IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 280

Love is the Fulfilling of the Law

ON GOD; Part LXVI

We have spent much time on the ideas of deception from the saying in James’ Epistle which implores us to “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22) and in this saying is the very definition of the illusion, glamour and deception that afflicts Christians around the world. We have tied this idea to Love and in yesterday’s post spent much time again on how Love is the way out of the deception that is in the world and which is based upon the illusion and the glamour that we, as men in form, create. We came also upon the sayings of the Master regarding that which comes out of a man as the things that defile him and we pointed out that the ideas on this from Mark’s Gospel include some of the more mundane ‘sins‘ of which the race is guilty, namely, covetousness, deceit, an evil eye, pride and foolishness. In this listing of defilement we must take stock of ourselves for it is here that the Master gives to us the reality that it is not only evil that is ‘sin’ but it is also these other things that keep us from the True expression of Love. We also took these verses to tell us that it is the things that men do to cover their actions in these type of offenses that creates much of the illusion, glamour and deception through which the world suffers. It is as though we have learned the lesson of the Ten Commandments and we understand the wrong in most of these as they are, most of them, also against most every law of man, but we still take opportunity to create ways around those that are not so egregious, finding ways to thrive in their doing by the illusions that we create. Our examples of slavery and of the Crusades are meant to paint broad pictures of what we as men have done to our brothers and how we have found, and in many ways still do find, reasons to consider as a brother only those that we choose. Can we see that buried in this story and parable about washing hands before eating is a very profound teaching on the ways of man and on how His disciples should not be. Here in Mark’s Gospel the Master gives us some of the specific maladies of man that keep him from His Kingdom and in the like verses from the Gospel of Matthew the Master broadens His teaching to tell us that although a man may appear to be doing the work of the Lord, he may not be doing so and to follow those that are blind to the Truth is a sure way to fall.

We have long maintained that it is not in doctrine that a man will find his salvation but in the words of the Master and in the rightly interpreted words of His apostles. We have spoken much about the difficulty of escaping the net as the Buddha teaches us and of finding that strait gate and narrow way that lead unto Life. Can we see here how the teachings of the Master on Love are the way of escape; that if we follow His simple rules on how to treat each other that all of our problems cease. Emmet Fox, a New Thought Christian teacher, says it all this way in his Fifteen Points teaching:

I Am Really In Truth:

1. If – I always look for the best in each person, situation and thing.
2. If – I resolutely turn my back on the past, good or bad and live only in the present & future
3. If – I forgive everybody without exception, no matter what he may have done; and if I then forgive MYSELF whole-heartedly.
4. If – I regard my job as sacred and do my day’s work to the best of my ability (whether I like it or not).
5. If – I take every means to demonstrate a healthy body and harmonious surroundings for myself.
6. If – I endeavor to make my life of as much service to others as possible, without interfering or fussing.
7. If – I take every opportunity wisely to spread the knowledge of Truth to others.
8. If – I rigidly refrain from personal criticism, and neither speak nor listen to gossip.
9. If – I devote at least a quarter of an hour a day to prayer and meditation.
10. If – I read at least seven verses of the Bible everyday.
11. If – I specifically claim spiritual understanding of myself every day.
12. If – I train myself to give the first thought on waking to God.
13. If – I speak the Word for the whole world every day, say at noon.
14. If – I PRACTICE, the Golden Rule of Jesus instead of merely admiring it. He said, “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” The important point about the Golden Rule is that I am to practice it whether the other fellow does so or not.
15.  If – above all, I understand that whatever I see is but a picture which can be changed for the better by Scientific Prayer.

Now we should understand that the above ideas are the doctrine that Mr. Fox taught and that like any doctrine it is based in what the man believes which is for most of us a revealer of the illusions that we are under. Much of these Fifteen Points are rather directly for the teachings of the Master. On the whole these are most all good and virtuous ideas but of the most importance insofar as the Master’s teachings are concerned are those points that give us some understanding of how a man should act in regard to others and the most profound is the simple wording of number fourteen. This teaching is given out for the use of the general Christian audience as Mr. Fox addresses people much like every other preacher or pastor albeit with his own doctrine and with a bit more emphasis on the Love that the Master taught. We should add here that many of the other Christian denominations do not agree with the teachings of the New Thought Movement nor Mr. Fox with some even referring to this teaching as cultish.  We bring this out here not because we agree with their teachings but to show that there is some movement towards the teaching of Love by some newer parts of the church and the tell-all of this movement is in point fifteen which is outside of the teachings of the Master except one interpret His words in this way. This is doctrine and this is illusion from the perspective that these precepts are not in alignment with the words of the Master insofar as His ideas on discipleship and the hard line that is drawn for the actuality of being accounted worthy of His Kingdom. From our perspective these points are good and are most all worthwhile and they will lead people who can subscribe to them closer to the Master. This idea is true of most all denominations as they do attract people who can think and believe along certain lines and, as we have said before, it is better to believe in the doctrine of a denomination and to follow it as best one can than it is to flounder through Life with little or no direction at all.

Coming back now to our points from the Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians from which we have taken our Quote of the Day for the last few days, let us continue in our relating this to our ideas on  illusion, glamour and deception. As we have said Love is the way of escape and the way of finding the Path and here in Paul’s words are what should be seen as defining ideas regarding Love; what it is and how one should apply it in one’s Life. First we should note the importance that the apostle puts on Love in relation to those other things that are, even today, thought of as Truly religious. More important than tongues which is a rather misunderstood concept that has little agreement in the church; doctrine in this respect is varied and little is known of what Paul really refers to but it is clear that whatever it is, it is superseded by Love. More important also than prophecy as a gift and the understanding of all, and than the totality of Faith as we can understand it, is Love. Reading this and understanding religion as a denomination that believes in tongues as a way of prayer and worship, and in prophecy as the Holy Spirit speaking to or through a believer, plus that conviction that one knows the will of God in his heart or mind and believing also that he has that Faith of which the Master speaks, these persons must recognize the subservient relationship of these things to Love. To claim all these things and not live in the Love that the Master teaches is plainly illusion and it is this same Love that can break down this wall. Paul finishes with another unknown idea of giving his body to be burned as we really do not know what this means and he ties this with giving ALL and we should understand his totality in these ideas as well as in the others. Paul is speaking as one who has accomplished ALL up to and including that Faith that we consider as KNOWING which is in our understanding that point of Faith where the is NO doubt; he is saying to us that even in this highest of  spiritual Light, it is all for naught without Love. In the strength of these statements by the apostle, how can we not see the force and the Power of Love and how can we give it such a minor role in the reality of Life? …… simply, illusion, glamour and deception

Paul does not leave us wondering here but tells us plainly exactly what this Love is. He does not do this as to supplant the teachings of the Master on Love but rather to amplify them and this is how we should view his sayings. Much of this is spoken from the perspective of Love as a person or rather even that of the person that is possessed of Love. How should one act in Love?

• Charity (Love) suffereth long , and is kind which is to say that Love is patient and, according to the lexicon, does not lose heart; is persevering and slow to anger². Vincent tells us this is persistent endurance⁴ giving it yet more force that mere patience. We can say that it is not giving up; persistent in its expression. The idea of kind is minimized by the lexicon which gives us to show one’s self mild, to be kind, use kindness² while Vincent give us easy as a defining word or good⁴ as a kindred word is used elsewhere. John Gill paints this colorfully for us as liberal, and bountiful, does good to all men, even to enemies, and especially to the household of faith; he is gentle to all men, affable and courteous to his brethren, and not morose, churlish, and ill natured; he is easy and yielding to the tempers and humours of men; accommodates himself to their infirmities, capacities, manners, and circumstances, in everything he can, that is not contrary to the glory of God, the interest of Christ, the honour of religion, his own con science, and the good of men⁸. From Gill’s perspective this idea of kind is like a synonym of Love itself.
• charity (Love) envieth not; Envy here should be seen in the negative sense while the Greek word comes with both positive and negative meanings. Vine’s tells us of this Greek word zeloo that it means: “to be zealous, moved with jealousy,” Acts 7:9; 17:5, RV, “moved with jealousy” (AV, “moved with envy”); both have “envieth” in 1 Cor. 13:4. See the Note under A. See AFFECT, COVET, DESIRE, JEALOUS, ZEALOUS.⁶ which should give us the proper idea of what Love is not. 
• charity (Love) vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. This next thought is vaunteth not which the scripture footnotes tell us means is not rash but this is an incomplete picture. The lexicon tells us that this means to boast one’s self; a self display, employing rhetorical embellishments in extolling one’s self excessively² which gives some clarity. Vincent tells us that Vaunteth (perpereuetai). From perperov a braggart. Used of one who sounds his own praises. Cicero introduces a compound of the word in one of his letters to Atticus, describing his speech in the presence of Pompey, who had just addressed the senate on his return from the Mithridatic war. He says: “Heavens! How I showed off (eneperpereusamhn) before my new auditor Pompey,” and describes the various rhetorical tricks which he employed⁴. This kind of says it all. Next is the idea of being puffed up which is similar to vaunteth but it is relegated to a state of mind.  Vincent tells us that Puffed up (fusioutai). See on ch. iv. 6, and compare ch. viii. 1. Of inward disposition, as the previous word denotes outward display⁴.

Can we see the trend of thought by Paul in regard to the Master’s teaching on Love. God is Love and if we are Truly in His image and likeness then we are Love as well and being such are to be expressive of these things that we itemize above and in the way that they are stated. We are patient, expressing persistent, endurant  Love in all things and we are kind as defined above in saying liberal, and bountiful, does good to all men, even to enemies. We do not envy, we are not moved with jealousy, or with envy and we do not boast outwardly nor inwardly. This is Love.

We will continue with these thoughts in the next post and will leave our Quote of the Day until we can make it through the whole of these sayings.

Note on the Quote of the Day