towards Him. We even read that God “knew” Jeremiah before he was born (Jeremiah 1:5)–but this only means that God had predestined to call Jeremiah in his lifetime and give him opportunity to chose His way of life. Jeremiah understood that God had to come to know him–how he would act in trials and challenges. He said in Jeremiah 12:3: “But You, O LORD, know me; You have seen me, And You have tested my heart toward You.”

In order to really get to know us, God must thoroughly examine us (Psalm 139:1). David understood this, and so he asked God to “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).

God gets to know us through trials and problems. We tell Him, through our conduct in trials, whether we love Him unconditionally–or whether we are willing to draw a line in the sand, saying, “We will go that far, but no further, in obeying God.”

Paul spoke very highly of Timothy, in Philippians 2:19-22:

“But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly… for I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you KNOW HIS PROVEN CHARACTER, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.” The Authorized Version says here: “But ye know the PROOF of him…”

On the other hand, Christ will say to those who disobeyed God, but who claimed that they did mighty miracles in the name of Jesus: “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). These people were never known by God–the implication is that they were not even called by God in this day and age. The Greek word for “knew” in this passage is “ginosko,” which does not have to describe perfect or complete knowledge, but it can refer to the process of getting to know someone. Those who practice lawlessness have, in God’s eyes, not even started the process of becoming known to God, in the sense of overcoming and becoming obedient.

God “knows the hearts of man”–good and bad (Luke 16:14-15; compare also John 2:24-25; 1 Corinthians 3:20). He knows those who disobey Him (John 5:42: ” I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you”). However, the context of Matthew 7:23 is that God did not accept these people as His people, and did not know them as such, as they never began the process of overcoming their lawless way of life. On the other hand, Christ says: “I know My sheep, and am known by My own” (John 10:14; compare John 10:27-28). When we love God, we are known by Him (1 Corinthians 8:3). Paul was confident that he was known by God (1 Corinthians 13:12). God says in 2 Timothy 2:19: “The Lord knows those who are His.”

We explained this concept in our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” page 32, when discussing the parable of Luke 19: “Christ gave the servant with the ten minas [the one who had overcome the most] another mina, that is, a rulership position over an additional city. He KNEW what that servant would be able to handle. He had PROVEN this to God in this life” (emphasis added).

Since God also knows those who are NOT His and disobey Him (compare again John 5:42), the meaning in 2 Timothy 2:19 is that God approves of those who are His, who have proven to Him, through their obedience, even in trials, that they really want to be His. But Paul adds the admonition: “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (same verse).

Christ utters a similar statement in Luke 13:25-28 about those who claim to know Jesus: “When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’… He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from… I tell you, I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see… yourselves thrust out [of the kingdom of God].”

In that passage, a different word for “know” is used in the Greek, i.e. “oida.” According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, “ginosko [which was used, for example, in Matthew 7:23] frequently suggests inception or progress in knowledge, [while] oida suggests fullness of knowledge.” This seems to say, then, that while Christ did not know at all the people mentioned in Matthew 7:23, He “knew” the people mentioned in Luke 13:25-28 at one time–that is, they were called–but they did not really forsake their way of lawlessness or iniquity. Christ never got to know them fully–He never KNEW whether they would overcome, as they never showed Him through their conduct that they were willing to overcome. And so, they will not enter the kingdom of God, but will be thrust out.

Christ gives a similar warning message in Matthew 25:12, when addressing five wise and five foolish virgins. When the five foolish virgins, who did not have enough oil–symbolic for the Holy Spirit–and who were not ready, tried to enter the house where the bridegroom was, he answered them: “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.” Christ continued, in verse 13: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

The word for “know” in that passage (“I do not know you”) is also “oida,” suggesting fullness of knowledge. These five virgins seemed to have been known by God to an extent–after all, they were virgins (compare the use of the word “virgins” in Revelation 14:4)–but they had not shown God through their way of life that they were really willing to be ready for Christ’s return. God did not know them well enough. And so, they will not enter the kingdom of God at Christ’s return.

By contrast, Paul was convinced that he was “well known” by God, as he states in 2 Corinthians 6:9. The Greek for “well known” is “epiginosko” and means, “to know fully.” Earlier, he had said that he was “known by God” (1 Corinthians 13:12), using the word “ginosko,” which describes the process of getting to know someone. But in 2 Corinthians 6:9, Paul uses a different Greek word (“epi-ginosko”) to express his conviction that by now, he was WELL known by God.

God had come to know him fully–He knew that Paul would not fall away–he had proven this to God by the way that he lived his life. The same word is used, for example, in Matthew 11:27, where Christ says: “… no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

At the same time, we must realize that we can turn away from God, even though we have begun the process of becoming known by Him. Paul says in Galatians 4:9: “But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how it is that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?”

In the messages to the seven churches, in the book of Revelation, Christ points out that He knew the works of each church (Revelation 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). In each case, He uses the word “oida,” implying perfect knowledge. He observed the way of life of the seven churches, and came to know them. But, not all the works were perfect (compare Revelation 3:2). In fact, He says to the church of the Laodiceans that “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot… because you are lukewarm… I will vomit you out of My mouth… I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent” (verses 15-16, 19).

It is striking that Jesus tells those of Laodicea that they need to repent in order to have a close fellowship with Him: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). These statements by Jesus show that some in the Church are not proving to God that they are really committed in their obedience to His way! Jesus promises only to those who overcome that they will enter the Kingdom of God (compare verse 21)! The others do not allow Jesus into their lives sufficiently to be tested and proven–to be known by God!

But as long as we are focused on overcoming sin and living in righteousness, and are zealous about God’s way of life, we won’t cease to be His, even though we slip and fall and obtain forgiveness from God after repentance (1 John 1:9). God says in 1 John 3:20: “For if our heart condemns us [because we have sinned], God is greater than our heart, and knows all things [and so, He forgives us upon repentance].”

When we go through trials, we need to realize that God allows them–or even brings them upon us–to get to KNOW us and to qualify us for His kingdom. This understanding can help us to act as the early apostles did, as we read in Acts 5:41: “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Christ knew very clearly what He was saying, and He was by no means uneducated or incorrect about His statements regarding the proverbial mustard seed.

He stated in Matthew 13:31-32:

“Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

The spiritual application of this parable is very clear. Christ compared the Kingdom of God with a very small seed, as it begins in a very small way. It is like a little bit of leaven, which will ultimately leaven the whole world (Matthew 13:33). Today, the gospel of the Kingdom of God is not accepted by very many, and very few–the firstfruits–respond to its message and become converted. Once they receive the Holy Spirit, they are begotten children of God and of His Kingdom–which is the Family of God that will rule on this earth, when Christ returns. Ultimately, the knowledge of God will cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea. The government of Christ will increase and will have no end (compare Isaiah 9:7). The Nelson Study Bible explains: “… the number of people who will inherit the kingdom of God will be very small at first. But though it begins like the smallest of seeds, the nucleus will enjoy growth completely out of proportion to its initial size.”

But did Christ err when He compared the steady growth of the Kingdom of God with a mustard seed? Didn’t He know that the mustard seed was not the smallest of all seeds, and that it would not become the tallest of all herbs?

For instance, the Broadman Bible Commentary points out:

“Under cultivation, the mustard plant… grew to a height of eight to ten feet [or 2.5 to 3 meters]… If pressed literally, the details of the parable do not conform to exact scientific data. The mustard seed [which was only 0.95 – 1.1 millimeters in diameter]… was not the ‘smallest of all seeds…'” Rienecker adds that certain birds, especially goldfinches, loved to live in that tree, and that the oil from the tree was also used for medical purposes.

We will address shortly whether Broadman’s comments as to the “scientific inaccuracy” of Christ’s statements are correct.

But first of all, as the Broadman Bible Commentary itself points out, “The contrast between the smallness of the mustard seed and the greatness of the plant it produced was proverbial. It is not necessary to press the matter of the actual size of either.” In addition, the commentary of JFB observes, that the reference to the “least of all seeds” must be understood “not absolutely, but popularly and proverbially, as in [Luke] 17:6, ‘If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed’… ” Likewise, the reference to the “greatest among herbs” must be understood “not absolutely, but in relation to the small size of the seed, and in warm latitudes [it is] proverbially great.” The commentary of Barnes adds the following:

“The plant here described was very different from that which is known among us. It was several years before it bore fruit and became properly a tree. Mustard, with us, is an annual plant: it is always small, and is properly an herb. The Hebrew writers speak of the mustard-tree as one on which they could ‘climb,’ as on a fig-tree. Its size was much owing to the climate. All plants of that nature grow much larger in a warm climate, like that of Palestine, than in colder regions. The seeds of this tree were remarkably small, so that they, with the great size of the plant, were an apt illustration of the progress of the church and of the nature of faith, Mat.17:20.”

However, we DO want to carefully review what Christ said, in order to show that He was ALSO very accurate from a “biological” and “scientific” standpoint.

As the translation of the New King James Bible, which is quoted above, shows, He spoke of the “least” of the seeds and the “greatest” of the herbs–not necessarily of the “smallest” and the “largest.”

When Christ said that the mustard seed was the “least” of all seeds, the Greek word for “least” is “mikros.” When using the phrase that it would become the “greatest” of all herbs, the Greek word for “greatest” is “meizon.”

Thayer defines “mikros” as follows:

“small, little: … of size… length… space… age… time… quantity [and] of rank or INFLUENCE.” Strong’s defines the Greek word “mikros” as “small (in size, quantity, number or (figuratively) dignity): – least, less, little, small.”

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, states that the word “mikros” literally means, “small” or “little,” (in regard to age, quantity, size or space), but that it is sometimes translated as “the least” (for example, in Acts 8:10 and in Hebrews 8:11), with reference to rank and INFLUENCE.

We see, then, that the word “mikros” can be translated as “little”–it does not even HAVE to be translated as “the least.” In addition, the Greek word “mikros” does not HAVE to address size at all, but it can refer to “influence” or “dignity.”

Likewise, the Greek word for “greatest”–“meizon”–can be translated as “greater”–by comparison. It does not have to address size; it can also refer to IMPORTANCE or INFLUENCE.

Young’s defines the word “meizon” as “greater” or “larger.” The meaning is primarily one of COMPARATIVE IMPORTANCE, and not necessarily of size. In Matthew 18:1, the same Greek word “meizon” is used to describe IMPORTANCE, STATUS or RANK (“Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven…”); the same is true in Matthew 23:11 (“But he who is greatest among you…”). Paul uses the word likewise to address IMPORTANCE, in 1 Corinthians 13:13, when he says: “the greatest of these [faith, hope and love] is love.”

We might also note that there is by no means unanimity as to how to translate Matthew 13:31-32.

Here are some alternative renderings:

“… which indeed is LESSER among all the seeds; but when it is grown is GREATER than the herbs, and becometh a tree…” (The New Testament from the Greek Text, edited by Ivan Panin, Toronto, 1935).

“Though it is the smallest of all YOUR seed [Christ was addressing His audience in Judah], yet when it grows, it is the largest of GARDEN PLANTS and becomes a tree…” (NIV; similar Rotherham and Zuercher)

That Christ was not actually saying that the mustard seed was the tiniest and smallest of all seeds, and that it would become the tallest and largest of all plants, can also be seen by reviewing the parallel passage in Luke 13:18-19, where He simply stated: “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

All that Christ was doing was to compare the growth of the Kingdom of God–and its increasing importance and influence for man–with the growth and increasing usefulness and importance of the mustard seed, as is clear from Luke’s account. Christ knew very well what He was saying, and even though He used a PARABLE to convey a SPIRITUAL LESSON, He did in no way state something which was biologically or scientifically incorrect.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

This is absolutely incorrect. Under the law, you are entitled to be excused from serving on a jury, if you have sincere religious convictions, based on the Bible, which prevent you from serving on a jury. You might be excused by a clerk, once you make your request in writing, or you may be required to appear before a judge to explain to him or her your sincere religious convictions. Our Q&A in Update # 66 (Update ending Friday, November 8, 2002), explains in detail the grounds for Biblical refusal to serve on a jury.

It is true that some clerks have taken the incorrect position that the law prohibits them to excuse you from serving because of religious reasons. However, once their misapplication of the law was explained to them, sincere Christians opposed to serving on the jury were ultimately excused.

To help you better understand the legal application of the issue, we are setting forth below excerpts from a letter with which we provide the courts in relevant cases. This document sets forth the legal rights of sincere Christians who refuse to serve on a jury because of their sincere religious convictions, which are based on Biblical grounds and the Church’s teachings. Please understand that a potential juror may be able to raise additional grounds justifying his excuse from jury duty, but we are limiting this discussion to excuse because of religious convictions:

“[The potential juror’s] convictions are in accordance with the Church’s teachings in this regard [of jury duty]. Further, based on [the potential juror’s] convictions, it is the Church’s position that [the potential juror] would sin if [the potential juror] were to serve on the jury, since the Bible teaches that everything, which is not of faith, is sin (Romans 14:23).

“I [a minister] also confirm that the Church of the Eternal God teaches its members against serving on a jury.

“In addition, a relevant case was decided several years ago. The Supreme Court for the state of Minnesota held that a member of the Worldwide Church of God (of which the Church of the Eternal God is an offspring), who had refused to serve on jury duty because of religious beliefs, was guilty of contempt for such refusal. The United States Supreme Court vacated the decision and remanded the case back to the Minnesota Supreme Court. The Minnesota Supreme Court, taking its cue from the United States Supreme Court, then reversed itself and held that the Church member would not be required to serve because of her religious conviction. The citations to the primary case are, In re Jenison, 375 U.S. 14, 84 S.Ct. 63, 11 L.ed. 2d 39 (1963), and In re Jenison, 125 N.W. 2d 588 (1963).

“Two other cases which are in agreement with the Jenison court are State vs. Everly, 146 S.E. 2d 705 (1966) (by the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia) and U.S. vs. Hillyard, 52 Fed.Sup. 612 (1943, E.D. Wash.).

“Section 204 of California Code of Civil Procedure [or relevant similar sections in other jurisdictions] does not prohibit you excusing a potential juror because of his or her religious convictions. It states that an eligible person ‘shall not be exempt from service as a trial juror by reason of occupation, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status, or for any other reason.’

“This law prohibits discrimination against potential jurors, who are willing to serve. This law is in compliance with the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting the states to discriminate against persons because of their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, economic status, or occupation. This law serves as a shield, but not as a sword. For instance, it prohibits a judge to excuse or disqualify a female black juror, because the judge only wants white male men on his jury. As stated, this law does not prohibit excusing a potential juror because of his or her religious conviction preventing the juror to serve on the jury—otherwise; it would be in violation of the US Constitution. It would also be inconsistent with the remainder of the statute, as it says that a juror cannot be excused ‘for any other reason,’ while that statute itself allows excuse under certain circumstances (for instance, if the juror is physically handicapped, too old, or if there is financial hardship).

“In this regard, notice should be taken of the following decisions:

“‘[W]here the [government] has in place a system of individual exemptions [as is the case in California regarding jury duty, such as disabled persons, financial hardship, etc.], it may not refuse to extend that system to cases of “religious hardship without compelling reason.”‘” Employment Division, Dept. of Human Resources of Oregon v. Smith, 494 U.S. 872, 884 (1990). See also, City of Chicago, 342 F.3d at 764. Such a refusal ‘tends to exhibit hostility, not neutrality, towards religion.’ Bowen v. Roy, 476 U.S. 693, 708 (1986).

“In addition, as [the potential juror] is religiously opposed to swearing, the courts have held that a person who is opposed to swearing, because of his or her religious convictions, cannot be forced to swear or raise his or her right hand. (Compare United States of America v. Looper, 419 F. 2d 1405 (1969); Gordon v. State of Idaho, 778 F. 2d 1397 (9th Cir. 1985). This is especially true regarding a ‘juror’s oath’ in light of a recent—highly publicized—decision of the Colorado Supreme Court to the effect that jurors are not permitted to resort to the Bible during jury deliberations. Other reported cases have made it clear that a potential juror must obey the judge’s instructions to the jury, even though they might violate a juror’s individual conscience, which [the potential juror] could not do.”

It is critical to fully understand this issue, and our strong recommendation is that you also thoroughly familiarize yourself with the Biblical teachings that lead Christians to avoid jury participation.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link