ON LOVE; PART MCCXIX
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ
GoodWill IS Love in Action
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ
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).
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ
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
ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ
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 two quotes regarding the state of religion. We have posted these ideas several times over the course of our nearly 1600 essays and we discuss them again today because they ARE pertinent to our general discussion on Love, on the expression of agape by the Truly ‘saved‘ man in this world. The idea of agape as the Way par excellence to correct the problems of humanity IS the clear message of the Master’s words but this IS a message that IS lost to the Christian world and, because this IS so, it IS a message that IS NOT Truly seen in the context of other religions which approach the Lord from differing perspectives. We should note here however that while agape IS NOT the focus of these other religions, agape IS the result of ALL True spiritual pursuits.
Through the Sermon on the Mount and most ALL of the Gospel of John the idea of Love IS paramount and includes Love for God and Love for one’s fellow man. This teaching on agape IS encapsulated for us in the Great Commandments, which ARE again at the top of our essay, and in the Golden Rule which serves as an explanatory of the Great Commandment that clearly says “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“. These words, even with the Master’s answer to the lawyer’s question that asks “And who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10: 29) that IS the Parable of the Good Samaritan, ARE NOT understood by, nor properly taught by, the church yet today; this great Truth has been missing as the central point of True doctrine for 2000 years. It IS with this in mind that we should see the words of our Tibetan brother that tell us that “The church today is the tomb of the Christ and the stone of theology has been rolled to the door of the sepulchre“***.
Here we should see that as “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16) so IS the Christ and it IS this Love, this Truth of agape, that IS entombed by the church that bears His name and it IS their theology, their doctrines of men, that ARE the stone that keeps this Truth from the minds of men. And while many doctrinal thinkers will disagree with this and claim that they DO teach Love, that they DO teach agape, the reality IS that they CAN NOT because they DO NOT understand what agape IS. We must understand here that the common ideas of Love, even when combined with some theological ideas, remains as a mental and emotional attachment and attraction to others and to the things of this world, and this while the Truth of agape remains a mystery.
The reality of Love IS shown us in the Master’s words, NOT ONLY in the Great Commandments which predate the Master by nearly 1500 years but also in the Golden Rule as this is commonly understood and such ideas as “Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise” (Luke 6:27-31).
While Jesus’ words on Love here ARE seen by much of the church as a virtuous sentiment, they ARE NOT shown as commandments that ARE to be taken seriously; NONE of the church teaches that to NOT Love as the Master instructs us to Love IS sin and here we should see again the Apostle James words that show us that sin IS sin and that this failure to Love IS NO different than any other; James says: “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:8-10). While some may think that this idea IS NOT about Love that it IS ONLY about having NO “respect to persons“, they DO err as the idea of having NO “respect to persons” IS an essential part of the whole Truth of agape.
We must read through James words to understand that the second part disqualifies the first; that IS that if one DOES HAVE “respect to persons” then HE DOES NOT “love thy neighbour as thyself” and he DOES NOT “do well“. The point here IS that if one DOES have “respect to persons“, if one DOES NOT see everyman in equal terms and without favor of one over another for any reason, then this man IS NOT in accord with the Great Commandment and in this IS the same sin as any other sin. James gives an example using adultery and killing which likely DOES obscure the True point here, but the point IS nonetheless made. And we should note that in his own way James tells us the same thing as DOES the Apostle Paul who shows us the equivalency between keeping His words and expressing agape; we read Paul’s words again saying:
Owe no man any thing, but agapao one another: for he that agapao 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 agape thy neighbour as thyself. Agape worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore agape 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” (Romans 13:8-11).
James way of saying this IS accomplished in the Greek language where his choice of words shows us this Truth which Vincent explains saying: Fulfil the royal law (νόμον τελεῖτε βασιλικὸν); The phrase occurs only here and Romans 2:27. Τελεῖν, fulfil, is stronger than the more common word τηρεῖν, observe or keep, which appears in James 2:10. Compare, also, Matthew 19:17; Matthew 23:3; John 14:15, etc. James here speaks of a single commandment, the proper word for which is ἐντολή, while νόμος is the body of commandments. It is appropriate here, however, since this special commandment sums up the entire law. See Romans 13:10; Galatians 5:14. It is the royal law; the king of all laws 4. Can we see here how that James treats the idea of Love….as the special commandment which sums up the entire law?
And can we see as well how that the idea of having NO “respect to persons” IS an integral part of the Truth of agape and that this part of agape serves to define how that agape must perforce work….that without this component part there IS NO agape being expressed? In the combination of these ideas James shows us that they ARE one and this in relatively simple terms; his point however IS NOT taken by most of the church and NOT because it IS NOT seen. John Gill shows us this in his commentary saying of the words: thou shall love thy neighbour as thyself that this is to be understood of every nation, without distinction of Jews and Gentiles, and of persons of every state and condition, rich and poor, without any difference: and when this law is so observed, it is commendable . Mr. Gill then adds that: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, This is not doing well, but is a transgression of the law, as every sin is 8.
This doctrinal observation shows us the force of the commandment and the reality that the second part of James’ saying that such sin IS sin but fails to show us the way that these work together and, more importantly, fails to show us the sin of failing to express agape, leaving ONLY the idea as that when this law is so observed, it is commendable 8. Can we see the point here? While the universality of agape IS recognized by many both in the church and without, the error of one’s NOT expressing this IS missed; the error IS allowed under the same doctrinal teaching that tolerates ALL sins which ARE NOT seen as grievous or which ARE under those doctrinal ideas of sexual deviation. The way that James teaches us of the equality of ALL sin IS become moot.
And it IS here that the Truth has NO effect; it IS here that few realize that the commandments on Love ARE commandments. These were a part of the law of Moses and these ARE elevated for the Jew and the Christian to be the Great Commandments. That these ARE the summation of the law and that on these “hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:40) IS NOT Truly grasped. It IS here also that the whole idea of sin IS confounded by the doctrines of men which DO NOT address the reality that sin IS ALL thoughts, attitudes and actions by men that ARE contrary to the law….that sin IS NOT keeping His words. It IS to this end: to his desire that men should understand the Truth of Love, that the Apostle Paul offers us his words on the importance of agape and its defining qualities which ARE also defining qualities of the Godhead; repeating the apostle’s words again we read:
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not agape, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not agape, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not agape, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
“Agape suffereth long, and is kind; agape envieth not; agape vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Agape never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).
Paul shows us these things as well as the reality that one’s expression of agape IS tantamount to keeping the law and perhaps this IS the divide: doctrinal thinkers DO NOT see the words of the law in terms of Jesus’ words although the Master DOES equate these ideas for us as He uses the law to make His greater points to the Jews and to ALL that hear. But the Christian world IS turned deaf and this in addition to the blindness that comes upon men in their vanity, their illusion and their glamour. Here we should try to see and to understand the Master’s point in saying such things as “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 4:9). We should note that Jesus’ words here ARE in the context of the Parable of the Sower, the final point of which IS “these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some* sixty, and some an hundred” (Mark 4:20). In this we should see ONLY the idea of keeping His words as He also tells us in our trifecta which we repeat again saying:
- “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).
As John Gill exemplifies the ideas of doctrines by telling us that to live in accord with the Great Commandment that clearly tells us that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” IS commendable, we should try to see how that such ideas ARE out of step with the Truth of the Master’s words which show us the reward for DOING so, which IS the rewards of the trifecta. We must of course put the pieces together to see see the Truth; we must understand that it IS in keeping His words that we have the Truth, His Kingdom and His Presence; we must understand that Jesus’ words and the words of God ARE the same which He shows us saying that “the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me“; and we must understand that to “love thy neighbour as thyself” IS then the equivalent to keeping His words and keeping the law.
For 2ooo years the Truth of this has been obscured by the doctrines of men which teach that to keep His words IS NOT possible and here we should see that the impossibility with which doctrines burden the Master’s words also burden the very idea of agape. It IS in this delusion that the doctrines of men ARE formulated to look past the most direct teaching of the Master and His apostles as they rely upon their own version of Truth that NOT ONLY calls Jesus own sayings such as “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me” impossible but also calls it unnecessary.
To merely say that one’s expression of agape IS the reality of keeping His words however DOES NOT help to solve the doctrinal dilemma that encumbers and obscures the Path to the Truth….this idea must be understood and the synergy between these parallel paths must be seen. We have discussed these ideas several times over the course of our blog posts and hopefully with each occurrence we have added some additional meaning as we try to DO here today. Much of this IS simple logic that IS based in the idea that these things ARE equal as the apostle tells us in our selection from Romans above as well as in his words saying that “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Galatians 5:14).
So then how DOES this work out in the Life of everyman? First we should understand the dynamic of striving as this idea IS used by the Master who tells us to “Strive to enter in at the strait gate” (Luke 13:24). The Greek word rendered here as strive IS agonizomai which Strong’s defines as: to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), figuratively (to contend with an adversary), or genitive case (to endeavor to accomplish something):—fight, labor fervently, strive 9a; these last three words ARE the way that agonizomai IS rendered in the King James Bible. Thayer adds to the defining ideas for this particular verse saying that agonizomai IS: to endeavor with strenuous zeal 9 which IS very much the same as the dictionary definition of strive 7.
From this we should try to see that there must be an impetus to DO so, a motivation to seek out deeper Truths tham those one heretofore may have KNOWN based in his nurturing, his indoctrination and his experience. This comes to everyman in the prompting of his own Soul to the Good, the Beautiful and the True which IS essentially one’s prompting of conscience. Unfortunately this prompting generally goes unheeded save for those times when there IS a solid choice to be made; the more important prompting to follow the spiritual rather than the carnal IS most always drowned out by the clamor of Life and the proclivity of men to live as men….the spiritual IS for most ALL an unknown realm. A part of the problem that keeps the spiritual as an unknown realm IS the teachings of doctrines that mistake their essentially carnal views of Life; seeing these as that they ARE spiritual.
And it IS this teaching that helps to keep men bound as the masses come to rely upon those who have taken authority over the spiritual ideas and who interpret the carnal as spiritual with the degree of this based in the teaching of any particular denomination or sect. While many teachers DO encourage their followers to read the bible and to gain knowledge for themselves, they DO at the same time espouse their doctrinal view and dictate for the majority how that the reader should interpret the written word which, while abundantly clear in many parts, requires the interpretation in others ‘schooled’ in such doctrinal thinking. It IS the few that DO read and understand without the interpretation of the denominational teachers that ARE those that CAN step forward into greater Truth.
But these ARE ofttimes NOT sure that their understanding of scripture IS right, most hesitate rather that present their view which may run contrary to the teaching that they have received; and here we should try to see how that to present one’s view can run afoul of 2000 years of Christian doctrine. Who IS it that wants to stand against such established forces? But IS there any other way to progress spiritually outside of the church and outside of the established ideas of religion? The answer IS yes; the answer here IS to continue to establish one’s own view of Truth based solely in the words of the Master and then the amplifying and clarifying words of His apostles. We should remember that the apostles’ writings ARE NOT intended to become doctrine but ONLY to help explain and to expand upon the Master’s Truths. To continue outside one’s doctrines can indeed take much effort and much listening to the prompting of one’s own Soul; and the ONLY criteria IS that one must measure his own newfound thoughts against the clear Truths of the Master’s words.
The Master tells us that “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“; this IS scriptural fact that IS NOT disputed by any….He DOES tell us this. Meanwhile doctrinal teachers and their adherents dilute this idea by allowing themselves to be called disciples, by believing that they have the Truth and that they ARE free without acknowledging the idea that to be so one must “continue in my word“; they then change this idea of keeping His words into their doctrinal theories of atonement and being “born again“. Can we see that there IS a Truth to the Master’s words that one can stand on, a Truth that the doctrinal thinker DOES NOT have? Can we see how that we can find our confidence in the clear Truths of the Master’s words?
These ideas ARE the reality of striving and here striving toward the Truth which IS ever striving toward the things of God….things which ARE always spiritual. It IS in one’s striving that he comes to have realization of some measure of the Truth and this IS our next point on how that one’s expression of agape and keeping His words works out in the Life of a man. We can look at this as DOES the Master who tells us that “with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again” (Luke 6:38). Remembering that ALL that comes from the Godhead IS spiritual, it IS easy to understand this in terms of striving “to enter in at the strait gate” which IS NOT a doorway but a process. The idea here IS the Kingdom of God and when we see this Kingdom as Jesus tells us saying that “the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), we can then begin to see that one’s measure IS of realization and NOT the things of the world as so much of doctrine teaches.
And while the doctrinal ideas of carnal rewards ARE pervasive in many doctrinal interpretations of the Master’s words, these words from Luke ARE among the most used as they see the idea that Luke’s version of Jesus words saying “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom” (Luke 6:38) DOES mean that if one gives, especially to the church in many sermons, that ‘men’ will return such to him “running over“. It IS easy to see here how that the ideas of doctrine differ from the ideas of God; doctrine’s interest IS in the Life of a men here and now in this world while the God’s interest IS in the things of God.
Without detracting from the idea of giving, we can see these ideas separately, and, if we relate these words to the way that they ARE treated by the other gospel writers, we can then see how that the combining of them IS a doctrinal error that allows men to believe that if they give they will receive much greater and in this encourage them to give….again, especially to the church. In Matthew’s Gospel the part of Jesus’ words on measure follows directly His words on judgement while Luke separates the two ideas by adding these words on giving; the Apostle Mark relates the Master’s words to hearing and what one allows himself to believe, and in this we may find the deeper meaning intended by them ALL.
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.
We change our Quote of the Day today to the words from Solomon on Wisdom along with our thoughts on them from the original postings of them in In the Words of Jesus parts 46 and 556. These words ARE a testament to those things that we should be asking of the Lord and which are representative of the Holy Ghost. Wisdom, understanding and knowledge which will lead us to understanding the fear (reverence and respect and awe) of the Lord and the knowledge of God so that in this world we can understand righteousness and judgement and equity and be preserved by discretion and understanding. Thus are we in a position to treat everyone as we would want to be treated ourselves.
Since we are centered on the ideas of Wisdom today we offer the following from Proverbs as our Quote of the Day. Solomon, who is KNOWN for his Wisdom, which we read in the story of his Life was His gift from God, a gift that he receives because he does not want for the things of the world. But Solomon gains as well the things of the world in plenty and as his Life story proceeds we can see clearly that it is his Life in the world that is to his detriment. The wisdom however produces for us the writings of the Book of Proverbs and it is this that he is remembered for. His Life is interesting reading and is well documented in the Books of Kings and Chronicles.
….incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee (Proverbs 2:2-11).
Let the peace of God rule in your hearts
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
- 7 Dictionary.com Unabridged based on Random House Dictionary – 2011
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
- 9a The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible on blueletterbible.org
- 9 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon on blueletterbible.org
- *** From The Reappearance of the Christ by Alice A Bailey; © 1948 by Lucis Trust
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road. Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
