you did not know (εἰδότες) God, you were slaves … but now that you know (γνόντες) God, or rather are known by God (μᾶλλον δὲ γνωσθέντες ὑπὸ θεοῦ)’ (NIV). Burton’s explains well the force of the words ‘or rather’: ‘[F]ollowing a positive expression it introduces an additional and more important fact or aspect of the matter, not thereby retracting what precedes … but so transferring the emphasis to the added fact or aspect as being of superior significance as in effect to displace the preceding