Ebionite Restoration - Christian Renewal
Those who read the scriptures in search of Life, find Death.
Those who search for God in the scriptures, worship the Demiurge.
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of
death"
(Prov 14:12 NKJ)
Regardless of the number
of times that carnal men are warned that God is a Spirit, and can only be sought
through man's indwelling spiritual nature (Jn 4:24), the great mass of believers
perpetually reject the spirit and and turn to the written word of the scriptures
in pursuit of the "letter that killeth"
(2 Cor 3:6). Perhaps the most profound example of the
inability of the natural carnal mind to even begin to grasp man's own higher
soul and spiritual reality is provided in the words of Paul who said of the
baptized, totally committed believers as Corinth: “I always thank God for you
because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been
enriched in every way -- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge --
because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not
lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be
revealed” (1 Cor 1:4-7 NIV).
What
the natural carnally minded believers had trouble in comprehending -- a reality
that continues to plague Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Atheists, and the people of
all religious faiths today -- is the reality that the religion preached by Paul
was one of Spiritual Transformation. Paul warned those he preached
to about the "letter that killeth", that
their religious ideas and doctrines were merely elementary. Paul
attempted to convey this higher reality to believers who were unable to
comprehend the Mysteries of God, because he was a man who was not only
enlightened about the Kingdom within (see Gate
Of Eden), but had himself been permitted entrance into the Kingdom -- as
seen in his words that every Christian who beseeches the Lord today to
enlighten their understanding, is in fact asking to see and hear “…things
so astounding that they are beyond a man's power to describe or put in
words…” -- and after they gaze upon these mysteries, what they
have witnessed will be of such a profound nature that they will “…not
[be] allowed to tell them to others” (2 Cor 12:4 TLB).
Why? Why will they not be able to convey to the believers in the
Church what they have seen? Because in not having evolved through
the process of spiritual transformation, they are still of a carnal mind -- a
mindset that Paul warns: The... “carnal mind is enmity against
God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those
who are in the flesh cannot please God... For if you live according to the flesh
you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you
will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Rom
8:7-8;13 NKJ).
When Paul warned that he could
only speak to the believers at Corinth as "...men of flesh, as
to babes in Christ” (1 Cor 3:1 NAS), what he was warning was that “Anyone who lives on
milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about
righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have
trained themselves to distinguish good from evil” (Heb 5:13-14 NIV). And because they
are yet carnal -- not having undergone the process of spiritual transformation
-- Paul warned that “And if anyone thinks
that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know”
(1 Cor 8:2 NKJ). For if man could simply open the scriptures
and be able to discern the Truth, Jesus would not have said of his disciples: “For I tell you the
truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not
see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it” (Matt 13:17 NIV).
Why did Jesus say these words? Because the majority of Jews who
attempted to read the scriptures literally, and observe the oracles of the Word
in a ritualized outward manner, were the counterfeit believers whose carnal
mindset had spiritually disenfranchised them from the Kingdom
within. The modern doctrinal teaching that the followers
of Christ are under the law of grace, and this grace has absolved them from
fulfilling the Royal Law of God because Jesus has done everything for them --
and so, Christians are free to live in any manner that they see fit so long as
they believe and have faith, is simply not within the framework of what Paul
wrote -- as seen in the words: “What shall we say,
then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to
sin; how can we live in it any longer?... Therefore do not let sin reign in your
mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your
body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God,
as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your
body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master,
because you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because
we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you
offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one
whom you obey -- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to
obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Rom 6:1-2; 6:12-16 NIV).
With regard to what we call sin, the requirement was set forth by Jesus
himself when he said: “sin no more, lest a worse
thing come unto thee” (John 5:14 KJV). Speaking of those Christians who again turn to the
things of this world after beginning to embrace the gospel of Christ, the
Apostle Peter makes reference to the scriptures and states: “But
it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his
own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire”
(2 Pet 2:22 KJV).
We must come to terms with the reality today that
Jesus was not all-inclusive. It
is clearly seen in the Bible that Jesus commanded his disciples not to reveal
even the elementary precepts of the Gospel of God to those people who can be
likened to dogs and swine -- even when they profess with their mouths their
allegiance to the Lord. If
they were true believers, then they would know the Mysteries first hand. For this reason the Sacred Secrets that bring the
believer to maturity, are simply not written where the carnal and unworthy can
view them. This is confirmed
in the words of Clement, the 1st century disciple of Peter, who wrote: “We
remember that our Lord and teacher, as commanding, said to us, guard the
mysteries for me, and the sons of my house.
Wherefore also he explained to his disciples, privately, the mysteries of
the kingdoms of the heavens.” (Clementine Homilies).
What is important is for us to realize that Jesus
taught two gospels -- the good news or gospel of Jesus that was proclaimed to
the masses, and the Gospel of God, which were the Mysteries of the Kingdom that
was taught only to his disciples. This
is seen expressly in the words of Clement when said regarding the commandment of
the Lord that the disciples must “guard the mysteries
for me, and the sons of my house”.
Those who are in the house, are the disciples who have gained entrance
into the Spiritual Kingdom that he declared.
While those who were said to be “outside”,
or sense bound in this world, received only the good news announcing the
existence of the Spiritual Kingdom that they must seek with a purified body and
mind.
From a New Covenant perspective, knowledge that is
conveyed in the manner of instruction must be understood to be the manner in
which we must prepare ourselves -- road markers that we will perceive as we
travel -- changes in consciousness that we will observe -- and the route that we
must follow in our journey into the Kingdom.
The whole concept of the coming of the Kingdom is not from the
perspective that a physical kingdom will be inaugurated in this world -- but
rather, that the divide between the inner Kingdom (Lk 17:21) will be bridged,
and we will then exist in both realms simultaneously.
When the Bible states that we must pick up our own cross and walk in The
Way, what it is conveying is the need to purify the body and expand the mind in
preparation for the Kingdom to come within the consciousness that we are using
in this realm.
With regard to the spiritual term “house”,
Origen wrote in Contra Celsus: “I have not yet spoken
of the observances of all that is written in the gospel, each one of which
contains much doctrine difficult to be understood, not merely by the multitude,
but even by certain of the more intelligent, including a very profound
explanation of the parables, which Jesus delivered to ‘those without' while
reserving the exhibition of their full meaning for those who have passed beyond
the stage of exoteric teachings, and who came to him privately in the house.
And when he comes to understand it, he will admire the reason why some
are said to be without, and others in the house”.
What, then, is exoteric teachings? Paul calls it the “milk of
the Gospel” designed for the nourishment of immature believers who
he calls “babes in Christ” (1 Cor
3:1-2). These entry-level
teachings have to do with the cleansing and purification of the mind and body
from the defilements of this realm because “Nothing
impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or
deceitful” (Rev 21:27 NIV).
In our assessment of these statements, we must understand that spiritual
wisdom and understanding is not derived from the memorization of manmade
concepts -- but rather, it is the result of our endeavor to utilize a greater
potential of our mind.
The second century Church Father Clement of Alexandria
expressed this same message when he wrote that: “For
the prophet saith: Who shall understand a parable of the Lord save he that is
wise and knowledgeable and loveth his Lord?
For it is given to few to contain all things: For it is not as grudging
that the Lord commanded in a certain Gospel: ‘My secret mystery for me and for
the sons of mine house’” (Clement of Alexandria, Strom. V.10.63).
Dogs and swine are symbols -- symbols of those who
claim to be believers, and yet they attempt to alternate their lives between the
gospel and the things of this world.
Regardless of what these people profess with their lips, they do not love
the Lord. Therefore, only the
disciple, the one who has put the doctrines, the slavery to materialism, and the
culture of this world behind him, and has entered within the house, can receive
the true Gospel and Mysteries of God.
In his famed work De Principiis, Origin explains who
can be a recipient of the Mysteries of the Kingdom and the Gospel of God: “Whoever
has clean hands, and therefore lifts up holy hands to God… let him come to
us… Whoever is pure, not only from all defilement, but from what are regarded
as lesser transgressions, let him be boldly initiated into the mysteries of
Jesus, which properly are made known only to the holy and the pure… To those
who have been purified in heart, he whose soul has for a long time, been
conscious of no evil, especially since he yielded himself to the healing of the
Word, let such a one hear the doctrines which were spoken in private by Jesus to
his genuine disciples”.
The dogs and swine who attempt to live an alternating
lifestyle -- clinging to this world while attempting to half-heartedly embrace
the gospel of Jesus, cannot “lift up holy hands to
God”. Having never become cognizant of the spiritual essence
within them -- an essence that lies beyond the great divide of heaven and earth
-- they remain sense bound, and cannot refrain from sin. They therefore never become “pure…
from all defilement”, even from what are “regarded
as lesser transgressions”.
Because they do not possess the spiritual power and strength that
cleanses them from the defilements of the carnal world, they make excuses for
their unholy condition, and create dogma explaining why man cannot be perfect
and sinless. Because the
believers who know only the exoteric doctrine of the Christ continue to cling to
this world, and have never been purified by the healing of the Word, they
continue to dwell in what we call sin. Having never been purified, they do not possess the
knowledge of those who were “…initiated into the
mysteries of Jesus, which properly are made known only to the holy and the
pure”. Therefore, they never come to “hear
the doctrines which were spoken in private by Jesus to his genuine disciples”.
It makes no difference what they call themselves;
i.e., Christian or Jew, minister or rabbi, priest, bishop, prophet, etc., they
cannot be Jesus' “genuine disciples”
until they have been “purified in heart… for a long
time, been conscious of no evil, especially since he yielded himself to the
healing of the Word”. Because
they remain “outside”, they do not know
or understand what Jesus truly taught.
They may preach the good news, and appear to live a religious lifestyle,
but they are not very much different than the scribes and Pharisees that Jesus
condemned for exactly the same reason.
Thus, the doctrine of perpetual redemption, and the consecration of a
carnal lifestyle as seen in our churches today, simply had no place among the
genuine Christians of the first three centuries.
In the Martyrdom of Ignatius (first Century
Overseer of Antioch), Ignatius speaks of himself as a disciple of John.
In his Epistle to the Ephesians he writes that he has been “initiated
into the mysteries of the Gospel with Paul, the holy, the martyred”.
In his Epistle to the Trallaus he speaks of the mysteries and writes: “Might
I not write to you things more full of mystery?
But I fear to do so, lest I should inflict injury on you who are babes.
Pardon me in this respect, lest, as not being able to receive their
weighty import, ye should be strangled by them”.
Ignatius also writes that though he is aware of the mysteries, he is not
yet “by any means perfect, nor am I such a disciple
as Paul or Peter”.
What preacher of the gospel today warns his
congregation that if he was to reveal the true teachings of the New Covenant --
the Gospel of God -- he would “inflict injury on you
who are babes” in Christ?
What teaching of the Lord could a present-day preacher of the gospel
reveal that the congregation of believers are not “able
to receive their weighty import”?
If Ignatius, either of the two Clements, or Origen was with us today,
what profound mystery could they speak regarding the true teachings of Jesus
that believers today would be “strangled by them”?
What must be immediately recognized is that when we
speak about the Christianity of the first three centuries, we are not talking
about the same religion that exists today.
That's right! Because
of the political agenda and doctrines that were forced upon the church in the
fourth century (see The
Death Of The Religion Of Jesus), it is easily demonstrated that the
Christianity we know today is a mere shadow of what Jesus taught, and was
believed over the first three centuries of our Common Era.
Moreover, we can never even begin to move beyond the entry level milk,
and partake of the solid spiritual food that enables us to embrace the Gospel of
God, until we come to terms with the fact that the Christianity of the first
three centuries was so profoundly different than what remains today, that what
is practiced today must be recognized as a new religion that came into being in
the fourth century, and was revised into still an almost totally new form at the
time of the Reformation.
We cannot today even relate to sacred teachings that would “strangle” the common believer, because we no longer possess the Gospel of God -- and have only the good news that was preached to the multitudes. Because the Church became carnal, and of the flesh, we have only preserved the doctrine that Origen spoke of as “preached in the Churches… for the simpleminded and for the ears of the common crowd who are led on to live better lives by their belief”.
The scriptures are the Key of Knowledge that must be turned within to open the door to the Kingdom and enter the True Temple. In a total abandonment of the spiritual essence and purpose of the teachings of Jesus and TheWay, believers have rejected the Spirit and adopted the way of the very people that Jesus portrayed as blind guides who are making the people the children of hell. The man known as the Apostle Paul warned the first followers of Jesus that death comes to those who embrace the "letter that killeth" (2 Cor 3:6) -- and yet, carnal believers continue to conclude that these words don't apply to them. That the vast majority of mankind is deaf and blind to the Truth and their own Higher Soul and Spiritual Reality, is because they are focused in the wrong direction -- i.e., the things of this world -- and this can be readily seen in the words of Jesus: “For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it” (Matt 13:15-17 NIV).
Those who know me, know that I almost never use the word Demiurge -- which is defined as "...a Gnostic subordinate deity who is the creator of the material world". I rarely use this term because having been an Essene, Ebionite and Nazirene, I never embraced the very anti-Jewish theology of the Apostle Paul and his Gnostic disciples (see The Gnostic Paul). But that does not mean that Paul -- who was portrayed as Simon Magus by the original disciples and followers of Jesus -- were wrong in what they stated with respect to the worship of a counterfeit God by the carnal Jewish sects of the Sadducees and Pharisees. Because the vast majority of Christians ignore this all-important warning by Paul, they too have fallen victim to the same fate as the Sadducees and Pharisees who Jesus condemned as counterfeit believers.
The Torah The Jews Cannot Receive,
And The House The Christians Are Barred From Entering!
The Two Are One And The Same
While I will demonstrate below that the most spiritual of Jewish and Christian minds have all attested to the fact that the scriptures are an allegory that both instructs the multitude of readers through the use of parable and enigma -- i.e., in the manner of spiritual nursery rhymes which are used to convey truths to the immature mind -- while reserving the Mysteries of God and the Oracles of the Living Word for those who are worthy to receive them. What the Apostle Paul writes with respect to the "letter that killeth" (2 Cor 3:6) in reference to those who are under the grave misconception that they can read the literal text of the scriptures and ascertain the true meaning, is explained by the 2nd century Church Father Clement of Alexandria in his Stromata when he explained: “...now that the Savior has taught the Apostles, the unwritten rendering of the written, this has been handed down also to us”. What Clement is stating is that it was Jesus who taught his disciples the inner meaning of the scriptures by opening their minds so their understanding could pierce through the garb of the allegorical enigmas that blind the perception of carnal men -- i.e., "Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45 NIV). Clement then goes on and explains that “the mysteries are delivered mystically, that what is spoken may be in the mouth of the speaker; rather not in the voice, but in his understanding”. And in the allegory of the scriptures, it is this Law that was shattered (Ex 32:19) that the Children of Israel could not receive because they were too carnal in their understanding -- and this is the symbol of the Spiritual Torah/Law that can only be received by those who are of a purified mind/body and live a consecrated life to The Most High. Thus, the warning of Paul is no different than that of the Jewish mystic who states to those who attempt to find God in the literal meaning of the Torah/Law: "Thus the tales related in the Torah are simply her outer garments, and woe to the man who regards that outer garb as the Torah itself, for such a man will be deprived of portion in the next world" (see No Jew Has Read The Torah/Law). Quoting the Zohar it is further written: "So it is with the Torah. Its narrations which relate to the things of the worlds constitute the garments which clothe the body of the Torah; and that body is composed of the Torah's precepts, gufey-torah (bodies, major principles). People without understanding see only the narrations, the garment; those somewhat more penetrating see also the body. But the truly wise, those who serve the most high King and stood on mount Sinai, pierce all the way through to the soul, to the true Torah which is the root principle of all. These same will in the future be vouchsafed to penetrate to the very soul of the soul of the Torah."
The teachings of Spiritual Judaism as practiced among the Essenes, Ebionites and Nazirenes, was to prepare the disciple to receive the Living Law of God from within themselves. And while the modern Church continues to embrace the 3rd century doctrines of Pagan Rome, the vast differences of what Jesus actually taught and what people today believe is summed up by A. Powell Davies: “Biblical scholars”, he writes, ”were not disturbed by what they found in the Dead Sea Scrolls because they had known all along that the origin of Christianity was not what was commonly supposed to have been” (quoted by Millar Burrows in More Light on the Dead Sea Scrolls). And while the modern believer attempts to prove their beliefs through carnal interpretations of the scriptures, the original followers of Jesus only used the scriptures as a guide book -- i.e., the Keys of Knowledge -- to open the door to the inner Kingdom. Thus, in the Essene Gospel of Peace it is written:
And Jesus himself sat down in their midst and said: "I tell you truly, none can be happy, except he do the Law."
And the others answered: "We all do the laws of Moses, our lawgiver, even as they are written in the holy scriptures."
And Jesus answered: "Seek not the law in your scriptures, for the law is life, whereas the scripture is dead. I tell you truly, Moses received not his laws from God in writing, but through the living word. The law is living word of living God to living prophets for living men... God wrote not the laws in the pages of books, but in your heart and in your spirit... But you shut your eyes that you may not see, and you shut your ears that you may not hear. I tell you truly, that the scripture is the work of man, but life and all its hosts are the work of our God. Wherefore do you not listen to the words of God which are written in His works? And wherefore do you study the dead scriptures which are the work of the hands of men?"
"How may we read the laws of God elsewhere than in the scriptures? Where are they written? Read them to us from there where you see them, for we know nothing else but the scriptures which we have inherited from our forefathers. Tell us the laws of which you speak, that hearing them we may be healed and justified."
Jesus said: "You do not understand the words of life, because you are in death. Darkness darkens your eyes and your ears are stopped with deafness. For I tell you, it profits you not at all that you pore over dead scriptures if by your deeds you deny him who has given you the scriptures.
I tell you truly, God and his laws are not in that which you do. They are not in gluttony and in wine-bibbing, neither in riotous living, nor in lustfulness, nor in seeking after riches, nor yet in hatred of your enemies. For all these things are far from the true God and from his angels. But all these things come from the kingdom of darkness and the lord of all evils. And all these things do you carry in yourselves; and so the word and the power of God enter not into you, because all manner of evil and all manner of abominations have their dwelling in your body and your spirit. If you will that the living God's word and his power may enter you, defile not your body and your spirit; for the body is the temple of the spirit, and the spirit is the temple of God. Purify, therefore, the temple, that the Lord of the temple may dwell therein and occupy a place that is worthy of him.
"And from all temptations of your body and your spirit, coming from Satan, withdraw beneath the shadow of God's heaven.
In the same way that Paul called the Law of Moses a schoolmaster (Gal 3:24) that brought us into the presence of Messiah/Christ who would reveal to the Jews the Torah they could not receive, and invite the followers of Jesus into the House where they would be taught the Mysteries of God that could not be revealed to the carnal and profane, all scripture is a guide-book comprised of allegorical symbols and forms that assist the immature spiritual mind to connect with first their inner soul and spiritual natures, and ultimately the Kingdom of God which Jesus said was within us (see Gate of Eden).
What is the
truth? In the fourth century the Christian Church underwent massive
changes in doctrine and organization in order to make it compatible with the
needs of the Roman Emperor Constantine (see The
Death Of The Religion Of Jesus). Prior to that time the church
was wholistic and in the manner of a oracle of healing, prescribed a cure that
was appropriate for the disease of the individual. In the approximate year of 178 of our Common Era, Celsus,
the Epicurean Philosopher and opponent of Christianity, published a rather
embarrassing work in opposition to Christianity known as The True Word or
Discourse. It is said
that this work was widely published and used by the Pagan world as an attack on
the Church. Seventy years
after its publication The True Word was still so widely circulated, that
the Church Father Origen was commissioned by St. Ambrosius to refute this attack
by Celsus.
In our endeavor to enlighten ourselves with regard to
a much clearer picture of the original Gospel message as it was envisioned by
the early Gentile church at that time prior to its secularization under the
government of Pagan Rome -- and in our effort to begin the process of
comprehending our present day theological limitations which was a result of the
Reformation -- it would be very helpful for us to begin by examining the church
prior to the time when its doctrine came under the direct control of a series of
Roman Emperors in the fourth century.
From this perspective, what we have in both The True Word, and the
official reply of the church in the form of Origen's work known as Origen
Contra Celsum, or, Origen Against Celsus, is a rather unique glimpse into
the beliefs and doctrines of the first and second century Gentile Christian
Church. Unique, in that the
text not only contains the allegations of the second century Pagan world against
the Church, but also the official reply of the Church to these allegations.
The document known as The True Word no longer exists, but its text
is largely preserved in the eight (8) books that Origen wrote in the endeavor to
refute the charges against the Church by the Pagan Philosopher Celsus.
In examination of this document, the modern Christian
must initially ask: Who today would accuse the Christian Church of being a “secret
system”? No one
-- because the Church today has lost its spiritual essence -- and is a mere
shadow of its former self over the first three centuries of its existence.
Therefore, it is important that we recognize that such an allegation
would be unheard of in our present time.
The modern Church views its mission as a sort of religious outreach to
save sinners -- and yet Celsus viewed sinners as being detrimental to a religion
such as Christianity. In fact, he
questioned why they were even tolerated. Before we inquire how such a statement could even be
made, let us remember that the Apostle Paul said the exact same thing when he
wrote: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.
For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can
light have with darkness?” (2 Cor 6:14 NIV).
This view -- in and of itself -- is crucial to both demonstrate and
understand the major fundamental differences between a secular institutionalized
church -- which was born during the Nicene (Nicene Council in the year 325) and
post Nicene period (after the year 325) -- and the anti or pre-Nicene Church
(prior to the year 325 AD), during the first three centuries of our Common Era.
Moreover, Origen's reply to Celsus portrays the great obstacle that inhibits
both modern Jews and Christians from comprehending the true purpose of the
scriptures -- which is to use them as the Key of Knowledge that the disciple
turns within them in the endeavor to receive the Living Law that gives Life to
the reader. On this great spiritual truth the Church Father Origen
defended Christianity against the attacks against the church by Celsus, the
second century Epicurean philosopher, when he wrote that the true depth of the
Gospel message is difficult for the reader to perceive, “…including
a very profound explanation of the parables, which Jesus delivered to ‘those
without’ while reserving the exhibition of their full meaning for those who
have passed beyond the stage of exoteric teachings, and who came to him
privately in the house. And when he
comes to understand it, he will admire the reason why some are said to be
without, and others in the house”.
Origen responded to the allegation of Celsus by
explaining that: “For
there are in the divinity of the Word some helps towards the cure of those who
are sick”, meaning the sinners.
Origen then clarifies his statement and writes that these sinners are by
no means invited to “…participation in mysteries,
then, and to fellowship in the wisdom hidden in a mystery, which God ordained
before the world to the glory of His saints”.
To demonstrate this truth in Origen's reply to Celsus,
we can see the same exact message in the assertion of Paul that there were
different doctrines -- i.e., the “milk”
for the carnal believer -- the lesser mysteries for the seeker -- and the deeper
things of the spirit for the genuine Christian -- of which Origen wrote: “Now,
in answer to such statements, we say that it is not the same thing to invite
those who are sick in soul to be cured, and those who are in health to the
knowledge and study of divine things. We, however, keeping both these things in
view, at first invite all men to be healed, and exhort those who are sinners to
come to the consideration of the doctrines which teach men not to sin, and those
who are devoid of understanding to those which beget wisdom, and those who are
children to rise in their thoughts to manhood, and those who are simply
unfortunate to good fortune, or -- which is the more appropriate term to use --
to blessedness. And when those who have been turned towards virtue have made
progress, and have shown that they have been purified by the word, and have led
as far as they can a better life, then and not before do we invite them to
participation in our mysteries. ‘For we speak wisdom among them that are
perfect’”.
What we have demonstrated in this reply to Celsus by
Origen is the framework of a True Spiritual Church.
The Word is presented at varying levels in accordance with the needs of
the individual. The sinner is
invited to partake of the healing of the Word -- and if they repent, and have a
change in heart and mind, they will have prepared themselves to move onward.
After purification from the transgressions and mindset of this world, and
servitude to man's carnal nature, the minor mysteries can be revealed to the
disciple -- which minor mysteries will then enable the disciple to begin the
process of gaining entrance to the spiritual kingdom within them.
As the disciple gains spiritual strength and vitality, and develops his
innate spiritual attributes -- attributes which lie dormant in the carnal
believer -- the disciple is then able to take the hand of the Lord and walk in
the footsteps of the Master.
This great spiritual truth is seen in the words of Origen when he writes regarding the mysteries of God: “…others again, which to the pure in soul and body exhibit the revelation of the Mystery, which was kept in secret since the world began, but now is made manifest by the scriptures of the prophets, and by the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ”. Origen then goes on to explain that the Christ will appear to, and teach, everyone who will be His disciple and follow in His footsteps: “…which appearing is manifested to each one of those who are perfect, and which enlightens the reason in the true knowledge of things”. In these words Origen confirms the essence of Christian doctrine -- a spiritual doctrine -- that even today, the Messiah/Christ is the One and Only Teacher for the genuine disciple of the Light.
A very important insight into the very essence of the
genuine teachings of Jesus known as TheWay, is contained in an article in the
Encyclopedia Britannica under the heading, The History of Christian Mysticism,
where it reads: “Although the essence of mysticism is
the sense of contact with the transcendent, mysticism in the history of
Christianity should not be understood merely in terms of special ecstatic
experiences but as part of a religious process lived out within the context of
the Christian community. From this perspective mysticism played a vital part in
the early church. Early Christianity was a religion of the spirit that expressed
itself in the heightening and enlargement of human consciousness”.
These words must be a profound revelation to a body of
believers who have been barred from the use of reason.
When Jesus commanded his disciples: “But you,
do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are
all brethren” (Matt 23:8 NKJ) -- what he was saying is that the
genuine follower of the Christ is the one who opens the inner door of the mind
to the Master, and develops their “sense
of contact with the transcendent”.
What is being said here is that both Judaism and
Christianity in their original form is a purely spiritual religion, and the
natural environment of the genuine Church is mysticism -- which is defined as
one's personal communion with God. In
this we can see the great dividing line between the Jewish sects of the
Sadducees and Pharisees, and the Essene Mystics who worshiped the Father in a
Spiritual Temple that was beyond the comprehension of the carnally minded Jew.
Paramount, then, to understanding one of the primary differences between
Genuine Christianity and pseudo-Christianity, is the understanding that genuine
Christianity is a spiritual religion, and it “expressed
itself in the heightening and enlargement of human consciousness”.
Thus, the religious ideas expressed by Luther and Calvin -- where man
rejects reason, and closes the mind in order to cling to the dogma of a manmade
church -- concepts which remain to this day as the foundation of modern doctrine
-- not only had no place among the first Christians, but were in fact alien to
the very core teachings of Jesus. What
this means is that the church which came into being in the fourth century, was
the anti-church -- i.e., a shadow church that was ruled by the god of this
world.
When the Encyclopedia Britannica states with regard to
the church prior to the fourth century: “…From
this perspective mysticism played a vital part in the early church. Early
Christianity was a religion of the spirit that expressed itself in the
heightening and enlargement of human consciousness” -- it is this
spiritual element that died when the church was made a secular institution by
the Emperor Constantine. Sadly, it is this same spiritual element that continues
to remain dormant even in the world of Christendom to this very day.
In those many places where the Bible speaks of the
Mysteries of God as seen in the words: “we speak of
God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our
glory before time began” (1 Cor 2:7 NIV); the Apostle is quite
clear that this “secret wisdom” cannot
be comprehended by men who perceive life and the scriptures with a carnal
mindset -- but rather, with a spiritual mindset that is established upon the
mystical senses founded in the higher powers of mind.
And if we ask the question as to why carnal man is incapable of
perceiving the Mysteries of God that are spoken of by the Apostle?
Because these elements of mind that are necessary to perceive the higher
reality of man, are centered in parts of the ninety percent of the mind which
the natural person is unable to access -- and it is these sections of the mind
that are said to lie dormant within all people.
Thus, only the mystic -- or spiritual Christian -- has the ability to
perceive the Mysteries of God, and know the True Messiah/Christ, and enter the
Genuine Temple of the Lord, because they endeavor to expand their consciousness
by going beyond the ten percent barrier of mind that limits man in his natural
state.
Of the term Spiritual, Nelson's Illustrated Bible
Dictionary writes: “Of the spirit or non-material.
The word spiritual refers to non-material things, including a spiritual body (1
Cor. 15:44-46) and spiritual things as distinct from earthly goods (Rom. 15:27;
1 Cor. 9:11). But the most important use of the word is in reference to the Holy
Spirit. The Spirit gave the law (Rom. 7:14) and supplied Israel with water and
food (1 Cor. 10:3-4). The Christian's every blessing is from the Spirit (Eph.
1:3), as is his understanding of truth (1 Cor. 2:13-15; Col. 1:9). His songs
should be sung in the Spirit (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), and his ability to
understand Scripture correctly is given by the Spirit (Rev. 11:8). He is to be
so dominated by the Spirit that he can be called spiritual (1 Cor. 2:15; Gal.
6:1)”.
The words spirit and spiritual, which denote a “non-material”
reality that is not of this world -- and the words mystic or mystical, which
indicate the ability to see into these spiritual realms beyond the
three-dimensional limitations of this world -- and the words Messiah/Christ and
Anointed, which signify the illumination of the mind of the disciple by the
All-Knowing Power of God -- all possess a parallel meaning that are intertwined
in the New Covenant revelations that Jesus taught to his faithful disciples.
When absent, as in the case of the majority of believers today, these
words are indicative of the people of the simple faith.
All three terms represent a person who “is to
be so dominated by the Spirit that he can be called spiritual”.
What this means is that through the process of walking in The Way, the
promise of the scriptures became a manifest reality, as the Anointing enabled
the disciple to use those sections of the mind that lie dormant to the natural
man whose thinking is of this world. Moreover,
without the Spirit and the higher mystical powers that are brought forth by the
Anointing and illumination of the mind, a person cannot be a true and genuine
Christian -- which word in and of itself denotes an Anointed follower of the
Light of the Word.
If we are to begin to embrace the fullness of
Christian thought, then we must rid ourselves of the limitations and doctrinal
baggage that was infused upon the thinking of the believers during both the
fourth century when the teachings of The Way were Paganized, and the time of the
Reformation when the use of reason and higher knowledge was condemned. Genuine Christianity is a Spiritual Religion that
develops the higher centers of the mind -- which centers we call of a mystical
nature, because it is the activation of these centers of the mind that bestows
upon the disciple the Sacred Knowledge -- or Gnosis -- that enables the disciple
to perceive all things as they truly are in the Vision of God.
In the true sense of the word, Jesus can be defined as a Master among all
Mystics: He knew the thoughts of the people he came into contact with; he often
foretold future events; he understood the underlying laws that control the road
that all men walk -- he knew man's destiny from beginning to end -- he could see
and talk to demons and evil spirits that plagued the people who lived a sinful
lifestyle -- he could appear and dematerialize in the midst of people -- he was
able to perceive the cause of disease, which he said was sin, and when he healed
them, he possessed the power to forgive and negate these sins that plagued the
people -- and he was able to communicate directly with God and the prophets who
had lived in former times. Perhaps
more important, though, was the fact that it was promised by Jesus that his
followers would also possess these same higher mystical powers of mind -- as can
be seen where it is written: “I tell you the truth,
anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even
greater things than these” (John 14:12 NIV).
What the very words of the Bible conveys to the reader
is that all genuine Christians will be mystics -- i.e., they will perceive the
reality of Creation from a higher perspective -- and in the manner that leaves
grow on a healthy tree, these higher powers of mind will be a natural outgrowth
of their religious life. It
is the promise of the scriptures that the genuine follower of the Messiah/Christ
will not need to be taught the Truth from other men, because they will
communicate directly with God. They
will not even need the scriptures, because they will find the Living Word of God
revealed in the very essence of their hearts and minds (Heb 8:10-11). They will not build institutionalized churches made
with hands, because the doors to the true Church will be open to them.
Moreover, their minds will be Anointed and Illumined, and they will never
answer a question with the words: “God moves in
strange ways”; or the words: “You have
to have faith”; because genuine Jews and Christians will inherit
the promise -- and they will perceive the very underlying laws that control all
events in this world, as well as the destiny of mankind.
When Jesus said to his followers: “You are the
light of the world” (Matt 5:14 NIV), the great reality which was
being conveyed was that their vision of Creation would pierce the very depths of
darkness -- they would know all things -- and they would rule over the Prince of
Darkness, because they would possess the vision and power to lead mankind out of
the grips of the forces of Satan that shackles the lives of the people of this
world.
It is of course easy to conclude that modern
Christians do not exhibit the powers of mind that Jesus promised they would.
And when we question why the scriptures have not been fulfilled?
The answer to this question is a matter of perspective: Non-believers,
and those who reject the idea that man has a spiritual nature, would of course
like to say that modern Christians do not exhibit these promised abilities
because Jesus was a fraud, and this is just one of many examples of his
predictions that did not come true. Since
this conclusion is unacceptable to believers, they must ask the question: Did
Jesus just say these words and not mean what he said?
With regard to the statement that Christians will be able to perform
greater works than Jesus, the commentary Barnes' Notes writes: “Interpreters
have been at a loss in what way to understand this”.
Yet, there is a third reason why these predictions of
Jesus have not come to pass, and it is perhaps this third reason that is the
most unsettling to the modern believer.
If Jesus was genuine, and he truly meant what he said, then the only
other possible conclusion is that the modern church is no longer the True Church
of Christ. In fact, once it
is recognized that the modern church has very little in common with the original
church which Jesus ordained, and has adopted and embraced a series of doctrines
that are in conflict with the very essence of what Jesus taught, it is then easy
to understand why the present-day church is a mere shadow of what the Bible
states it should be.
What many believers today fail to realize is that the
answer to the dilemma is found implanted on their own lips as they gather
together for prayer and worship. Further,
the answer is again found in the words of the Apostle Peter, as contained in an
obscure writing of his disciple Clement, where he said that the genuine
Christian must learn only from the True Prophet as to the correct meaning of the
scriptures and the revelation of the Word.
“Hence, O beloved Clement", proclaims Peter, “if
you would know the things pertaining to God, you have to learn them from Him
alone, because He alone knows the truth. For if any one else knows anything, he
has received it from Him or from His disciples”.
These words -- i.e., that you not only can, but you
MUST learn the things of God from Him alone, or from one of his genuine
disciples -- are as true today as when Peter originally spoke them to Clement in
the first century. They are
based upon the New Covenant teaching that Jesus came to teach the Truth, and
this Truth cannot be altered or defiled by either an impostor church, or the
doctrines of men. Therefore,
built into the essence of the Word is a means by which the truly faithful
disciple throughout any and every age in the history of man is able to learn the
Truth directly from the Lord Himself.
What this further means is that even during that timeframe when the
church was plundered into the very depths of darkness and despair, the truly
faithful followers of the Light were taught the truth directly from the One
Source of all Truth.
The problem is that the modern Christian has become so
accustomed to listening to the preaching and doctrines of other men, that they
have permitted themselves to become totally alienated from the very essence of
New Covenant teachings. We
have therefore been so estranged from the Word that Jesus taught, that few
Christians today can even envision the core teaching of the New Testament
scriptures -- i.e., that only what has been revealed to you by the Lord Himself
via your own spiritual nature is a valid Truth that you are to embrace.
The Great Reality that we totally fail to understand
is the fact that in the same way the true follower of Christ was not of this
world, neither was his Church! What
this means is that when we ourselves become spiritual, we will be able to see
the door to the Spiritual Church, open it, and enter therein.
While it is true that we will not use our physical body, Paul teaches
that we possess both a natural and a spiritual body, as seen in the words: “There
is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:44 KJV)
-- and with respect to Paul’s own experiences with regard to entering the
heavenly realms the Apostle writes: “whether in the
body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth”
(2 Cor 12:2 KJV). It was the
witness of the first followers of Jesus that all those who faithfully followed
in The Way, and learned only from the Master, were themselves permitted into the
Spiritual Temple that they accessed through the inner door within their own
mind.
The genuine Christian doctrine is easy to confirm.
Jesus never ordained a class of priests whose job it was to perform
rituals and prayers on behalf of the people.
The religious principles that Jesus taught were purely spiritual -- i.e.,
his disciples were to go forth and proclaim to the people that if they changed
their direction, and walked in The Way, they could enter into the Kingdom of
God, and be saved from the fate of death that this world holds.
The disciples and apostles were not to teach, as our religious
authorities teach today -- but rather, they were to lead the people to the One
Teacher -- the True Prophet -- that is the only Genuine Source of Knowledge for
the disciple of the Light.
In addition to the scriptures where Jesus commands the
disciples not to be called teacher, for there is only One Teacher (Mt 23:8),
this same Truth can be demonstrated using the first century witness known as the
Recognitions of Clement, where St. Clement quotes the teachings of the
Apostle Peter. In chapter 59,
under the heading of The True Prophet, Clement writes: “But
I would not have you think, that in saying this I take away the power of judging
concerning things; but I give counsel that no one walk through devious places,
and rush into errors without end. And therefore I advise not only wise men, but
indeed all men who have a desire of knowing what is advantageous to them, that
they seek after the true Prophet; for it is He alone who knoweth all things, and
who knoweth what and how every man is seeking. For He is within the mind of
every one of us, but in those who have no desire of the knowledge of God and His
righteousness, He is inoperative; but He works in those who seek after that
which is profitable to their souls, and kindles in them the light of knowledge.
Wherefore seek Him first of all; and if you do not find Him, expect not that you
shall learn anything from any other. But He is soon found by those who
diligently seek Him through love of the truth, and whose souls are not taken
possession of by wickedness. For He is present with those who desire Him in the
innocence of their spirits, who bear patiently, and draw sighs from the bottom
of their hearts through love of the truth; but He deserts malevolent minds,
because as a prophet He knows the thoughts of every one. And therefore let no
one think that he can find Him by his own wisdom, unless, as we have said, he
empty his mind of all wickedness, and conceive a pure and faithful desire to
know Him. For when any one has so prepared himself, He Himself as a prophet,
seeing a mind prepared for Him, of His own accord offers Himself to his
knowledge”.
What does Peter say to us in these words? That the
True Prophet “is within the mind of every one of
us”. This
concept is Spiritual -- and is the foundation of the Living Church that the Lord
inaugurated. Jesus warned his
followers not to go to a teacher or religious authority in this world -- even
when that teacher or authority says that he knows the Christ.
What is very clear in these words which are parallel and in harmony with
the Bible, is the followers of Jesus were not to learn from men -- who
themselves do not know -- and in true Spiritual-Gnostic fashion, they were only
to go to the Source of all Knowledge, the True Prophet.
The Apostle Paul wrote that the baptized believers at Corinth
did not know the Gospel of God, and could not be taught the Mysteries and true
Christian teachings because they were too carnal to receive them.
This great dilemma that Paul wrote about -- and has been continually
ignored by the majority of Christians throughout history -- was explained by
Peter when his disciple Clement wrote his warning to believers: “…and
if you do not find Him, expect not that you shall learn anything from any
other”.
From a first century Christian perspective, there is
only one way that you can learn and know the truth, and that is through your own
dormant spiritual nature. “Expect
not that you shall learn anything”, says Peter, if you attempt to
learn from the doctrines of men -- even when these men are the leaders of your
church, synagogue, mosque, or temple.
Why? Because Jesus
himself commanded: “But you, do not be called
'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren”
(Matt 23:8 NKJ). Therefore,
whoever will teach you -- except by example and the manifestation of the Light
in their own lives -- from the perspective of the New Covenant, is a disciple of
the antichrist.
Peter embodies the very essence of the genuine
teachings of The Way in the words: “But He is soon
found by those who diligently seek Him through love of the truth, and whose
souls are not taken possession of by wickedness. For He is present with those
who desire Him in the innocence of their spirits, who bear patiently, and draw
sighs from the bottom of their hearts through love of the truth”.
In this statement you will find the dividing line
between the genuine Christian and the Christian of the flesh -- i.e., the
genuine Christians are those who are willing to embrace the Light, and learn
only from the True Prophet which they manifest in their lives by only doing what
is of the Light -- whereas, the Christians of the flesh calls upon the name of
the Lord, but they adhere to the teachings of men, and live in accordance with
the culture of this world. Once
these words of Peter are realized in the life of the believer, only then is it
comprehended that it is the desire for the Truth -- and the Truth alone -- that
will turn you in the direction of The Way.
It is this desire that must rule your hearts and minds in such an all
encompassing manner, that the believer rejoices in the labors of clearing the
rubble of this world out of our lives, and strives to make themselves the good
ground that is the only consecrated environment which the Lord will recognize as
being genuine. In this
respect, the True Prophet can only be found by those who cultivate and prepare
themselves -- physically, mentally and spiritually, for the coming of the Lord.
From a New Covenant perspective as set forth in the
parable of the sower and the seed, you already have the Word planted in the
essence of your heart and mind. Throughout
the parables, the Word is spoken of as being male, and the disciple as female.
What this means is that one only has to apply a practical knowledge to
the equation in order to understand the process that is taught in the parable of
the sower and the seed. In
the same way that a woman attracts a man to her, the disciple attracts the
manifestation of the Word into his life by preparing the environment of his mind
and body in the endeavor to make it the good ground.
In the same way that a man is seeking an attractive woman in which to
place his seed, the Word is seeking an attractive environment in this world in
which to manifest the Light.
All the confusion and conflict of religious doctrine
that is present in the world today can be attributed to one dominant cause --
i.e., for the believer to prepare themselves does not mean that the True Prophet
can be found by those who search for him holding firm to the doctrines of men,
or the lifestyle and culture of this world -- but rather, one must prepare
themselves to make their life so it will be in conformity with the Will of God.
Peter warns that those who do not become disciples of the Light, and fail
to cleanse themselves from the defilements of this world, the True Prophet
remains “inoperative” -- they cannot see
him, hear him, or even conceive of his existence, even though he dwells in the
spiritual kingdom within each and every one of us. The True Prophet can only be revealed to those
who truly desire the knowledge of God, and reject everything else. But what is the knowledge of God? The knowledge of God is Truth and Light, and can be
possessed only by those who are prepared to move beyond this world of carnal
opinion and dogma.
In chapter 62, Clement then goes on in his quotation
of the Apostle's teachings: “And, therefore, since
amongst these philosophers are things uncertain, we must come to the true
Prophet. Him God the Father wished to be loved by all, and accordingly He has
been pleased wholly to extinguish those opinions which have originated with men,
and in regard to which there is nothing like certainty - that He the true
Prophet might be the more sought after, and that He whom they had obscured
should show to men the way of truth. For on this account also God made the
world, and by Him the world is filled; whence also He is everywhere near to them
who seek Him, though He be sought in the remotest ends of the earth. But if any
one seek Him not purely, nor holily, nor faithfully, He is indeed within him,
because He is everywhere, and is found within the minds of all men; but, as we
have said before, He is dormant to the unbelieving, and is held to be absent
from those by whom His existence is not believed”.
The importance of this statement to the people of the
simple faith is the very essence of the New Covenant promise! What Clement is stating is that you -- you the reader
of this book -- regardless of who you are, or your present station in this life
-- has the ability to find the True Prophet and know the Truth -- but, so long
as we continue to cling to the doctrines of men, and the philosophy and
materialism of this world, the True Prophet will remain dormant as to an
unbeliever. A believer in
Christ, then, cannot be defined as someone who believes in the manner of their
choosing -- in what is culturally correct -- or in the doctrines of their church
-- but rather, genuine belief in Christ means that the person believes that if
they incorporate the teachings of Christ in their life -- and then live them in
word, thought and deed -- that they will begin the process of opening the inner
door to the Kingdom and learn directly from the True Prophet.
What we must therefore recognize is the fact that,
many who call upon the name of the Lord are in reality unbelievers, because they
attempt to call upon the Lord while holding fast to the doctrines of
Constantine, Justinian, Darwin, and a whole host of other prophets and servants
of the anti-christ. It is in
reference to these false teachers and their flocks that the Lord spoke of when
he said: “These people draw near to Me with their
mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matt
15:8 NKJ). Why? It
is because the doors to the Kingdom are only opened with the desires of the
purified heart, and not with the lips.
What you say means little -- but what you do and accomplish with your
life is of paramount importance in the eyes of the Lord.
If one truly loves the Lord, then they will rid
themselves of all falseness, and cling only to the Truth.
Whoever is therefore not willing to surrender to the truth, are the
unrighteous people that the Apostle speaks about: “And
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they
received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause
God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they
all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness” (2 Th 2:10-12 KJV).
What the Apostle is here stating is that only those
who rid themselves of the baggage of this world, and truly walk in The Way, will
perceive the reality of Life -- all others, regardless of how well-meaning they
are, regardless of how they praise the Lord with their lips, will be given a “strong
delusion”. In
our analysis of this great truth it is important for us to comprehend the flaw
that the authors of the scriptures saw in the people of the Nations -- i.e.,
they called upon the name of the Lord, but they lived their lives in accordance
with their culture -- and thus, they denied God in their actions and deeds.
Now I understand that by merely raising these
questions I will invoke the standard response that God would never let such a
thing happen to His Church. Yet,
we must also be cognizant of the fact that if God would never let such a thing
happen, then why were we not only warned in advance to beware of these pitfalls,
but we were also warned in the Bible itself that the defilement of the church
was imminent, as seen in the words: “Let no one
deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away
comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes
and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he
sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. …The coming
of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs,
and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish,
because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe
the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had
pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Th 2:3-12 NKJ).
It is very clear that the Apostle foretells the
believers to beware, because the disciples of Satan will rule over the church.
It is also very clear that those who are swayed by the doctrines of the
church will receive a “strong delusion, that they
should believe the lie”.
Why? Because they
embraced doctrines of lawlessness, and they did not possess a love of the truth.
And if we inquire as to what truth is?
From the Apostle's perspective, it is not something that is believed, but
something that can be proven. And
if we ask what constitutes proof? From
the Apostle's perspective, it is that condition that has been brought about when
we overcome this world, and we are able to sit at the feet of the Master -- in
the Spiritual Church that the gates of Hell cannot defile -- and we Know God in
the manner of the prodigal son who has returned home to his Father's Kingdom.
This is proof -- and anything less is the “strong
delusion” that the disciples of Satan who appear to us as ministers
of light has caused us to cling to through the process of faith in manmade and
unprofitable doctrines of belief.
In my own search for answers many years ago, I came
face to face with the great Christian dilemma: If the bible warns that I cannot
trust the religious authorities of the church -- that I cannot trust my own
natural (carnal) intellect and feelings -- then on what biblical basis would I
put my trust in any of the many groups or sects I had encountered?
Should I do as many other Christians seemed to do, and just join the
church that best suites my social and emotional needs?
These are important questions for Christians to face and confront.
Does not the scriptures warn us that: “For
those who guide this people are leading them astray; and those who are guided by
them are brought to confusion” (Isa 9:16 NAS). In view of the fact that I was in a great deal of
confusion, this scriptural warning must be recognized by every person today
seeking Truth and Light.
These words which are totally ignored by those who
attempt to read the scriptures today, were spoken in reference to the parable of
the sower and the seed (see Sower
And Seed) -- which parable is both the most ignored, and one of the most
important elements of the Gospel message that must be embraced by all people
today. The spiritual concepts
that are in fact taught in this parable are of such an exalted magnitude, that
they should be seen as the very starting place for all those who desire to know
anything of any genuine import. In
order to live a life of genuine substance, the life of every child should be
molded in accordance with the concepts revealed in this parable -- a parable
that is so important to those in pursuit of all Knowledge, both secular and
religious, that Jesus warned the people: “And he said
unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?”
(Mark 4:13 KJV). And to put
this great biblical truth in the more modern language of the New Living
Translation: “But if you can't understand this story,
how will you understand all the others I am going to tell?”
You can’t!
If you fail to understand the meaning of this parable, then you can never
comprehend a single truth of any great importance.
Moreover, I confirm this well defined biblical statement with respect to
all of man’s endeavors in his quest to know himself and his true role in the
vision of Creation. It makes
no difference if you are a man of faith, science, or philosophy, unless you
understand the meaning of this parable in relation to your own life, then you
can never know anything of a genuine value and significance.
What Jesus declared to the wise and prudent was this
great truth: There exist Keys of Knowledge that when possessed by a man or woman
in search of the Truth, and used to open the doors within the mind that enables
man to gaze beyond the limitations of this world, that man or woman has the
capacity to know all the Ultimate Truths of Creation, because man is a great
deal more than he appears. What
the Bible states is that because all of mankind is the offspring of the Eternal
God, he is congenitally endowed with the capacity to embrace the Ultimate Truths
of Creation -- i.e., as written in the Psalms: “I
said, 'You are ‘gods’; you are all sons of the Most High.'” (Ps
82:6 NIV). The problem is that instead of taking hold of these
Keys of Knowledge, we listen to secular and quasi-religious carnally minded
philosophers who do not possess the Keys of Knowledge, and thus they see and
hear with the congenital and natural limitations of this world, instead of
learning directly from our Heavenly Father.
One of the great realities of life that we fail to
recognize is that our beliefs very much support our lifestyle -- a lifestyle
that makes it convenient for us to live in accordance with our present-day
society. The result is that
what we see when we open our Bibles is only a fraction of the Divine Revelation
of Truth which has been limited by our present-day lifestyle and manner of
thinking. In order to embrace
Truth, we must become very cognizant of the fact that our perception of God,
Creation, and the very purpose of life itself, is all directly related to our
lifestyle and mindset with which we use to view the world and comprehend every
aspect of our existence. In
recognition of this fact, it must then be understood that in everything we
think, do and say, our vision of the world in which we live is filtered and
limited by the beliefs we have adopted -- beliefs which we fail to realize are
congenital to the thinking of this world.
Fundamentally one of our most serious of problems is seen in the fact
that even if we are a fundamentalist Christian, our present system of beliefs
have been imbued with a quasi-Darwinist perception of life.
That man is blinded by what he believes and can see
nothing more than the limitations that his lifestyle and manner of thinking will
permit, is very much a part of human nature.
In the same way that the Atheist cannot even begin to make progress with
respect to searching for the truth of religion until he is at least willing
become agnostic and at least entertain the idea that God may in fact exist, the
modern-day Christian cannot embrace the higher concepts of the Gospel until the
believer is willing to question the doctrinal limitations that were placed upon
the church when it was under the control of Pagan Rome.
Moreover, this is easily demonstrated once it is recognized that the
fundamental framework of the doctrines we have inherited from past generations
of Christians were very much politically based, and were brought about by virtue
of the need to make the gospel accommodate the thinking of the people of the
fourth century.
If the teachings of the New Covenant were not first
Paganized, they never could have been embraced by a Pagan people.
It is not that the people were converted to a different vision of life
and manner of thinking -- they very much remained Pagan, and merely began to
include certain symbols that related to New Covenant thought into their
heathenistic life. The result
is that in every way the foundation of our doctrines reflect the cultural
beliefs of the people at that time they came into being, and were adopted and
ordained by the church because they permitted the people to live a guilt-free
life in accordance with the prevalent lifestyle that existed during that era in
man’s history. Perhaps more
than any other factor, it is this process of adopting a series of beliefs and
mindset that enables believers to live in accordance with their culture while
still perceiving themselves as fulfilling the requirements of God, that is the
greatest example of the success of what the Apostle Paul refers to as the powers
of darkness that control this world.
It has been said that the greatest deception of all
time is seen in the success of Satan in his ability to convince man that he does
not exist. If this is so, then
Satan's second deception is perhaps even greater than the first -- in that, he
has fooled the very elect -- i.e., the very religious authorities of the church
who have been warned and taught of his existence.
In total disregard of the admonition of the scriptures themselves, the
greater majority of Christians believe that the church is beyond the reach of
Satan -- that God somehow drew a line that Satan cannot cross over -- and
because of this force of Divine protection, Satan has not immersed himself in
every aspect of their lives! Yet,
to their own detriment, the leaders of the modern church ignore the warning of
the Apostle: “let no man beguile you in any wise: for
(it will not be,) except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be
revealed, the son of perdition, he that opposeth and exalteth himself against
all that is called God or that is worshipped; so that he sitteth in the temple
of God, setting himself forth as God” (2 Thes 2:3-4 ASV).
What the Apostle is herein very clearly predicting is
that there would come a time when the god of the Christian Church will be a
false god. Historically
speaking, it has been almost universally recognized that the period in time that
the Apostle could have been referring to was in the fourth century when the
church made a covenant with the Roman Emperor Constantine.
With regard to this falling away, the Adam Clark Commentary writes of
this passage of Paul's Epistle: “[Except there come a
falling away first] We have the original word apostasia in our word apostasy;
and by this term we understand a dereliction of the essential principles of
religious truth, either a total abandonment of Christianity itself, or such a
corruption of its doctrines as renders the whole system completely inefficient
to salvation. But what this apostasy means is a question which has not yet, and
perhaps never will be, answered to general satisfaction” (from the
Adam Clarke Commentary).
Not to depreciate or make less the significance of any
one of the individual statements presented in the above words, what the modern
believer must recognized is the far-reaching totality of the statement: “But
what this apostasy means is a question which has not yet, and perhaps never will
be, answered to general satisfaction”.
Ultimately, what this means to the modern believer is that each and every
church authority from the fourth-century to the present, as well as every single
preacher of the gospel, speaks from the position of concession -- which
concession is that there is a great void in their knowledge of the truth.
Thus, one of the core presumptions upon which our present-day doctrine of
faith is based, is that these words of the Apostle Paul are not true.
What the average person of faith fails to realize, is that this
presumption which is widely embraced today, is truly dangerous to each and every
Christian’s spiritual well-being!
In our quest to restore the pure Word of the Gospel,
it is important for us to question just what these words of the Apostle mean to
the modern believer? It means
that the church today is doing the best that it possibly can, under the
circumstances that it has been forced to function under.
If both historians and biblical experts are unable to tell us with
certainty to what degree these words of the Apostle effect our perception of the
gospel today, then we cannot be sure of a single thing!
While we have faith that our beliefs are authentic, when it is recognized
that our faith requires us to physically die before we can be sure of the
validity of anything that we presently believe, we may be playing Russian
Roulette with all the cylinders loaded -- and hoping for a misfire.
Unlike the believer who merely accepts what he is
told, modern religious authorities know that the history of the church is
extremely troubling. Men of
wisdom are alarmed that the religion of the common faith that still survives
even today, was brought about by the power of the sword.
Again, contrary to what they tell the uninformed believer, biblical
experts know that the condition of the scriptures is extremely disturbing.
Further, they also know that each and every conflicting sect and opinion
that calls itself Christian, regardless of whether they agree or disagree with
these almost uncountable number of conflicting opinions, bases its theological
position on seemingly valid scriptural statements of fact.
What this ultimately means is that each sect and
school of doctrinal opinion has been forced to accept one biblical theory over
the ideas of other schools of thought, which are also represented in the Bible
as an article of faith that their choice is the correct one, regardless of the
fact that there is often strong biblical reasons for the opposing opinions they
reject. The Evangelical
Christians, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Quakers, and the Unitarian
Universalists, all embrace conflicting beliefs -- and yet, each is able to use
the Bible to affirm their doctrines.
The Jehovah’s Witness, Evangelical Christians, Quakers and Unitarian
Universalists each take certain biblical passages and give them more weight and
prescience than other biblical passages that conflict with their opinion.
Regardless of what they preach to their parishioners,
each one of these sects arrives at their particular conclusion over the rest,
because they have faith that they are doing the best they can under the
circumstances they are functioning under.
If they were to be truly honest, each one of them could write a really
long list of the many important fundamentals of the gospel that confuses them --
but since they have faith that there is nothing better, and all explanations
that have been offered by each sect and authority are equally confusing, they
have long ago recognized the fact that they are powerless to do anything about
the biblical/religious dilemma that confronts them.
What is their alternative? Give
up the gospel? Because this
alternative is unacceptable, and something within them strongly conveys that
there is truth in the pages of the scriptures, they have no other choice than to
have faith that either what they see in the scriptures is the truth, or they
will be saved by virtue that the believe in Jesus as their Savior.
One of the major causes of the present state of
doctrinal chaos is the failure of modern pastors and church authorities to
recognize that the key to their dilemma is found in the prediction of the
Apostle that there would come a time of total abandonment of the Gospel with
respect to the desolation of all genuine spiritual Christian ideas and concepts.
What this means is that the Apostle predicts that in the near future, the
true religion of Jesus would cease to exist in this world.
In this respect, the words of the Apostle are quite clear in there
assertion -- i.e., from the time period of the first century of our Common Era
when it was written by the hand of Paul, it prophetically speaks of a time in
the near future when the teachings that Jesus placed in the hands of mankind
would cease to exist -- and it is the correct assertion of many Christians that
this in fact took place in the establishment of an institutionalized church
under the control of Pagan Rome in the fourth century.
What the modern Christian fails to realize is that the
total corruption of the doctrine of the church which the Apostle speaks of was
in fact brought about by the adoption of the Christ of Constantine, which
resulted in the rejection of Jesus of Nazareth.
While it is true that we use the name Jesus, and we call ourselves his
followers, what we have lost sight of is that the essence of the religion of the
New Covenant is spiritual, and where the physical body of Christ was crucified
by the carnal Jews in the first century, the spiritual body of Christ was
crucified in the fourth century (see The
Death Of The Religion Of Jesus).
In further explanation with regard to this crucial
prediction of the Apostle, the Adam Clark Commentary then goes on to provide us
a vivid description of Constantine and the formation of his new church: “[Who
opposeth and exalteth] He stands against and exalts himself above all divine
authority, and above every object of adoration, and every institution, relative
to divine worship, sebasma, himself being the source, whence must originate all
the doctrines of religion, and all its rites and ceremonies; so that sitting in
the temple of God -- having the highest place and authority in the Christian
church, he acts as God -- taking upon himself God's titles and attributes, and
arrogating to himself the authority that belongs to the Most High”
(from the Adam Clarke Commentary).
That these events came to pass is well documented from
a historical perspective -- i.e., the church was ruled by Satanic forces that
dictated every aspect of Christian doctrine.
And while it is true that many faithful believers, clergy, pastors and
religious authorities today have recognized the defilement of the church that
took place beginning in the fourth century, what could not be revealed until now
was the absolute certainty that, because we have never fully recovered from the
darkness and corruption that was imposed upon the teachings of the church by the
ruthless political despots of the past, essential foundational principles, as
well as indispensable elements of New Covenant knowledge of what is constantly
referred to in the Bible as the Mysteries of God, is presently absent from the
thinking of the body of the faithful believers to this very day.
From a biblical perspective, the supernatural being
referred to by Paul as Satan, who the Apostle refers to as the god of this
realm, successfully gains control over the thinking of the religious people of
any given generation by speaking to their imagination.
What does this mean? He
begins the process by inspiring within them a vision of a kingdom that is to
come at some later time. Where
Jesus preached that the Kingdom is here -- at hand, and could be entered through
a change of mind -- the forces of darkness blinds the hearts and minds of the
believer to the Kingdom that is already present and has been set before them.
The result is that the Prince of Darkness continues to rule over the
hearts and minds of the believers because, in their state of spiritual
complacency, they continue to live in accordance with the culture of this world,
and never actually take up their crosses and follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Thus, while they believe and have faith, their faith is misdirected.
In failing to recognize the warning of Paul with respect to the total “…dereliction
of the essential principles of religious truth, either a total abandonment of
Christianity itself, or such a corruption of its doctrines as renders the whole
system completely inefficient to salvation…”, Satan successfully
alters the believer’s perception of the scriptures, and induces them to wait
-- rather than begin the journey into the Kingdom where the Son of God awaits
them.
The Satanic powers of darkness that are revealed in
the scriptures gains the upper hand by moving the hearts and minds of
unsuspecting men and women to become attached to this world by whatever means
possible. He controls
religious people by seducing them into adopting a life of spiritual complacency
and impotence -- using religion to effect within the believer a false vision of
their own level of spirituality as being exalted and heightened.
He often accomplishes this deception by inducing them to judge and
compare themselves to non-believers, and those who have already surrendered
their soul over to the Prince of Darkness.
It was easy for Lot to perceive himself a righteous
person in comparison to the inhabitants of Sodom.
It is in like manner easy for the average Christian today to view
themselves as being a faithful and believing people in relation to the criminal
element that is portrayed in our newspapers and media.
The flaw in this perception is seen in the fact that the Bible does not
require us to be better than the unholy -- but rather, to be Christ-like -- and
ultimately as perfect as our Heavenly Father (Matt 5:48).
Thus, because we judge ourselves in accordance with the standards of this
world, the result is that the religious person sees himself as being in accord
with the gospel message, because he can easily perceive a difference between
himself and the people he views as being turned out of The Way.
From the perspective of what the Apostle calls the god of this world,
this false vision of righteousness is absolutely necessary in order to implant
within their minds a strong delusion that induces them to believe that they are
fulfilling the Word of God.
A great truth that the Bible continually warns the
religious person about -- a truth that he must come to terms with if he is to
become a disciple of the Light -- is that this supernatural being which the
Apostle calls the god of this world, ordains servants to mislead the flock of
believers -- and more importantly, even those servants are unaware that they
have become the ministers of Satan. More
importantly, the servants of Satan are very often the people who the flock of
believers regard as the most well meaning of individuals -- men and women who
the believing community perceives as religious allies, and perhaps even saintly.
Throughout the course of human history it can be
demonstrated that large numbers of true believers have permitted themselves to
be deceived and led into error and captivity, because they failed to heed the
lesson of the biblical account of Samson and Delilah -- where the betrayer
appears to be good, and yet saps their strength, and then attacks the believers
in order to enslave them. If,
then, we are to break the bonds of slavery, and succeed in safeguarding
ourselves from being deceived, we must become acutely aware of the important
biblical warning that: “There is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov
14:12 KJV).
From the perspective of the Prince of Darkness, we are
more easily conquered and led into a life of servitude by those who appear to us
as allies and champions of the faith, than those who would oppose us.
No doubt many Christians will immediately reject this argument -- saying,
God would not permit this to happen to His church.
But this claim is quickly proven counterfeit when it is demonstrated that
God has indeed permitted the church to fall into error.
Can the believer trust the affirmation of the leaders of the church with
respect to their claim of doctrinal purity and Divine protection?
The Bible very clearly states that the opposite is true, and it is the
leaders of the church who will be in error when they make this claim.
In confirmation of what was predicted by Paul, Jesus said that the powers
of darkness which seek to enslave us, and will accomplish this by fooling the
very elect of the church (Mat 24:24; Mk 13:22).
The Apostle warns that Satan will appear as an Angel of light, and he
will transform his ministers and servants of darkness to make them falsely
appear to you as good, in order to deceive you (2 Cor 11:14). In this respect, the Bible warns us that what seems
right to the carnal mind of man, is the very thing that will bring about the
ways of death (Prov 14:12).
What Jesus warned his followers was to: “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” (Matt 7:15-16
KJV). In understanding the
far-reaching reality of these words, we must comprehend exactly what the fruits
are that Jesus makes reference to which we should use to judge the validity of
our religious leaders! Fruits
in the scriptures relate to works and accomplishments -- and the works of the
spirit is seen in the ability of the shepherd of the flock to place within the
hands of the believer the Key that opens the door to what the Bible calls the
house of knowledge -- and then demonstrate how to use that knowledge to guide
the believer into the Kingdom -- a Kingdom that will never come upon the earth
as our present-day church authorities proclaim (Luke 17:20-21), but exists at
this very time in a parallel dimension.
From a biblical perspective, the Messiah/Christ is the
one who opens the door to the Kingdom and permits us to enter therein. Throughout the scriptures the essence of New Covenant
thought is that one must pick up their own cross and follow in the Masters
footsteps. Satan is the power
that draws our consciousness to the outside world.
Satan does not want us to begin the journey into the Kingdom, and can
only maintain control over us so long as our mindset remains attached to this
realm. Where the Apostle
warns us that Satan will raise up ministers and prophets who appear to be
spiritual, but are not, what he is making reference to is clergy and religious
authorities who keep us focused on prayer, ritual, and dead works that are of
this world, and do not move us along the journey into the Kingdom. When Jesus warned us that the pseudo-prophets will
appear to us as sheep, and deceive us, he was confirming that Satan will attempt
to use our own religious authorities to enslave us.
Satan knows that freedom, and the appearance of choice, defeats more foes
than does conflict. It is
therefore important for us to understand that the Prince of Darkness knows more
about us than we do. He
understands human nature -- and he knows that we will stand firm against one who
appears to be an enemy, and in the manner of Sampson be readily seduced by one
who appears to be a friend.
If a stranger approached a child and put on a mean and
evil demeanor, the child would instantly retreat and seek a place of safety.
Thus, the stranger who will successfully abduct and do harm to the child,
lures the child away with candy -- the promise of some reward -- or even fear
not to obey, which is the most effective means to control an individual.
Once seduced, the Prince of Darkness maintains control
over the people by herding those he has successfully deceived into groups,
religious institutions, governments and nations.
He does this to take advantage of another of man's inherent weaknesses,
which is the pack syndrome where man finds safety in numbers.
This mindset manifests itself in the concept that, if a group of people
all agree, then we convince ourselves that it has to be right.
Or, if a whole group is wrong, we reason that God will somehow overlook
the error, because no one else knew the truth.
In the manner of schoolchildren, we believe that God will mark our test
of life on a curve -- and so long as we attain a certain grade that is within
the upper and lower limits of other people, we will have past the requirements
of life.
So long as we can maintain the belief that no one
really knows for sure, or that ultimate truth is beyond man’s ability to
realize, then we feel secure in the belief that we will not be held accountable
for our indolence with respect to seeking the knowledge of the truth for
ourselves. We take this one
step further when our religious institutions ordain ministers, priests and
religious authorities whose job it is to know all there is to know about God and
the requirements of life. We
place other men in the position of priest and clergy, so as to make them
responsible for knowing the Will of God.
We then reason that all we have to do is live in accordance with what
these religious authorities say, and we will have passed the test of life.
What we therefore fail to recognize is the fact that this is the same
exact flaw that Jesus condemned in the Jewish sects of the Sadducees and
Pharisees.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses feel secure in the belief
that God talks to the leaders of their sect who publish their pamphlets in
Brooklyn. So long as they are
Jehovah’s Witnesses in good standing, they will be saved.
Evangelical Christians believe that by virtue of their accepting Jesus
Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and they worship in a Christ-centered
Church, they will be saved. The
mainline Protestant sects believe that so long as they have faith in Jesus, they
too will be saved. In each
and every case the people feel secure in their association with a particular
church or church doctrine of belief.
In biblical times when Jesus exhibited great
compassion and understanding for the lost sheep, he did not extend this same
compassion to the false religious leaders who he condemned -- religious leaders
who performed rituals and dead works -- religious leaders who praised a God that
they did not understand because they were impostors, and were unable to manifest
the Light before the lost sheep of the Lord.
A genuine religious leader is one who leads the flock into the Kingdom,
and brings them into the presence of the indwelling Word.
While it is true that Jesus condemned the Sadducees and Pharisees as false religious leaders, from an historical perspective the sin of the Jews in no way compared to the eventual sin of the later church that called itself Christian. If the sin of the Jews was that they killed the Christ at the time of the cruci