\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 In the last essay we addressed Paul’s words at Areopagus<\/em> from the Book of Acts. In his words the apostle reveals several Truths which ARE yet mysteries <\/em>in most ALL of the church. While Paul’s words ARE far beyond the doctrinal ideas of men, many have bent the apostle’s words to conform with their doctrines. A paramount example of this IS found in the doctrinal interpretations of Paul’s words saying that the Lord “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation<\/em>“. Rather that accepting these words at face value, the church has injected their doctrinal ideas from Genesis regarding Adam, claiming that the idea IS that Paul IS speaking: of Adam, the first parent of all mankind, and who had the blood of all men in his veins<\/em> 8<\/sup> as John Gill presents the idea. Google’s AI, Gemini, distills the doctrinal ideas into a similar view saying that: Acts 17:26 is a Bible verse in which the Apostle Paul declares that God created all humanity from one man, establishing the unity of the human race. It states that God sovereignly determines the specific times in history and the geographic boundaries where all nations and peoples will live<\/em>**. The AI view, in addition to the tying of Paul’s words to Adam, also shows us the doctrinal idea of predestination. While the idea of predestination IS NOT a universal doctrinal belief, it IS the generally accepted idea in this verse which tells us that the Lord “hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation<\/em>“.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we discussed in the last essay both of these doctrinal assertions ARE wrong; both miss the Truth because these ideas ARE a part of the mysteries <\/em>that ARE ONLY revealed by measure <\/em>to those whose focus <\/em>IS increasingly less carnal. To be sure, following in a doctrinal approach to the Lord DOES NOT give one revelations <\/strong><\/em>of the Truth; on the contrary, such an approach serves to further obnubilate the Truth. As we discussed, the Epicureans and the Stoics, the philosophers of the Greeks, were learned men who, despite their belief in the system of gods ordained in their era, DID have a functional understanding of the Truth; an understanding that IS lost in the religious myths that yet surround those times. The Path that these philosophers had chosen was NOT related to the ways of the Jews nor their superstitious and barbarous interpretations of the law, interpretations which the Master constantly railed against. The Path that these philosophers had chosen was a Path of learning which Luke highlights for us saying “certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing)<\/em>” (Acts 17:18-21). While Luke tells us that the “ Athenians and strangers which were there<\/em>” referred to Paul as a babbler<\/em>, we should try to understand the context of this idea. Paul IS speaking to the people of “Jesus, and the resurrection<\/em>” which these philosophers saw as Paul bringing “certain strange things to our ears<\/em>“. While Paul’s words may have initially seen as babble<\/em>, his explanations to them certainly struck a chord as they show us in their saying, according to Luke, that “We will hear thee again of this matter<\/em>” (Acts 17:32). Our point here IS that despite the doctrinal understanding of Paul’s words, the Greeks in Paul’s audience at “Mars’ hill<\/em>” had a basic understanding of the mysteries <\/em>that Paul presented, an understanding that has escaped doctrinal Christianity until now. Repeating Paul’s words we read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent<\/em>” (Acts 17:22-30).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n We ended the last essay with a discussion of the combined ideas that “though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being<\/em>“. We cited these ideas as a mystery<\/em>, and there ARE many in the New Testament, and we likened Paul’s words here to his words to the Colossians saying “the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Our subject words from Acts show us the mystery <\/em>that Paul IS presenting to the philosophers at “Mars’ hill<\/em>” and while it IS NOT called a mystery<\/em>, it DOES qualify as one because IS DOES bring forth what the audience considers as “strange things<\/em>“. And these ARE NOT ONLY strange to the Epicureans and the Stoics; by the measure of mens’ understanding of Paul’s words yet today we should be able to easily see that the ideas ARE yet “strange things<\/em>“. Aside from the ideas of omnipresence as we discussed in the last essay, a common doctrinal understanding of Paul’s words IS twofold: through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling within believers (the body of Christ) and through His manifested presence in communal worship<\/em>*^. These ARE doctrinal understandings of a mystery <\/em>to which most ALL men DO NOT have access and this because of the criteria that the Master places on discipleship. Few can be understood as True disciples as few DO keep his words<\/em> (John 8:29) and few if any have forsaken<\/em> ALL for the Lord (Luke 14:33). It IS those that strive <\/em>toward these goals that have some measure of realization <\/em><\/strong>of the mysteries<\/em>. For us the combined ideas from Paul relate to the Immanence <\/em><\/strong>and the Transcendence <\/em><\/strong>of the Godhead. We have discussed these ideas in past blog posts and while they ARE used in doctrinal theologies, they ARE NOT actually understood as Paul IS declaring in his words above. The Immanence <\/strong><\/em>of the Godhead can be understood in several relationships and the common understanding IS a universal Presence of God in His creation, in the world. While this IS True, the scope of the idea IS beyond our ken and we will NOT address this here; what we will address IS the idea presented by Paul. First there IS the reality of “Christ in you, the hope of glory<\/em>“; this IS our indwelling Soul, our Christ Within, and the very definition of the True man. This IS Christ within His creation from the human perspective. Second there IS the idea that the Godhead IS “not far from every one of us<\/em>“. The reality here IS the same but the idea can be understood differently. In an older post we highlighted this idea in a discussion on the Presence of God in one’s Life using Tennyson’s words saying:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speak to Him, thou, for He hears,<\/strong><\/em> (Alfred, Lord Tennyson 1809\u20131892)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The reality here IS that the Lord IS with us, in us if you will, and Paul’s saying that He IS “not far from every one of us<\/em>” IS intended to convey this closeness, this Universal closeness which DOES NOT rely upon any other factors other that the reality of our own Souls. Tennyson’s words capture the reality of the Soul and, by extension, God. The Soul IS our very being in this world and while most men CAN NOT see this Truth over the ‘reality’ of their lives in this world, this failure IS but the function of the illusion <\/strong>and the glamor <\/strong>that ARE the product of that vanity <\/em>into which we ARE ALL born. While it IS the Soul that IS born into this vanity <\/em>and it IS the Soul that IS in a perishable and decaying condition, separate from God, and pursuing false ends<\/em> 4<\/sup>, it IS also the Soul that can escape<\/em>. There IS a sort of paradox in these ideas of man; in vanity <\/em>the Soul IS lost in the morass of Life in form, Life as a man in this world. In his vanity <\/em>a man comes to see himself as the man and thinks of himself as such; it IS this state into which he IS born and then nurtured and indoctrinated. From this perspective the Soul IS lost in a perishable and decaying condition<\/em>; he DOES NOT realize that he IS the Soul but ONLY the illusion <\/strong>that he IS the man. While Vincent points us to a perishable and decaying condition<\/em>, it IS NOT the Soul that can perish<\/em>; it IS the possibility that of one’s awakening <\/em>that becomes more unlikely as the years roll on. The Soul, lost in vanity<\/em>, IS separate from God<\/em> and here again it IS the Life that the Soul IS leading in this world that IS separate from God<\/em>; the Soul IS ever with the Lord, the Soul IS ever part and parcel of the Godhead. This Oneness IS lost however in a mind that IS “conformed to this world<\/em>” (Romans 12:2) and can ONLY be redeemed <\/em>through one’s Transformation<\/strong><\/em>. It IS in this condition of vanity <\/em>that the man who IS “conformed to this world<\/em>” lives and until his awakening <\/em>he will be continually pursuing false ends<\/em>, pursuing <\/em>the things of the self and of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul teaches us about this in words that we often discuss but which ARE NOT understood by most; the apostle tells us “the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in This IS the Immanence <\/em><\/strong>of God, the reality of His being “not far from every one of us<\/em>“, which Tennyson shows us in his words saying: Closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet<\/em>. Paul’s next words saying “in him we live, and move, and have our being<\/em>” show us the Transcendence<\/em><\/strong> of God. While the idea of God Transcendent <\/em><\/strong>shows us that God exists above and independent from the physical universe; the reality IS much more complex. The greater idea IS that God IS ALL that we can see, feel and intuit and should be understood as while God is far above creation, He IS yet intimately present within it. This idea expands beyond His Immanence <\/em><\/strong>when we consider the reality that ALL that there IS is God and that ALL that IS exists within what we can ONLY humbly call the body of God. We often post this saying from our esoteric studies that can help us to understand this paradoxical reality that IS God: the Godhead IS \u201cOne 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<\/strong><\/em>\u201c***. While this DOES NOT offer us any True insight into the Transcendence <\/em><\/strong>of God and His Immanence <\/em><\/strong>in His created Universe, it DOES offer us a perspective by which we understand that the Godhead IS “beyond the range and reach of any human thought or expression<\/strong><\/em>“. Perhaps the point at which we can Truly understand this aspect of the Godhead IS found in Paul’s words above as he speaks about the “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body<\/em>“. Perhaps at this point of Redemption <\/strong><\/em>we ARE NO longer limited to the finite thinking of the carnal mind, perhaps here it IS the fullness of the Soul that thinks as and for the man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Transcendence <\/em><\/strong>and Immanence <\/em><\/strong>of the Godhead ARE on full display as we look out into a Universe which IS also little understood. We DO NOT KNOW how the immense voids of space ARE constructed in a virtual nothingness that holds in place planets, solar systems, and galaxies and we should try to see a glimpse of the nature of Spirit in this. The Master tells us that “God is What we should try to see here IS that the ideas of Transcendence <\/em><\/strong>and Immanence<\/strong><\/em> ARE wrongly understood in the doctrines of men. Paul’s words that we ARE studying tell us this; he tells us that “he be not far from every one of us<\/em>” which idea should clearly show us His Immanence<\/em><\/strong>. While we use Tennyson’s words saying Closer is He than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet<\/em> to help explain the apostle’s words, we should have been able to discern the Truth directly. The rest of Paul’s statement to the Athenians saying that “in him we live, and move, and have our being<\/em>” shows us the reality of the Transcendence <\/em><\/strong>of God and these words should have been able to move the idea of God’s Transcendence <\/em><\/strong>away from the doctrinal ideas. It IS in our proper understanding of these ideas presented by Paul that we can then begin to understand the more personal ideas that the Master shows us as He tells us that we too can move the mountain and that we too can DO those “greater works<\/em>“. Without understanding that we ARE part and parcel of the Godhead, His Transcendence<\/em><\/strong>, and without understanding the mystery <\/em>of “Christ in you<\/em>“, His Immanence<\/em><\/strong>, We CAN NOT Truly understand the Master’s words saying “whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall We should try to see that Paul IS revealing mysteries <\/em>to these Epicureans and Stoics because he understands that these ARE learned people, people that “spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing<\/em>“. We should understand here that these philosophers DID as philosophers DO and that much of their ‘research’ concerned the Godhead as well as the human condition. In this we should see that they had some foundation to understand the mysteries <\/em>that Paul was revealing and that KNOWING God has little to DO with religion. There was NO Christianity in those days and the Master had spent much of His time tearing down the doctrinal ideas of the Jews. The Greeks beliefs at that time revolved around the organizing of the Godhead into persons that held access to the potentcies of God as they viewed them. Of course we should understand as well that the mysteries<\/em> that Paul IS revealing ARE the most basic concepts of the Godhead, concepts that ARE readily observable by the man whose focus <\/em>IS on such ideas. That the Christian church DID NOT and DOES NOT understand these basic ideas IS Truly unfortunate and shows us the reality that the focus <\/em>of the church has been to support their doctrines rather than seek out the Truth as DID the philosophers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should note here that there were ‘religious’ movements in the early church that DID have a basic understanding of the relationship between God and man. Among these IS gnosticism which IS viewed today as an ancient religious and philosophical movement but should be understood as a mystical approach to the Lord that likely embodied the same ideas that Paul IS revealing at Areopagus<\/em>. The church fathers and the early church considered gnosticism as heretical and here again we should note that the churches’ motivation was to support their yet emerging doctrines. Gnostic sects were widely persecuted by the early church as they openly disagreed with the doctrinal ideas of the orthodoxy. Our point here IS simply to show the closed mindedness of the early church and their refusal to accept anything contrary to their own interpretations of the teachings of Jesus and the writings of His apostles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Returning to Paul’s words we come to the conclusion of these statements that show us that Paul’s revelations were NOT as unusual as the Athenians thought them to be. Paul ends his description of the relationship between the Godhead and man adding to the ideas that “he be not far from every one of us<\/em>” and “in him we live, and move, and have our being<\/em>” his claim of “as certain also of your own poets have said<\/em>“. While Vincent tells us that this phrase IS offered in regard to the next statement saying “For we are also his offspring<\/em>“, there IS NO sound evidence for this conclusion. This statement “For we are also his offspring<\/em>” IS the beginning of the next part of Paul’s words and IS unrelated to the previous subject regarding the relationship between God and man, the reality of His Immanence <\/em><\/strong>and His Transcendence<\/em><\/strong>. We should remember there that the breaking up of the ancient texts into chapters and verses in the New Testament was a rather arbitrary undertaking. Done as an aid to study, the establishment of chapters was done in 1227 AD and verse numbers were added in 1551. With this in mind IS should be easy to understand that Paul’s statements placement, “as certain also of your own poets have said<\/em>“, could easily be in regard to the prior thought rather than the latter. This IS our view of the ideas at hand and in this we should be able to understand that the ideas revealed by Paul were KNOWN by others, by contemporaries even of the Epicureans and the Stoics. This IS much like the way that certain Jewish lawyers and scribes DID KNOW the importance of the Great Commandments while the general idea IS that the Jews DID NOT understand these two pillars of their own faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end the point IS that Paul IS revealing Truths that were NOT commonplace but which, at the same time, were KNOWN by some whom the apostle calls poets<\/em>. It IS interesting to note here that the context of one of Paul’s revelations <\/em><\/strong>was applied to Zeus, ‘the king of the gods’ and the name of the Godhead. Epimenides of Crete, in his poem Cretica, wrote: “They fashioned a tomb for thee, O holy and high one\u2014the Cretans, always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons! But thou art not dead: thou livest and abidest forever, for in thee we live and move and have our being<\/em>“. We should try to see here that perhaps the Cretans believed in the mythological ideas of God, ideas which were likely passed on through the centuries and ARE the basis for our current mythological view of Greek and Roman gods. We should try to see that in most every time, in most every culture and every religious movement that there IS both the Truth and the popular doctrinal ideas that ARE gleaned from that Truth. This IS True in Judaism as reported to us by the Master who constantly rails against the way that Jewish doctrines, their traditions <\/em>if you will, supplanted the Truth; this IS True in Islam where the Truths that the Prophet brought to the people have been supplanted by the variety of doctrinal ideas that we see at play in the world yet today. And this IS particularly True of Christianity where the Truths that the Master and His apostles brought us have been supplanted by a range of doctrinal ideas that so mar the Truth that the Truth has become unrecognizable to the masses. In every religion mentioned above and those not there ARE a select few people that have hijacked the Truth in the creation of doctrines which, under the assumed authority of clergy, of rabbis, of mullahs and of priests, have proliferated through the masses under the guise of True authority. This proliferation of doctrines based upon the assumed authority of the clergy spreads easily through the manipulation of ideas and promises that offer comfort to the masses and in Christianity these promises include ‘eternal salvation<\/em>‘ which NONE have the True authority to promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the Epicureans and the Stoics may have appreciated Paul’s words that showed to them that what he was teaching was NOT unknown to the educated among the Greeks, the early Christian church DID NOT. They instead interpreted Paul’s words to suit their own doctrinal needs as we have thus far explained. The early church DID NOT see the Truth of man’s existence and his relationship to the Godhead; they instead saw confirmation of their ideas that flowed from the Book of Genesis as they tried to paint the Epicureans and the Stoics, ALL Athenians perhaps, as ignorant and as heathens. This poor start of Christianity ONLY grew worse and farther from the Truth over the centuries and this IS easily seen in the historical records. From the councils of the early church, to the Crusades, to the Reformation Wars, the history of Christianity shows ONLY scant evidence of the Truths that the Master brought to the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Paul goes on to tell the audience at Areopagus<\/em> “For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God<\/em>“. As we discuss above the first part here, “For we are also his offspring<\/em>” IS assigned to the previous verse in the New Testament and used by some as the reference for Paul’s words regarding poets<\/em>. Above we presented the reality of the saying we believe IS Paul’s reference but we should note that this saying IS also attributed to poets<\/em>, namely Aratus whose poem Phaenomena contains the words: \n
Gentiles<\/s> men; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory<\/em>” (Colossians 1:26-27). We often refer to these words and try to highlight the idea that this Truth, our realization <\/em><\/strong>of this Truth of “Christ in you, the hope of glory<\/em>” IS a hidden Truth that “is made manifest to his saints<\/em>“. While many a Christian believes that they have access to the mysteries<\/em>, this IS but a part of their deception <\/strong>which works according to James’ words saying “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves<\/em>” (James 1:22). His saints<\/em>, from the Greek word hagios<\/em>, refers to one being: sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated)<\/em>9a<\/sup> as Strong’s defines the idea; it IS most often rendered as holy <\/em>and as saint<\/em>. Jesus defines the idea a bit differently as He tells us that it IS the disciple that can KNOW the mysteries <\/em>and we should consider these ideas, saint<\/em> and disciple<\/em>, as equivalent. We should understand however that these appellations come upon us by measure <\/em>and that despite the inadequacies of the Strong’s definition, the idea of the saint <\/em>IS akin to its use in speaking of the Holy Spirit. Regarding the disciple, the Master gives us certain criteria that itself IS a part of the mysteries <\/em>by way of men’s view of the precepts involved. We have covered these things in previous posts and will NOT deal with them today save to show the Master’s words saying to His disciples “it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given<\/em>” (Matthew 13:11).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
and Spirit with Spirit can meet<\/strong><\/em>
Closer is He than breathing,<\/strong><\/em>
and nearer than hands and feet.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nhope, Because<\/s> expectation that the creature itself also shall be delivered<\/s> made free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God<\/em>” (Romans 8:20-21). This IS the state of our being as men in this world and the promise that we can, we ARE expected <\/em>to, “be delivered<\/s> made free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God<\/em>“. Paul continues to show us the result of being “made free<\/em>“, which idea must be understood in terms of our escape<\/em> from “the corruption that is in the world through lust<\/em>” (2 Peter 1:4); this IS the True work <\/em>of salvation<\/em>. Paul tells us that “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<\/em>” (Romans 8:22-23). Paul IS showing the reality that “whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together<\/em>“, that the whole creation yields to the vanity <\/em>into which they ARE born, nurtured and indoctrinated. If we can see that groaning <\/em>as coming from the Soul’s endless endeavors to become the focus <\/em>of one’s Life, we can then begin to understand a small part of the mystery <\/em>into which we ARE cast. In the end we will come to understand the deeper meaning of “the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body<\/em>” which Paul, as an apostle, yet waits for. Our journey from carnal man to disciple and saint <\/em>ARE revealed in these words from Paul but they remain unseen by the doctrinal church which seeks out ONLY those ideas that they can manipulate into their doctrinal philosophies.<\/p>\n\n\n\na<\/s> Spirit<\/em>” (John 4:24) but these words ARE meaningless to most and to ALL whose focus <\/em>IS on the self and the things of the self. And while the idea IS somewhat explained in the esoteric saying above, the reality of the Godhead IS still “beyond the range and reach of any human thought or expression<\/strong><\/em>“. With ALL this mystery <\/em>however we can still KNOW God in spiritual ideas that ARE compatible with human thought<\/strong><\/em>. Doctrinally men KNOW God ONLY in terms of Transcendence<\/em><\/strong>, as an outside personage that gives Life to ALL and while some may be able to reach out beyond the idea of personage, most ARE yet limited by the idea that the Godhead IS outside of His creation. As we show here, the reality of this Transcendence <\/em><\/strong>IS that the Godhead IS ALL that exists and “in him we live, and move, and have our being<\/em>” as the entirety of creation across the Universe IS ever moving to greater perfection<\/em>. Perfection <\/em>IS an important point here and we should try to understand that while God IS perfect<\/em> as the Master tells us (Matthew 5:48), the component parts of the creation ARE NOT. This IS yet another paradoxical idea that can perhaps be better understood in the idea that the whole, the Godhead, IS perfect <\/em>beyond the created universe, in subtler realms of existence that ARE yet beyond our scope, realms from which the created Universe appears. The doctrinal views of the Transcendence <\/strong><\/em>and Immanence<\/em><\/strong> ARE in error and while they ARE presented as fact, there IS NO factual idea in their views which basically tell us that: The immanence of God is the theological concept that God is present, accessible, and actively involved within the physical universe and human history. It stands in contrast to\u2014yet works in tandem with\u2014transcendence, which teaches that God exists entirely apart from and above creation<\/em>*^.<\/p>\n\n\n\nbelieve<\/s> know that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith<\/em>” (Mark 11:23). And we CAN NOT Truly understand His words saying “He that believeth on<\/s> knows me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do<\/em>” (John 14:12). This KNOWING IS a necessarily high bar that IS covered by another of the Master’s sayings: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it<\/em>” (Matthew 7:13-14). This “strait gate<\/em>” IS the Way to KNOWING God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n