\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<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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). <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\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. While this IS from an older definition of Charity, which IS rendered in the King James Bible from the same Greek word agape<\/em> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9\u2022\u0391\u03a9<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\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).<\/p>\n\n\n\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<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We spent much of the latter part of the last essay discussing how that we can Love the Lord and be Loved by the Lord. The reality that we try to paint here IS that these ARE both expressions <\/strong><\/em>of agape <\/em>that ARE simultaneous ideas; that to keep His words<\/em> shows our Love for the Lord while keeping His words<\/em> IS also the KEY to having the reality of God’s Love. Both of these ideas ARE found in the New Testament and we go again to John’s Gospel where we read “If ye love me, keep my commandments<\/em>” (John 14:15) and “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<\/em>” (John 14:23). These ideas ARE NOT clearly understood by most of the Christian world and likely for these two reasons; first the idea of agape <\/em>IS confused with the common understanding of Love and second that most see that the Love of God IS Universal. It IS this latter idea that can be most confusing. There IS a reality to the Universality of God’s Love; He Loves ALL men as rightly understood agape<\/em>. However, this sense of Love that John captures in such ideas as “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten<\/em>” (John 3:16) and Jesus’ own words saying of the Lord that “he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust<\/em>” (Matthew 5:45) ARE the reality of agape <\/em>but NOT our ideas of Love. While this Universal Love IS True and affects ALL men, the reality of His expression <\/strong><\/em>of agape <\/em>IS much more than this. His expression <\/strong><\/em>of agape <\/em>comes through our realization <\/em><\/strong>of His Love, a realization <\/strong><\/em>that we ONLY find as we strive <\/em>to keep His words<\/em> according to His saying above. This realization <\/strong><\/em>of agape <\/em>includes what Jesus refers to as His manifestation <\/em>and His making His abode <\/em>with such a man who keeps His words<\/em> as He shows us in His trifecta<\/strong><\/em>. Paul offers us a glimpse of the idea saying “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us<\/em>” (Romans 5:5). We should understand that these words DO NOT negate the Master’s words but rather amplify and clarify them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Holy Ghost or, better, the Holy Spirit IS just that: a spiritual force that embraces the reality of holiness <\/em>which IS the at the very nature of the Godhead and IS another misunderstood concept. Holy <\/em>IS His state of being as IS the reality of agape <\/em>as John shows us saying “God is love<\/em>” (1 John 4:8, 16). It IS this state of being that we should understand as the destiny of the whole human family; NOT as men in this world apart from the Lord but as men in this world who Truly follow the Lord. The Apostle Peter tells us “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy<\/em>” (1 Peter 1:3-16). This IS of course NO different that the Master’s own words that ARE told us by Matthew and Luke where the idea IS presented differently but should be understood to say much the same thing. According to Matthew the Lord tells us “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect<\/em>” (Matthew 5:48) while Luke tell us that He says “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful<\/em>” (Luke 6:36). In the combination of these sayings from the apostles we have three words that ARE fully misunderstood in the doctrinal ideas of men. In the idea of holy <\/em>we should see the perfection <\/em>and the mercy <\/em>that IS the natural expression <\/strong><\/em>of agape <\/em>for the Repented <\/strong><\/em>and Transformed <\/em><\/strong>man. As we have frequently discussed, the idea of holiness<\/em> IS NOT according to the pomp and ceremony of the churches nor IS it found in our worship services where the idea IS often used. Holy <\/em>IS the appellation for the man who has become “filled with all the fulness of God<\/em>” according to Paul’s ‘prayer’ that we have been discussing over the last posts. The Truly holy <\/em>man IS he that has been “ In Paul’s words saying “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us<\/em>” we should try to see that the KEY IS that this Love, this agape <\/em>Love, IS put into our hearts <\/strong><\/em>by the Holy Ghost which IS yet another ill defined idea in the doctrinal church. Jesus tells us of the Holy Spirit in the same ‘sermon’ to His disciples that gives us the realities of Loving the Lord and the Lord’s Love for us. For both of these realities, Love for God and the Love of God, the idea of keeping His words<\/em> IS the ‘cost’ of entry into this sense of agape <\/em>Love. There IS NO reason to believe that this ‘cost’ IS NOT attached to our ‘having’ the Holy Spirit as well. In His words that immediately follow His words saying that “If ye love me, keep my commandments<\/em>” (John 14:15) we find His first instruction on the Holy Spirit. The Master tells us that “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever<\/em>” and here there ARE two words\/phrases that distort the whole of the idea. First there is the idea of prayer which in this instance IS NOT as the doctrinal idea of men paint it. Many words ARE added to this saying for the clarity that the translators sought; these include the idea of “will pray<\/em>” where will <\/em>IS added and the phrase saying that “he shall give<\/em>” IS NOT in the Greek text. From the text we CAN NOT tell how the Lord intended this saying but with men’s addition of words to the text we ARE left to two things. First we can trust that the doctrinal translators DID right in their presumption that Jesus would have to pray<\/em>, as that idea IS understood, for the Father to give the Holy Ghost to His disciples. This idea IS minimized by the Master’s own words saying “I and my Father are one<\/em>” as well as His words that follow saying “the Father is in me, and I in him<\/em>” (John 10:30, 38). Our other alternative in understanding the Master’s meaning here IS to understand that what He IS speaking of IS a part of the mysteries <\/em>of Life, “the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God<\/em>” (Ephesians 3:9). In this we must understand the import of His words saying even later in John’s Gospel that “These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father<\/em>” (John 16:25). These words ARE spoken near the end leaving little time for Jesus to fulfill the idea of “the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father<\/em>“.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps one thing of note here IS the way that the disciples, the apostles if you will, DO NOT yet fully comprehend the reality of what IS happening although at times they seem to have flashes of True understanding. This IS of course before the Master’s crucifixion and much can be seen in regard to measure <\/em>as we follow the questions and comments of the disciples in John’s Gospel. We should remember that there IS a vast difference between the Apostle John’s presentation and the three synoptic gospels; the latter report a rather historical version of the events while John goes into the interactions between the disciples and Jesus. We see their lack of understanding in the questions posed to Jesus regarding His leaving them and His manifestation <\/em>but here we must see that their questioning IS based solely on their ability to realize the Truth as men in this world. Throughout the time that they ARE with the Master they ARE being Transformed <\/strong><\/em>as Paul tells us to also be saying “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind<\/em>” (Romans 12:2). After the Master’s words above that tell His apostles that “the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father<\/em>“, as Jesus continues in His dialogue, the apostles, seemingly as a group, tell Jesus: “Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God<\/em>“. Can we see the situation here? Can we see the way that the apostles ARE trying to show the Master that they DO understand while they ARE likely NO closer than they had been? Jesus response to the disciples words here IS simple and through it and the remainder of the story leading up to His resurrection we should try to see how that uncertainty can certainly creep into one’s mind. Jesus’ reply IS simply a question that asks “Do ye now believe?<\/em>” (John 16:29-30, 31).<\/p>\n\n\n\n With some certainty we can look at the apostles KNOWING that many of them they ARE eventually “filled with all the fulness of God<\/em>“. We can see this in the stories from the Book of Acts regarding Peter and Paul as well as some newer apostles as we read about Philip and Stephen. We can also see this in the way that Peter, Paul and John share with us their full KNOWLEDGE of things spiritual in their epistles as they relate the Master’s precepts to the reality of Life around them. While we DO NOT KNOW much of the other apostles save for their writings in the synoptic gospels and in some of the apocryphal writings that were denied by the church, we can be certain that their spiritual stature was far greater than when they came to serve with the Master. And this IS the point; it IS thru Truly following the Master that we gain access to the Truth and it IS in KNOWING some measure <\/em>of the Truth that we can be “transformed by the renewing of your mind<\/em>“. The reality of this Transformation <\/strong><\/em>IS found in the Way that the heretofore carnal mind succumbs to the Will of the Christ Within bringing into the world the “the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” as the new conversation <\/em>of the man and here the idea of conversation <\/em>IS that of its biblical use. The New Testament use of the Greek word anastrepho<\/em> which IS rendered as conversation <\/em>has a broader meaning that the ideas that it commonly embodies. In conversation we should see Thayer’s defining ideas which tell us that this IS: properly, ‘walk,’ i. e. manner of life, behavior, conduct<\/em> which they further explain as the ways in which holy living shows itself<\/em>9<\/sup>. It IS when our conversation <\/em>becomes an expression <\/strong><\/em>of “the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” that we can ourselves KNOW that we ARE in the process of our Transformation <\/strong><\/em>as we pursue what Paul calls “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body<\/em>” (Romans 8:23). Jesus tells us that it IS “by their fruits ye shall know them<\/em>” (Matthew 7:20) and while His reference here IS to the “false prophets<\/em>“, the idea IS equally True of the True prophets<\/em>, teachers and followers of the Lord. What becomes our conversation <\/em>through our Transformation<\/strong><\/em>? Simply “the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” which IS “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance<\/em>” (Galatians 5:22-23). We must understand here that these ideas CAN NOT be understood in carnal terms however; we must go to the spiritual implications of each. While we have discussed these words in previous posts, we will offer again our brief spiritual understanding of each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We begin here with the first fruit <\/em>cited which IS Love and here we must see ONLY the reality of agape<\/em>. Love as the idea IS commonly understood IS NOT applicable to ALL people known and unknown. Here we should reflect upon John’s words saying “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?<\/em>” (1 John 4:20). The point here IS again rightly understood agape <\/em>against the equally complex idea of hate<\/em>. The apostle IS NOT showing us carnally oriented Love which IS our attraction and attachment to others and to things as we CAN NOT Truly feel attached or attracted to ALL men; the keyword here IS feeling which IS what worldly Love essentially IS. The apostle IS showing us agape <\/em>as the idea IS taught us by Jesus. For us this translates into an ability to see ALL men as we see ourselves and to understand the basis for this equanimity. We should note here that we use this word equanimity differently than it IS commonly used; we use it to show an equality in our view of others so that, for example, we can see ALL men as Souls living in this world of vanity <\/em>and struggling with that vanity <\/em>in the same was as we DO albeit with a vast variety of carnal results. It IS the reality of agape <\/em>that allows us to see ALL men as our neighbor <\/em>and to effectively practice what the Apostle James teaches us saying “if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors<\/em>” (James 2:9). It IS in our right understanding of agape <\/em>that we can fulfill the commandment that tells us that “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself<\/em>” and effectively live according to Jesus explanatory words saying “all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them<\/em>“. This IS the essence of our expression <\/strong><\/em>of agape <\/em>in this world. Vincent, after a lengthy dissertation on agape <\/em>versus other ideas of Love, tells us in regard to this particular verse that: Love, in this passage, is that fruit of the Spirit which dominates all the others<\/em>4<\/sup>. When we can see past our own carnal nature and proclivities we can then perhaps begin to understand the reality of agape <\/em>as the Way to ALL spiritual rewards. As the Way to keeping His words<\/em> as Paul tells us earlier in this chapter of Galatians saying “all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself<\/em>” (Galatians 5:14) and as the Way to becoming “partakers of the divine nature<\/em>” (2 Peter 1:4) and entering “into the glorious liberty of the children of God<\/em>” (Romans 8:21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul’s next word in his list of “the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” IS chara <\/em>which IS rendered here as joy<\/em>. Chara <\/em>IS from the same root word, chairo, <\/em>as IS charis <\/em>which we should always understand as grace<\/em>, as ALL that comes from God. We can equate the idea to Luke’s words saying “the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost<\/em>” (Acts 13:52) while understanding it according to Paul’s words saying “the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost<\/em>” (Romans 14:17). Our point here IS that chara <\/em>IS NOT that feeling of joy <\/em>that we experience in this world but rather a spiritual joy <\/em>that comes from the Christ Within, the Soul of everyman. There IS little in bible dictionaries and commentaries that separate spiritual joy <\/em>from the feeling of joy <\/em>experienced in this world and we should try to see that spiritual joy<\/em> IS the proper understanding as we ARE looking at a “fruit of the Spirit<\/em>“. Such fruits <\/em>must perforce be spiritual and come from the Spirit so that any carnal implications ARE superfluous. What DOES this say then regarding joy<\/em>; simply that in the flow of agape <\/em>as a “fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” this idea of joy <\/em>IS included perhaps resulting in the state of peace <\/em>and tranquility that as disciples we will exhibit. It IS in relating this word charo <\/em>with the ideas of of charis <\/em>that we can perhaps gain a better understanding of the apostle’s intent. Charis <\/em>IS grace<\/em>, charis <\/em>IS ALL that comes from the Godhead, and this sense of joy <\/em>which accompanies agape <\/em>IS indeed from the Godhead which should be understood from the human perspective as from the Christ Within, the Soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul’s next word IS peace <\/em>from the Greek word eirene<\/em>. While it IS simple to say that this peace <\/em>comes forth into the man who has “the fruit of the Spirit<\/em>“, this would NOT be a complete idea. Eirene <\/em>IS most always defined by bible dictionaries and commentaries in carnal and mundane terms. Strong’s tells us that eirene <\/em>IS: probably from a primary verb \u03b5\u1f34\u03c1\u03c9 e\u00edr\u014d (to join); peace (literally or figuratively); by implication, prosperity:\u2014one, peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again<\/em>9a<\/sup>; there IS little in spiritual ideas here. Thayer’s tells us that eirene<\/em> IS: a state of national tranquility; exemption from the rage and havoc of war<\/em>9<\/sup> and here again we find ONLY carnal implications. Thayer’s includes other predominantly carnal ideas as: peace between individuals, i. e. harmony, concord<\/em> and security, safety, prosperity, felicity<\/em>9<\/sup> while ending their list with one spiritual note regarding the Messiah’s peace<\/em> which idea we will pursue. Thayer’s also adds some strictly doctrinal ideas saying that eirene <\/em>IS: the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is<\/em> while closing with the idea that eirene <\/em>IS: the blessed state of devout and upright men after death<\/em>9<\/sup>. Save for the reference to the Messiah’s peace<\/em> there IS naught that can help us to understand this “fruit of the Spirit<\/em>“. To understand this we go to John’s Gospel where we read the Master’s 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 IS spiritual peace <\/em>which comes from the Christ and in turn from the Christ Within which IS our individual link to the Godhead. It IS this sense of peace<\/em>, the peace <\/em>that Jesus calls “my peace<\/em>” that should be understood as John’s reference in his saying that “we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love<\/em>” (1 John 16-18). From John’s words here we should be able to see that our peace <\/em>comes on the heels of agape <\/em>and that when we can practice, express <\/em><\/strong>if you will, “perfect love<\/em>” we ARE “made free<\/em>” of our fears <\/em>and our torment<\/em>. This then we can relate back to the source of our “fruit of the Spirit<\/em>” through the Master’s words from our trifecta <\/em><\/strong>saying “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>”\u00a0(John 8:31-32). Can we see how that it IS this peace <\/em>that IS a part of that freedom <\/em>that we attain in the Truth; in our freedom <\/em>from fear <\/em>and torment<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The apostle’s next word IS makrothumia<\/em> which IS rendered here as longsuffering<\/em>. This word has somewhat to DO with patience <\/em>but NOT in a carnal and mundane sense; again, this IS a “fruit of the Spirit<\/em>“; it IS rendered as patience <\/em>by most translators. This patience <\/em>however IS a spiritual patience <\/em>which IS difficult to define as we can see in Strong’s defining idea that makrothumia <\/em>IS: longanimity, i.e. (objectively) forbearance or (subjectively) fortitude<\/em>9a<\/sup>. Thayer’s tells us that makrothumia <\/em>means: patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance<\/em> followed by patience, forbearance, long-suffering, slowness in avenging wrongs<\/em>9<\/sup>. ALL of these defining ideas have carnal implications and DO NOT directly relate to Paul’s use of the word idea. To best understand the apostle’s intent we go to James words saying “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain<\/em>” (James 5:7). Vincent helps us with our defining ideas saying of patience <\/em>in this verse saying: Be patient [\u03bc\u03b1\u03ba\u03c1\u03bf\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03b7\u03c3\u03b1\u03c4\u03b5] . From makrov, long, and qumov, soul or spirit but with the sense of strong passion, stronger even than ojrgh, anger, as is maintained by Schmidt (” Synonymik “), who describes qumov as a tumultuous welling of the whole spirit; a mighty emotion which seizes and moves the whole inner man<\/em>delivered<\/s> made free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God<\/em>” (Romans 8:21); it IS NOT merely a word that can be applied to any Christian. Similarly, the idea of being perfect <\/em>IS NOT as is often taught in the churches as a sense of maturity<\/em>; this IS NOT the sense in which the idea IS used by the Master and it CAN NOT be the universal meaning applied to the word. This perfection <\/em>IS again an aspect of the very nature of the Lord toward which a man should strive<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n