ON LOVE; PART MCDXXVII
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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 John that tell us that “as he is, so are we in this world“. This comparison to Jesus IS an important revelation for men that has gone without understanding in the doctrinal churches for 2000 years. This IS mostly because of the intense desire of the church authorities to protect the divinity of the Master and His separation from the rest of humanity. In the doctrinal effort to show Jesus as the “Son of God” (Matthew 14:33), the church has focused ONLY upon this idea without ever seeing the potential of everyman and this despite the historical perspective gained from the lives of Peter, Paul and the other apostles. Perhaps it IS because most ALL were blinded to our True relationship with the Godhead which was NOT a well KNOWN idea in Judaism, except perhaps for certain Kabbalists. However, if we look carefully at the gospels and the epistles we can see the seeds of the revelation of the mysteries in such words as John’s above as well as in Jesus own words as those we cited in the last essay from the sixteenth chapter of John’s Gospel; words that show the ultimate unity of the True disciple and the Lord. The fullness of John’s words from his epistle tell us “we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:16-17).
Through these words we should be able to see the apostle’s intent which IS to show us that it IS “he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” that can claim to be “as he is” here in “this world“. From this perspective the church IS right to deny the divinity of most ALL men but, at the same time, they should NOT deny the possibilities for the man that can so “dwelleth in love” as it IS he then that “dwelleth in God, and God in him“. This criteria IS specific and NO different that the words of our trifecta that tell us what it Truly means to have the Lord, in ALL His aspects, “make our abode with him“, with the man who will keep His words. The KEY here IS found clearly in the Master’s words saying “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” (John 14:23). Much of the doctrinal idea that Jesus IS the “Son of God” can be attributed to Peter’s words saying “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” along with the Master’s reply saying “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:16-17). The reality here IS that Jesus IS the “Son of God” but NONE of these words discredit our own relationship to the Godhead for the man that has revelation of the Truth and the agape that qualifies him to be among those that “dwelleth in love” and who “dwelleth in God, and God in him“. This IS accomplished through the most simple idea that “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“. For us this IS simply keeping His words which center on agape and its expression through the flesh.
There ARE many bible sayings that clearly point to our own role as sons of God and perhaps we should begin with Jesus’ own words, repeating the words from the psalm, as he says to the assembled Jews “Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:34-35). We should be careful here to read the Master’s words correctly as He IS clearly NOT referring to the assembled Jews as gods but rather to those “unto whom the word of God came” and there IS quite a distinction here that IS NOT recognized by the doctrinal thinker. Most ALL translations cite the same idea for the Greek word ginomai which IS rendered as came but the reality here IS NOT as many perceive it; the reality IS NOT that scripture calls as gods those who have received the message but rather to those that have accepted it, those who Truly “believe on” the word of God if you will. Here we should remember the deeper idea of such belief; Vincent tells us that to “believe on” or to “believe in” requires that the True believer DOES accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life4; this IS True in accepting the word and in accepting the Master. Deeper still IS the idea that such accepting makes what IS accepted binding upon the life. This Greek word, ginomai, IS NOT so simple a word that it can be understood merely as something coming; its meaning begins with the idea of: to cause to be (“gen”-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being) according to Strong’s which also tells us that the word IS used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)9a. Perhaps it IS this great latitude that has diluted the idea in the Master’s words. However, if we conflate these words with John’s words from the prologue of his gospel saying that “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12), we can then gain a better view of this idea. Such ideas as we present here however ARE NOT held by the mainstream church’ doctrines and again much of the reason IS based in the desire to protect the divinity of Jesus at ALL costs including the dilution of the Truth that IS our relationship to God.
We have occasionally discussed John’s words regarding the Sonship of Jesus, words that have helped the doctrinal thinker separate Jesus from the rest of humanity, and perhaps it IS time to again explore the apostle’s words saying “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18). This idea of “only begotten“, also from the prologue to John’s Gospel, IS ONLY used five times by this apostle and once by the writer of the Book of Hebrews although his reference IS to Isaac and his relationship to Abraham. We should note that the idea of begotten IS KEY in understanding both relationships as we KNOW that Abraham DID also sire Ishmael by Hagar and six others by his marriage to Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2). The Greek word monogenes IS rendered in our example from John as begotten but it IS used also to reference an “only child” (Luke 9:38), son or daughter; ONLY John uses monogenes to reference the ONLY Son of God. How then should we understand this idea of “only begotten“? The idea from Hebrews IS NOT referring to Isaac as Abraham’s ONLY son as we KNOW that he has others and here we should perhaps try to see a greater purpose that we can bring into the conversation regarding Jesus. Isaac IS so to speak the ‘son of promise’ (Romans 9:9); according to Genesis Ishmael DID NOT count as Abraham’s son in God’s view and purpose, it was with Isaac that God would establish His covenant. We read this as “as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac” (Genesis 17:20-21). God’s view and purpose should be ever understood in spiritual terms and from a spiritual perspective it IS Isaac that would carry forth the Plan of God as the “only begotten son” of Abraham.
In the multiplicity of children that Abraham sires, there can be NO “only begotten son” in Isaac as he IS one of several children. From a spiritual perspective, a perspective of spiritual purpose, however, Isaac IS unique and he IS the ONLY one born as a unique spiritual presence destined to carry forward the Plan. Our point here IS that the idea of monogenes as it IS used here CAN NOT refer to an “only child” and should be looked upon for its spiritual significance which idea we carry forward to John’s use of the word in regard to Jesus. In the psalm to which Jesus refers above the idea IS framed as “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High” (Psalm 82:6) and this should allow us to see that Jesus also IS NOT an “only child” but in a much more complex way. John’s reference to Jesus as “the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18) DOES NOT show us an “only child” as Jesus Himself echoes the idea that “all of you are children of the most High” and John tells us that ALL have “power to become the sons of God“. How then should we understand this idea of “only begotten” in regard to Jesus? The best way IS to see the reality that there have been NO other “sons of God” born into this world in such a direct way as was Jesus. It IS Jesus ONLY that IS born with “all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9) and here we should understand that at His birth into this world, the Master had already “overcome the world” (John 16:33) in previous incarnations by which He was positioned to lead the human family. He could speak of His relationship to the Father based in His Oneness with Him from birth although there was likely some period of time before He gained full realization of His position. It IS when we can understand Jesus’ unique position as a “Son of God” that we can begin to understand our own position and potential to be sons as well, a potential that IS shown to us in John’s words saying that “as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17).
It IS notable that Jesus often refers to Himself as the “Son of man” (Matthew 8:20), an appellation that shows us His humanity and IS likely designed to show the Jews that same reality. Jesus IS fully human but, at the same time, “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). This IS Jesus’ uniqueness that separates Him from everyman but there IS a caveat that IS unseen in the doctrinal approach to the Lord; a caveat that John shares with us saying that “as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12). Again we must emphasize the reality of “believing on” Him an on His name which represents ALL that He IS; to Truly believe on Him we must accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life4. This IS keeping His words, keeping His commandments of Truth. This IS NOT that nebulous idea of believing that IS the product of doctrinal religion. As Vincent tells us: To believe in, or on, is more than mere acceptance of a statement. It is so to accept a statement or a person as to rest upon them, to trust them practically; to draw upon and avail one’s self of all that is offered to him in them. Hence to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is not merely to believe the facts of His historic life or of His saving energy as facts, but to accept Him as Savior, Teacher, Sympathizer, Judge; to rest the soul upon Him for present and future salvation, and to accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life4. It IS in DOING this, in keeping His words and Transforming one’s Life in this world to conform to His words that a son of man can become a Son of God; that he can have the Power to be among the “sons of God“, joining with the apostles and ALL of His True disciples through the centuries. Many DO claim to be disciples, apostles, and even sons but the Master shows us the Way to Truly KNOW them as well as to KNOW ourselves; Jesus tells us that “Ye shall know them by their fruits” Matthew 7:16).
It IS the steady display of “the fruit of the Spirit” that IS the hallmark of the True disciple of the Lord; and, in the realm of human behavior, we should try to see that there ARE few that ARE Truly perfect. Perfection however IS the goal and this according to the Master’s admonition that we should “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). In this sense of perfection we would find a total absence of what the Apostle Paul shows us as “the works of the flesh” and here we should remember two things; first that in Luke’s framing of this goal the idea IS shown to us as mercy which we should understand as spiritually synonymous with this perfection. Luke tells us that the Master’s admonishment IS to “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful“. It IS True that the Lord IS both perfect and merciful and that the spiritual man, the Soul, has ALL of the same aspects as the God of which he IS part and parcel. It IS when this attribute of the Lord, perfection and mercifulness, can be expressed through our forms in this world as “the fruit of the Spirit” that we can be considered so and join the ranks of the apostles and the disciples that achieved their goal before us. Can we see the point here? There IS of course much difficulty in achieving our goal in the course of a human Life in this world but we should remember that in the reality of Life this IS NOT likely our first experience as a part of the human family. In past essays we have discussed the reality of the lives of the apostles and other disciples of the Lord as well as the supporting role played by those around the Master 2000 years ago. The apostles ARE NOT randomly chosen men but rather men that ARE the expression of Souls that were likely nearer the goal of being able to overcome their human frailties than most. That these Souls ARE in the world at the same time as Jesus IS NO accident but rather a planned incursion into their ‘assigned’ places in the Master’s scheme and this IS True as well of the many supporting characters of which we read in the gospels. Of course this IS denied by the doctrinal church which eschews the idea of reincarnation and DOES so with NO scriptural force save for the obscure saying from the writer of Hebrews saying “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). This saying IS True of men in this world but it IS NOT True of the Souls that become those men and it IS an accepted idea in most doctrinal approaches to the Lord that the Soul, the Spirit of man, lives on. We should try to see here that if those surrounding the Master 2000 years ago were randomly chosen that the whole idea that “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11) IS rendered moot. Ponder on this.
The second point IS that it IS apparent that the fullness of this perfection IS a difficult endeavor for men in this world as they ARE working against the reality of that vanity which afflicts ALL that ARE born into this world. We see this difficulty in the exposed Life of the Apostle Peter who should be seen as an example of the ongoing struggle to “overcome the world” which IS to overcome the vanity to which ALL ARE subjected. Paul shows us this vanity saying that “the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because expectation that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:20-21). It IS this bondage that must be overcome by the aspirant to discipleship and in Peter we see a prolonged period of escape even after we would consider him a True disciple. Peter’s fault was that he often fell back into human thoughts and patterns of thinking for which the Master DOES call him out; perhaps the best example IS when the apostle seeks to protect Jesus from His destiny. In their words above we see the Light of the disciple who KNOWS and tells Jesus that “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” and this just before we ARE shown Peter’s human frailty as the Master tells His disciples that He would be “be killed, and be raised again the third day“. As a man subjected to human thoughts Peter “began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee“, a response that we would ALL likely think IS appropriate. This IS NOT appropriate to the Master however as He says “unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men” Matthew 16:16, 21, 22-23). Can we see the point here? Can we see the difficulty in Peter’s spiritual journey?
For us Peter represents the struggles of the aspirant whose carnal thoughts, attitudes and actions continue to obstruct his full spiritual advancement but we should note that he IS NOT the ONLY one. Thomas’ reputation IS still as the one who doubts; Judas Iscariot, although his part was scripted and necessary, could NOT overcome his carnal sense as he took his own Life and the apostles James and John showed a self-serving carnal nature as they ask the Master for special favor. There ARE likely similar stories attached to each of the Twelve and then there IS Paul who by his own written story tells us of the difficulty in such writings as:
“we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For 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?“.
Romans 7:14-24
We must remember that Paul was a Pharisee and that he was by his own admission an ardent member of his religious sect. As we read Paul’s words saying “My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee” (Acts 26:4-5) we should be able to see the state of thought and emotion that he had to overcome on the road to Damascus. He was there specifically to ‘persecute‘ those that followed Jesus and who came to eschew the faith into which they were born; again we read his own testimony saying “I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests” (Acts 26:9-12). Paul DID Repent, he DID change his views regarding the Master and those that followed him and, according to his own story, he spent considerable time (three years seems to be the doctrinally accepted time) in the process of Transformation after which his story continues as a True disciple of the Christ.
There IS indeed a difficulty in Repentance and perhaps a greater, albeit different kind of, difficulty in Transformation. Jesus shows us these difficulties and the Way to overcome in simple words that ARE NOT explained but rather left to our own ability to grasp His Truth. The Master tells us to “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). While Luke’s version of this IS simple and shows us the Way, striving, and the difficulty of the many who “will seek to enter in, and shall not be able“, Matthew gives us a more complex sense of the difficulty and the Way. We read “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 division here IS between the carnal and the spiritual paths to Life and while there IS NO explanation in these words, the Master DOES show us the Way later in His words. After showing us the reality of the “false prophets“, those that everyman seeking Life should avoid, Jesus shows us the Way saying “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 7:15, 21-23). In these words we find the definition of our striving “to enter in at the strait gate” which IS given to us in clear language; it IS the simplicity of keeping His words which He frames as DOING “the will of my Father which is in heaven“. In these words from the Master we should clearly see the Way and the Path as well as the result for those that choose the wide gate and the broad way, the ways of carnal men in this carnal world. To be sure the apostles sought out the strait gate and the narrow way as they DO find themselves on the positive side of Jesus analysis of the difference between the carnally oriented man and the spiritually oriented man. The Master tells us:
“whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it“.
(Matthew 7:24-27)
This IS ALL our plight as well; the difficulty in being able to “enter in at the strait gate” IS founded in our humanity, in our being born into this vanity and then placing ourselves into our “bondage of corruption“. The difficulty IS much more pronounced for the carnally focus man and this includes most ALL doctrinal Christians whose focus IS upon their doctrinal approach to the Lord rather than the Truths that Jesus clearly teaches us. The difficulty IS assuaged in our striving and we should understand here that once begun our striving becomes our continual endeavor to find the Truth, the Kingdom and the Presence of the Lord in our conscious lives. It IS these rewards that were the Life experience of the Apostle Peter even as he strived to overcome his own vanity and “bondage of corruption“. Peter and the other apostles surely DID keep His words and while Peter’s offences ARE notable to Jesus, most ARE NOT what the Christian world would call sin save perhaps for his denials of Christ near the end. While we can ONLY speculate on how Peter’s thinking and actions deviated from the fullness necessary for perfection, we can say that he DID reach the pinnacle of his spiritual Life after the Master’s death and resurrection. It is at this time that Peter became the complete apostle of whom it IS written in the Book of Acts that “that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one” (Acts 5:15-16). Peter here IS exhibiting those “greater works” (John 14:12) that the Master promises as he comes to Truly KNOW without doubt the Truth that DID set him free from the carnal impulses that he suffered in the past. Peter IS freed through his continued striving which IS perforce his striving to keep the Master’s words which for us ARE summarized in our trifecta which we repeat 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).
ALL of our difficulties ARE resolved in Jesus words that ARE our trifecta. His words however have been diluted and their meaning changed for 2000 years as the doctrines of men have substituted their own ways to a supposed ‘salvation‘ in which the promise of going to heaven upon death IS the biggest lure. Such doctrinal promises ARE NOT Truly scriptural but rather cobbled together from out of context and misinterpreted and misapplied words from Jesus and the apostles. And few denominations and sects agree on the promises or the way to attain them and to these doctrinal ideas we have lent Paul’s phrase of “another gospel“. Few in the church will agree with our views on this, views that ARE attested to by the Master who tells the Jews and through them the Christians “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” (Mark 7:6-7). A doctrinal malaise afflicts those that DO NOT see the Truth through Jesus’ words but rather rely upon the teachings of “another gospel: Which is not another” (Galatians 1:6, 7), a ‘gospel’ that IS based in the idea of Jesus but offers His words as trite statements while relying upon the more manipulatable words of His apostles as fodder for their congregations. While most believe that they ARE following the Great Commission as it IS called, few if any DO. The Master instructs us to “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20) and even when these words ARE understood as they ARE presented, the whole of the church has failed.
While the idea of “teach all nations” IS the common understanding of Jesus’ words, the reality IS found in the defining ideas of the Greek words. Matheteuo which IS rendered as teach IS defined by Strong’s as: intransitively, to become a pupil; transitively, to disciple9a and by Thayer’s as: to be the disciple of one; to follow his precepts and instruction9 which IS much more than the idea conveyed in teaching. In our passage above the word IS used transitively and should convey the idea that IS shown us in the lexicon which IS that the apostles and those that follow should endeavor to make disciples of the ethnos2a. Ethnos, which IS rendered as nations has a much deeper meaning that IS obscured by rendering it as nations. The word IS rendered as nations in most ALL translations with a few reaching a better understanding as ‘all people‘. In the idea of nations we can find the motivation and emphasis of the church to reach out to other ‘nations‘ as missionaries intent on converting them to Christianity but we should note here that the conversion IS really into a doctrine of which we KNOW there ARE many. There ARE many different ideas attached to this word which, when understood as the human family, DOES make the most sense from the perspective of the Master’s words. Here then we should try to see His words as that the apostles and those that follow should “make disciples of all people“; later we will find the caveat in His words which DOES tell us how to make disciples. We should note here also that the idea of the disciple IS NOT the diluted idea of the churches, an idea where in many denominations and sects a person IS considered a disciple merely because he IS a ‘practicing’ Christian according to his particular chosen doctrine. Jesus goes to great lengths to show us the reality of a disciple but in words that ARE NOT accepted by the church because of the sense of sacrifice involved in forsaking one’s carnal Life.
The next word of interest for us IS that those who ARE to be discipled, those that ARE to be taught to be the disciple of one; to follow his precepts and instruction9 ARE to be baptized. Here there IS NO mention of water or of the Holy Spirit which ideas seem controversial and competitive in parts of the church. The Master simply tells us that such proselytes should be baptized “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” and when we can understand that the intent IS the action of baptizing and NOT the rites and rituals that the idea has spawned, we can then better see Jesus’ point.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
2a New Testament Greek lexicon on biblestudytools.com
4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition
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
