ON LOVE; PART MDXLXIX
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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 beginning words of the Parable of the Faithful Servant which ends the twenty fourth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel and our discussion about the prevailing church idea that the Master IS speaking of the end times versus the reality that His words ARE in regard to the sacking of Jerusalem. Over the last several essays we believe that we have laid out an easy way to understand the reality of the Master’s words which have slid into ideas of the end times because of a general misunderstanding of His words. The idea of an end times that coordinates with the churches’ fantastical ideas taken from the dreams and visions of Daniel, Ezekiel and John’s Book of Revelation IS become a major part of the Christian experience in many parts of the church. We should try to understand here that there IS little or NO foundation for these ideas Truly represented in scripture. The end times scenarios, which vary between denominations and sects, have been made up out of whole cloth by those who assumed authority over the spiritual lives of the masses from the times of the church fathers. Their writings, while NOT addressing the end times as it IS addressed in later times, DID acknowledge many of the ideas from our discussion as being in regard to an end times rather than the events of the more recent past, the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem. Perhaps the greatest point that we can show to contradict the use of these words as an end times philosophy IS that NOT the whole of the Master’s words from this chapter ARE included in their doctrinal thinking; some ARE applied to the events of 70 AD.
Google AI offers us a view of the way that these words from Matthew’s Gospel were separated into the two parts, the destruction of the city and the end times. They tell us that: Matthew 24 is interpreted as addressing both the 70 AD sacking of Jerusalem and the final end times through a “dual fulfillment” or prophetic telescopic approach, where near-term events foreshadow final judgment. The discourse mixes signs of the impending Temple destruction (wars, persecution) with cosmic language indicating the end of the age**. We should note here that the idea of a “dual fulfillment” or prophetic telescopic approach ARE entirely man made ideas that ARE used to explain the Master’s words in ways that suit the doctrinal ideas developed by these same men. As we said over the course of our discussion, the primary impetus toward aligning the Master’s words with the end times IS found in a statement that precedes the beginning verses of our discussion. As we have shown, it IS our view that this impetus IS based on a general misapplication of the Greek words and a misinterpretation of the ideas presented. While we believe that these errors were purposefully made to reinforce doctrinal ideas, we leave it to the reader to decide this for themselves. The chapter begins with Matthew’s words and continues on into the words of the Master; we read:
“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:1-3).
We should note here that based on Matthew’s narrative the Master had been in the temple speaking and teaching for some time over what appears to be two days. As the twenty third chapter closes, a chapter where the Master strongly condemns the actions of the religious leaders of the Jews, Jesus recounts the way that the Jews had killed and persecuted the prophets. After this we read His words saying “upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation” (Matthew 23:35-36). This IS the first of the Master’s predictions of the tribulation that was to come “upon this generation“. While many may see in these words the intent of the Godhead to take retribution on the Jews, the reality IS simply that the Master was stating what He KNOWS will happen in the times leading up to the destruction of the temple. It IS human activity that brings about the “great tribulation” (Matthew 24:21) and perhaps the beginning of this precedes even the historical events we cited in past essays where we begin with what is called the ‘initial unrest’ in 66 AD; there was indeed much turmoil in Israel in these times. It IS from these words that clearly tell us that it IS “this generation” that must endure the “great tribulation” that we come upon our text above where Jesus continues His prediction saying of the temple that “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down“. While this destruction IS clearly the intent of the Master’s words, the questioning by the disciples and the Master’s answer, as it IS interpreted by much of the church, IS perhaps the beginning of the attempts to align at least part of Jesus’ narrative with the doctrinal ideas of the end times. While we discussed these ideas in a previous essay, it IS important to understand that looking at the Greek words differently eliminates the error and brings the idea into alignment with Luke’s version which has NO such end times alignment. In Luke’s Gospel the same ideas ARE presented as “As for these things which ye behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?” (Luke 21:6-7). Mark’s version IS largely the same.
In Luke’s version the entire idea from the question to the answer IS in regard to the destruction of the temple; there IS NO alternate understanding to be made. The church however DOES NOT see this same idea in Matthew and many understand the differences to be that they ARE: parallel accounts of the Olivet Discourse, where Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple. Luke focuses on the immediate destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD), while Matthew combines this with signs of his second coming and the end of the age, offering a broader, apocalyptic scope***. This idea comports with the “dual fulfillment” ideas concerning the Olivet discourse cited above and while much of the church accepts such ideas, the reality IS that any alignment of Jesus’ words with the end times IS, again, made up out of whole cloth by those who assumed authority over the spiritual lives of the masses from the times of the church fathers. Returning to our verses from Matthew where the interpretation IS “what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?“, let us look again at the Master’s words. In our discussion of these words in parts 1944 and 1946 we cited the Young’s Literal Translation’s rendering of the Master’s words as “Tell us, when shall these be? and what [is] the sign of thy presence, and of the full end of the age?“. In Young’s the idea of coming IS replaced by presence and the “end of the world” is replaced with “the full end of the age“; in this rendering there IS NO idea of end times present. While Matthew’s version IS the outlier, the ONLY version to contain the supposed seeds of the end times, it has nonetheless been accepted by much of the church, especially those parts that lean more heavily on end times theology.
We should understand here that this idea of the “end of the world” is then combined with other ideas that have been pulled out of the Master’s words and allowed to exist in this same end times doctrinal approach and it IS especially the Master’s use of the idea of “the Son of man” in this context that IS used to support many theories. This idea of “the Son of man” however IS NOT the Master referring to Himself and He often DOES in the gospels; this idea IS a parabolic reference to ALL who can, through Repentance and Transformation, Truly embody the Apostle John’s words saying “as he is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Few have accomplished this goal of being “as he is“, of being spiritual beings expressing Life through a form in this world; such as these IS the reference that we should use to define the idea of “the Son of man” in the context of the Olivet discourse. The confusion of the Master’s words IS found in the reality that those that ARE interpreting them into an end times theology ARE using His words to their own ends. Again, while we DO NOT KNOW if this is a purposeful doctrinal agenda, in the clarity that we should find in His words being in regard to the destruction of the temple and the city of Jerusalem, a purposeful intent to deceive seems apparent. So much effort has been placed on the various end times scenarios in the churches that this has become a real distraction; it has replaced the necessary teaching of the Truths of the Master’s words. This brings us back to the Parable of the Faithful Servant which ends this discussion between the Master and His disciples. The Master tells us:
“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 24:42-51).
The theological idea of the end times IS often referenced as eschatology which IS defined as: the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind*. While the idea here includes the death of individuals, the focus of most ALL of the church IS upon their various ideas of judgment, and the final destiny of the soul and of humankind….the end of the world if you will. There ARE several scriptural ideas that ARE used in the churches as parts of their end times theology including the Book of Revelation, the Book of Daniel, the prophecies of Ezekiel, Paul’s words in his epistles, especially to the Thessalonians and, of course this Olivet discourse that we ARE studying. Through bits and pieces from each of these men have constructed their end times philosophies and churchmen have been predicting the times of the end as well as the means for centuries. What we should try to understand IS that if there IS to be an end to our existance in this world it will NOT come as some climactic action of the Godhead but rather at the hands of men. In most every generation there ARE periods of world peril that induce men to think about such an end to Life as we KNOW it and today IS NO different. It IS however men who ARE perpetuating the perils with which the peoples of the world ARE faced. In this IS the importance of the Master’s opening phrase in our parable as He tells us clearly “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come“. We discussed this verse briefly in the last essay centering our thoughts on the idea of Lord which IS rendered from the Greek word kyrios. We noted that this word IS NOT always in reference to the Lord but IS also used to identify a lord, a master and often used simply as sir. It IS used as lord in the rest of the parable. It IS perhaps the use of the idea of “the Son of man” two verses down in Jesus’ reference to the idea that it IS “in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” that has inspired the church to see Lord in this first verse of the Parable. The idea of “the Son of man” IS cited here in the same way as the idea of kyrios and, again, neither need to refer to the Master.
In more practical terms, we should try to understand that the timing between Jesus’ speaking these words and the actual time that “the Son of man cometh” IS a short period and one that IS aptly covered in the historical record of the times….Jesus DOES NOT cometh in those days. In relation to the destruction of the temple and the city, we should be able to understand that the idea of “the Son of man” CAN NOT be a reference to Himself where His return would be a mere forty years later. While some believe that some of His disciples and apostles believed that Jesus would be returning in such short time, there IS NO real evidence of this save for the same ideas we discuss in these essays where the idea that “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:34) IS misunderstood to refer to the end times rather than to 70 AD. The point here in the parable IS simply that the Master’s reference to “what hour your Lord doth come” and “such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” IS a reference to the same idea in the mind of those that ARE the subject of this story. Both ARE in regard to “the goodman of the house” and his ability to both watch for the signs of and to be ready for the event. This event in the parable IS the return of the lord of the house who IS likened to the “son of man” as this IS discussed in the Master’s preceding words. However, since the idea of the “son of man” IS interpreted ONLY as the “the Son of man“, this message IS lost in the doctrines of the church.
This IS NOT the main message of the parable however, the main message IS that regardless of how His words ARE interpreted, as an end times prophecy, as the events of 70 AD or as one’s individual demise, that those hearing His words, His disciples if you will, should be ready. We should understand that these ideas, as most ALL teachings to disciples in the New Testament, ARE NOT ONLY for disciples but for ALL who strive to be disciples. In regard to the parable here, the same IS True for ALL men who Truly seek the Lord….ALL should be ready “for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come“. We ARE using the Master’s words here in the way that we understand the intent of the parable and which, at the same time, DOES reveal a Truth that IS discussed in other parables that follow these words in the next chapter of Matthew. There the Parable of the Ten Virgins offers us the same idea without any tie to the events of 70 AD. We should remember that the Parable of the Faithful Servant IS a just that, a parable, and that even among His disciples there ARE those that DO NOT understand the meaning. In the next thought; the Master asks them: “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?“. In the earthly version of the story the question IS in regard to the “faithful and wise servant” giving them, those in his care, “meat in due season“. Here the idea can be nourishment as in food 9 which IS the idea understood by Thayer’s in regard to this use of the Greek word trophe. This seems the idea taken by much of the church as the intent of the Master’s words IS understood in nourishment as in food rather than the idea being a parabolic setup of trophe as spiritual nourishment. This idea would be found in a spiritual understanding of the Master’s idea, a version that lies beneath the outer story for those that can understand the ideas of both lord and the “son of man” in the context of the twenty fourth chapter of Matthew.
Through our view of “the Son of Man” in the Master’s words here, we have tried to present the idea that this “Son of Man” who cometh “as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west“, this “Son of Man” who cometh “in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” IS NOT the Master. Our reasoning for this IS embodied in our text over the last several essays and finalized above in the idea that the totality of the events of the twenty fourth chapter IS but forty years from His crucifixion. Understanding then that this “Son of Man” IS NOT a reference to Jesus and understanding that the Master’s words ARE to His disciples, we break down the parabolic ideas. Our point IS to show that it IS the disciples themselves, those that take the lead in this time of “great tribulation“, that become the “son of man” and take it upon themselves to lead the ‘flock’. In this we should try to see that the Master’s question IS to these leaders who historically would be Peter and Paul but the timelines of their deaths leaves this in question. Regardless of who takes on this mantle of leader, and there IS sparse information available for these times between 70 AD and the turn of the century, it IS to them that this prophetic question IS asked. And perhaps the idea IS clearer if we see the idea of the lord in this verse as the Lord. IS there “a faithful and wise servant” who took up the mantle and who DID “give them meat in due season” with meat understood as spiritual nourishment. We should believe that there were those who led disciples and aspirants to discipleship in these days and we should remember here that NONE of the gospel and epistle writers mention the events of the “great tribulation” so that the likelihood of it being them is greatly minimized. We should remember as well that ALL of the Master’s words here ARE both parabolic and prophetic.
To be sure the entirety of this twenty fourth chapter of Matthew, as well as the similar passages in Mark and Luke, ARE intentionally vague and the Master’s ideas remained obscure even to those disciples in His audience that day. While there seems to be evidence that some believed that Jesus would return in their lifetime, several such ideas can be found in the epistles; there IS NO way to Truly KNOW that this was their intent. While the church has spent centuries building their own doctrinal narratives concerning the Master’s words, there IS yet NO agreement on the meaning of these words; many still see the end times while others who see the events of 70 AD CAN NOT tell us just what the meaning of His words IS. What we have presented IS our view of these events that ARE spoken of in a parabolic and prophetic way by the Master before His crucifixion and we should remember here that several, even at this late date, DID NOT believe that He would be leaving them in such an abrupt manner; this IS what we ARE led to believe through the gospel narratives.
One thing that we should try to see IS that the pictures painted by the Master, the picture of the “great tribulation” and the “the coming of the Son of man“, ARE NOT idle words. They have meaning and from our perspective the meaning IS to show a picture of the near future where there IS but one message and this message was for those listening only if they were yet alive in those days. The message IS simple and covers most ALL time and most ALL men; the message IS that men should ever “be ye also ready“. Regardless of how this idea IS interpreted, as an end times warning, in regard to the destruction of the temple and the city or in regard to each man’s Life, the message IS True. ALL that men have to accomplish in Life can ONLY be accomplished as men in this world and our time IS limited; for ALL men and at ALL times our death IS surely at the door. The whole point of most ALL of the Master’s teachings IS that they ARE offered to us in this regard; He gives us instructions for proper living; often in the form of commandments with others in the form of commentary on the Way to the Truth. The reality IS that we ARE being told to DO so now through the agency of our own Souls. The Truth IS NOT in the Master’s words per se, the Truth IS in the fabric of our existence. Jesus merely put the Universal Truths into words with the intent that His words would spark the interest of the carnal mind in such a way that it would be receptive to the prompting which ever comes from the Soul. Everytime we read or hear His words or the amplifying and clarifying words of His apostles, we ARE offered this same message….that we should keep His words of Truth. This of course has been lost in the doctrinal ideas of men from the beginning, lost to the various ideas of ‘salvation‘ that ARE preached in most every religion, ideas that DO NOT make men ready. It IS this readiness that IS the point of the parable and it IS the parable that encapsulates the entire lesson offered in the Master’s words that we have been discussing. It IS this same lesson that can be found in our trifecta of the Master’s sayings that show us that the whole of being ready IS found in our ability to keep His words. Repeating our trifecta 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).
We should try to see here that the Master’s words ARE our guideposts on the Path to the Truth and, again, it IS His words that embody the Truth which He puts into the form of commandments. The Master tells us of the importance of His words in this chapter that we have been discussing as He tells us that “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). He tells us also of the effect of keeping His words in our trifecta where we read that it IS in keeping His words that we ARE True disciples, that we have the Kingdom of God and that we have the Presence of the Lord in our lives. That so many believe that they have these things in their lives without keeping His words IS unfortunate and this largely because in this belief most ALL will never see the need to DO so. In this idea of unfortunateness we should try to see the words of the Apostle James who tells us so clearly to “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” (James 1:22). We frequently cite these words from James because they show us in rather stark terms the plight of the churches that DO NOT teach the need to keep His words and to allow them to bring the expression of agape Love and Truth into our lives. The doctrines of men DO NOT show us this need and they ignore the deception that comes upon those that believe that they have the rewards without keeping His words. It IS for this reason that the Master’s words regarding doctrines ARE so important; He tells us in His own stark terms that “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).
But the church has rejected these words and has laid the Master’s words off as applying ONLY to the Jews in those days. Most see these words as Jesus simply repeating the words of the prophet and applying them to the people in His day. Moreover, the entire idea in the three gospels IS misunderstood from most every perspective. As we often discuss, these words were NOT offered as prophecy by Isaiah but they were cited as such by Jesus as He shows the Jews that the idea IS still relevant. And, since the gospels ARE NOT intended for the Jews in those days but rather as an extension of the Master’s words into the future, we should be able to see that these words ARE still relevant today. It IS the Master that turns the prophet’s words into a prophecy and it IS a prophecy that should have been addressed by the church from the beginning. Most ALL of Christianity is run by the individual doctrines of the various denominations and sects and there ARE many. From our perspective most ALL of these individual doctrines run counter to the words of the Master in much the same way as the Jews’ doctrines ran counter to the ‘heart‘ of the law as given to the Jews by Moses. This IS the unseen failure of the entire Christian religion and while some denominations and sects run closer to the Truth than others, NONE offer the Truth of the Master’s words. While there ARE some preachers in the past and today that cite the deeper Truths of the gospels, these Truths ARE NOT understood by most to override the tenets of the doctrines to which they also prescribe.
Most ALL teach some variation of their doctrinal ideas on ‘salvation‘ and claim the rewards of our trifecta as theirs while NOT DOING as the Master tells us IS the criteria for those rewards. Most ALL lean on the traditions handed down from the church fathers and later the reformers rather that the ‘heart‘ of the commandments offered by Jesus. While some rely on their nebulous ideas of faith and believing, others rely on their idea of sacraments while still others see only a puritanical view of Life which prohibits certain carnal behaviors. Still others maintain a view of religion which incorporates dressing in certain ways and eschewing modern conveniences; there IS a seeming limitless array of denominational and sectarian differences. ALL miss the simple point of keeping His words as the Way par excellence to True salvation which IS the effect of one’s expression of agape Love and the Truth in this world.
It IS men’s doctrinal ideas, their “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men“, that has resulted in the Master’s words from the twenty fourth chapter of Matthew, as well as the similar words from the other gospels, that have led to the doctrinal ideas that His subject IS an end time with which men should be concerned. This diversion from the Truth has confounded the Master’ s words which ARE His warnings and cautions regarding the “great tribulation” that will effectively end the Jews’ religion allowing for the birth of what will come to be called Christianity. Jesus cautions His disciples, and those that they in turn will teach, about the deviance of men who will be “false Christs, and false prophets” (Matthew 24:24) and if we can see here that His intent IS to caution them about those that distill the Truth into ofttimes self serving doctrines, we can perhaps understand what happened to the church. We should try to understand that His words which we have been discussing held out the opportunity for men, to discern the True “Son of man” (Matthew 24:26) by the same formula that He presented in the beginning of His time with us. In simple words the Master tells us “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. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).
The Master repeats what IS for us the most important part of this caution as He tells us “Ye shall know them by their fruits” and then “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them“. While this idea IS a most basic Truth from the Master’s teachings, a Truth that IS reiterated in His words cautioning us against “false Christs, and false prophets“, the idea has been manipulated by men and has lost the Master’s intent. So many Christian teachers and preachers, pastors and priests, ARE NOT measured against the reality of their fruit but rather against their appeal to the individual. It IS this idea of appeal that we ARE cautioned against however as so many teach messages that ARE NOT at all in accord with the teachings of the Master and while most ALL hold their doctrines above the Master’s Truths. While the clearest understanding of the fruits IS found in Paul’s words on “the fruit of the Spirit” where such ARE itemized as “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance“, there ARE many references in the gospels as well. As we have discussed in previous essays, the ideas rendered from the Greek words in Paul’s list ARE largely carnal interpretations of spiritual ideas. However, in either understanding, they ARE important guidelines that show us a glimpse of what ARE the fruits by which we should KNOW the True prophet, teacher and representative of Christ. We should try to understand that this idea of fruits, from the Greek word karpos, IS NOT restricted to the fruits which grow on a tree; the biblical use of the idea IS, when applied to men, that which originates or comes from something; an effect, result 9 as Thayer’s shows us. Thayer’s goes on to tell us that the idea IS: equivalent to ἔργον, work, act, deed where the Greek word IS ergon which IS always defined in terms of work. In the end we could replace this idea of fruits with works and see the Master’s idea as “Ye shall know them by their fruits works” and then “Wherefore by their fruits works ye shall know them”.
While this IS NOT a difficult concept to follow, few DO understand this idea of fruits and works as most ARE taught that one need not DO anything for ‘salvation‘. We should try to see however that this IS a doctrinal idea, the product of “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men“. In our next series of essays we will try to define just what IS meant by the Master’s reference to works and to fruit beginning with His words saying “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
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 |
- 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
- ** Google AI answering: how can parts of Matthew 24 be attributed to the sacking of jerusalem while others are attributed to the end times
- *** Google AI comparing Matthew with Luke
hose who walk on the well-trodden path always throw stones at those who are showing a new road
Voltaire, Writer and Philosopher
