|
Index
A panoramic view.
The scope of the Covenant is found in the Covenant Model
Paul is totally blind to the guidance offered by the Covenant. He bases his doctrine on the corrupt covenant which the Pharisees had taught him. His understanding of the Law was false. He annuls an active contract which was already in use. Worse, his annulment of the contract is illegal.
Paul was incompetent and negligent. His claims to authority and expertise do not hold up. And his claim to be living in the Spirit is a lie which could well lead to the inclusion of one's name in the Blacklist.
The scope of the Covenant is wide-ranging, as is its guidance. By his annulment of the Covenant, Paul has deprived the world of its excellent guidance. The matter doesn't end there, because Paul's false doctrine leads only to Death.
Consider:
[3] “You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3 NIV)
Paul's false doctrine paints a picture of a god I do not recognise. In other words, Paul's false doctrine conjures up a god who is nothing like the Most High. Consequently, Paul speaks in the name of this false god he's conjured up - whose name is the lord Satan.
Next, consider the fate of those who speak words in the name of other gods:
20] But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death. (Deuteronomy 18:20 NIV)
Now that the Covenant is no longer enforceable at the Physical Level due to the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple, the physical death penalty cannot be applied. However. it remains enforceable at the Spiritual Level...
Children's schematic of the Mossaic Covenant.
A brief summary of the functions of the components of the Messianically Amended Covenant:
Since a contract must be entered into without taint of coercion or duress, there must necessarily be freedom of choice. Expressed another way, freedom of choice amounts to 'free will'.
Paul:
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 NIV)
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:11-12 NIV)
As a teenager I was troubled by Paul's concept of predestination. If we were predestined, then the matter was determined in advance and our freedom to choose God had been taken away. What I thought had been a free choice, had not been a free choice at all. So where did that leave me?! And on what basis did God come to a decision as to whether one yet to be born should be forgiven or sent to Hell?
[Homework assignment: Essay: The new-covenant church use God's infinite knowledge and understanding to attribute error to God.]
One doesn't get any sensible answers from the new-covenant church! So I did what so many of us do, and try to repress my thoughts and doubts.
Looking back to that time, I see the total blindness of the new-covenant church; and not only blindness, but a desire to concoct impossible doctrine which can be ascribed to a 'great mystery' to which they alone are privy, and which can then be used to impose their authority on the world.
The concept of predestination is evil:
‡ 20 The person who sins, he alone shall die. A child shall not share the burden of a parent's guilt, nor shall a parent share the burden of a child's guilt; the righteousness of the righteous shall be accounted to him alone, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be accounted to him alone. (Ezekiel 18:20 (Tanakh))
[Assignment: Were there presumption of sin (Ge. 6:5), what would be the implications for Jesus and for the Rescue Contract?]
[Essay: Predestinate or foretell?]
When we examine the narrative relating to Moses13C and the signing of the Covenant, we find that the children of Israel are given a free choice: in other words, there is no question of predestination. Nothing was decided beforehand! And the House of Israel were given several opportunities to change their mind.
Are the children of Israel interested in entering into a contract with the Lord God? Moses13C is instructed to put them to the question:
3 and Moses went up to God. The LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel: 4 'You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Me. 5 Now then, if you will obey Me faithfully and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession among all the peoples. Indeed, all the earth is Mine, 6 but you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel.” (Exodus 19:3-6 (Tanakh))
And Moses13C carries out the Lord's instruction, and reports back their desire:
7 Moses came and summoned the elders of the people and put before them all that the LORD had commanded him. 8 All the people answered as one, saying, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do!" And Moses brought back the people's words to the LORD. (Exodus 19:7-8 (Tanakh))
The people are given another opportunity to opt out. They are still of the same mind, so Moses13C writes down all the Lord's commands:
3 Moses went and repeated to the people all the commands of the LORD and all the rules; and all the people answered with one voice, saying, “All the things that the LORD has commanded we will do!" 4 Moses then wrote down all the commands of the LORD. (Exodus 24:3-4A (Tanakh))
The children of Israel again affirm their commitment to the contract, whereupon the contract is signed by all parties:
4 Moses then wrote down all the commands of the LORD.
Early in the morning, he set up an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. 5 He designated some young men among the Israelites, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as offerings of well-being to the LORD. 6 Moses took one part of the blood and put it in basins, and the other part of the blood he dashed against the altar. 7 Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spokenwe will faithfully do!" 8 Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD now makes with you concerning all these commands.” (Exodus 24:4-8 (Tanakh))
Joshua13C subsequently reiterates the choice we all are required to make:
15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15 KJV)
[Homework assignment: What light does the signing of the Covenant throw on the education of children?]
[† Those who opt out of the Covenant or those deferring a decision past the age-of-discretion or those who choose to follow covenants with Death, are guilty of defiant sin.]
A brief look at the consequences will be our guide!
Because of the uncertainties associated with forgiveness, avoidance of sin is always the preferred option! And this is the Lord's preference also. Which is the reason for His inclusion of the Prime Axioms and Primary Contract in all His Covenants.
The Prime Axioms speak of the Lord God and His standards, values, and intentions; they help us to get to know and to understand Him. The Primary Contract builds on the foundation of the Prine Axioms to explain how - through obedience to the Lord God - we may avoid falling into sin and error. Admittedly, the Rescue Contract is there as a back-stop. But there will always be a measure of doubt as to our status - a measure of doubt which invites close and detailed discussion with the Lord. Can there be anything more heartbreaking than to live out one's life in a fervour of assurance, only to be told 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)?
[‡ Keep the discussion going through God's Silence, if that should be the case.]
The list is straightforward apart, perhaps, from the last, the 'classroom':
The new-covenant church never explained the Classroom to me. Just believe ... and hey presto, all will be well! Learning about the Covenant has provided a shock to the system! In comparison with the new-covenant church, there is so much to learn and understand and do.
Within the new-covenant church there is little genuine education. Admittedly, there is some partisan education within the individual sects. But there are no checks on truth across all the sects. Consequently, some declare that in the communion they eat Jesus' body and drink His blood†; some say that they metaphorically eat Jesus' body and drink His blood; and some say that the communion is an act of remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice. How can they all be right in court on the Day of Judgement?! Can Paul's declaration that 'faith in Jesus is sufficient for forgiveness', really cut it? Notice, too, that the consumption of blood, whether at the Physical or Spiritual Levels, is punishable by death:
[† 10 And if anyone of the house of Israel or of the strangers who reside among them partakes of any blood, I will set My face against the person who partakes of the blood, and I will cut him off from among his kin‡. 11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have assigned it to you for making expiation for your lives upon the altar; it is the blood, as life, that effects expiation. 12 Therefore I say to the Israelite people: No person among you shall partake of blood, nor shall the stranger who resides among you partake of blood. (Leviticus 17:10-12 (Tanakh))]
[‡ To be cut off from one's kin is to be excluded from the presence of the Lord.]
The Covenant, on the other hand, acknowledges the complexity. It explains the Age of Discretion, and stresses the need for education of the child up to that point, when they will be well-placed to make a sound choice as to whether they wish to sign up to the Covenant.
The classroom is the place in which people learn. It is also the place where the student can make their mistakes - but if and only if those mistakes remain in the classroom. A student therefore needs to be shown where they've gone wrong, so that they don't then publish their mistakes as being true. This is so, especially for those pursuing their studies past the age-of-discretion.
Those who've reached the age-of-discretion are accountable for their actions. So, if they publish their classroom-mistakes as truth, then there is a high risk that they - just like Paul - may embroil the Lord Spirit in sin and error, with dire consequences to themselves.
[Dissertation: The guidance offered by the contractual structure of the Covenant.]
It is important to establish context before considering 'knowledge'. The context was always important. Now, with the shift of worship to the Spiritual Level, an understanding of context is a sine qua non. 'Context' provides the framework in which the Two Abstract Rules may be evaluated. There is now more to the Law than a list of do's and don'ts!
Jesus explains the operation of the Law:
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-37,39-40 NIV)
These words of Jesus map to the Two Abstract Rules.
So how does this work in practise?
Recall how God maps His intentions in the Spiritual Domain to commandments in the Physical Domain:
Fig.1: The Law at the physical and spiritual levels
But with the shift to worship at the Spiritual Level, the Lord Jesus has provided us with these two abstract rules which allow us to carry out the mapping ourselves, but strictly within the terms of the current Covenant:
Fig.2: Mapping the two abstract rules to the real world
Note that in Fig.2 God's intentions cannot be changed by either individual or group. If a change in the terms of the current Covenant appear to be necessary, then the problems are to be discussed directly with the Lord. Dealing with 'baffling questions explains the process.
Note that evaluation of the Two Abstract Rules makes life simpler, yet more difficult;
Simpler, in terms of not having to commit to memory an ever increasing number of commandments. More difficult insofar as it is necessary to understand the Lord God, His person, His values, and His intentions; and, at the same time, to have a broad understanding of the world in which we live.
A broad understanding of the world, will help to provide options for the evaluation of the Two Abstract Rules. By way of example compare the options available to prevent starvation in the community at the time of Moses, with the options which are currently available.
A sound knowledge and understanding of the Lord sets the framework in which the Two Abstract Rules are to be evaluated. Recall that taking care of one's neighbour always takes place within the boundaries imposed by the First Great Abstract Rule, namely obedience to God.
[Essay: The disunity of the spiritual and the secular within today's church.]
[Essay: The unity of the spiritual and the secular within the Covenant.]
[Essay: Today's church is a fractured [and dividing] community.]
27 And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.” (Genesis 1:27-28 (Tanakh))
When the Lord God created mankind in His likeness, He granted them freedom to rule [in His Name].
However, the Lord God didn't give them carte blanche! Altbough their authority and power were restricted, their ability to rule was of the same spiritual order as that of the Lord God.
[Essay: The impact of the use of contracts on the Lord God's freedom of action.]
The restrictions imposed on mankind were - and are - contained in the Covenant Framework.
However, a framework, however good it may be, is not sufficient in itself. More is necessary. And that 'more' is to be found in dialogue between the parties!
For many, our initial contact with the Lord God is at the academic level through the study of His Covenant. Eventually, however, academic knowledge must lead to face-to-face discussion with the Lord. Job makes this very point (Job 42:5 T):
1 Job said in reply to the LORD:
2 I know that You can do everything,
That nothing you propose is impossible for You.
3 Who is this who obscures counsel without knowledge?
Indeed, I spoke without understanding
Of things beyond me, which I did not know.
4 Hear now, and I will speak;
I will ask, and You will inform me.
5 I had heard You with my ears,
But now I see You with my eyes;
6 Therefore, I recant and relent,
Being but dust and ashes. (Job 42:1-6 (Tanakh))
Face-to-face discussions with the Lord are an essential component of the Covenant. Without that dialogue, a person or group will not be able to bear fruit for the Lord God. Although the Covenant Framework can point us in the right direction, it can't provide the level of direction required at the individual or collective level. Only dialogue between the Lord and individual/group can possiby achieve that.
Job's experience is straightforward and easy to follow. But don't be fooled by its simplicity, because it is that simplicity which brings into focus and highlights the gross error of the new covenant.
For it is dialogue with the Lord which will lead to the bearing of fruit. Without that fruit, there can be no salvation. Here, in this passage from Scripture, Jesus could very well be addressing all who reject the Covenant, including the new-covenant church:
[21] "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. [22] On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' [23] Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.'" (Matthew 7:21-23 NRSV)
"I never knew you!" Clearly, there was no personal contact, no face-to-face discussion!
This is a hard lesson to learn. But it is much better to learn the lesson now, when the matter can be put right, rather than in the Court of No Appeal on the Day of Judgement. Eternity lasts forever, and 'if only...' is a heavy burden to bear, knowing there can be no relief. Better to travel light:
[29] "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:29-30 NRSV)
It is best to avoid confusing a dream with a vision:
[28] Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the LORD. [29] Is not my word like fire, says the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:28-29 NRSV)
Is the dream:
There are those who will decry those dreams which are not messages from the Lord, perhaps based on Jeremiah 23:28-29 T:
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))
However, this is not the Lord's attitude. In Jeremiah 23:28-29 T, the Lord is not inferring that dreams are worthless. Dreams are not grain; but they are straw! And anyone who has had anything to do with animals knows the value of straw and its uses!
Recall how the wise men were warned in a dream:
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. [8] He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.” [9] After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. [10] When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. [11] On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. [12] And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route. (Matthew 2:7-12 NIV)
Or the dream which prompted Joseph to take the infant Jesus to Egypt:
When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.” (Matthew 2:13 NIV)
Dr Paul Tournier, in his book 'A Doctor's Casebook' (see Bibliography) discusses the significance and meaning of dreams.
[Dissertation: Dreams - real and imagined - in Scripture.]
[Dissertation: Classification and analysis of dreams.]
[Dissertation: The psychology and analysis of dreams.]
Perhaps the visions in the Scriptures, being so cut and dried, distort our discernment and understanding of visions which we might have today?
One of the difficulties with Scripture is that they are, with the exception of prophesy, an historical account. We look back with perfect 20/20 vision on events which Scripture assure us are true. Only rarely do we glimpse the struggle that takes place in discussion with the Lord:
[22] The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. [23] He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. [24] Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. [25] When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. [26] Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." [27] So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." [28] Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." [29] Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. [30] So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." [31] The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. [32] Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the hip socket, because he struck Jacob on the hip socket at the thigh muscle. (Genesis 32:22-32 NRSV)
How difficult is the real-time situation in our daily lives! "Was it a dream, or was it a vision?" Doubt assails us! Fear paralyses us, because we know the penalty for getting it wrong...
[Dissertation: True and false visions in Scripture.]
[Dissertation: The Covenant as a fixed and a dynamic entity.]
See Doubt.
Within the new-covenant church, doubt is often equated with sin since it leads to double-mindedness:
[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. [7] That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; [8] he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1:5-8 NIV)
Notice how James' ignorance, omissions, and oversimplification are inexcusable errors in a person who's arrogated to himself authority and expertise, without having received it from the Lord. Such presumption and error confirm his negligence and incompetence. This instance alone is sufficient to require his exclusion from Scripture.
[Essay: The Lord's rejection of an imperfect offering in its entirety is a safeguard.]
In order to better understand what the Lord is getting at, it is helpful to look at the intention and force of the term 'doubt', in the light of its context within Scripture.
Doubt will incur guilt. And there will be consequences. Peter, for example, doubted Jesus and started to sink:
[28] Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." [29] He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. [30] But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" [31] Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Matthew 14:28-31 NRSV)
An antonym for doubt is faith (Chambers Thesaurus). So, a lack of faith implies a person's doubts. While variations of faith occur in society, perfect faith is seen only in Jesus. Jesus generalises the state of mankind:
[20-21] He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20-21 NRSV)
If one's faith is imperfect, then necessarily there are doubts.
Doubt (See logical induction) is an essential part of logical induction, which the Lord uses to get His message across. Hence, an appreciation of logical induction and how the Lord makes use of the process, is a necessity. Which, in turn, will enable the Lord to engage in deeper discussion with individual or group.
Doubt is essential in the detection of errors, faults, and failings, in teaching and in doctrine (Manicas and Kruger).
With so much evil being proclaimed by a church in God's name, it is important to be skeptical. Doubt will lead to analysis and detailed discussions with the Lord. The Lord's warning is explicit:
[1] If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, [2] and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," [3] you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. [8] do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. (Deuteronomy 13:1-3,8 NIV)
It is in this spirit that doubts about the doctrine of Paul and the unknown writer to the Hebrews have led to analysis geared to the Blacklisting of said doctrine.
Doubt is an antonym of faith. Decrease one and increase the other.
(See logical induction)
So, by repressing doubts, then James et al think they will increase their faith!
[5] If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.
[6] But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; [7-8] for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord. (James 1:5-8 NRSV)
Paul maintains that a person is justified by faith, not by obedience to Covenant Law:
[28] For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. (Romans 3:28 NIV)
Accordingly, Paul declares that he and his companions live by faith:
[7] We live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV)
This 'living by faith' involves the suppression of doubt:
[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)
Note that James 1:5-6 also entails the suppression of frank and open discusion with the Lord. Place your order; suppress any doubt; and the Lord will deliver. One can then presume that one's pontification is in line with the Lord's wishes.
Peter indirectly suppresses doubt regarding Paul's doctrine:
[15] and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, [16] speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. (2 Peter 3:15-16 NRSV)
But this suppression of doubt amounts to a futile attempt to bootstrap one's faith! Not only does bootstrapping not work, but it provides an entry point into the exponential growth of evil. At the same time it shuts down enquiry into the truth of what the church are peddling in God's Name!
Jesus, on the other hand, remarked on the inadequacy of a person's faith. He even commented on the inadequacy of his disciples faith - the Twelve whose names would be forever inscribed on the foundations of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:14).
Jesus also extolled the excellence of the Covenant:
[18] I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. [19] Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. [20] For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:18-20 NIV)
Also:
[46] If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. [47] But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say? (John 5:46-47 NIV)
Jesus spoke about the teachers of the Law and of their need to be trained about the Kingdom of Heaven:
[51] "Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked [his disciples].
"Yes," they replied.
[52] He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." (Matthew 13:51-52 NIV)
Paul was never instructed about the Kingdom of Heaven. Read the relevant texts and see the distance Paul put between himself and the Twelve. Paul - trained as a Pharisee - never sought to correct the false teaching he'd received; neither did he seek to retrain. Paul's defiant refusal to mine the Twelve's knowledge of Jesus and the Law, and to listen to them retelling everything that Jesus had said, is sufficient to condemn Paul for his incompetence and negligence and evil doctrine.
So!
Paul's 'doctrine' is diametrically opposed to Jesus' teaching.
Therefore, as Joshua said to the children of Israel: "Choose you this day whom you will serve." (Joshua 24:14 KJV)
So,
"Will you choose to obey and serve Paul? Or will you serve the Lord and His Messianically Amended Covenant?
"But as for me and my House, we will serve and obey Father, Son, Lord Spirit, and the Covenant. Furthermore, we choose Mount Zion and Jerusalem as our dwelling place with the Lord here on Earth."
Unattainability of perfect faith:
[5] The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" [6] The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. (Luke 17:5-6 NRSV)
Is this unattainability due to weakness alone? Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus does highlight mankind's inherent weakness:
"[38] Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Mark 14:38 NIV)
That weakness is present, to a greater or lesser extent, across the whole of mankind. Which is hardly surpising when viewed in the context of the Lord's review of the hearts of mankind:
[5] The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. (Genesis 6:5 NIV)
It would be easy to sit back and accept the limitations of our weakness. But is acceptance of our frailty and the avoidance of presumption all the Lord requires?
Admittedly, He wants us to be aware of our parlous state. But, in truth, He wants us to go the extra mile and to become better than we are. But how? How can we aspire to being better when faced with our inherent weakness?
Looking closely at Luke 17:5-6, it seems as if we are locked in a prison of our own making, our own humanity, our own frailty! Is the truth being hidden - obfuscated - in front of our very eyes? How can Jesus be so perfect? Is it strength alone? Or is there more to this than meets the eye? Clearly, if we are to get any answers, we must dicuss matters with the Lord face to face!
So, our quest begins with an understanding of the Trinity.
Son and Spirit choose to hand over the direction of their lives.
Son and Spirit do not speak on their own authority. They only say and do as they are instructed by the Father:
49 "For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say" (John 12:49-50 NIV).
12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” (John 16:12-15 NIV)
The Son and the Spirit are familiar with the terms of the Prime Axioms and Primary Contract, the two basic components of the Trinity Contract. And they can see everything which needs doing in their worlds within the Framework of the Covenant. However, they don't go off at half-cock; instead, the discuss things with the Father and then they obey His guidance and instructions. Knowledge of the Trinity Covenant together with face-to-face dialogue with the Father are the keys to accomplishing the Father's wishes.
The disciples saw the plight of the epileptic, and tried to heal him. But they were unsuccessful:
[14] When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, [15] and said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. [16] And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him." [17] Jesus answered, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me." [18] And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. [19] Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" [20-21] He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:14-21 NRSV)
The cause of the disciples' failure was in acting unilaterally, when they should have been discussing the problem with the Lord, asking Him what He wanted them to do, and then obeying His instructions. Jesus, on the other hand, discussed the situation with His Father, and then obeyed His Father's instruction to heal the epileptic.
[Essay: Handing the direction of our oewn lives over to the Lord God.]
[Analysis: Paul et al - with their new-covenant doctrine - have destroyed dependence on the Lord God, making a mockery of the dependency which exists within the Trinity, and dissing the Lord Spirit in the process. Discuss, too, the consequences of their folly.]
Paul does not doubt his expertise and training as a Pharisee, and consequently fails to put the matter to rights. The result is a new-covenant doctrine which is evil. As for the consequences, they are visible today in a church on an exponential charge into evil.
Question the truth of Paul's doctrine, and one is likely to be treated as a pariah, the spawn of Satan.
I recently bought a copy of a commentary on Hebrews by FF Bruce, thinking it might be useful. But as soon as I opened it, I could see that the book was based on an unwarranted assumption of the truthfulness of the unknown writer and his doctrine.
The Covenant Model is a scalable schema which can be offered to individuals, local communities, districts, counties, states, or nations alike. It provides the key as to how people are to live: individually and collectively; and how they are to set up the necessary infrastructure.
[Dissertation: Create a scalable model of the Covenant which could be taken to every nation. What are the merits and demerits of your offering to the Lord?]
Literal translation is necessary to obviate:
[† If the text is distorted even slightly, then this will be the seed for the exponential growth of evil.]
Clarity of terms and conditions is a requirement of all contracts. However, it would be a mistake to oversimplify the matter of clarity as it applies to God's actual guidance in the world.
The Lord God is stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, He wants to provide clear guidance and covenant-compliance; but on the other, He wants to protect His flock from attacks by liars and cheats. Hence His use of obfuscation becomes a safeguard which will offer proteection while, at the same time, allowing the safe passage of the Lord's meaning and intentions.
See Clarity.
If any part of Scripture were false or simply compromised, then these defects and blemishes would become the seed which would set in motion an exponential growth of sin and error.
Consistency - particularly with regard to the Law - is imperative. Following the End of the Age, The Court of No Appeal will be called to order. Court will be open and transparent. Hence, were there to be any inconsistency, this would be noted and brought to light, and the judiciary - namely Father and Son - arraigned on charges of corruption. One cannot - in any genuine court - declare something to be wrong and later to declare it to be not-wrong!
[Essay: The shameless flouting of the 'consistency constraint' by the new-covenant church.]
In order to apply the Two Abstract Rules, people must know that the Lord is dependable, and will not, for example, dismiss the consistency constraint. When confronted with Paul's inconstencies, the new-covenant church shamelessly state that God's knowledge and understanding are so much higher than ours that He is not constrained by logic, and can therefore say anything He likes!!
[Essay: Were Scripture to contain inconstencies, then evaluation of the Two Abstract Rules would be impossible.]
[Dissertation: The support of the past. The support of the present. The support of the future.]
[Assignment: The importance of an awareness of what is taking place in the world, in terms of politics, science, the arts, and so on...]
No matter how deep one's spiritual knowledge and discussion with the Lord, it is necessary to know and to understand what is taking place in the world. An understanding of the world is necessary in order to be able to evaluate the Two Abstract Rules and to have meaningful discussions with the Lord concerning baffling problems.
[Assignment: Study!]
At the secular level, knowledge and understanding have been aquired through the inductive process. So, in our studies, is it necessary to go into deductive logic in any great detail? Unfortunately, for one's study work-load, the answer is a resounding 'yes'!
The key to understanding is to be found in the Lord's refusal to accept anything which is imperfect. The Lord does not accept a blemished offering and then cut away the blemish! No! Only that which is perfect is an acceptable offering to the Lord. The consequence is that everything imperfect be stripped from the Bible, leaving only the Scriptures.
Because the Scriptures are free of all imperfection and evil, they become the plumb-line against which blemish and evil may be measured.
The perfection of Scripture poses a question to everyone: 'Do you believe?' The answer can be either a 'yes' or a 'no' - to sit on the fence is to say 'no'.
For those who believe in the truth of Scripture - and therefore the Covenant - the Scriptures function at logic's deductive level. The key-point here is the matter of entailment. Conclusions can be checked, and if found to be true become necessarily true. Note that there is no modal qualifier with deductive conclusions.
There are, then, two levels in operation:
It is the Spiritual Level which takes on the function of 'plumb-line', which can then be applied to what is going down in the physical world.
Having made the assumption that the Scriptures are true, it then is necessary to safeguard that truth by keeping untruth from entering. This is an ongoing task, since the Covenant will be updated and amended as fresh problems come to light and are dealt with by the Lord. A clear-cut example is the promised rebuilding of David's fallen Tent.
Although an assumption has been made as to the truth of the Covenant, it is still possible to investigate further by making use of conditional-proof methodology (Manicas and Kruger)
[Dissertation: Deductive logic and the Covenant.]
[Dissertation: Inductive logic]
[Dissertation: Inductive logic and the Covenant.]
God's dwelling place:
[Dissertation: God's Place!]
[Dissertation: Enumerate and assay the safeguards which the Lord has incorporated into the Covenant.]
Version: 2024-12-14