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Index
Figure 1. Disassembled industrial induction electric motor: rotor on the left stator on the right.
Induction is absolutely indispensable for arriving at all our knowledge of the universe as it is
Manicas and Kruger
[Dissertation: Applied deductive and inductive logic. ]
Recall that in the case of inductive logic, inductive conclusions go beyond the evidence, necessarily requiring a modal qualifier: Manicas and Kruger.
For those interested in how induction motors work, and their usefulness in electric cars: Induction motor basics.
The rotor of the induction motor - cut by the changing magnetic field - rotates in order to catch up with the speed of the changing magnetic field.
Induction - as it relates to Scripture - is an iterative process, driven by the discrepancy between figure of speech and current knowledge. As knowledge advances, the appreciation of God's underlying intention becomes more accurate. This is particularly helpful when it comes to outreach, since it can be shown that there is no division between the sacred and the secular, and that both are united in God.
In the case of [logical] induction, pre-existing knowledge is cut by advances in knowledge and understanding as the world progresses. If the induction is not seen for what it is, or is defiantly rejected, then the separation will widen and deepen as progress continues apace. This has been the case with the new-covenant church down through the years; they have cast science adrift from the spiritual - and how we are suffering because of it. I've mentioned elsewhere the pastor on record as saying you can't be a Christian if you don't accept the literal truth of the Genesis account of Creation. Perhaps, like myself, you too have encountered some who - because of the disparity between scientific discovery and the Biblical account - have rejected God. One can but wonder how many have been killed by the blindness and arrogance of the new-covenant church...
[Essay: The bigotry within the church has led to division between the sacred and the secular, causing unknowable damage, death, and destruction.]
[Dissertation: The role of induction in the Plumb-Line and the Measuring-Line.]
How was the Lord going to explain creation to people? He was constrained by:
One option was to say nothing and ignore the problem. This is the line taken by many today: they defend the Bible by stating that the Bible is not a technical book. Yet is this entirely accurate?
However, ignoring the technical aspects was not an option, since later civilisations, with their technical background, would exploit such an omission in order to discredit the Book of Teaching and God Himself. The ridiculing of the Genesis account of creation by scientists is commonplace. The Lord was well aware of the eventual conflict which would take place between tech and the Spiritual Dimension.
The Lord God makes use of inductive logic to bridge this divide. He allows the scientist to fill in the technical details and the mapping between them. Of course, the Shepherds and scientists will have to work together in close harmony - something the church have rejected in favour of arrogance and conflict.
And so the Lord God uses induction to decouple technical content from spiritual content. With this master-stroke, He keeps the Scriptures free of bloat and on point; and the inductive conclusions drawn will be consistent with the current level of knowledge.
Long ago, it was important for the Lord to jump-start agricultural science by providing some basic techniques suitable for the times. There was an immediate need, since agriculture was vital for the survival of mankind. The Lord God offered a basic grounding, in the knowledge that this would develop into a speciality in its own right. Isaiah provides a brief insight with regard to grain - something of vital importance:
Give diligent ear to my words,
Attend carefully to what I say.
24 Does he who plows to sow
Plow all the time,
Breaking up and furrowing his land?
25 When he has smoothed its surface,
Does he not rather broadcast black cumin
And scatter cumin,
Or set wheat in a row,
Barley in a strip,
And emmer in a patch?
26 For He teaches him the right manner,
His God instructs him.
27 So, too, black cumin is not threshed with a threshing board,
Nor is the wheel of a threshing sledge rolled over cumin;
But black cumin is beaten out with a stick
And cumin with a rod.
28 It is cereal that is crushed.
Foreven if he threshes it thoroughly,
And the wheel of his sledge and his horses overwhelm it,
He does not crush it.
29 That, too, is ordered by the LORD of Hosts
His counsel is unfathomable,
His wisdom marvelous. (Isaiah 28:23-29 (Tanakh))
Notice how Isaiah joyously brings together both agricultural science and the Spiritual! Seamless!
The inductive process and its conclusions are predicated on incomplete evidence. Hence there is a measure of doubt. If an inductive conclusion hasn't got a modal qualifier, then it is an error.
With regard to deduction, the premises necessarily imply or entail the conclusion. But this is not the case with induction, because doubt is an integral part of the inductive process.
In the case of induction, the conclusion goes beyond the evidence of the premises: that is to say, the premises support the conclusion. In such cases it is necessary to attach a modal qualifier to the inductive conclusion; the modal qualifier will always contain a measure of uncertainty (eg: possibly, probably, highly unlikely, or extremely likely), but never 'necessarily'. Omission of the modal qualifier in inductive argument is an error.
Induction is an iterative process which - as further information becomes available - will lead to ever greater precision. One classic example is the original conclusion that the Earth was flat, but which is now known to be spheroidal.
[Essay: The inductive iterative process.]
The Lord God provides enough information for mankind to draw an inductive conclusion at the current level of knowledge and understanding. The information may be presented in differeent formats: a story, an allegory ... or perhaps a statement.
An inductive conclusion may now be drawn which will satisfy the level of knowledge and understanding available at that time.
However, doubt and review are key elements of the inductive process.
Any tech conclusion which is drawn will continue to be questioned and revised in order to obtain an ever-closer approximation to the truth. Techical induction - whether of science or the arts or technology or even decision making - is an iterative process proceeding in real-time.
In the case of creation, the Lord God intentionally makes use of induction to decouple science from Scripture. He provides enough information for mankind to draw an inductive conclusion. In this way any scientific conclusion which is drawn will continue to be questioned and revised in order to obtain an ever-closer approximation to the truth.
It is interesting to draw a comparison between Isaiah and the new-covenant church. Whereas Isaiah credits and praises the Lord for the agricultural science which He taught them, the new-covenant church have had to be dragged kicking and screaming into accepting the science of evolution! One might say that the two are not comparable. However, a glance at the outcomes would show that to be a lie! Whereas Isaiah reports a happy outcome to their education, that of the new-covenant church is the opposite. New-covenant blindness and intransigence have helped reduce religion to becoming the opium of the people: ineffectual: no longer relevant. The church have cut the scientific community adrift ... and everyone suffers.
The unity that once existed between science and religion (eg, Isaiah chapter 28) is gone, almost certainly forever. The church have cut the science community adrift; and in the process have damaged their own credibility, relevance, and standing within the community. And the world is the poorer for their wrongdoing. As science moves forward into uncharted waters, the absence of the Helmsman is all too apparent. Concerns are being raised, and questions are being asked about spiritual, moral, and ethical issues. Sensitive topics such as cloning, embryo research, GM crops, and DNA manipulation have been in the news for some time; and scientists have now created artificial life in the laboratory (Synthia). The latest lunacies (as at 29-Mar-2024) include biological-sex and gender-identies. Even worse is the psychological and physical mutilation of children and young people with 'sex reassignment'.
[Dissertation: Biological sex, gender identities, and sex reassignment.]
[Dissertation: With regard to biological sex, gender identities, and sex reassignment, investigate those who are responsible for such evil, and their level of guilt. Make use of the Plumb-Line and Measuring-Line as required. How might the evil be brought to an end, and how might the damage be repaired?]
The church has stripped science of its Mentor and Helmsman, the church has rendered itself irrelevant in daily life, so it is left to the politicians to pick up the pieces and deal with the issues as best they can - a worrying prospect, to say the least. The recent crop of British politicians is so useless that some people are not voting at all, and others are voting tactically to keep the most destructive party out of office.
The church are now reaping the fruits of their actions. And in their efforts to put bums on seats, they are making all manner of accommodations with evil. Their evil cannot be excused on the grounds of blindness, since they claim the authority, guidance, and power of the Lord Spirit, with all that that entails.
An inductive conclusion is subject to open examination, confirmation, review, and amendment as new information comes to light. Induction is an iterative process which revolves around the acquisition of knowledge and understanding. It is an iterative process carried out in an open public forum†, in which both the evidence and the conclusions drawn from it can be questioned and discussed. As knowledge and understanding grow, the premises (ie, the 'evidence') may change (for example, mariners were very aware of the Earth's curvature from a very early age); this, in turn, requires re-evaluation of the conclusion. And so the conclusion changes to reflect the advances in knowledge and understanding. As the conclusion changes, so too might the modal qualifier. Of course, inductive hypothesis may lead to competing hypotheses!
[† Necessarily excluded are those lacking currently available knowledge at both the spiritual and world levels. The new-covenant church - with their false covenant, inadequate general education, and their arrogance - have nothing to contribute, and therefore have no say in the discussion.]
The Lord God could - without telling a lie - invite mankind to make an assumption. Thus, in mentioning 'day', in the context of creation, the Lord God invites the assumption as to His meaning. Early civilisations would have assumed that the Lord God meant an interval of twenty-four hours; today, however, we understand that 'day' refers to geological time. The Lord God has lied to no one, for He knew full well that an inductive conclusion would be subject to constant review and update as knowledge and understanding advanced. The scientific community are well aware of induction, for that is how science progresses. As for the church, they are blind, for the Scriptures mention the variable duration of a 'day'†: the Scriptures contain an actual clue to the inductive assumption and process! As if that were not enough, the Book of Revelation reveals that 'day' is a meaningless term in the context of the Heavenly Realm where 'night' has no meaning‡.
[† For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. (Psalm 90:4 NIV)]
[‡ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. (Revelation 21:23-25 NIV)]
This keeps scientific and technical explanations in the hands of those experts within the church community. Explanation will automatically keep pace with current levels of knowledge and understanding. The experts, in turn, can explain in terms which the church and people can understand. Before Jesus was born, shepherding would have been in the hands of the Levitical Priests. But with the rejection of Jesus, the Levitical Priesthood have been reduced to the ranks, where they will bear their shame; and the office has been given the most menial tasks within the church. Responsibility and care have been handed to the Priesthood in the Order of Melchizedek.
Decoupling technical matters from Scripture in this way is of immense benefit to the Lord God, for it frees Him to concentrate on His intentions and aims at the Spiritual Level.
[Essay: Within the framework of the Covenant, science remains under the oversight and overall control of the Lord God.]
[Assignment:Provide examples where the Lord makes use of logical induction.]
[Essay: Inductive inaccuracy at the Physical Level does not necessarily negate spiritual imperative.]
[Essay: The inductive process is self-correcting of any inaccuracy.]
[Dissertation: How is inductive logic used in Scripture?]
[Dissertation: How is deductive logic used in Scripture?]
[Dissertation: The unity of inductive and deductive logic in Scripture. Potentiation?]
It is important to understand how induction may be used. Equally, it is important to be able to recognise induction when it is staring one in the face.
The Lord God may use science to help explain, at the Physical Level, a difficult concept at the Spiritual Level. Not only science, but He may also make use of any of the other disciplines in order to get His points across.
Here's how:
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))
With the inexorable march of progress, technical/specialist knowledge and understanding were essential in order for mankind to master the Earth, and to rein in the extremes of evil that would undoubtedly occur. The mapping between the allegorical induction and God's original intentions, would help with the evaluation of the Two Abstract Rules.
Back in the mists of time, the Genesis account of creation would have been accepted: people would have believed that their world had been created by the Lord God, even though they didn't know how he did it; and they would have accepted the points He was making at the Spiritual Level. Whereas today, many take the scientific explanation of Creation, and use it to discredit the Genesis account and the authority of the Scriptures!
Today, many in the church are claiming that same-sex relationships and same-sex 'marriage' are not sinful in the eyes of a God who loves everyone, loves diversity, understands the many routes to Himself, and who will turn no one away‡‡. Yet these accommodations with evil are destroying the basic unit of 'family'; and this, in turn, undermines society. What is more, these false claims do not hold up in the light of Scripture.
[ ‡‡ Dissertation: The consequences originating with Paul's false new-covenant doctrine.]
If we go all the way back to Genesis and the allegory of the creation of Eve, even there we find God outlining the biological and genetic reasons why same-sex relationships are an abomination in His eyes.
Marriage is to be between two people who - potentially - are capable of having children:
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 1:28 (Tanakh))
God does not change† - as He Himself asserts (eg, Mal. 3:6a). Hence, God's intentions today are necessarily the same as they were when He created mankind.
[† 19 God is not man to be capricious,
Or mortal to change His mind.
Would He speak and not act,
Promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19 (Tanakh))]
Same-sex marriage or marriage to an animal would break the commandment for a potentially fertile marriage. The biological and genetic incompatibilities would prevent conception.
In the case of marriage, God uses inductive metaphor to convey scientific fact:
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him.” 19 And the LORD God formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that would be its name. 20 And the man gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to all the wild beasts; 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. (Genesis 2:18-22 (Tanakh))
He also expects advanced civilisations to understand the need for 'poetic license'! The Lord God invites the induction indirectly through a figurative account of the creation of Eve. Taking the Genesis account at face value for the moment, what is the Lord God trying to say?
His aim is to show that marriage is the union of a man (male) and a woman (female). It is with regret that I feel the need to state explicitly what God means by 'husband' and 'wife'. God's definition rules out same-sex marriage and union with animals.
It must be remembered that - dwelling in the Garden - Adam and Eve are living in an Annex to God's home in the Heavenly Realm. Admittedly, following the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden, Eden ceased to be an annex and reverted back to the wild. However, in the New Jerusalem, life will be lived in an annex to God's home in the Heavenly Realm. Necessarily, therefore, the same conditions will obtain as they once did for life in the Eden Annex. So, although the church may claim that same-sex marriage or marriage to one's pet are acceptable, they are lying, for no such unity will be permitted in the New Jerusalem. Recall the Lord's definition of the unity of marriage!
The Lord God and Jesus define marriage (qv): They show that husband and wife are, in fact, one person at the Spiritual and Physical Levels:
Marriage as defined by the Lord
One may smile at the account of the creation of Eve, but it certainly gets across a biological and genetic message which would otherwise have been impossible for early civilisations to understand. As for those who belittle God's account, they will one day have to account for their careless words:
"But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken." (Matthew 12:36 NIV)
The narrative:
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him.” 19 And the LORD God formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that would be its name. 20 And the man gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to all the wild beasts; 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. (Genesis 2:18-24 (Tanakh))
Animals were not fitting 'helpers' (v 20) - which is also acknowledged by Adam on finding Eve (v 23).
The Lord God sees how lonely and incomplete Adam is (v. 18). Adam, himself, admits to this when he exclaims, “This one at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh!” Adam's words also suggest that he had perhaps been looking for a [soul] mate among the paired animals God had paraded before him; but so far he had drawn a blank ... and then Eve appeared in the Garden, and his search was over!
Eve had undoubtedly been selected from the same ancestral stock as Adam, and brought into the Garden Annex as had been Adam†. Coming from the same ancestral stock, their genetic make up was similar, consistent with their male and female genders. Adam and Eve were similar in appearance to the Lord God. And now, here in the Garden Annex, the Lord God was able to make Adam and Eve into His likeness:
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))
[† According to Strong, the word used in Ge. 2:22 is the same as that used in Ge. 1:26, where 'man' also means 'mankind' (ie, the ancestral stock outside the Garden Annex):
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:26 KJVS)
22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. (Genesis 2:22 KJVS)]
[Essay: Inaccuracies in the translation of Scripture, and where they lead.]
[Essay: The requirement for literal translation. Discuss the use and restrictions on paraphrased translations.]
Father and Son admit to deliberately obfuscating Scripture (qv). But the Lord's use of inductive logic takes obfuscation to a whole new academic level, far beyond simple parables!
[Essay: Inductive logic and the obfuscation of Scripture.]
Logic is a useful tool in the search for truth. Augustus de Morgan explains the purpose of logic:
'It is not therefore the object of logic to determine whether conclusions be true or false; but whether what are asserted to be conclusions are conclusions' -- Augustus de Morgan
Peter Abelard too:
“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.]
Formal logic doesn't help much in the advancement of knowledge and understanding, since the premises entail or necessarily imply the conclusions. Advances in knowledge and understanding generally come from the formulation of inductive hypotheses, which can then be tested and refined over time: why this is so is because the conclusions of an inductive hypothesis go beyond the premises, with the degree of doubt being expressed in the modal qualifier (see 'Logic, the Essentials').
However,
[Dissertation: In the hands of the Lord, both inductive and deductive logic necessarily entail the conclusions, making them essential components of the Plumb-Line and Measuring-Line.]
The Lord God makes use of induction to provide a level of understanding across society and the academic spectrum.
One example is the Lord's use of the term 'day':
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. (Genesis 1:1-3 NIV)
Immediately before the creation of the universe, there existed the Heavenly Realm within infinite space. There was light in the Heavenly Realm; but darkness characterised the infinity which was space. Since the Lord intended to create the universe as a separate domain, He set aside some space within that ocean of darkness. Then, because the universe was to exist independent of the Heavenly Realm, the Lord needed to provide a power-source which would provide the energy and light to drive photosynthesis on Earth. The Lord gave the order, “Let there be light!” (recall that light is but a part of the electromagnetic spectrum). Yet the Lord doesn't record how the order was executed!
Instead, the Lord allows people to make an assumption as to the explanation of how an independent source of light came into existence. Early, emerging civilisations would undoubtedly been thinking along the lines of magic/miracle. It was His desire that mankind would question the account, later refining that initial conclusion as more evidence came to light and a clearer understanding of creation began to emerge.
People are responsible for any assumptions they might make. There is no guilt attached to inaccuracy, provided the assumption was made with the best information available at the time. Any guilt attached to the assumption will proceed from assumptions made out of ignorance, or how an assumption is subsequently handled.
If an assumption is taken as gospel, and not signalled by a modal qualifier to indicate the assumption, then error will arise and guilt will follow in its wake. Even worse guilt will arise when the original assumption is treated as Absolute Truth by those who should know better. Yet, as bad as that is, the sin will become unforgiveable by those who attribute their dogma to the power, authority, and guidance of the Lord Spirit.
And so, even today, there are people holding office within the new-covenant church who dogmaticallty proclaim that one can't be a Christian unless one takes the Genesis account of creation literally. Such people neither know the Lord, nor understand the Lord, nor understand the relationship between the Spiritual and the Physical.
With regard to the example above, an understanding of the Lord, of intention and instantiation, and the Lord's use of induction, will allow an individual to proclaim:
[Essay: The evolution of mankind.]
'Conditional proof' (qv) is a useful research tool, in which one makes an additional assumption and explores what that assumption would then commit one to.
For example, one could make the additional assumption that Paul's doctrine is wrong, and then explore what his adherents were then committing themselves to.
[Assignment:Make the assumption the assumption that Paul's doctrine is untrue. What are its devotees committing themselves to?]
[Analysis: Confirm that Paul's doctrine is a lie. Discuss the implications.]
The trigger is the measure of doubt which is inherent in an induction together with the need to find the perfect answer, as far as current knowledge and understanding allow.
For example, the Lord God provided a minimum requirement for a conviction:
One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. (Deuteronomy 19:15 NIV)
Today, one must ask, 'Is this law safe, and does it cover all eventualities?'' Clearly it doesn't, since there might be collusion of the witnesses to convict - as was the case with Jesus:
[59] Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so that they might put him to death, [60] but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward [61] and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'" (Matthew 26:59-61 NRSV)
However, Deuteronomy 19:15 encourages curiosity. And - as academic and technical knowledge increase - it encourages face-to-face discussion with the Lord. Scientific advancement allows circumstantial or forensic evidence to be produced in court.
It was God's intention that justice come within the scope of the church, and that it be maintained, researched, and updated to the highest standards. Sadly, history confirms that this never took place; instead, the Gentile church annulled the Covenant, espoused Paul's false doctrine, and used Covenant Law - which they had annulled, and which had become unenforceable with the demolition of the Temple in Jerusalem - to then run amok in a fit of blind piety, putting all and sundry to the sword, both literally and metaphorically.
Nothing has changed at the Spiritual Level: God's intention is to ensure against miscarriage of justice. At the Physical Level, on the other hand, He wants His [Judaic] Church to research how this might be better accomplished, and to discuss their findings with Himself.
In calling out Israel to be a nation obedient to Himself,
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 19:6 (Tanakh))
, the Lord provides a united, single-minded community obedient to Himself, in which the spiritual and secular are united.
This would never work in Britain in the state it's in. But, surprising as it seems, one day this will work and come to pass in the Middle East:
[Dissertation: Isaiah, chapter 19.]
When God paraded the animals in front of Adam, the Lord God was undoubtedly hoping to capture Adam's imagination and to encourage his curiosity. In this the Lord God was successful, for the study of zoology begins with the naming and classification of the animals†. Mankind would need to understand creation in order to manage Planet Earth, and to avoid damaging it.
[† 19 And the LORD God formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that would be its name. 20 And the man gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to all the wild beasts (Genesis 2:19-20a (Tanakh))]
God's instruction to leave the gleanings, was an instance of a safety-net which, itself, would develop into a social-safety-net encompassing such important topics as food, housing, winter fuel, health...
A set of objects might be defined by:
Thus, the set of even numbers may be defined by an explicit list. However, since the set is infinite, this is not the preferred method. Much better to take a shortcut and make use of a rule.
Similarly for Covenant Law. The Torah provides an explicit list of some 613 laws. Use of such a list makes heavy demands on a person's memory.
It is left to Jesus to provide a useful shortcut. Yet it is a shortcut which - although easy to remember - is dependent on a knowledge and understanding of the Lord God. It is fully functional at the Spiritual Level, and will therefore work now that worship has shifted entirely to the Spiritual Level. Not being an existential list, it is dynamic and can handle changes in context or circumstances. Furthermore, it is the preferred method of the Trinity.
"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)
So how does this work in practise?
i) Love the Lord God, {
ii) Love your neighbour.
}
Note that the second great commandment operates entirely within the scope of the first.
The meaning of 'love' as found in Chambers dictionary:
On the face of it, Jesus' two great commandments would seem to be concrete commandments. This is undoubtedly where Paul et al go wrong, for they simply merge both seemingly concrete commandments into one; Paul can then [wrongly] claim that the entire Law amounts to loving one's neighbour:
The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14 NIV)
But when we make the following substitutions for 'love', we find that what appeared to be two concrete commandments are, in fact, abstract rules.
With regard to the the first great commandment, we substitute 'obey' for 'love' (see Equivalence - love and obey):
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
23 Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (Jn. 14:21-23 NIV)
The force of the second great commandment is not that of 'obedience', but of 'looking after' or 'taking care of': this is the force of the narrative of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) and Jesus' explanation of how we are to take care of our neighbour (Matthew 7:9-12).
i) Obey‡ the Lord God, {
ii) Look after† your neighbour.
}
Note that the second great rule operates within the scope of the first.
[‡ I have replaced 'love' with its logical equivalent 'obey' (see: Logical Equivalence).
† I have replaced 'love' with 'look after'.
These substitutions are necessary if we are to avoid falling into sin and error. Without them, we are left with the term 'love', which will inevitably be reduced to a 'strong feeling of affection', and may well lead to pandering to wrongdoing. We need to avoid emotional involvement, for this will cloud clear thinking (although the Good Samaritan took pity on the victim, his clinical detachment and first-aid skills helped him to provide the best help possible (Luke 10:30-37)).]
[Assignment: Does the Lord use 'love' in order to deliberately obfuscate the Scriptures? Discuss.]
[Assignment: Loving one's neighbour is increasingly being used to pander to one's neighbour's wishes and desires. Discuss. Discuss the implications.]
These two rules are abstract, for they do not explain how we are to obey God; neither do they explain how we are to look after our neighbour.
It is because these two rules are abstract, that Jesus is able to say that,
“All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:40 NIV)
These two abstract rules are to be evaluated at the point of need. They are to be evaluated at both the Spiritual and Physical Levels.
Jesus' summary of the Law had a dramatic effect on the Covenant. At a stroke, Jesus replaced some 613 commandments with two abstract rules which, when evaluated together in real-time, could yield an infinite number of commandments! Not surprisingly there was a condition: and that was that the evaluation of those two abstract rules take place simultaneously in real-time in the context of the current state of the Covenant. Without reference to the updated Covenant, evaluation of those great rules will lead to great error. The second great abstract rule is always evaluated within the context of the first great abstract rule.
Jesus' summary was easy to remember; and it allowed people to quickly work out what they should do in any situation in which they found themselves. And this was backed up with the safeguard that any baffling problem could be discussed with the Lord by the priest in charge, and a ruling obtained for the whole church† - though, by the time of Jesus, the Covenant was in such a sorry state that this safeguard was dysfunctional.
[† 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. (Deuteronomy 17:8-11 (Tanakh))]
When the world is falling apart, as the end approaches, people will still be able to take advantage of this feature of the Law - a feature which is backed up by the Spirit's support and guidance in times of need:
And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. (Ezekiel 36:27 NIV)
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 16:13-15 NIV)
"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say." (Luke 12:11-12 NIV)
God's dynamic mapping.
The Lord God maps his intentions to existential commandments, as can be seen in the case of the 613 Torah Laws. However, He keeps a sharp eye on what is going down in the world, responding to any changes which might be required. One notable change is the shift from the Post-Eden Covenant to the Mosaic Covenant. He also deals with people's baffling questions, as was the case with the Zelophehad query, and which resulted in the Zelophehad Amendment to Covenant Law.
But with the shift to worship at the Spiritual Level, the Lord Jesus has provided the two abstract rules which allow those who are members of the Covenant to refer to the Lord and carry out the the mapping to a commandment:
Dynamic mapping by individual.
[Essay: Reference is no longer made to a list of some 613 commandments in the Torah; reference must now be made to the Lord God Himself through personal knowledge, experience, and face to face-to-face discussion (on a personal or collective basis).]
Notice that only the Lord God can change the Law at the Spiritual Level. Since human access is restricted to 'read-only', they can change neither the Covenant nor any of God's intentions. Any changes to the Covenant will result from changing circumstances or His response to the baffling questions which have been brought to Him. Note, too, that for this to happen, people bringing their baffling questions must be on first-name terms with the Lord. As for those who do not know the Lord, they will not be heard (cf, Mat. 7:22-23).
Thus, although David's Tent has been razed to the ground, the Covenant remains fully operational.
Since the two rules at the Spiritual Level are abstract, there is an assumption of knowledge at both the spiritual and world levels. We are expected to understand the current version of the Covenant at the Spiritual Level. We are expected to have a detailed knowledge and understanding of the world in which we live, in order to provide the best possible outcome.
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” ― Albert Einstein
“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.]
Doubt, as expressed in the modal qualifier, 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. The removal of scientific bloat also makes life easier for students! As in any college or university, students are expected to read around their subject, and get to grips with scientific or technical matters.
With regard to marriage, 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.
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.
[Assignment: Analyse and discuss Genesis 2:20b - 3:1a (Tanakh)† in light of allegory and induction.]
[†
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))]
Induction has its place within the Lord's strategy and toolbox.
However, problems arise when those who claim authority fail to recognise the inductive process, disregard it, or turn inductive conclusions into deductive conclusions by omitting the modal qualifier.
An example is the way in which the new-covenant church have treated the account of creation in Genesis, chapters 1-2. Insistence that these chapters be taken literally in order to be a Christian, is wrong. Not only wrong in itself, but it conceals the Lord's comparison of what is taking place at the Physical Level with His intentions at the Spiritual Level.
[Assignment: A local pastor was on record as asserting that one cannot be a Christian unless one believes in the literal truth of the Genesis account of creation. Discuss. What are the implications of your conclusions?]
It is not therefore the object of logic to determine whether conclusions be true or false;
but whether what are asserted to be conclusions are conclusions
Augustus de Morgan
'Deductive argument: An argument in which the premises necessarily imply or entail the conclusion; the premises constitute conclusive evidence for the conclusion' (Manicas and Kruger).
'Inductive argument: An argument in which the premises provide some evidence, but not conclusive evidence for the conclusion; that is, the premises do not necessarily imply the conclusion' (Manicas and Kruger).
Does the Lord misuse inductive conclusions? Consider:
[26] While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." (Matthew 26:26 NRSV)
[53] So Jesus said to them [the wondering Jews], "Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. [54] Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day;" (John 6:53-54 NRSV)
In each case, Jesus is speaking metaphorically, and each necessarily requires an induction as to His meaning. Yet there is no mention of a modal qualifier! Oops?! Has Jesus thrown truth and logic in the trash, and is now speaking some arcane language that allows Him to speak and act inconsistently?
Recall that the drinking of blood was expressly forbidden in the Covenant:
26 And you must not consume any blood, either of bird or of animal, in any of your settlements. 27 Anyone who eats blood shall be cut off from his kin†. (Leviticus 7:26-27 (Tanakh))
[† To be cut off from one's kin is to be excluded from the [Israelite] community, and therefore from God's presence. Put more directly, that means 'Death'.]
Hence, John 6:53 is a metaphor which - necessarily - must be inductively mapped to God's intended meaning. John 6:54 is the deductive conclusion.
The use of an inductive metaphor (John 6:53) invites people to make an assumption as to Jesus' meaning. However, those who make the wrong assumption, or those who fail to correctly map the metaphor to Jesus' meaning, will surely perish; only those who correctly arrive at Jesus' meaning [and obey], will avoid Death.
[Analysis: Transubstantiation (new-covenant theology).]
[Analysis: Consubstantiation (new-covenant theology).]
Another consideration is that of obfuscation. To what extent does He wish to hide the truth from those who are perishing? Jesus told the parable of the sower to the crowds beside the lake.
[10] Then the disciples came and asked him,
"Why do you speak to them in parables?"
[11] He answered,
"To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. [12] For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. [13] The reason I speak to them in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.' [14] With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:
'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. [15] For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn - and I would heal them.'"(Matthew 13:10-15 NRSV)
[Essay: Obfuscation in Scripture.]
See: Manicas and Kruger.
The Lord is up for logical argument!
[18] Come now, let us argue it out, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow;though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
[19] If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; [20] but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (Isaiah 1:18-20 NRSV)
But, equally, this passage reinforces the need for an individual or group to have made the jump from academic knowledge to that of a personal - face to face - relationship with the Lord. If individuals/groups are not on first-name terms with the Lord, then there can be neither discussion nor reasoning. They are left with their mistaken views, biases, prejudices, and the imaginations of their hearts... They do not grow; they only continue on their exponential descent into evil.
See: Manicas and Kruger.
See: Manicas and Kruger.
The Bible is deprecated and has been removed from Judaism†. The Bible has been replaced by the 'Scriptures' - aka the [updated] Book of Teaching. The Bible is not 'the Scriptures', since it contains too many errors, too much wrongdoing, too much evil which is attributed to the Lord Spirit. See, Scripture.
[† Let the Messianic Jews take note! The Book of Teaching was updated by Jesus, and contains details of the Messianically-Amended Covenant.]
It is important, then, that the Bible is consigned to the trash, and that it be replaced by the Scriptures. This is Scriptural, because the Lord will not accept that which is blemished or tainted in any way. See also, Lev. 22:17-33. The Lord puts a curse on those who try to cheat Him:
14 A curse on the cheat who has an [unblemished] male in his flock, but for his vow sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord! For I am a great King — said the LORD of Hosts — and My name is revered among the nations. (Malachi 1:14 (Tanakh))
It all ends with Jesus' consignment of the 'many' into Hell:
[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 7:22-23 NRSV)
The evidence used in order to come to some conclusion, will fall into either of the two main categories:
[Note that 'or' is used inclusively (the default).]
The Lord may reason deductively or inductively - or He may combine the two.
However, there is another scenario in which He uses inductive-reasoning deductively!
The Lord is fully aware of inductive reasoning. He often uses it to get across some truth or other to audiences having very different levels of knowledge and understanding. The creation of Eve is a useful example, for it explains both the creation of Eve as well as God's intentions regarding marriage.
The Prime Axioms explain that the Lord speaks the Absolute Truth. If every bit of the evidence is true, then He is reasoning deductively. Since inductive argument entails the inclusion of a modal qualifier - and therefore the element of doubt - does the Lord's use of induction undermine the absolute truth of the Prime Axioms?
As to the answer, that must be a definite 'No!' The matter is not as simple as it may appear at first blush. Account must be taken of the induction, its mapping, and the level of obfuscation.
The Lord explains His use of figurative language:
[10] Then the disciples came and asked him,
"Why do you speak to them in parables?"
[11] He answered,
"To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. [12] For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. [13] The reason I speak to them in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.' [14] With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:
'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. [15] For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn - and I would heal them.'"(Matthew 13:10-15 NRSV)
Jesus then turns to His disciples:
[16] But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. [17] Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. (Matthew 13:16-17 NRSV)
[Analysis: To what extent is induction synonymous with obfuscation?]
Faced with the induction, people fall into one of two groups (note that those who have yet to reach the Age of Discretion are excluded):
What, then, are the differences between group (i), those who don't perceive, and group (ii), those who do perceive and understand?
In the first place, it is the handling of the induction which separates them.
Secondly, there is the element of choice at the individual/collective levels. Jesus states that if those who are perishing were to wake up, change their minds, and really listen, then He would heal them (Mat. 13:15).
In summary, the induction/obfuscation can be mapped directly to 'motivation' - at either the individual or collective levels.
Where the Lord uses induction or metaphor, then the underlying force, the intention behind His words at the Spiritual Level, is always true.
However, if the induction isn't seen and understood for what it is, if the intention behind the induction isn't seen, then all kinds of mayhem will ensue. Similarly for metaphor and obfuscation. Church history is littered with examples - the Eucharist and creation are two obvious examples. Check it out.
[Essay: The Lord's reasoning and the need for obfuscation.]
The Plumb-Line is the yardstick against which people's assertions and conduct are measured. See also Scripture and the Plumb-Line.
Reference is made solely to the Scriptures. Use of the Bible as a reference is prohibited due to the errors it contains.
[Dissertation: To what extent has the Bible suffered the equivalent of 'Chinese whispers'?]
[Dissertation: The Scriptures require a thorough overhaul by those experts trained for the Kingdom of Heaven (compare ‡).]
‡ [52] And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old." (Matthew 13:52 NRSV)
The [inductive] allegory (creation of Eve):
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.” (Genesis 2:21-23 (Tanakh))
The deductive conclusion:
24 Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24 (Tanakh))
The Plumb-Line makes use of facts. But it also makes use of allegory and its deductive conclusions:
[3] Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked,
"Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?"
[4] He answered,
"Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' [5] and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? [6] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
[7] They said to him,
"Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?"
[8] He said to them,
"It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. [9] And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery." (Matthew 19:3-9 NRSV)
However, this is conditional upon the accurate inductive mapping of the allegory to the Lord's intentions at the Spiritual Level. If this is successful, then there will be equivalence between God's intentions and His conclusions at spiritual/world levels.
Mankind's reasoning is always suspect, because:
5 The LORD saw how great was man's wickedness on earth, and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time.
6 And the LORD regretted that He had made man on earth, and His heart was saddened. (Genesis 6:5-6 (Tanakh))
So, omit the error-checking of what people are asserting at your peril!
15 The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden, to till it and tend it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; 17 but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die.”
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make a fitting helper for him.” 19 And the LORD God formed out of the earth all the wild beasts and all the birds of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that would be its name. 20 And the man gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to all the wild beasts; 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 2:15 - 3:1a (Tanakh))
Why did the Lord resort to an allegory to explain the creation of Eve? Why did He not explain in a similar way to the creation of Adam?
Without the allegory, the Lord would have had a difficult explanation ahead of Him, which would have gone right over the heads of the emerging society. People were aquiring vocabulary - eg, the naming of the animals. Language was beyond that needed for group instinct. It was necessary to keep things as simple as possible. On the other hand, the allegory would explain marriage and the X and Y chromosomes (female and male) in a straightforward manner.
Advanced societies would be expected to pick up on the allegory and the Lord's reason for using it. Sadly, the church see neither the allegory nor the implied commandments. Consequently, same sex relationships and marriages are commonplace today.
It's well worth dissecting the text in order to see what we have to work with.
Perhaps the most striking things to note are:
| Comment | Text |
|---|---|
| Adam, created in God's image, is taken and placed in Eden: | The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:15a (Tanakh)) |
| Acceptance of Prime Axioms: | Implied |
| Adam's role: | to till it and tend it [the Eden Annex]. (Genesis 2:15b (Tanakh)) |
| Contract: terms and penalties: | And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; 17 but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die.” (Genesis 2:16-17 (Tanakh)) |
| Acceptance of Primary Contract: | Implied |
| Adam is now an unmarried man created in the image and likeness of God: | Adam's silence gives assent. |
'The LORD God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden' (Genesis 2:15a T). These words suggest the existence of a common ancestral pool outside Eden. Which, in turn, would lend support to the evolution of mankind.
The existence of the Tree of Life confirms that Eden was an Annex to God's home in Heaven.
Acceptance of the Prime Axioms may safely be inferred from God's initial confrontation of Adam outside Eden. Anyone who's met with God face to face will tell you of His might and power, one's awareness of one's utter sinfulness, the fear that He can send a person to Heaven or to Hell, and the realisation that one is standing frozen in front of the Lord and has not been destroyed. Yes, as you stand before the Most High, there is tacit acceptance of the Prime Axioms!
'And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you are free to eat; 17 but as for the tree of knowledge of good and bad, you must not eat of it; for as soon as you eat of it, you shall die.” (Genesis 2:16-17 (Tanakh))' There is tacit acceptance of the terms and penalties of the Primary Contract. The implication is later supported by Eve's testimony:
Genesis 3:1b-3 (Tanakh) 1 ... Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman,
“Did God really say: You shall not eat of any tree of the garden?"
2 The woman replied to the serpent,
“We may eat of the fruit of the other trees of the garden. 3 It is only about fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden that God said: 'You shall not eat of it or touch it, lest you die.'"
The Book of Hosea records AdamEve's commitment to a contract:
[7] And they [Ephraim and Judah], as Adam[Eve], transgressed a covenant, There they dealt treacherously against me. (Hosea 6:7 YLT)
See Prime Axioms et seq.
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.” (Genesis 2:21-23 (Tanakh))
The allegory has stood the test of time in a way which direct description of marriage never could. To have said that Eve was taken from the common ancestral pool outside Eden, would have sounded flat and 'lifeless'. It would have reduced the union of Adam and Eve to a biological function. Whereas the allegory paints a picture which captures not only the imagination, but 'truth' as well. The allegory raises what would have otherwise been a physical event to a state of unity which can only exist at the Spiritual Level within the Covenant.
At the dawn of civilisation, people would have made the assumption that the account of the creation of Eve was literally true, and would have accepted it. Today, on the other hand, we know so much about the evolution of the universe and the evolution of species, that we know that Genesis 2:21-23 is an allegory.
The church - who have no knowledge of anything - have not understood the constraints upon Scripture. Their defiant blindness has led them to pit literality against truthfulness. One might have thought that the Lord's use of obfuscation might have cued them into understanding that everything is not as it seems! But alas! And so the story of the division between the Bible and science has been written in history.
The church have not defended the Scriptures against attack. The best that I could do at school was to repeat that the Bible was not a scientific text book - which I now know to be a lie put out by a church which is so wanting. To ridicule the literal interpretation of creation, is a well-tried - not to mention successful - weapon of attack. The church then close down discussion by saying that creation, as recorded in the Bible is a matter of 'faith'; when what they really mean is 'have faith in our lie'. Finally, having taken the high moral ground, they walk away filled with their own self-righteousness.
Now consider what Jesus said in answer to a question about divorce:
[4] He answered,
"Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' [5] and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? [6] So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." (Matthew 19:4-6 NRSV)
Jesus confirms:
But, at the same time, He uses the allegory as an error checker, in which He highlights the sinfulness of mankind:
[7] They said to him,
"Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?"
[8] He said to them,
"It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. [9] And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery." (Matthew 19:7-9 NRSV)
In the hands of Jesus, the allegory becomes a key part of the Plumb-Line. This is reinforced by His use of 'therefore' in Mat. 19:6. Since there is no modal qualifier, the force of His commandment is '[necessarily] therefore' - ie, there is 'entailment'.
Since there is entailment, Jesus is making use of deductive logic.
[Essay: Turning inductive logic into deductive logic!]
If we are to be on first-name terms with the Most High, if we are truly to get to know Him, and if we are to truly understand the Covenant at the Spiritual Level then, in addition to our studies, it will be necessary to get into the mind of the Lord God Himself.
We must, of course, discuss matters with the Lord face-to-face. But bringing our questions to the Lord and then passivsely waiting for His response, will be productive to a certain extent. However, if we can get into the mind of the Lord, then we will come to know who and what He is; His standards; His values; His deepest desires; His authority, power, and integrity; His kindness to those who love and obey Him, but His ruthlessness on the Day of Judgement with those who oppose Him; His plans going forwards...
It is an open secret that knowing and understanding the mind of the Lord, will help with the evaluation of the Two Abstract Rules. And it will shift discussion to a much deeper level.
Let's see how this works out with regard to the creation of Eve!
If we are to be friends with someone, then it's important to know something of their background and history. And so it is with the Lord God. Going right back in time, why did God beget Jesus, why did He create the Heavenly Beings, and why did He create mankind? The answer inevitably touches on the 'humanity' of God! 'Home Alone' takes us back to that time in history before Jesus was begotten. The Lord God understood Adam's loneliness and emptiness (Gen. 2:18 et seq) because He, too, had experienced something similar long before.
To what extent did the Lord's 'home alone' experience figure in His plans to create mankind?
The Lord's objective [in creating mankind] was to create beings in His image and in His own likeness:
26 And God said [to His Son],
“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth.” (Genesis 1:26 (Tanakh))
But wait! He paused as He remembered the loneliness and emptiness of His life before His Son was begotten. Then He faced up to the rejection and treachery of some of the Heavenly Beings He'd created. He realised that because the Primary Contract was based on freedom of choice, then there might be those who rejected the offer afforded by the contract. So although the Lord hoped that the whole of mankind would take up the offer of Life, it would be wise to prepare for a worst-case scenario!
If mankind rebelled against Him, the Lord God wanted to help those who were faithful to survive the inevitable attacks against them. So, were He to create men and women, not only would this provide a [biological and physical] division of labour, but it would mean that a married couple would have each other in times of extreme distress. The strengths of one would complement the weaknesses of the other.
Returning to the present day, we can see - from Jesus' words:
[32] Remember Lot's wife. [33] Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it. [34] I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. (Luke 17:32-34 NRSV)
- the apparent failure of the Lord's intention for marital support in times of extreme crisis!
All, however, is not as it might seem at first blush!
Marriage today does not match up to the Lord's standards. Sin abounds, whether from rejection of God or because of the false teaching of the new-covenant church, the Messianic Jewish community, or the teaching of the House of Desolation.
However, when marriage is entered into as the Lord intended, then the Lord's original decision to create marriage between a man and a woman is vindicated!
Marriage - Covenant style!
Because husband and wife are one person, even though death and destruction are all around them, each will support the other in their obedience to the Lord. Neither will be completely alone. even though they may be far apart. This is in sharp contrast to Adam's failure to catch and rescue his wife after she had been deceived by the Serpent (marriage). Plus, they will have the ongoing support of the Lord Spirit...
Incidentally, Covenant style Marriage will be mandatory for the Two Olive Trees (aka, the Priesthood in the Order of Melchizedek) and their descendants if they are to continue to grow. Compare Covenant Marriage with Paul's 'doctrine' on marriage,
[32] I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. [33] But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, [34] and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. [35] I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:32-35 ESV),
and the extent of Paul's blindness, incompetence, and error, is revealed.
[Dissertation: Compare Covenant Marriage with Paul's doctrine [on marriage].]
Version: 2024-11-28