ON LOVE; PART MCCCXVII
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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 Apostle Paul’s words from his Epistle to the Romans, words that ARE NOT addressed by the doctrinal church in any meaningful way, although they DO address some of Paul’s words from this chapter which fit into their doctrinal narrative. For us the most basic message from the apostle IS found in his words that we ofttimes use to show how that there IS a basic incompatibility between the things of the self and the things of God, between things carnal and spiritual. We have in the past discussed this eighth chapter of Romans in a rather complete way but our focus IS most often on his words on vanity and the freedom from that vanity. In this essay we will combine the words of Paul with the ideas that we have been discussing from James, the Master and the Apostle Peter; ALL of which DO show us that it IS our focus upon the Truth, on agape and on the Lord that ARE the True road to salvation and we should note that all three of these ideas ARE the same singular focus of the saint and the disciple and by measure those that Truly aspire to discipleship. In our expanded look at the eighth chapter Paul tells us:
“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in
hope, Becauseexpectation that the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body” (Romans 8:11:23).
We should first address the way that we continually change the King James wording of the twentieth verse from “in hope because” to “in expectation that” for a number of reasons. There IS the reality that God has NO need to hope, that He rather expects, there IS Vincent’s analysis that: The best texts transfer these words from the preceding verse, and construe with was made subject, rendering ὅτι that instead of because 4. Finally there IS the way that the subjection of men to this vanity IS at the hand of God; while many doctrinal thinkers place the blame for this vanity at the feet of Adam based on a Genesis story which IS taken literally; the greater Truth IS that this subjection IS based in the Will of God and with a far greater purpose than reflected in such doctrinal thinking that the Adam’s simple act IS the cause of ALL this worldly blur. Vincent defines this idea of vanity for us in straightforward terms saying that: the reference is to a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends 4. The reality here IS that the state of the man born into this world as an infant and then nurtured and indoctrinated into the ways of the world IS a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends and while men may believe that their doctrinal view IS their ‘salvation‘, most ALL fail to Truly fail to overcome this sense of vanity which IS the sense of illusion and glamour in which men live. As Souls we come here with the singular purpose of True Redemption but this word IS misused and misunderstood in the doctrinal teachings of men. While vanity IS clearly defined by Vincent, he DOES NOT touch upon the results of that vanity which ARE the illusion that men ARE men in this world and the glamour by which they lift up their own particular view of Life itself. The great illusion IS that men ARE NOT Souls on a journey but rather men who come into Life with NO particular universal purpose other than that original theme that they should “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28), a theme that IS left for the human race to reproduce so as to allow the inflow of Souls. At the same time, there IS NO idea of what such humans should DO other than to fulfill the commandments of the Lord according to their varied abilities; it IS this idea of conformance that fills the pages of both the New and the Old Testaments. It IS this same theme that IS the reality of ALL world religions of which the Judaeo-Christian IS NOT the oldest; we should remember that such ideas as religion come into play according to the distinctive needs of the cultures involved. The religion of Abraham, Jacob and Isaac would be lost on the Indian culture that received the Hindu faith just as the ideas of the Bhagavad-Gita ARE lost on the Jew. The religious texts of both religions are estimated to have been written at about the same time. Our point here IS that the ancient Hebrews, those around the time of Abraham, and the ancient Hindu’s, those around the time of the origination of the Veda’s, ARE distinctly different cultures and that to each came a spiritual teaching that best suited their culture. While both may see their teachings as from God, they were brought to humanity by ‘messengers‘ if you will, by Great Souls that had the wherewithal to be “perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). We should understand here that there can be ONLY One God, ONLY “One Boundless Immutable Principle; one Absolute Reality which, antecedes all manifested conditioned Being. It is beyond the range and reach of any human thought or expression“**. That this Great Truth IS NOT seen through the glamour of men and their own religious attitudes DOES NOT alter the Truth hat there IS but One Universe in which we ALL exist and One Earth that we ALL inhabit as men.
It IS again this illusion and this glamour that ARE that vanity which keeps humankind in a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends and here we should try to see that the ideas of being separate from God, and pursuing false ends have become the doctrinal traits of most ALL religions. We should try to see that there IS a stark difference between the intended Truths of a religion and the application of those Truths through the doctrines of men, some of which are produced in the minds of men who were both barbarous and superstitious far beyond what we can consider as such today. The doctrinal perspectives of most ALL religions ARE in stark contrast to the original Truths, Truths that ARE known and understood but, at the same time, ignored because of the difficulty that they impose upon the psyches of men. Add to this the equal difficulty of understanding the Truth of God and the way that the Godhead works through those advanced Souls who become the ‘messengers‘ of that Truth and we can perhaps see the Christian reliance upon a personality of God and upon His Son whose message IS blurred and misconstrued. In the language of the New Testament gospels there IS a reliance upon words and relationships which has been equated with the common understanding of father and son and an equal reliance upon the literal ideas that ARE gleaned from these relationships. Jesus IS defining the Godhead in terms that ARE understandable and we should note here that most ALL of the Master’s words in the Gospel of John ARE directed at His disciples who, while still questioning at every turn, have a surer idea of the Truths that He IS espousing and an understanding that His words ARE NOT intended carnally nor literally. While the Christian world believes the ideas of “Christ in you” as they believe that they have possession of this mystery, their understanding IS founded in a doctrinal simplicity that IS steeped in illusion and governed by glamour. The illusion IS that most believe that in their rites and rituals and in their affirmations and confessions of faith that ‘Jesus’ comes to live in them while their glamour IS in their self-centered ideas that it IS ONLY such a Christian that can have this “Christ in you” or even approach the Lord. Such doctrinal approaches ignore the fundamental ideas from Paul which reveal the mystery “which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (Colossians 1:27, 26) IS intended to show the reality of who can have such realization. It IS the True saint and NOT the doctrinally proclaimed saint, the True saint that IS defined from the Greek word hagios as: most holy thing, a saint 2. While the idea of being a saint IS different between denominations and sects, NONE seem to have the right idea; most Protestant divisions see most ALL of their believers as saints and clearly these CAN NOT ALL be called a most holy thing without nullifying the very meaning of the idea. For the Catholic and the Orthodox divisions there IS a reliance upon death which can be explained in saying that ‘all of their faithful deceased in Heaven are considered to be saints, but some are considered worthy of greater honor or emulation; official ecclesiastical recognition, and consequently veneration, is given to some saints through the process of canonization in the Catholic Church or glorification in the Eastern Orthodox Church‘. Neither of these ideas of sainthood fit into the reality that Paul shows us, the reality of Truly KNOWING the deep mystery of “Christ in you“, a mystery that IS obnubilated by the vanity and its effect of keeping men separate from God, and pursuing false ends. Most importantly however IS the doctrinal denial of such clearly stated words from Jesus which show us the Way to have such realization of “Christ in you“, words that ARE the astoundingly clear in the third part of our trifecta and hinted at in the first. Repeating our trifecta:
- “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).
Comparing Jesus’ words with doctrinal ideas we should be able to clearly see the illusion and the glamour which the doctrines of men have perpetuated. Illusions and glamour that keep men separate from God while they pursue a doctrinal Life in this world which, according to the first Great Commandment, IS pursuing false ends. We should understand that ALL worldly pursuits ARE contrary to the spiritual Truths that ARE the scriptures of the world and while the doctrinal Christian may believe that he IS freed to pursue the things of the world because of his faith and believing, this belief IS but that same illusion at work. It IS in this vein that James tells us of the incompatibility of God and the world, the incompatibility of things carnal and things spiritual which has been our greater topic in recent essays. While it IS difficult to misinterpret James’ words, the words of Paul have been subject to misinterpretation and even misrepresentation for many centuries and perhaps it IS this span of time that has made such misapplications of his words the ‘normal’ of most Christian doctrine. We will often hear how that the apostle wrote two thirds of the New Testament as a defense for the way that men have relied upon their doctrinal interpretations of the Truth that IS embedded in Paul’s words. This brings us back to the words from Paul’s eighth chapter above and we begin with the first idea, a rather straightforward saying that IS grossly misunderstood; Paul tells us “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you“. Millions believe that this applies to the acknowledged Christian who has become so through his rites and rituals or through his spoken confessions and affirmations but there IS NO True scriptural reality to this belief save for misapplied words of the apostle. The question posed IS “if the Spirit of him….dwell in you“, which IS a rather clear reference to the Father but which idea IS generally melded into more general ideas of God. While the True answer to this question lies in Jesus’ own words from our trifecta, words that clearly say that His Presence IS dependent upon the manner of Life of a man who would likely NOT make such a claim. It IS to those that “hath my commandments, and keepeth them” that such Presence comes. This idea IS NOT rightly understood by His apostles at the time and it IS further explained for them in answer to Judas’, “not Iscariot” question as the Master says clearly “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“. The point IS that to have “the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you“, the Father if you will, requires that a man will “keep my words” as the Master tells us. This point should be rather clear and should be able to deflect the doctrinal assertions of those whose ‘salvation‘ IS based in any doctrinal ideas that ARE short of this Truth. For this segment of Paul’s words this idea should be able to dispel the doctrinal illusions that make everyone a saint and reserve this idea of holiness and His Presence against Jesus’ own words. Paul DOES NOT address the idea that men would believe themselves in a positive answer to the question of ‘if’ but, as he goes on, he does define for us the illusion with which the church IS afflicted as he tells us of our vanity and our “bondage of corruption“.
Still following under the idea of ‘if‘, the apostle shows us the positive side of having “the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you“. He tells us that having this Spirit makes a man a ‘debtor‘ which idea IS based in the Presence of God in one’s Life, an idea that IS tantamount to Loving the Lord and keeping His words according to the Master. One must NO longer live the Life of the man in the world, “to live after the flesh” as Paul tells us. This man who has the True Presence of God will “through the Spirit….mortify the deeds of the body” and this according to Jesus words that tell us to “Take no thought for your life” (Matthew 6:25). Paul continues to tell that man that “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” and in this we should see the Master’s words that say “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:44, 45). Can we see the point here? Can we see how that Paul’s words reflect upon the Master’s and serve to clarify and to amplify His Truths? We should understand that in these words from both the apostle and the Master there IS the reality of realization that IS seemingly hidden behind the literal ideas, a realization that IS based in the flow of Truth from one’s own Soul which, like Christ, IS the ‘Son’ of God, produced from and ever part of the Oneness that IS the Lord. We should remember that there IS a quid pro quo in each of these ideas from Paul and Jesus; from Paul there is the positive answer to the question “if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you” while from Jesus we have the factor of Love as He describes its Universality and the reality of our trifecta which bases ALL upon keeping His words. In the first the ‘reward‘ IS that “he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” which should be understood spiritually. It IS the “Spirit that dwelleth in you” that will make the mortal body spiritually alive through which will flow the Love and the Truth that ever the expression of the man whose focus IS upon the things of God. In the second, the words of Jesus according to our trifecta, the ‘reward‘ IS simply the Presence of God in one’s Life and if we measure Paul’s words against the Master’s we will see that these ARE the same resulting ‘reward‘. That doctrines DO NOT see, nor ARE they generally willing to entertain, the idea of reward as a part of any spiritual equation, IS because they tie their ideas of ‘salvation‘ solely to their misinterpretation of Paul’s words rather that the Truth of the Master’s words where the idea of a quid pro quo IS of paramount importance. In their out of context usage of the apostle’s words saying “by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesian 2:8) the doctrinal thinker sees clarity but in context these ideas of faith and grace ARE the resulting ‘reward‘ to the man “hath he quickened“, the man whose expression IS become the Love and the Truth that ARE the very nature of the Godhead and the Soul. These ideas ARE ONLY understood however when the core ideas behind pistis and pistueo ARE seen in terms of KNOWING and NOT the nebulous ideas of faith and believing held through the doctrines of men. We should understand as well that the idea of reward should NOT be seen in the common use of this term but according to the defining ideas of the Greek word misthos which the Master uses saying “if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye?” (Matthew 5:46). Here Jesus shows us the negative view of NO ‘reward‘ while in other places we have the positive idea in such sayings as “love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil” (Luke 6:35). It IS NO accident that most ALL uses of this idea of ‘reward‘ ARE used in relation to one’s expression of agape or the fulfillment of that ideal in humility. We should add to this the defining ideas for the Greek word; Strong’s tells us that misthos IS: pay for service (literally or figuratively), good or bad 9a while Thayer’s shows the idea as: dues paid for work; wages, hire and then as reward: used — of the fruit naturally resulting from toils and endeavors 9.
While the idea of ‘reward‘ IS clearly stated it should NOT be understood in terms of what IS due to a man in carnal terms but rather as Thayer’s shows us, as the fruit naturally resulting from toils and endeavors 9. In this IS the natural flow of grace and faith understood as ALL things that come from God through that KNOWING which the Master tells us IS the ‘reward‘ to those who will “continue in my word“. ALL of this is become moot through the doctrines of men however; ALL of the intent IS lost to the belief that one has His Spirit and His Truths without ever fulfilling their part of this quid pro quo that has been the rule from the beginning. We should try to see also that in the use of the idea of being a debtor there IS the implication of an obligation more than something owed and this rendering IS used in several translations. We should see as well that it IS framed in the negative to show us that we ARE NOT any longed obligated to living the Life of a man in this world, a man held under the vanity of Life. Yet millions of self-professed Christians on every level of their religion remain so obligated as they live their lives according to the ways of the world and this while denying that they ARE yet “conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2). Paul shows us this in sayings that ARE relegated by the doctrinal thinker to the outlier in Christianity rather that to the mainstream where his words have come to belong; Paul tells us “if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh” (Colossians 2:20-23). In the often cumbersome language of the King James Bible these ideas, especially the last one, can be unclear; they DO however point us toward the idea of just what being “conformed to this world” should mean. We should see that most ALL men, in and out of the church, ARE NOT “dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world” but ARE rather living according to “the commandments and doctrines of men” of which the Master warns us saying “in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7). Here again the doctrinal thinker relegates such ideas to others, in this case to the Jews in Jesus time and before, as they refuse to see themselves as complicit in the same theologies and philosophies. Later translations DO clear up the language in Paul’s words; the New American Standard translation shows us the last part as “These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence” (Colossians 2:23). Here we should see that the pretense of religious Life, ofttimes NOT even noted by those involved, seemingly shows a man as living spiritually while he IS yet entrapped by those same “rudiments of the world“. The idea of rudiments IS explained by Vincent as: the sum-total of human life in the ordered world, considered apart from, alienated from, and hostile to God, and of the earthly things which seduce from God 4. This however should NOT be understood in ‘evil’ terms but as the normal Life of everyman in that vanity which Vincent also defines for us as: a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends 4. We should again try to see these ideas of vanity and living according to the “rudiments of the world” according to the words from James which show us the incompatibility of things carnal and things spiritual; the apostle calls us saying “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:1). The main point here IS James’ words on the world and the way that most ALL men DO live according to the “rudiments of the world” into which they ARE nurtured and indoctrinated as they ARE made to believe that their doctrines ARE an ample substitute for that focus upon the Lord which makes us “dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world“. It IS in this vein that we should read the apostle’s words saying “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). Here Paul IS showing us the Way to True salvation through “the renewing of your mind“, which, through focus upon the things of God, reveals the deep Truths, the mysteries and the expression of agape to the carnal mind, thus freeing the man from that “bondage of corruption” which IS his vanity, which IS his illusion and his glamour.
While the doctrinal thinker believes himself to be freed from his bondage, this belief ONLY reveals that he DOES NOT understand just what his bondage IS. Paul DOES explain the dynamics however and in rather clear terms that ARE dismissed by doctrinal assertions that one’s rites and rituals or one’s affirmations and confessions of faith Truly provide the desired ‘salvation‘ which idea itself IS grossly misunderstood. Paul tells us that “if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God“. We should note here that the last phrase of this selection defines the man in the world who IS being “led by the Spirit of God” as “son’s of God” which Paul later equates with being as Christ which IS the deeper meaning of one’s being “joint-heirs with Christ“. Paul shows us throughout his writings the necessary requirements of Truly being “joint-heirs with Christ” which result from the idea that one DOES “through the Spirit….mortify the deeds of the body“. This IS NOT a standalone idea and this IS NOT the doctrinal idea of refraining from what ARE considered the gross offenses that ARE generally seen in terms of sex and violence. To Truly “mortify the deeds of the body” one must Truly Repent and change the focus of his Life off of the self and onto the things of God, onto “treasures in heaven” rather than “treasures upon earth“….upon the things of God rather than the True ideas of mammon (Matthew 6:19, 24). It IS this that James speaks against in his words on our relationship with the world. The Master shows us these ideas saying “If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” and then telling us that “Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:11, 13). The reality of being “faithful in the unrighteous mammon” IS NOT ONLY to be a good steward of one’s own possessions and wealth as doctrines allude to but it IS to understand the very nature of mammon according to Peter’s words saying that we must escape “the corruption that is in the world through lust“. The Truth of the spiritual ideas of both mammon and lust ARE intimately tied together and we should note here that it IS the desires of men for their own betterment in regard to finances and social status that ARE the lure of mammon which should be seen as the far reaching idea of the things of the world rather than merely as riches (where it is personified and opposed to God as the lexicon tells us 2. While doctrines DO NOT see the reality of mammon, and some even preach prosperity as a biblical right, the Master’s words ARE really quite clear and from the perspective of most everyman’s interaction with riches His words ARE found True saying that “Ye cannot serve God and mammon“.
But this idea IS unacceptable in the minds of most ALL doctrinal thinkers who see this Life differently than that which IS painted for us by the world’s scriptures and especially in the clarity of True Christianity. It IS in this way that we should see the intent of Paul’s continuing words saying that “if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live” and understand that the emphasis here IS in the mortification of the desires for self and the things of the self in this world. Here the idea of praxis which IS rendered as deeds should be understood as presented by Thayer’s where we read that praxis means: a doing, a mode of acting; a deed, act, transaction 9. We should see here that the references to both body and to flesh incorporate the fullness of the carnal man including the mind and the emotions, those carnal attributes that must be “transformed by the renewing of your mind“. The doctrinal failure here IS found in the doctrinal ideas of the personality and its continuation into an afterlife and then one’s eternal existence in that personality. While there IS NO real scriptural reference to the personalities of men in the Christian idea of heaven, men cling to their ideas because of their desire to overcome the unknown Truths of death. Men desire to see again their Loved ones and many doctrinal Christians muse about their own seeing of Jesus and the patriarchs. Much of these ideas ARE built from ideas that the apostles’ experience on the Mount of Transfiguration appear to reveal; Mark tells us that “there appeared unto them Elias with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus“. What they really see IS NOT clear. We should remember that Jesus Himself IS in a Transfigured state and while Mark tells us ONLY that “his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them” (Mark 9:4, 3), Matthew goes deeper to tell us that “his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light” (Matthew 17:2). Here we should understand that the appearances of Moses and Elijah ARE NOT physical but spiritual and in a way that we nor they can properly define save for the most vague idea that we get from Paul’s words above regarding “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body“.
We will continue with our thoughts in the next post.
- 1 Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1828 and 1913 from https://1828.mshaffer.com/
- 2 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
- * Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
- ** A Treatise on Cosmic Fire by Alice A Bailey © 1951 by Lucis Trust
- 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
