Knit-together (συμβιβάζω) expresses closely connecting things together in a logical way.
When we go back to the root of this word, without the concept of close together, it is used of prisoners being put onto a ship, Acts 27:6. It is not the same as embarking, which is articulated by ἐμβαίνω as seen in Matthew 8:23. Therefore while putting the prisoners in the ship, the centurion did this in such a way as to ensure they are not mixed with anyone else, not just causing them to get onto the ship. Therefore, it predominantly relates to connecting things together in a logical manner based upon the facts.
After Saul’s encounter with the resurrected Christ on the Damascus road and his time in the desert training to understand what new thing God was doing, he returned to the city. However, this time, rather than seeking to imprison those who followed the way, he returned proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ and was confounding the Jews by knitting together the facts in the Old Testament that prove Jesus is the Messiah, Acts 9:22. Therefore, Paul was properly and logically closely connecting the revelations in the Old Testament concerning Christ to reveal that, in fact, Jesus is the Messiah.
As Paul traveled around spreading the Gospel of the Christ, the Holy Spirit forbade them from entering Asia. Arriving at Troas, Paul is given a vision in the night of a man of Macedonia. Through all of this, Paul logically closely associated what had happened and his vision in the night, concluding that the Lord wanted them to go to Macedonia and proclaim the gospel to them, Acts 16:10.
In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul asks a question concerning who has known the mind of the Lord. This refers to a statement made by Isaiah in 40:13-14 where he writes, “Who can measure the Spirit of the Lord or a man His counselor having caused Him to know? With whom did the Lord take advice, and has caused Him to understand, and taught Him in the way of justice?” However, Paul is not quoting Isaiah in 1 Corinthians 2:16; rather, based upon Isaiah’s statement, Paul is asking who is the one who will be knit-together with the Lord. No one possesses the ability to know the mind of God and, therefore, will be knit together with Him in the future. One of the aspects of our salvation today is that we have the Holy Spirit, Who intuitively knows the things of God and reveals them to us, 1 Corinthians 2:12-13. These things are spiritually discerned, for when we focus on our emotions, we cannot understand the things of God, 2 Corinthians 2:14-15. We are then able to understand the things of God because, as part of a new creation, the Christ, we have a new mind that relates to our spirit, which is connected to God. “For who has known [the] mind of [the] Lord, who will be knit-together with Him? Indeed, we have a quality of the mind of Christ” – 1 Corinthians 2:16. Many English translations make the error of interpreting the Greek word for “knit-together” with “instruct”. However, this Greek word is never used for instruction; rather, the concept of instructing is found in κατηχέω (instruct), Romans 2:18. The only justification for this interpretation is an erroneous translation that has not been corrected with new Bible versions, by taking this as a quote and swapping the Greek with the Hebrew word, for within the Greek language, “knit-together” is not used in this manner. Therefore, because we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, we can know a quality of the mind of the Lord; however, no one knows His mind and consequently can be knit-together with Him in a manner, that Isaiah expresses, as to advise Him.
Due to the Church being part of a new creation, in which Christ is the head and the Church is the body, 2 Corinthians 5:17 – So then, since someone is in Christ, a new creation (the Christ), the archaic things have passed away, behold, all things have become new; Ephesians 1:22-23, Christ is the One Who knits together those in the body, by giving us Pastors even teachers to bring us to a oneness of the faith unto a mature man in Christ so that we are no longer tossed around by every wind of teaching by the trickery of men, Ephesians 4:16. We are not to let anyone cheat us out of the benefits of being in the Christ by taking delight in humility or the worship of angels. These are the ones introducing things which they have not seen, vainly puffed up in their minds, not holding to the Head from Whom the whole body is nourished and knit-together, Colossians 2:18. They claim authority over demons, receiving of visions, interpreting of dreams, imagining spiritual battles in the heavens, which they have only seen in their minds while ignoring the body of the Christ and the truths concerning this dispensation. It is Christ Who knits us together, and therefore, it is through fellowship and studying of the Word that the saints grow together as one body, supporting each other. Against those who would deceive us with persuasive words, we are to stay steadfast in our faith, being knit-together in love, having a full assurance of understanding concerning the mystery of God and the Christ, in Whom is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, Colossians 2:2-3.
Knitting together does not express the concept of instructing; rather, it can articulate the logical putting together of facts that are closely associated, or how saints become meticulously connected with each other within the body of The Christ as we are being built up together unto a mature man to the stature of Christ, being knit together in love.
