- Warning
- Lying to the Spirit
- Implicating Spirit in evil
- Abusive language
- Covenant Framework
- Covenant Model
- Scriptures
- Zion
- Doubt
- Current affairs/science
- Logic
- Safeguards
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Index
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Index
Fig.1: The narrow path.
Go ye in through the strait gate,
because wide [is] the gate,
and broad the way that is leading to the destruction,
and many are those going in through it;
Matthew 7:13 YLT
Jesus warns against dissing or mishandling the Lord Spirit:
"But whoever says evil things against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven,
because he has committed an eternal sin." (Mark 3:29 GNT)
To be clear, since all die, 'Death' refers to Spiritual Death - exclusion from God's presence for the whole of Eternity.
Jesus' words contains a clear and unequivocal warning which has dire consequences! Dissing the Lord Spirit is sufficient reason for being placed on the Blacklist.
The Lord Spirit can be dissed in several ways, for example:
The precedent is set by Ananias and Sapphira:
[1] But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; [2] with his wife's knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. [3] "Ananias," Peter asked, "why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? [4] While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!" [5] Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. [6] The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him. (Acts 5:1-6 NRSV)
Unlike Father or Son, the Lord Spirit is unable to defend Himself against personal attacks. Hence the reason for placing the Lord Spirit under the personal protection of the Father [and, by extension, the Son].
To lie about the Spirit as to what He has or hasn't done, is to ensure one's name is immediately entered in the Blacklist - an action which cannot then be undone.
[Dissertation: Paul's errors give the lie to his claim to be 'living in the Spirit'.]
And this promise, fulfilled at Pentecost,
[28] "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. [29] Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." (Joel 2:28-29 NIV),
brought dangers which the new-covenant church have neither discerned nor heeded. Instead, they have placed their trust in Paul and the unknown writer to the Hebrews, made false assumptions, and have blindly trampled the Messianically Amended Covenant in the mire.
Is not the realisation of the Promise a Holy Thing? And should it not be handled as it is required by the Covenant?
10 But the Levites who forsook Me when Israel went astray—straying from Me to follow their fetishes—shall suffer their punishment: 11 They shall be servitors in My Sanctuary, appointed over the Temple gates, and performing the chores of My Temple; they shall slaughter the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for the people. They shall attend on them and serve them. 12 Because they served the House of Israel in the presence of their fetishes and made them stumble into guilt, therefore—declares the Lord GOD—I have sworn concerning them that they shall suffer their punishment: 13 They shall not approach Me to serve Me as priests, to come near any of My sacred offerings, the most holy things. They shall bear their shame for the abominations that they committed. (Ezekiel 44:10-13 (Tanakh))
27 Among the last acts of David was the counting of the Levites from the age of twenty and upward. 28 For their appointment was alongside the Aaronites for the service of the House of the LORD, to look after the courts and the chambers, and the purity of all the holy things, and the performance of the service of the House of God, 29 and the rows of bread, and the fine flour for the meal offering, and the unleavened wafers, and the cakes made on the griddle and soaked, and every measure of capacity and length; 30 and to be present every morning to praise and extol the LORD, and at evening too, 31 and whenever offerings were made to the LORD, according to the quantities prescribed for them, on sabbaths, new moons and holidays, regularly, before the LORD; 32 and so to keep watch over the Tent of Meeting, over the holy things, and over the Aaronites their kinsmen, for the service of the House of the LORD. (1 Chronicles 23:27-32 (Tanakh))
This can range from a denial of His existence ... to offensive language.
The Covenant is:
Th [composite] Covenant is a containing contract for various components; these may include:
The Covenant is updatable - for example, the Zadok Amendment or the Sabbath Amendment.
The Covenant is reconfigurable - for example, the Rescue Contract was added to the Eden Covenant following the fall and expulsion from Eden.
The Places:
Shepherds:
The Covenant Model
[Dissertation: Write notes detailing the guidance offered by each of the above, collectively and separately.]
Bear in mind that the Covenant is a dynamic structure, in which components may be added or dropped!
The Covenant as it was at the time of Moses, still obtains today. Jesus explained that the Mosaic Covenant was the foundation for the amendments which His sacrifice would bring to the Covenant at the Spiritual Level:
"But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" (John 5:45-47 NIV84)
A children's schematic of the Covenant as it was at the time of Moses, is particularly helpful in explaining an overview of the guidance offered by the Covenant. Its simplicity belies its value:
Mosaic Covenant Schematic
With the schematic in sharp focus, it then becomes possible to grab the microscope, move around, and select-and-zoom! Don't be afraid to zoom in as closely as you can, for the Lord knows that His handiwork can withstand the most intense scrutiny possible!
For myself, there are a few key areas which sound the death knell for Paul's treacherous new-covenant. For example:
The truth of these - and other - aspects of the Mosaic Contract, are keys to knowledge which will forever doom Paul's false doctrine.
Paul hears Jesus' voice, and responds immediately:
[1] Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest [2] and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. [3] Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. [4] He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" [5] He asked, "Who are you, Lord?" The reply came, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. [6] But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do." (Acts 9:1-6 NRSV)
In contrast, there is the inexperience and unfamiliarity of the young Samuel11C:
1 Young Samuel was in the service of the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; prophecy was not widespread. 2 One day, Eli was asleep in his usual place; his eyes had begun to fail and he could barely see. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the Ark of God was. 4 The LORD called out to Samuel, and he answered, “I'm coming.” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But he replied, “I didn't call you; go back to sleep.” So he went back and lay down. 6 Again the LORD called, “Samuel!" Samuel rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But he replied, “I didn't call, my son; go back to sleep.” — 7 Now Samuel had not yet experienced the LORD; the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. — 8 The LORD called Samuel again, a third time, and he rose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down. If you are called again, say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening.'" And Samuel went to his place and lay down.
10 The LORD came, and stood there, and He called as before: “Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” 11 The LORD said to Samuel: “I am going to do in Israel such a thing that both ears of anyone who hears about it will tingle. 12 In that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I spoke concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I sentence his house to endless punishment for the iniquity he knew about — how his sons committed sacrilege at will — and he did not rebuke them. 14 Assuredly, I swear concerning the house of Eli that the iniquity of the house of Eli will never be expiated by sacrifice or offering.” (1 Samuel 3:1-14 (Tanakh))
So how can one possibly know when the Lord is speaking?
Perhaps the answer is to be found in the passage about the young Samuel:
Whoever speaks - whether Father, Son, or Spirit - the words ultimately come from the Father, as can be seen from the dependencies within the Trinity:
Trinity dependencies
Trinity dependencies
[Essay: Trinity - the dependencies.]
[Essay: The problem with self-deception when listening for the Lord's words.]
The Lord issues a word of warning:
28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream; and let him who has received My word report My word faithfully! How can straw be compared to grain? — says the LORD. 29 Behold, My word is like fire — declares the LORD — and like a hammer that shatters rock! (Jeremiah 23:28-29 (Tanakh))
The Scriptures contain plenty of examples of dreams and visions. However, their status is cut and dried: we know that they are dreams because that is what Scripture tells us! What is more interesting is the occurrence of dreams in real-life situations.
In practise, real-life dreams are riven with uncertainty as to their provenance!
As far as interpretation goes, the Scriptures contain examples of self or third party interpretation.
28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream; and let him who has received My word report My word faithfully! How can straw be compared to grain? —says the LORD. 29 Behold, My word is like fire—declares the LORD—and like a hammer that shatters rock! (Jeremiah 23:28-29 (Tanakh))
When is a dream just a dream? And when is the Lord speaking through a dream?
In my experience the answer is not always as clear-cut as one might wish! I well remember a sequence of dreams which I took to be visions. Or was the sequence simply a series of dreams, the product of my own needs, desires, and demons? To this day, I still do not know! I have asked for clarification; but nothing has been forthcoming, leaving me in limbo...
[Essay: When do dreams end and visions begin?]
[Essay: Is the dream/vision from the Lord?]
[Essay: To attribute false dreams/visions to the Lord Spirit.]
30 Inside the breastpiece of decision you shall place the Urim and Thummim†, so that they are over Aaron's heart when he comes before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall carry the instrument of decision for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD at all times. (Exodus 28:30 (Tanakh))
[† Tanakh1985 makes the suggestion that the Urim and Thummim was possibly some kind of oracle:]
Tanakh (1985) suggest a possible meaning of the Urim and Thummim
The suggestion that Urim and Thummim were some kind of oracle may invite comparison to the Delphic Oracle, which was notorious for its ambiguity.
'Oracle' is used within Scripture to mean God's words. However, Scripture makes the point that such messages must be evaluated to determine whether or not they were from the Lord.
It seems more likely that the Urim and Thummim was like a historical badge of office amongst those claiming to qualify as priests. There is evidence to support this view in the Book of Nehemiah:
63 Of the priests: the sons of Habaiah, the sons of Hakkoz, the sons of Barzillai who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and had taken his name — 64 these searched for their genealogical records, but they could not be found, so they were disqualified for the priesthood. 65 The Tirshatha ordered them not to eat of the most holy things until a priest with Urim and Thummim should appear. (Nehemiah 7:63-65 (Tanakh))
The priest with Urim and Thummim was qualified, whereas the claimants who had examined their genealogical records in search of qualification, were disqualified.
The Tanakh reference to Num 27:21 T in Ex. 28:30 T, seems to be more to do with the holder of the office and his qualification, rather than an oracle conjured out of thin air or a coin toss.
15 Moses spoke to the LORD, saying, 16 “Let the LORD, Source of the breath of all flesh, appoint someone over the community 17 who shall go out before them and come in before them, and who shall take them out and bring them in, so that the LORD's community may not be like sheep that have no shepherd.” 18 And the LORD answered Moses, “Single out Joshua son of Nun, an inspired man, and lay your hand upon him. 19 Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community, and commission him in their sight. 20 Invest him with some of your authority, so that the whole Israelite community may obey. 21 But he shall present himself to Eleazar the priest, who shall on his behalf seek the decision of the Urim before the LORD. By such instruction they shall go out and by such instruction they shall come in, he and all the Israelites, the whole community.”
22 Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and before the whole community. 23 He laid his hands upon him and commissioned him — as the LORD had spoken through Moses. (Numbers 27:15-23 (Tanakh))
Urim and Thummim, as badge of office, may find expression in the person qualified to handle baffling questions:
8 If a case is too baffling for you to decide, be it a controversy over homicide, civil law, or assault—matters of dispute in your courts—you shall promptly repair to the place that the LORD your God will have chosen, 9 and appear before the levitical priests, or the magistrate in charge at the time, and present your problem. When they have announced to you the verdict in the case, 10 you shall carry out the verdict that is announced to you from that place that the LORD chose, observing scrupulously all their instructions to you. 11 You shall act in accordance with the instructions given you and the ruling handed down to you; you must not deviate from the verdict that they announce to you either to the right or to the left. 12 Should a man act presumptuously and disregard the priest charged with serving there the LORD your God, or the magistrate, that man shall die. Thus you will sweep out evil from Israel: 13 all the people will hear and be afraid and will not act presumptuously again. Deuteronomy 17:8-13 (Tanakh)
Again, this is more evidence for the Urim and Thummim being a badge of office. Held close to the wearer's heart, it indicates a heart which is in tune with that of the Lord. See the reference to the eventual replacement of false shepherds with ones after God's own heart:
14 Turn back, rebellious children — declares the LORD. Since I have espoused you, I will take you, one from a town and two from a clan, and bring you to Zion. 15 And I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will pasture you with knowledge and skill. (Jeremiah 3:14-15 (Tanakh))
[Dissertation: The Breastplate of Decision.]
The Lord God vehemently forbids the extraction of an oracle from wood, stone, or precious metal:
18 What has the carved image availed,
That he who fashioned it has carved it
For an image and a false oracle—
That he who fashioned his product has trusted in it,
Making dumb idols?
19 Ah, you who say, “Wake up” to wood,
“Awaken," to inert stone!
Can that give an oracle?
Why, it is encased in gold and silver,
But there is no breath inside it.
20 But the LORD in His holy Abode—
Be silent before Him all the earth! (Habakkuk 2:18-20 (Tanakh))
With the death of Judas, it was necessary to seek a replacement. And the Eleven did this by the casting of lots:
21-22 "So then, someone must join us as a witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. He must be one of the men who were in our group during the whole time that the Lord Jesus traveled about with us, beginning from the time John preached his message of baptism until the day Jesus was taken up from us to heaven."
23 So they proposed two men: Joseph, who was called Barsabbas (also known as Justus), and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, "Lord, you know the thoughts of everyone, so show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to serve as an apostle in the place of Judas, who left to go to the place where he belongs." 26 Then they drew lots to choose between the two men, and the one chosen was Matthias, who was added to the group of eleven apostles. (Acts 1:21-26 GNT)
Often sought by the faithful in order to confirm some guidance or other:
11 An angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. His son Gideon was then beating out wheat inside a winepress in order to keep it safe from the Midianites. 12 The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, “The LORD is with you, valiant warrior!" 13 Gideon said to him, “Please, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why has all this befallen us? Where are all His wondrous deeds about which our fathers told us, saying, 'Truly the LORD brought us up from Egypt'? Now the LORD has abandoned us and delivered us into the hands of Midian!" 14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this strength of yours and deliver Israel from the Midianites. I herewith make you My messenger.” 15 He said to Him, “Please, my lord, how can I deliver Israel? Why, my clan is the humblest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's household.” 16 The LORD replied, “I will be with you, and you shall defeat Midian to a man.” 17 And he said to Him, “If I have gained Your favor, give me a sign that it is You who are speaking to me: 18 do not leave this place until I come back to You and bring out my offering and place it before You.” And He answered, “I will stay until you return.”
19 So Gideon went in and prepared a kid, and baked unleavened bread from an ephah of flour. He put the meat in a basket and poured the broth into a pot, and he brought them out to Him under the terebinth. As he presented them, 20 the angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, put them on yonder rock, and spill out the broth.” He did so. 21 The angel of the LORD held out the staff that he carried, and touched the meat and the unleavened bread with its tip. A fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened bread. And the angel of the LORD vanished from his sight. 22 Then Gideon realized that it was an angel of the LORD; and Gideon said, “Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.”
23 But the LORD said to him, “All is well; have no fear, you shall not die.” 24 So Gideon built there an altar to the LORD and called it Adonaishalom. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. (Judges 6:11-24 (Tanakh))
Given by the Lord:
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and free the Israelites from Egypt?" 12 And He said, “I will be with you; that shall be your sign that it was I who sent you. And when you have freed the people from Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” (Exodus 3:11-12 (Tanakh))
12 And the LORD said to Moses: 13 Speak to the Israelite people and say: Nevertheless, you must keep My sabbaths, for this is a sign between Me and you throughout the ages, that you may know that I the LORD have consecrated you. 14 You shall keep the sabbath, for it is holy for you. He who profanes it shall be put to death: whoever does work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his kin. 15 Six days may work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does work on the sabbath day shall be put to death. 16 The Israelite people shall keep the sabbath, observing the sabbath throughout the ages as a covenant for all time: 17 it shall be a sign for all time between Me and the people of Israel. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and was refreshed.
18 When He finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the Pact, stone tablets inscribed with the finger of God. (Exodus 31:12-18 (Tanakh))
10 The LORD spoke further to Ahaz: 11 “Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, anywhere down to Sheol or up to the sky.” 12 But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask, and I will not test the LORD.” 13 “Listen, House of David," Isaiah retorted, “is it not enough for you to treat men as helpless that you also treat my God as helpless? 14 Assuredly, my Lord will give you a sign of His own accord! Look, the young woman is with child and about to give birth to a son. Let her name him Immanuel. 15 (By the time he learns to reject the bad and choose the good, people will be feeding on curds and honey.) 16 For before the lad knows to reject the bad and choose the good, the ground whose two kings you dread shall be abandoned. 17 The LORD will cause to come upon you and your people and your ancestral house such days as never have come since Ephraim turned away from Judah—that selfsame king of Assyria! (Isaiah 7:10-17 (Tanakh))
Requests for a sign from an evil generation will always be refused:
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."
39 He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here. (Matthew 12:38-42 NIV)
1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2 He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' 3 and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away. (Matthew 16:1-4 NIV)
The rainbow is a token of God's promise never to flood the Earth again:
8 And God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 9 “I now establish My covenant with you and your offspring to come, 10 and with every living thing that is with you — birds, cattle, and every wild beast as well — all that have come out of the ark, every living thing on earth. 11 I will maintain My covenant with you: never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
12 God further said, “This is the sign that I set for the covenant between Me and you, and every living creature with you, for all ages to come. 13 I have set My bow in the clouds, and it shall serve as a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember My covenant between Me and you and every living creature among all flesh, so that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures, all flesh that is on earth. 17 That," God said to Noah, “shall be the sign of the covenant that I have established between Me and all flesh that is on earth.” (Genesis 9:8-17 (Tanakh))
Dialogue within the Mosaic Covenant Framework tends to be limited and one-sided! This is unsurprising considering it's far more complex than the Eden Covenant in the Garden Annex.
So, if there is to be any serious discussion, then individual and community need to be well-versed in the academic content of the Covenant. To that end, children are to be instructed up until the Age of Discretion, when they will become accountable for their actions.
[Assignment: Are religous education and secular education separate entities within the Covenant?]
The Covenant Framework, at the time of Moses, offered teaching, a way of life, and limited access to the Lord God through the office of the Levitical high priest:
What the framework lacks is a detailed knowledge of each of the parties. Hence the framework is restricted to generalities in regard to individual guidance.
The Lord God, of course, keeps tabs on what is happening in the world. As Jesus would later explain, in a private aside to His disciples, the Father tracks even the sparrows. And He reassures them that His Father places great value on His friends:
[6] Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God's sight. [7] But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6-7 NRSV)
How this works in practise is explained by the documentation maintained by Father and Son: personal/group documentation.
Knowing the details of every individual and group, enables the Lord to organise and direct His work-force where they will be most effective.
And if His work-force can come together in true unity - as opposed to what passes for unity in the world today - then there will be potentiation which will increase the harvest enormously.
But before any of that can happen, there has to be education up to the Age of Discretion. At which point, the individual will be capable of choosing whether or not to dwell with the Lord. And if they choose the Lord, then they will be capable of meaningful dialogue with Him.
Perhaps, most people come to know the Lord in an academic sense. Which is necessary! But is not sufficient. For, if there is to be real progress, then acedemia must give way to personal dialogue. As Job found out:
[5] I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you; (Job 42:5 NRSV)
Academic knowledge must lead to a personal encounter with the Lord. This is essential if there is to be any fruit. The Covenant itself only provides general guidelines for outreach as opposed to the tailored instructions following on from personal face-to-face discussion.
Is the Lord's silence due to:
“Should I go to Tesco first, or Asda?” A seemingly trivial question, yet one which could have serious consequences. There were serious consequences for fortified Jerusalem!
23 The word of the LORD came to me: 24 And you, O mortal, choose two roads on which the sword of the king of Babylon may advance, both issuing from the same country; and select a spot, select it where roads branch off to two cities. 25 Choose a way for the sword to advance on Rabbah of the Ammonites or on fortified Jerusalem in Judah. 26 For the king of Babylon has stood at the fork of the road, where two roads branch off, to perform divination: He has shaken arrows, consulted teraphim, and inspected the liver. 27 In his right hand came up the omen against Jerusalem—to set battering rams, to proclaim murder, to raise battle shouts, to set battering rams against the gates, to cast up mounds, to erect towers. (Ezekiel 21:23-27 (Tanakh))
'Tesco or Asda?' is a question of the type I have sometimes asked in the past. Having been brought up under Paul's doctrine of micromanagement by the Spirit, the silence gave rise to anxiety. Was God angry with me? Was my faith not great enough? Had the Lord rejected me? Was the matter too trivial for the Lord?
As to the matter of triviality, Jesus explained that nothing was too trivial for the Lord God:
29 For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent. 30 As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. 31 So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!
(Matthew 10:29-31 GNT)
Occasionally, without my having to ask, I have been directed by God to go either to the left or the right - an instruction which takes precedence over personal wishes. But, for the most part, I have received no direct answer from the Lord for questions of this type.
Contrary to Paul's 'doctrine' of 'remote control by the Spirit', the silence occasioned by this category of question is to be expected and should be no cause for anxiety!
When God created mankind, He created them in His likeness. He gave them authority to rule over the Earth, and to turn the whole Earth into a veritable Garden of Eden. So, having given mankind authority to act on His behalf, He is not then going to intrude by micromanaging every last detail. Having granted mankind a measure of autonomy within the framework of the Covenant, the Lord is not then going to deny them the responsibility for carrying out His wishes!
Having let mankind exercise their autonomy within the framework of the Covenant, the Lord delights in monitoring their progress and seeing how well they are getting on. That monitoring of mankind's autonomy takes place at both the individual and group levels.
At the group level, the Book of Job reveals God's monitoring of the world during Job's lifetime. God brings together Job and his three friends and then observes their interactions following the loss of Job's family, the collapse of his business empire, and his descent into what appears to be terminal illness. The Lord God uses their autonomy to investigate - on a wider scale - the state of the church at that time.
Having carried out His investigation, the Lord God places the verbatim record in the Book of Teaching, making the raw data available for future generations to analyse. And the Lord God then addresses the problems within the 'international church' by eventually updating the Post-Eden instantiation of the Covenant to that of the Mosaic Contract. The broad change in structure is found in the following schematic:
From Post-Eden to Mosaic Contract.
[Homework assignment: Essay: The upgrade to Mosaic Contract put shepherding on a professional level.]
[Homework [assignment: Essay: Unintentional sin.]
[Homework assignment: Essay: Defiant sin.]
[Homework assignment: Essay: Unforgivable sin.]
Defiant sin results in exclusion from God's people. The estrangement effectively ends dialogue with the Lord God:
30 But the person, be he citizen or stranger, who acts defiantly reviles the LORD; that person shall be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has spurned the word of the LORD and violated His commandment, that person shall be cut off—he bears his guilt. (Numbers 15:30-31 (Tanakh))
1 In the seventh year, on the tenth day of the fifth month, certain elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat down before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me:
3 O mortal, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them: Thus said the Lord GOD: Have you come to inquire of Me? As I live, I will not respond to your inquiry—declares the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 20:1-3 (Tanakh))
The best such people can hope for is a wake up call from the Lord! But notice the content of such a wake up call:
1 Certain elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came to me: 3 O mortal, these men have turned their thoughts upon their fetishes and set their minds upon the sin through which they stumbled: Shall I respond to their inquiry? 4 Now speak to them and tell them: Thus said the Lord GOD: If anyone of the House of Israel turns his thoughts upon his fetishes and sets his mind upon the sin through which he stumbled, and yet comes to the prophet, I the LORD will respond to him as he comes with his multitude of fetishes. 5 Thus I will hold the House of Israel to account for their thoughts, because they have all been estranged from Me through their fetishes.
6 Now say to the House of Israel: Thus said the Lord GOD: Repent, and turn back from your fetishes and turn your minds away from all your abominations. 7 For if any man of the House of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, breaks away from Me and turns his thoughts upon his fetishes and sets his mind upon the sins through which he stumbled, and then goes to the prophet to inquire of Me through him, I the LORD will respond to him directly. 8 I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a byword, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. (Ezekiel 14:1-8 (Tanakh))
Their inquiry goes unanswered, being replace by a call to repentance.
Dr Paul Tournier mentions the use the psychologist makes of silence. It is a technique which forces the patient to cut through the clutter, excuses, and red herrings in order to get to the underlying truth. The latter-day psychologist may extol such a breakthrough technique, but it was used to great effect by the Lord God back in the mists of antiquity!
The Book of Job shows how God uses silence to force Job and his three friends to go deep within themselves, thereby revealing what they truly know and believe and understand. Analysis of the raw data allows the Lord to assess the true state of the church at that time. Then, knowing mankind's inclination towards evil, He can make a projection as to where this state of affairs will eventually lead. And, finally, He can plan amendments to the Post-Eden Covenant which will put His Church back on track.
[Dissertation The amendments to the Post-Eden Covenant.]
The Lord explains how His silence tested Hezekiah, forcing him to go deep within himself in order to uncover Hezekiah's true state of mind:
27 Hezekiah enjoyed riches and glory in abundance; he filled treasuries with silver and gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all lovely objects; 28 and store-cities with the produce of grain, wine, and oil, and stalls for all kinds of beasts, and flocks for sheepfolds. 29 And he acquired towns, and flocks of small and large cattle in great number, for God endowed him with very many possessions. 30 It was Hezekiah who stopped up the spring of water of Upper Gihon, leading it downward west of the City of David; Hezekiah prospered in all that he did. 31 So too in the matter of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who were sent to him to inquire about the sign that was in the land, when God forsook him in order to test him, to learn all that was in his mind. (2 Chronicles 32:27-31 (Tanakh))
The Lord used the silence to force Hezekiah to delve deeply into his own mind. This enabled the Lord to learn all that was in Hezekiah's mind'. But it also helped Hezekiah to cut through all the clutter, the red herrings, and the self-deception, and to get at the truth of his beliefs and desires.
The Covenant has been rendered unenforceable at the Physical Level by the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 CE.
The Covenant has also been rendered seemingly unenforceable at the Spiritual Level by Paul and the unknown writer to the Hebrews, who describe the Covenant as being:
Doubtless, there will be those who insist that Paul's new-covenant doctrine is true and that it is authenticated by the authority and power of the Lord Spirit. That, however, is a choice they are free to make - but it is a choice that will have consequences in the 'Court of No Appeal' on the Day of Judgement.
The question remains, however: Did Paul and the unknown writer to the Hebrews render the Covenant unenforceable at the Spiritual Level? Did they - in law - succeed in annulling the Covenant altogether?
It was at Jacob's Well in the Samaritan city of Sychar, that Jesus shifted the Covenant entirely to the Spiritual Level:
The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet. [20] Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem." [21] Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. [22] You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. [23] But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. [24] God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:19-24 NRSV)
This shift predates the destruction of the Temple. It therefore ensures the continuity of the Covenant Contract, ensuring that it remains fully functional at the Spiritual Level.
[Essay: The Covenant and the destruction of the Temple.]
The two great commandments:
[34] When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, [35] and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. [36] "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" [37] He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' [38] This is the greatest and first commandment. [39] And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' [40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:34-40 NRSV)
Two 'open' commandments seemingly having nothing more than their face-value. Yet, On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets! How does that work?!
See: Two Abstract Rules.
The Covenant can be mapped to a model which Israel can use as a basis for society and infrastructure alike.
Not only for Israel! For the Covenant Model becomes an important component of outreach. Taking the model to the nations will help guide the structure and lifestyle of society. Scipture shows that this isn't an idle dream! Not only individuals but towns and countries will attach themselves to Zion:
In that day five cities in Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord Almighty. One of them will be called the City of Destruction. (Isaiah 19:18 NIV)
Egyptians shall be like women, trembling and terrified because the LORD of Hosts will raise His hand against them. 17 And the land of Judah shall also be the dread of the Egyptians; they shall quake whenever anybody mentions it to them, because of what the LORD of Hosts is planning against them. 18 In that day, there shall be several towns in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan and swearing loyalty to the LORD of Hosts; one shall be called Town of Heres.
19 In that day, there shall be an altar to the LORD inside the land of Egypt and a pillar to the LORD at its border. 20 They shall serve as a symbol and reminder of the LORD of Hosts in the land of Egypt, so that when the Egyptians cry out to the LORD against oppressors, He will send them a savior and champion to deliver them. 21 For the LORD will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall acknowledge the LORD in that day, and they shall serve Him with sacrifice and oblation and shall make vows to the LORD and fulfill them. 22 The LORD will first afflict and then heal the Egyptians; when they turn back to the LORD, He will respond to their entreaties and heal them.
23 In that day, there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians shall join with the Egyptians and Egyptians with the Assyrians, and then the Egyptians together with the Assyrians shall serve the LORD.
24 In that day, Israel shall be a third partner with Egypt and Assyria as a blessing on earth; 25 for the LORD of Hosts will bless them, saying, “Blessed be My people Egypt, My handiwork Assyria, and My very own Israel." (Isaiah 19:16-25 (Tanakh))
The 'Register of Zion' is documented in Ps. 87:6 T:
Of the Korahites. A psalm. A song. The LORD loves the gates of Zion, His foundation on the holy mountains, more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah. 4 I mention Rahab‡ and Babylon among those who acknowledge Me; Philistia, and Tyre, and Cush--each was born there. 5 Indeed, it shall be said of Zion, "Every man was born there." He, the Most High, will preserve it. 6 The LORD will inscribe in the register of peoples that each was born there.Selah. 7 Singers and dancers alike will say: "All my roots are in You." (Psalms 87:1-7 (Tanakh))
‡ A poetic name for Egypt (NIV, GNB).
Expect these events following the rebuilding of David's fallen Tent!
The Scriptures comprise:
The early chapters of Acts are included because of the historical accounts of Jesus, the appointment of Matthias to replace Judas, the pouring out of the Spirit, Stephen, and so on. Although some of the doctrine found in Acts is lamentable, Acts remains an historical account which cannot be completely disregarded - so, if used, then use with caution! As a rule of thumb, include those sections of Acts which amount to a [descriptive] continuation of the gospels; this then rules out home-grown apostolic doctrine - Paul's in particular.
[Assignment: Discuss the merits and demerits of keeping a redacted copy of Acts within Scripture.]
The Book of Acts is tainted by apostolic error. Indirect evidence for apostolic error may be found in Paul's accusation of wrongdoing by Peter:
When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. (Galatians 2:11 NIV)
Paul, despite his claims to the contrary, is not an apostle. His upbringing, education, and training orignated with those priests in the Synagogue of Satan:
[4] though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: [5] circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; [6] as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. (Philippians 3:4-6 NIV)
9 I know your afflictions and your poverty---yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. (Revelation 2:9 NIV)
9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars---I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. (Revelation 3:9 NIV)
Unlike the Twelve, Paul had not spent time with Jesus. Neither had Paul spent time or effort in correcting his education and training. Nevertheless, Paul is able to use his false claim to education and expertise (Phil. 3:4-6), to hoodwink the Twelve.
Sadly, the Twelve became tainted by Paul's corrupt doctrine. Instead of proclaiming Jesus within the context of the Covenant, Paul steps outside his God-given mandate† and wields the bogus authority of a priest in the Synagogue of Satan to subdue those around him.
[† 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." (Acts 9:15-16 NIV)]
[Essay: The undermining and corruption of the Twelve by Paul.]
[Assignment: A failure to understand and define the amendments to the Covenant resulted in the apostles ad-libbing, leading them to fall headlong into the pit of error. Discuss.]
Within the Book of Acts, an obvious example of apostolic error is to be found in the Council's letter to Gentiles (Acts, chapter 15): there is an absolute travesty of Truth and Guidance which goes to emphasise the emptiness of the new covenant. Reading between the lines, it is clear that the untrained Twelve acquiesced in Paul's corrupt version of the law.
Notice the absence of the epistles in the above list of books in Scripture! The reason, quite simply, is because of possible corruption originating from Paul's bogus doctrine. Chronicling Jesus' ministry, as found in the four Gospels, is one thing; but apostolic adventurism into doctrine is quite another. Having said that, careful reference may be made to the letters from John and Peter.
By way of illustration, Peter fell victim to Paul's corrupt doctrine with regard to women. Paul enforces the subjugation of women in the church† and in the home‡:
[‡ A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. (1 Timothy 2:11-12 NIV)
As in all the congregations of the saints, women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the Law says. 35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church. (1 Corinthians 14:33b-35 NIV)]
[‡ Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:22-24 NIV)]
And in Peter's letter, he too jumps on the same bandwagon:
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, 2 when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4 Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. (1 Peter 3:1-7 NIV)
There is much that is wrong here. Not least is the denial of the presence and authority of the Lord Spirit in the lives of women. Women, it must be said, who are as much God's servants as are men:
Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. (Joel 2:29 NIV)
Peter, too, in one of his letters, unreservedly endorses Paul's doctrine:
Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:15-16 NIV)
But a detailed analysis of this and Paul's attitude to women is best dealt with elsewhere (see: Women - subjugation).
By way of another example, we see just how misleading is James' definition of religion:
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:27 NIV)
[Analysis: James' statement: James 1:27.]
[Dissertation: Analyse and evaluate 1 John. Discuss the implications.]
The Bible contains errors originating with Paul, but then spilling over to mislead the Twelve and the community, who've then elaborated on them. The Lord does not accept blemished offerings (Malachi 1:14†). How much less, then, will he accept the corrupt offerings made by Paul et al?!
[† [14] Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name is reverenced among the nations. (Malachi 1:14 NRSV)]
The composition of the Scriptures, above, because it excludes any corrupt text, means that the Scriptures detail God's definitions and only God's definitions of truth and righteousness. Hence, because the Scriptures contain God's words and definition of righteousness, they become the Plumb Line which can detect and measure deviation from Truth:
I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. (Isaiah 28:17 NIV)
It is imperative that the Plumb Line is placed against the doctrine of Paul, the unknown writer to the Hebrews, and the new-covenant church. Any deviation from Truth can then be detected, and its magnitude measured.
[Assignment: The Most High encourages us to examine the Scriptures with telescope and with electron microscope. Discuss.]
[Assignment: How genuine is the authorship of the epistles?]
The Scriptures are authenticated as follows:
A summary of Zion unfolds in graphic fashion in the Book of Joel. However, the sequence of events will need to be reconstructed from a narrative which has been 'encrypted' for security and literary reasons†.
[† Essay: Obfuscation in Scripture.]
Note:
A place of refuge:
5 But everyone who invokes the name of the LORD shall escape; for there shall be a remnant on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the LORD promised. Anyone who invokes the LORD will be among the survivors. (Joel 3:5 (Tanakh))
The spring issuing from the House of the Lord (Joel 4:18 T), maps to the shift of worship to the Spiritual Level (John 4:21-24) and the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE which rendered the Covenant unenforceable at the Physical Level. Ezekiel offers further explanation:
1 He led me back to the entrance of the Temple, and I found that water was issuing from below the platform of the Temple—eastward, since the Temple faced east—but the water was running out at thesouth of the altar, under the south wall of the Temple. 2 Then he led me out by way of the northern gate and led me around to the outside of the outer gate that faces in the direction of the east; and I found that water was gushing from [under] the south wall. 3 As the man went on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and led me across the water; the water was ankle deep. 4 Then he measured off another thousand and led me across the water; the water was knee deep. He measured off a further thousand and led me across the water; the water was up to the waist. 5 When he measured yet another thousand, it was a stream I could not cross; for the water had swollen into a stream that could not be crossed except by swimming. 6 “Do you see, O mortal?" he said to me; and he led me back to the bank of the stream.
7 As I came back, I saw trees in great profusion on both banks of the stream. 8 “This water," he told me, “runs out to the eastern region, and flows into the Arabah; and when it comes into the sea, intothe sea of foul waters, the water will become wholesome. 9 Every living creature that swarms will be able to live wherever this stream goes; the fish will be very abundant once these waters have reached there. It will be wholesome, and everything will live wherever this stream goes. 10 Fishermen shall stand beside it all the way from En-gedi to En-eglaim; it shall be a place for drying nets; and the fish will be of various kinds [and] most plentiful, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 But its swamps and marshes shall not become wholesome; they will serve to [supply] salt. 12 All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail; they will yield new fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the Temple. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47:1-12 (Tanakh))
This passage from Exekiel, Ezekiel 47:1-12 (Tanakh), speaks of the fruit which will follow-on from the outpouring of the Spirit. It also implies completion of the restoration of David's fallen Tent†.
[† See David's Rebuilt Tent.]
See: Zion.
'Doubt' may be either:
Doubt
Doubt can undermine, weaken, and destroy.
The lord Satan will only use doubt destructively. For example, the Serpent injects an element of doubt as to what the Lord had said, in order to subsequently lead Eve astray:
1 ... Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made. He [the Serpent] said to the woman, “Did God really say: You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1b (Tanakh))
The lord Satan will never allow doubt to be used constructively. The evidence from Scripture is undeniable! Jesus explains the lord Satan's intentions in simple terms which leave nothing to the imagination:
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 NIV)
Contrast Jesus' words with those of Paul, whose imagination runs riot:
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord‡. (1 Corinthians 5:1-5 NIV)
‡ Note the agreement amongst the various translations:
4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 5:4-5 ESV)
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 I have decided to turn such a person over to Satan for the destruction of his body, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 5:4-5 NASB)
3-4 And even though I am far away from you in body, still I am there with you in spirit; and as though I were there with you, I have in the name of our Lord Jesus already passed judgment on the man who has done this terrible thing. As you meet together, and I meet with you in my spirit, by the power of our Lord Jesus present with us, 5 you are to hand this man over to Satan for his body to be destroyed, so that his spirit may be saved in the Day of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 5:3-5 GNT)
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 5:4-5 KJV)
The agreement shown by the various translations above, confirms that the NIV translation of 1 Corinthians 5:5 was not an unintended translational error. It is absolutely clear that Paul does not see the person in terms of the unity of body, mind, and spirit; but of a person divided, and at war within himself:
23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. (Romans 7:23 NIV)
Furthermore, Paul teaches the transference of guilt. He projects his guilt on to some formless entity which he calls 'sin':
17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. (Romans 7:17 NIV)
Dr Paul Tournier writes:
It is natural for man to project his guilt upon other people and upon God. But he does not thereby get rid of it, and the rebellion against others and against God which results becomes in its turn a source of fresh impulsions to evil, and therefore of more guilt. (Guilt and Grace)
Paul imagines that the lord Satan will destroy the physical body, leaving the spirit untouched to then find salvation. This is an interesting theory which Paul teaches! As if the lord Satan would help either the sinner or the Lord God Almighty in this way! The lord Satan knows full well that the body will die and return to the dust from which it was made; what the lord Satan wants is the person's soul, for it is the soul which will carry over into Eternity. The lord Satan wishes to consume the sinner entirely. Necessarily, therefore, since the lord Satan will not assist in a sinner's redemption, Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 5:5 is a lie born of ignorance and incompetence.
Paul's error is compounded by the fact that he defiled and annulled the Covenant. The passage, above, gives the lie to his claim to be an expert in Covenant Law. The Covenant, pre-Jesus, imposed the death penalty for this - and other offences - (see Leviticus, chapter 20):
11 If a man lies with his father's wife, it is the nakedness of his father that he has uncovered; the two shall be put to death — their bloodguilt is upon them. (Leviticus 20:11 (Tanakh))
Because the law was that enforced by Rome, Paul would not have been able to impose the death penalty. Recall that Jesus' execution had to be authorised by the Roman governor, Pilate. After the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Covenant would become unenforceable at the Physical Level.
Nevertheless, Covenant Law could still be applied at the Spiritual Level, and the culprits excluded from the Community.
Notice how, in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, Paul fails to take action against the wife - a requirement of Leviticus 20:11 T. There is no evidence of a hearing as to what took place. Did the woman consent? Was the woman raped? Why did Paul want to save only the soul of the man? Why did Paul disregard the plight of the woman? If guilty, why did Paul not attempt to save her soul also? If a victim of rape, why did Paul not clear her of any complicity, and seek to support her in her distress? What, too, of the witnesses? In the light of Paul's attitude to women (1 Timothy 2:11-15), it seems as if women are automatically blame worthy (Paul resurrects the notion of original sin (eg: 1 Tim. 2:11-15; 1 Pet. 3:7) which was proscribed by God (Eze. 18)). Paul - who is blind, negligent, and incompetent - sets himself up as judge, jury, and executioner. It has to be said that Paul gives us a good insight into the justice system of his new covenant!
[Dissertation: Compare and contrast the new-covenant and the Covenant justice systems. Discuss the implications.]
Paul, with his training as a Pharisee, should have known all this. Moreover, following Jesus' sacrifice, he should have been aware of the shift of worship to the Spiritual Level, and that the Covenant ceased to be enforceable at the Physical Level - though it would remain enforceable at the Spiritual Level. But Paul's training was corrupt and, despite Jesus' vitriol poured out on the Pharisees and teachers of the law, Paul neither doubts nor corrects his own training.
One of Jesus' amendments of the Covenant was to shift worship to the Spiritual Level. Enforcement of the Covenant at the Physical Level was no longer a requirement. Certainly, with Roman law in force at that time, the death penalty was not an enforceable option for the Jews‡. Later, in 70 CE, the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem would render the Covenant unenforceable at the Physical Level. Nevertheless, the Covenant would remain enforceable at the Spiritual Level.
‡ [28] Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.
[29] So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?”
[30] “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.”
[31] Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.”
“But we have no right to execute anyone,” they objected.
[32] This took place to fulfill what Jesus had said about the kind of death he was going to die. (John 18:28-32 NIV)
Indirect destructiveness will occur when doubt is equated with sin.
Paul equates doubt with a lack of faith,
23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23 NIV)
[Assignment: Analyse Romans 14:23.]
James also throws his hat in the ring:
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:5-6 NIV)
[Assignment: Analyse James 1:5-6.]
Is doubt a sin, or is it a sign of mankind's inherent weakness (Matthew 26:41)? Perhaps the answer hinges on context and evidence. Certainly, in the case of Thomas, his doubts led to a loss of blessedness:
24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"
But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (John 20:24-29 NIV)
It is clear from the text that Thomas failed to evaluate the reliability of the witnesses! He simply dismissed their evidence out of hand - which was wrong.
[Essay: The closed mind.]
When doubt is equated with sin, then there is every likelihood that the constructive role of doubt will be missed.
The feeling that doubt is sinful will lead to the suppression of doubt in an effort to lift one's faith by pulling on one's bootstraps. Despite Jesus' condemnation of the Pharisees and experts in the law, Paul and the unknown writer to the Hebrews fail to question their own education and competence.
[Essay: The suppression of doubt.]
“The key to wisdom is in doubting and questioning. In doubting we come to skepticism, and in skepticism we come to investigation, and via investigation we come to the truth.” (Novikoff, Alex J. (1 November 2014). "Peter Abelard and Disputation". Rhetorica. 32 (4): 323–347. doi:10.1525/rh.2014.32.4.323.)
[Assignment: Paul doesn't doubt his education at the hands of the Pharisees. And because he doesn't doubt his training, he doesn't seek to correct it. And because he fails to correct his misunderstanding, he defiles and annuls the Covenant, replacing it with his odious 'new covenant'. Discuss.]
Doubt is a key component of logical induction, for doubt questions the status quo. This is particularly important in God's management of science within Scripture. The Lord God isn't going to continually update the scientific aspects of Scripture! In point of fact, He has no need, for He can make use of allegory and logical induction to do the work for Him. Thus, the Lord God can avoid bloating Scripture with scientific details which will require continual update, leaving Him free to concentrate on the spiritual aspects. See: Decoupling tech.
The Lord God does not lecture Adam on biology, evolution, or genetics! Instead, the Lord God uses allegory to convey those scientific details which He wants to get across. Their inductive conclusion will not be incorrect, since it will be based on the current level of knowledge, and will contain a modal qualifier which will always include a degree of uncertainty.
With the passage of time, there will be an accumulation of technical knowledge and understanding. At which point, it becomes necessary to revisit and question the original allegory. Then, in the light of that extended knowledge, it becomes possible to re-evaluate the original allegory. Again, the conclusion will not be incorrect since it was drawn inductively using the most up-to-date information at the time. But, again, since it was an inductive conclusion, it remains open to question, debate, and perhaps re-evaluation.
By way of example:
20 ... but for Adam no fitting helper was found. 21 So the LORD God cast a deep sleep upon the man; and, while he slept, He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that spot. 22 And the LORD God fashioned the rib that He had taken from the man into a woman; and He brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This one at last
Is bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh.
This one shall be called Woman,
For from man was she taken.”
24 Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh.
25 The two of them were naked, the man and
1 his wife, yet they felt no shame. (Genesis 2:20b - 3:1a (Tanakh))
[Assignment: Analyse and discuss Genesis 2:20b - 3:1a (Tanakh) in light of allegory and induction.]
One of the great sins perpetrated by the new-covenant church is that of salvation through 'faith':
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1 NIV)
16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:16 NIV)
In addition to being wrong, the doctrine of salvation through faith in Jesus leads to a presumption of salvation. This is the theme of many a new-covenant sermon! And it leaves many to live out their lives with a false sense of security and assurance.
That this doctrine is both wrong and evil is confirmed by Jesus:
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'‡ (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV)
[‡ Far better to face up to the possibility of Pauline error in this life, when it can be fixed, since it won't be possible to fix mistakes in the next.]
On the other hand Scripture declares that Salvation is to be found through obedience to the Covenant, at both the Physical and Spiritual Levels:
24 The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. 25 And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness." (Deuteronomy 6:24-25 NIV)
Moses' teaching was commended and endorsed:
Obedience to the Covenant had always been at the Physical and the Spiritual Levels. But, following Jesus' sacrifice, obedience [to the Covenant] has moved entirely to the Spiritual Level:
21 [In the town of Sychar] Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." (John 4:21-24 NIV)
Roman law prevented unrestricted application of Covenant Law.
With the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the Covenant ceased to be enforceable at the Physical Level. Nevertheless, the Covenant remained - and remains - enforceable at the Spiritual Level.
It is important to avoid confusing the uncertainty of our own salvation with the certainty of the legal aspects of redemption (ie, the operation of the Primary and Rescue Contracts).
Can Jesus' shed blood make expiation for sin? Without a shadow of doubt! For the Primary and Rescue Contracts are enshrined in contract law and are therefore binding on all parties.
Are our names in the Book of Life? As to that, there will always be a doubt, since the Lord God is not required to notify us of our status or any change to it. This uncertainty is not intended to undermine us; it is a constant reminder of our need to maintain close dialogue and contact with the Lord.
One of the problems, today, is that the church do not encourage the transition from 'education' to 'face to face dialogue' with the Lord God (see: Job They do not discuss matters with the Lord; neither do they encourage or teach others. Their arrogant application of the new-covenant, actively suppresses discussion with the Lord God.
Suppression of doubts is always a bad idea! Much better to bring one's doubts to the attention of the Lord God, and discuss matters with Him!
Even if the Lord doesn't answer immediately, keeping our doubts in front of the Lord will ensure that He can deal with them in His own good time. There could be any number of reasons for delay: timing; circumstance; a need for further learning; a need to correct some misconception; or...
The important thing is to keep the discussion going; don't give up! For it is in talking about the problem that one will put one's thought into some sort of order, with a resulting increase in understanding and perception - which, in turn, will help the Lord in formulating His response.
[Essay: A detailed knowledge of current affairs and the world in general, is important for the evaluation of the Two Abstract Rules.]
[Dissertation: Safeguards within the Covenant.]
Version: 2024-11-23