revelations <\/strong><\/em>from the Lord, are yet ONLY the interpretations of men. <\/p>\n\n\n\nShall we believe <\/em>without doubt that this IS our God as He IS portrayed in the Old Testament? And shall we believe <\/em>that it IS the doctrines of men that we must believe <\/em>because they ARE loosely based in an inerrant bible. Or shall we be free to explore the Truth through communion with our own Souls, our own God and Christ Within, which IS the ONLY source of Truth according to Jesus’ words that ARE the first part of our trifecta<\/strong><\/em> without being ascribed a status as non-Christian? It IS in following the Truth of Jesus’ words that we can attain the Truth, His Kingdom and His Presence; it IS NOT in following the precepts of the church which Jesus calls out saying that they ARE “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men<\/em>“. It IS NOT in believing <\/em>the whole bible that makes one a True Christian. It IS in keeping His words<\/em> that the reality of salvation <\/em>can be ours. Repeating the guidance that the Master offers us in our trifecta<\/strong><\/em>, we read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n- “If ye<\/em> continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free<\/em>” (John 8:31-32).<\/li>
- “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<\/em>” (Matthew 7:21).<\/li>
- “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<\/em>” (John 14:21-24).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n
It IS in line with these precepts that ARE our trifecta <\/em><\/strong>that the lists that we have been discussing reveal to us in more specific terms. If we ARE keeping His words<\/em> then we will perforce be in accord with the specific ideas, rightly translated and interpreted, that ARE the components of “the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” and “the wisdom that is from above<\/em>“. We should remember here that it IS when the words used by Paul and James ARE rightly translated and interpreted that they ARE amplifying and clarifying the Master’s message; they ARE NOT changing His message or His covenant from Jesus’ teaching as IS supposed by far too many that call themselves Christians. There IS NO easier way to salvation <\/em>than the words of Jesus and while He spoke to the Jews 2000 years ago this IS ONLY because He was born and raised in Israel; this DOES NOT mean that His words were ONLY directed at the Jews in those times. So we continue with Paul’s list of what ARE the specific things that ARE included in both Jesus broader view of keeping His words<\/em> and in the apostles clarification and amplification of them. Paul begins with Love, with agape<\/em>, which IS the major theme of the Master’s teaching and of which the apostle tells us that it IS our expression <\/em><\/strong>of agape <\/em>that IS the KEY, that IS the fulfillment of ALL the precepts of the Lord. Paul tells us that “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself<\/em>” and we should try to see that this, this precept, IS the ONLY ‘easier way’ to accomplish what men have forever shunned as keeping the law<\/em> and keeping His words<\/em>. It IS in men’s shunning refusal to interpret the law and the Master’s words properly that caused the Jews to form their doctrinal approach, their mitzvah if you will, and it IS this same sense of refusal that has led us to “another gospel<\/em>” of which today there ARE many. It IS in the simplicity of agape <\/em>that ALL IS possible, it IS in the simplicity of agape <\/em>that we can find our True salvation <\/em>here and now and can count ourselves as aspirants to discipleship. And we should remember here that Jesus Himself gives us the definitions of the disciple, definitions that ARE NOT shared by the Christians who believe that they ARE disciples in the absence of keeping His words<\/em>. This IS Paul’s message as he leads his list of “the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” with agape <\/em>of which Vincent tells us that: Love, in this passage, is that fruit of the Spirit which dominates all the others<\/em>4<\/sup>. As we continue with Paul’s list we repeat our selection from his Epistle to the Galatians; we read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n“<\/span>for, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit<\/span><\/em><\/strong>“.<\/span><\/p>Galatians 5:13-25<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nAgape <\/em>IS the first point on Paul’s list and we should understand that agape<\/em>, being the very nature of God, IS the most important and as we proceed we should try to understand how that ALL of the other points ARE included in men’s expression <\/strong><\/em>of agape<\/em>. We should remember that it IS our expression <\/strong><\/em>of the both “the works of the flesh<\/em>” and “the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” that ARE our determining characteristics that should show us the direction that we ARE headed. It IS within our own purview to KNOW our own state of being; NO others can see into our hearts <\/em><\/strong>clearly enough as we ofttimes feign our own True state for a multiplicity of reasons. And while we often KNOW that we ARE feigning our own way of conduct through our expression<\/em><\/strong>, we should be ever careful as it IS easy to convince oneself that what we may feign IS our Truth and it becomes so. The ideas that we present in this blog have become our Truth in the same way as the doctrinal presentations of the churches have become the Truth for those that closely follow them and we should try to see in this dynamic the creation and perpetuation of “another gospel<\/em>“. Here we should state that while our presentation IS our version of Truth, NO one should accept our views as ‘gospel’ without searching out the meanings of what we say in both scripture and in meditation upon the themes. So, back to our theme which seeks to scrutinize the translations and the rendering of the Greek words that Paul uses in his lists as we try to understand his meaning in spiritual rather than carnal ways. We believe that our previous presentation on “the works of the flesh<\/em>“, while incomplete and at times rather nebulous, offers a foundation for our understanding of what we should NOT DO if we ARE seeking to become disciples of the Christ and to conduct ourselves as such. That our presentation of Paul’s list of “the works of the flesh<\/em>” calls out the doctrinal church as examples of the way that “another gospel<\/em>” has permeated the lives of men for the last 2000 years deserves the same scrutiny as we must use to in determining our own state of being as, for the doctrinal Christian, it IS his doctrines that have largely led to him to believe whatsoever he has come to believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPaul’s next word after agape <\/em>IS rendered as joy <\/em>and, while we did discuss this in the last essay, we should refresh our understanding that the idea of joy <\/em>IS NOT what gives men joy <\/em>as men in this world. This joy <\/em>IS based in agape <\/em>and the flow of agape <\/em>into the heart <\/em><\/strong>of a man who can express <\/em><\/strong>it in his Life. The point of joy <\/em>being rendered from chara <\/em>must be seen through the idea of grace <\/em>and both should be seen as the effect of agape <\/em>on the hearts <\/strong><\/em>of men. It IS the sense of Oneness with the Lord and Unity with ALL that IS the hallmark of the effects of agape <\/em>on a man; we can call this flow into the human psyche grace<\/em>. We should try to understand our position that grace <\/em>IS ALL that comes from the Lord and we should understand that there IS naught that IS carnal in this flow. The lexicon ideas of biblical usage show the root word chairo <\/em>IS presented to us in terms of the effect of this flow on a man which ARE the cause of his ‘rejoicing<\/em>‘, his gladness <\/em>and his joy<\/em>2a<\/sup>. Its derivative, chara<\/em>, expresses the same as a noun which Thayer’s tells us IS a joyful condition or state<\/em>9<\/sup> which results from the cause or occasion of joy<\/em>9<\/sup>. Our point here IS that this sense of joy <\/em>IS based solely upon the flow of agape<\/em> into the heart<\/strong><\/em> of the man whose focus <\/em>IS upon the Lord and, as mercy<\/em> IS an aspect of this flow of Love, so IS joy<\/em>; that mercy <\/em>IS an expression <\/strong><\/em>of Love to ALL while the joy <\/em>IS the ‘elation’ felt by the man who has come to KNOW some measure of the Truth. We should understand that the idea here IS spiritual and NOT carnal and IS thus shown to us through the idea of “joy of the Holy Ghost<\/em>” (1 Thessalonians 1:6); a True joy that IS based on Truly having the Presence of the Lord according to our trifecta<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPaul’s next word in his list of “the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” IS peace <\/em>which IS rendered from the Greek word eirene<\/em>. We should remember there that as a “fruit of the Spirit<\/em>“, this idea of eirene <\/em>represents something that IS being expressed <\/strong><\/em>by those who Truly have such fruit<\/em> and that this idea of expression <\/em><\/strong>IS NOT a idle word. To best understand the apostle’s point we go back to Jesus’ teaching of the “false prophets<\/em>” where the singular idea regarding men that we should take IS that “Ye shall know them by their fruits<\/em>“. It IS our expression <\/strong><\/em>that defines our fruit <\/em>and here we should see that an expression <\/em><\/strong>of peace<\/em>, an inner peace <\/em>that flows out in joy<\/em>, IS contrary to much of Paul’s list of “the works of the flesh<\/em>“; it becomes an integral part of our ability to be KNOWN and to “know them by their fruits<\/em>” as this peace <\/em>IS a component of one’s demeanor. Can we see the effects of our peace <\/em>on others? Can we see Jesus’ point here regarding the True teacher of Christ as He repeats his charge saying “by their fruits ye shall know them<\/em>” (Matthew 7:16, 20). It IS under the auspices of agape <\/em>that this sense of peace <\/em>permeates the psyche of the man in this world and a great part of his joy <\/em>IS founded in one’s ability to Truly “love thy neighbour as thyself<\/em>” which, as Paul shows us in our selection, puts us in full accord with the Lord. It IS this reality that IS missing in the doctrinal and carnal understanding of eirene<\/em>; as a “fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” this peace <\/em>should be seen through Jesus’ words saying “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid<\/em>” (John 14:27). This peace <\/em>IS what comes from the Christ and from the Christ Within to the disciple. In a similar way it IS this sense of peace that Paul seeks to send to ALL as he begins many of his epistles with the saying that “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ<\/em>” (1 Corinthians 1:3); here we should see that this sense of peace<\/em>, spiritual peace <\/em>to be sure, flows from the Lord and IS a part of the flow of grace<\/em> into the lives of men whose focus <\/em>IS upon the Lord. Finally, to best understand this peace <\/em>as a “fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” we should look at Paul’s saying that “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus<\/em>” (Philippians 4:7) as well as his adjuring us to “let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful<\/em>“(Colossians 3:15).<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe next word in Paul’s list IS rendered as longsuffering <\/em>which IS NOT an accurate translation of Paul’s intent in using the Greek word makrothumia<\/em>, While the idea of longsuffering <\/em>IS used by Paul to show us the nature of the Lord as He awaits men’s Repentance <\/em><\/strong>and Transformation<\/strong><\/em>, it IS NOT as suitable as the rendering of the idea as a “fruit of the Spirit<\/em>“. Strong’s tells us that makrothumia<\/em> IS: from the same as G3116; longanimity, i.e. (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude:\u2014longsuffering, patience<\/em>9a<\/sup> while Thayer’s offers the ideas of patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance; especially as shown in bearing troubles and ills<\/em>9<\/sup>. Thayer’s also tells us that Paul’s usage of the word in his list of “the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” conveys: patience, forbearance, long-suffering, slowness in avenging wrongs<\/em>9<\/sup> and we should note that there IS little of spiritual import in these ideas. While Strong’s tells us that makrothumia<\/em> IS from combining makros <\/em>(G3116) which IS usually rendered as long <\/em>or far <\/em>and thymos\u00a0<\/em>[\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03cc\u03c2\u00a0(G2372)] which IS rendered in terms of passion<\/em>, Vincent offers us a different picture regarding the verb form of the Greek word makrothumeo <\/em>(G3114) as he tells us that this IS from combining makros <\/em>(G3116) with\u00a0thymos <\/em>[\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03cc\u03c2\u00a0(G2372)] but shows us the latter as soul or spirit, but with the sense of strong passion<\/em>4<\/sup>. The idea here IS based in seeing \u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03cc\u03c2\u00a0(G2372) as: as a tumultuous welling up of the whole spirit; a mighty emotion which seizes and moves the whole inner man<\/em>4<\/sup>. We should remember that we DID see this word in our study of “the works of the flesh<\/em>” where it was carnally rendered as hatred<\/em> and about which Thayer’s offered that thymos<\/em> IS: from \u03b8\u1f7b\u03c9 to rush along or on, be in a heat, breathe violently<\/em> as they then show us a classical Greek idea from Plato which IS interpreted as: it signifies both the spirit panting as it were in the body, and the rage with which the man pants and swells<\/em>9<\/sup>. We should remember also that Strong’s tells us that thymos <\/em>IS defined as passion (as if breathing hard)<\/em>9a<\/sup> and advises that we compare this word with G5590 which IS psuche<\/em>, a word that we have not visited for quite some time; a word which Strong’s tells us IS: breath, i.e. (by implication) spirit<\/em>9a<\/sup>.<\/span> Can we see the complexity of this idea of makrothumia<\/em> when viewed spiritually and of its component word thymos<\/em>. As one of “the works of the flesh<\/em>” we tried to see thymos <\/em>as a sense of rage<\/em> and Paul’s use of it as saying that we should NOT allow the Truth that flows from the Soul to cause the personality to ‘fight’ against opposing ideas that ARE in this world; a lesson the church has NOT learned in 2000 years. While makrothumia<\/em> includes this same sense of passion<\/em>, the direction and intent ARE different; Vincent tells us that: it is a patient holding out under trial; a long-protracted restraint of the soul from yielding to passion, especially the passion of anger<\/em>4<\/sup>. While this supports the ideas of