{"id":10002,"date":"2014-07-14T17:10:54","date_gmt":"2014-07-14T21:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newagedevelopments.org\/blog\/?p=10002"},"modified":"2014-07-14T17:11:52","modified_gmt":"2014-07-14T21:11:52","slug":"in-the-words-of-jesus-part-1093-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newagedevelopments.org\/blog\/2014\/07\/14\/in-the-words-of-jesus-part-1093-2\/","title":{"rendered":"IN THE WORDS OF JESUS\u2013Part 1094"},"content":{"rendered":"

ON LOVE; PART\u00a0DCLXXXIII<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391<\/span><\/h6>\n

GoodWill\u00a0IS Love in Action<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391<\/span><\/h6>\n
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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<\/em>” (Mark 12:29-31).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/em>” (Matthew 7:12).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As we continue with our discussion on the idea of grace<\/em> and the relationship of grace<\/em> to the working out of the Love and the Power of the Soul in the Life of the man whose focus<\/em> IS on the things of God, a working out which we see as the operation of the Holy Spirit, we return again to the Master’s words from the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of John where Jesus introduces us to the greater Truths of the Holy Spirit which He also calls the Comforter and the Spirit of Truth. John’s Gospel IS a unique view of the Master’s Life and His words. While the synoptic gospels see a rather historical view of the Master, John’s sees the more esoteric view of His words and His\u00a0much more parabolic ideas which ARE spoken to the apostles alone, ideas that can show us the depth of His relationship with them. In this unique and most parabolic gospel there IS much that IS NOT understood even by those who are with Him and we can see a part of this in our current selection below and, as we said in the last essay, it IS unfortunate that so many believe that the DO see the Master’s words here clearly. In our discussion of the first three verses of this fourteenth chapter which we have been discussing for several days now, we have found a world of difference between what we discern as Jesus meaning and intent and the doctrinal ideas and translations as these are commonly understood by the church yet today. We repeat our selection again:<\/span><\/p>\n

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake<\/em>” (John 14:1-11).<\/span><\/p>\n

For us the message of these first three verses above IS rather clear as what we have discerned DOES seem to be able to stand the test of reality and while this IS our own simple test, it IS one that allows the Master’s words to flow to His own apostles in a way that there IS a current meaning to what He IS saying. For Jesus to be speaking to them regarding His coming again and regarding the need to “prepare a place<\/em>” for them to have in the “Father’s house<\/em>” or\u00a0heaven when they die at some future time would make little sense to them in that day…especially after hearing from the Master that His\u00a0time IS short and that He will be leaving them. But this IS the reality of the doctrinal understanding which can be more clearly seen in these ideas from Vincent:\u00a0And receive (\u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03bb\u03b7\u0301\u03c8\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9)<\/strong>;\u00a0Here the future tense, will receive. Rev., therefore, much better: I come again and will receive you. The change of tense is intentional, the future pointing to the future personal reception of the believer through death. Christ is with the disciple alway, continually \u201ccoming\u201d to him, unto the end of the world. Then He will receive him into that immediate fellowship, where he \u201cshall see Him as He is.\u201d The verb \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b1\u03bb\u03b1\u03bc\u03b2\u03b1\u0301\u03bd\u03c9 is used in the New Testament of taking along with (Matthew 4:5, note; Matthew 17:1, note; Acts 16:33, note): of taking to (Matthew 1:20; John 14:3): of taking from, receiving by transmission; so mostly in Paul (Galatians 1:12; Colossians 2:6; Colossians 4:17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13, etc. See also Matthew 24:40, Matthew 24:41). It is scarcely fanciful to see the first two meanings blended in the use of the verb in this passage. Jesus, by the Spirit, takes His own along with Him through life, and then takes them to His side at death. He himself conducts them to Himself<\/em> 4<\/sup>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As we previously discussed, we see much insight in Vincent’s ideas of the continual coming of the Master, of His word and His essence through the Christ Within, the Soul of each of the apostles, but his\u00a0ideas here that focus<\/em> upon the death of the apostles ARE misplaced as we note above. These ideas of death are founded in the doctrinal vision of the Life and death of men and that the Kingdom,\u00a0the “Father’s house<\/em>“, \u00a0IS that place that one will go to at death, although some DO believe that heaven IS for the end times and NOT at the death of the individual. In the reality of the Master’s words that “the Kingdom of God is within you<\/em>” (Luke 17:21), we see the greater Truths in the His\u00a0words and intent here: that He will be continually coming to them and will keep them in His\u00a0Presence so long as they continue in His word….it IS in this way that they can be with Him where He IS. Our reality here IS founded in the Kingdom Within, that this Kingdom IS the abode of\u00a0the Soul, the Christ Within\u00a0and\u00a0it IS this aspect of man that ever touches God and which operates within the Life in the world in discipleship….so that the Truth of the man in the world IS the essence of the Soul expressing<\/em><\/strong> his Life and consciousness to the world of men. And it IS this idea to which the Master refers in the next saying that they KNOW where He IS going and that they KNOW the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

This IS however a strange and alien concept even for the apostles and while Jesus tells them that they KNOW, at least some DO NOT Truly understand His words which ARE intentionally parabolic and which ARE tied to the opening idea of “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me<\/em>“; it IS in this sense of believing<\/em> that we should try to understand the concept of KNOWING and the reality of the disciple. We should remember that we have only snippets of the Master’s words here in this Gospel and we DO NOT KNOW the extent of the Master’s previous teaching on this matter.\u00a0We DO KNOW however that He continues in this teaching throughout the rest of this chapter and well into the following chapters\u00a0as He more clearly elucidates the relationships of the disciple with Himself and with the Father. And we should not forget here Jesus introduction to them of the reality of the Holy Spirit. The reality, the missed reality, of ALL these words IS the Truth of the Presence of God in the lives of these men who continue in His word, who continue in their focus<\/em> upon the things of God, and we should try to see here that He IS telling them to continue to go as He leads them ever deeper into the Way of the disciple which IS the Way of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the next words are a great part of the foundation of doctrinal Christianity and a great cause for the separation of the Christian from the rest of the world of men. This was never the Master’s intent but these words have been seized by those who took authority and formulated doctrines and ARE made by many to be their own Truth that it IS ONLY the Christian that will see heaven and be ‘saved’. This very idea flies in the face of the crux of the Master’s message of Love, the unconditional Love for ALL men, and the ancillary ideas that should be so profoundly Christian….that “there is no respect of persons with God<\/em>” (Romans 2:11). We can see NO place where the sense of glamour<\/strong> IS more prevalent than in this insistence that the Master IS telling the world that one MUST believe in Him or \u00a0NOT see God nor His Kingdom. This idea IS built in the illusions<\/strong> that tell men that merely by being a believing Christian that one can be saved and then in the glamour<\/strong> that men use to build up their own positions as greater that others. This sense of glamour<\/strong> and illusion<\/strong> IS at play in the doctrinal versions of other religions as well but this IS most pronounced in the Christian world in our view. The words are simple; they say “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me<\/em>” and that these ARE taken literally while the idea of the Kingdom Within IS NOT, IS a function of this same illusion<\/strong> and glamour<\/strong> and this likely because, in the eyes of the Early Church Fathers, this idea set the Christian apart from the rest of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many sayings that ARE intended to be seen in a literal fashion and there are others that ARE parabolic in nature\u00a0and it seems to us that many of the clearer and more straightforward words of the Master and His apostles are NOT seen in this literal fashion while other idea that ARE Truly parabolic, like our subject saying, ARE seen in a\u00a0literal way. Why can this be seen literally, that He IS\u00a0“the way, the truth, and the life<\/em>” while ideas like “If ye love me, keep my commandments<\/em>” (John 14:15), which IS from this same series of thoughts by the Master, IS NOT seen in the clearly literal intent with which it IS said. An example can be seen here in this latter saying which should be understood\u00a0to include ALL commandments and ALL things that Jesus had told them, and us through them. On this Mr. Gill tells us:\u00a0Christ is Lord over his people, as he is the Creator and Redeemer of them, and as he is an head and husband to them, and as such he has a right to issue out his commands, and enjoin a regard unto them; and these are peculiarly “his”, as distinct from, though not in opposition to, or to the exclusion of, his Father’s commands; such as the new commandment of loving one another, and the ordinances of baptism, and the Lord’s supper, which are to be observed and kept as Christ has ordered them, constantly, in faith, and with a view to his glory\u00a08<\/sup><\/em>. Can we see the point here? Can we see how that the ideas of baptism and the Lord’s supper are made to trump the Master’s many words on Love and on riches and on keeping His words in doctrine?<\/span><\/p>\n

We should see here that Mr. Gill DOES NOT refer to Love thy neighbor which IS the broader approach to the Master’s words on Love than that which\u00a0he does cite;\u00a0Love thy neighbor\u00a0should be seen as synonymous with John’s use of “one another”. Mr. Gill refers only to the “new commandment<\/em>” which he interprets as:\u00a0love one another<\/strong>:\u00a0as brethren in the same family, children of the same Father, and fellow disciples with each other; by keeping and agreeing together, praying one for another, bearing one another’s burdens, forbearing and forgiving one another, admonishing each other, and building up one another in faith and holiness: and this he calls “a new commandment<\/em>“8<\/sup><\/em>. The straightforward Truths of the Masters words ARE NOT seen in the same literal sense as ARE these words saying\u00a0“the way, the truth, and the life<\/em>” where the whole idea of a parabolic meaning IS missed and this missing IS based in the illusion<\/strong> and the glamour<\/strong> of men who interpret spiritual ideas in carnal fashion. While the straightforward idea of keeping His word<\/em> as we see in the saying above results in a doctrine that interprets this in doctrinal Christian ways instead of the\u00a0simple idea of keeping His words<\/em>, this other more parabolic saying on\u00a0“the way, the truth, and the life<\/em>” results in a literal understanding which we can see in this from John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible:<\/span><\/p>\n