Post by rmcdra on Feb 23, 2014 12:18:31 GMT -5
2 Corinthians 11:12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
This is a neglected and misused passage that many Christians use. Without the historical context of Paul, we will fail to see how Gnostic this passage is. Very frequently this passage will be used to slam other Christians in meaning "if you don't believe the same things as me then you are not a 'true' Christian" all while encouraging beliefs that are those of an antichrist. These are the two faced individuals who will say that they are cutting funding for food stamps because they "don't want you to be dependent." The people who will curse a single mother because "she got what she deserved". The people who rape the defenseless because of the so called authority they wield. Anyone who has a shred of decency and basic comprehensions of what Christ represents knows that such stances are opposed to Christ.
This is Paul warning us to be on guard on the authority of one's claim because the accuser or god of this world, whichever view you take of Satan, presents itself as something good when it is really not. The Bible, Church authority, tradition can all be vehicles of the accuser. Just because its in the Bible, because a pastor/priest said it, or because its tradition; does not makes it righteous. This is why the neglected concept of wisdom and understand and knowing thyself is very important. Without wisdom and understanding, passages can be transformed to oppose the very thing it is in support of. This is why Paul says there is no salvation in the Law for the Law has no mind of its own, it has no understanding, no compassion. It is essentially a machine that if blindly followed, leads to ones own destruction. Christ freed us from the law not so that we can do whatever we like; but so that we do not destroy ourselves with the Law in whatever form it takes. Christ not only brings hope, faith, and love, but also knowledge. For with knowledge, we can recognize what is wrong with the Law in whatever form it takes whether it be tradition, a pastor/priest, or even the Bible.
Anyone who says they are Biblical obviously has either not read the Bible or does not have an understanding of it. Why would I make such an accusation because the Bible is not a magic book that fell from the sky? It is a collection of Christian and Jewish literature that early Christians believed to be important. They would recognize it for what it is, a tool. A tool that blatantly says that the law is useful but its not perfect and that the law is like filthy rags. That the law can be wrong. That Christ is not just Jesus but the image of God that dwells in each of us. They would also recognize the divinity of reason and how it frees us from mindlessly obeying anything that the accuser regurgitates out. There is not a Biblical way, for if there was, we would not have the multiple opinions that exist. Anyone is claiming to be Biblical is just looking to grab for authority and should not be trusted.
God is with us and within us. God is not confined to a book, church, or nation. When we turn our arrows at ourselves rather than at others we can finally crucify ourselves. It is through crucifixion of ourselves that we can find salvation for if we do not crucify ourselves, we cannot know ourselves and we will never receive the resurrection. It takes wisdom and understand to recognize that you do not need to point your arrows at others, that you are missing the mark if you do not aim that yourselves. The accuser wants you to aim your arrows at others because he wants you as his servant. That is the nature of the accuser, to accuse. If you aim your arrows at yourself, you have broken free of the accuser because rather than accusing others and looking outwardly; you are now looking inward and what do we find when we look inward? The kingdom of God for the Kingdom is within us. Do not neglect wisdom and understanding and knowing thyself. This is the Sophia that Christ rescues within us. Without saving this Sophia, we cannot be saved from ourselves nor the accuser/god of this world who wishes to keep us enslaved.
This is a neglected and misused passage that many Christians use. Without the historical context of Paul, we will fail to see how Gnostic this passage is. Very frequently this passage will be used to slam other Christians in meaning "if you don't believe the same things as me then you are not a 'true' Christian" all while encouraging beliefs that are those of an antichrist. These are the two faced individuals who will say that they are cutting funding for food stamps because they "don't want you to be dependent." The people who will curse a single mother because "she got what she deserved". The people who rape the defenseless because of the so called authority they wield. Anyone who has a shred of decency and basic comprehensions of what Christ represents knows that such stances are opposed to Christ.
This is Paul warning us to be on guard on the authority of one's claim because the accuser or god of this world, whichever view you take of Satan, presents itself as something good when it is really not. The Bible, Church authority, tradition can all be vehicles of the accuser. Just because its in the Bible, because a pastor/priest said it, or because its tradition; does not makes it righteous. This is why the neglected concept of wisdom and understand and knowing thyself is very important. Without wisdom and understanding, passages can be transformed to oppose the very thing it is in support of. This is why Paul says there is no salvation in the Law for the Law has no mind of its own, it has no understanding, no compassion. It is essentially a machine that if blindly followed, leads to ones own destruction. Christ freed us from the law not so that we can do whatever we like; but so that we do not destroy ourselves with the Law in whatever form it takes. Christ not only brings hope, faith, and love, but also knowledge. For with knowledge, we can recognize what is wrong with the Law in whatever form it takes whether it be tradition, a pastor/priest, or even the Bible.
Anyone who says they are Biblical obviously has either not read the Bible or does not have an understanding of it. Why would I make such an accusation because the Bible is not a magic book that fell from the sky? It is a collection of Christian and Jewish literature that early Christians believed to be important. They would recognize it for what it is, a tool. A tool that blatantly says that the law is useful but its not perfect and that the law is like filthy rags. That the law can be wrong. That Christ is not just Jesus but the image of God that dwells in each of us. They would also recognize the divinity of reason and how it frees us from mindlessly obeying anything that the accuser regurgitates out. There is not a Biblical way, for if there was, we would not have the multiple opinions that exist. Anyone is claiming to be Biblical is just looking to grab for authority and should not be trusted.
God is with us and within us. God is not confined to a book, church, or nation. When we turn our arrows at ourselves rather than at others we can finally crucify ourselves. It is through crucifixion of ourselves that we can find salvation for if we do not crucify ourselves, we cannot know ourselves and we will never receive the resurrection. It takes wisdom and understand to recognize that you do not need to point your arrows at others, that you are missing the mark if you do not aim that yourselves. The accuser wants you to aim your arrows at others because he wants you as his servant. That is the nature of the accuser, to accuse. If you aim your arrows at yourself, you have broken free of the accuser because rather than accusing others and looking outwardly; you are now looking inward and what do we find when we look inward? The kingdom of God for the Kingdom is within us. Do not neglect wisdom and understanding and knowing thyself. This is the Sophia that Christ rescues within us. Without saving this Sophia, we cannot be saved from ourselves nor the accuser/god of this world who wishes to keep us enslaved.
