Monthly Archives: January 2013

IN THE WORDS OF JESUS–Part 572

Love is the Fulfilling of the Law

ON LOVE; PART CLXI

ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α

GoodWill IS Love in Action

ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•ΑΩ•Α

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:1-15).

In the last post we completed our list below of the Way to the Kingdom according to the more direct sayings by the Master. We have indicated that there are more sayings indicative of this same thing, attainment of the Kingdom, but that these are not quite so clear; we noted one of them in our previous essays on this subject and it is one of the more profound admonitions by the Master: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). In the range of sayings that we get from Jesus this one is of greater import than many as we can see in it several things. First that to be perfect is to be as the Father, as God and, since they are ever ONE, as the Christ as well, second that we are being told that this perfection is within the reach of us ALL and third is the reality that this perfection IS within the reach of ALL as this is offered as a part of the Sermon on the Mount which was offered to ALL. We have placed this saying with the grouping below of sayings by the Master that can point us to the Kingdom and we have made them ALL equal by means of our mathematical equation that says that in math if A is equal to B and B is equal C then A must be equal to C. Extending this to the Ways to the Kingdom we can say then that if being born again can make one accounted worthy of the Kingdom of God or is equal to that attainment and doing the Will of God  can make on accounted worthy of the Kingdom of God or is equal to that attainment, then being born again and doing the Will of God are equal and the same. This is True then of ALL of our previously covered sayings which are listed below with the exception of the third and the forth which are included for a separate effect. Saying this however, we can see their relationship as well as the attainment of the Kingdom is greatly enhanced by these realizations; that a man does not have to “taste of death” to attain the Kingdom and that “the kingdom of God is within you“. Our list of sayings is:

  • Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God“.
  • Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
  • And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said , Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God” (Luke 6:20) AND “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).
  • But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27) AND “Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom” (Matthew 16:28).
  • And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21).
  • Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).
  • 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).
  • And said , Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted , and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).
    • But Jesus said , Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14).

So then sans the third and the forth item above we have a group of sayings that each reflect the same thing when they are properly discerned, they each point the way to the Kingdom of God and, since each of them individually will suffice for that attainment, they are in our equation equal. We have noted as well that these ALL stream forth from the reality of doing the Will of God as in so doing a man is righteous, he is born again  and he is perfect plus he is ALL of the other ideas as well. Conversely if a man is Truly righteous or he is approaching the Kingdom as a little child from the perspective of our discussion yesterday, then it is the same as doing the Will of God and likely because of it which we see also as keeping the words of the Master. We tied these ideas to the Masters spoken criteria for discipleship as well as we see these as the same thing; the the High Calling of True discipleship and being accounted worthy of the Kingdom should be seen as on the same level and as the same thing.

In this relation, one of the overriding purposes of our writing is to show the reality of these ideas of discipleship and being accounted worthy of His Kingdom which is of course within each of us. We seek to diffuse the common ideas of heaven and hell and the lightness given to the attainment of the Kingdom in the doctrines of the churches and to supplant these with the reality as we hear it from the Apostle James who tells us: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). This is written for us by the same apostle who tells us “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10) which tells us that we must attend to ALL of the Master’s words. James also tells us “If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well” (James 2:8) and in this saying we should understand the word rendered as well is much deeper as we see in the lexicon that tells us of the Greek word kalosbeautifully, finely, excellently, well; rightly, so that there shall be no room for blame, well, truly excellently, nobly, commendably, honourably, in honour 2. Of course this last saying serves to show the preeminence of Love in the long list of things that a man must do to be accounted worthy but which IS also the single most effective way of bringing about ALL good things in one’s Life. We seek also to paint the right picture of the Master’s portrayal of the True disciple as the man who IS a doer of the word, a man who IS doing the Will of the Father; a man in whose Life one can see the Good, the Beautiful and the True. It is interesting to note that beyond the gospels and the Book of Acts, the word disciple is not used by any of the apostles and if we can derive from this any significance it would be that the reality of that term as the Master uses it applies specifically to those that are close to Him from His own perspective.

The Greek word mathetes which is translated as disciple is much misunderstood. In modern parlance the word has little meaning as regards the Master’s intent as it takes on the connotation of a student or a pupil which is as it is presented for us in the lexicon where we read of mathetes that it means a learner, pupil, disciple 2. This is of course a very broad definition that in no way reflects the responsibilities put upon the word by the Master in defining the role and the nature of the True disciple. In these words most anyone can call themselves a disciple if they are learning about a thing and there is no True understanding of the resultant word disciple included. Using this definition from the lexicon as the base, let us look at some of the other ideas beginning with the current understandings:

  • From our modern dictionary we find disciples defined as: noun 1. Religion. a. one of the 12 personal followers of Christ. b. one of the 70 followers sent forth by Christ. Luke 10:1. c. any other professed follower of Christ in His lifetime. 2. any follower of Christ. 3. initial capital letter  ) a member of the Disciples of Christ. 4. a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower: a disciple of Freud. verb (used with object) 5. Archaic. to convert into a disciple76. Obsolete. to teach; train. Other than speaking of the actual disciples of the Master 2000 years ago, we do not get any understanding from this except in the words of item 4 which can be loosely applied to most any learning endeavor.  Another modern definition tells us only that a disciple is: 1. a follower of the doctrines of a teacher or a school of thought. 2. one of the personal followers of Christ (including his 12 apostles) during his earthly life 10.
  • Seeing the modern dictionaries provide the source for the secular understanding we can understand why the word is viewed as it is from a secular perspective. However looking above at what we get from the lexicon we get no additional understanding. Easton’s Bible Dictionary is another source of biblical definitions and we read there that mathetes means: a scholar, sometimes applied to the followers of John the Baptist (Mat 9:14), and of the Pharisees (22:16), but principally to the followers of Christ. A disciple of Christ is one who (1) believes his doctrine, (2) rests on his sacrifice, (3) imbibes his spirit, and (4) imitates his example (Mat 10:24; Luk 14:26,27,33; Jhn 6:69)††. Here we get a bit more understanding and a reference to those verses from Luke’s Gospel that we so often cite; however there is no clear remark in the definition that goes to the level that the Master does in the very verses that they cite. Additionally we can see that this last part is colored by doctrine.
  • Vincent does not help us here either as his only reference is to a verse in Matthew’s Gospel where the Master is merely pointing to His disciples. Vincent tells us  Disciples (maqhtav). Not the apostles only, but all who followed him in the character of learners. The Anglo-Saxon renders learning knights 4This does not give any weight to the Master’s words on discipleship from Luke’s Gospel at all but rather leaves the disciple as the learner which is a part of its ordinary meaning. Since much of Vincent’s work is on the study of words, his perspective here approaches the word disciple for its Greek to English meaning and hence we see again the regular idea of learner.
  • Strong’s gives us this as the definition of mathetes: disciple, student, follower; a committed learner and follower, in the NT usually of Jesus Christ 3. Here the idea of committed is relied upon to express the Master’s criteria of discipleship and one can see in these several definitions why this word is treated so lightly in the churches today.
  • Yet another bible dictionary, the International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, says this about mathetesUsually a substantive (mathetes, “a learner,” from manthano, “to learn”; Latin discipulus, “a scholar”): The word is found in the Bible only in the Gospels and Acts. But it is good Greek, in use from Herodotus down, and always means the pupil of someone, in contrast to the master or teacher (didaskalos). See Mt 10:24; Lu 6:40. In all cases it implies that the person not only accepts the views of the teacher, but that he is also in practice an adherent. The word has several applications. In the widest sense it refers to those who accept the teachings of anyone, not only in belief but in life. Thus the disciples of John the Baptist (Mt 9:14; Lu 7:18; Joh 3:25); also of the Pharisees (Mt 22:16; Mr 2:18; Lu 5:33); of Moses (Joh 9:28). But its most common use is to designate the adherents of Jesus. (a) In the widest sense (Mt 10:42; Lu 6:17; Joh 6:66, and often). It is the only name for Christ’s followers in the Gospels. But (b) especially the Twelve Apostles, even when they are called simply the disciples (Mt 10:1; 11:1; 12:1, et al.). In the Acts, after the death and ascension of Jesus, disciples are those who confess Him as the Messiah, Christians (Ac 6:1,2,7; 9:36 (feminine, mathetria); Ac 11:26, “The disciples were called Christians”). Even half-instructed believers who had been baptized only with the baptism of John are disciples (Ac 19:1-4). Here we get a bit deeper meaning in the idea that the disciple accepts the teachings of anyone, not only in belief but in life†. Again we should see that doctrine has a strong influence upon these words and that there is not nearly the depth that the Master gives this word disciple.
  • Leaving what we see as best for last, we go to Webster’s 1913 version where we find disciple defined as: One who receives instruction from another; a scholar; a learner; especially, a follower who has learned to believe in the truth of the doctrine of his teacher; an adherent in doctrine; as, the disciples of Plato; the disciples of our Savior. Here we get several ideas that lend themselves to our ideas from the Master’s writings; adherent is found here and above as well but this word does not carry the force necessary to make one a True disciple as the Master sees it. To this Webster’s adds the truth of the doctrine is learned and believed. This may seem like it is no better than those above but in the simple statement of learning and believing the doctrine we at least have the requirement to KNOW what the doctrine IS. Webster’s 1828 version frames this a bit differently saying that a disciple is: A follower; an adherent to the doctrines of another. Hence the constant attendants of Christ were called his disciples; and hence all Christians are called his disciples, as they profess to learn and receive his doctrines and precepts. Here again we get the idea of learning and then of receiving the doctrines and the added idea of His precepts.

We have gone a long way today to try to show the lightness of our understanding of the idea of being a disciple of the Master and thereby of the Christ Within which is where we are trying to get with our dialogue and why the Truth of this word IS so important from the perspective of the Master’s words. We close today by repeating the Master’s words from Matthew’s and Luke’s Gospels and we should try to look at these against what our common understanding of the word disciple is and the definitions that we see above.

  • Taking the words from Matthew first we see do not see the word disciple but rather being worthy of Him. In part, it is from this that we draw our relationship between being a disciple and being accounted worthy of the Kingdom. The Master tells us: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37-38).
  • The majority of the words and the meanings are the same in the version from Matthew as compared to Luke and there should be no doubt that each is writing about the same thing albeit using their own perception of the events and their own unique writing style. From Luke’s Gospel, the Master says: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple…….So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath , he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27, 33). Here there should be no doubt of the Master’s meaning and intent and His understanding of a disciple.

We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.

Aspect of God

Potency

Expressed as Fire

Aspect of Man

In Relation to the Christ

GOD, The Father

Will or Power

Electric Fire

Spirit or Life

Life

Son, The Christ

Love and Wisdom

Solar Fire

Soul or Christ Within

Truth

Holy Spirit

Light or Activity

Fire by Friction

Life Within the -Form

Way

Note on the Quote of the Day

This daily blog also has a Quote of the Day which may not be in any way related to the essay. Many of these will be from the Bible and some just prayers or meditations that may have an influence on you and are in line with the subject matter of this blog. As the quote will change daily and will not store with the post, it is repeated in this section with the book reference and comment:

This is the Prayer of Saint Francis which we repeat again from a previous post as our Quote of the Day. If we were all to accept these ideas as guiding Lights in our lives, we would be expressing the Love and the Faith that the Master teaches. The last time that we presented this we called it the Prayer of Saint Anthony in error; It is attributed to the 13th-century saint Francis of Assisi, although the prayer in its present form cannot be traced back further than 1912*. Regardless of the True authorship, the sentiments revealed in this prayer are genuine and are in keeping the intent of th/e teachings of the Master and His apostles. We should note here that the dying is not necessarily the death of the body but the death of the carnal man in the world  when one is born again. In this context we read this about Saint Francis: Francis was the son of a wealthy foreign cloth merchant in Assisi, and he lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man, even fighting as a soldier for Assisi. While going off to war in 1204, Francis had a vision that directed him back to Assisi, where he lost his taste for his worldly life**. Here is the antithesis of the rich young man of the gospels.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

This is a prayer that is Truly in line with the teachings of the Master and the ideals encapsulated in this should be those that govern our lives and our prayer should be that ALL can see Life in this same way. We should try to see the reality of these words in the verses above regarding feeding and visiting the least of His and our brethren; in these words is a deeper meaning, as clearer expression of Love and, we should look at the Master’s words above as an expression of Love and not merely in the terms that He presents as this is the intent of the entirety of His teachings.

Let the peace of God rule in your hearts!

  • * Wikipedia contributors. “Prayer of Saint Francis.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.  24 Jan. 2013.
  • **Wikipedia contributors. “Francis of Assisi.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 Jan. 2013.
  • 1 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913
  • 2 New Testament Greek Lexicon on BibleStudyTools.com
  • 3 Strongest Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible – 2001
  • 4 Word Studies in the New Testament; Marvin R Vincent D.D. 2nd edition, 1888

 

  • 7 Dictionary.com Unabridged based on Random House Dictionary – 2011
  • 8 Bible commentaries on BibleStudyTools.com
  • 10 Dictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers
  • † Trever, GeorgeHenry. “Disciple”, International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia. Edited by James Orr. Blue Letter Bible. 1913. 5 May 2003
  • †† Easton, M. G. “Disciple”, Easton’s Bible Dictionary. Blue Letter Bible. 1897. 24 June, 1996

3 Comments

Filed under Abundance of the Heart, Born Again, Children of God, Christianity, Eternal Life, Faith, Forgiveness, Light, Living in the Light, Reincarnation, Righteousness, Sons of God, The Kingdom, The Words of Jesus