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Genesis, Language, Teaching

Genesis 3:8-15 – The serpent and its tricks still working after all the years

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They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.” The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,

cursed are you among all animals

and among all wild creatures;

upon your belly you shall go,

and dust you shall eat

all the days of your life.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

and between your offspring and hers;

he will strike your head,

and you will strike his heel.”

——————–

This is the ‘track 2’ optional Old Testament selection to be read aloud on the second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 5), Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. If chosen, it will precede the singing of Psalm 130, where a lyric is: “If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, O Lord, who could stand?” Those readings will then introduce the Epistle selection from second Corinthians, where Paul wrote: “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from Mark, where Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”

It should be noted that this Sunday is the only place in the lectionary schedule of readings where either the 1 Samuel choice or this from Genesis 3 will ever be read. Since there will be no time when both will be read on the same day, there is a chance that favoritism can lead a priest to choose one over the other, meaning the one not chosen may never be read aloud in certain churches. The lectionary creation of track 1 and track 2 options, which combine Old Testament and Psalms together as pairs, should be followed for an entire Ordinary after Pentecost season, meaning if track 2 is chosen on this second Sunday, then track 2 must be the choice every Sunday when an option is presented.

I have found that the way to view Genesis chapters two and three is as recognizing the metaphor of the divine, when it is presented in a worldly setting. The symbolism is heaven on earth, where the scenes of Adam and Eve and a serpent are more than the limitations of most ancient individuals. They are projections of all human beings ever after, who are heaven and earth together, as souls in bodies of flesh.

Moses was not capable of knowing anything about what happened in the history of Yahweh, before he was born and matured to have a brain that could have studied such history. Moses was a soul in a body of flesh who had married Yahweh and become divinely knowledgeable of this history; and, as the wife of Yahweh, his soul was shown what later became the stories of the Torah that predate the historical record of the Israelites who were led by Moses. Thus, all that was shown Moses is the truth; but that truth can be seen as projecting a spiritual presence in the worldly realm, in ways that reflect normal human existence [anthropomorphism].

This means that “man” [“hā·’ā·ḏām”] was not the first male human being, as those were created by the “elohim” on day six. The “man” Christians love to call ‘Adam’ was made on the seventh day – the day Yahweh designated as “holy.” Since there have been no other ‘days’ written of in the Scriptures of Moses, the world is still in the ‘seventh day’ today. Since scientists have ‘proven’ the world was created over billions of years ago [calculated as complete circuits of the sun around planet earth], the first ‘six days’ means a ‘day’ is a very long time. Nothing close to a very long time has passed since it became the “seventh day,” which God blessed as holy. Therefore, “man” called ‘Adam’ was the first ‘Holy man,’ whose presence on earth would begin knowledge of the spiritual realm being present on earth.

In this story, we also read about “the woman” [“hā·’iš·šāh”], who Christian brains love to call ‘Eve.’ The Hebrew word that tells of her is “ishshah,” which means “woman, wife, female.” (Strong’s) It must be understood that “ishshah” was also made by the hand of Yahweh, where the element of a “rib” [“tsela”] is relative to the sex chromosome of “man,” which is “XY.” One of those ‘ribs’ was duplicated, as “XX,” so “man” was recreated as “woman.” Both “man” and “woman” were exactly the same, except one had a penis and one had a vagina. When they were created and when they lived happily in Eden, they were born immature, therefore children of neuter gender. This means “man” and “woman” were incapable of reproducing; and, as divine creations of Yahweh, placed in a surreal setting that was heaven on earth, there was no need for immortal creations from the hand of Yahweh to need to reproduce.

This brings us to chapter three, where the “serpent” [“nachash”] tricks “woman.” In Genesis 3:1 [not read aloud today] is written: “Now the serpent was more cunning,” from “wə·han·nā·ḥāš hā·yāh ‘ā·rūm.” In that, the Hebrew verb “hayah” is translated as “was,” but this must be seen as a statement of “being” that in relative to those ancient times. The “serpent’s” state of being “was” how the “serpent” had “fallen out, came to pass, became, be.” (Strong’s) Thus, the “serpent” had also been made by the hand of Yahweh and given traits that made it “be crafty, shrewd, sensible” [from “arum”]. This should be recognized as the gift of intelligence or higher brain cognitive abilities. This then set the “serpent” on a higher level of intelligence “than any beast of the field.”

That designation is stated in the Hebrew of Moses as “mik·kōl ḥay·yaṯ haś·śā·ḏeh,” where the roots – “kol chay sadeh” – say, “all alive on earth” [more than “any beast of the field”]. This includes all the animals “man” had named; and, it included all the human beings that ran around earth like cavemen and cavewomen, along with “holy man” and “holy woman” counted in that number. The “serpent” was more cunning than them all.

Because “man” had learned to name animals and had learned to know what not to eat from the garden, even having the intellectual ability to teach “woman” the same rules, the ability to think is not what the “serpent” possessed. Yahweh gave the “serpent” the ability to influence thoughts in “mankind” [an acceptable translation for “adam”]. This is because “cunning” means “showing skill in achieving one’s ends by deceit or evasion.” When the most of this kind of intelligence, there would have been no one capable of knowing the “serpent” fibbed all the time.

Added to that statement that says the “serpent was more cunning than all living on earth,” the segment that follows says, “that had made Yahweh elohim.” In this is found one of the nine references to “Yah-weh” made in Genesis 3, with all nine adding “elohim” to His name. In Genesis 1, there were no references whatsoever to “Yah-weh,” but thirty-two references to “elohim,” all of which have been translated to teach readers of the Christian English Bibles – “God” created everything – because “elohim” [“gods”] has been written as “God.” Thus, when finding “Yahweh elohim” written in Genesis 3, the same translators have to still refer to “elohim” as “God,” making “Yahweh” translate as “Lord,” or “the Lord God” [“Yahweh elohim”]. If that was the truth, then why wasn’t the first day of Creation also “holy”?

The answer is “Yahweh” means “Yahweh,” the “Only One God” and “elohim” are the “gods” created by Yahweh to make things for Him, at His command. This makes “elohim” be “all alive on earth,” simply because “alive” means having a soul. Therefore, all “elohim” are “spirits” [including souls] that can be called little-g “gods,” simply because they are eternal sources of life that animates bodies of flesh on earth. That says “all beasts of the land” have souls; but only “man” and “woman” [the “Day six” and “Day seven” varieties] have brains that think better than “all the others” [except the “serpent”]. That is why the “gods” [at the unwritten command of Yahweh] gave “man” [“male and female they made them”] dominion over everything on earth; and, it is why Yahweh allowed “holy man” to name all the animals [including the “serpent”].

It is so important to realize this, as the “serpent” did not just crawl out of a hole in the ground and create itself. It was made by the hand of God, as a spirit of life that was given the talent of influence.

In an Education for Ministry course I enrolled in [the only one – the first – which presented the Old Testament], when we discussed the ‘fall from grace’ I made the basic observation: “God knew Adam and Eve would sin.” A woman [raised Roman Catholic, converted to Episcopalianism] screamed out, “How could God know that!?!?” I responded, “Because God is omniscient.”

This is how the presentation of the story of ‘Adam and Eve’ is told in human terms, where it seems Yahweh is just like our parents, who have no clue about all the dirty little secrets us children hide from them. Thus, that woman read the story of Genesis 3 with the basic mind of a child, as if she were “holy woman” being tricked by the big, bad snake in the grass. If Genesis 3 were a Disney movie and she was in the theater it was being shown, she probably would shout at the screen, “Don’t listen to him Eve!” The theatrics overtake the truth.

It must be with this insight that one sees “woman.” She was destined to be influenced by the “serpent;” and, Yahweh knew this would lead “man” to follow suit, as he and “woman” were of the same physical make-up (other than the different sex organs that they had). In this, verse 8 says, “in the garden at the time of the evening breeze.” This has come from the Hebrew that states, “bag·gān lə·rū·aḥ hay·yō·wm,” which has roots in “gan ruach yom,” or “enclosure spirit day.”

While this gives an idyllic image of some giant walking, so the sound of giant footsteps are heard as evening has come, the truth written says the “spirit contained within” [not “evening of day in the garden”]. Both “man” and “woman” – those made on the “seventh day” – “heard” Yahweh’s vibrations in their souls [the “ruach” of “breath”]. There is nothing stated that says “evening” has come. One should imagine that there is never any darkness in the “garden of Eden, as that is where “Yahweh’s souls” [“Yahweh elohim”] live. If anything, the timing would be the dawning of judgment that was about to come.

When the translation of verse 8 states, “the man and his wife hid themselves,” this is false and misleading. The Hebrew states “hā·’ā·ḏām wə·’iš·tōw,” where it is still “man and woman,” where they must be seen as still children, albeit those having reached the equivalent stage of puberty. The translation of “woman” as “wife” implies that “man” and “woman” were married in a sexual way, where propagation was the reason. Neither of the two had any idea about sexual intercourse or the need to make babies, as at that time they were still living souls in the place that reflected heaven on earth. Therefore, they were still immortal creature – without any age attached to immortality – although the time had come when both physical bodies had matured to the point of having their eyes opened to the arousal that comes from realizing another’s nakedness. That is what caused them to cover themselves; but, both were still virgins.

In verse 11, Yahweh asked two questions, which are interrelated. The first is, “Who told you that you were naked?” That says the immediate response to “man’s” claim that he and “woman” were hiding, because they were” naked” [“erom”] was the first indication that anything physically had changed in their bodies. More than “woman” starting to display breasts, the “man” would have a quite obvious erection that would need to be covered. This realization would have been absolutely unique, if neither “man” nor “woman” had ever seen the animals of Eden go into heat or mate [heavenly beasts would also have no need to reproduce]. To realize they were having sexual urges that needed to be masked or covered says nothing in the “garden” [“enclosure”] needed to reproduce, as all were “elohim” or the souls reflective of physical creatures on earth, outside of that “enclosure.”

This means the immediate follow-up question: “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” made the first question rhetorical, as Yahweh knew the answer to both questions, having planned for this event to occur. This brings up the bigger issue that is relative to Genesis 2, which is the “two trees in the center of the garden.” The first of those was the “tree of life” [“wə·‘êṣ ha·ḥay·yîm” – from “ets chay”]; and, the second was the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” [“wə·‘êṣ had·da·‘a ṭō·wḇ wā·rā‘” – from “ets daath towb ra’”]. This duality must be realized as the tree of soul [life] and the tree of flesh [intellect and pleasure]. Because “man” and “woman” covered themselves from self-awareness [knowledge] and therefore knew they had broken a rule [sin of pleasure], they had naturally transitioned both of themselves from immortal spirits to human forms with souls. They ate from the tree of common “mankind,” turning away from spiritual “man” and spiritual “woman.”

When Genesis 2:17 has Yahweh giving instructions to “man” that said, “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die,” the certainty of death was not instant. Because “man” and “woman” were immortal creations of the seventh ‘day’ and not normal cave dwellers that routinely reproduced, like normal animals on earth, Yahweh promised them that they would never face mortality, unless they chose to break the one law that forever kept them immortal. Once that law was broken, there could be no turning back and undoing a wrong. Forgiveness of that sin was impossible.

This “sin” is then the rule that applies to all human beings, for all times, saying: “You must not worship the physical realm or your soul will forever find mortality its redemption [reincarnation].” It is solidly reflected in the First Commandment that says, “You shall not wear the face of anyone other than Yahweh’s face” [including your own face]. It says no sinners can ever be allowed to enter into heaven.

This is why Jesus told Nicodemus [last Sunday’s Gospel reading]: “No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.” the “man” who was God’s only begotten “Son” was here on the verge of Yahweh’s judgment that would have him “descend from heaven.” Nine hundred thirty solar years later, the divine soul of ‘Adam’ would ascend to heaven, having never forgotten the lessons of the Father, teaching his sons to be priests of Yahweh. His soul paid the price of ignorance, never sinning again; and, that soul was returned to assist Yahweh’s development of religion multiple times, including an incarnation named Jesus.

The death of “man” would then come after he had been banished from Eden – after nine hundred thirty years (a sign of having been made by the hand of Yahweh Himself). Seeing that time span as beginning when ‘Adam’ was a mature creature, estimated to be around the earthly equivalent of eighteen years of age, one can estimate that one-fifth of his flesh’s development occurred while technically still immortal. That means the body of ‘Adam’ existed for 232 earth years, while he was in Eden. It took that much time [time does not exist in the spiritual realm] just to reach an physical stage of development that made reproduction able. ‘Eve,’ on the other hand, was made after Yahweh had made ‘man,” so if she was the equivalent of thirteen when banished, she would have only existed in Eden for a little more than 167 earth years. This is where the “serpent” comes in, as the influencer of “woman,” not “man.”

While both ‘Adam” and ‘Eve’ were going through natural biological changes, due to the fact that Yahweh had made them male and female for the purpose of mating, that coupling could not take place in the immortal realm. The “serpent” was therefore programmed [so to speak] by Yahweh to monitor that biological development and influence them when biological maturity was reached. Whereas, it would have been inevitable that both “man” and “woman” had interactions with the “serpent” over the time that all were placed in the enclosure together [“man” would have named it “serpent”], there could have been times when the “serpent” assessed “man’s” sexual development and coaxed him to touch himself in certain places. While “man” had most likely experienced temptations to experience self-pleasure, there would never have been any breakdown of his commitment to go against the one Law that could not be broken. Pleasing the body [the tree of knowledge of pleasure and pain] would never become more important than pleasing Yahweh [the tree of Spirit]. That would not be the case when it came to ‘woman’s” maturation; and this relates back to the “X-factor” of ‘Adam’s rib.’

The “Y-factor” of a sex gene reflects the tree of life. This is why all that is heavenly spiritual is masculine in essence, made by the hand of the Father – Yahweh. The “X-factor” of a sex gene then reflects the tree of knowledge of good and evil, as it becomes the femininity of all that is material in nature [the ‘stuff’ of the universe]. Thus, because ‘Adam’ had the “Y-factor” in his being, he was the Son of Yahweh; but, because he too had the “X-factor” rib in his genetic make-up, he was the Son of man, where mankind is all born of flesh in the material realm. ‘Eve,’ being an all-feminine form of “man,” was made only for satisfying the reproductive needs of the Son of man. Therefore, it would be that inbred weakness that allowed a seed of thought to penetrate her resistance to outside influences and be the first to break the Law.

Everything must be seen in the light of “elohim” having created the universe, not Yahweh directly. Human beings had been made and given dominion over all that lived on the earth; but they were made in the image of the “elohim.” Yahweh has no form, as He is only masculine Spirit. Yahweh made “man,” and then “woman from “man,” in the image of the “elohim” created and commanded by Yahweh. Because Yahweh knew worldly human beings [all alive temporarily, as souls giving life to dry bones] knew nothing of the demands of returning their breaths [souls] to the heavenly realm [salvation, versus reincarnation]. They needed to be taught about Yahweh and the Law [the First Commandment]. That means a “holy man” and a “holy woman” would have to be sent into the world, knowing firsthand the demands of Yahweh.

In essence, Yahweh created Satan, when He made the “serpent” the “craftiest.” The “serpent” is an eternal spirit, who is now the trickster of all humanity. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the two spirits spoke to one another as if they had a history together. Satan was not an angel, just as the leviathan and the seraph, both of which are spiritual “serpents” that are neither physical entities nor angels. While Yahweh gave this eternal spirit the gift of influence and set it free in Eden, He did so with the sole purpose of it evolving into a spirit that would misuse a divine gift and lead His children to turn their backs on immortality, choosing the selfishness of the mortal realm. Thus, Yahweh knew he must forever banish that influencer to only be allowed to prey on souls in bodies of flesh the material realm, as a spirit that would unite with those souls, influencing their flesh as his own.

Still, this presence in the material realm, as a spirit, could be commanded by Yahweh to serve His need, above all others. As such, Yahweh condemned the “serpent” to never escape the physical universe, never again to return to the heavenly realm. The angels of Yahweh [there are levels, from cherub to archangels] are able to visit the souls who have been possessed by the divine Spirit [the “serpent” commanded to do Yahweh’s bidding]. The angels take the holy messages from above.

When Yahweh commanded that the “serpent” would forever [“all his days”] be “on his belly,” this is less about the loss of arms or legs and more about being placed in a position of subservience. It is a posturing that must feel the ground of the material realm, with all its being. It was symbolic of Cain’s “countenance falling,” where his focus was then placed upon the world, not on pleasing Yahweh in heaven. Because the “serpent” would always be laying “on his belly,” all eyes looking downward could be influenced by him. As such, Yahweh told Cain: “Sin crouches at your doorway.” The aspect of “eating dust’ is then the condemnation that the only flesh the evil “serpent” could “consume” would be that of souls turned away from Yahweh, whose flesh would always return to the “dust” of dry bones.

When verse 15 is translated to state: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel,” this is returning one’s brain to the story that is metaphor, not reality. The aspect of “woman,” as read in “I will put enmity between you and the woman,” needs to be seen in the “XX” genetics of the physical realm. Instead of “woman,” the “hostility placed” [“put enmity”] will be between human beings [the femininity of soul-body life forms] and an evil influencing spirit that cohabitates [demonic possession] with weak souls. This hostility will be born into multiple personalities that are the “offspring” or “seeds” of thought that will prohibit souls from returning to the heavenly realm [until divinely cast out].

The aspect of “striking” [from “shuph,” meaning “bruise, overwhelm”] means the influence will be to take control of a brain [“head”], while resistance to that possession will mean a human being taught [by religion] to stomp on evil’s head [with a “heel”]. It means “knowledge of good and evil” is necessary for that duality to happen. Therefore, “man” and “woman” born of Yahweh were necessary to teach the world about Yahweh; but the “serpent” was further sent to become a necessary influencer that mislead souls. To know Yahweh, one must first know sin, so badly that one sincerely cries out for His help. This is necessary, so only those souls who became “Y-factor” Sons [not human gender specific] are allowed to return to Eden.

As a track 2 reading option for the second Sunday after Pentecost, when personal ministry should be underway, the deep metaphor of this lesson is doubtful to ever be truthfully taught. Few realize the murderer Cain would be the first minister of the “serpent” Satan. Cain would beget a lineage that would become the opposite of that created by Adam, through Jesus, onto all present-day Apostles. Cain’s lineage can be seen sprouting up in Ishmael and Esau [among others], who claim to worship the same God [another name than Yahweh]. Churches that are led by community organizers and social reformers, condemning their souls by falsely claiming to be “in the name of Jesus Christ,” are leading pewples to ruin, like the Pied Piper of Hamlin stole away with the children of the people.

One must be led to see the truth that Genesis 3 tells. One must see this necessary evil as all being part of Yahweh’s plan. Our souls are His property, but it is that pesky tree of knowledge of good and evil that we need to stop bowing down before. No Church is ever going to lead a soul to heaven. All Churches lay on their bellies and will always remain the dust of the material realm, because a Church is only a brick and mortar building. All souls bowing down before such a belly place are led by the religion[s] created by Cain, the offspring of the ‘serpent.”

2 Corinthians, Language, Teaching

2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 – The truth has no need to change with the times

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Just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke” —we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

——————–

This is the Epistle reading selection that will be read aloud on the second Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow either a track 1 or a track 2 selection as an Old Testament and Psalm pairing. If track 1 is chosen, then a reading from 1 Samuel will be read, which says: “We are determined to have a king over us, so that we also may be like other nations, and that our king may govern us and go out before us and fight our battles.” That will be followed by a singing of Psalm 138, which says: “Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly; he perceives the haughty from afar.” If track 2 is chosen, the there will be read aloud verses from Genesis 3, which states: “[Yahweh] said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” That will be followed by Psalm 130, which sings: “With him there is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.” All choices will accompany the Gospel reading from Mark, where Jesus said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come.”

In this reading of Paul’s second letter to the Christians of Corinth, he states some standard aspects of a soul’s marriage to Yahweh and the subsequent abilities that come to one being sent into ministry. While the above translation into English does make paraphrases and chooses weaker word choice in translations that hide the deeper message, the basic message can still be seen. It is important to realize that divine language comes from the Godhead, not from the brain of an Apostle. Thus, the words written by Paul are spoken by Yahweh; as that is the way of divine ministry.

In verse 13 is the use of the Greek word “auto,” which has been translated as “same.” This word means, “(1) self (emphatic) (2) he, she, it (used for the third person pronoun) (3) the same.” (Strong’s) Because the Greek word translated as “spirit” is in the lower case [“pneuma”], the lower case reflects the “breath” of life [“ruach” in Hebrew], which is a “soul,” but acceptable as “life.” This makes the use of “auto” also be reflecting how “self” is the life animating flesh, which is a “soul.” Thus, the first segment of words in verse 13 says, “Possessing now this soul breath [of life] of this of faith.”

In that, the first word is a capitalized “Echontes,” which is the present participle of “echo,” meaning “I have, hold, possess.” The capitalization raises the word “Having” to a divine level of intent, such that a holy “Possession” is in place within Paul’s “soul spirit.” It must be seen that without this “Possession” by Yahweh’s Spirit, the best Paul could attain [as a Jew] would be “belief. However, due to this capitalized word, the Greek word “pisteōs” is properly translated as “of faith.”

The second and third segments of words written then say: “kata to gegrammenon : Episteusa”. This literally says, “according to that having been written : I believed”. That “having been written” is certainly appropriate to translate, meaning the Hebrew texts of “scripture;” but Paul is stating here that he had been raised as a Jewish child, taught to read and memorize all “that having been written.” As a “soul spirit” that had not yet found Yahweh “Possessing” that “soul,” he “believed” what he was taught to believe. Thus, following a colon mark, Paul wrote the capitalized first person aorist version of “pisteōs,” which is properly translated as “believed.” The capitalization of that word then raises the first person – “I” – to that “spirit of ego” that possessed Paul’s soul [when Paul was named Saul].

When Paul then followed that statement of personal beliefs, based on his brain’s interpretation of “that having been written,” he stated (again in the first person): “I have spoken.” This must be seen as Paul acting as a reflection of all Jews who strongly “believe” the texts they have to guide them. They all believe the scriptures are indeed holy. Still, what Paul “spoke” then, as a Jew named Saul, was condemnation of Christians. They did not believe in the same way as did Saul. Therefore, speaking for “self”-interests does not speak for Yahweh. For that to happen, one’s “soul spirit” must be found through being Yahweh’s “Possession” – His wife.

Paul then wrote two segments of words using the word “kai.” The first begins with that indicator that importance should be found in his stating, “we believe.” The “we” states the unity of religion that becomes the same reason for “belief” [from the form of “pisteōs” that is now “pisteuomen”]. Here, again, “belief” is the translation, as all Jews make up a religion by birth alone, taught the same Hebrew texts. Thus, Paul wrote “dio kailaloumen,” where the importance of “speaking” about “belief” is the same result of one’s religion that is shared by all Jews.

In that, the uses of “kai” are then necessary to realize the same generality of “belief,” for all associated by the religion called Judaism, becomes importantly elevated to “faith,” when the commonality of all to whom Paul wrote were just like him. The importance is then “we possessing faith,” where in turn, they importantly “speak” what Yahweh leads them to “speak” in ministry. While a normal Jew might be compelled to say something in a synagogue, or tell his children it is important to memorize scriptures and psalms, it is on a higher plane that one teaches others how to come to possess faith, when they speak.

Verse 14 is then translated to say, “because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus.” This is actually two segments of words, where the first literally translates to state: “knowing that he having raised up this Lord Jesus.” There, two capitalized words are written back-to-back – “Kyrion Iēsoun”. The error of the translation comes from it presenting “Lord Jesus” as if that were one title for one man. That misleads.

The real intent of “Kyrion” is to relate back to the third person “he,” such that “he” is Yahweh and Yahweh is the “Lord” of all the Christian souls to whom Paul wrote [including himself]. The aspect of “having raised up” is not a reference to a man none of them had ever known personally, where there could never become anything more than “belief,” from a story that Jesus had been raised from death. That is because none of them knew that to be the truth, from personal experience. What they did know [from “eidotes” – “knowing”] is Yahweh [the “Lord”] had “raised up” within their soul-flesh the soul of “Jesus.” This says Paul and other true Christians were all “Jesus” reborn.

This is confirmed in the following segment of words, which begins with the word “kai.” That literally translates to say, “kai us together with will raise up Jesus kai will stand together with you.” In that, the Greek word “hēmas” is correctly translated as “us,” but here it must be realized the word is the plural number of “egó,” which states a collective of “I.” Because Paul used two “kais” in what becomes a combined segment, the second use is found preceding the reference to “you” [a plural, as “yourselves” or “you souls”]. This then makes it important to see “us” and “you” are combined, intended to be seen as the joint “Possession” of Yahweh’s Spirit. This means each of the Christians in Corinth was an “us,” which was a “self soul” merged with the “soul of Jesus.” It is then the “raised” soul of “Jesus” that will be “presented together with you.” This is then how one is able to “stand together with” all others who are sent into ministry for Yahweh, a collection of resurrected Jesuses.

Verse 15 is then translated to say, “everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” In that, the word translated as “for the sake of” [“dia”] is better translated as “on account of.” That subtle change allows one to see that the “Possession” by Yahweh is never forced upon any soul. A soul must submit to Yahweh in marriage, which means agreeing to the wedding vows [the Covenant] before saying, “I do.” Thus, all coming from that marriage becomes the result of one’s own decision of commitment.

The “increase thanksgiving” is then the growth that comes from “self souls” making that commitment to Yahweh; and, their obedience to go forth as His messengers [definition of an apostle] makes them be seen s His wives in marriage. That means “more and more people” were marrying their souls to Yahweh {becoming His “Possessions”], so more and more Jesuses were expanding the ministry the Yahweh had begun, by sending one man as the seed of ministry. All of that movement [called Christianity] was because Yahweh [“Theou”] had made His “glory” become the “honor” of saints in the world, in His name [Jesus = “Yah[weh] Will Save].

Verse 16 then begins with a statement that says, “On which account not we lose heart,” where the Greek word “enkakoumen” more accurately says, “ we become faint” or “we become weary” [“not” added separately]. This says importantly, via the capitalization of “Dio,” that “On which account” means a divine level of assistance that keeps one forever strong in service to Yahweh.

The translation that follows, saying “Even though our outer nature is wasting away,” is poorly stated. The literal shows the presence of the word “kai,” which follows an introduction that says “on the other hand if.” Because this strength is dependent on a soul’s decision to serve Yahweh totally and completely, the “if” restates this as a condition of commitment that must be first met. This condition is then stated as important by “kai,” with this following: “the exterior of us mankind is being brought to decay.” This states two things, which is based on the conditional.

First, “if” one has not committed one’s soul to marriage with Yahweh, then the outer body of flesh will cause to decay [or “corrupt”] the soul. When the death of the flesh comes, the soul will be returned to new flesh [reincarnation], where the outer body will again cause the same decay of soul [as the body of mankind leads to corruption]. Second, “if” one’s soul has been submitted to Yahweh, then the influence of the outer flesh will decay, until it no longer has any control over a brain. The inner self will then command the body to do all the work that Yahweh demands, which is the “if” of never getting weakened or faint in one’s ability to “stand” for Yahweh.

This is the meaning of the translation that says, “our inner nature is being renewed day by day.” Still, in that, the uses of “day by day” are actually written “hēmera kai hēmera,” where “day” is first stated, followed by emphasis being placed on seeing the importance of what “day” means. This says the “light” of truth will never turn to darkness. Darkness [symbolized by “night”] leads to doubts and fears. Those weaken one’s resolve and stamina. However, when committed to serving Yahweh, as seen through a marriage of “Possession,” then one’s life will never again be surrounded by darkness.

Verse 17 then says, “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure.” This is written by Paul in two segments of words, with the first stating: “that indeed momentary of little burden of this tribulation of us.” This needs to be seen as the difficulties that will “immediately” [from “parautika”] present themselves, through the “persecutions” [from “thlipseōs”] that will come from other Jews. Because of the strength supplied by the Spirit of Yahweh, along with the soul of Jesus being merged with one’s normal soul, all such resistance will be “slight” or “lightness,” as “of little burden.” All that applied in the times of Paul can equally apply today, as “persecution” of the righteous never goes out of style.

The second segment of words in this verse then says, “according to superiority into surpassing excellence an eternal weight of glory is producing for us.” In that, the repletion of “hyperbolēn eis hyperbolēn” says the deep truth of “that having been written” becomes a much “superior” understanding than the ‘professional’ lawyers have ever known. This knowledge will be within one’s being, without any need to do anything more than allow the Mind of Christ to lead one’s understanding. This means the most ‘simple’ people can have knowledge that far exceeds that of the ‘professionals,” bringing about great resistance. This too never goes out of style. However, the ability to stand up to all resistance means the reward of eternal life in heaven is promised.

Verse 18 then begins by stating this, as “because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen.” Here, “what can be seen” is the physical writings of “that having been written.” The ‘professionals’ have seen the same marks on parchment that the scrolls contain, as have the commoner of a religion. This means all of “belief” comes from the same ability to see words and express belief that the words are holy. Still, the separation comes from thinking one knows what the words mean, when thinking is not the same as “knowing.” Because Yahweh is the author of all divine text [told to prophets who recorded His words], that which has purposefully been hidden from the wise and the intelligent is known by those who are “Possessed” by Yahweh and have true faith [proverbial “babes” or “children”].

The second segment of words in verse 18 then is translated to say: “ for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.” This is actually two separate statements of truth, separated by a semi-colon. The first says, “these indeed being seen temporary,” where “temporary” becomes a reference to changing times – as “temporal.” This is true for all people of faith and belief, such that one of faith can be led by Yahweh to see the truth that is most applicable at the “moment.” At other times, the same words can add deeper insight that ties the previous with the later, as all being deep truth. On the other hand, those of simple “belief” [not souls married to Yahweh] will change the meaning of “that having been written” to suit their needs, as times change. This means they support their own corruptions by misusing divine text.

The second statement is then saying, “these now not being seen eternal.” This fully supports what I just wrote, as those of belief do not firmly stand by “that having been written” as truly divine, as coming from Yahweh. They tend to think the prophets were using their brains to write their opinions, when old brains are never as great as current brains. Present man [“now”] is always smarter than ancient man. One of true faith, however, is “not seeing” by physical terms, so the times never amend the text. The same text is eternally adjusting to the times, so it equally applies at all times. This is the beauty of the Mind of Christ, which is connected to the Godhead.

For some reason, the Episcopal Church has decided to add the first verse from the next chapter to this reading selection. While that verse is also truth, the change of chapter means a change of focus. Any transitional verbiage that connects the two must be found in the translation that says: “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” In that, “the earthly tent” is the “tabernacle” that is a body of flesh. It has been “destroyed” by a commitment to Yahweh. One’s body no longer serves as the temple of self, because the Spirit of Yahweh within has made it the kingdom of God. Everything Paul wrote can be attributed to his soul having become “built by the hand of God.”

As the Epistle reading selection for the second Sunday after Pentecost, Paul is always a good source for telling what ministry for Yahweh requires. It demands faith, more than belief, with faith being the natural result of personal experience of Jesus being resurrected within one’s flesh, alongside one’s soul. Everything is based on one’s own decision, as one can serve self or one can serve Yahweh, but not both at the same time. Ministry means understanding the truth of “that having been written,” because memorization is only good for telling people what they want to hear, always changing with the times. So, religion becomes big business by doing that, because people pay a Church to save their souls, rather than marrying Yahweh. True ministry stands up to rejection, without fail. The reward that comes from withstanding persecution is eternal life with Yahweh. Failure means reincarnation.

Language, Mark, Teaching

Mark 3:20-35 – A house divided cannot stand

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The crowd came together again, so that Jesus and his disciples could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

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This is the Gospel selection to be read aloud by a priest on the second Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This will follow either a track 1 or track 2 pairing of Old Testament and Psalm readings. If track 1 is chosen, a reading from 1 Samuel will be read aloud, including this verse where God told Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” The Psalm paired with that is Psalm 138, which sings: “The Lord will make good his purpose for me; O Lord, your love endures forever; do not abandon the works of your hands.” If track 2 is chosen, the there will be read aloud a selection from Genesis, where God judged, “Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.” The accompanying Psalm will be 130, which sings: “O Israel, wait for the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy; With him there is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.” In all Sundays the Epistle will come from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, where he wrote: “So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day.”

Verse 20 begins with the segment of words that have been omitted from the reading. Mark wrote, “Kai erchetai eis oikon,” which begins with a capitalized “Kia,” signifying this is very important information being stated. The Greek text literally translates to say, “Kai he goes into a house [or dwelling].” The importance of this demands context.

In the first verse of Mark’s third chapter, he wrote, “Again he entered the synagogue,” where “synagōgēn” was written. In verses 7-12, Mark wrote about “the sea” and “a boat” to use to keep the crowd from crushing him, as so many were coming to him. In chapter 2, verse 1, Mark wrote, “he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home.” This means that the “dwelling” Jesus entered was his house. The importance of a capitalized “Kai” then shows that one’s own home demands a sense of privacy. Jesus had accommodated the crowd of followers who wanted healing by going to the place where five thousand would later be fed; but he escaped by boat when they became uncontrollable. Now, the importance says the crowd had found out where Jesus lived; and, after he went into his house, they barged in.

To add an aside at this point, chapter 3 of Mark’s Gospel has 68 uses of “kai,” both lower case and capitalized. Those occur in 35 verses, meaning there are almost two per verse. In the verses of this reading selection there are twenty-five uses of “kai,” including the capitalized one that begins verse 20. This should not be seen as Mark stuttering or having some lack of imagination when it came to writing style and technique. Mark’s Gospel tells the accounts of Peter; and, Peter is clearly one who cuts out anything unnecessary. I like to call Mark the Dragnet version of Matthew, where Sergeant Friday was known to say, “Just the facts, ma’am. Just the facts.” The plenteous uses of “kai” must be seen as Mark writing with the attitude that says, “If it doesn’t need to be said, then don’t say it.” That says Jesus entering into a house has divine meaning of importance that is easily missed.

This means the “house” [“oikon”] of verse 20 is parallel to the use of “synagōgēn” in verse 1. The Hebrew word “sunagógé” means “a bringing together, an assembling; congregation, synagogue, either the place or the people gathered together in the place.” (Strong’s Definition and Usage) It is a place where those of faith come together to share their religion with others of like mind. By the time verse 20 comes, in the ‘facts only’ memories of Peter Jesus had begun his ministry by entering a synagogue, where he healed a man with a withered hand, on a Sabbath. That attracted large crowds seeking him for healing; and, that began the “Pharisees and Herodians” plotting how “to destroy” Jesus.

The popularity gained Jesus a large number of permanent followers, causing the need to name twelve as “apostles” [“apostolous”], who were not simple “disciples” [“mathētais”]. To avoid direct confrontation with the Pharisees and scribes, Jesus accommodated the crowds drawn to him by preaching in open ground [the reality of the “sermon on the mount”]. As such, Jesus himself became a “house of the holy,” so wherever he went that “tabernacle” moved with him. Thus, when Jesus entered into his own home, that “house” became a synagogue and the crowd felt it was open for all of faith.

This can be seen confirmed in the second segment of words, which also begins with the word “kai” [lower case]. There the literal English translation says, “kai assembled again that crowd.” Here, the word “synerchetai” has to be seen as having a similar root word as “synagogue” [“sunerchomai”], where “assembly, come together and congregate” says importantly that the “crowd” saw wherever Jesus was as a place necessary to gather.

In the segment that adds [NRSV], “his disciples could not even eat,” the Greek does not include any verbiage that states “disciples.” The Greek text does state “dynasthai autous,” which should be read as “those being strong souls.” That does refer to Jesus and to his newly named “apostles,” with Jesus’ “house” becoming so crowded with uninvited guests that “not even bread to eat” is what Mark wrote [literally translated into English]. When the two words are read independently from the other words in the segment, the ability to eat is less important than identifying who was invited into the home of Jesus.

By reading “dynasthai” in a higher sense than “are they able,” the truth of the root [“dunamai”] allows one to see “[they are]: (a) I am powerful, have (the) [em-]power[-ed] , (b) I am able, I can.” (Strong’s Usage) Therefore, those with Jesus had been passed the Spirit of ministry [a verse 14 statement]; so, they had a greater power than being able to chew “bread” [a specific not mentioned by the NRSV translation].

When Mark did specify “bread to eat” [“arton phagein”], this speaks more about a guest in a “house” being offered “bread to eat.” Mark was not recording Peter complaining that the house became so full of people that he could not eat bread. The value of this specific says the “house” of Jesus was without “bread to eat.” This acts as a mini-prophecy of the feeding of five thousand [men: the women and children increased that number significantly], such that the “bread to eat” that the apostles [twelve] passed out was spiritual manna, with the power [ability] to pass that out then given to them by Jesus. At this time, having just been named apostles and only possessing the powers of ministry, “they were not able to give spiritual food to feed the crowd.”

Verse 21 begins with a “kai,” which places important focus on one word: “having heard” [“akousantes”]. As a stand-alone word of importance it has multiple dynamics, as it reflects back upon the crowd and the apostles, where they were those “having heard” the divinity of Jesus, both in speech and in presence. The word here can equally mean “having listened.” When taken forward, where the following segment of words tells of an attempt to seize Jesus, the same word becomes important as those “having reported,” as well as those “having heard” the reports.

This importance being placed on “having heard,” which comes before a comma mark indicating separation and pause, is missed in the above translation that states: “When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” In that, there are no words written that says “family” or “people.” That is intuited.

What is written literally translates to say, “those by the side of him came out to take hold of him.” In that, “those beside him” can be neighbors [Jews], who did not appreciate the sudden influx of strangers in their midst. It also says “those side-by-side with him,” who are the apostles. It also says “those in the presence of him,” which was the crowd that had come. The intuition of “family’ cannot be taken as truth, as it would be the family of Jesus who would come and be announced later in this reading. However, “family” can be the intuition of Jews, such that the “family” of Judaism was all trying to have control of Jesus [as being “possessed” by or “obsessed” with his power].

After a semi-colon mark of separation, as a new statement that is relative to the previous, a segment of words states, “they were talking indeed because.” While this implies a collective of “people” [the third person plural, as “they”], who were all “saying” the quote that would follow, the segment alone [without the quote] must be read as a new statement relative to those trying to “take hold of Jesus,” as now “they” were all “speaking” at the same time, “indeed because” of him and the crowd he had drawn. All were “talking” about Jesus: positive and negative.

The quote that follows is one word, which is capitalized. As a capitalized word, what was being said must now be seen as having divinely elevated meaning. The Greek word written is “Exestē,” which has been translated as: “He is out of his mind.” This spelling is the third person active subjunctive, where a hypothetical statement is made. The root word [“existémi”] actually states, “to displace, to stand aside from” (Strong’s Definition), with the implication then being (literally) “I remove from a standing position.” In the intransitive tenses it says, “I am astonished, amazed; I am out of my mind, am mad.” (Strong’s Usage) Thus, all people had various opinions about how the popularity of Jesus was above and beyond that of any ordinary Jew. Therefore, a better translation that could apply to everyone “speaking” would be: “He is not normal,” with the divine elevation meaning [spoken by those who stood by and flocked to be near Jesus]: “He is God incarnate.”

Verse 22 then begins with another capitalized “Kai,” which denotes much importance must be see in that which follows. The words written say, “Kai them scribes”. Because verse 21 spoke of those “side by side of him,” that spoke of those natural of Capernaum, including those visitors that were transitory from the regions north of Galilee. This makes the importance of verse 22 be now placed on those of the Temple, which is stated in the following segment as “scribes having come from Jerusalem.”

In that segment, the Greek word “katabantes” is translated as “having come down,” which is not a proper translation, when Jerusalem is south of Capernaum. That direction would be best serving the truth by saying “having come up” [which is does not say]. The truth now needs to be seen as “them from Jerusalem having descended” upon Capernaum, as if coming from the ‘higher realm’ of Jerusalem, to the country bumkins of Galilee. They were “coming down” because of the reports of this man who cast out demons and healed the sick on the Sabbath. They wanted to “come down” hard.

Because those academic Jews had been summoned to climb down off their high chairs of importance, as the ones who advised the teachers [lawyers] of Judaism in the tweaks and nuisances of the Hebrew text [and long before, their counterparts had advised the failed kings of Israel and Judah], they swooped down like birds of prey. To go to Capernaum and “speak because” of the reports of Jesus doing miracles and speaking insight about Scripture – insight that the “scribes” had never advised anyone about – they came with chests all puffed up, looking like well-to-do authorities. Thus, as the clamor was going on at the “house” of Jesus worship [“the house” of the Son of God], the “scribes said, “Beelzebub he possesses,” adding “kai because In then prince of the demons he casts out them demons.”

In that, following the “kai” marking importance to follow, is a capitalized “En,” which divinely elevates the word that normally means “In, On, At, By, With,” implying “Among.” (Strong’s) This means the “scribes” were speaking of an “Inner” possession of Jesus, acknowledging the man Jesus was not doing works of miraculous nature. Instead, they proposed that Jesus had been possessed by the “Lord of the flies” [the meaning of the name “Beelzebub”]. This implies “flies” are the nuisance of demonic possession, which cannot be controlled. Certainly, the “scribes” had figured out that God allowed the bodies of wayward Jews to be possessed by a demon, due to past sins. Therefore, the accusation they made was Jesus was possessed; and, the Lord of the flies was the power within Jesus that cast out its own, having power over all demon spirits.

Verse 23 then beings with another capitalized “Kai,” which says major importance must be realized in that which follows. The literal translation of the Greek says, “Kai having summoned themselves”. With this following the “scribes” having said Jesus was possessed by Beelzebub, as a demon casting out demons, verse 23 then makes the important statement that should be seen as the children’s taunt: “I am rubber, you are glue, what bounces off me sticks on you.” As such, “having summoned” Beelzebub by name [remember the movie Beetlejuice?], the “souls” of the “scribes” [the word “autous” means “selves,” which implies “souls”] had brought such a demonic possession upon their very own “souls” [“selves”].

Jesus was alert to that demonic possession when he then responded “in parables.” Jesus then said, “How is able Satan , Satan to cast out ?” This is two statements made in one question, with the first word being capitalized: “Pōs.” This raises the meaning to a divine level of inference, where “How, In what manner, By what means” becomes a question of spiritual presence, as a possession is accepted to be.

This word of question, best stated as “By what means,” leads to the word “dynatai,” which is a form of the same word that described those “beside” Jesus [his apostles], meaning “to be able, to have power.” Then, Jesus named “Satan” [not “the Lord of the flies”], which is a capitalized word that means “Adversary [of Yahweh’s faithful]” or “the Devil.” Thus, the first segment of words asks the “scribes” [who were the ones demonically possessed, without knowing it], “In what manner does Satan have power”?

The impact of this segment of words must be seen as Jesus saying, “Well now, isn’t this the pot calling the kettle black?” Jesus spoke in parables, meaning it flew well over the heads of the “scribes” [think-tank nobodies], because Jesus had no Temple authority to run and tell anyone not to have a demon cast out. The “scribes,” on the other hand, had been given such power to run tell people, “Stay away! He is making you whole, but it is only a trick of the Lord of the flies!” Their words were heard by all who “were listening” to Jesus [and the imbecile scribes] as absurdity, so Jesus asked the ones exercising demonic powers, “By what means does Satan exercise power?”

This makes the second segment of words begin with the capitalized word “Satan,” again speaking of demonic possession, through the influence of the world’s greatest trickster. Jesus then asked, “Satan to cast out ?” As those words came from his mouth, he was looking straight at those who had come from Jerusalem as “Satan to cast out,” meaning Satan proliferated in Jerusalem’s Temple. The “Adversary” of Jews who were trying to find the path for redemption of their souls, healing of their illnesses, and the meaning of the Word was everyone who pandered to the power possessed by a religious organization.

It is at this point that Jesus speaks in a parable that brings in the importance of a gathering at his “house” and the “house” that was the remnant of Israel [two failed nations, reduced to one city with a Temple, run by morons not possessed by Yahweh, but instead by Satan]. In verse 24, begun by a “kai”, he said: “kai if a kingdom against itself is divided , not is empowered to stand the kingdom that”. Here, the history of Israel has just been thrown in the face of the scribes, where the importance of the conditional [“if”] says Yahweh did not create a “kingdom,” the elders of the Israelites did [the 1 Samuel reading choice for today]. Without that “kingdom” being possessed by Yahweh, it would become “against itself” and “divide” [Israel > Israel and Judah]. This means Jesus just confirmed that “Satan had cast out scribes from Jerusalem,” because only a failed “kingdom” is possessed by Satan. The “power to fail” comes from Satan worship, not worship to Yahweh and obedience to His Law.

That is why Jesus then said, in verse 25 [also begun by “kai”], “kai if a house against itself is divided , not will be empowered that house there to stand”. Because of the example of Israel dividing into two kingdoms – Israel and Judah – falling to scattered remnants because of the kings of Assyria and exiles forced to serve Babylonian kings, divided kingdoms became the higher octave – a “house” that is not a kingdom. As a portion of one city in a Roman province, the Temple elite were allowed to be a “house” of religion. If the same division was to ever take place where unity must exist to be truly holy, then the same result must be expected. It is a principle or law of humanity, which is easily possessed by Satan, going to extremes to reject Yahweh.

The aspect of a “house” being “divided” was the known fact that sects existed, where the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and Essenes did not all see eye to eye. The fact that crowds of people thirsted for the truth and saw how the power of Yahweh had manifested in a human being named Jesus; and, the fact that the Temple elite had hurried a group of “scribes” to go ‘spin doctor’ the narrative to be against Jesus – when they were all were of the “house” of Jews – all that says Judaism was indeed “divided” and should be expected to collapse [not stand or remain]. Because the “scribes” had raised their ugly heads as a sign of that pending collapse, coming to summon Satan upon themselves, in the name of “Beelzebub,” Jesus then furthered this historical-based expectation [a prophecy] to their saying Jesus was possessed by a demon.

Verse 26 then also begins with the word “kai,” saying: “kai if that Satan has risen up against himself kai has been divided , not he has the power to remain steadfast , otherwise the principle end is possessing”. This then makes “Satan” be the demon that possessed Israel, then Israel and Judah, and now the “house” of Judaism. So, if Jesus was possessed by a demon spirit – Satan, not the Lord of the flies – then Satan would never cast out his own demons that possessed Jews. To do that would mean he was divided against his own works, in the same way Israel [et al] had done. If anything were to make sense, according to what the satanic scribes were saying, Jesus would be casting out demons into Jews, not removing them. He was doing the opposite.

By bringing Satan into this series of logical assumptions, based on history, Jesus had just called the scribes demonically possessed by Satan. They proved that by showing up speaking of “Beelzebub” and talking about demons. The crowd had flocked to be close to Jesus, because they never felt the power of Yahweh when they marched like zombies to the synagogues on the Sabbath. They barged into the “house” of Jesus because their souls hungered for spiritual food, seeking to be fed manna from heaven. The scribes, on the other hand, same as Satan’s minions, tried to keep the masses enslaved to Satan, because they profited greatly by keeping them ignorant of spiritual food.

In verse 27, Mark drew a mathematical symbol [a left right arrow], in between the words that state “on the other hand not is empowered ⇔ nothing” [“all’ ou dynatai ⇔ oudeis”]. This becomes a statement of truth, such that what is stated to the left is true when that stated to the right is true. The same applies to the truth of falseness, if that to the left is false, then that to the right is also false.

When this symbol is applied to Jesus speaking of the “power” of Satan, then Satan gives “no one” [“oudeis”] any “powers” or “abilities,” such as those the scribes said Satan had given to Jesus. The symbol emphasizes this as a mathematical truth. Satan takes away power possessed by a soul over its body of flesh, causing one to be so lacking in power that one becomes a slave to sin, powerless to break free from that state of being. No true priest of Yahweh would ever teach that false narrative, unless he or she had been possessed by Satan.

This statement is then what led Jesus to speak about sins that will be forgiven by Yahweh, which is how those healed by Jesus had Yahweh forgive them and make them whole. On the other hand, the condemnations cast upon Jesus, by the scribes, would become a blasphemy standing eternally against their souls. When the NRSV translates Jesus saying: “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin,” this needs closer inspection.

First of all, the word “people” was not written. Instead, Mark wrote the Greek words “huiois tōn anthrōpōn,” which literally translates as “sons those of mankind.” In that, “anthrōpōn” is the genitive masculine noun that says, “of mankind, of humanity, or of the human race,” which obviously includes males and females. The use of the lower case spelling of “sons” must be seen as expressing the masculine essence of “spirit, breath of life, soul,” where all “souls” are “sons,” even when they animate bodies of opposing gender, as males and females of “mankind.” By seeing this use of “sons” as “souls,” one can then grasp how the capitalization of “Son” becomes a divinely elevated “soul,” not simply one animating a body of flesh. Thus, Jesus said “all souls” will be forgiven the sins of their flesh [both male and female], including all “blasphemies” that make the flesh speak out against impossible interpretations of the Law to live up to. Forgiveness comes by sincere repentance of one’s sins.

In verse 29, Jesus made clear the one blasphemy that cannot be forgiven. He said, “who now might speak evil against unto this Spirit this Holy not has forgiveness into that age.” In that, the capitalization of “Pneuma” and “Hagion” must be read separately and not as one inverted name [“Holy Spirit”]. The divinely elevated meaning of “Spirit” [remembering “huios” is a “spirit” or “soul”] is that of Yahweh’s “Spirit,” which comes through a “soul” marrying Yahweh, meshing one’s “spirit” with His “Spirit.” More than a “breath of life” [a “soul”] one is then a wife of Yahweh in the flesh.

This is where one has to realize that a “soul” that has married Yahweh then becomes an extension of Yahweh on earth, as one who has become “Holy.” The capitalization here says a “soul” married to the “Spirit” of Yahweh has become “Sacred, Set apart by God,” therefore “Holy.” Yahweh is “Holy,” not His “Spirit.” Therefore the “soul” is not “Holy,” but Yahweh’s presence is, which comes through His “Spirit.” It is that presence of Yahweh that makes whoever Yahweh possesses become “Holy” ground. [Re-read the story of Moses and the burning bush.] This separation of “Spirt” and “Holy” must be read at all times in the New Testament.

Mark then made a point of adding the aside that made sure the readers knew what Jesus said was about the “scribes,” as “they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.” In that translation, they ignore the fact that Mark capitalized the word “Pneuma” again, meaning it was true that Jesus was divinely possessed by the “Spirit” of Yahweh, because his “soul” was married to the “Father,” being the “Son of man.” However, the blasphemy was in calling true “Holiness” – a “Saint” of Yahweh – a “demon spirit possession.” Since Jesus would only be the first of many [the movement called “Christianity”], the same blasphemy used against anyone filled with Yahweh’s “Spirit” and reborn as His “Son” is treading on thin ice. For one to say, “I am full of the “Spirit” and not be so, then that one has blasphemed the “Spirit” and condemned oneself [“soul”].

In verse 31, when we are most importantly [use of a capitalized “Kai”] read of the arrival of the “mother” and “brothers” of Jesus, this confirms it was Jesus’ house to which they had come. They came as visitors who were always invited to his home. It must be realized that they were “standing outside” because the house was full of a “crowd” of people who sought Jesus. The crowd came because they recognized he was married to the “Spirit,” and the family of Jesus assisted him while he held meetings with the people by the sea. Because the house was overflowing with people, it was impossible for Mary and James, et al to enter. So, they sent a message to Jesus, letting him know they were outside. They sent no demands to be let in. They expressed no fear that Jesus was in danger. They just sent a message letting him know they had arrived.

Because verse 21 has been incorrectly translated to say: “When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him’” the impression given is Mary and the brothers of Jesus came to rescue him from a hostile crowd. First of all, the mother and brothers of Jesus knew full well who he was and what Spiritual powers he possessed. They, most likely, had been traveling to get to Jesus’ house and were surprised to find his house full of people. They sent a message that was, at most, seen as a request for favoritism, because they were related by blood [all related to Mary]; but Jesus’ response was a statement against the favoritism.

After all, that was a satanic trait expressed by the Temple elite. They routinely made special places at the table for those who buttered their bread most heavily [the wealthy contributors].
They did that while all the poor commoners were forced to pay for glimpses of their elite status – much like going to Vatican City and hanging out at St. Peter’s Square, hoping one of the high and mighty might wink at you.

When told that his mother and brothers were outside, unable to get in, Jesus then said, “Behold!” [not translated by the NRSV]. This is a capitalized one-word statement of divine elevation. The divinity of what Jesus said must then be read as “See with Spiritual eyes!”, as a proclamation made to all who felt a strong need to be fed manna from heaven. That elevation of insight then led Jesus to say, “the mother of me , kai the brothers of me,” where the symbolism of “mother” and “brother” must be understood, especially [from use of “kai”] that of “brotherhood.”

One must realize Jesus had just given a command for all within his presence to “See!” with their souls, rather than with their physical eyes. He was in the center of that spiritual environment. His “house” had become like a synagogue; and, the “Spirit” married to the “soul” of Jesus made him speak for the Father that was within, as the “Son” submitted to the Will of the Father. Therefore, “me” is God-incarnate.

This made the “mother” of God having been incarnated in human form be the womb of necessity. Because so many had opened up their souls to receive the Spirit of Yahweh, they had conceived Jesus and brought him into the world. While Mother Mary gave birth to the physical Jesus, the need of the lost but faithful sheep [Jews] was his spiritual “mother.”

The importance [“kai”] of Jesus spreading open his arms as he said, “the brothers of me,” meant those closest to him were certainly the newly named “apostles.” They were those “side by side” with Jesus, as those having been given the power of ministry, as other servants of Yahweh in training, through the Son. Beyond them were all the crowd who made it inside the “house,” as those who came in close contact with Jesus, so their souls had become touched by Yahweh’s “Spirit.” That spiritual touch made them become spiritual “brothers,” whether or not their human gender was male.

This last reference point is confirmed when Jesus said in verse 35, “whoever indeed might act this desire of this of God , here brother of me , kai sister , kai mother is.” In this there are two uses of “kai,” one making “sister” be importantly recognized. That importance says a Son of man is not gender exclusive, as all of mankind is made of neuter essence souls [absorbing the feminine essence by having entered feminine matter], which becomes masculine essence once married to Yahweh. Therefore the lack of “kai” before “brothers” says all are “brothers” through receipt of the “Spirit,” as all will have been made “Holy.”

The ‘kai” before “sisters” clarifies this. Still, the “kai” before “mother” [an inversion of the prior order of presenting “mother and brothers”] becomes an important statement that all are then expected to give birth to the Son of man reborn, which is the soul of Jesus. The expectation is for all who marry Yahweh [males and females] to be wives of Yahweh, become impregnated by their “Holy” Husband and then give birth, each as the “mother” of Jesus reborn.

As the Gospel selection for the second Sunday after Pentecost, when one’s personal ministry to Yahweh should have commenced, this reading shows the strength of faith that must be within one’s soul. One must be driven by “desire” to marry one’s soul to Yahweh, so His “Spirit” resurrects Jesus’s soul within one’s soul-flesh being. As side-by-side souls, one instantly becomes a “brother” of Jesus, regardless of one’s human gender.

One must become divinely possessed by the “Spirt” that makes one’s soul “Holy.” One must cease being a divided “house,” which wants to go to church on Sunday, but then run wild in the world of sin every other waking moment. That can only happen when one’s soul is totally committed to letting Yahweh redeem one’s soul of its past sins of the flesh, so Jesus can be resurrected within, keeping that flesh from ever again being influenced by the brain-soul.

One must realize that rejecting Yahweh makes one just like the “scribes” who came to blaspheme the divine possession of Jesus. A soul cannot serve two masters. Divided it will collapse in ruin.

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 138 – Giving thanks to Yahweh with one’s whole heart

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1 I will give thanks to you, O Lord [implication, not written], with my whole heart; *

before the gods [elohim] I will sing your praise.

2 I will bow down toward your holy temple

and praise your Name, *

because of your love and faithfulness;

3 For you have glorified your Name *

and your word above all things.

4 When I called, you answered me; *

you increased my strength within me.

5 All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord [Yahweh], *

when they have heard the words of your mouth.

6 They will sing of the ways of the Lord [Yahweh], *

that great is the glory of the Lord [Yahweh].

7 Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly; *

he perceives the haughty from afar.

8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe; *

you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;

your right hand shall save me.

9 The Lord [Yahweh] will make good his purpose for me; *

O Lord [Yahweh], your love endures forever;

do not abandon the works of your hands.

——————–

This is the track 1 Psalm of David that will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor, following the Old Testament reading from 1 Samuel on the second Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. The 1 Samuel reading will say, “So Samuel reported all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king.” An Epistle selection from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians will then be read, which states: “I believed, and so I spoke.” All will accompany a reading from Mark’s Gospel, which says, “And looking at those who sat around him, [Jesus] said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

To begin, this translation presented by the Episcopal Church, referencing the New Revised Standard Version [NRSV] states “Lord” seven times. David wrote “Yahweh,” not “Lord,” six times. The first presentation of “O Lord” is a fabrication that, based on intuiting this is a song of praise to Yahweh, is written to Him. Verse 1 presents the word “’ō·wḏ·ḵā,” which says, “I will give thanks,” “I will praise,” or “I will laud,” with the implication being “to you. This word has led translators to explain to readers “O Lord,” when David was led by the Spirit of Yahweh to simply state, “I will praise with my whole heart.” Only the Psalms of the NRSV say “O Lord” when it was not written. It must be known that using a general reference to Yahweh acts as lowering the name of Yahweh to be “Lord,” when that name is written. It makes a statement that lessens one’s personal experience with God, saying “I know of Him, but I do not know him personally.” It also says the translators were just doing a job and didn’t want to offend Christians who hate Jews, because protocol says only Jews call “God” “Yahweh.” David was not a Jew.

Where we read, “with my whole heart,” the Hebrew word “lib·bî” is written [“my heart”], with the central word “leb” meaning “inner man, mind, will, heart.” (Strong’s) The translation that limits this word as only meaning “heart” forces brains to think in terms of human love and emotion. While that certainly is the motivation for a human to “praise, give thanks, and laud,” a physical “heart” is not the source of such emotions. Thus, one needs to see the “heart” as the core of one’s life in the flesh, which is one’s soul. Therefore, one does not utter praises by singing words alone; one praises from a soul that is married to Yahweh and His love is reverberated throughout one’s being, emanating from one’s flesh. [It is difficult to see this spiritual “heart” as the intent, when one has hard feelings for a general “Lord,” not the Spirit of a specific Yahweh in one’s core being.]

After the pause point of verse 1 [ * ] is written: “before the gods I will sing praises,” with “to you” again assumed. Here, the word “elohim” is found properly translated as the plural of a lower-g “god” [“el“] as “gods.” It has become fashionable in English translations of Hebrew to see “elohim” written and then presto-chango make that translate as “God” [upper case]. This has been done quite regularly, with the justification of that right to change given to the elusive and non-existent “E writer” [where “E” stands for “elohim”]. It has not been changed here, meaning the word “elohim” should be read as “souls,” which have also [like David] been elevated to eternal “gods” by marriage of their souls [“hearts”] to Yahweh [not “O Lord”].

In verse 2 is translated the word “temple.” Here, it is important to remember that David erected no “Temple” for the Ark of the Covenant, as that was still kept in a portable tabernacle. To read, “I will bow down [or “worship”] in temple” means David submitted his ‘first person pronoun’ – “I” or “ego” – to Yahweh, as His wife in spiritual marriage. David became, as a wife of Yahweh, a “temple” in which Yahweh could reside. This then led David to attribute this submission to “the sacredness and praise to your name.” This confesses that David was married in spirit to Yahweh, such that as His wife David had taken on the name of Yahweh, as His wife.

This then leads to David singing about the “kindness,” which sent David the “truth” from “above,” or from the Godhead. At this point, David continues to write in his second verse; but the Episcopal Church figured it would be better to place this text in a third verse [not the NRSV]. That addition then makes an eight-verse song become nine verses. As still relative to the theme established in the second verse, David added: “the magnification of your truth from above is only possible for those in your name.” This refers to those souls also married to Yahweh. David then said that “truth of greatness” – an expansion of the written text hidden from unmarried souls’ ‘eyes’ – is “your word” or “the Word” of Yahweh.

Verse 3 [Episcopal Church 4] then sings “When I called.” The reality of this is written “bə·yō·wm,” which translates to say, “in the day.” This is a greater statement than simply “when.” By saying “in the day,” David was alluding to the “light” that shines from the “truth” being seen. It was then the “light of truth” that caused David to sing praises and give thanks, as Yahweh “answered” David’s prayers by leading his eyes to see the truth. By seeing the “truth,” David’s “soul was embolden with strength” [from “tar·hi·ḇê·nî ḇə·nap̄·šî ‘ōz”].

Verse 4 [Episcopal Church 5] then begins by singing, “Will praise you Yahweh,” which is a clear statement that those who call upon the name of the God (who is their Husband), not those too ashamed to know Yahweh personally, soul to Spirit. This recognition raises a soul to a higher state of being that even “kings” will see reason to bow down before Yahweh, giving praises to the truth of His Word. Those “kings” only have dominion on the “earth,” but all “souls” being equal will “hear” the call of Yahweh’s Word and know all of the “earth” is temporal life within the realm of death. No “king” has the power to cheat death,

Verse 5 [Episcopal Church 6] then “sings” praise to “the ways of Yahweh.”

The Hebrew word “bə·ḏar·ḵê” means “the road, path, distance, journey, manner,” which is that of righteousness. To say a soul, whose flesh is led to travel the remaining “distance” of life as a wife to Yahweh, is “great is the glory of Yahweh” gives the wrong impression. There is never a question about Yahweh being “glorious” [Hebrew “kabowd”]. The question is which souls will know the greatness of Yahweh’s “glory,” which is measured in how a lowly “soul” is enabled to walk a “path of righteousness” and “sing” about the presence that one experiences in that “journey.”

Verse 6 [Episcopal Church 7] then sings, “For exalted, Yahweh, the lowly sees.” Instead of making it seem as if Yahweh is like a human “king” and aloof, as haughty, the truth of David’s words say the “soul” is elevated through divine marriage. Those souls become “Yahweh” incarnate on earth. While the flesh is and always will be “the lowly,” the ability to “see” the “truth” leads the wives of Yahweh to show the “truth” to others in the flesh, so they too can be led to “see.” Conversely, those human beings who think possession of material things is what makes them be “exalted” [even if attempting to give credit to a god for their exclusivity on earth], they are “distant” and “far away” from “knowing” Yahweh. [They would be the ones calling Yahweh “Lord.”]

Verse 7 [Episcopal Church 8] says [NRSV], “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe.” The Hebrew word “bə·qe·reḇ” refers to the “midst” of one’s being, which is the “inward part” that is the soul. The soul is imprisoned in flesh, making the earthly realm be where all failed soul return, incarnation after reincarnation, eternally finding life breath filling new dry bones. This sentence of reincarnation becomes the fear of death, due to the mortality of the flesh, which innately causes “distress” or “trouble” that all souls know inwardly. The ‘safety’ of the NRSV translation is the promise for a “revived” soul, where “life” has been granted to a soul married to Yahweh.

This then makes the translation that says [NRSV], “you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies” mean the protection Yahweh gives to His wife-souls, where the “paths of Yahweh” keep one always going “above, over, beyond” [from “‘al”] the “fury” that is the world’s influences to sin. This means “the enemies” of Yahweh are oneself, when a soul rejects marriage to Yahweh. Others of that disposition then attempt to lure a wife of Yahweh away from a commitment of fidelity, only to fail and feel self-guilt in their wake.

This means “your right hand shall save me” speaks of the outstretched hand of Yahweh” that is His Spirit. Rather than an invisible “hand of God” streaking down from the sky, one’s soul is transformed into a “hand of Yahweh,” where all His “hands” are His wives that become His presence in the flesh – Saints and Apostles. Rather than being “saved” [from “yasha”], one becomes an instrument offering “to deliver” the marriage proposal to others, those in need of soul salvation. It is in this way that the “right hands” of Yahweh are divine “messengers” who “deliver” the opportunity that knocks. Those who seek salvation will answer when opportunity knocks.

The final verse [8, but 9 for the Episcopal Church] says, “Yahweh will complete me,” which means “an end” will come to a long cycle of failures for lost souls. The Hebrew word “gamar” means, “to end, come to an end, complete” (Strong’s), with the implication that “perfection” will fix all that was broken. Since this applies to souls, as all flesh is death animated by a soul, the soul is then freed from repeated trips of reincarnation.

All of this completion says the missing link has always been marriage to Yahweh, while a soul is imprisoned in a body of flesh. Amid the worldly lures and influences to break laws [divine and civil], one must know the punishment of crimes, in order to feel the soul’s need for redemption. Marriage to Yahweh must become one’s soul’s only “concern,” as nothing else will bring salvation and freedom to know eternal life with Yahweh.

It must be understood that the gift of freedom is Yahweh’s “mercy.” It is only given to His wives. While Yahweh is total “goodness” and all “kindness,” which “endures eternally,” a soul has been given the ultimate test of faith, by being cast into a world that never wants to lose a “life breath” animating the death that permeates the earth. In that way the world lures a soul to remain in its realm, with the test being to fall in love with Yahweh and turn away from the illusion of life that is the reality of mortality. To escape that ‘siren,’ one must experience the “mercy” of Yahweh.

That “mercy enduring eternally” is then the reward for a life of service in the flesh. To return to the heavenly state of existence “forever,” one must first commit to a marriage of Spirit, which makes one the “hand of Yahweh” on earth. That “hand” is expected to do the “works” of Yahweh incarnate, which reflects the truth of being Jesus reborn. It is from those “works” that a soul will not be “forsaken.

As the companion Psalm to the First Samuel reading about the elders rejecting Yahweh for a king, which came with the warning what a commitment to a king would mean, the elders readily chose to serve a king like a god, thinking their souls could escape a responsibility of marriage, as innocent onlookers. This Psalm says such notions are foolishness. The only way to find salvation of a soul is through marriage to Yahweh, becoming His “hand on earth,” and then doing all the “works” that He commands. There is no escaping the soul’s responsibility to Yahweh, and there is eternity to pay for such rejections of marriage.

Language, Psalms, Teaching

Psalm 130 – Finding the patience to serve Yahweh

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1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;

Lord, hear my voice; *

let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

2 If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *

O Lord, who could stand?

3 For there is forgiveness with you; *

therefore you shall be feared.

4 I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *

in his word is my hope.

5 My soul waits for the Lord,

more than watchmen for the morning, *

more than watchmen for the morning.

6 O Israel, wait for the Lord, *

for with the Lord there is mercy;

7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *

and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

——————–

This is the Psalm selection that will be read aloud in unison or sung by a cantor as the accompaniment to the track 2 choice that has Genesis 3 be the Old Testament reading choice. As such it will follow that, which has Adam saying to Yahweh, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.” Both will precede the Epistle reading from Second Corinthians, where Paul wrote, “We know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from Mark, where Jesus said, “How can Satan cast out Satan? … If Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come.”

In this translation provided by the New Revised Standard Version [NRSV], there are eight presentations of the word “Lord.” The words written by David, which have all been assigned the exact same translation, are “Yahweh” and “adonay.” It is important to realize the differences these two words state. The name “Yahweh” states a personal relationship with God, as simply saying “Lord” is a statement that screams, “We do not know you, nor care to know you!” The word “adonay” means “lord” [in the lower case], where one’s “soul” is the “lord” that gives life to its flesh. A soul is not always [most likely not] married to “Yahweh,” such that a married to “Yahweh” soul becomes a production that is referred to as “Yahweh adonay,” equating to one of the “elohim.” Because both “Yahweh” and “adonay” are written in this “song of ascents” [announcement made in verse 1, but not translated], one can expect that the “lord” of David’s flesh was “Yahweh.”

Verse 1 then properly states: “Out of the depths I have cried to you Yahweh.” It is in verse 2 that David then wrote, “lord hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.” The NRSV shows this properly, but the Episcopal Church has taken it upon itself to place verse two’s language in verse 1.

Still, seeing ahead to this translation that truly says “lord,” one can intuit this as the cry of David’s soul to have his soul possessed by “Yahweh.” The word translating as “out of the depths” [in verse 1] is “mim·ma·‘ă·maq·qîm.” That should be read as reference to “the depths” that is metaphor David has used prior, for the sea of souls that are the hands of Yahweh. It is in the depths that the leviathan [Yahweh’s Spirit] becomes the “lord” over all flesh, whose souls have become Yahweh’s wives. Thus, “out of the depths” was David’s soul crying for salvation. His cries were sent to “Yahweh,” because David’s soul had committed to Him, making Him be his “lord.”

This means David writing, “hear my voice; let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication,” says prayers must be a spiritual wife’s clear channel of communication with the Husband Yahweh. A “supplication” is defined as: “the action of asking or begging for something earnestly or humbly.” This means such “cries” are made from a position of subservience and servitude, where a ‘slave’ has no right to demand anything from the Master. This is then the aspect of “ask and you shall receive.” While Yahweh knows one’s soul and knows one’s prayer before they are asked, it becomes the responsibility of the soul to establish a clear line of communication, where the wife is expected to state needs. Those truly married to Yahweh will make supplications for others, more than self.

Verse 3 [Episcopal Church 2] then says, “if iniquities you should mark Yah ; lord , who could stand ?” Here, both “Yah” [an abbreviated form of “Yahweh”] and “lord” are written, with a semi-colon separating the two words. The separation says “Yahweh” is in the spiritual realm, where He keeps tabs on all sins and guilts possessed by souls in the physical realm. The semi-colon says the heavenly realm can never be a place where sins are allowed, thus the earth is the only allowable place where sins can exist. Following the semi-colon, the word “lord” stands alone, with a comma mark following it. This says the soul is an extension of Yahweh, placed in the material world, such that it is the “lord” of an unmarried soul that causes iniquities and guilts to materialize. A “lord” alone, without marriage to “Yah,” is thereby always forced to ask, “who can stand?” No one can stand alone as “lord” over oneself and ever get into heaven. In essence, David was asking, “Why would any soul not marry Yahweh?”

Verse 4 [Episcopal Church 3] translates to say, “when with you forgiveness , intent you may be feared .” The mistake of translating this as David writing, “For there is forgiveness with you; therefore you shall be feared” is it gives the impression that God simply existing means forgiveness comes without sacrifice of oneself to Him. This is a false impression to receive; but most Christian churches play gods by promising “belief in God” and “belief that Jesus died so your sins are forgiven” and “belief that everyone goes to heaven when they die because Jesus and God are all about love,” which are all misunderstandings of that which is written.

David writing “when with you” [“kî-‘im·mə·ḵā”] means what it says. The meaning of “with Yahweh” means a soul married to His Spirit. Only when that precondition has been met does “forgiveness” come. Without marrying one’s soul to Yahweh – AND THAT MEANS NO SINS, ONLY SERVICE TO GOD FOREVERAFTER – can one be forgiven for transgressions and be allowed into heaven, washed clean by His Spirit.

When David wrote “lə·ma·‘an,” which means “the intent” or “purpose” of “forgiveness,” the usage states a necessity, so one’s soul knows failure to be forgiven means a resulting fear of death and the fear of not being allowed to spend eternity in heaven with Yahweh. While a fear of God is the only fear allowed, such an allowance is not to fear the wrath of God when one sins, but to fear the loss of Yahweh if one turns away from Him and sins. When one’s soul is afraid of marriage to Yahweh, because one is afraid of losing all the worldly addictions one has become accustomed to – mostly being the addiction to self-worth and laziness to work for anything of true value – that fear is intended to be addressed through a spiritual union with Yahweh. Only with Yahweh’s help can a soul resist the temptations of the world that are projected upon a body of flesh.

Verse 5 [Episcopal Church 4] says, “I wait for Yahweh who waits for my soul , and in his word I await .” Unlike what the NRSV translates, the repetition of “waiting” [three times repeated] becomes a statement of “patience” being necessary. There is nothing stated that says “hope,” as “hō·w·ḥā·lə·tî” implies “hope” through the expectations of “waiting” patiently.

In the Hebrew written by David [“qiw·wî·ṯî Yah-weh qiw·wə·ṯāh nap̄·šî”], “Yahweh” is central to two uses of “await” [“qavah”]. This means “Yahweh” becomes the focus of which “I wait for” and it becomes “Yahweh” who “waits for my soul.” With “Yahweh” central, the soul has married Yahweh and then patiently does what Yahweh asks, knowing Yahweh waits patiently for an obedient soul to finish doing what He wants. While a soul is doing the work required by Yahweh, the strength and motivation comes from Scripture and an ability given by Yahweh to understand what He has said through His prophets.

[A good lesson that helps one realize the meaning of this verse is that which tells of Jacob working for Laban, based on his desire to marry Rachel. He ended up working fourteen years to get what he wanted, displaying an ability to “wait” and work.]

Verse 6 [Episcopal Church 5] then says, “my soul lord , more than those who keep watch for the dawning , more than those who keep daybreak .” In this, David admits his “soul” is the “lord” over his body of flesh. However, it is from the “patience” that that comes from a most holy agreement with Yahweh [the marriage Covenant] that has set expectations between a “soul” and “Yahweh.” From that, Yahweh can be intuited to be “my soul lord.” That makes the beginning of this verse be a statement confirming a spiritual marriage having taken place within David. Yahweh has become the “adonay” of David’s “soul.”

The repetition of “miš·šō·mə·rîm lab·bō·qer” [slight variation] should not become a perfect duplication of text because there is flexibility to amend the translations so they show difference. In both, David is saying that the “lord” of his “soul” is Yahweh, which is “more than those” whose “soul lord” is themselves [or worse, a demonic possession]. The element of “keeping watch” must be seen as those who live in the darkness the night symbolizes, as there is no “day watch” necessary. The “watchmen” stand guard by night, when the majority of souls in flesh go to sleep and are unprotected from the things that come out at night. When day has come and light exposes all, everyone clearly sees, so keeping watch is an easy chore then.

For those who “watch for a dawning,” this symbolizes some sort of desire to see proof of Yahweh, through a miracle or a test placed before Yahweh. When “dawning” turns to “daybreak,” then the proof has been seen, but still not acted upon. Therefore, David was singing to the beauty of the light of Yahweh’s presence, which always makes keeping watch be a sign for a lack of commitment to Yahweh.

Verse 7 [Episcopal Church 6, bleeding into the first half of 7] then sings, “wait Israel , in Yahweh for with Yahweh mercy , and abundant with him redemption .” In this, there is separation placed after the word “Israel,” such that David was encouraging all who were supposed to be priests of Yahweh to wait and show patience. The world throws itself at all souls, hoping the immediacy of now will cause souls to act rashly; and, later finding regrets. Following the comma mark, David then repeated “Yahweh,” as “in Yahweh,” followed by “with Yahweh.” These repetition are recognitions of both belief (“in Yahweh”) and faith (“with Yahweh”). The former leads to the latter. The faith that comes from a soul marrying Yahweh then brings about the “mercy” of forgiveness, as well as the strength to show patience. For those who have fallen to the urges presented by the lures of the world, marriage to Yahweh makes available an “abundance” of forgiveness, allowing all souls the possibility of “redemption.”

The last verse [8, Episcopal Church 7b] says, “and he shall redeem Israel , from all its guilts .” In this, the Hebrew word translated as “shall redeem” is “yip̄·deh,” stemming from “padah.” The truth of “redeem” is to “ransom,” where there is a “price to pay.” The price of redemption is marriage and commitment, such that “Israel” is not a nation, but a collection of individuals considered truly to be the children of Yahweh. All are so noted with the expectation of service to Yahweh, with righteous lives meaning obedience to the Law [their marriage agreement]. This means the words of David do not apply to a land or a nation, but only to those souls who are redeemed through their souls having been merged with the Spirit of Yahweh. “Israel” then reflects in the same way as does “Christian,” where the name “Israel” means “He Is Upright” and a “Christian” is one “Anointed by Yahweh.” Only with the assistance of Yahweh can either exist and be released of all “guilts” or “sins.”

As the companion Psalm for the Genesis reading, where God found “man and woman” had sinned, having been influenced by “the serpent,” this song of praise sings of the duality of “Yahweh” and “adonay.” Everyone receives the “breath of life” [“ruach”] from Yahweh at birth, when the soul enters a growth exiting from its mother. The “spirit” of life makes one become a separate individual born into the world, as mothers do not create souls. All souls at birth will encounter the “serpent” in their life experiences and all will be tricked into sinning. All will pay the price for having sinned; but redemption can only come from a soul marrying Yahweh and letting His Spirit become the “soul lord.” Without that divine assistance, one is always hoping the dawn will remove the darkness and one’s fear of death might be removed.

1 Samuel, Language, Teaching

1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 – Being David anointed

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Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord [Yahweh] was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.

The Lord [Yahweh] said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.” And the Lord [Yahweh] said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord [Yahweh].’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” He said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord [Yahweh]; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the Lord [Yahweh].” But the Lord [Yahweh] said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord [Yahweh] does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord [Yahweh] looks on the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, “Neither has the Lord [Yahweh] chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord [Yahweh] has not chosen any of these.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.” He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord [Yahweh] said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord [Yahweh] came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

——————–

This is the track 1 Old Testament option to be read aloud on the third Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will be paired with Psalm 20, which sings, “We will shout for joy at your victory and triumph in the Name of our God; may the Lord grant all your requests.” That will be followed by a reading from Paul’s second letter to the Christians of Corinth, where he wrote: “For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.” All will precede the Gospel reading from Mark, where Jesus said: “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground … and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.”

This seems to be a nice little history story, with little to do with modern Christians. The reality is David is a reflection of what a true Christian is supposed to be. Samuel is a reflection of a soul that has married Yahweh and become his obedient wife and servant should be. The other characters, from Saul to Jesse and his named sons, are a reflection of what most people who call themselves Christians really are.

Let me first point out that there are fourteen time “Yahweh” was written in these selected verses, with no times was “the Lord” written. While the translation into English shows zero times “Yahweh” is named, there are sixteen times this reading projects the word “Lord.” In these fourteen verses that bridge two chapters, there are thirteen proper names that are of people and places, which are all translated as written, rather than say, “This guy did that to that guy, over there in that place, before going to another place to see another guy and his sons.” This shows a respect for the specificity of that written, except when it comes to naming Yahweh as “Yahweh.” That is disrespect to one’s professed God.

This makes an analysis of those Hebrew words that have all been given the importance of capitalization, as names. In all Scripture, the names stated are intended to reflect the meaning behind the name, as that meaning assists one in finding the deeper message intended to be found in Scripture. This is a list of the proper names, as they appear in the text, along with the meaning each name carries (according to Abarim Publications):

  1. Samuel – Name Of God, Heard Of God
  2. Ramah – Lofty Place, Deceit, Established, Loose
  3. Saul – Asked For
  4. Gibeah – Hill
  5. Yahweh – I Am Who I Am; He Who Causes That-Which-Is To Be & He Who Causes That-Which-Can’t-Be To Fall
  6. Israel – He Retains God, God Is Upright
  7. Bethlehemite – [One Of] House Of Bread, House Of War
  8. Bethlehem – House Of Bread, House Of War
  9. Jesse – My Husband, Yah Exists
  10. Eliab – (My) God Is Father
  11. Abinadab – The Father Is Generous, My Father Is Noble, Father Of Liberality
  12. Shammah – Appalling Desolation
  13. David – Beloved, Weak, Flowing

In the storyline, Saul has been anointed as the King of Israel. He was not the choice of Yahweh. Instead, he was “Asked For” by the Israelites. Samuel was told by Yahweh to give the people what they “Asked For,” which was a king to lead them, like other nations had. Samuel, as a true prophet and judge of Israel, was in the “Name of God,” as one whose soul had married Yahweh, so he “Heard Of God.” Because Saul was not married to Yahweh, Yahweh gave Saul a test, which Samuel told him – step by step – what to do. Saul did not do that. Saul failed to do what Yahweh commanded, thus “Yahweh was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.”

Here, it is vital that one see the importance of Saul being a reflection of every soul that has animated dead flesh. Saul symbolizes all souls having “Asked For” the right to be the king over the kingdom that is their flesh. Every soul feels the power and strength that Saul felt, as he thought he could do no wrong. He did as he pleased. He broke the commandment and made up his own rules, thinking he was justified to do whatever he wanted. Everyone who is a reflection of Saul has turned away from Yahweh.

When one sees that Saul had been named King of “Israel,” it is important to realize that “Israel” was the changed name of Jacob. The “children of Israel,” who beget the Tribes of Israel, which became the nation of Israel under a king, are all supposed to be elevated from simple sinful souls inhabiting fleshy bodies, as priests on earth whose souls have married to Yahweh. Thus, as “Israel,” they are all expected to be spiritual wives who serve Yahweh, in the same way as did Samuel. Thus, one soul that has earned the right to claim to be an Israelite must then be one whose soul “He Retains God” or one where “God Is Upright” in the flesh [Yahweh incarnate on earth]. Yahweh is therefore the king who reigns over everyone of Israel; and, Saul was not a soul married to Yahweh, not being one who could possibly lead simple souls to become changed into “God Is Upright.”

This then applies to all Christians. Jesus is not a king over anything “of this world,” which means Jesus is not the king of all Christendom. Jesus’ soul is the king that resides over the kingdom of a soul-flesh being, after that soul-flesh being has become married to Yahweh. This then makes Jesus the King of Israel, when oneself has been transformed as was Jacob, from self-serving lowlife to a Son of Yahweh, as His wife. Anyone who claims to be a Christian, who is not “God Is Upright” through their soul’s marriage to Yahweh and His Son being sent to be King of one’s soul-flesh is a lying failure, just as was Saul. Whatever your lowlife soul Asks For, you will deserve to pay the price of that selfishness when your mortal flesh falls away from your soul and you face judgment from Yahweh.

Now, in this story, one cannot forget the lesson of the previous Sunday, where the elders of Israel went to Samuel, demanding he appoint them a king. If the elders of the Twelve Tribes were too lazy to each be a soul married to Yahweh, requiring Yahweh send them a judge who Heard Of God, all the lesser Israelites must be seen as led to ignorance, by the ignorant. From that ignorance, none had ever been taught the truth of being a child of Yahweh, so all did whatever the judge [Samuel] told them to do, none being married to Yahweh and able to hear His voice speaking to their souls. Thus, no one in all Israel was strong. All were weak. The people Asked For Saul, because he seemed willing to do vicious acts and not worry about what he left in his wake. Saul appeared to be strong, when in reality he was like everyone else in Israel – weak.

This is seen in the name David, which primarily means “Beloved.” That is a statement about the love that draws a soul to marry Yahweh, as mutual love shared between the two. Still, the name David also reflects his soul was “Weak” and thereby “Flowing,” meaning he was led to go wherever the Spirit took him. David should then be seen as selected by Yahweh because of that lack of self-ego that makes other souls be headstrong and selfish, like Saul. The sons of Jesse were named as selfish [as “My Father Is Noble” and (My) God Is Father”] or ruin bound to happen [“Appalling Desolation”]. Yahweh knew Jesse [“My Husband, Yah Exists”] was devoted to the Laws of Moses, but still self-concerned.

When we read that Yahweh instructed Samuel to go to Jesse the Bethlehemite because, “ I have provided for myself a king among his sons,” it is good to note that David was born in Bethlehem, just like Jesus. The name of that place means “House Of Bread” or “House Of War.” The Hebrew word “beth” means “house.” The possibilities of “bread” and “war” come from the vowels assumed, as “lahem” refers to “war” or “greedily gulping.” The Hebrew word “lechem” means “bread” or “food.” When this place is recognized as where Yahweh knows a “House Of Spiritual Bread” can come, that makes it be where Micah prophesied the Messiah would be born.

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” [Micah 5:2]

When we read that Samuel went to Bethlehem and “the elders of the city came to meet him trembling,” it must be realized that Samuel was a known prophet of Yahweh, possessing all the powers of Yahweh wherever he went. The Hebrew word written is “way·ye·ḥer·ḏū,” from “charad,” meaning “to tremble, to be terrified.” Because the elders had gone to Samuel telling him, “You are old and your sons do not follow your ways,” it was not an overwhelming physical presence that made the elders of Bethlehem “tremble” with fear. This should be read in the same way that the elders of the Israelites feared the glow that came from Moses’ face, after he met with Yahweh in the tent of meeting. This fear says Samuel had the same glow about him [a halo?], which told those Israelites he came upon [by glow] that his soul and Yahweh were married, so be careful what you do and say before Yahweh.

This greeting of Samuel says the elders of Bethlehem feared God, which was a sign of reverence to Yahweh, even though they were not themselves also married to Him. The mistake in reading this is coming away thinking that Samuel was a priest, representing those who served Yahweh in His “Lofty Place,” which was the town of Samuel’s birth [Ramah]. While Samuel was raised in the School of Prophets, tutored by Eli, and Samuel was one of many priests who served as tabernacle servants, Samuel’s soul having married Yahweh’s Spirit brought him the presence of greatness, when Samuel did not take credit for this.

In our modern times, Christians bow down before people whose souls have not married Yahweh, but they wear the robes of priests, possessing titles that do not arouse fear, but delight in having come close to such false gods. Samuel the man was not feared, or no elder would have approached him with the bold demand for him to pass the torch to a human king. The only presence that demands reverence, as seen in fear, is one who comes near, lowly in stature, but Almighty in presence.

When we then read that Samuel “ sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice,” the Hebrew word “way·qad·dêš” is written, which [from “qadash”] means “to be set apart, be hallowed or consecrate.” This means Samuel announced a “sacrifice unto Yahweh,” which was an event only allowed for those made “holy.” When we read of Samuel instructing the elders of Bethlehem: “sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice,” this says the elders were the priests of Bethlehem, who knew rituals of service they needed to perform before such a sacred event. When it is then added that Samuel, “sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice,” that says Jesse and his sons were not members of the Bethlehem priests, as they were just common Israelites. Because they did not know the rituals of sanctification, Samuel guided them through this cleansing.

In those unspecified steps of purification, one can assume that Samuel had all the families of Bethlehem come to a mass sanctification, which included David. He would have been one of a sea of faces and bodies being blessed, although Yahweh would have spoken to Samuel, telling him to specifically invite Jesse and his sons to the sacrifice serving of holy barbeque. Samuel would not have singled anyone out as more special than another, as the eyes and ears of a king were throughout Israel and word would have reached the king, possibly endangering anyone singled out. Because Samuel had confirmed he came “peaceably,” the event was seen as a welcome change of pace, with only the best intentions bringing recognition to Bethlehem.

There should be understood that some time elapsed between the arrival of Samuel and the actual sacrifice, with subsequent anointing. It could mean a day or more, selecting the appropriate sacrificial animals and preparing an altar for the cookout. It would be during this preparation time that the people of Bethlehem would have returned to their normal activities, looking forward to the sacred event they were invited to attend. It is then this delay in time that David, who would have only been around nine years of age, was seen by Jesse as too young for this gathering; and, with flocks to tend, Jesse thought no one would miss a boy sent to watch over the sheep, while the adults did adult things.

When it came time to gather and the sacrifice had been made, with everyone seated at tables for the food to be passed out, it is possible that Samuel made an announcement that Yahweh knew one of the people present was worthy of special recognition [unspecified]. It is possible that he went from table to table, looking upon all the Bethlehemites who were present, knowing only the sons of Jesse were the intent of the whole sacrifice ruse. After all, we know Yahweh told Samuel it was a son of Jesse who needed to be anointed as the one of favor, but everything was still to be kept hush hush.

When we read that Samuel came to Jesse’s son Eliab, saying to himself, “Surely this is the one,” it is very important to remember that Yahweh told him, “Yahweh does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord Yahweh looks on the heart.” In this, the Hebrew text simply says, “kî lō,” which literally states “that not,” whereas the NRSV translates this as “the Lord does not.” Later, when it translates, “the Lord looks on the heart,” the name “Yahweh” is written. There, the word translated as “heart” literally means “inner man,” which means the soul.

This is very important to grasp, because modern Christians will look upon someone wearing a robe and a collar and think special recognition is deserved. Christians look at the outer appearance, incapable of knowing the soul Samuel, whose name means “Heard Of God,” listened to the voice of Yahweh guide him. Christians do not possess this unity with Yahweh, so the become easy prey to wolves in sheep’s clothing. This falls in line with the worldly axiom that says, “Clothes make the man.” Politicians love to give big smiles and shake hands, wearing the most expensive suits; but the soul of a true holy person would never pander for such recognition.

When we read, “Then Jesse made Shammah pass by,” this is assumed to be the name of Jesse’s third oldest son. However, the name of that son is “Shimea,” whose name means: “He Has Heard, Hearing, Rumor.” The writing of “Shammah” must be seen as a form of “Shimea,” as if not the name is, “drawn from the verb שמם (shamem), meaning to be desolate or appalled.” This means the spelling here can be read as purposeful [not a mistake], placing important focus [capitalization] on the way Samuel was beginning to feel. As this was now the third of Jesse’s eight sons [only seven of eight present] and the three oldest had been rejected by Yahweh, “Shammah” sums up “and all the rest.” The fact that the next five are not named says they all fell under the heading of “Appalling, Desolation.” That despair then led Samuel to ask Jesse, “Are all your sons here?”

Jesse responded to Samuel, saying “There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.” In that, the Hebrew word “haq·qā·ṭān” is written, which [from “qatan”] means “small, young, unimportant.” This should be seen as a reflection on New Testament [Acts] Saul [the Jew who persecuted Christians], when he changed his name to Paul, which means “small.” This is also how the name David bears meaning that says “Weak.”

This is then a most important clue to those who aspire to rise to such lofty heights as popes, cardinals, archbishops and bishops, all puffing out their chests and pretending to be most high, hobnobbing with the rich and famous celebrities of the world. That pretense of piety is obscene, when Yahweh looks at the souls of the “small” and “weak.” It is they who gladly “Keep the sheep,” so others can enjoy barbecues. That makes one recall how Jesus told Peter three times to “feed the lambs of me,” “Shepherd the sheep of me,” and “feed the sheep of me” (John 21). The fact that David was watching the sheep says he took responsibility seriously, with a name that meant “Beloved.”

Knowing that some time had to have elapsed before David could be summoned and brought back, it is quite possible that Yahweh had planned this delay before the actual anointment. To keep this anointment less public, the delay would have been when the cooked meat was served and eaten. Afterwards, everyone would have thanked Samuel for the cookout and left, leaving Jesse and his sons alone with Samuel, when David arrived. Possibly, one the sons of Jesse had departed, taking David’s place in the field; or, one of Jesse’s two daughters took his position of responsibility.

When David is described as “ruddy” or “red,” this could mean his cheeks were flushed from running to his father, once he heard the call. Flushed cheeks could mean pale skin, easily reddened by the sun. Still, it could mean David had red hair.

In a prophetic trance that Edgar Cayce entered, when asked to describe the Last Supper, he said of Jesus: “The Master’s hair is ‘most red, inclined to be curly in portions, yet not feminine or weak – STRONG, with heavy piercing eyes that are blue or steel-gray.” Here, in the reading, David’s eyes are said to be “bright” or “fair, beautiful” [from “yapheh”].

It is common to find one with red hair having brown [hazel] or green eyes, with red hair and blue eyes being the most rare. With red hair being in itself unique [as a percentage] among people on earth, the combination with blue eyes makes a statement that the souls of both David and Jesus projected their purity through that rarity. Again, this is not some physical trait that can be looked upon as humans see things, but these descriptive terms should be seen as being what hidden traits one can look for, in order to see the soul. As the saying goes, the eyes are the window to the soul.

Finally, when we read, “the spirit of Yahweh came mightily upon David from that day forward,” this says the soul of David was sanctified by that Spirit [“rū·aḥ-Yah-weh”]. While all had been consecrated by Samuel beforehand, the Spirit of Yahweh possessed the soul of David when Samuel poured oil upon his head. This anointment would be akin to John baptizing with water, while Jesus would baptize with the Spirit that makes one Holy [Sacred, Set apart by Yahweh]. Thus, this is stating that David’s soul was a “Christ” [from the Greek “Christos,” meaning Messiah – Anointed one].

This needs to be seen as the missing link today, as so many Christians place full value on baptism by water, by ashes mixed with oil smudged on foreheads, wafers blessed by some man or woman, or wine consecrated in the same way. Nothing poured on or rubbed on or eaten physically can ever bring a union of soul spirit to Holy Spirit. All modern pretenses of being equals to Samuel, who was a true prophet of Yahweh and had his soul married to God Almighty, are lame excuses of consecration.

With that said, not even Samuel could become Yahweh’s Spirit and merge it with the soul of David, remaining there “from that day forward.” Just as Yahweh knew which soul of Jesse’s sons He planned to marry, Samuel was blind to the outcome, until it was done.

Christians today fall well short of being the brothers of David, who could look upon their younger sibling as being an Anointed one of Yahweh, sensing they were in the presence of Yahweh merged with their brother. As brothers of a Christ, I would expect David to receive resistance at first, from all his male siblings. David would have sensed little change; and, he probably would have had a spiritual affect on his family. We will never know; but being close to a true Saint has become lost in the worship of religion, one that is afraid to call Yahweh by name.

As the Old Testament track 1 optional Old Testament reading, during the third Sunday of the Ordinary season after Pentecost, this speaks loudly that all souls fall short in the eyes of Yahweh, until they turn to Him in marriage. The season after Pentecost is all about entering ministry; and, for that to take place one must become an Anointed one. That clearly means being a Christ, which comes from being in the name of Yahweh, as His wife. That marriage of soul to Spirit then gives birth to the soul of Jesus, which make the body of flesh he is resurrected within be a new Jesus reborn. This ministry comes from being able to hear the voice of Yahweh lead one through ministry. It is not a temporary assignment, as once it comes upon one, it remains forever. This is how one knows salvation has been obtained; and, it is the motivation to go into the world to save others for the Father.

Ezekiel, Language, Teaching

Ezekiel 17:22-24 – Being the cedar tree

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Thus says the Lord God [adonay Yahweh]:

I myself will take a sprig

from the lofty top of a cedar;

I will set it out.

I will break off a tender one

from the topmost of its young twigs;

I myself will plant it

on a high and lofty mountain.

On the mountain height of Israel

I will plant it,

in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,

and become a noble cedar.

Under it every kind of bird will live;

in the shade of its branches will nest

winged creatures of every kind.

All the trees of the field shall know

that I am the Lord.

I bring low the high tree,

I make high the low tree;

I dry up the green tree

and make the dry tree flourish.

I the Lord have spoken;

I will accomplish it.

——————–

This is the track 2 Old Testament option that could be read aloud on the third Sunday after Pentecost, Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. If chosen, it will be paired with Psalm 92, which sings: “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God.” They will be followed by an Epistle reading from Second Corinthians, where Paul wrote: “For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.” The Gospel reading will then be read from Mark, where it is written: “It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

In this reading selection, the Hebrew of these three verses includes the word “Yahweh,” written three times. In verse 22 is written “adonay Yahweh,”[1] which is translated as “the Lord God.” The two other places [verse 24] where “Yahweh” is written, the NRSV has translated it as “Lord.” The question to the ‘think tank’ translators is this: Which is it: “God” or “Lord,” when both “Yahweh” and “adonay” are two different words translated as “Lord,” yet when “Yahweh” is translated as both “God” and “Lord”?

To translate “adonay Yahweh” as “Lord God” is an error that believes God [Yahweh] tells His prophets to write about “two-word entities.” They do that with “Jesus Christ” [or “Christ Jesus”] and the “Holy Spirit” [or “Spirit Holy”]. That is thinking [always a deadly thing to do] Yahweh needs an additional title added to His name, when simply “Yahweh” says everything needed to be said. Saying Yahweh is a “Lord” is unnecessary redundancy. The same applies to a capitalized [a Greek capability] “Pneuma,” where that cannot come from anyone other than Yahweh, due to the capitalization. If it is accepted to be Spirit that comes from Yahweh, then it is accepted to be “Holy.” The same error applies to “Christ Jesus,” as it gives the impression that “Christ” was the last name of “Jesus,” so both words must be said together. That as if Mr. Christ” [Yahweh the Father?] will be offended if His name is not mentioned.

All of this is the absurdity of English translations, which are all designed to lessen the power of Yahweh [that is the name of a Jewish God], to make authors of divine books be opinion writers. Their translations of this nature remove all thought from simple-speakers-of-English’s minds, as to individual responsibility to serve Yahweh as Jesus reborn. No one is taught that Yahweh has the power to make anyone a “Christ,” because all power to Anoint Spiritually can only come from Yahweh.

This means that every time the two words appear in Old Testament Scripture, saying “adonay Yahweh,” “adonay” refers to the “lord” over the prophet’s soul-body. That follows the marriage of that soul to Yahweh’s Spirit. This means “adonay Yahweh” is reference here to Ezekiel, whose “lord” over his body of flesh was “Yahweh.” As such, every word written by Ezekiel came from Yahweh, his lord. Yahweh is only lord to those souls He has married and are His wives. Calling Yahweh “Lord” does little to make Him become one’s “lord.”

By seeing that, when Ezekiel wrote, “kōh ’ā·mar ’ă·ḏō·nāy Yah·weh” [“thus says lord Yahweh”], Ezekiel was announcing, “I now write as the voice of Yahweh, because He instructs the following words.” The following words become metaphor from Yahweh, with four references to Yahweh being “I” [“’ā·nî”].

In verse 22, the metaphor is placed on “a cedar tree.” This becomes symbolism that should be realized. According to a search of the Internet [Google], using the terms “symbolism of cedar trees,” the following was posted on the website Garden Guides:

“The branches of the cedar tree are wide and grow almost parallel to the ground, making the tree appear to be constructed of successively higher floors made of greenery. In the late 19th century, author John Worcester compared the structure of the cedar tree to the process of attaining successively higher natural and spiritual knowledge, writing, “The spiritual tree also must extend its branches, put forth leaves, and mature its fruit on successively interior planes of the mind.” Worcester further elaborated that the scent of cedar wood indicated the pleasure people find from discovering knowledge and truth.”

This becomes a perfect view of the growth pattern of the branches of a cedar tree. It makes the “highest branches” [“miṣ·ṣam·me·reṯ”] reflect upon those who had reached closest to Yahweh. This then becomes a statement of those who were like Ezekiel, as “adonay Yahweh.” It also is spoken through a prophet of Israel, even though his time as a prophet was served in the southern kingdom, Judah [including captivity in Babylon].

The name “Israel” is a reflection as the “highest branches,” as that is the name taken by Jacob, after his soul married Yahweh. His new name – the name “Israel” – means the soul of Jacob had become “God Is Upright” and “He Retains God.” [Abarim Publications] Thus, the “highest branches of a cedar tree” means those branches of one tree who have married the Spirit of Yahweh, being extensions of Yahweh, still on the physical plane.

As for the “cedar tree” [“hā·’e·rez”], that refers to the children of Israel, led to become a growth of Yahweh on earth, unlike any other “trees” of government or religion. Here, the “cedar tree” is said to symbolize “strength and eternity.” Still, as Ezekiel was a prophet of the mighty tree that was felled, it had once been Israel, but split by lightning and formed into Israel and Judah. That surviving “cedar tree” was then felled by the Babylonians.

This makes this become a prophecy of what Isaiah wrote about as well: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” The “stump of Jesse” was the “cedar tree” that had been Israel under David, such that from his being “the highest branches” [everything went downhill from then], the metaphor of the “tender sprig” [“yō·nə·qō·w·ṯāw raḵ”] would be Jesus, whose DNA was implanted in the womb of Mary.

When verse 23 sings, “On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit,” here the name meaning of “Israel” [“yiś·rā·’êl”] must be understood. Because Ezekiel was a prophet of Judah, taken in the exile to Babylon, the meaning behind the name is the intent of Yahweh speaking. It has absolutely nothing to do with Yahweh promising to bring back to life a nation that failed, because it worshiped human kings, not Yahweh. Therefore, “the height of Israel” is the meaning that says, “God Strives” [Strong’s] or “He Retains God” – “God Is Upright” [Abarim Publications]. This speaks of all who would be like Ezekiel, married to Yahweh, so the “lord” of their souls would be His Spirit. The “fruit” [“p̄e·rî”] would be Jesus, which would give rise to the great new “cedar tree” called Christianity [still representative of “Israel” – not a nation run by humans, but individual soul married to God].

When verse 23 continues, singing “Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind,” the metaphor of “birds” and “winged creatures” is that of angels. In Hebrew, the word “malak” is translated as “angel,” found written in Old Testament scripture a hundred ten times. The word actually means “messenger,” which [along with “ambassador” and “envoys”], so the same spelling shows up in Biblical translation a hundred three other times, with different translations than “angel.” This then leads one to see “apostles” [from the Greek “apostolos”] as having the same essence as “malak,” meaning “a messenger, envoy, delegate, one commissioned by another to represent him in some way, especially a man sent out by Jesus Christ Himself to preach the Gospel; an apostle.” (Strong’s usage)

When one realizes that the meaning of “Israel” implies a divine marriage between soul and Spirit, so one has become “Holy, Sacred, Set apart by God” [the meaning of “Hagion”], it is this union that makes one’s “lord” [“adonay”] be “Yahweh.” Another Old Testament way of making this union be stated is “elohim,” such that Genesis 2 – once the seventh day came and it was deemed “holy” [we live today still in the seventh day] – one finds “Yahweh elohim” written eleven times. An “elohim” of “Yahweh” is then a “god” [“el”] on earth, exactly as is an “adonay Yahweh.” Thus, “elohim” are “winged creatures” [a modification of “kāl- kā·nāp̄,” which literally states “all-winged”] or “birds” [“ṣip·pō·wr”], under the protection of the new “cedar tree” – Jesus [a name meaning “Yah[weh] Will Save].

In verse 24 Ezekiel wrote, “All the trees of the field shall know that I am [Yahweh].” When one realizes the “cedar tree” is the religion of the true priests of Yahweh [His wives in marriage], then “all the trees of the field” become every religion or denomination of a religion that believes in lesser gods. This includes all Christians who refuse to call upon the name Yahweh, preferring to generally state someone unknown [by name]. That lack of personal relationship is what lowers that religion to “all others of the field,” which make up the total scope of religion on earth. This is the difference in the “elohim” of those who worshiped Ba’al and the “elohim” who was himself one, Elijah. Those failed to light an altar fire through prayer alone were the “trees” of religion that had no direct contact to a true Spirit.

This relates to Yahweh saying through Ezekiel’s hand, “I bring low the high tree, I make high the low tree.” One needs to keep in mind here, how the “highest branches” of “Israel” now become the lowest tier of the tree. As such, the roots of the tree are the hidden union with Yahweh, where the Spirit is one with the soul of the tree, so the lowest branches were those of David’s reign, after the Saul branch was pruned and thrown into the fire. Saul was non-productive, producing no fruit. Conversely, the higher branches would be furthest from the roots and therefore less connected to the Spirit, although the highest. The higher branches are too young to produce fruit, but their “tender twigs” contain the code for becoming the Son of man. The wives of Yahweh are the soul produced by the tree of Israel [those in whom “God Is Upright”], not the other trees in the forest.

When the verse then sings, “I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish,” this must be seen as precursor metaphor for Ezekiel’s dream of Yahweh taking his soul to a valley filled with dry bones. [Ezekiel 37] The statement “I dry up the green tree” speaks of the death of mortal existence in a body of flesh. The dead matter that is flesh is only made “green” [from “lāḥ” or “lach,” which actually means “moist, fresh, new”] when the “breath” [ruach] of life brings sinews, muscles and skin around the dryness of dead matter [bones]. This means reincarnation; and, it is the promise of mortality. That says the dream Ezekiel spoke of reincarnation, where now Yahweh says souls come back as “new trees,” after having been “trees” before. However, to make the “dry tree flourish” that means the promise of everlasting life. That was the lesson of Yahweh telling Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath, beyond prophesying to the dry bones.

The final segments of this song say, “I Yahweh have spoken and done.” This should not be read as some brag about the powers of Yahweh. Such truth needs no boasting come forth … from Yahweh. This then means “I Yahweh have spoken” is what we read having been written by Ezekiel. Yahweh speaks through the prophets; so, Ezekiel equates [minimally] to all who wrote divine text of Holy Scripture. Yahweh has spoken the truth every time. His Word becomes the physical roots from which a “cedar tree” grows. No religion claiming Yahweh as the “lord” of the souls who run an organization can use any other text. Even when those souls claim Yahweh is named “Allah” or “the Lord,” they cannot claim that “Yahweh has spoken” through themselves. Therefore, they are not the “cedar tree.” The “cedar tree” is only Jesus resurrected with a soul married to Yahweh and Yahweh alone.

The word translated as “and done” [or “I will accomplish it”] – “wə·‘ā·śî·ṯî” – says the proof is not to see prophecy fulfilled, as that is a lack of faith. The souls who grow from the “cedar tree” of eternal strength will marry Yahweh because they know what has been “done.” That knowledge can only come from personal experience of Yahweh, which means the soul [roots] have merged with the Spirit of Yahweh and the truth courses through one’s flesh. This faith of “done” is the truth of the “blood of Jesus,” whose soul allows one’s mind to know the truth of Yahweh and lead one into His service.

As an optional Old Testament selection to be read aloud on the third Sunday after Pentecost, one should readily see how the verbiage of Ezekiel becomes a match for the metaphor of Mark, where Jesus spoke of seeds growing and bearing fruit. It is vital, if this reading is chosen, to see Israel as a Spirit merged with a soul, creating one in whom “God Is Upright.” One needs to see how the “low” will be made high, not the other way around. Those who think [the deadly curse of mankind] they are high and mighty enough to stop calling Yahweh by His name will find their souls appearing on His doorstep, after their “green tree has been made dry,” only to hear YAHWEH say, “You did not know me, so I do not know you.”

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[1] There are no capital letters in Hebrew. The word written is “יְהוִ֔ה.” Myself and BibleHub [and others, I assume] capitalize the transliteration as “Yahweh,” in the same way that proper names are capitalized. The intent implies capitalization, when in reality there is none. So, “adonay” translates as “lord.”

2 Corinthians, Language, Teaching

2 Corinthians 5:6-10,[11-13],14-17 – Opening the door to oneself, so the Lord can enter

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We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord– for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.

[Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.] For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

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This is the Epistle reading that will be read aloud on the third Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 6], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. This reading will follow either a track 1 or track 2 pairing of readings; such that if track 1 is chosen, a reading from 1 Samuel will say, “Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul.” That reading will be paired with Psalm 20, which sings, “They collapse and fall down, but we will arise and stand upright.” If track 2 is chosen, then the Old Testament reading will come from Ezekiel, who wrote, “On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar.” That will be paired with Psalm 92, which sings, “They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be green and succulent.” All will accompany the Gospel reading from Mark, where Jesus said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

These selected verse begin by saying, “We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord– for we walk by faith, not by sight.” That is so much of a mouthful that it becomes difficult to follow what is said. It forces questions that are not answered, as the reader drones on, adding more to the complexity. What does “confident” mean? What does “at home in the body” mean? What does “away from the Lord” mean?

This confusion comes because Yahweh does not speak in ‘speed reading capable’ language. If the sole purpose of reading things aloud is to practice one’s public speaking skills, then a church is not the appropriate environment. If reading something as fast as possible is only to get a service over sooner, without any in-depth discussion [allowing hands to be raised with questions to ask], then there really is no point in reading anything in church. Just come in, wave some wands, pass out some human-deified material things [water, wafers, wine], adjourn and go home; and, then act like something good happened, when nothing happened to change anything from the way it was before.

What I just presented from the reading is ‘the first sentence’ that will be read by a reader. It is, in reality, two verses of text. Those two verses have pause marks, breaking them into five segments. Each word in those verses could become a sentence or more. Certainly, running on without pause makes it very difficult to understand any Epistle reading, Each verse needs to be understood, before one can go into the next verse. For that reason, here is what was stated in that first ‘sentence.’

Verse 6 begins with a capitalized “Tharrountes,” which divinely elevate the meaning to a Spiritual state of “Being” that brings about “Confidence, Courage, Happiness.” That first word states an Apostle is a soul married to Yahweh and thus in possession of an assurance that cannot be matched by a soul alone. It divinely indicates strength that surrounds one’s state of being, as a present participle level of “Confidence.”

A lion is a good symbol of strength and courage.

That one word leads to Paul saying that state of “Being” is not temporary, as it is “always and knowing” that state of being will always be. In that, a “kai” is written between “always” and “knowing,” signaling the importance of knowledge from personal experience, thus no doubts can diminish that state.

This then leads to a comma mark, indicating ‘take a breath of pause’ before going to the word “endēmountes,” which is another word in the present participle [“Being”]. That state is where “Confidence” is relative to “being at home” or “being in a place to live.” That “place” is then stated to be “in the body,” where “sōmati” can equally translate as “flesh.” From realizing the first word of this ‘sentence’ is capitalized, meaning a marriage with the Holy Spirit, one can then be aware that the Spirit has merged with one’s soul and is “known” to be “at home in the body of flesh.”

The third segment of words in verse 6 then begins with the word “ekdēmoumen,” which has been translated as “we are away.” The word means, “to be away from home, absent,” which shows the relationship to the home, which is one’s body of flesh. When this segment ends with the capitalized word “Kyriou,” one needs to see the divine elevation that comes from seeing that word as being the Spiritual “Lord” over one’s flesh. This represents a union of self [soul] and Spirit, where the self [soul] is “absent,” while still present, subservient to the presence of the “Lord.”

In the accompanying reading from Ezekiel [track 2 option], he wrote “adonay Yahweh,” where I explained the intent is to say the “lord” of Ezekiel was “Yahweh. That “lord” was God’s “Spirit,” so the same needs to be read here as “Lord.” When one’s soul is [present active indicative] “away from the Lord,” this needs to be seen as Paul indicating submission in marriage, as one’s soul has stepped aside, so Yahweh’s Spirit has becomes the “Lord” over one’s body of flesh.

While this can be read [equally right, which is the nature of divine language] to speak of the state of sin that humans always find themselves in, such that “to be away from the Lord,” while being “at home in the body,” says one is led by the desires of the flesh. That says one has turned away from the Lord and the soul has been sold into slavery, then possessed by the wants and desires of the body of flesh. The “flesh” becomes the “Lord” then. This way of reading says it is very easy to enslave oneself [self = soul] to a weakness, where no courage or confidence exists. In a world that panders to influencing souls to step away from self-controls that, in essence, makes Satan [or the Devil] become one’s “Lord” of the body. However, simply by seeing the first word of this three segment verse beginning with a capitalized word meaning a divine state of “Being” that brings “Confidence” and “Courage,” that says the present state is known from having married one’s soul to Yahweh. One has turned away from Satan, facing Yahweh.

Verse 7 then explains this transformation that comes from this Spiritual marriage, where the soul now lets Yahweh’s Spirit be the body’s “Lord.” Paul first wrote, “for we walk by faith,” where the literal Greek translates as “on account of faith indeed we walk.” Strong’s explains this usage of “walking” as meaning the way one conducts one’s life. HELPS Word-studies adds to the deeper meaning: “walk around, i.e. in a complete circuit (going “full circle”).” In that, one can see how a soul comes from Yahweh, as His “ruach” or “breath of spirit,” allowed to be free to do as one pleases; but after marriage to Yahweh’s Spirit, one then has returned to be with God.

Here, it is important to see the word “pisteōs” has been translated as “faith,” not simply “belief,” because the way one conducts one’s life – the true path one walks – always becomes a case of “do as I say, not as I do” contradiction, when the soul walks alone in the flesh. The translation of “faith” speaks of personal knowledge of Spiritual marriage and the presence of a higher “Lord” leading the direction in life one takes. Therefore, “we walk by faith” becomes a statement of the ministry true Apostles will always be found “walking.”

Verse 7 then adds a second segment of words that have been translated as “not by sight.” This element of “sight” must be seen as contrary to “faith,” as “seeing is believing,” while “faith” is trust in that which is physical unknown and unseen. A translation as “not by sight” is also what others see when one walks. That often becomes a failure to live up to beliefs, as what one sees cannot be expected to be the same as what one does.

In this, the Greek word “eidous” [translated as “sight”] truly means “appearance, fashion, shape, sight” (Strong’s Definition), and “visible form, shape, appearance, outward show, kind, species, class.” This makes it clearer to see that “faith” is not shown by what one wears: fancy robes, collars, crosses, high hats, fine suits, etc. This means one does not put on a display that becomes a statement of one’s “beliefs.” If one goes about in ministry feeling a need to announce by the clothes one wears, “Hey, look at me! I am holy and righteous!”

That becomes a projected false power that overcomes people, leading them to “believe” one wearing certain clothes is going to do all the work for them. Seen as having a special relationship with God says others should trust a priest knows what God wants lost souls to do. True “faith” walks the walk and talks the talk privately and without fanfare. This is because the power of ministry is a “Lord” that cannot be “seen” and one does not want to take credit for what that “Lord” does, while one has “stepped away” from the controls of one’s body of flesh.

By slowing down the reading process, incorporating a desire to understand divine text, rather than sit in a pew and dream about what one will do after the service is [predictably soon], one can see great depth arise from what is totally missed by the NRSV translation above. Two verses, broken into five segments of words, brings forth the value of divine insight.

All of the letters of Paul [and the other Apostles] are written in this way; and, all have greater depth of meaning than an English translation read aloud in a church can ever convey. All demand an accompanying explanation by one divinely married, like Paul [and the other Apostles]. The sole purpose of a priest is to provide that explanation, because a priest is like Paul just stated! The purpose of reading Scripture aloud [a practice adopted from the Jewish synagogue reading of the scrolls] is to discuss the meaning, so afterwards everyone “walks” as a priest in ministry – unseen as such to the eyes of others.

Verse 8 is translated above to state, “Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord,” which clearly repeats all that had been stated prior. This, however, is also begun by the capitalized word “Tharroumen,” which is the same root word as began verse 6, only now stated in the present active form. This capitalization becomes the same divinely elevated state of “Being” that says [collectively] “We are Confident” and “We are Courageous.”

What is missing from this translation is a second segment, introduced by the word “kai,” which places importance on one word, “eudokoumen,” which adds “kai we are pleased.” This is strongly stating that Paul knew all true Christians were “well-pleased, thought it good, were resolved” in that state of submission. That says their marriage was not forced upon them, but lovingly welcomed. Thus, by Paul saying, “we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord,” they had all found much preference from that submission to a divine “Lord.”

In verse 9, Paul is shown to have written: “So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” In reality, this misses another segment that begins with the world “kai.” That marker word is followed by “philotimoumetha,” which means “we love or seek after honor,” implying “ambition” or “self-motivation.” The root word implies [in usage], “I am zealous, strive eagerly, desire very strongly.” (Strong’s Usage) This strong drive to please, based on love intending to honor” their “Lord,” is not translated into the bland way the NRSV states this preference.

The “aim to please” [actually “well-pleasing”] is importantly based on this inner feeling the presence of the “Lord” brings; and, this presence is always present, whether it is giving commands or allowing the soul the freedom to retain and exercise some degree of control of the body it now coinhabits. The element of “pleasing” must be seen as sharing oneself through divine possession, like one would do “pleasing” things to make a guest feel welcome. It shows one is happy with the presence; and, one does not want that visitor to ever leave.

When verse 10 is then translated to say: “For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil,” this gives the erroneous impression that “Christ” is Yahweh. Most people professing to be Christian will read the word “Christ” and think it is the last name of Jesus; so, they will think Jesus Christ is the one who sits on a throne judging souls, not Yahweh. In reality, the Greek literally translates to state the following:

“these indeed all ourselves to be made known it is necessary before the face of that throne of judgment that of Anointed one , in order that might receive what had belonged to myself but had been lost each these because of that flesh , according to what done , whether good whether evil .”

While the NRSV translation can be seen as a simplified version of what was written, the truth is exposed that Paul was making a statement [led by the “Lord” within his flesh to write] that says the souls of true Christians [where “ourselves” – “us” – means “our souls”] have found a gift from divine possession; and, they go into ministry because of that found, which is the promise of Salvation [“walking not by sight”]. Only a saved soul can stand before Yahweh, who sits high on a throne of judgment, as a saved soul come wearing the face of His Son. Only a saved soul stands before Yahweh as Anointed, one of His “Christs.”

Paul and the other true Christians went [and still are expected to go] into ministry with that message: Marry Yahweh and become a “Christ” – an “Anointed one” by the Spirit – so the soul of Jesus is resurrected within one’s flesh, becoming one’s “Lord.” Otherwise, play your time in the flesh all you please, and then suffer the consequences of one’s life. All souls will be held responsible to their life’s past acts of good and evil. Only those souls who “leave their body to the Lord” will wear the face of a Christ and be allowed into heaven.

Write that down and put the note in your wallet or purse; and, then read it each day. Going to church, believing in Jesus Christ [as one name], and trying to limit how many times one secretly does evil, while praying for forgiveness each time, will not allow one’s soul to enter heaven after death of one’s flesh. That is selfishness; and, marriage to Yahweh means the work of selflessness, in return for washing away the past sins. The only way to be redeemed is to marry Yahweh and become His Son reborn, which means getting off the pew and entering ministry, without any of the fancy clothing. Live that or live again [and again] as ‘go back and start over’ reincarnated souls.

This reasoning for ministry is explained by Paul in the bracketed verses, which many see as “whew, optional, let’s strike those out, thank god.” I will forego explaining them here, simply because so many verses of an Epistle reading becomes a dissertation too long for casual Christians to ever finish reading. It would be good practice to look at the text here [BibleHub Interlinear] and do your own work trying to see the truth for oneself.

That then leaps us to verse 14, which says literally: “this indeed that of love of Anointed one held fast ourselves , having decided this , because one on behalf of all has died .” Here, the word ”agape” is written, which means “love which centers in moral preference.” (HELPS Word-studies) That means not “love” based on a human state of emotions or feelings. It is a statement of the love that joins Yahweh’s Spirit to a soul, which comes from a moral desire, not any tinglings felt by the flesh.

Such mutual “love” marries a soul to Yahweh, who in turn “Anoints one” [makes one a “Christ”] out of “love.” This anointment is not temporary, as it “holds fast” to all “souls” [from “selves”] Yahweh merges within. Again, this is not forced, as the “decision” to enter this divine union is totally upon the soul to choose. The “one” who “on behalf of all has died” is Jesus of Nazareth. His human life in the flesh previewed the way all saved soul-flesh should “conduct a life,” with Jesus’ death planned. Only from his soul’s release from one body of flesh could it then be free to be resurrected alongside those souls married to Yahweh. The presence of the divine Spirit brings about this birth within, so Jesus brings one the Anointment that he had in the flesh, returning into a new body of flesh, as the “Lord” one’s soul steps aside for.

Verse 15 then literally says, “kai for the sake of all he died , in order that those living , no more to themselves should live , on the other hand then behalf of themselves having died kai having been raised again .” As can be seen, there are two uses of the word “kai,” which marks importance that must be noted.

First, Paul emphasized the importance of understanding the reason Jesus died, “for the sake of all.” The reason was not so everyone thereafter could sin and still go to heaven. Such a lifestyle means one is not “living,” but instead animating dead matter, heading to the dead end road of life that says, “repeat and try again.” The soul of Jesus is what makes one a “Christ,” which is the only way to become truly “living.”

When Paul then followed that statement by adding, “no more to themselves should live,” this states it is up to the soul to decide to marry Yahweh and be reborn as His Son. As such, “no more should live” is stating one’s own death of control over one’s flesh – dying of one’s ego and self-will. That is when a soul steps away from control of the body and allows the soul of Jesus to become “Lord” of the flesh. This is then stating “”having died,” with the great importance [“kai“] being “having been reborn.”

Verse 16 then literally states, “Therefore ourselves away from that of now nothing regard by way of flesh . forasmuch as kai we have regarded according to flesh Anointed one , but now no longer come to know .” Here, the capitalized word “Hōste” brings divine elevation to the meaning of “Therefore.” That stated prior referred to the conditional [shoulda, woulda, coulda] of making a decision. Paul is now beginning with the heavenly decision for marriage to Yahweh having been made. “Therefore our souls” have stepped “away from” control of one’s body of flesh.

This brings about an eternal “present” or “now,” where “nothing by way of the flesh” has any control over the soul. This is not a state of death, as the soul still occupies the flesh; but the flesh no longer influences the soul. The reason is the souls have allowed their flesh to be controlled by the “Anointed one,” or the “Christ,” which is the soul of Jesus.

The last segment of words can be confusing, but when read slowly they clearly say, “the exception that comes from the now and present is our souls are no longer dominant [instead submissive]. This says our souls have come to know Yahweh up close and personal, through marriage; and, the resurrection of His Son’s soul in one is known to be one’s “Lord.”

Finally [for this reading selection], verse 17 literally translates to state: “therefore if a certain one in Christ , new creation . that original have past away ; behold! , has come into being new .” Again, Paul repeated the word “therefore,” this time without capitalization. It simply states a reflection on that “come to be known.” While the Greek word “tis” can translate as “somebody” or “anybody,” in New Testament writings it refers to “a certain one,” which implies one who is known. While “anyone” [all souls] are invited to become wives of Yahweh [be known by Him], few will make that decision. This means Paul’s use of “tis” speaks only of those “certain” in the name of Yahweh [His Sons].

These will all be “Anointed ones” by the hand of Yahweh. All will become “new,” as having all past deeds of sin wiped clean. That past will “create” a “new” self or soul. The exclamation to be seen [“behold!”] is Jesus Christ has come again in a “fresh” body of flesh.

In this selected Epistle reading to be read aloud on the third Sunday after Pentecost, when each true Christian should have begun a personal ministry as Christ reborn, the true meaning of what Paul wrote is rarely addressed. This says those preaching the sermons either do not care or they do not themselves understand, meaning they have false ministries as false shepherds or wolves in sheep’s clothing. The truth of this reading selection clearly states what has to happen for Salvation to be gained. The totality of ministry is getting that message out, so everyone who hears the message can commit to marriage of their souls to Yahweh. Each has to wear the face of Yahweh, as His Anointed. Each has to have the soul of Jesus resurrected within him or her – all Sons of man – who leads one’s path of righteousness, while the self-soul stands aside to that “Lord.”

Language, Mark, Teaching

Mark 4:26-34 – The ministry of mustard plants (metaphorically speaking)

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Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”

He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

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This is the Gospel selection to be read aloud by a priest on the third Sunday after Pentecost [Proper 6], Year B, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. Depending on whether track 1 or track 2 is chosen, there will be a pairing of Old Testament and Psalms also read aloud. If track 1 is chosen, the a reading from 1 Samuel will present: “And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.” That will be paired with a reading from Psalm 20, which sings: “Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our God.” If track 2 is chosen, then there will be a reading from Ezekiel, saying “I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of a cedar; I will set it out. I will break off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs.” A singing of Psalm 92 will include the verse: “They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be green and succulent.” This Gospel reading will be preceded by a reading from Second Corinthians, where Paul wrote: “For the love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.”

It is important to grasp the timing of Mark’s fourth chapter. It meshes perfectly with Matthew’s fifth chapter, which is mistakenly called “the sermon on the mount.” Last Sunday, when the Gospel reading came from Mark’s third chapter, a large crowd had barged into Jesus’ home. Because Jesus was drawing such a following and because he had repeatedly healed on the Sabbath, in synagogues, Jesus was either kicked out of the synagogues or he volunteered to take his ministry to a place where large crowds could be accommodated. That was on the northeastern shores of the Sea of Galilee. The “sermon on the mount” was actually a series of sermons that Jesus preached, most likely on each Sabbath or possibly on the following Sunday. This means that Matthew’s fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters stretch over months of Sabbaths.

In verse 1 of Mark 4 is read [not aloud today]: “ Again Jesus began to teach beside the sea.” [NRSV] The Greek written there actually is: “Kai palin , ērxato didaskein para tēn thalassan,” which begins with a capitalized “Kai” showing great importance in the one word that follows: “again, once more, further.” (Strong’s) That importance says a routine had begun, with Mark 3:7-12 telling of the first time Jesus went to this area and a large crowd followed him. All of these gatherings were so large that Jesus at first preached from a boat he had the apostles have ready there for him. (Mark 4:1b) The water then separated the people from overwhelming Jesus with their adoration and needs. He would later move to the mountainside, where the acoustics were better and the crowd could hear him clearly, without clinging to him.

It should also be known that the practice of reading Scripture aloud is a Christian adaptation of the practice in Jewish synagogues. In Luke 4:21 Jesus stood after a reading from the scrolls and said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” [NRSV] The difference between the Jewish religious service and a Christian equivalent is the Jews allow for open discussion. The Christian service does not allow for such. The legitimate excuse for this denial is the first Christians preaching sermons [beginning with Jesus] were divinely knowledgeable of the meaning of all Scripture; so, they were there to explain what had been read aloud in a synagogue, but nobody explained and nobody had any answers as to the truth of meaning. Thus, every “sermon on the mount” was specifically addressing a reading from Scripture, which had never before been clearly explained.

In Mark 4:2a [again, not read aloud today], we readers are told, “He began to teach them many things in parables.” A parable takes something that is commonly known and accepted and then applies that to a reading from Scripture, so that the Spiritual becomes mirrored in common knowledge in the physical universe. By speaking to the crowd in parables, Jesus was not giving them a direct explanation of meaning, because human brains are quite capable of twisting the words they hear into words they want to hear or words that were not spoken [paraphrases, such as the English translations of Scripture]. Additionally, a parable makes one work to discern the meaning, based on a presentation of metaphor. One must take a hint and then see for oneself how that makes Scripture have meaning to each individual. Working to solve a parable shows Yahweh that one is willing to take personal steps towards Him [then He will help one find the answers sought].

In the accompanying readings today, both the Ezekiel reading and Psalm 92 speak of Yahweh planting things on the earth. In Ezekiel, a verse sings: “Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind.” That is seen reflected in this sermon by Jesus, where he told the parable of the mustard seed, Jesus said it “puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” This becomes metaphor that explains such a reading from Scripture the crowd of Jews would have heard, needing explanation.

In Psalm 92, David wrote: “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God; They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be green and succulent.” Therefore, when Jesus spoke “the harvest has come,” this could have been spurred by a reading such as that.

Just as Jesus spoke in parables as his way of making the faithful work to see the truth of Scripture for themselves, the parables told by Jesus, recorded by the Apostles, become the source of explanatory sermons necessary today. In that regard, Jesus asked his disciples [not read aloud today], “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?” (Mark 4:13) Jesus then explained the parable of the sower [again, not read today], which he had preached to the crowd. He explained to the disciples, “Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them.” (Mark 4:15b)

The meaning of that is this: listening to someone tell the meaning will soon be forgotten, because it is impossible to absorb the brain of another as one’s own. Quoting some author of scriptural works of explanation [such as Bonhoeffer, but all others as well] makes double the problem of understanding Scripture; because, if one does not understand the Holy Bible, then hearing what someone else said just makes understand more complex. A parable is easier to recall; and, such a story forces one to do the work to bring meaning to the brain one possesses, the only brain that matters. As such, that what one has discerned for oneself will be owned thought; and, Satan cannot make that knowledge be erased.

This is why one must see the sermons preached by Jesus as being little bits at a time. Jesus would not sit for hours speaking one parable after another, or one gem of wisdom after another [like some mind control artist – cult leaders], because Satan would take away that which had been sown, as soon as each seed fell. A brain needs time to work on one small hint, before it can begin to work on another small hint. Therefore, this reading that tells of the growing of grain, until harvest, and then the planting of a mustard seed … they were two separate lessons. Mark’s Gospel simply states one before the other, making modern minds believe everything happened at one time. The similarity of gardening makes the two seem together adds to that conclusion.

Because of the metaphor of a seed being planted and growing and harvested, it is very easy to overlook how Jesus began a metaphorical explanation that was relative to “Thus is the kingdom that of God.” What does farming or gardening have to do with the “kingdom that of God”?

The reading from 1 Samuel is read by modern eyes and brains and thought to be little more than an ancient history lesson. Ho hum, yawn. Last Sunday we read from the same book, reading about the elders going to Samuel and demanding he appoint them a king, to be like other nations. They wanted a kingdom of their own, not the “kingdom that of God [Yahweh].” Today, we read that plan had failed, as “Yahweh was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.” That led to Yahweh telling Samuel to go to Bethlehem and anoint one of Jesse’ sons. As to which one, Yahweh would tell Samuel that when the son was in front of him.

What if that ‘ancient history’ had been read that Sabbath before Jesus taught this lesson about the growing of grain? What if that history, seen as having been written because it bore Spiritual meaning, gave rise to the question, “Would the kingdom of God be like that of David over Israel?”

That is a legitimate question that should be asked, whether or not someone like Jesus is around to tell a parable in response.

When Jesus began his parable, the translation that says, “as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,” the literal Greek states: “as a human being should cast seed upon the soil.” Rather than “someone,” Mark wrote “anthrōpos,” which is “a human being,” either male or female. Without regard to the actual physical expectations of who works a farm and who casts out seeds, men and women today should see themselves as a planter Jesus was making a parable about. Still, when “the kingdom that of God” is the preliminary given, Jesus himself can then be seen as the “human being,” as an extension of God on earth. Therefore, he was the “seed cast upon the fertile soil” that was Judaism; and, Christians today fill that same scenario, when reborn as Jesus.

Verse 27, is translated by the NRSV to say: “and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.” The Greek from which that translation comes includes five uses of the word “kai.” Everyone of those uses were written by Mark to place important emphasis on the word[s] that followed and before the next presence of “kai.” Knowing that, this is how verse 27 should be read (according to a literal translation of the Greek text):

“kai should sleep”

“kai awaken night”

“kai day ,”

“kai this seed should sprout”

“kai grow ;”

“as long as not beholds self .”

By recognizing the power of a word that acts as a marker of importance, one can see how the intent of what Jesus said (which seemed to be talking about a farmer planting seeds) speaks in the hypothetical [Greek subjunctive mood], where “sleep” refers to the mortal state of being, which is bound to a realm of dead matter. This means “should sleep” is hypothesizing about ordinary life for human beings. It becomes a statement that Yahweh sends eternal souls into dead matter [dry bones], so a living soul enters a “sleep” state on purpose [“should”], meant to find its way back to eternal life with God.

That understood, the next two words go together (not easily recognized), as “awaken night.” That speaks of prophetic dreams or visions in the wake state, where a seed of truth has been planted in the fertile mind of a believer. In the death of “night” comes an “awakening.” This then is Jesus talking about one led to have an ‘aha moment,’ where an inkling of insight takes root.

This then leads to “day,” which is the light of truth shining forth. From that light of truth, the implanted seed breaks the surface and becomes an idea that cannot be kept down. Once an idea takes root and breaks the surface, drawn to the light of “day,” it will not reenter ‘the womb.’

This then leads to the “growth” of an idea that is relative to Yahweh and His kingdom within one’s being. The “kingdom that of God” is within, with one’s soul being married to Yahweh.
It is not somewhere unknown or in outer space.

These steps take place naturally, “as long as” the flesh [“earth”] does “not behold self” as greater than Yahweh. Here, the use of “autos,” which means “self,” must be recognized as meaning one’s soul; and, a soul that “does not behold” or “does not see” figuratively [from “oiden”] reason to question Scripture, nor desire to know God, is not a true believer.

From seeing this that is written, verse 28 then begins with the word “automatē,” which means “automatic.” This is then stating what comes naturally, as far as the earth bringing forth fruit. The word has been translated as “of itself,” where [once again] a self [“itself”] must be seen as a soul. Thus, verse 27 is saying the spiritual presence of a soul in the “earth” is that of life animating a body of flesh. A soul will naturally take a seed of thought planted in the brain and treat it in the same way as would a physical seed planted in the ground. This is an “automatic” process.

This then follows, where Jesus explained how the natural process of the earth is “first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.” That is metaphor for the same way ideas come forth. The “stalk” [from “chortos,” meaning “grass” or “herbage”] is then the “sprout” used earlier [“balsta”]. It is an inkling of thought, or an insight.

Then comes “an ear” or “head [of grain]” [from “stachyn”], which is the “growth” stated earlier [“mēkynētai”], also meaning “a lengthening” or “extension” of the “sprout” or “shoot.” This is then the automatic way a brain takes an idea as a problem to solve and processes it further, which can take place in dreams or visions [“night and day”]. Finally, when the “full grain in the head” or “ear” becomes that ‘aha moment,’ when something not understood before becomes clear “as day,” one has gained ownership of spiritual insight, which is kept as personal knowledge.

As such, when Jesus said that was when one “goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come,” the metaphor of grains harvested means beginning the process that provides the grains for others to consume [including oneself]. When the “sickle” is applied to an idea that has come to fruition, it is one that can no longer be kept to oneself. It must be shared.

While that harvesting might mean the need to cut away the chaff, which is all the twists and turns one’s mind takes developing an inkling to a studied readiness for public presentation that work becomes how one receives a parable. It is an idea that is ready to be cut and given to those whose hunger will have then done the necessary work to make the same idea their own.

Verse 30 then begins with a capitalized “Kai,” showing the great importance of Jesus “bringing word, speaking, or commanding,” which does not need to mean he was simply adding to what he had said about planting and harvesting in what he said next about the mustard seed. The capitalization of “Kai” would be an indication [to me] that this was a subsequent lesson taught to his disciples, after he had given them time to reflect on what he had said prior. This means the Greek word “elegen” indicates more said on the same topic, but at another time past.

This concept is supported [in my mind] by Jesus using another parable that will explain “How shall we liken the kingdom that of God.” By posing that as a question, just as he did before using the prior parable, this says another reading has brought forth a question about the “kingdom that of God,” from another reading from Scripture.

It should be realized that Jesus and the disciples he taught were not ‘once a week’ followers of a religion. Just as Yahweh had Moses take His children away from the hustle and bustle of big city distractions, out into the wilderness, the point was to take them to a place where they could live their religion, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Making one’s religion become one’s lifestyle takes a serious commitment [marriage to Yahweh]. So, the disciples reading Scripture might have taken place in synagogue on a Shabbat, but thought on that heard read aloud did not end there. This is a sorely missed devotion that Christianity fails to produce today.

Whereas the prior metaphor was a seed [“sporon”], here the new parable stated is of a “grain of mustard” [“kokkō sinapeōs”]. There a specific plant’s “seed” is indicated. Based on Jesus knowing he had already sown the parable seed that was of the “seed of thought,” that had led to the conclusion of a harvest, such that the new seeds would become the food of ministry. That idea having previously sown and gathered now needs to now be seen as a progression in development. The “mustard seed” becomes metaphor the repetition for that which was harvested, needing next to be planted.

Before, Jesus spoke of “a human being scattering seed on the ground,” which was a hint of himself have come from the “kingdom of God” to sow the seed of his ministry. Now, the “mustard seed” becomes the extension of Jesus’ ministry – after he has left the world physically – so the seeds become representative of the disciples. Jesus planted them, watched them grow to fruition, then harvested them [another metaphor here is the green figs from the House of Green Figs – Bethtphage]. The symbolism of the mustard seed says the apostles [once ripe – Pentecost] would be the smallest seeds of religion ever farmed.

In verse 32, Mark wrote “kai” three times, once each in the first three segments of words. Those are translated above to state: “when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches.” A better way to see the truth exposed comes when the use of “kai” is seen as markers of importance that needs to be discerned. This is, as previously done above, now show here as:

“kai whenever it has been sewn ,”

“it ascends kai becomes greater than all those garden plants ,”

“kai it acts young tender shoots great ,”

By realizing Jesus was speaking in parable, so the metaphor of a mustard plant was not the point intended, reading the usage of “kai” as markers of importance in the metaphor opens these three segments up [with a better literal translation of the actual words written] to a remarkable set of revelations.

First, the Greek word “hotan,” when translated as “whenever,” prophesies all times in the future [and the past, future to Jesus] when apostles would be planted into new ministry.

Second, by translating “anabainei” as “it ascends” [rather than “it grows up”], the truth of a word that says “to go up, ascend, mount, rise” comes out as an apostle not being a normal human follower of religion. Instead, it has become spiritually “raised.” This usage is different than the prior use of “mēkynētai,” as “grow, extend, lengthen,” showing it was stating a change greater than simple human growth.

Third, when it is said an apostle is “greater than all those garden plants,” the “tree of life” in the Garden of Eden is that elevated state of existence.

Finally, the use of “poiei” as “it acts,” rather than “it produces,” makes the “Acts of the Apostles” the production of the smallest having grown high and mighty.

When the word “kladous” is read appropriately as “young tender shoots,” this gives an impression of those who have become the resurrections of Jesus, reborn anew in bodies of flesh. Jesus is the vine, while the bodies of flesh of those souls married to Yahweh become the “branches” extending the presence of the Son of man on earth. Because Jesus was the Christ, so all reborn as him will also be Anointed by the Father, those “branches” become the ministers of Christianity [all a Christ in marriage, thereby “in the name of Christ”]. This is then defining the true Church, which is all who only consume the fruit of the tree of life, never the tree of knowledge of good and evil. A true “branch” of Yahweh knows no evil, thus true apostles do not question the authority of the Spirit that becomes their Lord.

Finally, the words translated as the “birds of the air” [“peteina tou ouranou”] can be read as “winged that of heaven.” This is an “angel,” where the Greek word “angelos” means “messenger. In Hebrew terms, such “angels” would be deemed “elohim,” where the “messengers” of Yahweh are His gods. In that use of the lower-g “gods,” the meaning speaks of a soul [a self spirit] having married the Spirit of Yahweh, thereby becoming Holy through that merger or union. The Church is thereby the gathering of all such “elohim” as a most holy assembly of the Sons of Yahweh, all reborn as Jesus Christ.

As a Gospel reading chosen to be read on the third Sunday after Pentecost, during the Ordinary season that symbolizes one’s need to enter personal ministry to Yahweh, as His Son reborn, it should be seen that understanding the metaphor of parables is the foremost trait possessed by an apostle. By seeing the differences (as subtle as they might be) in these two parables, each speaking of the metaphor of the “kingdom of God,” one can see multiple questions can come from the faithful. One addresses the natural progression of belief changing into faith. The other addresses the expectation of ministry; while both say nothing relative to the “kingdom of God” is from selfish motivations.

The metaphor of growth is easily seen. The same comparison of plants can be made to human beings, as a soul is a seed that is planted in the physical plane and naturally [automatically] grows. Just as naturally, a soul in the flesh learns about what is believed to be good and what is believed to be bad. Natural growth means being fertilized by the tree of knowledge, which includes religion. Once one learns what religions says, it naturally wants to know what that said means. This is natural growth that leads most often to a failure to have one’s soul marry Yahweh and be reborn as Jesus Christ. This demands there be those who are resurrections of Jesus to teach the truth of meaning, so others can be led to the same self [soul] conclusions [not told what to believe, without question]. That failure to marry one’s soul to Yahweh’s Spirit leads to reincarnation, so a soul gets replanted in the soil of the earth, season after season – life after life. The only way to escape that cycle of failure is to be harvested as good seed, then be planted into ministry so others can be produced as wives of Yahweh. Unfortunately, few priests today know that is the message all “elohim” should see and pass along.