IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 1497

ON LOVE; PART MCXXXVI

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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).

We ended the last essay with some additional ideas on what IS the Apostle Paul’s “thorn in the flesh“, a concept that he introduces to us as his way to NOT “be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations” (2 Corinthians 12:7) which he as received through his Repentance and his Transformation from a man whose view was religiously carnal to a man whose Life IS focused upon the Truth of the Lord. We should understand here that Paul’s religiously carnal Life was a Life of adherence to his doctrines and that within the True Jewish religion there existed the same Truths that Jesus brought to the world.

And these Truths DO yet exist in the Jewish religion as they DO in Christianity but in both they ARE still covered over by the doctrines of men which dilute and change the reality of the spiritual ideas to suit the convenience of men. Perhaps we can see here that Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” IS, in a way, self-inflicted as his own defense against being “exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7)….not so much by others but in his own mind. Perhaps we can see that if the apostle were so exalted in his own thinking that his own efforts to follow his own teaching of “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2) would flounder and fail.

Whether we see Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” as a self-inflicted defense or as the most natural ways of men in this world, the idea stands: that it IS by this thorn that he keeps his carnal nature at bay as he continually strives to live a Life that DOES “please God“. Paul shows us the end Truth and, while we may wonder at his own personal reality, the apostle DOES NOT shy away from his own admissions which we read in his words to the Romans below; he says clearly that “lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7). In either view we should try to see that his “thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me” IS the power of “the carnal mind” which IS ever in “enmity against God” as he tells us in our selection from Romans which we repeat again saying:

“I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin” (Romans 7:18-25).

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:1-10).

We should remember that there IS but one mind and that it IS either carnal or spiritual based upon the focus of the Life of everyman. The renewed mind IS spiritual but in the process of Transformation there can be many bumps on the Way to Truth and it IS in this regard that we should look at the words of the Apostle James saying: “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). Paul tells us that “the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” and we should understand this as the mind that DOES NOT serve the interests of God but rather serves the interests of the self and the things of the self in this world.

James’ idea of being double minded should show us how that the one mind can move its focus from carnal to spiritual, and NOT that the mind can be in both places at one time. Jesus tells us that “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24) and in this we should see the impossibility of this endeavor. What we should try to see here is James view of wavering “like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed” (James 1:6) from pole to pole….from carnal to spiritual and then back again. It IS in this alternating focus that we find the man who “is unstable in all his ways” and this should be seen mostly from the spiritual perspective. This IS the plight of everyman who strives toward the Truth of the trifecta while being pulled and pushed by his heretofore carnal focus. Repeating our trifecta of spiritual reality again we read:

• “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).

We should try to see here how that Paul IS painting for us a picture of the spiritual minded man and the trials and tribulations that he must face in his journey upon the Path to his full realization that he IS in “the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21). While Paul tells us that “they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit“, we should see this in regard to the single mindedness of men. At any time these things ARE True and in the Life of most every religious man these things ARE alternating Truths.

This IS NO black and white matter but a matter of one’s state of being at any given time until one reaches the pinnacle of Truth; until then most ALL can say with Paul that “with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin“. And this should bring to mind James words on temptation and enduring temptation which he calls for us a trial. Not a trial from God as some seem to think IS the source that IS trying men, but a trial of the spiritual mind that IS yet enmeshed in the carnal world and subject to carnal thinking. We can see this in James words, in this expanded version of what we have been discussing:

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:4-8).

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:12-17)

Paul shows us a similar idea earlier in his Epistle to the Romans although he uses the idea of tribulations in place of the temptations that may produce them. Both however end with patience and in this view we should see a kind of equality in these ideas from Paul, a sense of equality which IS furthered by his self-examination that we have above. Paul tells us that “we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope” (Romans 5:3-4). While the idea of tribulation seems a more grievous idea than temptation and the resultant sin, this IS mostly due to the common understanding of the English words.

If we can see tribulation from a more spiritual perspective however, and see this in regard to Paul’s ideas from the seventh chapter, perhaps we can better understand the relationship to the idea of sin. For the man who IS Truly seeking God, it IS “the trying of your faith“, the trying of KNOWING the Truth against the physical realities of Life in this world, that IS the True tribulation that causes the reality of sin which IS the moving of one’s focus back onto the things of the self. Sin IS again missing the mark ² and here we should understand that the mark IS the trifecta and ALL that this represents.

The keen idea in both of these views of the apostles IS patience and here we should NOT see the ordinary idea of this word but the deeper reality of just what that patience IS. James casts the patient man as “the man that endureth temptation” while Paul shows us that patience IS the tool  that brings experience and hope, which IS rendered from the Greek word elpis, and this IS always better understood as expectation in a spiritual sense. We should see here as well another reference to that which Paul calls his “thorn in the flesh“; while his words to the Romans ARE different, the reality of the ideas IS the same. Paul shows us this thorn as astheneia, hybris, anagke, diogmos and stenochoria. 

These ARE rendered in the King James Bible as infirmities, reproaches,  necessities, persecutions, and distresses. As we discussed two posts back the idea of astheneia as infirmities likely leads the idea that Paul’s thorn IS a physical ailment but this world IS also rendered as weakness and, in this reference of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”  (2 Corinthians 12:7) it is rendered as both in the same passage. The next word, hybris, IS rendered as reproaches and by others as insult, as injuries, and as mistreatment; none however capture the apostle’s intent which IS more to say that he takes pleasure in whatsoever anyone DOES against him for the sake of the gospel  and in this we should see Jesus’s words saying that “whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35).

Next IS the Greek word anagkē which IS rendered here as necessities and IS also rendered in terms of need and of distress; this IS a more difficult idea to discern in this passage. Others render this as hardship, as calamity, distresses, and as needs or privations but the gist of Paul’s idea IS missed in all of these. If we can see this idea in terms of want, not for the things of desire but for the things of need, perhaps we can more clearly see the apostle’s point and see that he IS NOT moved by such hardship.

The next word diōgmos IS always rendered in terms of persecution and this idea has taken on a notably doctrinal slant even in the secular world. While this can become: the infliction of pain, punishment or death upon others unjustly ¹, as Webster’s 1828 dictionary defines this,  persecution DOES NOT need to be so severe. Paul, as part of his experience on the road to Damascus, tells us that he hears the voice of the Lord saying “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4) and in this we should be able to see the question as ‘why DO you work against me so’.

Can we see the same thought in Paul’s use of diōgmos as a part of his list of things that should please him? Can we see here how that such persecution would mean that his teaching IS having an effect even upon those whose lives ARE tied to their own doctrines and that such persecution IS the result of glamour? And can we see that while the infliction of pain, punishment or death upon others unjustly can be a part of persecution that NO one would revel in such treatment. Paul’s meaning here IS to the cause much as was the Master’s who continually irked the Jews who were also tied to and protective of their own doctrinal view of Life. It IS unfortunate that today’s sense of persecution has such a different tone.

The final word here in Paul’s list of those things that combine to form his “thorn in the flesh” IS stenochōria which IS rendered as distresses. We should note here that some translations render anagkē as distresses in this verse and several call this word stenochōria as calamities, as troubles and as difficulties. Vincent tells us that stenochōria: literally means narrowness of place. The dominant idea is constraint  and in this we can perhaps glimpse the idea that Paul IS offering. We should try to see this idea as the constraint that IS offered in the Truth as in the Master’s admonition that men “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” (Luke 13:24) where the Greek word stenos has the same meaning of narrow.

If we tie this idea to Paul’s words on “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6) perhaps we can see his point as that he takes pleasure in the singleness of the gospel of Truth although a broadening of the teaching would perhaps help others to see, understand and even subscribe to some part of that Truth. Finally Paul tells us why he endures this thorn which causes him that same difficulty that we see in our selection from Romans above: it IS “for Christ’s sake” (2 (Corinthians 12:10) and here we should see how that Jesus’ words saying “whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it” gives us the more complete thought.

Paul’s strength and Truth ARE encompassed in these ideas as he bares his own heart in an effort to show us the simplicity of the Way but, perhaps because of the volume of his words, his Truth has been lost to doctrines.  So long as men separate and divide the context of Paul’s words into convenient pieces and parts, the Truth will be lost; and so long as men rely upon these out of context ideas to determine their doctrines, men will be lost. It IS in Jesus’ words that the primary Truth lies and it IS this Truth that IS amplified and clarified by the writings of the apostles and there IS naught that they say that changes the tenets of the Master’s words.

But men DO NOT see these things as they live in the illusion and the glamour of Life, the vanity according to Paul, and if we can see this idea as Vincent paints it for us we can then understand that there IS NO way to “receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him“. Vincent tells us that it IS this vanity that IS men’s: perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends ⁴ and if we were to honestly look at Life according to Jesus’ words we could then see the greater message of Truth.

We close today with some thoughts on Good Friday as this day IS KNOWN by Christians around the world. And today’s thoughts ARE rather simple; rather than commemorate the day that Christ died as the man Jesus on the cross, perhaps we should look anew at the words that He left us. His words ARE the reality of His Life while His death and resurrection ARE but a proof of who He IS and what it IS that He could DO as a man. It IS the teaching of the Master that IS the reason that He came among us and it IS this teaching that IS missed by so many who see their victory in His blood.

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

Aspect of  God	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

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts