ON LOVE; PART MCCCLIII
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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).
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We ended the last essay with the words of the Apostle James that show us the reality of that KNOWING that IS the reality of pistis and pisteuo. While the church sees their nebulous ideas of faith an believing in these Greek words, the reality of the idea remains hidden in the words of the Master. Most ARE unwilling to accept that a man in this world can have access to the Truth of the “greater works” which Jesus promises us saying “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do” (John 14:12). In this denial IS also the denial of the Truth that we ARE shown in Jesus’ lessons on moving the mountain and planting the “sycamine tree” in the sea. While both of these ideas ARE but extreme examples to show us the Power, the whole concept IS ignored as the church has, for 2000 years, failed to see that the Power of the apostles was NOT Power individually granted to them by the Lord. They fail to see that their Power IS earned through their Repentance, their Transfomation and their Redemption which IS better understood through the idea of “the adoption“. In this adoption, which millions of Christians lay claim to have, we have the Union of the spiritual man with his expression upon this Earth. This IS NOT a Union of the Soul and the body per se; this IS a Union formed as the Soul IS able to express the Truth and the Love, the Power of the unction by which “ye know all things” (1 John 2:20), through the personality that was before grounded in the self and the DOINGS of the self in this world. Mr. Merivale, through Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament, shows us that Paul was well acquainted with Roman law and uses this idea of adoption to show us that The process of legal adoption by which the chosen heir became entitled not only to the reversion of the property but to the civil status, to the burdens as well as the rights of the adopter – became, as it were, his other self, one with him 4. Translating this into the context of Paul’s point we should see Mr. Merivale’s continuing idea that the adopted son of God becomes, in a peculiar and intimate sense, one with the heavenly Father 4. In our selection from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans the apostle equates this idea of adoption with the Redemption and he DOES so saying that “the whole creation“….”even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body“. In equating this idea of Redemption with “the adoption” we should be able to see the high spiritual value of both and understand that this IS NOT an idle idea but one that IS earned through our diligent striving toward that goal. Men ARE NOT adopted sons merely by being Christians but rather by fulfilling the criteria outlined by the Master and amplified and clarified by Paul in such ideas as we have in our selection which we repeat saying:
“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. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in
hope, Becauseexpectation that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:5-23).
Paul’s words here show us the necessary ingredients that move a man from a place where he IS among “they that are after the flesh” who “do mind the things of the flesh” to a place where he IS among “they that are after the Spirit“, focused upon “the things of the Spirit“. This IS the very definition of focus and the change that begins in Repentance, continues in Transformation and transcends us into that state of Redemption where we KNOW as men ALL that IS KNOWN by the Soul….that state where we “know all things“. It IS in this KNOWING that there IS NO doubt and it IS toward this end that James writes his words saying that “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways“. This saying IS pointing toward us ALL, toward ALL who lead those double lives which we believe to be the norm. Lives in which the doctrinal thinker believes that because he often sits in meditation, reading and prayer, that he IS beyond being “double minded“. Being “double minded” however IS ALL that IS NOT singularly focused and here we should again visit the Master’s Truth of the first of the Great Commandments which IS ever so clear in saying “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“. Can we better see James’ point in this? It IS unfortunate that for much of the Christian church the idea of this singular focus IS missed. While our view IS that it IS missed with purpose from the beginning because it disallows the idea of continuing to be a man in this world and because such a teaching would likely limit the popularity of any denomination or sect that should teach such ideas. So the church has constructed its own paths to ‘salvation‘ as well as its own results while using such ideas as that Jesus’ words were intended for the Jew and that Paul brings us the new dispensation of grace as their cover. A careful reading of Paul’s writings however DOES show us that the same reality that Jesus teaches, he also teaches albeit from a different perspective; one that has allowed for the misinterpretation and misapplication of his words. But we should NOT blame Paul here; it IS the carnal minds of men that have cleverly picked out thoughts and ideas upon which to construct their theology and their paths to “salvation“. It IS from the carnal minds of men, the mind of “the natural man” (1 Corinthians 2:14) if you will, that religion IS formed and it IS those who have taken and continue to take authority over the spiritual lives of the masses that lead the human family away from the Truth. It IS True that few DO choose to follow the Truth and that the Truth of Jesus’ words and the words of His apostles can limit the popularity of the eternal message and we should understand here that this IS the way that the Master tells us that it would be. Jesus tells us that “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). The Master’s words here ARE predictive as IS the way that this IS framed by the Apostle Luke who shows us Jesus words saying “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able” (Luke 13:24). Who ARE these who “seek to enter in, and shall not be able“? Who ARE these that have chosen the wide gate and the broad way “that leadeth to destruction“? ARE they NOT those to whom the Master says:
“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. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23)
While the warnings against following in the way of the Jews who ignored the ‘heart’ of the law in favor of their rote obedience to the minutiae that was dictated by Moses ARE ‘clearly’ elucidated by Jesus, they ARE essentially ignored by the church from the beginning. Perhaps here we can see that the early church placed much of the Master’s words, as well as the amplifying and clarifying ideas of the apostles, into that category aforementioned: that His words were directed at the Jew ONLY. Based in this the cautions that should have been seen in the Master’s railing against the ways of the Jews have never become a part of the doctrinal approach to God. Instead the church has chosen out a path by which they use the words of the apostles to construct their doctrines; we should note here however that they ONLY use such ideas as ARE convenient to their constructed theology. We should note here as well that it IS Paul’s words plus a smattering of ideas from the other apostles and writers that ARE become important and most of these ARE taken out of their context and put into the context of the constructed doctrines of men. That Jesus warns us against the spiritual plight of the Jews IS NOT a Christian theme; as a group they DO NOT see themselves in the way that they themselves depict the Jews in those days. They see the Pharisee and the Sadducee, and the scribe and the priest, according to their actions in the New Testament and here we should try to see how that the Master paints these actions as contrary to the Truth of the law established by Moses. While ALL of the parts of the law seem to come from God through Moses by way of the Old Testament text, it IS apparent in Jesus ‘review’ of that law that there were parts of importance and parts that were NOT or, at the least, NO longer important. In this and in the way that Jesus’ approaches these ancillary parts of the law with the Jews, the Christian sees the Master’s words as ONLY pertaining to the correction of the Jews which, of course, has never Truly happened. The Christian paints the Pharisee as ‘legalistic’, as following the letter of the law, but this IS NOT entirely True….they follow ONLY the letter of the law which they themselves have constructed into their mitzvah, their doctrines, much the same as the Christian has done. As we have detailed in previous posts, the Christian DOES NOT however follow the letter of the law save for when it suits his purposes. The Christian largely ignores the Master’s straightforward and clear words on Love and the actions of agape in the lives of men; the Christian totally ignores the reality of such ideas as ARE our trifecta while they claim to have the benefits of each of the Master’s points. Repeating our trifecta 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).
So the Christian sees himself as the disciple, as having the Truth and its freedom, as having the Kingdom and as having the Presence of the Lord but ignores the fact that the precursor to ALL of this IS that a man keep His words. While the Jews had the basis of the whole law upon which to rest their doctrines, the Christian DOES NOT even pretend to DO what IS required as he claims the Lords benefits. And we should note here the way that Jesus brings together His own words and the words of the law in the last line of our trifecta above as He says clearly that “the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me“. Again the way out for many doctrinal thinkers IS to proclaim that these words from the Master ARE aimed solely at the Jew and that the Christian’s ‘salvation‘ rests in the new dispensation established by the apostles and here we should see most ONLY Paul. The words of the other apostles play a much lesser role as we noted regarding James’ words that define for us the man to whom the Truth, the Kingdom and the Presence of the Lord will come. James uses the idea of Wisdom here and later in his writing shows us that this Wisdom IS that “wisdom that is from above” through which flows a man’s expression of the Truth, the Kingdom and the Presence of the Lord. James tells us that to receive this Wisdom, to receive “any thing of the Lord” there IS the requirement of focus upon the Truth, the requirement of Repentance if you will, James outlines the criteria for such receiving saying that:
“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 1:5-8).
Later the apostle shows us, in a most blunt way, the error of the Jews and the Christians who believe that they have the promises of the Lord. The Jew in Jesus’ time IS much different than the Jew of the Old Testament of whom we read a steady idea that as a nation they struggle; we DO NOT see in the text any who claim to be steady before God save for the prophets, a few of the kings and perhaps the undefined “sons of the prophets” (2 Kings 2:2-3). The history IS one of death and destruction and captivity while the prophets speak to their error and the consequences of their error, sometimes restating the most basic Truths to the deaf ears of most of the kings and leaders. We should try to see through the written words of the history and the prophets that they may have been attendant to the ancillary ideas of the law but this IS based ONLY in the way that many DID avail themselves to the ideas of sacrifice. Most ALL of the history and much of the prophets IS in regard to the first of the Great Commandments; it IS this error that colors most ALL of the history as even the ‘good’ kings left in place the “high places” as we read in such entries as “the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days” (2 Kings 15:15). In the reign of many of the kings of Judah and Samaria we read this same error, the error that “the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places” (2 Kings 15:35) until Hezikiah. We should see here at least the potential for the people to sacrifice to other gods which IS contrary to the first commandment of the Jews and of the Master. As we move forward to the Jews after the captivity and under Roman rule we see a different dynamic at play; there ARE NO real kings only men appointed by Rome to control the population. It IS apparent that the Romans allowed the Jew’s religion to flourish which IS where the bible picks up after a long absence of information. From the last of the prophets in the latter part of the fifth century BCE (~430-420 BCE according to some) there ARE NO biblical books of history nor prophets until we come to the New Testament where the order of the Jews Religion includes the scribe, the Pharisee, the Sadducee and the ‘selected’ high priest who now lived in a palace; ALL this IS much different than what IS established by Moses in the desert. Under this order there IS a more distinct doctrinal approach than had existed in Old Testament times and it IS this established mitzvah that we find the Master constantly railing against. The Jew in Jesus’ day attended to the same ancillary ideas of the law as those before them, apparently in a much more purposeful and civilized way. Again, we DO NOT KNOW much of the Jew’s religious habits under the kings and in their captivity save for the ideas of sacrifice and we should remember here that the whole of the law was ‘lost’ for a time and rediscovered during the reign of King Josiah in Judah in the seventh century BCE. What we DO KNOW is that the Jew’s in Jesus’ time had the law and fashioned it to suit their religious philosophy; we KNOW as well that what was fashioned by these Jews failed to meet the reality that Jesus brings and here we should try to see that reality as the Great Commandments. If we can see that the Jew’s under the kings and in the captivity were largely lost insofar as their religion IS concerned, that they DID NOT overtly proclaim their own righteousness, we can then perhaps better understand the later Jews that we find under Roman Rule. From the beginning of the gospels we find the Jews living contrary to the Truth. The Baptist calls to their leaders saying “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7) and in this we should see the first New Testament hints of their self-righteous attitudes. It IS against this the we find the blunt words of James as he speaks against the self-deception of the Jews in that day and here we should see the predictive element that stretches forth to today. The apostle says “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22).
This deception IS also the plight of today’s Christianity as it has been for the last 2000 years. Again, the Jew in Jesus’ day had the law and his doctrines and their error was to put their ‘faith‘ in the rote following of the rules and regulations and NOT in the heart of the law which they addressed ONLY in carnal terms. These Jews failed in regard to the Great Commandments which put God first in ALL things and they failed in the reality of the idea that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself“. These commandments were of little importance and this likely because one could NOT perform them and retain their carnal views and carnal Life. It IS in regard to these commandments and the amplifying and clarifying words of the Master that the deception comes as men come to believe that they ARE being “doers of the word” because they allow for the rote following of the rules and regulations. It IS this that the Master calls out as He tells the Jews such things as “Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them,Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:6-9). While the Christian can see the point here in regard to the Jews, they fail to see it in regard to themselves as they pass on Jesus’ words in favor of their own “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men“. Jesus lays down some parabolic yet clear ideas on the religious practice of the Jews while He also cautions us NOT to append these practices onto the new thinking, the new religion if you will, that He IS expounding. The Master cautions us in His parabolic words regarding wine bottles and patches but His message was NOT understood as the early church took full advantage of the Jews’ ways of religious thinking; even appending the Jews rather defunct ritual and ceremonial laws into this new way. In Matthew’s gospel it IS at the time of the questioning by the Baptists disciples, questions to the Master regarding fasting, that Jesus shows us these cautions saying “No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved” (Matthew 9:16-17). While John Gill and other doctrinally oriented bible commentators show us this in regard to: the unreasonableness and danger of putting young disciples upon severe exercises of religion, as fasting 8 and ideas about the traditions of the elders, there IS a deeper reality in these NOT so parabolic ideas. Should we see the “piece of new cloth” as the Truth brought to us by the Master and the “old garment” as the existing state of the Jews’ religion, we can then see how “that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment” creating the resultant state of religion which IS but an admixture of both that DOES NOT cure the problem. Similarly we should see the “new wine” as the Truth brought to us by the Master and the “old bottles” as the existing state of the Jews’ religion. Here the result IS the essential loss of both which we should of course see from the Christian perspective and NOT the Jews’. If however the early church had packaged the Master’s Truth in a new sense of religion rather than appending it to the old, we could have had a very different 2000 years.
This appending however IS NOT the whole problem in Christianity. While this DID detract from our ability to see past the problems of the Jews, the greater harm was in following their lead into the establishment of doctrines which ARE formulated solely for the benefit of men rather that for the purpose of their becoming “doers of the word“. In hindsight the Apostle Paul is a major reason for the demise of the Master’s words but this should ONLY be understood in the idea that his many, many words have been subjected to the carnal aims of men who carefully select out of context, misapplied and misunderstood ideas upon which to build their doctrines while selecting yet more of the apostle’s words for their justification in DOING so. We should also note here that a large part of the church today relies heavily upon the words of the Old Testament in their justification of faith while they pronounce that their doctrines ARE the great Truth that must be followed to ‘salvation‘. It IS in the doctrines of men that the church has failed to even approach the realities that the Master came to teach and to show us but we should understand here that this IS perhaps the way that the Lord envisioned the result, at least in broad terms. It IS for this reason that Jesus tells us such things as “Enter ye in at the strait gate” and “Strive to enter in at the strait gate“; in these ideas and the reality that “few there be that find it” we should see that most ALL will choose to NOT “seek to enter in” and this most always because it appears to make a man become less of what he thinks a man should be in this world. Jesus tells us that this “strait gate” IS for the few and it IS unfortunate that the doctrines of men paint their followers as a part of that few whose reality IS the apostles and the True disciples of the Lord over the last 2000 years. We should NOT forget here that the apostle IS defined for us by the lives of Peter and Paul as outlined in the New Testament and that the True disciple IS defined for us directly by the Master who shows him according to His words 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).
- “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, 33).
These words define the disciple of the Lord and while much of the church ignores Jesus’ criteria, His words DO stand….and NOT ONLY against the Jews. In the first passage from the Apostle John’s Gospel we should see the stark reality of keeping His words as the gateway to discipleship. We can read into this the idea that there ARE other kinds of disciples that ARE NOT His “disciples indeed” but we should understand this ONLY against the common idea of the word as a learner. The Greek word rendered here as indeed IS alethos which Strong’s defines for us as Truly while expanding upon this idea saying this IS an: adverb from G227; truly:—indeed, surely, of a surety, truly, of a (in) truth, verily, very 9a. Thayer approaches this similarly saying that alethos means: truly, of a truth, in reality; most certainly 9. It IS easy to see the point here and to understand that the True disciple of the Lord IS NOT merely a learner or a pupil but IS one that IS fully committed to the defining idea from Vincent regarding “believing in“. The disciple DOES accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life 4. We should see from Jesus’ words that this idea of keeping His words IS the prerequisite to discipleship and that a part of, and integral part, of keeping His words in discipleship IS that one must “forsaketh….all that he hath“. It IS this factor as well as the perceived onus of keeping His words that has caused men from the beginning to eschew the Truth and to create their own versions of it that they call Truth. This idea of forsaking IS of course the reality of the first of the Great Commandments which places the Lord, as the Truth and as agape, in the forefront of one’s Life so that ALL else IS but drivel, meaningless pursuits from a spiritual perspective. Can we see the motivations of men here more clearly? Can we see how that men have ever chosen the path that allows them to be men in this world….the broad way as Jesus frames this? ALL of this IS the product of that vanity to which ALL are subjected by being born as men in this world; a vanity which we define according to Vincent’s terms saying that this vanity IS: a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends 4. The perishable and decaying condition here IS the plight of men who DO NOT see a glimmer of the Truth that they ARE NOT this flesh with its mind and emotions; this IS ALL that they can see as they continually spiral away from the Truth. In this the secular and the religious worlds tread together. In this IS the reality of the idea of being separate from God as they DO NOT hear the prompting of their own Souls above the din of their condition….their Life in this world. And, it IS the continuation of this sense of living that IS the essence of their pursuing false ends and this again regardless of that Life being secular of doctrinally religious; in both the focus of the man IS on the self and NOT upon the things of God according to the Great Commandment. In the end we should try to see that it IS vanity that IS Truly being forsaken by the True disciple and the Way to forsake this vanity IS simply framed for us in Repentance, in that change of focus off of the self and onto the things of God. Concerning forsaking Vincent tells us that Christian discipleship is founded in self-renunciation 4 but this IS NOT the practical application of the idea in the minds of those who see themselves as disciples according to their doctrines. Apotasso which IS rendered here as forsaking IS defined by Strong’s as: literally, to say adieu (by departing or dismissing)9a. Thayer’s tells us that apotasso IS: to set apart, to separate and goes on to add properly, to separate oneself, withdraw oneself and then tells us the word IS tropically, to renounce, forsake. The essence of this in Jesus’ words on discipleship IS found in the simple idea of to say adieu which IS rendered in other translations as renouncing, detaching oneself, take leave of and giving up all. The force of this word IS NOT missed in the various translations of the bible yet the idea IS NOT understood in regard to discipleship nor IS the meaning of the idea of being His disciple. It IS the disciple that has access to ALL of the promises of the Lord; it IS the disciple that fulfills the ideas from our selection. It IS the disciple that DOES mind “the things of the Spirit“, that IS “spiritually minded“; it IS the disciple that has “the Spirit of Christ“, that realizes that “Christ be in you“; it IS the disciple that DOES “mortify the deeds of the body” as he IS “led by the Spirit of God“. It IS the disciple that has “received the Spirit of adoption” and it IS the disciple that can be “delivered made free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God“. Finally it IS the disciple that has Repented, it IS the disciple that IS Transformed or IS Transforming and it IS the disciple that IS “waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body“. And we should not forget here that discipleship IS a Life’s goal on the Path to Truth and that we that ARE on this Path ARE but aspirants who KNOW the rules of discipleship and ever “Strive to enter in at the strait gate“.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
- 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
- 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
- 9 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon on blueletterbible.org
- 9a The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible on blueletterbible.org
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
