ON LOVE; PART MDXI
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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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While we ended the last essay with our trifecta of spiritual reality, the Master’s words that show us the Way to the Truth, to discipleship, to the Kingdom and to having His Presence in our lives daily, our main point was our Redemption. The idea of Redemption as it IS used throughout the New Testament, most often by Paul, IS usually seen in relation to the sacrifice of the Master as a ‘redemption‘ for our sins. This however IS NOT the way that we use this idea as it appears in the apostle’s words saying “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 8:23). For us the idea of Redemption as it IS used here refers to the ability of the Soul to conquer his carnal thoughts, attitudes and actions as he completes his Transformation which began with his Repentance. The lexicon tells us that Redemption IS from the Greek word apolutrosis and means: a releasing effected by payment of ransom; redemption, deliverance; liberation procured by the payment of a ransom2. Doctrines see this as the believer’s liberation from sin procured by the crucifixion of Jesus who ‘died for our sins’. Strong’s tells us that the meaning IS: (the act) ransom in full, i.e. (figuratively) riddance, or (specially) Christian salvation9a with the final idea citing the doctrinal ideas. Thayer’s tells us that apolutrosis IS what the lexicon tells us as Thayer’s IS generally the source for the ideas found in the lexicon as it reflects supposed biblical usage. We should note here that this idea of supposed biblical usage IS the general interpretation of the ideas by doctrinal authorities beginning with the church fathers. Thayer’s goes on to add that apolutrosis IS: everywhere in the N. T. metaphorically, viz. deliverance effected through the death of Christ from the retributive wrath of a holy God and the merited penalty of sin9.
The ideas of Redemption from the Greek apolutrosis and Redeem from the Greek exagorazō ARE at the heart of doctrinal Christianity based solely upon the presumed meanings of deliverance from sin based in the sacrifices of Jesus. Such presumptions however DO NOT reach into the way that the word IS used by Paul in our verse from Romans above; such presumptions DO NOT explain through faith nor fact what it means to have “the redemption of our body“. To be sure our reading of this word has NO singular factual evidence but in the face of the idea that the Master died for the sins of the world past, present and future, we seek to present a much more meaningful reality. The doctrinal ideas ARE taken from single verses, often out of context, and a primary example IS Paul’ words saying “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature” (Colossians 1:13-15). It IS the middle verse that defines the doctrinal message of salvation and we should note here that this IS NOT a statement of literal fact from Paul. The idea that we DO have “redemption through his blood” testifies to the fact that in Jesus’ death and resurrection we ARE given the tools for our own Redemption. Much more important however ARE the tools that we ARE given through the Master’s Life and His example. Jesus death and resurrection serve to show us that there IS a continuation of Life in spiritual realms that DO ever intersect with the physical world for those that ARE Truly Redeemed. To be sure this idea of Redemption IS a complex reality in the lives of men in this world and one that will NOT be explained in words but rather in our individual experiences. Similarly the ideas of Repentance and Transformation will NOT be understood in words save for the defining ideas; such ideas however ARE but words without the experience of one’s own Repentance, one’s own change of focus off of the self and onto the things of God. And, of course, the most mystical of ALL of these ideas which bring the Power of the Soul, the Power of the Christ Within, into a working relationship with the mortal man and his personality IS Transfiguration.
We continue here where we left off in the last essay where our discussion was centered on the abilities of the Master before and after His death and resurrection. Leaning on the Apostle John’s words saying “as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17) and Jesus’ own words 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) we proceed now to try to understand just what it IS that He IS able to DO in this world. For clarity, we repeat the story of the journey to Emmaus by two disciples after Jesus’ death and resurrection:
“behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
Luke 24:13-32
Again, this story from Luke’s Gospel shows us a variety of different physical realm realities that ARE exhibited by the Master and these, along with the ideas from the last post where Jesus, after a confrontation with the Jew’s, went “through the midst of them” (John 8:59). This happens on multiple occasions before His death and resurrection. After His resurrection we have the idea that He IS “the gardener” as He DOES NOT appear as Mary thought He should. We read this as “she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master” John 20:14-16). The point of this ALL IS the way that the Master IS able to control the physical world, how He has dominion over it if you will, and that these same things ARE a part of those “greater works” that the Master promises to those that “believeth on” Him. While the church has from the beginning denied that men can DO such “greater works“, this IS mostly because of the diluted ideas that they have ever applied to the Greek words pistis and pisteuo. These ideas of faith and believing have been but nebulous parts of the church’s teachings which ARE largely undefined and subject to whatsoever doctrinal ideas ARE associated with them in the various denominations and sects of Christianity. It IS when we can understand pistis and pisteuo as that KNOWING that comes to the man who will “continue in my word“, as Jesus frames this, that we can have access by measure to these “greater works“. Among these IS our ability to Truly be “as he is in this world“. ALL men ARE essentially “as he is in this world“, a Soul in incarnation for a time in a physical body. Further to this IS the reality of being “as he is” through our realization of the Truth and Love and the expression of these in this world; a realization that ONLY comes as we keep His words. There IS of course a cost to this sense of discipleship that comes before the criteria set by the Master and that cost IS that we Repent, and, that in our Transformation we DO keep His words. It IS by the measure by which we DO so that we gain access to the Truth and the KNOWING of what IS that Truth. To start, we should have an understanding of the Power of this KNOWING, the Power of pistis and pisteuo, and here again we go to Vincent for a greater understanding of these. Vincent tells us that: 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.
While many millions say that they DO believe on the Master as Savior, Teacher, Sympathizer, Judge, few DO earnestly strive to accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life and it IS ONLY when we can understand that this IS a necessity for our spiritual progression that we can prevail. Vincent frames his defining ideas in relation to pisteuo eis which IS literally believe into but which IS rendered as believe on and believe in. We however stretch this defining idea to ALL uses of pisteuo where the subject matter IS spiritually oriented and reframe the idea of to accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life as simply that we keep His words. It IS ONLY in so doing that we have access to the spiritual Power of the Soul and NOT because they ARE His words, the word of God if you will, but because they establish the fundamental reality of righteousness. The fundamental reality that we have moved our focus off of the little self in this world and placed it upon the principles of Truth and Love. And this IS the nature of and the reality of the trifecta of spiritual reality that we include with every essay. In our trifecta we have the essential ideas of keeping His words framed in different ways and showing the rewards of being able to DO so. 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).
These ARE NOT the ONLY verses from the New Testament that show us the importance of keeping His words; the Master shows us this in many, many ways while His apostles amplify and clarify the ideas that He presents. As we ofttimes discuss these rewards ARE spiritual rewards and NOT carnal; there IS NOTHING carnal that comes from the Lord. While the church decries the idea of rewards against their doctrinal approach to the Lord, the idea IS embedded in much of the New Testament where there ARE apparent quid pro quo situations. Perhaps the most evident promise of reward comes from Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount where we read that “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12). This words here ARE directed to Jesus’ disciples and NOT toward average men although the average man of the church has ever claimed this idea of persecution; the real persecution IS toward those that DO speak Truth to power where the power has ever been the doctrinal religions of the world. This however IS NOT our subject here save to show that there ARE promised rewards. The Master also shows us the due reward for our expression of agape as He shows us that it must be expressed; we read that Jesus tells us “if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” (Matthew 5:46). To understand the nature of this expression of Love one need only read the previous verses. Here again we should try to see that this idea of reward IS intimately related to the idea of grace, a relationship that IS established by reading Matthew’s version of Jesus words against Luke’s. Luke tells us that the Master says “if ye love them which love you, what thank grace have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank grace have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank grace have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again” (Luke 6:32-34). We should understand here that it IS the Greek word charis that IS rendered as thank by the King James translators and that charis should always refer to grace as some others DO render it here. It IS difficult to understand the translators hesitancy to call charis as grace in these verses where many render in alternate ways such as “what credit” and “why should you be commended“. All of these seem an unnecessary dilution of the idea of grace which yet another word that IS manipulated by the doctrines of men. Grace IS ALL that comes from the Godhead and, here again, we must understand that there IS NOTHING carnal that comes from the Lord. Our point here IS simply that the idea of reward IS embedded in the Master’s words and that the reward IS grace which we should ever understand as spiritual benefits that originate in the Soul and become the realization of the man who will keep His words.
The rewards, the promises if you will, from our trifecta ARE clearly stated as our ability to have the Truth or our ‘deserved’ measure of that Truth, our ‘entry’ into the Kingdom of God, and the Presence of the Lord in our Lives. These rewards should be understood as the natural flow of spiritual Power that emanates from the Soul, the Christ Within, as part of the Transforming Power that we seek through our Repentance. Through these ideas we should be able to better see the way that the promised “greater works” can flow into the lives of men in this world, men who DO the work of keeping His words through a staunch focus upon the things of God. It IS in these “greater works” that come to us as “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4) that we can, as ‘holy‘ men in this world, fully realize that “as he is, so are we in this world“. This IS our destiny but one that may NOT be realized in this short lifetime unless we ARE prepared to step away from orthodoxy and DO as the Master tells us saying “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8). What then IS the Master able to DO that we can strive toward DOING while our primary motivation remains that we keep His words? The answer IS wrapped up in a single statement from Jesus who tells His disciples that “I have overcome the world“. These words should NOT be seen through the doctrinal prism that shows that ONLY Jesus can DO as much. In the fullness of the dialogue we should try to see a message to His disciples and through them to us. Jesus says “Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:32-33). The message here IS tied to the reality that “as he is, so are we in this world“; the Master’s message IS simply that since “I have overcome the world” so can they and, again, through them us. In another place in John’s Gospel this link IS made clearer as the Master tells us in the form of a prayer to the Father that “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us” (John 17:20-21). It IS through such sayings as this that we should see that the KEY IS found in believing as the idea should be understood, the KEY IS found in our KNOWING through keeping His words. Everyman since the death and resurrection of the Master can be included in this realization of Oneness that IS the emphasis of the third part of our trifecta however, since this IS NOT a part of the doctrinal teachings, the idea goes unheard by the masses. None seem to KNOW that it IS possible for men to “overcome the world” through the simple idea of being among those that “hath my commandments, and keepeth them” as most doctrines seem to teach the opposite. As we come to KNOW the Lord, to “believe on me through their word” as Jesus frames this, we gain by measure the ability to “overcome the world” and to live in it as one who KNOWS the Truth that sets us free from the fetters of worldly living. From the writers of the gospels to the messages of the epistles we have “their word” but it IS up to us, to everyman individually, to apply those words and messages to our lives in the spirit with which they were offered to us and NOT through the manipulations of men.
Here again we should look at the Master’s view of the doctrinal church as it was in His day and in the days of Elijah and it IS ONLY when we can extend His words through time that we can Truly understand some measure of the Truth of His cautions. Jesus tells us clearly “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” (Mark 7:6-7). Why these words ARE NOT seen as they ARE offered by the Christian world IS a matter of vanity and here we should try to see that our individual vanity IS greatly enhanced by groups of men with the same or similar ideas regarding most anything. It IS in the vanity of the early church that the ‘Fathers’ see themselves as the arbiters of Truth as they expressed opinions that would form their doctrines, many of which we still hold to today. And, it IS in the vanity of the Reformers that the additional ideas of Protestant movements have been formed. Here again we should understand that this vanity IS NOT evil as men understand that word but it IS sinful under the most basic spiritual understanding of hamartia which IS rendered as sin. The lexicon tells us that sin IS defined by its usage as: to be without a share in; to miss the mark; to err, be mistaken; to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong; to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin2. Sin and vanity DO go hand in hand in Life in this world as men see themselves as the men that they ARE while protecting their ability to be men according to the ways of the world. To be sure the ways of the world ARE ever evolving and at times some aspects DO bring us closer to the Truths but it IS most often the accepted ways of men in this world that prevail. So it IS with doctrinal religions where men accept what they ARE shown as ‘gospel’ based upon the presumed authority of the teacher without questioning the spiritual validity of the teaching. It IS in this regard that we should view the Apostle James words saying “be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body” (James 3:1-2). To be sure the teachings of men that ARE based in their “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” DO “offend all” spiritually as the hearer of these doctrines becomes adherent to them and never seeks out the greater Truths. ALL of this goes unseen in the churches yet today save for the voices of the few through the centuries that have tried to alter the course but who have been called as heretics. These voices of the few ARE yet present in this world, they ARE seen as heretical by the church and referred to as occultism and other derogatory terms despite the fact that occultism IS NOT as they perceive it.
We should ever remember the Master’s words regarding the “false prophets“; this IS yet another biblical idea that has been polluted by men and seen ONLY in regard to ‘prophecy‘ that IS NOT tied to their own versions of Christianity of which there ARE far too many. There IS a seriousness to the Master’s words saying “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-16) that IS NOT grasped by a church that constantly allows fringe ideas to overtake the Truth without any rebuttal. Among such fringe ideas some have become mainstream and among these we should see both the proliferation of the so-called prosperity gospel and the more recent push toward the inclusion of politics in one’s religion. This latter event IS designed to push forward whatsoever social perspective a particular denomination or sect desires to push, another strictly self-serving doctrinal change. Herein ARE two examples to the way that the Master’s caution has been ignored and alien ideas, alien to the Truth of Christ’s teachings, have been allowed to flourish to the detriment of that Truth. Both of these cautions given us by Jesus ARE NOT ONLY NOT taken seriously but ARE outright rejected in the face of the alien doctrines that men spew and, while most teachers may be well meaning, there IS an extreme sense of vanity involved with most. Many easily lay off the Master’s words in their teachings by claiming that Jesus’ words were meant ONLY for the Jews and that we should look to Paul and the other apostles to frame the reality of the Christian religion; this they DO while ‘worshipping‘ Jesus as Lord and God. In the Master’s words saying “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” much of the church teaches, perhaps first, that the words ARE intended for the Jews ONLY and they that the doctrines of which He speaks ARE others’ doctrines that DO NOT see Jesus as Lord. This IS a great failure of the church that remains unchecked by the vanity of the church as a whole. And, it IS this that results in the false teachings of the doctrines of men which ARE the subject of the second caution regarding “false prophets” which should ever be understood as false teachers. The word prophet should NOT be seen ONLY in relation to the Old Testament but to ALL that claim to be speaking for the Lord and the “false prophet” should be understood as teaching from the carnal content of the “abundance of the heart“. It IS the message of the Master that should be seen here; Jesus tells us “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh” (Matthew 12:34).
While these words may seem to be an affront to the doctrinal church, they ARE in reality a picture of the True stance of the church as regards the words of Jesus the Christ. It IS His words that should be the guiding Light of men but this reality has been supplanted from the beginning by men who approached the Lord in much the same way as did the Jews in Jesus’ day. In returning to our theme of the Master’s Powers that we see as the reality of “the redemption of our body” we should try to understand that ALL that Jesus’ was able to DO IS available to ALL who will ardently keep His words, ALL that have Truly Repented and Transformed themselves “by the renewing of your mind“. It IS such that can “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2) and here we should understand the Greek word dokimazo which IS rendered as prove. Others render dokimazo in terms of discernment and still others in terms of KNOWING; both of these DO seem more to the point than IS the idea of proving. The idea of proving however can provide some additional meaning when looked at from the perspective of its English meanings of: to establish the truth or genuineness of and to establish the authenticity or validity of*. We should remember that the subject here IS the “that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God“, that we may prove it. To establish the authenticity and genuineness of “will of God” IS to KNOW His Will and we should understand that this IS NOT in the ability of any who have NOT been so Transformed. While many may claim to KNOW the “will of God” very few if any can actually offer us such Truth. Without first becoming “partakers of the divine nature“, a state that IS the product of being so Transformed, we ARE left with those same doctrines of men against which the Master speaks. We should try to see here that the subject disciples, the one named Cleopas and the other about whom many theorize, ARE disciples of the Lord and by Jesus own criteria ARE themselves able to DO such “greater works” according to the measure of their Transformation. Yet these disciples could NOT discern the Master’s Presence through their communing with Him over seven miles and this should show us that the idea that “their eyes were holden” IS NOT a particularly strong argument. Here, considering the way that “he vanished out of their sight“, we should be able to see that what Mary also saw was either an apparition or the figure of a man who had a different appearance than DID Jesus before His death and resurrection. The idea of an apparition fades because of the duration of Jesus’ appearance, seven miles walking, and in the way that we read “their eyes were opened, and they knew him” DOES NOT show us what His appearance was at that time; we ONLY KNOW that “they knew him“. In Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the Lord at the sepulcher we find the same mystery; she KNOWS that the man who she presumed “to be the gardener” was the Master but we DO NOT KNOW of His appearance.
ALL of this IS but to show the idea that the Master IS NOT who He appears to be, that His appearance IS disguised. While we DO NOT KNOW the purpose of this deception we can presume that it may have been to lessen the fear in those that He first encountered. It IS in His subsequent appearances to His disciples alone that we see that the Master DOES look as He did before His death. This we see later in Luke’s presentation where we read that:
“And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them“
Luke 33-43
In these words we see two things; first the apparent fear among the disciples who, although they previously acknowledged that “Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God” (John 16:30), ARE yet troubled. These words from John’s Gospel ARE after the Master goes to great lengths to tell His disciples what was about to happen and in this we should see the continued doubt of His supremacy which was contrary to ALL that they heretofore KNEW. The second thing IS twofold; first we should see that He appears “in the midst of them” and second that He DOES so as a man speaking and eating and showing His wounds. What we should try to see here IS the reality of “the redemption of our body” and understand that while such events seem mystical and even magical according to the world’s standards, they ARE among the “greater works” that the Master promises to those that will believe into Him, those that will accept and adopt His precepts and example as binding upon the life4. There ARE other instances of the Master’s ability to change His form and simply appear and we will begin our next post with these examples of what we see as “the redemption of our body” under the spiritual Power of the Soul, the Christ Within. That men DO NOT believe in the Power of the Soul IS the result of their doctrinal approach to the Lord, an approach that DOES Truly lift Jesus up but which ignores His words saying 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“.
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 |
- 2 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
- * Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
