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John, Language, Teaching

John 5:1-9 – If only someone would help me get in the water first

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[1] After Jesus healed the son of the official in Capernaum, there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

[2] Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. [3] In these lay many invalids– blind, lame, and paralyzed. [5] One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. [6] When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” [7] The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” [8] Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” [9] At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath.

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This is the alternate Gospel selection that can be chosen for a priest to read aloud on the sixth Sunday of Easter, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. If chosen, it will follow a mandatory Easter reading from the Book of Acts, this Sunday telling of Paul being called by a vision to Macedonia, where we then read: “A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul.” That will precede a singing of Psalm 67, where David wrote: “May elohim give us his blessing, and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.” That pair will lead to the Year C Epistle reading from Revelation, where John was shown: “the assembly of inhabitants has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. The peoples will walk by its light, and the rulers of the flesh will bring their glory into it.”

Verse one of this fifth chapter does not say, “After Jesus healed the son of the official in Capernaum.” Chapter four ended with such a healing; but chapter five begins with the Greek words “Meta tauta,” where “tauta” is the Accusative Neuter Plural form of “touto,” meaning “these.” As a plural designation, John ended chapter four by saying the healing of the official’s son in Capernaum was, “once more the second sign done by Jesus.” Chapter four tells of different things Jesus accomplished in ministry; so, to limit “these” to a single event is wrong. The NRSV begins chapter five as saying, “After this,” so the Episcopal Church has once again been found attempting to rewrite Scripture, to keep the blind from being able to see the truth. As to the capitalization of the word “Meta,” this is a divine elevation that says Yahweh had used Jesus to make changes in Jewish souls, which included his disciples sent out into ministry as an extension of his soul. Therefore, “In accompany with these” works of Yahweh done by Jesus up to this point, it became time for the Sukkot festival in Jerusalem; and, Jesus went there in his ministry for Yahweh.

In verse two, John sets up this event by telling us where it happened. The Sheep Gate and the Pool of Bethzatha were close together, in the northeastern corner of the city. It was outside the Fortress of Antonia, thus outside the walls of Jerusalem. Here is a picture that shows its location.

In the above selection of verses, I have placed the verse numbers in bold type, within brackets. If you carefully observe these numbers, you will find that there is no verse four. In fact, the last segment of verse three has been omitted. In the NRSV presentation of John’s fifth chapter, at the last word translated in verse three they add a footnote that says: “Other ancient authorities add, wholly or in part, waiting for the stirring of the water; 4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and stirred up the water; whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was made well from whatever disease that person had.” Here is a picture of how Bible Hub presents the italicized text – as written within angle brackets, thus becoming like an aside or whisper, unworthy of telling anyone about.

When verse three is shown to state “these lay” beside the pool, the missing content is a new sentence (in whisper), explaining “[they lay] awaiting this of this water stirring.” This says the “blind, lame and paralyzed” had been led to that pool and laid on mats, by relatives who believed this pool had healing qualities. Whenever the “waters stirred,” those seeking to be healed needed to be the first into those “waters stirred.” To further explain why the “waters stirred,” verse four was John stating that, still as a whisper, because it does not add to the miracle of Jesus and the lame man; but it shows how faith in miracles of “stirred waters” led those in need of a miracle to await faithfully for a miracle to come in their presence. Thus, verse four says, “an angel indeed according to opportunity descended within this pool , kai stirred this water ; this then first stepped into after this stirring of this water , sound was born , to this even at that time he had been possessed to sickness .”

In this verse four, the use of “angelos” and “katebainen” can also be read as “a messenger [of God]” and “went down.” When an “angel [of God]” is understood to be an “elohim” [in Hebrew], one must realize that Jesus possessed the soul of the “Yahweh elohim” (as stated repeatedly in Genesis 2) that Yahweh placed within the “earth” He formed to be who we call Adam. That says Jesus was also “an angel [of God].” In verse one, John wrote, “Jesus went up to Jerusalem,” where the verb “anabainó” was used and means, “to ascend.” When John used the word “kairon,” which has been translated as “season,” the same word means “opportunity,” but “season” leads one to associate the festival of the Jews as a “season.” The difference that must be seen from this unpublished ‘aside’ written by John, is the healing “angel” that “descended” is more in line with a demon (as a ‘fallen angel’), whereas Jesus was a true “messenger of Yahweh.” Thus, the “opportunity” to heal … only the “first who stepped into the stirred waters” … was not a miracle sent by Yahweh, but one sent by Satan. Those not able to get into the pool first … if many times faithfully gone to the pool, only to miss out, that would lead to weakened faith and even blame of Yahweh being not caring for those most invalid.

In verse five, John’s writing “Ēn de tisanthrōpos ekei” (“Existed now a certain man there”), his use of “tis” – as a writing after the fact – says this “man” was “certain,” meaning his name was known afterwards. The use of “tis” should be read generally as a statement of a Jew known, but more specifically as an individual Jew known. The “certainty” says this “man,” once healed, would become a devoted follower of Jesus. Therefore, John and others who followed Jesus would come to know his name.

[Aside: In the story of three women Christians named Mary landing at the French place now called Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, two men accompanied them, named Maximin and Sidon. Sidon was the man who was born blind that was healed by Jesus at the Pool of Siloam. Maximin was said to have been one of the seventy commissioned into intern ministry by Jesus. Both became servants at the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. By seeing that a man had been lame for thirty-eight years (which means he could have been at least forty-to-forty-five years of age at that time of healing), it makes sense that his devotion to Jesus would make him possibly the man healed from being lame, having no learned trade to then turn to. As a servant to the family of Jesus, near Jerusalem (in Bethany), this would make Maximin be “the certain man.”]

In verse six, where John says Jesus saw the man and knew (importantly, from the use of “kai”) how long the man had been there faithfully, this following a statement by John that he had been there “thirty-eight years” says this information was made available to Jesus by the Father. This divine knowledge led Jesus to ask the man (according to the NRSV translation), “Do you want to be made well.” That is a poor translation of the question John wrote of Jesus posing.

The Greek text of the question is this: “Theleis hygiēs genesthai ?” In that, the capitalized “Theleis” divinely elevates this word to a higher question that “want.” The word means, “to will, to wish,” implying in usage: “desire, willingness, intention, and design.” To place this divinely, Jesus asked if the man “Desired.” This then needs to cause one to see “hygiēs” as meaning more than healthy, well, or sound. When the question is about divine “Desire,” that is to cease being a failure in the eyes of Jews, as for some reason shunned by Yahweh, due to being incomplete. Thus, this focus is placed on being “whole.” Then, the verb “genesthai” has little to do with a simply “happening” or “coming” or “being,” but one of being “born anew.” Therefore, what John recorded Jesus asking the lame man is, “Desire you to be born again whole?”

The man then responded to Jesus saying, “Lord , a man not I possess , in order that whenever has been stirred this water , he might rush me into this pool , within which now am coming I , another before of myself goes down .” Here, the man’s reasoning was not a question of “Desire,” but ability. He had nobody who would stay with him, after carrying him to his place by the pool each morning, then carrying him away at the end of the day. Thus, by the time he saw “stirring water,” his attempts to drag his lame body to the pool was too slow to beat someone who had help. The man’s answer said he had thirty-eight years of “Desire,” but he had no “man” who would assist him in having his “Desires” met.

In verse eight, John wrote “Legei autō ho Iēsous,” where two capitalized words bring divine elevation to the NRSV translation: “Jesus said to him.” The capitalization of “Says” is divinely elevated as Yahweh “Speaking” through the Son. It is not simple words being conveyed, but a divine command being “Uttered.” The pronoun “autō” then goes beyond a simple “to him” and “Speaks to his soul” [“himself” => “his soul”] The name “Jesus” means “Yahweh Saves,” so it is through the lips of “Jesus” that the lame man would be “Saved by Yahweh.”

Jesus at first gave a one-word command: “Egeire,” which is a capitalized word that is also divinely elevated in meaning. It is the second-person Imperative Active form of the word saying “to raise up.” More than being a command to stand on your feet, it was Yahweh speaking to the soul of the lame man, telling his soul to be made whole and “Rise” as a servant to Him. After that command, Yahweh then spoke through Jesus, saying “remove this mattress of the poor of your soul [“you” of “yourself”] , kai conduct your life [or “live”] .” A “mattress of the poor” was also considered a “camp-bed,” which was for sleeping on when in a tent, while traveling. Beggars would stay in one place so long they would need such a quilted mattress to lay upon, while begging for alms. That becomes a symbolic statement of one being dead to life, due to always being on a bed. The Greek word “aron” is similar to the word “Egeire,” as it too means “to raise, take up, lift,” where the divine essence is to grow to a higher state of being. To “raise up one’s mattress of the poor” is to be the Easter message that says be “raised from the dead.” Thus, when the Greek word “peripatei” is translated as “walk,” the meaning is to begin a path of righteousness;” and, therefore, this is being raised to “life,” from having been dead.

Verse nine is begun by a capitalized “Kai,” which says the information to follow is most important to discern. John then wrote: “immediately was born whole this man”. The great importance to grasp is the words “egeneto hygiēs” are forms of the same words used prior, asking the man if he “Desired to be born whole” of if he “wanted to be well.” Certainly, the same immediacy made the man well, but for a man who had never experienced true “life” before that moment in time, the divine statement of truth says he “was born whole” … and that means body and soul united with Yahweh.

Following a comma mark of separation, with John writing another “kai,” the importance that followed was the man “raised up this mattress of the poor of his soul [“him” or “himself”] kai began to walk [which also means “to live”] ,” The importance noted here is less about a man carrying away the mat he had been laid on, as much as it places important focus on the symbolic crutches in life that human sinners use as an excuse to be dead. By “lifting up his mat” the man ceased being enslaved to the ways of the world. Instead, he began to live righteously, as a soul whole with Yahweh.

Following the period mark that ended that important statement, John then added, “Existed now sabbath within that this day .” Here, it will be the following verses that will make an issue of Jesus having healed a lame man on the Sabbath; but that is not the point to be gained from this sentence being still part of verse nine. The capitalized “Ēn,” which is the third-person Indicative form of “eimi,” means “I am, I exist. It is the same word used to begin verse five, where the man was first introduced, as “Existed a certain man.” As the ending to verse nine, where this certain man has now been healed, to write “Existed now sabbath” says the state of “completeness” had come to this “certain man.” His life have become “whole,” so his soul being joined with Yahweh meant he was at “rest” and at “peace,” no longer lame. This means the use of “hēmera,” which translates as “day,” is less about the “day” of the week,” but more about the “light of day” that Yahweh had brought into his soul, which is the “daylight” of eternal salvation. This sentence ending verse nine says the man’s darkness of mortal death had been born anew as the light of one walking the path of righteousness.

As the alternate Gospel possibility for this sixth Sunday of Easter (which is only made available to be read this one time each three-year cycle), it is important to see the Easter theme of raised from the dead alive and well in this event in Jesus’ ministry. The metaphor is all of us should identify with the lame man, who is always looking for a miracle to come into his life. When he responded to Jesus about his “Desire to be born whole,” he put more energy into explaining, “I would be happy if someone would help me with my faith, because my Desire has never wavered.”

Yahweh sent His son to be his assistant; but instead of throwing him into the pool first, as soon at the water stirred, Jesus was sent to tell him, “You faith has made you whole. Get up, take away your crutch and live your new life for Yahweh.” This is why I strongly believe the lame man remained a servant to Jesus, as the axiom goes: “Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.” Jesus put it as, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The lame man was not like the past ‘pool lottery winners,’ who were healed and then ran away thanking some water stirring angel … once and never again. The lame man is like the way we are supposed to model. Faith personified, through all the crap the world keeps heaping on everyone. We only need someone to help us make it through all the failures. When Yahweh sends us His Son, then we become souls raised from the dead, as well as becoming Yahweh’s helpers in return.

Acts, Language, Teaching

Acts 16:16-34 – Imprisoned by a world that does not care

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With Paul and Silas, we came to Philippi in Macedonia, a Roman colony, and, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.

But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

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This is the mandatory Easter season selection from the Book of Acts, which will be read aloud on the seventh Sunday of Easter, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will precede a singing of Psalm 97, where David wrote: “Yahweh loves those who hate evil; he preserves the lives of his saints and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.” That pair of readings will be followed by the Year C Epistle choice from John’s Revelation. There, the prophet wrote of hearing a voice saying, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.” All will accompany the Gospel selection from John, where he remembered Jesus praying, saying “As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

I wrote this commentary in response to an online Bible Study class, where a minister addressed this reading. That commentary has since been deleted. As the focus was on verse thirty-two, rather than the whole, I will offer new observations that see the whole of this reading as relative to the Easter season and when the dead have been raised by receiving the soul of Jesus within their souls.

Verse sixteen begins with the capitalized “Egeneto,” which is the third-person singular Aorist Indicative Active form of “ginomai,” meaning “to come into being, to happen, to become,” implying also “to be born, happen, come about.” This is a standard verb that conveys something else to write about; however, this word is capitalized, which bring a divine elevation to the way it should be read. Certainly something else happened to Paul and Silas, but following the conversion of Lydia and her household at the place of prayer in Philippi (a Roman colony), verse sixteen then placed importance to be noted that “Was Born now,” where “Birth” is the coming of Jesus-within upon others; so, other souls can be “Reborn” as Jesus.

When this is followed by Luke writing, “we were going to the place of prayer,” this is the same place of prayer where Paul and the others encountered Lydia and other women, when Paul’s speaking the word of Yahweh (as Jesus reborn) opened their hearts. We read that Lydia was “a certain women,” and now we read that another “certain girl met us.” I firmly believe the use of “tis” (“certain one”) means a Jew. As such, the place of prayer was for Jewish women to go to pray, as there was no Jewish synagogue (nor a rabbi-teacher) in Philippi. This says many of the women there were dispersed Israelites, many in mixed marriages to Roman men, as well as women taken as slaves (employees), as they had no Jewish husbands and refused to marry outside their religious beliefs.

One must assume that this girl was not going to the place of prayer with her masters (“kyriois”), as it is unlikely she was kept on a leash and not allowed to go alone outside the gates to the place of prayer by the river. As one who recognized a need to pray daily, at morning, noon, and evening times, she would have met Paul and fellows without her owner-controllers. Those men would have provided for this girl, as they made money off her ability to prophesy; and, without their care, she would have no one else to turn to for sustenance. Thus, rather than think Paul used his inner Jesus to find out things about this girl, the better way to read this is the soul of Jesus led Paul to engage the girl in conversation, where she openly told the apostles that she was being used by men.

When we are told the girl had “a spirit of Python” (“pneuma Pythōna”), this must be read as a statement of a possessing “spirit,” which has a capitalized name that means “Python, a mythical serpent slain by Apollo.” This must be read as confirmation that David’s singing of the Leviathan in the sea of souls is what this girl had been possessed by. It was not a demonic “spirit,” per se, as much as it was an attachment to the girl’s soul, which she did not ask for. One could almost say it was sent to her so the girl would not die of neglect, without parents. A “spirit” that gave her an ability to truthfully prophesy – even if such a ‘spirit possession” was misused by others, it at least provided for the girl’s survival in the world. Thus, we read, “she continued [to shriek the truth of Paul and the others] for days,” there was no immediate need found to cast out a demon “spirit.”

In the story of Jesus’ ministry, when he went to “the region of the Gerasenes” and encountered a man with many demon spirit possessing him, led by one named “Legion,” we read that when Jesus approached the man his spirit shouted out, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” Here, the girl’s spirit also knew Jesus was with Paul et al and said they were “servants of this of God of this Most High.” The same words of identification were used in two places, at different times, which says Jesus was present in both places, in different ways. The soul of Jesus is readily known to all “spirits,” which means all “spirits” are “elohim” in Hebrew.

When we then read, “Paul, very much annoyed,” this says it was Paul who was moved by anger, when that is not the case. The Greek word written is “diaponētheis,” which is the Aorist Participle of the word meaning “to toil through, to be worn out or annoyed,” implying “to be greatly troubled.” The truth of the word says, “bring on exhausting, depleting grief which results in “piercing fatigue.” This more appropriately says Paul was “exhausted” from hearing the girl shout that they were servants of God every day. Paul was trying to recognize the girl spoke the truth; but his fatigue became time for Jesus to erupt from within Paul, telling the “spirit” to leave the girl. When he said, “in the name of Jesus Christ,” that confirmed that everything the girl had shouted was the truth. Paul was reborn as Jesus, having taken on the “name” of Yahweh [Israel], such that the “elohim” within his soul was the Yahweh elohim of Adam-Jesus. We then find that the “spirit” left the girl “that hour.” This means she stopped shouting the truth at the apostles; but after prayers, when she returned to her Roman keepers (within an hour), she was found to no longer have the power of prophecy.

After her “masters’ realized she no longer was possessed by the “spirit Python,” having explained how Paul commanded it to leave her, in the “name of Jesus Christ,” those men immediately went and forcibly grabbed Paul and Silas and took them before “the leaders of the marketplace,” who somehow depended on the girl to forecast the best produce and merchandise to sell, for the highest price. That meant not only had the “masters” of the girl profited from he spirit possession, but so too did the vendors that paid the “masters” for ‘insider trading tips.’ That lack of a ‘cash cow’ meant many men were angered; so, they all led Paul and Silas down to the Roman “magistrate’s” office, to file a complaint.

It must be realized that Paul and Silas were not severely beaten and thrown in prison for freeing a Jewish girl from being possessed by a overwhelming “spirit,” which denied Roman slave owners from profiting. They were punished for being Jewish men coming into a Gentile colony of Romans, telling them about salvation of soul being what they offered; and, those Romans saw no value in that. So, when we read they “had torn off their garments” (where “himation” means “outer cloak or robe”), those were most likely the robs of a Jewish priest. By wearing such identifying outerwear, they would readily identify themselves as Jews, most easily identified by other Jews. The rejection of Jews by Romans mirrored the lower-class standing that Jews had in Rome. Thus, the ministry to Gentiles was primarily those mixed-blood diaspora, who were rejected by the mainstream Jews of Jerusalem. Certainly this story shows Gentiles rejecting Jews; but the women (who were like the Samaritan woman at the well who Jesus spoke to) of Philippi in Macedonia were knowledgeable of the Law, to some degree. The story coming about the jailer becomes the fulfillment of the vision Paul had in Troas, as “a certain man crying out to come help us.”

In verse twenty-five where is says, “About midnight,” the Greek word written, which is capitalized (thus divinely elevated in meaning” is “Kata.” The lower-case spelling means “down, against, according to,” with the word properly meaning: “down from, i.e. from a higher to a lower plane, with special reference to the terminus (end-point).” [HELPS Word-studies] Thus, the divinely elevated statement made is Paul and Silas had gone “Down” from the heights of being priests of Yahweh [Apostles-Saints], as Jesus reborn, to being prisoners with their feet in stocks, in the most hidden away cell in the Philippi jail. Therefore, the word “midnight” brings on the connotations of the “darkness” of a sinful world. Still, in that lack of divine light being allowed to shine in the depths of a jail, Paul and Silas were “praying.”

In the scenes established in John’s Revelation this Easter season, we have read of those who were “inhabitants” of Christianity [the “city descending from heaven”] being those souls who will never need the light of the sun or the moon, because the “lamp of the Lamb” will make it always s nice, sunny day in their souls. This needs to be seen as how the “praying” in the darkness was their talking with Yahweh, through the light of His Son, their souls His Christ (thus true “Christians”). It was then the inner elohim that was the soul of Jesus in both Paul and Silas, who began “singing praising to of this of God,” with their souls joining in on the songs. This must be seen as the Psalm 148 and Psalm 67 themes of praising Yahweh, which I wrote about. This says there was absolutely no darkness surrounding Paul and Silas’ souls, after having been stripped of their robes, beaten severely and locked up like dangerous animals.

Now, without knowing the materials used to construct this jail, if it was made with thick, soundproof walls (of stone and mortar), for anyone else imprisoned in the jail to hear Paul and Silas praying and singing praises to Yahweh, at best they would make dim sounds in a bleak place. This means verse twenty-five saying, “the prisoners were listening to them,” is another example of “autōn” (typically translating as “them,” but means “self, same, and themselves [in the plural],” where a “self” is a “soul,” so the souls of the “prisoners” “were listening” to “the souls” of Paul and Silas singing praises to Yahweh. That means they were all souls hearing songs of praise be led by the inner Jesus in Paul and Silas.

When the story then says: “Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken,” it is important to realize that Greece is a place where earthquakes happen with regularity, then and today. Still, in the Greek text, the literal translation says nothing about “violent.” Instead, it says, “suddenly now a shaking [which can imply an “earthquake”] was born great.” In that, the Greek word “egeneto” is found again, this time in the lower-case. While there can be seen a major earthquake taking place, the connection of “egeneto” to “megas” needs to remind us how were pray over our food saying, “God is great.” Thus, one of Yahweh’s faithful (not everybody) would read these words in Greek and see how the “foundations of the prison house were shaken” by movement caused divinely (not Mother Nature). It was “born” of the “great” Yahweh.

We know this is more than just a natural earth tremor because after a semicolon we are told (literally translated), “(they) were opened now these doors all , kai chains (there) were loosened .” Certainly, in a natural earthquake, where the foundations of a building are greatly moved, walls might collapse and ceilings fall in, but “chains” being “loosened” can only mean the places where chains were attached to walls crumbled, freeing those bolts and rings, so people in chains would be still attached to chains, but able to walk out opened doors, dragging their chains. This means a better translation comes when “doors” is read as “opportunities” and “chains loosened” is seen as “imprisonments abandoned.” This new light is speaking less of Yahweh sending forth a jailbreak chance for Paul and Silas and more about the lost souls that filled that “prison house,” including that of the jailer. Yahweh sent forth an “opportunity” for the lost to turn away from the lifestyles that “imprisoned” their souls, so they could open their hearts to receive salvation.

The element of it being “midnight” and total darkness was everywhere in the rubble, says the soul of the jailer feared his soul was lost forever. His threat to kill himself with his own sword said he assumed he would be blamed for a natural disaster; so, his life being secured with a paying job was over. Without that physical security, he would be better off dead. That speaks loudly as the point in life when all lost souls have reached rock bottom – a personal earthquake has shaken one’s “foundations” of the flesh, which are what “imprison” one’s soul. To die by one’s own sword says one has come to the realization that everything happening in one’s life is not caused by others, but by one’s own lack of self-worth. When darkness surrounds one’s big brain, then the imagination turns to everything bad and worse. The jailer is then a reflection on all readers of this Scripture, who is not a soul married to Yahweh, having received His Spirit and made a Saint, so the soul of Jesus could resurrect within one’s soul.

This is why Paul shouted out to the jailer, when total darkness could not be how Paul knew physically to shout out. Paul and Silas had souls that were forever in the light of Christ (a Yahweh Anointment, not the ‘last name’ of Jesus) surrounding their soul; so, they spiritually saw the soul of the jailer and knew he was in need of help. The fact that the jailer had to bring in fire to light the prison house and physically see that all the prisoners were still there says it was impossible to physically see the jailer pick up his sword to commit suicide. [Presumably he did not holler out, “I am going to kill myself with this sword of mine, if everyone escaped!” That would be spineless; and, spineless wimps are not hired to be jailers.]

Now when it is shown written (NRSV), “Paul shouted in a loud voice,” the truth of the Greek translates literally to this: “summoned now << this Paul >> ⇔ << great to voice >> ”. In this there are inset double brackets surrounding “this Paul” and “great to voice.” In between is a left right arrow, which says “this Paul” is true if “great to voice” is true. The value judgment of what is true is in seeing “great to voice” (“megalē phōnē”) as being different than “Paul,” but the same as “Paul.” This would be the soul of Jesus calling out to the jailer; and, while the “voice” might or might not have been loud, it spoke loudly to the jailer’s soul. Thus, following is said, “Not (a capitalized word of divine elevation) do to yourself harm.” In that, the soul of Jesus spoke to the soul of the jailer (“yourself” = “your soul”) says he had not yet harmed his soul irreparably. Thus, when we then are shown Paul and Silas speaking, we read “they spoke to his soul this word of this Lord.” The “Lord” is Jesus within their soul-bodies. This relates back to when the pair were in Troas and were hindered from “speaking the word of this Sacred Spirit.”

Thus, the jailer and his family (like Lydia and her household) were all saved. Nobody escaped the prison house. Only souls were freed to return to Yahweh and become His servants.

As a mandatory reading from the Acts of the Apostles during the Easter season (this selection only read during this seventh Sunday of the Year C season), it is important to see the souls that were saved by Paul and Silas being imprisoned in Philippi. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he wrote the names Euodia and Syntyche, both women of that assembly of true Christians. The name “Euodia” means “Good Road, Right Way, Good Luck!,” while the name “Syntyche” means “Collective (Mis-)Fortune, Total Happenstance, Completely By Chance.” Because the souls saved by Paul and Silas (Luke and Timothy) had all been women prior to this event in the prison, it is very possible that Syntyche was the name of the girl who was called “a fortune-teller” (“manteuomenē”). The Greek is a combined word, where “Syn” (as “sun”) means “together with,” while “tuche” means “fortune or chance.” As it is most likely her Roman owners would sell her or cast her away, her encounter with the soul of Jesus in Paul would have saved her soul in the same way the jailer’s soul was saved. That makes it probable that Lydia’s house took the girl in; so, Euodia would most likely be one of Lydia’s household.

In a season where the theme is always souls of the dead (lost and unsaved) being raised to eternal life, by the resurrection of Yahweh’s Son in His new servants, it is imperative to see this story being nothing about imprisonment, but instead freedom allowed to a lost soul. The levels this story takes shows how easy it is to become possessed by an “elohim,” who takes the form of a serpent (“Pythōna” or “Python” was a Leviathan swimming in a sea of soul, with the girl his captive [she was imprisoned by that spirit]), which says it is just as easy for us to fall prey to “spirits” that are not offering a soul salvation, as much as bringing in a form of torment that cannot be easily escaped from. The Roman slave-owners who profited from her abilities to prophesy speaks of all the corrupt people in the world who climb on top of the shoulder of the weak, controlling us for their benefits. It is the ”marketplace” that souls are bought and sold; so, vendors are those who are only looking out for their own self-interests (not anyone else’s). The “magistrates” are the government officials who know pleasing those with money, power, and influence is better than serving God or His Laws. Thus, the prison house is where all souls live, when in the flesh on the physical plane. It takes a “great shaking” in one’s soul “foundations” to be reduced to the rubble that sees death as all one has to look forward to.

This is the word spoken by Luke. It is written to shake the foundations of oneself. It is meant for readers to hear the word of this of Yahweh spoken to their souls.

Aside Note: I have been led to write more about the girl who was possessed by the “spirit Python.” I feel it is important information that does not fit this commentary, without being a distraction. It is best read separately. The article can be accessed by searching this title: The girl having a “spirit Python”.

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 97 – A multitude of islands married to the same Yahweh, all resurrections of His same Son

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1 Yahweh is King; let the earth rejoice; *

let the multitude of the isles be glad.

2 Clouds and darkness are round about him, *

righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.

3 A fire goes before him *

and burns up his enemies on every side.

4 His lightnings light up the world; *

the earth sees it and is afraid.

5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of Yahweh, *

at the presence of adown of the whole earth.

6 The heavens declare his righteousness, *

and all the peoples see his glory.

7 Confounded be all who worship carved images and delight in false gods idols! *

Bow down before him, all elohim.

8 Zion hears and is glad, and the cities of Judah rejoice, *

because of your judgments, Yahweh.

9 For you are Yahweh, most high over all the earth; *

you are exalted far above all elohim.

10 Yahweh loves those who hate evil; *

he preserves the lives of his saints and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

11 Light has sprung up for the righteous, *

and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.

12 Rejoice in Yahweh, you righteous, *

and give thanks to his holy Name.

——————–

This is the Psalm that will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on the seventh Sunday of Easter, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow a mandatory Easter reading from Acts, this time where Paul and Silas are imprisoned in Philippi. We read: “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened.” The psalm of David will be followed by a Year C staple of readings from Revelation, where John wrote, “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from John, where we read: “Jesus prayed for his disciples, and then he said. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

In the above translation you will find I have made several changes. The first and foremost is the NRSV (and all others) erroneously translating “Yahweh” as “Lord.” The Hebrew word for “lord” is “adon” and a singular construct form of that word is found written in verse five. There, I have restored the Hebrew written by David (a transliteration), which is “adown,” meaning “of lord.” The NRSV has confused all readers by making this appear to be the same as “Yahweh,” by capitalizing it as “of the Lord.” It does not make such a statement. Additionally, in verse seven I have stricken out the translation of “bā·’ĕ·lî·lîm,” as “false gods.” The word means “worthlessness,” but is translated most routinely (16 times out of 20 appearances in the Hebrew texts) as “idols.” I have replaced that translation into the text. Finally, in verses seven and nine are found the word “elohim” written, which is a masculine plural noun, not the singular “God,” as is usually the NRSV translation. However, because it here suits their wistful need to see “elohim” as a plural “gods,” in the lower case, they have translated these two words as “you gods” and “gods” (respectfully), with that missing the point of what “elohim” meant to David. Thus, I have restored “elohim” in the above text.

Because I am dissatisfied with the NRSV translation, I will now reproduce each verse in a literal translation, which can (optionally) be compared to the one above. This will show how often paraphrases are produced, which takes the truth and bends it around preconceptions, which quite frequently are missing the point, thus misleading and dangerous. It is important to realize that David was not like some pop singer-musician on some network television production, where he wrote lyrics he felt would make him a rock-country-pop star. His words, like the music he played to them as songs, were all divinely inspired. Yahweh is singing to us through David’s Psalms. In comparison, badly paraphrased English translations of Scripture have been turned into the music played in Christian churches, when the quotes they sing popularly about are some translator’s paraphrases and often not the point of that written. Realizing this makes it important to understand how David was not writing catchy jingles to stroke his ego. He was moved to record divine word musically.

The first verse sings literally in English: “Yahweh reigns let rejoice the earth ; let be glad , islands many .” In the NRSV translation, they capitalize “King,” which becomes a paraphrase and preconception that “God is King.” David was the King of people who were a true nation of “Israelites” – those Who Retained Yahweh as their inner elohim. In the Easter readings from John’s Revelation, the “throne” is within one’s soul; and, that is what David was singing here: Yahweh reigns within my soul. This understanding then allows one to see “earth” as metaphor for “flesh and blood,” or within the physical body of David. The expansion of “earth” beyond David, to his Israelite followers, says then that their “flesh” was also where Yahweh reigned; so all who had Yahweh’s Spirit within their souls could “rejoice” and “let be glad.” When David then sang of “islands many,” this refers to the individuality of where “Yahweh reigns.” He does not reign as a distant King, hidden away behind the clouds of the sky, but in each and every “island” whose soul has married His Spirit, making Him become one’s King. The rejoicing and gladness come from that inner presence, which is His elohim – the soul of Jesus resurrected within one’s individual soul.

Verse two then literally translates into English as: “mass of cloud and thick cloud round about him ; rightness and judgment , the foundation of his throne .” The double words stating “cloud” is David speaking of the impossibility to see Yahweh, when one does not wear his face upon one’s soul. This means the uses of “cloud” are those confusions that surround each “island” that must seek and find Yahweh. To make the clouds disappear, one must then live a life of “rightness,” which will become a life of righteousness, when an elohim has been born within one’s soul, following marriage of a soul to Yahweh’s Spirit. Yahweh will judge one’s merits, based on the way one’s soul judges self and others. This becomes the ‘dating’ dance done to attract Yahweh and remove the clouds. Those “foundations” of lifestyle will prepare one’s soul for divine marriage, when the “seat” of the Spirit that will “reign” within will be placed in one’s soul.

Verse three then translates into English as, “a fire on the face of him walks ; and will blaze his enemies .” While this projects connotations of the pillar of smoke during day (the cloud) and the fire behind the Israelite at night, here the word “lə·p̄ā·nāw” (from “paneh”) needs to be read as the “fire” being the Spirit of Yahweh, which is the light of His “face” that shines so one can see the path of righteousness and “walk” that path. This “fire” will then “blaze” away “one’s enemies,” such that all “enemies” to oneself are self-inflicted wounds, due to allowing sin to reign over one’s soul and flesh. The “fire” of the “face” of Yahweh will “burn away” those influences, so they no longer enslave one’s soul.

Verse four then says in literal English translation, “he made lights his lightings the world ; it has seen and trembles the earth .” This is David singing about the “many islands” who have married Yahweh and put the “fire of his face” on theirs; so, Yahweh has made each and everyone of them “his lights” utilized for Him “lighting the world” from its darkness of mortal death. All souls alone in bodies of flesh are condemned to die and repeat, until they either see the light and marry their souls to Yahweh for salvation, or do worse sins and become burned in the great flames of the abyss. It is the saints and apostles who carry forth the light of truth that allows the world to see their fates, should they not surrender their selves and become servants to Yahweh. The alternative brings forth “trembles” of fear, both for being condemned to darkness and from losing eternal life from turning away from Yahweh, once saved. Fear of losing Yahweh is the only fear to be allowed.

Verse five then sings literally in English, “mountains like wax melt at the presence of Yahweh ; at the presence , of the lord of all the earth .” Here, again, the use of “earth” must be read as metaphor for the body of flesh (which is made up of matter). This then is reflected in “mountains,” which are not heaps of rock and dirt, by souls in human bodies of flesh who think they are mighty and above all others. Those self-perceived heights “melt like wax,” once Yahweh becomes present within their souls. They are then able to see how miniscule a worldly position is, as no matter how high one achieves in the world of death, death will always overcome that height. This is why David sang singularly of “at the presence,” as when one’s soul becomes “in the presence” of Yahweh, then one bows in submission, lowering one’s face from attempting to stand as almighty before the true Almighty. When David used the construct “adown,” which means “of the lord,” this sings of the inner “presence” that is Yahweh’s elohim. This is the ”presence” of the soul of Jesus, who becomes the “lord” over each individual soul married to Yahweh. This is “all those in the flesh” who walk the face of the “earth” as “lights” for Yahweh.

Verse six then says in literal English: “he has told the heavens his righteousness ; and they see all the peoples his abundance .” Here, Yahweh speaks to souls, which makes “heavens” be metaphor for all things spiritual, which souls are. A soul alone cannot choose to live a life of righteousness, as the world will influence the flesh to convince the soul to allow it to sin. When “he has told” is understood to be Yahweh speaking to the soul-flesh through His elohim (Jesus resurrected within a soul-body), “his righteousness” is then directed to the subservient soul-body to live as commanded; and, that is by “his righteousness.” Once this change has been done, the possessed souls are able to see how easy “righteousness” comes, due to the “abundance” brought within by this gift of an elohim.

Verse seven then sings in literal English, “they will be put to shame all those who are serving idols , those boasting of worthlessness ; they worship him all elohim .” Here, the strikethrough can be seen truthfully stated, where it is most important for Christians today to see a wooden cross as a “carved image” or an “idol of worship.” To worship Jesus’ death on a cross, is to worship one’s own death in a mortal existence, doing absolutely nothing to hang their own soul-bodies on a cross and die of self-will and self-ego, so one can be raised from the dead and be resurrected as Jesus. The symbolism of a “stake” (shaped like a cross) is to hold the vine of Yahweh, which is the growth of His Son Jesus (the vine), so the branches producing fruit are kept high off the ground (the life of righteousness gained by that stake). To worship, “I am saved because Jesus died for my sins” is to “boast of worthlessness,” as one’s soul that plans on still sinning, because Jesus did all the work so it can keep sinning. That is worthless worship of all the demonic elohim that exist in the world, making souls become their prey and worship their worthlessness (money, power, influence … that all ends up given back in death). When David sang, “they worship him all elohim,” this is how Jesus can command demon elohim to leave souls they possess. They do as commanded because “all elohim worship Yahweh.” They do not worship souls alone in the flesh, those who worship their own worthless selves as gods.

Verse eight then literally sings in English, “they have heard and they will rejoice dryness [the meaning of zion] , and they will rejoice the daughters of praisers [the meaning of judah] ; purpose of your judgment Yahweh .” Here, the seeming proper names “Zion” and “Judah” must be replaced with the meaning behind the names. As such, “dryness” is a state of selflessness, where there are no emotions feeding the soul from the flesh. This outer dryness is kept moist by the inner presence of an elohim of Yahweh (Jesus). As “daughters” these souls have become the brides of Yahweh, in divine marriage; and, once married so Jesus is resurrected within each soul of those “daughters,” then Jesus becomes the “praiser” that leads the host soul to also join in the “praise” given to Yahweh. The “purpose” or “intent” of this inner “praise” is another soul has been “judged” cleansed of all past sins, thereby destined to eternal salvation. This salvation means “Yahweh Saves,” which is the meaning of the name “Jesus.”

Verse nine then sings in literal English, saying “for you Yahweh most high above all the earth ; exceedingly you have ascended , above all elohim .” Once again, the metaphor of “earth” must be read as meaning “flesh.” The Hebrew stating “for you Yahweh” says souls have submitted themselves to Yahweh in divine marriage. This brings within a soul-body His Spirit, which is a Spirit “high above” a spirit that is a soul, which was given by Yahweh to rule over its flesh. Once divinely married, Yahweh becomes the ruler over everything a soul-flesh does. In that divine union, which brings about the resurrection of the soul of Yahweh’s Son Jesus, all souls becoming the wives (mothers) will have “exceedingly ascended” to a higher state of being. That inner presence of Jesus in “all” becomes their “elohim” that is the same within “all.” Jesus the Yahweh elohim will become the Lord of every soul-body, thereby being “above all,” acting “for you Yahweh.”

Verse ten then has a literal English translation that sings, “those loving Yahweh hate evil preserving those souls of his saints ; from the hand of the wicked he takes away them .” When the Hebrew word “aheb” (“to love”) is used, it goes far beyond all human concepts of mortal “love,” to a statement of divine union, through the most holy forms of matrimony. To “love Yahweh” is to be one with Him and know His “love.” While Jesus told his disciples to “love one another as I have loved you,” this was Yahweh speaking through His Son, about a form of “love” none of the disciples understood at that time. Still, to have David sing that “loving Yahweh hates” is beyond the comprehension of the feeble minds held dear by pretend priests (hired hands and false shepherds), who break out in worship of The Beatles, singing, “love, love, love … love is all you need” … when they do not have any idea what “loving Yahweh” means (having never walked that sacrificial path of marriage).

To “hate evil” says Yahweh and Jesus agree, “You cannot serve two masters, because you will hate the one and love the other.” If Yahweh told David his “loving Yahweh” meant his soul must “hate evil,” then that is a Commandment that says “hate evil.” One hates evil by wanting to have nothing to do with it; but today’s Christian priesthood (in the Catholic denominations especially evident) goes out of its way to become the evil that Yahweh hates, decorating their pagan houses of worship with the worthlessness of rainbow colored flags and vestments. They praise homosexuality as if they have souls that are “loving Yahweh,” when they do not. Their evil ways speak for their souls. None of them are “saints,” so none of their souls have been “preserved” as saved (guarded and watched over by Jesus). The “hand of the wicked” is all forms of sin. To promote forgiveness of sin, while avowing, “I am a practicing sinner!” is to speak praise for being a lost soul, leading other lost souls to damnation and ruin. Thus, such false shepherds and hired hands are ”snatching away” the victory of salvation possible, from the jaws of eternal salvation to be gained.

Verse eleven then sings in literal English, “a light is being sown by the righteous ; and to the right of heart joy .” Here, David sang of the joy brought within the souls of Yahweh’s wives, coming to them as his “lights” placed in the world, to lead lost souls to Yahweh. The use of “sown” (“zara”) says Yahweh is the owner of fertile land, who plants good wheat to feed the world. His seed is His Son’s soul, which died on a cross in the same way a seed loses its outer covering. Then its inner purpose can grow through its vine and branches that produce good fruit. To be a part of that plan brings a soul great happiness and fulfillment.

Verse twelve then translates literally into English, singing “they rejoice your righteousness Yahweh ; and give thanks , in the memorial of his sacredness .” This sings praises by those souls who have been saved by the presence of Yahweh’s Son Jesus. It is that inner presence, as one’s Lord, who leads the sheep to “righteousness,” as their individual soul’s Good Shepherd. All souls saved “give thanks” for having been found and having been allowed to submit fully unto Yahweh. It is their souls in bodies of flesh that become the “memorials” of Jesus reborn, as it is his presence within that makes them walk the face of the earth as Jesus reborn. Again, in the times of David the name “Jesus” still had the meaning, “Yahweh Saves.”

As the Psalm to be sung on the seventh Sunday of Easter, mostly sung during this Year C Easter season (it is also sung in the II service on Christmas, all Years), it is important to see the depth of meaning being applied to rebirth, as a song of praise by souls having been raised from the dead, with Jesus being born anew within them. In these verses are found several mentions of “joy, rejoicing, gladness, and giving thanks.” It is a song of praise, where the impetus of praise comes from the presence of an “elohim” within. That “elohim” must be seen as a divine possession, sent by Yahweh; and, we know the name of that “elohim” as Jesus – a name that means “Yahweh Saves.” Jesus is not the only “elohim,” which David knew and sang about. Every sin one’s soul-flesh can become addicted to is an “elohim” that is sent by Satan to test if a soul’s will, to see if it will succumb to evil influences. When one’s soul has been protected by Yahweh, as marked by Jesus, then one knows divine love through divine possession. It is that divine possession that casts out all other spirits, because they too know the “love of Yahweh.” To know Jesus is to know his soul as one’s Lord; and that love will lead one’s soul to hate evil. It will not ever again fall for the tricks of the serpent; and, it will teach others to walk the path of righteousness, not the road to ruin.

Language, Revelations, Teaching

Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 – DO NOT REMOVE ANYTHING, or else

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At the end of the visions I, John, heard these words:

[12] “See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. [13] I am the Alpha and the Omega Ὦ, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

[14] Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates.

[deleted verse fifteen]

[16] “It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

[17] The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”

And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”

And let everyone who is thirsty come.

Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

[deleted verses eighteen and nineteen]

[20] The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

[21] The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

——————–

This is the Year C Epistle selection that all come from Revelation, which will be read aloud on the seventh Sunday of Easter, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. The readings for this day will begin with a mandatory Acts reading, where we learn: “A slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.”

That will be followed by a singing of Psalm 97, where David wrote, “Yahweh loves those who hate evil; he preserves the lives of his saints and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”

All will accompany the Gospel selection from John, where the prophet wrote of Jesus praying, “Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

In the above presentation, one will see there are omitted verses [three]. Rather than have expected regular attendees to realize the Year C lectionary features Revelation as the Epistle selections each Sunday, where everyone has been keeping abreast of John writing about his divine vision, the Episcopal Church has found need to make up a pretend verse that says, “At the end of the visions I, John, heard these words.” That is not written. In verse eight [not read aloud by a priest, nor listed as a verse that will be read] is written [NRSV]: “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me.” The Church chose not to read that verse wholly.

In verse eight, John says, “I fell down to worship before the feet of this angel [Jesus, as a Yahweh elohim] of this showing me these (visions).” That says John’s was worshiping an “elohim,” not the Creator of all, including His elohim (the soul giving his flesh life). So, in verse nine, the angel [Jesus] tells John, “Look upon (me) not, [because] I am a fellow servant of you, kai of all brothers of you [apostles-saints – m & f] , kai of all keeping these words of this of this book – of this to God worship !” That says Jesus is sent by Yahweh to His servants, which makes Jesus a servant in the same manner as all apostles and saints. It says: Do not worship apostles and saints; and, Do not worship Jesus. The exclamation point makes it be very clearly stated: Worship God! [Yahweh]

In verse ten, Jesus (the angel) tells John “Not to seal this book.” This prophecy is to be known by all. Thus, one can read between the lines and hear Jesus saying, “When you parse out verses to read in buildings of worship, make sure you do not omit anything that is important [and it is all important].” Then Jesus (the angel) said, “The time indeed near exists,” meaning the time to know what this book of divine visions and divine words reveal [an Apocalypse] is always when they should be understood and acted upon. So, Jesus (the angel) told John, in verse eleven:

“this being unrighteous, let him (or her) be unrighteous still ; kai this being defiled, let him (or her) be defiled still ; kai this being righteous, righteousness let him (or her) practice still ; kai this set apart by God , let him (or her) be set apart by God still .”

This means this book, when read, most likely will not be understood by those who are not divinely possessed. Being a sinner and freely reading this book will not save their souls. Likewise, being an apostle or saint and understanding what this book truly says will not change one’s soul from be possessed … by knowing what John wrote means. The apostles and saints will be sent to find the seekers of truth and tell them the meaning of other Scripture; and, then it will be up to those souls to decide which path their bodies of flesh will walk: unrighteousness or righteousness.

In verse twelve, the angel (Jesus) is speaking the Word of Yahweh. He first says importantly (via capitalization of “Idou”), “Behold!” This says open your mind’s eye (a soul’s vision) and “See!” the truth that is known. When the voice spoke in the first-person, adding “I AM” to “coming quickly,” this is not about Jesus coming, but Judgment “coming” to all mortals; and, that always comes faster than a soul in the flesh would like. This then links back to Jesus (the angel) having said, “The time indeed near exists.” [Verse ten] So, when that time of Judgment comes, the ”reward” or “punishment” (“misthos” means the same thing, as “payment for work done”) that will come, measured by who had the soul of Jesus “of me with of myself” (a “self” equals a “soul”). Those souls married to Yahweh and reborn as His Son Jesus will be led to do the works [remember the Easter season is when lessons from Acts are read] that will gain Judgement of eternal life [a reward, not a punishment].

This is where Jesus (the angel) repeated what was said in Revelation 21:5 (the Epistle selection for the fifth Sunday of Easter, Year C), where “Alpha” is spelled out, but the symbol for omega is written (capitalized, as “Ω”). The Greek letter is open at the bottom, which reflects where sin enters the soul-body. Jesus, as the Alpha completes the meaning of “omega,” which is a word that says “great [“mega”] O.” A great “O” is a completed circle. So, Jesus completes us; and, the Greek word “telos” properly means: “consummation (the end-goal, purpose), such as closure with all its results.” [HELPS Word-studies] As the “end times,” when every mortal human will face the death of a body of flesh, when its soul is judged, one should want to be judged for having already figuratively died of self, married Yahweh in submission to His Will, and been the soul where the soul of Jesus has been resurrected. That presence of Jesus keeps a soul-flesh from reverting back to a sinful way of life. That presence of Jesus within defines one as an apostle-saint.

Now, in verses fourteen and fifteen, Jesus (the angel) summed up this “reward” or “punishment” phase of Judgment. In verse fourteen, John wrote the capitalized word “Makarioi,” which is a word of divine elevation, meaning “Blessed.” Matthew wrote that word nine times in his fifth chapter, when remembering what Jesus said on the mount by the sea. Many people use the Latin equivalent word, and call Matthew 5:3-12 the “Beatitudes.” In reality, what “Makarioi” is divinely elevated to say is: This marks a Saint, or One Set Apart by Yahweh. That is the capitalized meaning of “Blessed.” So, verse fourteen says “Saints” are those “washing the robes of their souls” [that makes the flesh be metaphorically a robe]. They are the ones who live righteously [led by the soul of Jesus only, no shortcuts possible]. They are the ones fed the fruit from the “tree of life;” so, they are the souls that pass through the ‘Jesus gate,’ as the flock of Yahweh, into the “city” that is Christianity [those Teaching Peace as Jesus reborn].

When verse fifteen is omitted, this would be when Dana Carvey could resurrect his SNL days and become “church lady” again, saying, “Isn’t that special.” It begs the question, “What about those who don’t get a good Judgement Day grade? Church lady would ask, “What about those who go to S A T A N?”

Verse fifteen is omitted. It says, “without these dogs , kai these poisoners , kai these fornicators , kai these murderers , kai these idol worshipers , kai all loving kai making lies .” Obviously, nobody sitting aloft on the altar stage in a priestly chair situated cozily in an Episcopal Church wants to have this be read aloud. None of the hired hands or false shepherds want to take the chance that a parishioner might actually listen and hear Yahweh telling John, in a divine auditory experience, this verse that is contrary to who has their robes washed clean by Jesus. That is because it would not take much to prompt someone actually listening to ask, “Isn’t that you priest?” Therefore, the Church has decided it is best to cut this verse out.

When one immerses oneself in readings from divine Scripture, it is easy to get the feel that the whole world is hunky-dory and everyone is headed the same direction. Reading from Revelation and getting the image in one’s mind of so many angels and saints standing around the throne and the Lamb makes it seem that every soul goes to heaven when it dies. The reality, when one wakes from that daydream, is for every saint or apostle that walks the earth as a TRUE CHRISTIAN there are myriads more that wallow in sin like hogs in mud. The entire point of true Christianity [the “city” without a temple, where all inhabitants are Jesus reborn, as tabernacles of the throne, reborn by the Lamb] is to lead seekers to become Jesus sent out into ministry in the flesh again and again. When a denominated group of religious philosophers call themselves “Christian” and only plan on leading sheeples into the pews, where they can be fleeced to pay the mortgage of buildings and insurance benefits for hired hands … with nobody ever taught the truth of the Word … well then … there are a lot more sinners in the world [headed to bad Judgements] than there are saints. Deleting that truth as a serious warning is just an example of what Jesus (the angel) meant when he told John, “Leave the book unsealed. The trash will burn itself as trash. The sheep will be saved, as always.”

In verse sixteen, the literal English that translates from the Greek text is this: “I , Jesus , am sent this angel of me to bear witness to your soul [“you” or “yourself”] these on the basis of these assemblies . I exist this root kai this offspring of David , this star this bright this dawning light .” In this are two ‘sentences,’ or complete statements. The first is begun by a capitalized “Egō,” which is divinely elevated to be a statement of Yahweh being the “self” that is then named “Jesus.” When “Jesus” is stated separately and capitalized, it must be read as a statement that says “Yahweh Saves.” The conversation to this point was last on Judgment and Salvation, so this verse says the “I” of Yahweh Judges, with His favor given to those He Saved in the name of His Son. The second statement begins with a lower-case “egō,” followed by “eimi,” which says “I am” or “I exist,” where the lower-case is the soul of Jesus being the Lord over the soul-flesh of all Yahweh’s wife-souls. As such, Yahweh “exists” as “Jesus” in apostles-saints; and, Jesus is “this angel sent to bear witness to your soul” that Jesus is Yahweh incarnate in true Christians. Those are the “assemblies” [a.k.a. “churches”] that are so-called [Christian] because of this divine presence sent by Yahweh, as His Anointed to receive His Son – all are Baptized with the Spirit as Christs. All are then Jesus reborn. The “assemblies testify” to that truth of soul-being – “Jesus exists” in all of their souls.

In the second sentence, Jesus said he was “this root,” which is the vine through which the Spirit of the Father flows, reaching all the branches, being the impetus to produce good fruit. When John placed “kai,” as a signal to see importance to follow, the good fruit of the vine can then be seen as “this offspring,” meaning “fruit.” In that, the word translating as “root” can also translate as “shoot” or “sprout.” This means the possessive case stating “of David” means the capitalization of that name forces one to see the divine elevation coming through the meaning behind the name, which is “Beloved.” The good fruit of the “root” of Yahweh is the love of Yahweh, which flows through His Son and into his apostles-saints. This can then be seen as the “tree of life,” where the presence of Jesus within becomes the “star” that brings life to the physical world. That life comes from the “light” is shines forth. The “brightness” of the sun (the only “star” that matters to the Earth) shines through the good fruit, so seekers can ‘see the light’ and have the “dawning” of salvation come over them. When they see the light shone by apostles and saints, they can submit their souls to Yahweh, as all before them have done. When no one ever rises from a pew in a building with mortgage payments and hired hands to pay, then no light of Jesus is shining upon their souls. They then never leave as good fruit produced by a priest, minister, or preacher who is a soul alone in a body of flesh, unaware of what the book of life says. The blind leading the blind will always end up in pits.

To make sure Jesus was telling John about a divine marriage of souls to Yahweh (each individually wed), verse seventeen has Jesus say, “Kai [great importance to follow] this Spirit kai this bride speak , Come ! kai this hearing , let him (or her) say , Come ! kai this thirsting let him (or her) come ; this desiring , let him (or her) receive water of life freely .” The use of “kai” between “Spirit” and “bride” says the ”Spirit” does not speak outside of a soul that possesses a body of flesh. Since all mortals are of feminine essence (souls in bodies that are males and females) then the “Spirit” (meaning Yahweh) must marry a soul in human flesh. That divine union allows the voice of Yahweh to be heard, which is inviting all souls in bodies of flesh to also marry His “Spirit.” The key words here (introduced by the word “kai”) are “dipsōn” [“thirsting”] and “thelōn” [“desiring”]. Yahweh is not interested in any soul that is looking for free samples in the grocery store. To drink freely of “living waters,” those which maintain the Baptism of the “Spirit,” one must be a seeker who loves the idea of submission of self to Yahweh, in order to be risen from the dead as His Son Jesus reborn.

In my main reference source [BibleHub Interlinear], verses eighteen through twenty-one are headed with this notice: “Nothing May Be Added.” The NRSV places no such heading beyond its heading before verse eight, which says the rest of the chapter tells the “Epilogue and Benediction.” When you leave out three verses here, there is no need to remind anyone, “Oh yeah! Jesus said do not add anything or subtract [another word for “omit”] anything.” He said if you add anything then whoever does that will bring plagues upon their souls. Anyone who subtracts anything will lose their name being added to the tree of life. So, rather than spoil all the fun of a soul leaving its dead body of flesh and finding out it is plagued and marked as dead limbs to be thrown into the fire, I will leave it up to the readers to check out what is written, which the Episcopal Church has subtracted from your ‘daily bread’ on this last Sunday of Easter.

Verses twenty and twenty-one say, if one is a witness to the presence of Jesus within, then one will shout out “Yes!” to all written here in John’s Revelation. One will say, “It is the truth!” [the meaning of “Amen”] They look forward to death, so they say, “I AM (is) coming quickly. Come, Lord Jesus!” … and lead me to Yahweh, as my “Lord.” In verse twenty-one, where we read [NRSV], “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints,” the actual text says, “Hē charis tou Kyriou Iēsou (Christou) meta pantōn <hagiōn . Amēn > .” If you look closely, you will notice the “Christou” is in parentheses, as an aside, which is seen as optional text [another subtraction of what is written here]. Because it is in parentheses the NRSV does not translate “Christ” in this last verse. The reality is the parentheses separates that capitalized possessive word from “Jesus,” so it is not meant to be read as his ‘last name.’ As an aside, it says all who have “Jesus” as the “Lord” over their souls are (separately and equally) “Christs.”

The Genitive case (the possessive) is also not clearly shown in this translation. It literally says, “This” [the “coming of Lord Jesus”] is by “grace of Lord of Jesus (of Christ) with all.” Then, there are angle brackets separating “saints” (or “sacred ones”) from a period mark, still within a set of angle brackets. This word is then silently stated. This means “all” who are shown “grace” – the “grace” presented by Yahweh – are each one “Anointed” by Him (thus “of Christ”). Yahweh sends “Lord Jesus,” so he will “come Lord Jesus.” To whom he goes, those will be “saints,” but the caveat is none will know it while alive in a body of flesh. Saints Act first; and, then they are Beatified posthumously, never considering themselves anything more than servant-wives of Yahweh, reborn as His Son. Then, still within the silence of a statement unspoken, “Amen” repeats, “This is the truth.”

As a standard Revelation selection for the seventh Sunday of Easter (Year C), when the season places focus on souls in bodies of flesh being raised from the dead (mortal condemnation of reincarnation, if not saved by Jesus), this is a great example of why so many calling themselves “Christian” will find their souls gathered at each’s own personal Judgment Day and placed in with all the goats (not the sheep). None of them will have a clue what they did to deserve being given a failing grade; but that will be due to them bowing down and worshiping their priest, minister, or preacher (add in rabbis too), who told them everything they wanted to hear [none of it true]. Maybe they bowed down before a cross with dead Jesus on it, hanging on the wall of a church? They did not read this book, which says, “Do not worship Jesus. Worship God!” One worships God by being His loving wife in a divine union of soul to Spirit (see the references to “Saints). Eternal salvation is based on Acts, which means more than getting fanny blisters from sitting on the same spot in the same pew for a lifetime. Acts means being filled with the soul of Jesus and taking your body of flesh on the road in ministry, letting seekers find the truth flowing from your lips (Jesus speaking through you!). That puts your soul in the sheep group at Judgment Day, but you will not know what you did to deserve that either. That is because your self will have long ago been sacrificed at the altar to Yahweh. Your works will have kept you too busy to count your blessings [or read your press clippings].

John, Language, Teaching

John 17:20-26 – Jesus prayed for Christianity to remain true to the intent

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Jesus prayed for his disciples, and then he said. “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

“Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

——————–

This is the Gospel selection that will be read aloud by a priest on the seventh Sunday of Easter, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow a mandatory Easter season reading from Acts, this time where we read: “Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” That will precede a singing of Psalm 97, where David wrote: “For you are Yahweh, most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all elohim.” Those will be followed by a Year C standard selection from John’s Revelation, where he wrote of Jesus (an angel) saying, “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let everyone who hears say, “Come.” And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.”

In my main resource for Scripture [BibleHub Interlinear], I see titles placed before sections of text. In John’s chapter seventeen, verses one to five are headed by “Prayer for the Son.” Verses six through nineteen are headed “Prayer for the Disciples.” Verses twenty through twenty-six [the last of chapter seventeen] are headed “Prayer for all Believers.” At no place in the text written by John [the one divinely inspired to write Scripture] did he write, “Jesus prayed for his disciples, and then he said.” This is like a header applied by the Episcopal Church … to sum up their thoughts [most unholy originated in a Big Brain] about what led to this selection of verses, beginning at verse twenty. This makes the pewples’ minds be prepared to only think about Scripture in a historical past concept, where Jesus praying for long dead people has nothing applicable to anyone blistering his or her ass in a pew today. Just squirm a little more and put up with the reading. It will all be over when the priest makes you forget everything heard read aloud, talking about his or her favorite philosophical author you never heard of.

When Jesus prayed long ago, he prayed with a witness [his son John], while the rest of the Jewish world in Jerusalem was still getting drunk on Seder wine and all were three sheets to the wind. That is basically what church congregations are like every Sunday. The words of Jesus were recorded – here especially, in his prayer – to be heard by the ears and minds of those he prayed for: Christians. In verse twenty, Jesus said (in Greek): “alla kai peri tōn pisteuontōn dia tou logou autōn eis eme .” He said that after saying, “Not for these [those long dead disciples not too far away from where Jesus prayed … all drunk as skinks] now do I ask only.”

The Greek text that followed says literally: “but importantly all around concern to those of believing on account of of thisof expression of though [“of word”] of their souls [“them” or “themselves”] in union with my soul [“mine” or “myself”].” When one reads that slowly and ponders what Jesus said to his Father (Yahweh), one can see how Jesus prayed for everyone in the future of the world, who would be just like those devoted, drunken disciples of his. That means (when the drunk wore off on Pentecost morning) all souls married to Yahweh that give resurrected rebirth to Jesus’ soul. In that way only can a soul in a body of flesh understand “this word” or “this expression of thought” contained in Scripture. The sobering presence of Jesus as one’s divine Lord over both one’s soul and flesh makes one a saint; and, those who are saints today were included in this prayer recorded by John.

In verse twenty-one, Jesus began by asking “that all may be one,” where the plural number of “all” means “all souls,” where “one” is then the soul of Jesus as their Lord. The number “all” is a vast number of true Christians, where every “one” of them is in the same divine name: “Jesus.” When Jesus then said, “just as you, Father,” that was a statement that all would be “one” through divine Anointment, as a Christ. Then to further explain, “within me, kai I within you, that kai they within to us may be,” that defines what “all as one” means. This would then be the only way for the “world to have faith that you me sent.” Faith does not come by someone telling another, “God sent Jesus to die on the cross to save your sinner butt.” Faith comes by being Jesus reborn and knowing personally that Yahweh sent the soul of Jesus into your soul, to be His Son reborn.

Verse twenty-two begins with a capitalized “Kago.” A lower-case “kago” was written in verse twenty-one, where “kago” is a contraction of “kai” and “egó.” That is shown above as “kai I,” which denotes the importance of the identity of Jesus being derived from Yahweh, as the Father Created the Son. That divine creation is then projected in the capitalized “Kago,” where great importance is placed on this identity that is the “glory that you [Yahweh] have given me [Jesus].” That divine “honor” is Created to be passed on forevermore in willing subjects [wife souls of Yahweh]. That “honor” bestowed is so each soul that resurrects the soul of Jesus [the Adam Creation, a Yahweh elohim] becomes equally a Son of Yahweh (all brothers spiritually [including the females]), in the flesh of a human being [mankind]. Without knowing that “honor” of Yahweh => in Jesus => in saint, faith in that is impossible.

Verse twenty-three then begins with a lower-case “egó,” which says all saints can identify as Jesus reborn, when his soul exists “within their souls” [“them” or “themselves”]. Jesus then importantly said (use of “kai”) “you within me – that they may be perfected in unity.” That “perfection” is the Trinity coming into an individual. The Father is the Spirit of Baptismal marriage, the son is one’s soul in flesh as the Son resurrected, and the Spiritual presence that links all together as one is what makes Holiness walk the earth as Jesus reborn is Sacred (call it “Holy,” along with the “Spirit”). The perfection is recreated many times over: Father, Son, and soul Set Apart by God.

In vampire movies one sees people protect their souls by making a cross with their arms or holding out a wooden cross to make the vampire hide his face. This should be done whenever a priest, minister, or pastor begins to wax poetically about “love.” When Jesus said, “you sent me importantly you loved their souls [“them” or “themselves”] according to the manner in which me you loved,” that is not anywhere close to relatable to mortal (emotional) touchy-feely “love.” Babies are born “loving” their mothers and fathers and siblings and relatives. That is the closest “love” that equates to the “love” of Yahweh (unconditional love); but, still, that pales in comparison to the truth of divine “love.” Cross yourselves when priests begin to play the Beatle records that sing about a perverse form of human “love.” It is like a vampire coming to suck the life blood out of your bodies. If they can convince you that you know what “love” is, without ever experiencing true divine “love,” then you will never seek to know that true “love.” Without that desire to know God’s love, by knowing what it feels like to be Jesus resurrected in your soul, your soul in the flesh will become like a zombie – the living dead. The “love” of God is what raises souls from the dead.

In verse twenty-four, John wrote of Jesus praying: “Father , this you have offered me , I desire that where exist I , that all ones may be with me , that they may experience this honor this mine , that you offered me because you loved me in advance of laying down of inhabitants of the world .” Where Jesus said he was “offered” (“dedōkas” used twice), this means Yahweh created his soul for the purpose of dying of flesh, so that soul would be released to enter other souls, so other souls could be saved (“Jesus” means “Yahweh Saves”). Jesus’ soul was “offered” as the eternal sacrificial lamb to possess the soul-flesh of others, in order to be “where exist I.” Every soul into which Jesus’ soul is resurrected is where “all ones may be with me,” as Jesus reborn. This inner presence is the “love” of Yahweh for saving souls. It is the “love” of Yahweh found in Jesus that those saved souls can “experience this honor this mine.” The “glory” of Yahweh is His “love” placed into the soul of His Son. When Jesus is one with another soul, that soul submits to his possession, so that soul becomes his, as him reborn in flesh. This “love” of Yahweh was known before the first human being was made by Yahweh’s elohim. He knew this “love” would wait until Creation had been completed; and, likewise, each soul’s creation into a body of flesh becomes completed by the “love” of Yahweh added to it, in the soul of Jesus.

In verse twenty-five, Jesus then said, “Father approved , kai this world you not they have known , I now you they have come to know , kai these they have come to know that you me sent .” When John wrote the Greek words, “Pater dikaie,” the NRSV has translated this as “Righteous Father,” which becomes an absurdity. No human being has the right or power to deem any state of being upon Yahweh. Yahweh is undefinable; and, “righteousness” is a state of human existence, brought on by the presence of Yahweh’s Spirit and the resurrection of His Son’s soul, so it is an impossibility to call Yahweh “Righteous.” The Greek word “dikaie” means “approved by God” or “just in the eyes of God.” This means Jesus did not define his “Father,” but instead said all in whom the soul of Jesus would save them they would be those “approved” by the “Father,” as those souls “justly” chosen. Those souls prove they are marriage worthy (by keeping their lamps filled with oil at all times).

The two important elements of this verse then say, “the world is born of souls breathed out by Yahweh at birth, but all remembrances of Yahweh have been erased by their presence in bodies of flesh.” Only when the “I” identity of Jesus is born into those souls chosen as “just” or “approved” can they come to know Yahweh (an awakened remembrance). Once that knowledge of Jesus is known, then those souls will know that Yahweh was the “Father,” who sent the Son into one of His wife-souls (many times over).

In verse twenty-six, John began by writing the word “kai,” denoting importance is stated when Jesus said, “I have made known to them the name of you.” That “name known” is “Jesus,” which says “Yahweh Saves.” Jesus then importantly said, “I will make known,” where the first-person singular “I” says a soul becoming identified by the soul of Jesus will know Yahweh as His Son reborn. Jesus then said this knowledge made known will be “so that this love which you love me within their souls [“them” or “themselves”].” This say the all-encompassing “love” of Yahweh will then be known by souls born into human flesh; and, they will know that is an indescribable “love,” just as Yahweh cannot be defined in human terms. This then led to Jesus ending his prayer by saying, “kai I within their souls [“them” or “themselves”].” They will know the “love” of the Father by identifying importantly as His Son, in whose soul the “love” of Yahweh permeates.

As the Gospel selection to be read aloud on the seventh and final Sunday of the Easter season (not counting Pentecost Sunday), the focus of the Easter season must always be remembered to be souls raised from the dead. This prayer of Jesus is for the continued presence his soul would find in all future times, where souls submitting to Yahweh’s Will will be rewarded by being raised from the dead and made His Sons (boys and girls alike). The flaw in Christian thinking is Jesus is someone to worship, more so than Yahweh; and, that is wrong. This prayer asks Yahweh the Father to allow souls to become the new disciples of Jesus, so they will know that means marrying their souls to Yahweh, so his soul can be resurrected within their souls. The Trinity must be perfection found in each true Christian, because Christianity is not a club made up of dead do-nothings.

Acts, Language, Teaching

Acts 2:1-21- In the last days it will be, God declares

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When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs– in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

`In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams.

Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

and they shall prophesy.

And I will show portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

The sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the coming Yahweh great and glorious day.

Then everyone who calls on the name Yahweh shall be saved.’ “

——————–

This is the mandatory reading from the Acts of the Apostles that will be read on Pentecost Sunday, Year C (and every Year), according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will be read aloud as either as a First Lesson or as a New Testament selection. If as the First Lesson, it will precede a singing of verses from Psalm 104, where David wrote: “There move the ships, and there is that Leviathan, which you have made for the sport of it.” If as the New Testament selection, its place will be filled by a reading from Genesis 11, which tells of the Tower of Babel. There is written: “Yahweh said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” In that scenario, if the Acts reading comes as the First Lesson, then the New Testament selection will be from Paul’s letter to the Christians of Rome, where he wrote: “All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Everything will accompany the Gospel selection from John, where he wrote, “Jesus said to [Philip], “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

I have written about this standard Pentecost Sunday reading on several occasions. Here are links to commentaries I have published prior, which can be searched under these titles: A refresher about what Pentecost means (2021); Pentecost Sunday 2020 – Part I (Episcopal Lectionary & Acts 2:1-21); and, The Feast of Fifty Days (2018). There is not much I can add to the same verses; but, as this is the first time I have written about this during Year C, I will make references to this reading that align with the Year C reading selections [Genesis 11:1-9; Romans 8:14-17, and, John 14:8-17,(25-27)].

First, when we read the NRSV translation that says, “suddenly from heaven there came a sound,” the Greek needs closer inspection. Luke wrote, “aphnō ek tou ouranou ēchos,” which literally translates to mean, “suddenly from within out of this spirit roaring.” This says that nothing flew in the window and nothing came mysteriously through the wall, as if “heaven” is some mystical place that is somewhere not within. This becomes a statement that the soul of Jesus had entered his disciples and remained with their souls – within their beings – for forty days prior. Now, after his appearance of a physical body ascended – meaning Jesus would never again look physically like Jesus the man in a body of flesh [sorry Hollywood Jewish movie moguls] – the soul of Jesus (the seed implanted within the souls of his good fruit) came suddenly roaring out. That has to be seen and understood.

The Greek word that follows this “roaring” (“ēchos”) is “hósper,” which means “just as, even as.” The NRSV translates that as “like.” This key word says “not a violent wind,” but metaphorically “just as” that. Not too long ago, I heard a Baptist preacher bend over and look at his audience and say Jesus cried tears of blood in Gethsemane [only told in Luke’s Gospel]. He failed to understand the metaphor stated in that verse, which says “hōsei thromboi haimatos,” or “just as clots of blood” or “even as large drops of blood.” Jesus was not bleeding out from his eyes. He was sweating profusely, and the large drops of sweat were symbolic of a sacrificial lamb before the slaughter. Such errors of intellect lead the weak-minded to follow the lead of imbecilic preachers, all happily prancing together towards the great pit of ruin. Thus, Acts 2:2 speaks metaphorically of “violent wind,” not literally.

Following this revelation, when we read the NRSV translate: “it filled the entire house where they were sitting,” that makes it seem like a room in a house was filled with the ‘Holy Spirit.’ Rooms and houses are inanimate objects, all made of dead matter, possessing no soul. The Greek written says, “kai eplērōsen holon ton oikon hou ēsan kathēmenoi”. That literally translates to say, “importantly he made complete the whole this dwelling in what place they existed enthroned”. In that, two third-person verbs are found, one singular (“he”) and one plural (“they”). This references the soul of Jesus being in “the whole this dwelling,” as that soul dwelt within everyone in that room. This is important to grasp (from the use of “kai” leading this statement). The disciples were not “sitting.” The soul of Jesus and the throne of Yahweh was “enthroned” (viable translation of “kathēmenoi”) within everyone’s soul (men and women followers of Jesus). The Greek word “eplērōsen” is the third-person singular (“he”) attached to “pléroó,” meaning “to make full, to complete,” properly meaning “fill to individual capacity.” This is like how the soul of Jesus (an angel or elohim) told John’s soul about the symbol of omega (“Ὦ”), where the open allowing in sin needs to be “complete,” as the “closure” of Jesus, making the “Great O” be a “complete” circle (“Ō”).

In verse three, the Greek word “ōphthēsan” is translated by the NRSV as “appeared,” which is correct. Still, the truth of the word “horaó” says, “to see, perceive, attend to,” implying “I see, look upon, experience, perceive, discern, beware.” HELPS Word-studies says the metaphorical meaning of this word is: “to see with the mind” (i.e. spiritually see), i.e. perceive (with inward spiritual perception).” This must be understood, as there were no visible tongues of any physical type flying into the mouths of the disciples. The word should be read as the disciple each “perceived” within their bodies of flesh a “tongue” that was “divided” from their natural tongue (learned language), coming not from their brains (not subliminally taught and forgot), but from the “spirit of Yahweh within their souls.”

Now, the “dividing tongues” (from “diamerizomenai glōssai”) become a reference to the reading from Genesis 11, where the story tells of Yahweh seeing mankind building a tower and everyone being one, with the same language. When Yahweh saw this would lead mankind away from seeking a Spiritual return to Yahweh, seeing human greatness as a more pleasing god to worship, Yahweh ordered His elohim (angels) to “divine their tongues,” to confuse their brains. Now, in Acts, the “Spirit” within, which was not the soul, but the “Spirit” that elevated a soul in a body of flesh to “Sacredness,” as one “Set Apart by God” [made “Holy”], the “dividing tongues” was the ability to understand everyone in a telepathic way, where physical words were not necessary. In fact, physical words only make it harder to understand what someone is attempting to say. The “Spirit” within gave all within the upper room an ability to think as Jesus, so others of different languages could hear Jesus speaking in their “tongues.”

This multiplicity is seen in the long list of languages spoken by the pilgrim in Jerusalem for the Passover-Shavuot festivals. That multiplicity says everyone there heard “magnificence of this of God” communicated to them, which was mot likely whatever Scriptural questions each had within, which no one had ever fully addressed, to further enhance his or her faith in Yahweh. Before we read specific words spoken by Peter, coming from the prophet Joel, everyone’s attention was drawn by many different enlightening words heard by their souls (seeming as if only one voice was being shouted from an upstairs room), when thousands each heard a voice speaking his or her specific language, fluently, revealing the truth of Scripture. That amazing happening froze the faithful in their places, drawing all focus and attention of some rubes, obviously from the rural setting of Galilee.

In the Greek translations of Peter quoting John 2:28-32, it should be realized that Peter was a rube Galilean, so it was not him speaking Scripture in every different language mentioned prior. Peter spoke one language, which was Hebrew. In the Hebrew of Joel’s prophecy, he wrote “Yahweh” four times in the last two verses. That is where you will find I have restored that name, replacing the poor translation that says “of the Lord” (from the Greek “Kyriou”). Every pilgrim in that area of Jerusalem [the Essene Quarter] would have known “Yahweh” to be the name of their God. They would have all memorized those Hebrew words of Joel; and, they all would know the truth of those words spoken in prophecy was being fulfilled in their presence at that time … the truth of what Joel prophesied having come true in their souls.

Each of those pilgrims, whose hearts and souls were opened because of their faith, then received the Spirit, just as Joel said. This is how Paul wrote in Romans, “you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” Paul was not one of those filled with the “Spirit” and made a “Saint” on that Pentecost Sunday. His completing the Great O would come later; but the way he explained it as he was close to his execution by the Romans who imprisoned him, he knew the soul within his soul – Jesus – made him able to call Yahweh his “Father” – “Abba” – in the same way each of those Pentecost Sunday pilgrims knew they were able to also replace “Yahweh” with “Father.” As their “Pater,” they had all (men and women alike) become Sons of Yahweh, brothers each, all because they became Jesus reborn.

It is this element of “Fatherhood” that is central in the reading from John, when a drunken Philip asked Jesus to tell them where his “Father” lived. He told them the “Father dwells in me.” He repeated, “the Father is in me.” When he then said, “I am going to the Father, I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.” When the prophecy of Joel came true, the soul of Jesus entered into every soul of welcoming pilgrims, so all were able to ask the Father for anything, in the name of Jesus. Whatever they asked in that new name, it would be done.

As the mandatory reading for every Pentecost Sunday, it is important to realize this is the final day of the Easter season. It is the end of one’s internship bearing only a portion of Jesus’ soul, through extension. This prophecy of Joel says the time of preparation of the green fruit has taken place. The festival of Shavuot (the Fiftieth Day announcement that the first fruits are ready to be served to the faithful) is when those prepared to be good fruit (not rot and wasted) will be fed to those desiring the bread from heaven and thirsting for ever-living waters of eternal salvation. Those pilgrim who heard Peter and the eleven (and any others whose souls were ready to ‘speak in tongues’ in the upper room) were not listening with human ears. Their souls heard the Spirit of the Son speaking to them, pouring out the love of Yahweh, just as it had been poured out into the Son in Eden, when the seventh day began. Pentecost Sunday becomes a reflection when one is deemed good fruit to be served to the faithful. If one has not been prepared for this word to be heard, then one’s soul is not good fruit. One’s soul is turning to rot and spoiling everything surrounding that soul.

Genesis, Language, Teaching

Genesis 11:1-9 – Towers falling from the heavens

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Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And Yahweh said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of all the earth; and from there Yahweh scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

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This is the First Lesson alternate to be read aloud if chosen on Pentecost Sunday, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This selection will be read before a singing of certain verses from Psalm 104, where David wrote: “You hide your face, and they are terrified; you take away their breath, and they die and return to their dust.” With this selection form Genesis chosen as the First Lesson, the New Testament choice becomes the mandatory Acts reading for every Pentecost Sunday, where Peter recited Joel’s prophecy as being fulfilled by their speaking in tongues. Peter said, “And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of Yahweh’s great and glorious day.” All readings on this day will accompany one from John, where the prophet wrote of Jesus saying, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”

In the first verse, where the NRSV translates: “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words,” this relates to the two prior chapters, which tell of the repopulation of the earth by Noah’s three sons. We learn of the curse placed on Ham and all the sons that came from Japheth, Shem, and Ham. In this repopulation, it must be understood much like the way Cain was banished and then was able to find a wife and have sons. This says others existed beyond the narrow scope of a story told of Adam and Eve and their children. The sole focus on Noah and his three sons cannot be seen from a lone perspective of inbreeding. Others obviously escaped the Great Flood, in various ways, just as there were other human beings on earth (created on the sixth day of Creation), which preexisted the fall of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were not the first human beings. They were the first priests sent by Yahweh to humanity. Likewise, all the descendants of Noah were not fit to be holy priests (as the curse on Ham shows), so they intermingled with others who escaped the Great Flood and joined together as survivors. To then find that collective with everyone speaking the same language becomes a statement that everyone was (as always, like Cain) suffering from the curse that is a natural tendency for human beings (souls within bodies of flesh) to fall away from Yahweh. This means “one language” means “one” is a self-directed form of “speech.” They do not talk to Yahweh for guidance anymore.

In the translation that says, “they migrated from the east,” the Hebrew says, “they set out from the formerly,” which means “the east” is a reflection (symbolically) on the ways of Noah; but the descendants had gone away from those ways. The Hebrew word translated as “plain” can equally mean “a valley,” where either “plain” or “valley” becomes a statement of stagnation (“plain”), if not some abysmal sinking to new lows (“valley)”. While the name “Shinar” is cloaked in mystery, one source says it means “Cast Out A Breach,” where “Breach” projects a “Gap” or “Rupture,” as well as a “Violation of Law.” When this is related to the “one language,” this place named “Shinar” speaks of self being a break from Yahweh, as a collection of peoples who no longer were the priestly descendants of Noah.

When verse three has these mutations come up with the idea that says, “Come, let us make bricks,” it is important to see a “brick” as a building block. More than a piece of mud baked into a physical “brick,” stuck together with tar or bitumen, the metaphor must be seen as a “brick” being an “idea.” In language, the building blocks are words that become joined together by rules of syntax. To take an “idea” and “burn” it means to purify it through testing the strength of “ideas” strung together; so, the result is a human brain has come up with a “truth.” When that is realized, the “one language” becomes mathematics, which is all based on tested truths – laws. Those became “truths” that were set in “stone.”

When we then come to verse four telling us those peoples then said, “let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves,” the Hebrew word translated as “city” means “excitement.” This means they were building themselves a ‘religion’ – something worldly to worship – which would “excite” their brains, making them think of themselves a gods. The “tower” is then not a physical structure, but everything up which the foundations of mathematics have been laid. This becomes everything constructed within a civilized society, where the physical is transformed into a model of the spiritual.

When this is built to the “heavens,” this literally means plans to travel into outer space, even colonize moons and planets, with televisions invented and Jews hired to creates fake projections of human beings conquering all universes known to human brains. When we are talking about post-Great Flood times, this could be the ancient tales of Atlantis (a civilization ten thousand years ago), where their “one language” was telepathy. In that sense,man had figured out a way to blow up a planet between Earth and Mars (the asteroid belt), while destroying all life that had previously existed on Mars. All of that kneels down and worships at the altar of almighty science, where the god “Maximus Cerebrum” is king [a.k.a. “Biggy Brain”].

When we begin reading that “Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower,” the Hebrew word translated as “came down” should be read as “descended.” It is foolishness to think Yahweh is not everywhere, at all times, All-Knowing and All-Seeing; so, to have “Yahweh descended” means the soul of Adam (the Son of Yahweh) is what was placed within human flesh on earth. This would lead to Abraham, in the lineage of souls that leapt over the multitudes of common humans, from Adam to Noah to Abraham (all in the ancestry of Jesus). “Yahweh descended” means the coming of the Yahweh elohim born into every Saint that has ever walked the earth. When mankind begins to think of itself as godlike, the Son of man needs to be around to show it the true path to everlasting life (away from reincarnation). Building nuclear bombs might make humans feel godlike; but it will condemn the souls of those who come up with those “bricks” of knowledge.

To confuse those big brains, Moses was sent to created a language of Yahweh, memorized (then written) in the “one language” of Yahweh – Hebrew. While all the peoples of the earth knew that “one language,” it told them no man is a god. Nothing created by mankind will ever redeem a soul from death. No soul in the flesh will invent a way to free itself from a return to the flesh of a little baby, having to start all over again … and again … and again. None of the big brains could figure out how to create a soul and give it immortality in the flesh. However, time and again they found they were masters at creating innovative ways for finding death, causing souls to start all over again.

When we find the Hebrew word “puwts” written twice (transliterated as “way·yā·p̄eṣ” and “hĕ·p̄î·ṣām”), translated by the NRSV as “scattered,” this should be seen as the flaw of human intelligence, which for all its strokes of genius is more often than not “scatter-brained.” For every “idea” laid, problems not planned on always jump up and cause the greatest minds to screech to a halt. “So, you figured out how to split an atom, did ya? Well, what do you do with the waste?” they are always asked. They scratch their heads, trying to motivate their brains to think harder. That is always the confusion that human brains create for themselves, when they try to play god. Thus, mankind ceased trying to make a name for itself. The presence of Saints led them to tremble and moan, “Yahweh please save us from ourselves!”

As an alternate reading for Pentecost Sunday, it is important to remember that the season of Easter is still in place. The Easter season is when the lessons are telling human beings their souls must be saved, which means raising them up from the death of a mortal existence. In this lesson, it is easy for big brains to begin to think they understand what Easter is all about; and, then they run off pretending to be graduates from Jesus’ school of Saints, when they are still unripe fruit, more apt to turn to rot than serve Yahweh as His Son again placed in ministry. The lesson of Genesis 11 is to stop trying to be a god and start submitting your whole being – body and soul – to Yahweh. When you kill the god within you – your big brain – you can be raised from the dead by the soul of Jesus taking the place of your sacrificial lamb soul. Only Jesus is allowed to go beyond Pentecost Sunday, even though Jesus will walk in many different bodies of flesh when that time comes.

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 104:24-35 – The song of the Leviathan again sung

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25 [24] Yahweh, how manifold are your works! *

in wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

26 [25] Yonder is the great and wide sea with its living things too many to number, *

creatures both small and great.

27 [26] There move the ships, and there is that Leviathan, *

which you have made for the sport of it.

28 [27] All of them look to you *

to give them their food in due season.

29 [28] You give it to them; they gather it; *

you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.

30 [29] You hide your face, and they are terrified; *

you take away their breath, and they die and return to their dust.

31 [30] You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *

and so you renew the face of the earth.

32 [31] May the glory of Yahweh endure forever; *

may Yahweh rejoice in all his works.

33 [32] He looks at the earth and it trembles; *

he touches the mountains and they smoke.

34 [33] I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live; *

I will praise lelohay while I have my being.

35 [34] May these words of mine please him; *

I will rejoice in Yahweh.

37 [35] Bless Yahweh, O my soul. *

Hallu-YAH!

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This is the Psalm that will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor on Pentecost Sunday, all Years, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow the First Lesson choice, which can be the mandatory Acts selection, where the Spirit filled the Apostles with the ability to speak in foreign languages, attracting the attention of the pilgrims in Jerusalem for the Shavuot festival. We read: “All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”’ If the First Lesson comes from Genesis, we will then read, They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.”’ Following the first two readings, the New Testament selection will either be the Acts mandatory reading, or one from Paul’s letter to the Romans. In that he wrote, “When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ”. All will accompany the Gospel selection from John, where we are told Jesus told his disciples, “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

I have written my views on these selected verses from Psalm 104 twice before, when they were sung in Years A and B. Those commentaries can be viewed by searching these titles: “Pentecost Sunday 2020 – Part III (Psalm 104)” and “Harpooning the Leviathan” (2021). Both do well in explaining the words of David. Rather than restate what has been written before, I will only focus now on how this song of praise relates to the Year C readings that accompany it, as the grand finale to the Easter season.

The three unique reading selections for Pentecost Year C are those from: Genesis 11; Romans 8; and, John 14. Two of those three will be read aloud, along with the standards from Acts 2 and this Psalm 104. The Genesis reading places focus on the tendency of mankind to fall away from Yahweh, no matter how closely related they are by physical blood (lineage) to most holy men. The ones of Genesis 11 are all descendants of Noah; but they are headstrong for a self-identity that rejects a life devoted to serving Yahweh. That is until they realize the errors of their ways of self. The key words to understand in that reading are when we read “Yahweh descended.” This is relative to the Spirit made by Yahweh to possess souls (His Son – Adam-Jesus), who would confuse the brains of those who thought they knew it all, in a similar manner that Jesus confused the thinking of the Temple elite in Jerusalem.

In the Romans reading, Paul made it clear that those “led by the Spirit are the children of God.” That says, without being written, the vast majority that reject God and do not receive His Spirit are not His children. This is the error of thinking that makes so many Christians today think they are saved, simply because Jesus died on a cross thousands of years ago, knowing mankind was too weak to make such a sacrifice. That rubbish is like trying to build a tower to heaven, which cannot be done physically. When we read Paul say, “it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,” “our spirit” is each individual’s soul. Paul said to be a child of Yahweh, able to truthfully call Him “Father,” then one’s soul must be filled with “the very Spirit” that allows one to know that relationship. Paul wrote of a divine possession that must take place; and, people reject that Spirit by believing in false ideas that say, “Jesus did all the work, so you don’t have to do any work at all.” That denies the reason we always read on Pentecost from the Book of the Acts of the Apostles.

In the John reading, a drunken Philip has been moved by his possessing spirit (a taste of Jesus’ soul before the real deal would come on Pentecost) to ask Jesus, “Where does your father live?” When Jesus said, “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” that question confirms what Paul wrote, as Jesus’ soul was divinely possessed by Yahweh’s Spirit. Jesus then repeated, “Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me,” then adding: “Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” That is an explanation that the sacrifice Jesus is about to make (being killed) will release his soul to fully fill the souls of his disciples. That foretold that their coming divine possession (on Pentecost Sunday) would make them all become Jesus reborn, each sent out into ministry, just as Jesus had been out in ministry.

When those clear themes of spiritual possession are seen, David’s Psalm 104 is the one that has him dwell on the Leviathan. Where David wrote, “Yahweh, how manifold are your works!” that says “many are the Acts of Yahweh,” with the NRSV saying “creatures,” when the word written in Hebrew means “possessions.” The Hebrew root word “qinyan” means, “something gotten or acquired, acquisition,” where the implication is “goods, possessions, or property.”
Because Yahweh is wholly Spiritual, His “acquisitions” in the material realm are souls animating bodies of matter. It is this element of “possession” that led David to speak of the “sea dragon” or “sea serpent” that swam among the “sea” of “living things,” which are souls.

When David sang [NRSV translation], “There move the ships, and there is that Leviathan, which you have made for the sport of it,” the “ships” refers more to the “sailors,” rather than the lifeless crafts they man. This becomes a statement that parallels who Jesus said to Simon (Peter), James and John (of Zebedee), who were “sailors” as fishermen, told by Jesus, “I will make you fishers of men (meaning “men’s souls”). This becomes Jesus says his divine possessing soul within the souls of his apostles would be like the Leviathan David sang of, where the soul of Jesus was created by Yahweh “for the sport” of saving men’s souls from other equally possessing ‘Leviathans’ that swam among a sea of souls.

When David sang [NRSV], “All of them look to you to give them their food in due season,” this is like the bait on a fishhook. It says a fish can only be caught when it is ready to receive the spiritual food dangled in the water before it. When an apostle is filled with the Spirit of Yahweh and has the soul of Jesus resurrected within its soul, this becomes the bait, while the apostle is merely the hook. A hook alone will catch nothing; but when the hook holds the truth of the Word, a soul ready to sacrifice itself for salvation will ‘take the bait’ … ‘hook, line, and sinker.’

This receipt of the Spirit is then the larger fish eating the smaller ones whole. That physical reality is reversed in the spiritual truth. Rather than being swallowed whole, it is the soul that swallows whole the ‘Leviathan’ of Jesus’ soul. The soul dies in that transaction (given salvation and eternal life beyond the flesh), while it remains to animate its flesh as Jesus reborn. This is the meaning behind David then singing, “You give it to them; they gather it; you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.” “You give” and “they gather,” as “filled with good things” is a verse singing of divine oneness, where two are merged together as one, with the giver the new Lord and Master, leading the “gatherer” to “good” Acts.

For a soul alone in a sea of soul, which are all lost, given their freedom to find a home in the material world, to have David sing, “You hide your face, and they are terrified; you take away their breath, and they die and return to their dust,” the “face” of Yahweh is His Son. In the First Commandment [the first vow of divine marriage], a bride soul agrees, “I will not wear any other face before my Yahweh than His face” [where “panim” is the key Hebrew word to discern). A bride wears a veil to hide her face, only lifting it up after married, so her face is then that as a wife possessed by her husband. To “hide your face” speaks of a soul afraid to take the bait of truth and sacrifice self for a new face. Yahweh does not ever hide His face. The “terror” is brought on by one’s fear of submission of self, to a higher cause. To “hide one’s face” from marriage to Yahweh, so one will not wear the face of His Son (the possessing soul within one’s soul), then death takes away one’s “breath” that is a soul in a body of flesh, making the flesh return to dust, while the soul is judged as a failure (thrown back into the sea).

When David sang of the alternate taking place: “You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; and so you renew the face of the earth,” this sings of a soul submitting to Yahweh, receiving the Spirit of Yahweh in divine union, so a new self is “created.” The “earth” is one’s body of flesh, which takes on a new “face,” which is that of one possessed by Jesus. This leads one to become a “sailor” who helps Yahweh in ministry, fishing for men’s souls to marry Yahweh.

This ministry is the meaning found in David singing [NRSV], “May the glory of Yahweh endure forever; may Yahweh rejoice in all his works.” The “glory of Yahweh” is the soul He created in Adam-Jesus. That “honor, renown, glory” endures “forever” as the soul that allows souls eternal life, while never dying, as long as more men’s souls are caught and the continuation of Jesus reborn lasts. The ”sport” of the “Leviathan” created by Yahweh never ceases through the dead continuously being raised to salvation. The “rejoicing” is then done by those souls possessed by Jesus’ soul, who sing songs of praise by doing the Acts of the Apostles.

All of these verses sing of divine possession and the saving of soul by Yahweh. The name “Jesus” means “Yahweh Will Save.” This was found occurring after Noah’s death, after the sea of soul began to think they were gods, as nothing more than fish with tiny brains in a sea of lostness. Yahweh sent His Son to descend upon that school of fish and string them on a line as Yahweh’s catch. When Paul sat constrained in a Roman prison, he wrote that he had long before been caught by Yahweh, when His Son came and asked him why he persecuted Jesus. Jesus told his disciples that just as his soul was possessed by Yahweh, so too would their souls be possessed by Him, likewise being Jesus in the Father and the Father in Jesus reborn. That ability to call Yahweh “Father” made all souls [in the flesh of male and female bodies] brothers, all in the name of “Jesus.” Thus, this song of praise sys David also knew this possessing Spirit and the divine Son whose face David wore. All of Israel would become the fish caught and transformed into ministers for Yahweh.

As the Psalm to be sung aloud on Pentecost Sunday, when the lessons of being raised from the dead [the Easter message] must still be heeded, the “sport of the Leviathan” becomes the challenge placed before all Apostles, before they enter ministry. It is one thing to be caught and saved; but it is another thing to become the bait dangled on a hook, for the sport of saving souls. To enter ministry one must become the Leviathan of Yahweh, in the name of His Son, because that is the only way one is capable of feeding lost souls the truth, so they will take that bait and be saved.

Language, Romans, Teaching

Romans 8:14-17 – So clear, yet so misunderstood

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All who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ– if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

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This is the optional New Testament reading choice, if Acts 2 is read as the First Lesson on Pentecost Sunday, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow the Acts reading, where it is written that Peter told the crowd of pilgrims, “This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: `In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy”. That will be followed by a singing of Psalm 104, where David wrote: “You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; and so you renew the face of the earth. May the glory of Yahweh endure forever; may Yahweh rejoice in all his works.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from John, where at the final Seder meal for Jesus he told his disciples, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”’

These verses are included within the whole selected for public reading on Trinity Sunday, in Year B. I wrote about Romans 8:12-17 and published that commentary in 2021. That posting is named “Being a child of God demands self-sacrifice” and can be accessed by clicking on the link. Today, I will address just these verses set aside for reading on Pentecost Sunday, Year C.

Yahweh is within. His radiance is his face on a Saint, as Jesus resurrected.

Because the NRSV translation above is a paraphrase that takes a preconceived idea and supports that agenda, making it difficult for a casual reader to discern the truth by oneself, I will do literal translations of these four verses. You will notice how verse fourteen follows a period mark that ended verse thirteen, making verse fourteen become a new statement of thought. However, the first word of verse fourteen is not capitalized. This shows that the rules of syntax (from which preconceived paraphrases come) are to be discarded, so a divine syntax shows importance to be found in every capitalized word (in the Greek text).

Verse fourteen states in the Greek:

“hosoi gar Pneumati Theou agontai , houtoi huioi eisin ⇔ Theou .”

Please take note of the presence of a left-right arrow (⇔), which is a mathematical symbol that states, “if true to the left, then true to the right.” Thus, this symbol of truth being written in words says, “eisin” is equal to “Theou,” when all tests of truth are made. This becomes an unstated statement, which the NRSV cannot tell (or prefers not to).

The translation of verse fourteen is this:

“how many indeed to Spirit of God (they) are guided , these sons (they) exist ⇔of God .”

This rather simple statement says the test of truth is relative to “how man indeed” are those souls that “exist truly of God”. This does not include everyone, simply because all souls are the “breath” (a lower-case “pneumati”) “of God,” placed within their bodies of flesh at birth. Those are then “sons” (lower-case) and daughters of man, born of human parents. This makes the test of the truth of the left-right arrow be a soul (lower-case “breath”) having been raised by the “Spirit” (capitalized, thus having a divinely elevated meaning, relative to Yahweh). The soul must “indeed” go “to Spirit” and have receive the “Spirit of God,” so that inner presence (not something told them by some external source) makes each “be guided, led, carried, or brought” by that “Spirit of God.” Not everyone is so “guided,” therefore the first word poses this to be the variable, as “how many” is “indeed” to be determined by a test of truth.

The Greek word written by Paul that has been poorly translated as “children” is “huioi,” which is the plural form of “huois,” meaning “a son.” It is possible to expand the scope of this word’s usage to “a descendant,” which is relative to a bloodline of human beings; but “children” is nothing more than some male-dominated theological philosophers getting together and coming up with the agenda that says, “Hey guys. You know most men have stopped following Christian religions because we are so obviously fakes; but we still have the women in the fold, thanks to letting women become priests. So, what say we change all the text that we do not understand about the masculine spiritual plane to “sons and daughters,” “brothers and sisters,” and generically “children”? Sound good to you guys?”

The reason Paul wrote “sons of God” is because the “how many indeed” that survive the test of truth are those who are ALL Jesus resurrections in new bodies of flesh (be them male or female). So, since ALL are tested to be true as Jesus reborn, then ALL are “sons of God,” ALL are Jesuses reborn (a male Spiritual entity). But, then, it takes a soul who passes the test of truth to know that and teach that to other souls.

Now, there is reason for the NRSV to be influenced to see “huioi … Theou” and pull “children” out. This is because verse sixteen says, “tekna Theou,” which does translate as “children of God.” Still, “tekna” does not “children” make out of “huioi.” The word “tekna” will be written in verse seventeen, but not directly connected to “Theou.” All of that is putting the cart before the horse; and, it does not speak as passing a test of truth, when one makes up bad translations for divine text.

Verse fifteen is then written as this:

“Ou gar elabete pneuma douleias palin eis phobon , alla elabete pneuma huiothesias , en hō krazomen , Abba ! ho Patēr ! “

In that, the words “elabete pneuma” are repeated, where “pneuma” is written in the lower-case, so it is not a reference to the capitalized “Pnumati”. Those two words say, “you have received a spirit,” where the lower-case can be understood as a soul, which is the “breath” or “spirit” of life, in an otherwise scoop of dead matter (clay, dust, cells, etcetera). By realizing that, the whole of verse fifteen translates literally to state:

“Not indeed you have received a spirit of slavery once more into something to fear , but you have received a spirit of adoption [of sons into a divine family] , within which we scream out , this Abba ! this Father !”

The first word in this verse is capitalized (following the period mark that ended verse fourteen), but the capitalization of “Not” is divinely elevated to be a statement of what “Not” a spiritual presence is (one making one truthfully “exist” as a “son of God”). Here, the “Not” leads to “a spirit received” again being placed in possession (from the Genitive case stating first “of slavery” and second “of adoption”). The “Not” is then a divinely elevated statement that says “sons of God” (when truth be told) are “Not” possessed by lesser “spirits,” such as we read last Sunday about the “spirit Python,” and we read today in David’s Psalm 104 of the “spirit of the Leviathan.” A demonic “spirit” would most certainly “enslave” a soul to sinful acts; but the girl told of in Acts was a “slave” to a lesser “spirit” than Yahweh’s “Spirit.” Those lesser (lower-case) ‘spirits” cause the souls they possess great “fears.”

Now, the possessive case of the Greek word “huiothesias” (from “huiothesia”) says one is “of adoption” spiritually. The root word is defined as “adoption,” implying “adoption as a son into the divine family.” (Strong’s Usage) HELPS Word-studies adds, “properly, sonship (legally made a son); adoption.” When the word “sons” is then seen as gender specific for this “adoption,” the reason is girls would not be “adopted.” They would be married, as a state of possession that is ownership. Girls would become the wives of the men possessing them; but boys would be adopted, becoming “sons” of the men possessing them. While that is a physical world definition, when Paul was writing about “spirits,” his second segment in verse fifteen is then pointing out a soul (“a spirit of adoption”) would be possessed as “a son,” which is then a statement of the resurrection within that soul by the Son of Yahweh – Adam-Jesus. When that “adoption into the family” is made, then the “sons existing truthfully of God” are reborn as the Son of Yahweh, who we Christians call Jesus.

Now, this “spirit of adoption” is one’s soul. A soul is “a spirit.” The soul in a body of flesh is feminine, thus not adoptable. A soul in a body of flesh becomes a girl (feminine essence, brought on by the body of flesh, where the earth is feminine essence), which must marry Yahweh. That divine union brings forth His “Spirit” (capitalized “Pneumati”) and that “Spirit” then possesses the soul and the flesh, cleaning them so all sins are removed. Once the cleansing has taken place, then the soul becomes opened to receive the soul of the Son of Yahweh. Since souls are masculine essence (everlasting), the presence of Jesus’ soul in a married soul makes that soul be “adopted as a son,” to match the spiritual gender of Jesus. This means one’s soul is first a wife (a girlie girl), before it becomes a “son of God” (a manly man). All gender in the spiritual realm is masculine, therefore it penetrates into the femininity of the material realm, which received in order to reproduce life.

It is then this sudden change within one’s soul, where one personally knows Yahweh as Jesus reborn; and, that immediately leads the soul of Jesus to “cry out, Abba!” This identification as Jesus reborn, where one’s soul is one with the Son of Yahweh, makes one’s soul also “scream out,” from first awareness of this divine relationship – a brother of Jesus (regardless of what physical sex organ the body of flesh possesses) and a “son of Yahweh.” One’s own soul cries out with Jesus, saying, “Father!”

In verse sixteen, Paul then tied these two concepts together. His Greek states this:

“auto to Pneuma symmartyreitō pneumati hēmōn hoti semen tekna Theou .”

In this, the Greek words “auto” and “hēmōn” are similar, in the fact that each becomes a statement of a soul or souls, such that “self” or “oneself” (in the singular) and “a multitude of “I”s or “us” is relative to the life “breath” that comes from a “spirit” animating dead matter. Thus, it is important to see the live souls involved as the true focus of this verse. It can literally be translated in that regard to say this:

“one’s soul this Spirit [divinely capitalized, as of Yahweh] (itself) testifies together with this spirit (lower-case, ordinary soul) of our souls [ourselves] because we exist children of God .”

In this, the capitalized “Spirit” can only be known by a lower-case “spirit” (a “soul”), in order for it to “testify” or be a “witness” of that presence “together with” it, so two are one. The Greek word “summartureó” means “to testify or bear witness with,” implying “I bear witness together with.” (Strong’s) This must be seen as personal experience, so it is in no way hearsay evidence presented. This relates back to the left-right arrow, where the test of truth is personal experience, where knowledge makes one verifiable as a “witness.” It is not being told to believe something, when the only personal experience one has is with the one telling one to believe. To be able to “bear witness with” the “Spirit,” one must be a soul married to Yahweh, having received His “Spirit” in divine Baptism, so one has FAITH enough to “testify together with” that “Spirit.” This is what it means to be an Apostle (a word meaning “messenger,” where the message brought forth is the truth of Yahweh, from the Son).

This is then the proof that two joined as one are the “children of God,” “because we exist” two as one. Following the oneness of one’s soul with Yahweh’s “Spirit,” one’s soul then gives birth to the Son (the purpose of marriage is to make a child). Because this is a Spiritual marriage, the child born is the soul of Jesus resurrected in one’s soul. This rebirth in one’s soul is what makes one be a “son of God.” So, many souls all reborn as the same Jesus makes them all able to “testify together with our souls, because we exists as the children of God” … all named Jesus. All are the “sons of God.”

This then led Paul to write verse seventeen, where the Greek he wrote is this:

“ei de tekna , kai klēronomoi ,klēronomoi men Theou , synklēronomoi de Christou , eiper sympaschomen , hina kai syndoxasthōmen .”

This literally translates to state:

“for as much as now children , heirs , heirs truly of God , co-inheritors now of Christ , if so we suffer together with , so that kai we may be joined approvingly .”

Having ended verse sixteen telling that the union of the “Spirit” with the “spirit” (that is one’s soul) is what establishes the relationship that allows a soul to call Yahweh “Father.” As such, being “children of God” means one inherits eternal life. This can only come through this divine union and oneness. This becomes the truth of the left-right arrow being confirmed, when Paul wrote “heirs truly of God.” Only when one’s soul is possessed by Yahweh (the Genitive case “Theou”) can one inherit salvation.

When Paul wrote of being “co-inheritors now of Christ,” the Genitive case applied to “Christou” says one is possessed by Yahweh, which is evidenced by His “Spirit,” which is only given to His wife-souls. The word “Christ” is NOT the last name of Jesus. The word “Christ” is NOT singular because Yahweh is limited to one “Christ” (by some idiot human being that thinks that nonsense). David was a “Christ,” although the Hebrew word written in First Samuel says he was a “Messiah” (English translation of the Hebrew “mashiach,” with capitalization implied in English). The whole world could be “Christs,” if Yahweh so chose, Him having found all souls willing to marry Him and submit fully to His Will. What Paul is saying here is all who are truly resurrections of the Jesus soul in theirs, becoming “children of God” as Jesus reborn in all, those individually are granted salvation (the name “Jesus” means “Yahweh Saves”). Thus, as “co-inheritors of salvation, through Jesus,” each will have been “Anointed” (the meaning of “Christ”) by Yahweh, as His Son reborn.

In the Greek word “eiper,” which means “if perhaps,” implying “if indeed, if so,” while properly meaning “if it be so,” “if really,” “if indeed,” “if after all (since)” [Strong’s and HELPS Word-studies], the truth is confirmed when “we suffer together with” Jesus. Just as Jesus died on the cross to release his soul to resurrect in the souls of others [the Easter theme of being raised from the dead], so too does a soul have to equally “suffer death” and get “buried” in the past. There is no one who knows the truth written by Paul that says, “Jesus died on the cross so your sins can be redeemed.” Jesus died, so too do every other soul in flesh have to die of self-ego, so the death allows the soul of Jesus to resurrect within it. Dying of self-ego is necessary to submit one’s soul to Yahweh and be washed clean of all past sins by His “Spirit.” When Jesus comes into a cleansed soul, it will be as the new Lord over that dead soul and flesh, leading it to righteousness, so there will be no returning to sinful ways.

In the Gospels telling of Jesus suddenly appearing in the upper room, in their midst when the door was locked, that tells of the soul of Jesus suddenly appearing within each soul present in that room. Because Jesus had just died on a cross and had wounds that proved who he was, his soul amid each of the other souls caused them to likewise suffer as he had, so their bodies of flesh projected the same wounds Jesus’ body had. When they saw the nail holes in his hands, they saw them in their own hands. Likewise, the pierced side wound was present in each body of flesh in whom the soul of Jesus suddenly appeared. We are told by an angel, “Do not look for Jesus in an empty tomb, as he is risen.” Similarly, Jesus told the Sadducees that Yahweh “is a God of the living, not of the dead.” So, to suffer with Jesus is to known his wounds in one’s own flesh.

When Paul then wrote “so that,” that says one willingly submits oneself to the suffering of death … as one used to be … so the soul of Jesus can then be “joined approvingly” for eternity. The Greek word “syndoxasthōmen” matches the conditional of “for as much as” or “if,” by saying “one may join in approving” or “be glorified together.” In the use of the word “glorify,” this means to take on the “love” of Yahweh that was built into the Son. This says only a soul filled with the “glory” of Jesus will be judged by Yahweh as worthy of His heavenly realm. Thus, Yahweh approves a soul and the soul approves the presence of Jesus’ soul; and all live together happily forever and ever.

As an alternate reading selection, which will also be read in another season (so, not a one shot deal), the Easter purpose for this selection is to show Paul writing clearly what is required for salvation. One’s soul must be raised from the dead and possessed by Yahweh and His Son Jesus. There is no getting into heaven alone, through will-power. While the NRSV has translated these four verses so generically that no one will be led to self-sacrifice because of what they say was written, it is up to each individual soul to care about salvation, enough to take more than the three minutes the modern attention span is for religious studies and see for yourself what these verses say TO YOU! You are the one who will pay the price for doing nothing, based on others telling you, “It’s okay. I do nothing too. Jesus died for my sins. I believe that.” What’s another eighty year’s worth of repeating life in a new body of flesh to find out the truth?

John, Language, Teaching

John 14:8-17 (25-27) – Jesus having a ‘heart to heart’ with your soul

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Philip said to Jesus, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”

[“I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”]

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This is the Gospel selection that will be read aloud by a priest on Pentecost Sunday, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow a Frist Lesson, which will either be the mandatory Easter reading from Acts, or a selection from Genesis. If the Acts choice is first, then we will read, “[When pilgrims from all around the world heard Galileans speaking] in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”’ The Genesis selection (if chosen) will state, “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.” That will precede a singing of Psalm 104, where David wrote: “All of them look to you to give them their food in due season. You give it to them; they gather it; you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.” That will be followed by the New Testament reading, which will either be the Acts choice or one from Paul’s letter to the Romans. If the Acts selection is the First Lesson, then we will hear Paul saying, “if children [of God], then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ– if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”

In this last Sunday of the Easter season, where all Gospel readings have come from John’s Gospel, it is worthwhile to point out that John was not old enough to get drunk on Seder wine. Neither he nor Jesus (his father) had become drunk on wine; so, John wrote much more detail of the words Jesus spoke to his disciples at the second Seder meal and the time for singing songs and getting drunk afterwards. In the other three Gospels that tell of the ‘Last Supper,’ Matthew wrote nineteen verses about that dinner, before entering Gethsemane. Mark wrote twenty; and, Luke wrote thirty-two. Those three Gospels amass seventy-one total verses about this evening, before Jesus’ arrest at the place of the wine press. John, on the other hand, wrote five whole chapters, totaling one hundred fifty-five verses. His mind was lucid, while all the brains of the other adults involved (who wrote of their witness) were so dulled by alcohol that they wrote less than half as much as did John, with much of that written by the three being repetitive, adding little that is new. This says that John was sober; and, this reading selection begins with Philip being drunk on Seder wine, which prompted his tongue to wag freely, letting how little he knew prior be known then.

Verse eight begins this reading, omitting that which Jesus said prior, which motivated Philip to say, “Lord , show us the Father ¸ kai it satisfies us .” Here, the use of the word “kai” says John made it important to know that Philip spoke for all of the disciples (“us”), saying their being able to see Jesus’ “Father” was then necessary for them to truly know what Jesus meant, when he spoke of the “Father.” When Jesus spoke that word, the disciples heard it in the lower-case, as “father,” meaning their brains computed that relationship title with their own biological “fathers.” They also knew Joseph (the husband of Mary, and the “father” of James, Jesus’ half-brother) was dead; so, Philip was loosened by Seder wine (and the presence of Yahweh’s Spirit) to speak the truth: that all disciples questioned much of what Jesus said. They (when not drunk) were used to biting their tongues, when they heard Jesus say confusing things to them.

What Jesus said, stated in the unread verse seven, is this: “if you had perceived me , kai this Father of me could you have perceived ; away from at this moment you perceive him kai you have perceived him .” In this, the Greek pronoun “auton” is repeated twice. That word generally means “him.” It is the third-person singular possessive pronoun that also says “himself” or “him same,” with the element of “self” referring to a living spirit, as a “soul.” This means the depth of what Jesus had said is this: “if your soul [“you” or “yourself”] had perceived my soul [“me” or “myself”] , kai this Father of my soul [“me” or “myself”] could your souls [“yours” or “yourselves”] have perceived ; away from at this moment your souls [“you” or “yourselves”] perceive him [His Spirit] kai your souls [“you” or “yourselves”] have perceived him [His Spirit] .”

In that, when Jesus say “away from at this moment,” this is the drunken state that all the adults were in, which prompted Philip to speak freely. This is says the drunken state allowed the souls of the disciples and followers to cease seeing only in the physical, so they could glimpse the spiritual. When not drunk on Seder wine, Jesus said his disciples were ‘drunk’ on the Spirit of Yahweh that Jesus afforded them to be possessed by. That divine possession elevated their souls (much like alcohol does artificially), so through their mind’s eye they could see Yahweh on the face of Jesus. This is depicted in art as a halo that radiates out from the head. The disciples “perceived” there was something about Jesus that was godly, even though their normal eyes kept them from seeing the spiritual truth.

On a physical level that stated the truth, “away from at this moment you perceive him” says at that time in the disciples’ lives, they saw Jesus as separate from (and above) them. When they looked at Jesus, he was “away from” them. In the same externalizing of ‘holy men,’ the disciples ‘saw’ Yahweh (God) as “away from” them too. As such, they externalized Yahweh as the God of heaven, seeing heaven as some distant, unknown spot … like above the clouds, in outer space. What Jesus was telling them was, “When you see me, you see Yahweh, because I wear His face over my face. This is because ‘heaven’ is the divine Spirit of Yahweh within. Yahweh cannot be external, at any time.”

When Jesus then responded to Philip, saying “So much to time in company with your soul [“you” or “yourself”] I exist , kai not your soul [“you” or “yourself”] has perceived my soul [“mine” or myself”] ?” This says (when words like “hymōn,” “eimi” and “me,” along with the second-person attachment of “you”) that Jesus explained to Philip that their two souls had been joined since the beginning, when Jesus welcomed Philip as a disciple of his. That spiritual connection (an inward presence known) should have made it understandable to Philip who Jesus was.

That then moved Jesus to say, “this having perceived me has seen this Father ; by what means you say , Show me this Father ?” In this, John capitalized the Greek word “Deixon,” which divinely elevates the meaning intended by Jesus speaking that word, which means “to show,” while implying “I point out, show, exhibit; met: I teach, demonstrate, make known.” The divine elevation asked Philip “How does one make known the Father?” when the Father is clearly known to be Yahweh. This is Jesus asking all the disciples, “Do you not think I am the Son of Yahweh?” In that regard, it implies, “Don’t I resemble the Father, as His Son?”

In verse ten, Jesus asks the question that projected beyond Philip and beyond the human beings sitting in that room with Jesus, reaching the souls of everyone calling himself or herself a Christian today. His asking, “Not you have faith because I [your self-identity] within this Father , kai this Father within my soul exists ?” That asks the basic question of faith, which can only come from personal experience (the “I”) that knows the Father, because one’s soul has Yahweh within oneself. It is then the presence of Yahweh within Jesus (he is THE Yahweh elohim), so one’s soul knows Yahweh because one’s soul has the resurrection of the soul of Jesus within one, so one’s soul knows Yahweh through the Son. This question then asks us today, “What do you think the meaning of Christianity is? Some club you join and pay dues to be a member, without ever having to do anything more?”

Jesus then added, “these words that I [again, one’s self-identity] speak to your soul , away from my soul not I speak , this now this Father within my soul dwelling he causes these words of His Spirit .” This says that Jesus does not manufacture anything he says, as he only speaks what the Father leads him to say. This is then a clear statement of divine possession, where the soul of Jesus [a creation of Yahweh in Eden – as Adam] is totally possessed by Yahweh. For Jesus to have even one disciple, it would be for the same purpose of divine possession. So, by understanding that simple principle [and true believers have faith that souls possessed by demonic spirits were cleaned by the soul of Jesus speaking as Yahweh commanded to remove those spirit possessions], all true Christians will speak what the Father has Jesus say through their bodies of flesh, after having committed their souls to Him in divine union (possession willingly, as a marriage of two as one).

In this, it is important to realize that the Greek word “pisteuó” means “belief” and is translated as that. The word also means “have faith,” where there must be seen a difference between “belief” and “faith,” such that “belief” relates to physical functions of a brain [reason and rationale], whereas “faith” relates to a sense of feeling that goes beyond a need for a brain to justify it. This is the question Jesus asked to Philip being clarified, because it is an impossibility to prove Yahweh to a brain. However, when one has experienced the presence of Yahweh within, then one develops “faith,” which cannot be defined in physical terms.

As such, verse twelve has Jesus saying, “Truly , truly , I say to your souls , this having faith into my soul , these works that I [again, self-identity] do , kai he likewise he will do , kai greater than these he will do , because I [self-identity] advantageous for this Father am journeying .” In this, Jesus is making mention of the disciples having been given special talents in intern ministry, where they all performed deeds in the name of Jesus. They did them as “I,” which was the soul of Jesus within them. Jesus was next speaking about the future, when the apostles would do “greater works” than those of interns. This would then be when the apostles identify as Jesus reborn, so the soul of Jesus “goes” or “travels” in their bodies of flesh, which is “advantageous for” both “the Father” and the souls of the apostles. In short, when Jesus said “I for the Father am journeying,” that spoke not of his pending death [him going away to the Father, because the Father was already in him], but of the apostles’ pending ministry.

In verse thirteen, Jesus then continued, by saying “kai whatever you might ask within this name of my soul , this I will do , in order that he may be honored this Father within this Son .” This is led by the word “kai,” which says importance must be found in this greater ministry that will come “in the name of Jesus.” When the word “mou,” is stating the Genitive case (the possessive) that says one’s soul is ”of mine” or “of my soul,” says being “in the name” means two identify as one, with Jesus the dominant Lord and the host soul the submissive subject (a possession). When a soul “asks” for something to be done for another, then it will be Jesus (“I will do”) that Acts, in the body of the apostle-messenger-servant. It is then those Acts in the name of Jesus that will prove one has been “glorified” by the inward presence of the Love of Yahweh, which is the renown of His Son.

Here, the word “glorified” must be seen as more than some indefinable glow (the aura) that overcomes one. No one will ever come up to an apostle and ask, “What is the glow around your head?” prompting an apostle to respond, “Oh, that’s just my glory.” The Greek word “doxazó” means “to render or esteem glorious (in a wide application)” (Strong’s Definition), where that “wide application means it is near impossible to clearly define what “glory” or “glorified” means. I have written about this before; but to repeat now, “glory” is the love of Yahweh placed into His Son Adam (who is the Yahweh elohim that was created so “Yahweh Saves” souls, therefore his name is also “Jesus.” Thus, the simple and clear meaning of “glorified” is a soul having become one with the soul of Jesus, so “glory” means knowing the love of Yahweh [which is far beyond any human definitions of “love.”

In verse fourteen, Jesus then added by saying, “if a certain thing you petition my soul within this name of my soul , I [self-identity] will act .” In this, the NRSV translates the Greek word “ti” as if Jesus offered his apostles a blank check – “anything.” The word (wholly as “tis”) means “a certain one, someone, anyone,” while implying “any one, someone, a certain one or thing.” Just to be clear, Jesus did not promise any televangelists that they could cry crocodile tears, pleading before television cameras, “Jesus … PLEASE … in your holy name … JEEESUS … give me the money to buy a ninth personal private jet, to go along with my fifth mansion … that I need to do your work on earth.” Satan will grant that wish; but Jesus told his apostles, “if you ask for certain things or certain people, as a soul Jesus has been resurrected within … the truth of “in his name” … then Jesus will Act, while it appears a normal human being did those acts.

In verse fifteen, John recorded Jesus proposing another conditional scenario, this time writing a capitalized “Ean,” which becomes divinely elevated as a ‘Big IF.’ This should be read as establishing how Jesus said “if a certain thing you petition” is met. The “Big IF’ that all televangelists do not possess is the “love” that should [a conditional word, in the subjunctive mood] come into one’s soul as Jesus resurrected – “in my soul” [“me”]. “If” that “love” is within one’s soul, then “these commandments these mine you will keep.” This says the “love” of Yahweh that brings about a divine union between His Spirit and one’s soul will then bring the ”love” of Yahweh into one’s soul as the soul of Jesus resurrected. Because this is all relative to a divine marriage, the marriage vows are the Law, which will then be written upon the walls of a soul (one’s heart-center). The bond of “love” with Yahweh means always abiding by the Covenant agreement. Jesus comes within one’s soul to ensure those Laws are forevermore maintained. So, “If you love mine,” then you obey all commands. That is the obedience of a subservient wife to a most Holy Husband.

When the capitalized “If” of verse fifteen is assured and one keeps the commandments of Yahweh from “love,” then Jesus began verse sixteen (as John wrote) with the capitalized “Kagō,” which is a contracted word that combines “Kai” and “egó,” as an important statement of “I” (Jesus’ soul) being joined with another soul (the great importance of two in one). This verse then says literally, “Kai I will ask this Father , kai another Helper he will give your soul , in order that he may exist ⇔ « in company with your souls into this age » ,” Within this is a mathematical symbol, called a left-right arrow, where a statement of truth must be found. That truth is “he may exist,” which is the “Helper” sent by the Father, where that coming will last forever (“into this age”). In this, the “Helper” is the soul of Jesus resurrected within a soul possessing a body of flesh, made possible by the “Spirit” of Yahweh (divine marriage). The double angle brackets enclosing “in company with your souls into this age” makes that a statement of spiritual presence, not physical. Thus, Jesus will exist reborn into flesh, while the soul Jesus has been resurrected within will be forever joined with the Spirit of salvation to that soul.

Following the double angle bracket that ended verse sixteen, verse seventeen then has Jesus clarifying, “this Spirit of this of truth , which this world not it is able to take hold of , because not it perceives itself , nor knows it . your souls you know it same , because beside your souls it remains , kai within your souls it will exist .” This is Jesus answering Philip, telling him why he cannot “show him the Father.” The “Father” is as visible as is “the truth,” which can only be known when “this truth” takes possession of one’s soul, via the ”Spirit,” so the “truth” is known. The “world” becomes the generality of other human beings, whose souls are married to their physical bodies of flesh. Because the “Spirit” is not physical, it is impossible for the world to perceive it, Yahweh, or even their own souls, demons or ghosts.

In the last segments of this verse, Jesus used the third-person regularly to make it easier to call the “Spirit of this of truth” an “it,” rather than a separate entity, like a soul. Still, “it” can only be “perceived” when “it” is the “same” with one’s soul [“you” or “yourself”]. The Greek word “para” means “from beside, by the side of, by, beside,” where that is another statement that says two are joined as one. This presence “close beside” says “it” “remains” with “your souls” [“you” or “yourselves”]; and, John placed a “kai” to make it importantly be known that the intent of Jesus was to say “within your souls [“you” or “yourselves”] it will exist.”

At this point, the Episcopal Church skips forward eight verses, making verses twenty-five through twenty-seven optional for a priest to read. Part of the reason for the skip over and optional reading verses is verses twenty-three through twenty-nine are read on the sixth Sunday of Easter (just two weeks prior); so, they will not have been ignored. The reason for repeating these three verses (optionally) is Jesus refers for a second time to a capitalized “Paraklētos,” or “Helper” – the only two times that word is written in chapter fourteen [John is the only writer to use that word, writing it five times: four in his Gospel and once in his first letter]. This means the Church has made it possible for a priest (thus the congregation) to teach about this “Helper,” further clarifying it is the “Spirit” of Yahweh.

In verse twenty-five, John wrote of Jesus saying, “These words I have said to your souls , beside to your souls abiding .” This becomes a repeat of that said at the end of verse seventeen, where the same use of “para” says more than Jesus being in the same room with his disciples. When the word “hymin” (written twice) as the possessive pronoun plural, meaning “yourselves,” the element of “selves” should be seen as “souls.” Thus, Jesus is saying to his drunken disciples (who will not clearly remember these words to write them in their Gospels) spiritually the truth. The soul of Jesus is speaking with the souls of his disciples, with those souls being able to recall this conversation once they are fully resurrected as Jesus. That will be when their souls submit fully to Yahweh (not themselves, sacrificing their souls to His Spirit), so when Jesus’ soul is later resurrected within theirs, it will no longer be “beside” their souls (as a taste of Jesus within), but the Lord over their soul-body entities. At that time, Jesus will lead his apostles to do his Acts on earth, as their Spiritual Lord.

It is in verse twenty-six that Jesus repeated the word “Paraklētos,” with that full verse translating literally as this: “this now Helper , this Spirit this Sacred , this he will send this Father within this name of myself , that one your souls will direct all kai he will cause to remind your souls all that have said to your souls I [the self-identity that has Jesus within] .” Here, Jesus clearly said that his presence (partially) within the souls of his disciples – as a spirit presence “beside” theirs – was “this Helper.” It was the soul of Jesus extending from his place in his physical body into them and theirs, which was limited in how much Jesus could be divided and present partially in many others. Still, his presence as “this now Helper” was how the disciples could do miracles ‘in the name of Jesus,’ while in internship.

From that, Jesus further clarified this was only possible through “this Spirit,” which is the marriage of a soul to Yahweh. It is His “Spirit” that makes all things possible Spiritually. Souls are breathed into bodies of flesh by Yahweh; but His “Spirit” is what makes one become “Sacred, Holy, or Set apart by God.” Only when one’s soul has been cleansed of all past sins can one be deemed “Holy.” Here, it is vital to understand that the “Spirit” is not that to be deemed “Sacred” or “Holy,” as such a judgment becomes a lowly soul in just cleaned flesh casting judgment on the “Spirit” of Yahweh, which becomes judgment on Him. No human being has the authority to judge Yahweh, in any way; and, Yahweh will not tell Jesus: “Oh, I need some love today, so tell the apostle to deem me Holy.” The only thing that can be deemed “Sacred, Holy, or Set apart by God” is the soul in a body of flesh. It is the presence of Yahweh’s “Spirit” that makes that spiritual transformation take place, transfiguring a formerly lost and lowly soul on the earth plane into a Saint (as Jesus reborn). Thus, the repetition of the Greek article “ho” makes a soul in the flesh become “this.” It is “this Spirit” within a soul in the flesh that makes “this Sacred” on the earth.

In the third segment, Jesus is explaining that his soul can be sent into other souls partially by the power of Yahweh, “this Father.” The soul that is “named” “Yahweh Will Save” (the meaning of “Jesus”) can then be extended into countless other souls, because Yahweh is omnipotent. He has the ability to do anything Spiritually.

Jesus then said that his soul extended into theirs (“beside” their souls) was to “direct” them to act righteously, in “everything” they do. Here, Jesus importantly (from John writing the word “kai”) said his soul (extended into theirs by the hand of Yahweh) will “cause to remind” them spiritually of “everything” Jesus taught them Spiritually. Jesus has been their teacher – their Rabbi – so his lessons have been meant to be remembered. Rather than them needing to carry a book of notes (Things Jesus Taught), as reminders, Jesus told them the extension of his soul “beside” theirs was the “reminder” to act as Jesus, while interns in ministry.

In verse twenty-seven, Jesus then added, “Wholeness I permit to your souls ; joined together mine I [self-identity of Jesus] place to your souls ; not according as this world places , I offer to your souls . not he let be troubled of your souls this inner soul , nor he let it fear .” Here, twice Jesus spoke the word “Eirēnēn,” the first time capitalized and the second time in the lower-case. This is first a divinely elevated statement, where the routine translation is as “Peace” (when nobody can define that so all understand it … like “glorified”). The reality is the word means “Wholeness,” which relates back to John’s Revelation, where twice Jesus’ soul said he was “this Alpha,” which brings “Completeness” to the incomplete “Ὦ” (John wrote the letter symbol – capitalized). As such, the meaning of “omega” can be realized by the presence of Jesus within one’s soul – bringing about the “Great O” [“O mega”]. Thus, the second use is better stated as the intent of “joining together” two souls: that of Jesus and that of the host being saved by Yahweh.

The first-person presentation of “egō didōmi” (where forms of “didómi” are written twice) can translate as “I give,” but the word implies also “I offer; I put, place.” In that regard, it is not so much a gift (as “give”) but an opportunity for “Wholeness” to be gained. Thus, the presence of Jesus’ soul in one’s soul is an “offer” for salvation. That means it is then up to that soul to take that “offer” and produce the Acts that justify salvation. This is then why the soul of Jesus is “put” or “placed” within one’s soul. That can only come after one’s soul has been Baptized by the “Spirit” of Yahweh and made sin free, as one “Sacred” to receive the soul of Jesus.

When the Greek word “kardia” is written, this is routinely translated as “heart.” That is wrong, when one understands that Jesus is speaking to his disciples about spiritual matters. Since a “heart” is a physical organ – one that affords a body of flesh continued life (for as long as the “heart” pumps blood) – the metaphor of a “heart” is viable as “mind, character, inner self, will, intention, center.” (Strong’s Usage) This means the “heart” is the “inner self,” where (again) a “self” equals a “soul.” The “world” only has “hearts” of flesh, which give out over time; so, the promise of receiving the soul of Jesus means the “fear” of death has been removed. While the flesh will certainly give out and die, the soul has been offered eternal salvation. Therefore, Jesus will afford one’s soul the everlasting life of a spiritual “heart.”

As a Gospel selection to be read aloud on Pentecost Sunday, by a priest standing in an aisle (when fear of airborne diseases do not close the churches), this reading from John strongly states the raised from the dead theme. We read Jesus speaking to his drunken disciples, who reflect the drunken souls of those calling themselves ‘Christians,’ when they have never been taught the whole truth. The syntax limitation used to turn Greek into English makes it most difficult to hear the truth being told in these words written by John. It is clear, when one stops letting “you” be some generic and meaningless pronoun, so one refuses to hear “your souls” being repeatedly stated. Jesus was not talking to drunks. He was talking to souls, as the soul created by Yahweh to Save other souls. One must sober up and hear the truth of this divine message, so one can marry one’s soul to Yahweh and give birth to His Son within one’s own soul.