Is our knowledge of God is Proportional to our faith? Insights from Saint Symeon

Saint Symeon, a prominent figure in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, teaches that our knowledge of God is proportionate to our faith. According to him, the divine knowledge God imparts confirms and enriches what we initially grasp from Scripture, leading us to believe in Him. This understanding is not uniform; it manifests in various forms. As the Apostle Paul states, “we see only a reflection as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). This knowledge is acquired through “inexpressible mystic powers and divine revelations, veiled illuminations, and contemplation of the reasons of creation.” Such experiences continually nurture our faith, deepening our love for God.

Saint Symeon explains that as God reveals Himself, believers are filled with the “presence of the Holy Spirit.”  This enlightenment allows them to grasp that God is ineffable and inexpressible. He emphasizes that all forms of knowledge, wisdom, mystical understanding, and spiritual gifts like prophecy, speaking in tongues, and the interpretation of these, come through the Spirit. Moreover, divine guidance extends to the protection and governance of communities, foreknowledge of future events, and the ultimate attainment of the kingdom of heaven, “the adoption as sons, the very putting on of Christ. we who have been graced as believers are able to know and think and speak about all these things which remain mysteries to the unbelievers.”

Symeon also acknowledges our limitations in understanding God fully. While faith enlightened by the Holy Spirit enables a profound comprehension of divine mysteries, certain aspects always remain beyond our grasp. We cannot fully comprehend how God exists as a Trinity or the exact nature of His origin. As creations of a divine being who has orchestrated all things, our understanding of His complete nature will always be incomplete. Therefore, Saint Symeon encourages believers to deepen their faith, do what Christ commands, seek the Holy Spirit, so they can access greater, even though still partial, knowledge of the infinite and mysterious God.

Reference: Symeon The New Theologian: The Practical and Theological Chapters and the Three Theological Discourses; pp 114; trans. Paul McGluckin; Cistercian Publications; Kalamazoo. MI

https://maksimologija.org/2020/10/30/st-symeon-the-new-theologian-theological-discourse-1-against-those-who-ascribe-the-concept-of-anteriority-to-the-father-2/