Tag Archives: Christ

IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 1759

ON LOVE; PART MCCCXCVIII

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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 began and ended the last essay with some thoughts on delusion and on antichrist which come through our selection from the First Epistle of John. The apostle spends much time on these ideas which ARE effectively become one linked idea as a cause and effect. Men ARE deluded by many things but religiously there IS one prominent source of delusion which IS those things into which they ARE indoctrinated. While this indoctrination starts out as a part of our nurturing, it progresses into ALL things that one allows himself to believe and we should understand, from a world view over the last centuries, that indoctrination IS an extremely powerful tool that can change the very core attitudes of the masses. It IS in the unbalance between the forces of indoctrination and the Light of one’s own Soul that the struggle continues in the Life of any who ARE striving toward the Truth through the reality of the Master’s words. In many ways this idea of indoctrination IS the din that we often reference, the unceasing noise of daily living that keeps the mind attuned to the noise thereby drowning out any glimpse of Truth save for any ‘instant’ realizations that may make it through. We DO live here in this world and our subjection to this din IS part of the very nature of Life in form and we should try to see that it IS against this that the Master tells us “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on” (Matthew 6:25). That these words ARE distorted by the doctrinal thinker who CAN NOT fathom the depth of the idea that we can actually “Take no thought for your life” IS unfortunate and we should remember that even under the doctrinal understanding of ‘worry‘ most ALL men fail to heed these words.

Much of the Truth of the Master’s words IS tied to this idea and to the end result of one’s ability to “take no thought” which IS reflected in Peter’s words saying “we have forsaken all, and followed thee” (Matthew 19:27). ALL of the scriptural ideas that ARE given to us regarding the idea of forsaking ARE also distorted by the doctrinal thinker in much the same way as any references to agape and to keeping His words. While Jesus tells us such things as “whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33) clearly, the distorted doctrinal idea IS but a pale shadow of the Truth that frees men from the din of their daily lives. We should note that this IS NOT an isolated thought that Jesus IS showing us; it IS rather a part of a string of sayings that point men in the right direction in much the same way as He points the ‘rich young ruler’ saying “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me” (Matthew 19:21). We should NOT see this idea of being perfect as a hinderance; it IS this sense of perfection that ALL ARE admonished to become; Jesus tells us this saying “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). We should try to see that the Way to the Truth IS in keeping His words and it IS this that results in our perfection; we should try to see as well that the road to this end IS paved with our need to Truly “take no thought” and to be able to forsaketh all that he hath“. The dilution of this idea IS found in John Gill’s commentary on Jesus words on discipleship where forsaking ALL IS framed as when called to it8 which IS contrary to the Master’s original thought that a man forsaketh all that he hath” here and now. It IS in the delusion instilled through our indoctrination that men CAN NOT fathom DOING such things as “take no thought” nor be able to see themselves as one who will forsaketh all that he hath” that the world has developed their own doctrinal views, views which bring a temporary comfort through their substitution for the Truth and for the continued indoctrination of others. It IS with these thoughts of indoctrination and delusion that John shows us the functional reality of antichrist as he tells us that we must “believe not every spirit” and that we must “try the spirits whether they are of God“. The practical reality of this IS lost however as most ALL men DO believe most every teacher based upon the authority taken through the seminary learning of the teacher. We should understand that seminaries teach the various Christian doctrines and theologies, “the commandments of men” if you will, and NOT the deeper Truths, spiritual Truths to be sure, that remain encumbered by the din of daily living.

The idea here that men should “try the spirits whether they are of God” should ever be tied to Jesus words that show us that it IS “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20). While this IS important in believing the teacher, it IS equally important when judging ALL that men believe to be spiritual and from the Lord. It IS always the resultant fruit that will show us “the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” and it IS against these that we must “try the spirits whether they are of God“. The idea of trying here IS from the Greek word dokimazo which Strong’s defines for us saying: to test (literally or figuratively); by implication, to approve:—allow, discern, examine9a. While ALL of these ideas DO pertain to dokimazo in a carnal sense, it IS discernment that we should see as the Way spiritually. Paul uses this same idea in saying that “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1-2). In Paul’s words we find the Way that we can “try the spirits“; the apostle tells us that this ability to discernment IS found in our being Transformed and it IS this Transformation that IS leads us to the reality of agape through keeping His words. It IS here that we can Truly KNOW both “the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” and NO longer be among those that ARE “deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). This KNOWING IS the result of keeping His words as the Master clearly shows us in the first part of 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).

That the church has traded these tenets for their own doctrinal views IS the cause of much confusion in the churches where many ARE being torn between the teachings of those who have assumed authority and the deep Truths of Jesus words. It IS in this that we find the ideas from the Parable of the Sower which we discussed in some detail in the last essay; it IS these that ARE confused whose spiritual lives hang in the balance. Most DO NOT KNOW what it IS that they should believe as they hear conflicting messages: those based in the Truth of the Master’s words versus those with a more apparent direct authority. The former IS found in the words that they may hear in sermons, the words of Jesus and the rightly interpreted words of His apostles; it IS these that ARE shown us historically rather than practically and among these IS the commandment that we keep His words and Love. The former IS also found in the way that men may read for themselves the words of the Master which they may try to interpret according to His intent but which ideas ARE swallowed up by contrary doctrinal ideas that deflect any need to keep His words. Few in the church will hear Jesus’ words and accept them as they ARE being continually indoctrinated into the various doctrinal approaches to God. It seems that it IS ever the latter, those ideas propounded by men who appear to have some authority to speak on spiritual matters, that have taken hold on the religious attitudes of men and it IS here that Jesus’ words against the Jews should be seen as an affliction against Christian Truth as well. The Master tells the Jews “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Matthew 23:23)I. n this we should see the reality of the Jews’ traditions according to their mitzvah against the deeper Truths of the Jews own scriptures, those “weightier matters of the law” which reflect the underlying commandments to Love. That men DO NOT see the way that Jesus’ words to the Jews ARE carried forward as cautions, as warnings and as simple statements of fact prevents the church yet today from expressing these “weightier matters” and puts them to the same spiritual disadvantage as the Jews. This brings us back to our selection from John which we repeat saying:

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And 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. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also” (1 John 4).

In Jesus idea of “weightier matters” we should try to see the deeper Truths of Moses commandments and especially the Ten Commandments which ARE the foundation for the fullness of the law that Moses gave to the Jews. In the foundation of the law, the building blocks if you will, we find the reality of agape and while the Jews DO NOT seem to have a word that works in the same way as agape, as an identifiable form of Love that IS NOT shared in the carnality of men’s lives except by those who DO NOT understand that there IS a difference. For the Jews the word rendered as Love runs the full gamut of meanings from the spiritual to the grossly carnal and the same IS True regarding the common ideas of Love as understood by the church. In the Greek however there ARE separate words that ARE rendered as Love and for us the most dynamic of these IS agape. The Master goes to great lengths to show us the meaning of agape as DO the Apostles John and Paul but we should understand that these efforts ARE diluted by the doctrinal ideas that may see agape as ‘a God kind of Love’ but fail to understand it as it relates to men both individually and corporately. Our lexicon defines agape as: brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence and
love feasts2a and we should note that these defining ideas reflect ONLY the carnal ideas of men according to the common understanding of Love. The defining ideas from Strong’s and Thayer’s offer us much the same and perhaps the resolution to this after 2000 years IS to leave the Greek idea of agape untranslated or transliterated as so many other Greek words ARE treated in various versions of the New Testament. When viewing the idea of agape, we should first and foremost look at the deepest idea afforded to us in scripture and that IS that “God is love agape“; here we should try to understand that this idea of agape as it relates to God CAN NOT find substitutes in the general and common ideas of Love. While there ARE NO definitions of agape save for those ideas we have here, there IS a deep sense of the importance of the idea in Jesus’ words, in John’s words and in Paul’s clear defining idea from his First Epistle to the Corinthians which we recently discussed in much detail. In ALL of these evidences of the depth of the idea of agape there IS little or NO relationship to the common ideas, carnal ideas to be sure, that men have applied to both agape and the rendered words Love and charity.

Agape IS an expression of self; for God it IS His state of being as it IS for the Spirits and Souls of men which ARE ‘created‘ “in the image of God“. While these words from Genesis ARE taken more literally by much of the church and applied to the human form, this IS NOT the idea that IS intended. The intent IS to put forth a simple explanation to Life in this world for the better understanding of the barbarous and superstitious men that existed in Moses’ day and we should try to see that this idea itself IS based in a ‘verbal’ tradition from yet earlier times. These ideas were never intended to be understood literally but rather to “to imprint deep and ineffaceable the conviction that the one God created all things12 as Alexander Maclaren tells us. Understanding that it IS Spirit that IS the reality of men and that this reality IS expressed by Spirit as the Soul IS for us the beginning of the flow of Truth and in the reality of the Trinity, an accepted idea by most ALL of the church, we should be able to relate the Spirit, Soul and expression of Truth that IS God to His microcosmic image that IS the reality of man. We have often said that the Trinity IS NOT as it IS painted for us by the different theological ideas of men but rather that the Trinity IS a Unity, a Oneness, that has reached out into time and space, into dense physical matter, with a singular objective which, of course, we can ONLY glimpse. Much IS written on the nature of God in esoteric and occult philosophies and to be sure some of this IS essentially right. We must understand however that our understanding of this IS ever been obnubilated as the mysteries of Life itself and this NOT so much because it IS hidden but because the finite human mind CAN NOT comprehend such ideas. In this IS the reality of discernment, the reality that the inner man, the Soul, the unction as John tells us, which “knows all things” (1 John 2:20), reveals the Truth to the personalities of men through an ardent focus upon that Truth. Paul tells us of “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26-27). These ARE NOT idle words nor IS realization of the mysteries a ‘gift‘ to those who proclaim themselves Christian as much of the church supposes. These mysteries ARE words of Truth that can be understood ONLY by the man who IS the True saint, the man that IS Truly focused upon the things of God; the man that can look past ALL that has indoctrinated him into his carnality, into his own “bondage of corruption“. Such mysteries ARE the Truth that “shall make you free“, the Truth that will allow us to proclaim as DOES the Master, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). This IS ALL in the Power of discernment, the Power to KNOW some measure of the Truth and here we should understand the dynamic link between KNOWING and DOING, between KNOWING and expressing that which we KNOW through our lives here in this Earth. It IS this expressing both individually and corporately that will change the world and bring the Kingdom of God ever closer to a reality in this world.

There IS a definite science to ALL of Life. While there IS much randomness in this physical world, there IS NONE in the spiritual world where the realities of Truth and Love ARE the constants by which ALL can be understood and measured. It IS from this perspective that we should try to understand that spiritually ALL ARE One, there IS NO True separation between beings nor between beings and the One Universal God that encompasses ALL. Understanding this through our finite minds however IS NOT possible and it IS here that we should try to see the role of Transformation. Paul tells us that we must be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” but even this seemingly simple idea IS difficult for the man who IS yet “conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2), a state in which most ALL men DO find themselves. Just as there IS NO fine line between the Truth and men’s chosen versions of that Truth but rather a chasm, there IS NO fine line between being “conformed to this world” and being free from the vanity that IS inherent in every aspect of worldly Life. Standing in the chasm between being “conformed to this world” and being Transformed IS the reality of Repentance and while so many Christians deny being “conformed to this world” while testifying of their own being “transformed by the renewing of your mind“, they yet lack any True form of “fruits meet for repentance” (Matthew 3:8). It IS in Repentance that the journey which ends in discernment begins; it IS in Repentance that we can begin to discern what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God“. Repentance IS that necessary change of focus off of our lives in this world and onto the reality that IS God and it IS to facilitate this change that Jesus gives us His instructions which ARE as commandments to the man who Truly seeks to be the saint; the man who Truly seeks to KNOW “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints“. In Repentance, in our change of focus, we allow the Truth to permeate the carnal mind and to begin to Transform that mind from one that sees the self as the center to one that sees the reality of agape, the reality of that Unity that binds ALL men as spiritual beings living through forms in this world. The carnal mind sees men as men while the Transformed mind see men as Souls and it IS in this distinction that we can find the basis for agape. It IS agape that recognizes ALL men in form as Souls and it IS the Transforming man that begins to see the divinity behind each Life in this world regardless of whatsoever outward expression IS presented.

Throughout our selection from John’s Epistle there IS refence to our Transformation and comparisons between the man who IS Transformed and the man who IS yet carnally motivated. This IS most clear in such ideas as “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” where the ideas of KNOWING God and expressing agape ARE intertwined in an unmistakable way. Despite this, millions profess to KNOW God with out such an expression which itself must be unmistakable and IS shown to be so in the Master’s teachings on Love. And while the common understanding of Love IS surely an impediment to understanding the scope of agape, this should have been washed away through the simple words of Jesus repeated by the church over the last 2000 years. This positive indoctrination IS NOT seen as such by those, in the church and out, who see Jesus words as an affront to ‘normal’ human living; in this view by men of the Master’s words we have their choice, their constant choice, of mammon over God. This choice of mammon over God IS founded in the nurturing and indoctrination of men who ARE shown the way of worldly living from the perspective of men and, to be sure, this IS a negative indoctrination that drags men further and further into their own sense of vanity. In this we should try to see how that the vanity alone IS a sufficient burden to overcome and that as time has advanced so has the strength of men’s indoctrination into the results of that vanity which have moved from the simplicity of living in past times into today’s most complex social and scientific arena. Our point here IS that while Paul shows us this idea of 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) this lesson has been turned into the ancient ideas of the ‘fall of man’ rather than the more idealistic and rather scientific nature of the True vanity. However, regardless of men’s view: that our subjection IS a function of Life in this world or that it IS based in the ‘sin’ of Adam passed down through ALL generation, the effect on the lives of men IS largely the same. The major difference IS that in the former we have the opportunity to change our focus while in the latter we seem stuck in a place where we have NO choice but to be as Adam. While Paul tells us that ALL “shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God” most ALL of Christianity believe that this will NOT happen while we ARE in this world. As an idealistic and scientific idea however our vanity can be overcome and here we should be reminded that Paul’s word, eleutheroo, which IS rendered as delivered IS better understood in terms of liberation9a as Strong’s defines this word. Thayer’s tells us that in eleutheroo we should see the idea of to make free, set at liberty9 which IS the same idea that Jesus shows us in our trifecta where we learn that it IS the Truth that “shall make you free” and this for the man that will “continue in my word“.

We often tie these ideas to two others; first to Vincent’s defining ideas regarding vanity where we read that mataitoes IS a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends4. This definition shows us the plight of men based upon their birth into vanity but DOES NOT show us the complexity of this idea in today’s modern world where this vanity IS exacerbated by the ever louder din of daily living. The other idea to which we tie vanity IS the Apostle Peter’s words saying “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4). In these words we should be able to see that it IS through our own motivation that we can escape and that the KEY here IS this idea of escape. For us Paul’s words DO mean the same thing although his idea IS interpreted by most according to doctrines which have installed into his words the idea that our deliverance IS by an act of God and NOT by our individual effort. In the end this difference IS become a major stumbling block to True spiritual revelation as men ARE taught that they have NO control over such revelation but to have faith and to believe. These most nebulous doctrinal ideas ARE embedded into the doctrinal Christian experience and should be understood as that a man IS having sufficient faith when a thing goes as IS desired but insufficient faith when a thing DOES NOT. When the deeper reality of KNOWING IS applied to the Greek words pistis and pisteuo such doctrinal ideas ARE rendered moot; when the idea of KNOWING God IS understood as the reality of Truth then John’s words saying “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” can Truly come to Life. We often cite the idea that there IS naught that IS worldly that Truly comes from the Lord and while millions upon millions ARE taught and believe that by their prayers worldly things will manifest for them, there IS NO True scriptural reference to this save for obscure references to such ideas from the Old Testament where the idea of reward IS to the nation and NOT to the individual. To this belief in worldly rewards we should add the nebulousness of faith and believing where whether one receives or NOT is based in an undefinable level of faith. The relationship between man and God IS spiritual and NOT carnal and the desire for worldly things runs counter to this Truth. Should we understand that as Souls, as part and parcel of the Godhead, everyman has access to ALL spiritual Truth, that each, as that unction, DOES “ know all things” (1 John 2:20), we can then better understand the role of Transformation as bringing into one’s mortal Life spiritual Truths. It IS these Truths that ARE the mysteries and it IS by these Truths that we have revelation that “he hath given us of his Spirit“. We must remember here however that there IS the reality of Transformation involved in spiritual revelation and that such Transformation requires that we understand the idea that to have His Spirit, to have realization that “we dwell in him, and he in us“, requires that we DO keep His words. This Jesus affirms to us saying to True followers “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).

Here we should understand the dynamic relationship between keeping His words as the Master cites above and John’s picture of this saying that we can have this Presence of God in our lives if we DO “love one another“. In both of these ideas we have the crux of True Christianity, a reality that few Truly see. John’s message IS clearly that to KNOW God one must live according to His commandments and here most specifically the commandment that one should “love thy neighbour as thyself“. This commandment IS the epitome of the expression of agape in this world, it IS the very definition of mercy rightly understood and IS the Path to our KNOWING God. Again, there IS a clarity here that CAN NOT be denied but one that IS at the same time glossed over in favor of the apostle’s other words from our selection, words that ARE more attuned with the doctrinal presentations. Such presentations ARE steeped in men’s ideas of ‘salvation‘ and perhaps here we should see the doctrinal interpretations of John’s words saying “that God sent his only begotten Son into the world“. While the church has never Truly understood this idea, they have made it a central point of their doctrines that paint the Master as the ONLY Son despite Jesus’ own words and the amplifying and clarifying words of His apostles. Most fail to see the continuation of this which should itself give more clarity to the idea; John says as a complete thought that “that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him” and most ALL fail to understand just what it means that “we might live through him“. More importantly to the doctrinal thinker IS Christian reliance upon such ideas as that God “sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins“, an idea that has fueled the doctrinal position that by His sacrifice and death the world IS forgiven of sin; some have taken this to mean past, present and future sin. There IS a reality to these ideas of “begotten Son” and His being our propitiation but this reality has been lost in the doctrinal fixation upon the role of sacrifice as regards the Jews and their laws and traditions. Most ALL of the apostle’s other words from our selection ARE seen as secondary to these doctrinal ideas or they ARE misunderstood as they ARE forced into the preconceived doctrines of men.

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

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  • 2a New Testament Greek lexicon on biblestudytools.com
  • 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
  • 12 Expositions of Holy Scripture–Project Gutenberg’s and Baker Book House’ Expositions of Holy Scripture, by Alexander Maclaren–(1826-1910)

Those who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road.

Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher

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