Day: January 9, 2021

True Judgement is True Love of God

JUDGEMENT

 

Let’s address the term ‘‘judgement’. I am obligated as a Jesus follower to exegete the New Testament text in order to dispel undue judgements by which the  error born in misunderstanding the coherency of the New Testament text brings great confusion.

I witness hasty and lusty acts of judgements by “Christians” who are given the divine commission to preach the *GOSPEL*, not the damnation.

The illusory sense of ‘duty’ to ‘call those out of their sin lest they go to hell’ is exposed by the doctrines of Grace and Election. That is, how do we know who is going where, when and how with God? Jesus made it clear to His disciples to not judge others who are doing another work for God:

Luke 9:49: “Master, said John, we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us. *Do not stop him, Jesus said, for whoever is not against you is for you”. Secondly, is it not God who calls us out and not the flesh of another?

(For a germane study of “exorcism” one might find themselves finding only valid examples in the first century Christian era and based on their cultural anomaly. Many doctoral theses have been written on this subject matter such as Dr. Graham Twelvetree’s works on “Jesus, the Exorcist”.  As for me, I believe that the exorcisms were for a time in order to show the power of Christ and His disciples and Apostles in order to confirm the Church. I do NOT believe that this exists today).

Maybe this could work if we just all call out each other all day long. But, I see a much cleaner and more holy approach. That approach is found in the understanding that we are ordained as the elect to be put into sinful bodies and ‘come to be’ as Christ through these mortal senses to a renewed Sense that supervenes the mortal sense. Did Jesus not come to Baptize with fiery trials while the Holy Spirit confirms us in this true Baptism? Are we not coming to our senses through problems overcome in the understanding to simply ‘let it go’. Doesn’t the words, “God has Willed it” bring any peace?

Did not Romans 9:16 make it clear that it is not of anyone who ‘wills’ but of God who shows mercy? How can the ‘church’ see the substance of the infinite Christ when the gates of Heaven are presented shut due to their sin? Is not  the Kingdom of God within us (Luke 17:21 – “The Kingdom of God is within you” – Jesus) ? Then why the ‘kingdom of closed doors’ being preached then? —-because ‘humans’ create a ‘christendom’ that is a failure. They shut out the oppressed, the fatherless, the widow, the poor, the downtrodden. They respect the outward appearance, the rich, etc., but “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7.  Again, this is ‘judging’ one another based on what the victim would only ‘choose’ not to be if they could. Who would ‘choose’ to be any of the downtrodden of Matthew 5? Yet, Jesus said they are all blessed. Who would ‘choose’ to be successful? — all of us. No one wants to suffer…but that is exactly what God has chosen us to do.

2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”.

If Jesus is Lord and the Lord Jesus is not willing that any should perish are any going to perish?

The works of the flesh and the flesh will surely suffer unto destruction.

Ontologically ({Greek:ontos=be + -ology = study of} study of ‘being’, ‘being in time’, ‘being over time’, etc.), we are all horrid ( Romans 3:1-ff). If you are of age, would you like to live with your 20 year-younger self? How about your last month’s self? – No! Could you live with yourself now for eternity with all your prejudices and ignorance? No! We change every day. We are predetermined before this world to become more and more like Christ until that Day of redemption (Romans 8:28-31). We are becoming a *different being* every day. We are ‘coming to be’ into the likeness of God’s Son, Jesus. That is, perfection. 

If it is God who is working in us to do His will and to do His work according to HIS good pleasure (Philippians 2:13) then what are you doing judging another? Are you not judging God? What ‘goodness’ did you generate in your naturally fallen state to ‘choose’ a good thing? Romans 3-ff makes it clear that we are naturally damnable.  Ephesians 2:3 makes it clear that ‘we (the Christians) were at one time ‘children of wrath’ *by our nature*. That we, at one time, deserved wrath (Greek:“orge”-‘rage’ {mature context alert: ‘orgasm’, ‘to blow out with fury’}). But, WHO saved us from that according to HIS works and not ours? The bragging rites get smaller and smaller when we find in Ephesians 1:4 and following that God chose us before the foundation of the world, knowing us, predetermining our salvation, etc.  We find the same message in Romans 8:28 and following all through Romans 9. 

What am I saying? I do not believe that the “Gospel” is one of judgment from God upon us. I believe the Good News are the words of Salvation that one can go preach. I do not believe that we render ‘goodness’ by spreading the news of damnation. Would a good husband tell his wife, “if you don’t obey me I’m going to divorce you”?

Would a good marriage be contingent upon the act of the other? Let’s ask it like this: Does we love God in selfish fear that we will be damned if we don’t? Do we love God because we are in Love? Do we love God because we have a true relationship?

Below this paragraph is Jesus talking through the prophet Hosea more than 700 years before His ministry on earth! Keep in mind that ritual observances, laws, festivals and ordinances were the vehicle by which a relationship with God was kept, though, the Spirit was always there:

Hosea 2:16 (ca. 730 B.C.) – “And it shall be in that Day, Saith the Lord, That you will call me ISHI (my beloved Husband) and no longer call ME Ba’al (Owner/ Master)—-“

Is this not the definition of ‘free’ to ‘will’ the Husband’s love? Is this not the chain that is broken from the shackles of law, property ownership (chattel)? Why would anyone return to a “husband” who claimed property ownership over you by the law?! Why would anyone not run into the arms of the most gracious Husband who wants nothing more but a relationship? Read Solomon for the analogues of that kind of relationship.

Finally, the LOGOS, the WORD, the CHRIST who became flesh and dwelt among us in John 1 was TheDiscerner, The Judgement, The Distinguisher. As “Logos” had its humble origins as to mean: “collocate”, “collect”, “categorize” logs, wood branches, etc. Yes, you read it right. It meant to ‘judge the sizes, shapes, weight, etc. of wood in order to distinguish which logs would be best for what purpose (fire, building, dams, weapons, etc.). The Latin gives us the root for ‘discerner’ as in: ‘dis’ = ‘apart’ + ‘cerno’ = ‘sieve’. That is, ‘to discriminate, to set apart. “Distinguish” used ‘dis’ the same plus “stinguere” which meant ‘to prick’.  To stab, tabulate by pricking, etc.  Finally, “judgement” in the Greek has many forms. Diakrino meant “divide asunder” or “set apart”. This ‘divide’ is His pricking the flesh, His eliminating the ego, His tabulating when it is time to act for our sakes a good judgment. Did God not put Job through ‘judgement’? Did Job earn this “judgement”? – NO!.  God loved Job/ Loves Job. This true Love necessitates that the flesh must get out of the way from the Wife and Husband. She and He must draw nearer.

THE ARCHER

A.K.A. The “Toxophilus”

 

The competitive archer has the intent to hit the bull’s eye (Boulesthai] and must do so by marrying himself/ herself to the ballistics which make the shot ‘true’. Ballistics are based on power, velocity, windage, trajectory, projectile weight, etc. “Ballistics” comes from the word, “Boule”.

The “boule” or “volley” has a deep and ancient connotation. The word “will” comes from this Ancient Greek word. It means, ‘the WILL of the gods’. It means the ‘toss’ or ‘volley’ or “VOLITION” of the gods. That is, the target or objective of desire for the Greek Pantheon of gods.

In archery’s ancient philosophical-linguistic numinous relations, the greatest expressions are between the gods and the archer.

That is, the Toxon, or, the glorified one (hence, “doxa”/“toxa”) shows their *obedience* to the “WILL” of the gods which preceded the shooter. When the shooter, or Toxon, makes the shot, the Toxon receives the “Glory”, i.e., the “Doxa”—-hence, “praise”.

To add, the “WILL” of the gods preceded the Toxon and drew a true line to the target’s boulesthai or bull’s eye. Therefore, the ‘shot’ is done. It already, was, is, will be. All one needed to do was to obey. To respect the WILL of the gods.

Beautiful poetic terms come to play within the nomenclature of Greek archery that apply to a Theological application. Terms such as “rous”, which means, ‘the flowing river” are implemented in this rich theological explanation of a poetic and scientific ART, i.e., the ART of archery. To get into the ‘rous’ meant to add the human element of the WILL (the ballistics) via “Poeisis” in order to imitate to conformity the WILL of the gods.  Yes, “POEISIS”, is where we get the word, poetics. Poeisis means to ‘not step in the way of the flow but to act in accord with the fluid motion of the river by which the will or desired trajectory is going’. Such observant acts of OBEDIENCE are necessary to ‘do the WILL of the gods’. I hope you really catch this!

Therefore, the push to perfection ({Greek-‘teleos’}: fulfillment, completion, perfection) means the loss of the illusion of the senses of self will. To be FREE from the control of the animal or self (who controls who) and be bound to the WILL or BOULE of the gods. Remember, the Fates and the gods of antiquity preceded the acts of humankind in their destiny. Though this is a pagan story, it is definitely a mat

To further this beautiful ART, the “thumea” (the *will* to passion) is implemented by the true Toxon to ‘drive’ oneself to the WILL or the “BOULE” or ‘ballistics’ of the gods as identified to the gods. “Coming to be into the likeness of the gods through the WILL that already has been shot and demarcated to the Bullseye, or “Boulesthai”, i.e., —-‘ the sticking place {boule /will + ‘—-sthai /standing/ resting place). Is this NOT Romans 8:28-31!?!

 

The shot of the flesh:

In the etymological treatment for the archer found in Plato’s, Cratylus, we do find the ‘angst’ source for those who do the opposite of the TOXON.

We find that those who ‘shoot’ for their own will, self will, self desire, Eros,…do indeed ‘shoot’ into the field of harmeteia. This is the Christian term used quite often used for, “sin”.

Plato makes it clear that ‘the shot’ of self desire brings one into the field of ‘ananke’ or ‘angst’. It is defined as the ‘field of thorns and bramble’, but, for sure, applicable to broadly applied terms for ‘suffering’. The ‘field of suffering’. Sadly, the plethora of terms in the pagan sources gives us such a more detailed treatment for Christian doctrine. You heard me right.

Yet another aspect: Are you the god who shoots from, by, for yourself? Would this type of ideological archery not be the antithesis of Colossians 1:16,17 (paraphrase: ‘all things are made for, of and by Jesus Christ who preceded all things’)?

This type of ‘shooting’ defines EXACTLY the ONE who ‘hits the miss’ and wills for objective self desire—-that is, one who is motivated to traject by self will into the fields of pain, anxiety, objectivism, non-meaning.

In my website lectures (fomcm.com “The anatomy of the Will”) I speak of “the archer “ in the dialogues of Cratylus (by Plato) and the etymologies that are used in the “will, trajectory, art or poesis of the toxon (shooter) and the personal participation of the toxon called the “rous” which allows the shooter to obey ONLY the ONE thing that hits the bull’s eye or Boulesthai.

The Paideia (‘paideia’ – root for “foot”…as padua in Greek or ‘little ones’ ..pedos—-‘little one’) or classical aspect of education given to the early 1st century Christians did educate ((Latin: “e- prefix -“exit”/ ducare -‘darkness’) bring out of darkness) the Christian youth by teaching them the richness of etymologies and analogy. They were taught forensics (art of argumentation) and Logic (Reason/ mainly that of Plato and Aristotle’s works) and the classics, for sure, such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey (cf. Werner Yeager’s, “Early Christianity and Greek Paideia”). Such terms of the Toxon would have ‘met’ the Padua as they also would have understood the doctrines of Sovereignty written by Paul. The genius of the Jewish ideas fused with the European Greek sense by which Paul understood and wrote to in a Christian worldview, would have been brought to completion by the Holy Spirit who would and does teach all things to their completion.

 

To recap:

The archer (us, the believers in the WILL of God) MUST be given passionate intent (thumea: passionate mind, beyond the mundane, fervor, anger, beyond just rationale {i.e., outside of one’s mundane associations, actions, etc.—one must be fully wrapped in such a motion}) with the WILL (boule: ballistics, bullet, volley, volition, ball, etc) that has already been made. When the shot has been made, the test begins. If the arrow hits the mark, we know that the archer has applied the RULES and STIPULATIONS of every aspect to the Laws of trajectory by absolute conformity to the WILL. There should be no longer YOU involved with the shot. Rather, total submission to the rules, logic, LOGOS of Archery. You are becoming ( Greek: “sunmorphe” —‘coming to be’) an “ARCHER’’. The more “ARCHER” you are, the less imperfect you will become. BECOMING less of the “Missing” and more and more of the “hitting the mark”.

One last thing: how many misses will you have before you make that perfect shot? When will you consistently hit the bullseye? Many times. A lifetime of missing. So, how can there be judgement on the future TOXON when he or she is ‘coming to be’ in the likeness of the “WILL” of GOD? Where is judgement? Where is there accusation? Logically, shouldn’t “GRACE” be the word of choice throughout? I think yes.

 

Terms to cover:

Rous, Boulesthai, Boule, Toxon, Doxa, Sagittarius, Arche, Eye, Harmeteia, Ananke

[1] Cf Thorlief Boman’s, “Hebrew thought compared with Greek”

[2] Wesley J. Perschbacher; The New Analytical Greek Lexicon  

[3]Cf. the revered George Ricker Berry’s, “The Classic Greek Dictionary”