ON LOVE; PART MXCIX
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GoodWill IS Love in Action
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FIRST IS THE GREAT COMMANDMENTS: “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
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WHAT THEN IS LOVE? In a general sense love is benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape which IS generally rendered as Love, we should amend our own definition here to include the idea that in the reality of Love a man will accord to ALL men ALL things that he would accord to himself and to say that Love IS our thoughts and attitude of the equality of ALL men regardless of their outward nature or appearance…that ALL ARE equally children of Our One God
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PLUS THE EVER IMPORTANT AND HIGH IDEAL TAUGHT TO US BY THE CHRIST: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” (Matthew 7:12).
In the last essay we discussed again the Apostle Paul’s idea of “another gospel” and his warnings to others that they NOT fall prey to any teachings that were NOT those that were based in the Truth of Jesus. We conclude this by simply seeing that the apostle IS teaching the reality and the precepts of the Master and that he IS amplifying and clarifying Jesus’ words; and if the translators and the interpreters were to have looked at Paul’s letters this way the outcome would have been quite different. They DID NOT however as they seized upon parts and pieces of the writings of the apostles and created their doctrines based upon these out of context ideas. We have surmised in the past that this was DONE to help bring many people to the ideas that Christ presented while they KNEW the difficulty in keeping the Master’s words; the result IS the thousands of denominations and sects that ALL begin with the factions and the divisions of men based in their interpretations of the Truth.
Paul speaks about this in cautions and warnings. He tells the Corinthians that “it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?” (1 Corinthians 1:11-13). In this we have the apostle’s acknowledgement of the divisions of men and, from the opening of this epistle we should see that these ARE NOT ordinary men but “to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” in a time where this idea was NOT the casual sense of believing that it IS has become.
Here the divisions ARE rather simply stated as these of whom the apostle writes are divided amongst their teachers, their primary teachers as the names DO indicate, and we should see Paul’s perspective in his closing question that asks “Is Christ divided?“. And the apostle IS clear in his admonition to them and to us as he tells them before his accusations and warnings that “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). Paul’s admonition here IS clear but, as history shows us, it IS NOT heeded.
And it IS NOT this admonition alone that is ignored but the greater one that IS based in the dilutions and the changes even to the effects of these first divisions which the apostle offers these same Corinthians saying “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:10-11). Can we see here how that the apostle IS warning men to “take heed how he buildeth thereupon” and how that this admonition IS also ignored by those who have divided even the initial divisions.
And we should see these admonitions in the apostle’s words to the Galatians where we read of his dismay as he tells us “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ” (Galatians 1:6-7). If we can relate these words to his words on the foundation upon which the Truth IS founded, we can perhaps get the greater understanding of the apostle’s point and the way that men have worked around it while using his words as their defense.
In his Second Epistle to the Corinthians the apostle picks up this point again after teaching them the Way of the disciple; we read his words saying “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). To the Galatians Paul’s words on “another gospel” ARE also and an accusation while here, to the Corinthians, his words ARE another caution and warning that accepting “another gospel” can be easily DONE if one DOES NOT keep his focus.
In this we should see Jesus’ words that tell us to “take heed therefore how ye hear” (Luke 8:18) as the Apostle Luke tells us and “Take heed what ye hear” (Mark 4:24) as in the Apostle Mark’s Gospel. Neither of these IS speaking about what may enter one’s ear but rather what one may accept from what he hears and, in both of these, Jesus shows us the idea of measure. The measure here IS spiritual and it IS this that Paul expands upon in his sayings as he tells us that when “another gospel” IS accepted there IS perversion and there IS corruption of the Truth and of the “simplicity that is in Christ“.
We should see here how that Paul IS amplifying and clarifying Jesus’ words so that we can better understand that to accept the untrue as the True IS to fall prey; this we can see in Jesus’ words saying that “whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have” (Luke 8:18). Can we see here that as a man has attained some measure of Truth, so can he lose that measure if he should heed the wrong message which Paul shows us as “another gospel“. Can we see as well how that the man who heeds and accepts the continued Truth, that “to him shall be given“.
Doctrinal thinkers CAN NOT see how that this IS Jesus message as they see the dichotomy as between themselves and the rest of the world of non-believers. If we can however see that it IS to ‘believers’ that the Master IS speaking concerning what they hear; that He IS speaking to His disciples who need NO warning regarding non-believing, we can then more clearly see Jesus’ point and the amplification of it by Paul. In both gospels, Luke and Mark, these remarks come at the end of the Master’s explanation to His disciples of the Parable of the Sower which tells about hearing the word and what IS the result of that hearing among different strata of men.
This IS spiritual strata of course as Jesus separates the differences in the focus of men who hear the word but our point here IS that His disciples, those to whom He IS explaining the parable, ARE among the highest; these ARE those who “in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 18:15). Paul too IS cautioning aspirants and disciples of the Truth regarding what they may hear and heed as he warns of “another gospel” but NONE if any see these ideas as warnings against being swayed by what seems to be the easier way of those who ARE “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9).
And the doctrinal thinker DOES NOT see himself as part of this, he DOES NOT see himself as “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” any more than those to whom Paul writes see themselves as heeding or teaching “another gospel“. And perhaps here we can see the apostle’s dismay as he says “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel” (Galatians 1:6). In this idea of marvel we should see the depth of Paul’s dismay which Vincent shows us as he explains that the Greek word thaumazo IS used: Often by Greek orators of surprise as something reprehensible. So in New Testament 4.
And the same sense of dismay can be seen in the end of Paul’s words on “another gospel” to the Corinthians as he tells them of the teacher of “another gospel” that “ye might well bear with him“. As we previously discussed this idea IS rendered in terms of the ease with which these teachers ARE accepted by other translators and the Revised Version goes so far as to say that “you submit to it readily enough“. Vincent tells us that this phrase literally means that: ye endure them finely and that The expression is ironical. You gladly endure these false teachers, why do you not endure me?
Our point here IS that the apostle IS dismayed by what he sees happening around him and happening to some who were once among those that he saw as saints….as aspirants and as disciples. But NONE then nor today put themselves into this mix; NONE see themselves as having heeded “another gospel” as they see their doctrines as the Truth. And this IS despite the fact that there ARE so many versions of this Truth and that the purveyors and the followers of these versions see each their own as the Truth. Most importantly, NONE see that ALL versions ARE but “another gospel” and that NONE teach nor Truly believe the tenets of the Master as they ARE set forth for us in the trifecta and throughout His words. We read again our trifecta:
- “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free“ (John 8:31-32).
- “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
- “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me” (John 14:21-24).
Here we can link these ideas to the closing ideas from yesterday’s essay where we again discuss how that it IS the factions and the divisions of men along lines of doctrine that ARE the bane of the Christian church. It IS these factions that Paul speaks against in his words on “another gospel” as well as his more straightforward words on the specific divisions by teacher that ARE likely the prima facie cause of the whole “another gospel” syndrome. And this sense of division and faction IS NOT only an affliction in the church, it IS a human malady that affects ALL men who see Life in a carnal fashion and this regardless of their realization of their condition.
It IS this sense of faction and division that colors the second part of Paul’s list of “the works of the flesh” as it IS these ideas that the apostle presents to us in the Greek words zelos, eritheia, dichostasia, and hairesis which we discussed again in the last post. Here again Paul IS warning and cautioning us to NOT separate and divide along religious lines which we should be able to see ARE the cause of the other ideas in this part of his list. And we should be able to easily relate these ideas to Paul’s list in our selection from Romans that he calls “the works of darkness“. Repeating Paul’s words to the Romans again:
“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof” (Romans 13:10-14).
Contrary to these “the works of darkness” IS the first idea that the apostle offers us which IS rendered as “Let us walk honestly“. This idea of honestly misses the point that the apostle IS intending to give us and this IS rendered by others in a variety of ways; some translate as “Let’s behave appropriately“, others as “Let us live properly, as people do in the daytime” and others as “Let us walk with decency“; ALL of these play upon the sexual interpretations of the words that follow. Again we should remember that Paul IS speaking to men who have largely overcome the gross human behaviors that ARE the sexual sins of the time; the apostle IS speaking to men of whom he says “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world” (Romans 1:8).
As in other epistles with lists of Greek words that ARE contrary to the ideas of God, these ARE interpreted in sexual tones and it IS in this misapplication of Paul’s intent that the opening idea IS missed. While most ALL translators see ONLY the sexual ideas and the like as being the things that one would NOT DO “as in the day” the greater idea here should come from the ideas of awake and sleep which the apostle ties to agape. In the day one should be awake and Paul’s admonishment here IS to “awake out of sleep” and in this we should try to see that “the works of darkness” ARE those done by one who IS yet asleep. While the idea of honestly, or becomingly as others render this, may NOT give us the fullness of Paul’s idea, these DO serve better than most ALL of the other choices.
Vincent helps us to understand this Greek word euschēmonōs saying: Honest is originally honorable, and so here. Compare Wyclif’s version of 1 Corinthians 12:23: “And the members that be unhonest have more honesty; for our honest members have need of none.” From εὐ well σχῆμα fashion See on Matthew 17:2. Hence becomingly. Compare 1 Corinthians 14:40; 1 Thessalonians 4:12. The word refers more particularly to the outward life, and thus accords with walk, and in the day the time of observation 4. This word IS used but three times, only by Paul, and never with a sexual connotation and we should note that Vincent’s reference to Matthew’s Gospel IS in regard to the Transfiguration of the Master.
We should try to see Vincent’s idea in terms of expression, that one’s expression should be as one who IS awakened which IS his expression of Love. When we tie the idea that “it is high time to awake out of sleep” to Paul’s preceding words on Love and then see that to “walk honestly” IS to express that Love rather than “the works of darkness” we will better see His point which IS obnubilated by doctrines that paint his words as sexual offences and as the gross DOINGS of men. It IS in looking past the preconceptions that ARE used by doctrines to understand this idea, by taking the ideas of sex and bad behavior out of the picture and putting these words in their True context of Love, that we can see a very different picture of what the apostle IS saying and reinterpret the next words to better fit that context. We will DO this in the next essay and we close with our thoughts on the dichotomy of the carnal and the spiritual which also plays in Paul’s words above.
“For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed. Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him” (2 Corinthians 5:1-9).
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
| Aspect |
Potency |
Aspect of Man |
In Relation to the Great Invocation |
In relation to the Christ |
|
GOD, The Father |
Will or Power |
Spirit or Life |
Center where the Will of God IS KNOWN |
Life |
|
Son, The Christ |
Love and Wisdom |
Soul or Christ Within |
Heart of God |
Truth |
|
Holy Spirit |
Light or Activity |
Life Within |
Mind of God |
Way |
Note on the Quote of the Day
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment.
We repeat here a Quote of the Day that we spent much time with over the course of our essays. In this affirmation we find the Truth of discipleship as we have been ever been expressing and here we can relate our themes of the last few days; “take no thought” for the things of the world and that we approach the Kingdom and discipleship in the nature of the little child, in humbleness, meekness, unashamed in any way and unassuming. The message that this imparts for us today IS that it IS the Soul that is at work in the world of men as it expresses to some degree the purpose, power and the will through Life in this world. These words are from a meditation offered to his students by our Tibetan brother and in which we find greater understanding of the message of the Master. This IS Truly the way of the disciple.
My Soul has purpose, power and will; these three are needed on the Way of Liberation.
My Soul must foster love among the sons of men; this is its major purpose.
I, therefore, will to love and tread the Way of Love. All that hinders and obstructs the showing of the Light must disappear before the purposes of the Soul.
My will is one with the great Will of God;. that Holy Will requires that all men serve. And unto the purposes of the Plan I lend my little will.
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888
