Trinity

The doctrine of the Trinity developed over several centuries, originating from early Christian interpretations of the New Testament (c. 50–100 AD) and formally defined at the Councils of Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD). While rooted in scriptural phrases, the term "Trinity" was first applied to God by the church father Tertullian around 200–213 AD.

Key Historical Stages of the Trinity - 1st Century (New Testament): The foundation is found in the triadic understanding of God and baptismal formulas, though not explicitly spelled out as a formula.

Mid-2nd Century: Early Church Fathers began formulating the relationship between Jesus and God, laying the groundwork.

c. 200–213 AD (Tertullian): The Latin term trinitas (Trinity) was first used by Tertullian to define one God in three persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) to oppose heresies.

325 AD (Council of Nicaea): Formally defined to confirm the divinity of Jesus against Arianism.

381 AD (Council of Constantinople): Finalized the doctrine to include the divinity of the Holy Spirit.The doctrine arose to interpret biblical passages where Jesus is worshipped as God while also being distinct from God the Father. While some argue the doctrine was heavily influenced by later Greek philosophy and church politics, most scholars agree it was a gradual development in response to early theological disputes.

Tertullian (c. 155–220 AD) was a prolific early Christian theologian, apologist, and lawyer from Carthage (modern-day Tunisia) known as the "father of Latin Christianity". He was the first to write extensively in Latin, coining key terms like trinitas (Trinity) and shaping Western theological thought.

Key Aspects of Tertullian - The Founder of Latin Theology: He introduced a distinct legal and rhetorical framework to Christian theology, moving it away from the purely Greek-dominated discourse. (The early scriptures, far predating Tertullius, were written in Greek!)

Prolific Apologist: Tertullius defended Christianity against pagan accusations and heresy, most notably in his work Apologeticum.

Key Concepts: He coined the term Trinitas to describe the Godhead and used the formulation "one substance, three persons".

Life and Conversion: Born to pagan parents, he became a trained lawyer and was converted to Christianity around 185 AD, potentially influenced by the courage of Christian martyrs.

Later Years: Late in life, he became strict in his moral views and affiliated with the Montanist movement, a rigorous puritanical sect.

Tertullian is remembered for his passionate defense of the faith, his legalistic approach to theology, and his memorable, often harsh, arguments against compromising with Roman society.

Tertullian had an ex opere operato view of the baptism, thus the efficacy of baptism was not dependent upon the faith of the receiver. According to the ex opere operato interpretation of the sacraments, any positive effect comes not from any human worthiness or faith, but from the sacrament as an instrument of God. He also believed that in an emergency, the laity can give the baptism. 

Tertullian believed the efficacy of baptism had nothing to do with the faith of an individual! Genesis 15:6 tells the reader that, “... he (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and He (God) credited it to him as righteousness.” Romans 4 elaborates on this further. The Believer is baptized as an act of faith! Baptism, in itself, cannot save.

The Montanist movement (or New Prophecy), of Tertullian affiliation, was a 2nd-century Christian charismatic revival, originating in Phrygia around 156–172 AD, led by Montanus and prophetesses Prisca and Maximilla. It stressed ecstatic prophecies, strict asceticism (fasting, celibacy), and imminent apocalyptic expectations. Condemned as heresy by mainstream church leaders, it was considered a "new dispensation" of the Holy Spirit, challenging emerging church structures before largely fading by the 5th century.

Key Aspects of the Montanist Movement - Origin: Started in Phrygia (modern-day Turkey), often called "Cataphrygians".

Leadership: Montanus, a former pagan priest, along with his followers Priscilla (Prisca) and Maximilla, claimed direct, inspired revelations from the Holy Spirit.

Core Beliefs: They believed the era of the Holy Spirit (the "New Prophecy") surpassed apostolic times, expecting the New Jerusalem to descend at Pepuza.

Strict Morality: Followers practiced intense fasting, condemned second marriages, and welcomed martyrdom, viewing themselves as a spiritual elite against a softening church.

Key Defender: The famous Church Father Tertullian in North Africa became a major supporter, attracted by its moral rigor.

Condemnation: The church rejected the movement due to its perceived "ecstatic" (uncontrolled) prophecy, the elevating of new revelations over Scripture, and the disorderly ministry of women. 

Long-term Influence:While deemed heretical, Montanism highlighted tension regarding the role of spiritual gifts and holy living. Some researchers link its emphasis on immediate inspiration and strict discipline to later reform movements like the Anabaptists and Pentecostalism.

One can extract from these observations - and even a deeper study of Tertullian - that he was changeable in doctrine, even adding to the doctrine handed down by the Apostles. Ephesians 4:14 warns that we are no longer to be children “tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming…” While Tertullian was ‘’defending’ the gospel from the Greek influence - translating scriptures into Latin - he was also to write "Christians are made, not born”. This contradicts the words of Jesus Christ, Himself, saying, “You must be born again!”

This is a cautionary warning against ‘’Trinity’ doctrine - or any doctrine deviating from the Gospel handed down by the Apostles. Tertullian - author of the Trinity doctrine - was deviant in other areas of doctrine. Why would we accept Trinity, then, as doctrine? The Holy Spirit of God will never lead the Body of Christ into multiple doctrines! Ever. We should not accept a truth sandwiched between lies from the devil as pure and uncorrupted. The Trinity doctrine departs the Church from the foremost command first mentioned by God in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, saying, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (One command - two parts.) And repeated by Jesus in Mark 12:28-30 (Old Testament references in caps):

‘One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, "What commandment is the foremost of all?" Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; and YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ (Again, one command, two parts.)

God is to be referred to as One. God the Father (YHWH), God the Living Word ( who is Jesus, the Son, John 1:1), and God the Holy Spirit were there at creation, and they are One. Not 'same'. Not 'three in one'. One. 

In all the Old Testament the word ‘’one’ [echad], in reference to God, is both singular and plural in meaning. As well, God's name 'Elohim' (used in the Old Testament) is both singular and plural in meaning! The Apostles never taught of ‘’Trinity’, even while speaking of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Gospel handed down by the Apostles says that in Christ Jesus we become One, also! One… yet, the hand is not the foot, and the finger is not the toe. One body, many parts! The Trinity teaching defiles the teaching of One, and many now lack understanding. The Trinity is a Satanic replica and distortion of the One True God. It is harmful, and not benign. It has led to much confusion and distortion.

There is an equally harmful doctrine that asserts Jesus is the Father. Scriptures tell us that this is the antichrist spirit. 1 John 2:22-23 says, “Who is the liar except the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.”

1 Corinthians 15:21-28 tells us, ‘’For since by a man death came, by a Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to our God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him. When all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, so that God may be all in all.”’

The Trinity doctrine is a departure from the truth. A departure from the Gospel handed down by the Apostles.

Galatians 1:6-9

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

2 Thessalonians 2:14-15

It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

Acts 2:42

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

When God's Child Begs To Die, and Curses The Day Of Their Birth

Several biblical figures, primarily prophets and leaders, asked God to let them die due to overwhelming despair, burnout, or anger - most notably Elijah, Jonah, and Moses. Others expressing similar death wishes include Jeremiah and Job. There are more, but let's look at these individuals.

Elijah begged to die under a broom tree after fleeing Jezebel, saying, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life" (1 Kings 19:4). Here is his account told in 1 Kings 19:4-21. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers." He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, "Arise, eat." Then he looked and behold, there was at his head a bread cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the LORD came again a second time and touched him and said, "Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you." So he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mountain of God. Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." So He said, "Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" Then he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away." The LORD said to him, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus, and when you have arrived, you shall anoint Hazael king over Aram; and Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint as prophet in your place. It shall come about, the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall put to death. Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him." So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.

Jonah desired to die out of anger that God spared Nineveh. Here is his account told in Jonah 3:10 and 4:1-11. When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. But it greatly displeased Jonah and he became angry. He prayed to the LORD and said, "Please LORD, was not this what I said while I was still in my own country? Therefore in order to forestall this I fled to Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity. Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for death is better to me than life." The LORD said, "Do you have good reason to be angry?" Then Jonah went out from the city and sat east of it. There he made a shelter for himself and sat under it in the shade until he could see what would happen in the city. So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant. But God appointed a worm when dawn came the next day and it attacked the plant and it withered. When the sun came up God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on Jonah's head so that he became faint and begged with all his soul to die, saying, "Death is better to me than life." Then God said to Jonah, "Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "I have good reason to be angry, even to death." Then the LORD said, "You had compassion on the plant for which you did not work and which you did not cause to grow, which came up overnight and perished overnight. Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?”

Moses asked God to kill him rather than continue bearing the burden of leading Israel alone. We find his account in Numbers 11:11-15. So Moses said to the LORD, "Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers'? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, 'Give us meat that we may eat!' I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me. So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”

Jeremiah cursed the day of his birth. Jeremiah 20:14-18 tells us, “Cursed be the day when I was born; Let the day not be blessed when my mother bore me! Cursed be the man who brought the news To my father, saying, "A baby boy has been born to you!" And made him very happy. But let that man be like the cities Which the LORD overthrew without relenting, And let him hear an outcry in the morning And a shout of alarm at noon; Because he did not kill me before birth, So that my mother would have been my grave, And her womb ever pregnant. Why did I ever come forth from the womb To look on trouble and sorrow, So that my days have been spent in shame?”

Job wished for death during his suffering. In Job 3 we read, Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. And Job said, "Let the day perish on which I was to be born, And the night which said, 'A boy is conceived.' "May that day be darkness; Let not God above care for it, Nor light shine on it. "Let darkness and black gloom claim it; Let a cloud settle on it; Let the blackness of the day terrify it. "As for that night, let darkness seize it; Let it not rejoice among the days of the year; Let it not come into the number of the months. "Behold, let that night be barren; Let no joyful shout enter it. "Let those curse it who curse the day, Who are prepared to rouse Leviathan. "Let the stars of its twilight be darkened; Let it wait for light but have none, And let it not see the breaking dawn; Because it did not shut the opening of my mother's womb, Or hide trouble from my eyes. "Why did I not die at birth, Come forth from the womb and expire? "Why did the knees receive me, And why the breasts, that I should suck? "For now I would have lain down and been quiet; I would have slept then, I would have been at rest, With kings and with counselors of the earth, Who rebuilt ruins for themselves; Or with princes who had gold, Who were filling their houses with silver. "Or like a miscarriage which is discarded, I would not be, As infants that never saw light. "There the wicked cease from raging, And there the weary are at rest. "The prisoners are at ease together; They do not hear the voice of the taskmaster. "The small and the great are there, And the slave is free from his master. "Why is light given to him who suffers, And life to the bitter of soul, Who long for death, but there is none, And dig for it more than for hidden treasures, Who rejoice greatly, And exult when they find the grave? "Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in? "For my groaning comes at the sight of my food, And my cries pour out like water. "For what I fear comes upon me, And what I dread befalls me. "I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes.”

These requests from God's people to die, and wishes that one had never been born alive, stemmed from burnout, fear, anger, and feeling alone in their struggles. These accounts were expressions of extreme emotional distress and fatigue rather than prayers for suicide. God did not cause any of them to die at the time of their cries. Yet, He did meet them in these times with counsel and provision. 

Do you feel extreme sorrow? Are you just plain tired as you continually are zealous for the Lord, and prompted into His purpose for you in service to the Kingdom? Do you just want to go on to the Lord because the sorrows and labors here have become too great to bear? Do you just want to go Home and be with Jesus? 

If so, you are in good company! Yet, if you are reading this, God has brought you to another day. The day He has brought you to is the day He will bring you through until the time He calls you Home. He has counsel and provision for our days already in place for us. In Him we are not alone. “In returning (repentance) and rest is your salvation. In quietness and confidence (in Him) is your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

Go on and read the Chapter of Isaiah 30 and see that God is positioned to fight our battles for us. He is named “Lord of Hosts (Armies)” many times in scripture! He wants us to actively rest in Him. He wants us to actively trust in Him - confidently!

Do you lament over the burden of sin in the world? Has the burden and awful regret of a fallen world brought painful assault upon you? If so, you are marked with the Blood of the Lamb. Ezekiel 9:4 says, “The LORD said to him, "Go through the midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations which are being committed in its midst.” Revelation 7:3 says, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.” 

Are you sealed by the Blood of the Lamb? Following Jesus comes with a Cup and a Cross. He set the path and walked it before us. He bore our burdens, and now we are called to bear the burdens of others. Our Heavenly Father may not take the Cup and the Cross from us (it is our calling), but Jesus bears it with us, saying, “Abide in me and I will abide in you, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Believe. Abide. Endure. Remain confident in the Lord. Merciful God be with you to the end. Amen.

Ezekiel's Wife

 

Last year I underwent a long spell of months of demonic oppression. I was under attack by some whom I had called ‘’Brother’ and ‘’Sister’. I was having health and pain issues. I was being 'accused'. It was generally a very difficult and trying time. I brought myself continually before the Lord for examination with the invitation and plea for His correction upon me. 

God used that time to teach me some things… one being that it is very important to Him that His children exercise correct (righteous) judgement. Sometimes when we are incorrectly judging God's child it becomes not only an accusation against that person, but also against God! God told me I was ‘’standing on holy ground' during this oppressive time. Sometimes God allows His children to go through difficult times and circumstances they don't really understand at the time. Yet, it is for a (good) purpose! It is not always due to a particular sin in their life, or lack of faith. It may even be an exercise to practice and increase their faith. God builds our faith. He doesn't tear it down.

As I was being incorrectly judged and accused by those I had called Brother and Sister God brought me to the account of Job and his ‘’friends’. Job was being incorrectly judged, and finally it came down to God telling Job's friends that they had not spoken what was right about God as they were judging Job. They did not exercise righteous judgement.

Job 42:7-11 says, "It came about after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will accept him so that I may not do with you according to your folly, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has." So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did as the LORD told them; and the LORD accepted Job. The LORD restored the fortunes of Job when he prayed for his friends, and the LORD increased all that Job had twofold. Then all his brothers and all his sisters and all who had known him before came to him, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversities that the LORD had brought on him. And each one gave him one piece of money, and each a ring of gold.

Recently an individual wrote an account of Ezekiel that did not set right in my spirit. I prayed about it. This person asserted that God killed Ezekiel's wife as a punishment for Ezekiel's disobedience. This individual said that Ezekiel was in disobedience to God, and that God showed her this by bringing her to Ezekiel 22:30-31 where God says, “I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads," declares the Lord GOD.” 

The context of this scripture is found in the proceeding and following verses - and Ezekiel's disobedience was never mentioned in any of the scriptures. In fact, Ezekiel was an exceptionally obedient prophet with a very difficult calling! God prepared Ezekiel for his calling as we see in Ezekiel 3:8-9 where God tells Ezekiel, “Behold, I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. Like emery harder than flint I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed before them, though they are a rebellious house.”

This person went on to say that God had made Ezekiel mute because ‘’perhaps the Lord didn't trust Ezekiel to not speak from his flesh during this most challenging time…’’ (of God's discipline upon the people). 'Perhaps' isn't enough. It is best to stick with the script rather than to judge on speculations.

The 'disobedience’ this individual accused Ezekiel of was that he had failed as an ‘intercessor’ for Israel based upon the aforementioned scripture Ezekiel 22:30-31. However, in Ezekiel 3:17 God tells Ezekiel, "Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.” God tells Ezekiel, specifically, in scripture that Ezekiel is to WARN the people, and give them God's words. The word ‘’Watchman’ here means:

- to look out or about, spy, keep watch.

- To peer into the distance; by implication, to observe, await.

- Usage: behold, espy, look up (well), wait for, (keep the) watch(-man).

A watchman warns - sounds the alarm. This Ezekiel obediently did.

As far as Ezekiel being made mute, we find out ‘’why’ in Ezekiel 3:26-27. It does not have to do with God's trust in Ezekiel, but in God's purpose. God tells Ezekiel, “Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house. (The ‘’why’) But when I speak to you, I will open your mouth and you will say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD.' He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.”

Now let's address WHY God takes Ezekiel's wife. Ezekiel 24:15-17 says, “And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, behold, I am about to take from you what is precious to your eyes with a fatal blow; but you shall not mourn and you shall not weep, and your tears shall not come. Groan silently; do no mourning for the dead. Bind on your turban and put your sandals on your feet, and do not cover your mustache, and do not eat the bread of other people.” Ezekiel then goes on to address the people with the explanation as to why God did this thing, and why Ezekiel did not mourn - behaving in exact obedience to God's instruction - continuing in verses 18-27, “So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded. And the people said to me, “Will you not tell us what these things mean for us, that you are doing?” Then I said to them, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘Speak to the house of Israel, “This is what the Lord God says: ‘Behold, I am about to profane My sanctuary, the pride of your power, that which is precious in your eyes and the longing of your soul; and your sons and your daughters whom you have left behind will fall by the sword. And you will do just as I have done; you will not cover your mustache, and you will not eat the bread of other people. Your turbans will be on your heads, and your sandals on your feet. You will not mourn and you will not weep; but you will rot away in your guilty deeds, and you will groan to one another. So Ezekiel will be a sign to you; according to all that he has done, you will do. When it comes, then you will know that I am the Lord God.’” ‘As for you, son of man, will it not be on the day when I take from them their stronghold, the joy of their splendor, that which is precious in their eyes and their heart’s longing, their sons and their daughters, that on that day the one who escapes will come to you with information for your ears? On that day your mouth will be opened to him who escaped, and you will speak and no longer be silenced. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the Lord.’”

God told Ezekiel that he would be a sign to the people. God often had Ezekiel do physical acts as a demonstration and warning to the people of what God was going to do. Ezekiel was obedient to perform these acts - even to his own loss and hardship. And God miraculously assisted him all along the way.  

God desires of us righteousness (correct judgement). We must repent of unrighteous judgement and seek forgiveness, just as Job's friends were required when their false accusations against Job became falsehood against God. God is accused and dishonored when we falsely judge and accuse His Prophets and people. 

IMPACT (or, Full Circle)

 

I've been considering God's words. They carry impact. Destructively so. Creatively so. What He destroys cannot be as it was. What God does do, following the destruction of His words, is… 

*Restore the years the locusts have eaten. (Joel 2:25-27 says, “I will repay you for the years eaten by locusts - the swarming locust, the young locust, the destroying locust, and the devouring locust - My great army that I sent against you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are satisfied. You will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you. My people will never again be put to shame. Then you will know that I am present in Israel and that I am the LORD your God, and there is no other. My people will never again be put to shame.”)

*He gives beauty for ashes. (Isaiah 61:1-3 says, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn, to console the mourners in Zion—to give them a crown of beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for a spirit of despair. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”)

*He causes dry bones to live again. (Ezekiel 37:1-6 says, ‘’The hand of the LORD was upon me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley, and it was full of bones. He led me all around among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, and indeed, they were very dry. Then He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones come to life?” “O Lord GOD,’’ I replied, “only You know.” And He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and tell them, ‘’Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh grow upon you and cover you with skin. I will put breath within you so that you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.”’’)

Jeremiah 23:16-24 warns:  Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD. "They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You will have peace"'; And as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, They say, 'Calamity will not come upon you.' "But who has stood in the council of the LORD, That he should see and hear His word? Who has given heed to His word and listened? "Behold, the storm of the LORD has gone forth in wrath, Even a whirling tempest; It will swirl down on the head of the wicked. "The anger of the LORD will not turn back Until He has performed and carried out the purposes of His heart; In the last days you will clearly understand it. "I did not send these prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But they prophesied. "But if they had stood in My council, Then they would have announced My words to My people, And would have turned them back from their evil way And from the evil of their deeds. "Am I a God who is near," declares the LORD, "And not a God far off? "Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?" declares the LORD. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 23:29 goes on to say:  "Is not My word like a consuming fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”

Isaiah 30:20-33 tells us:  Although the Lord has given you bread of deprivation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher, will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will see your Teacher. Your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left. And you will desecrate your carved images plated with silver, and your cast metal images plated with gold. You will scatter them as a filthy thing, and say to them, “Be gone!” Then He will give you rain for your seed which you will sow in the ground, and bread from the yield of the ground, and it will be rich and plentiful; on that day your livestock will graze in a wide pasture. Also the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned feed, which has been winnowed with shovel and pitchfork. And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be streams running with water on the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. And the light of the full moon will be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven days, on the day the Lord binds up the fracture of His people and heals the wound He has inflicted. Behold, the name of the Lord comes from a remote place; His anger is burning and dense with smoke; His lips are filled with indignation, And His tongue is like a consuming fire; His breath is like an overflowing river, Which reaches to the neck, To shake the nations back and forth in a sieve, And to put in the jaws of the peoples the bridle which leads astray. You will have songs as in the night when you keep the festival, And gladness of heart as when one marches to the sound of the flute, To go to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel. And the Lord will cause His voice of authority to be heard, And the descending of His arm to be seen in fierce anger, And in the flame of a consuming fire In cloudburst, downpour, and hailstones. For at the voice of the Lord Assyria will be terrified, When He strikes with the rod. And every blow of the rod of punishment, which the Lord will lay on him, will be with the music of tambourines and lyres; and in battles, brandishing weapons, He will fight them. For Topheth has long been ready, Indeed, it has been prepared for the king. He has made it deep and large, a pyre of fire with plenty of wood; the breath of the Lord, like a torrent of brimstone, sets it afire.

Romans 11:16-36 says, “If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "The DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB." "This IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, When I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS." From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or who HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

In Matthew 19:25-26 the disciples question Jesus following Jesus' conversation with a rich man. It says, ‘’When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”’

In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus tells a parable, ‘’to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other one; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

I recently learned that the word ‘’confess’ in 1 John 1:9 (If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.) means: to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent… to concede. When we make confession we are agreeing with God about what He declares to be true about a matter! We come into agreement - accord. Let us come into accord with what God says about a matter. We must love the truth more than comfort and convenient imaginings. Otherwise, what hope have we of any REAL comfort born of assurance? The truth, indeed, will set us free. We cannot be established anew if we are unwilling to accept being salted with fire, and crushed and shattered under the impact of God's words.

Psalm 103:17 tells us, “... the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting for those who fear Him, and His justice to the children’s children…”

Jeremiah 9:24 instructs, “... but let the one who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.

In Micah 6:6-8 the writer asks, “With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the Lord take pleasure in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give Him my firstborn for my wrongdoings, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?”

Jesus told those who would aspire to the Kingdom to be perfect as their Father in Heaven is perfect. Then He demonstrated how when He laid down His life for us. We are instructed in mercy, justice, love, humility, hospitality, kindness, and meekness. These things God loves.

We may take comfort in 2 Corinthians 12:10 which tells us, “... I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” And, in Isaiah 30:15 which instructs us, "... In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.”

Finally, in Matthew 5:3-12 Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Well Diggers

I'm in Genesis 26, where Isaac and his servants are digging and re-digging wells for water. What arduous work that was! Digging wells with hands and whatever tools they had until they hit water, lining the wells so the dirt would not collapse in, and then capping the well to keep the water clean. Re-digging the wells of Isaac's father, Abraham, that had been filled in with dirt by the enemy. Very labor intensive work!

To me this speaks of seeking - of groping - for Jesus - the Water of Life! He tells us to seek! There is something important to the work, or experience, of seeking. NASB 1995 version of Acts 17:27 is my absolute favorite expression of the verse, saying, "... that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us..." This idea of 'groping' for Jesus. It's what I do. Perhaps it's like digging a well. The enemy has thrown dirt in the wells of those that were dug before us. We re-dig them. We revive their testimonies again and again. To God be the glory!

In my recent exhaustion I have been left a bit unfeeling. Not in a jaded way, but in a depletion. There is a saturation point, and I am at the desaturation point. Dehydrated, one might say. The demands of life have depleted my umph. There is no room left for me - Praise Jesus! I'm at the back of the line with the stragglers and the needy. Allelujah! I remember it has never been about my survival and self preservation. Following Jesus has always been about laying down my life. It's always been about a cross.

It takes the crushing of the olive to make the precious oil... The oil to keep the lamp light burning. Is this the oil the 5 unprepared virgins were without? Had they not experienced the crushing? Had they been unwilling, and had this left them unprepared when the Bridegroom arrived? They did not do the necessary work of preparation for their Bridegroom. When He finally arrived there was no oil for their lamps, and no time left... 

Making of oil takes pressure (crushing) and time. There is a necessary separation of the pulp (flesh) from the oil. How convenient it is to simply go to the store and buy your oil. Yet, even that takes time... Seeking, effort, expense.

Google says that "in ancient times, olive oil was made by crushing ripe olives into a paste, pressing the paste in woven bags or baskets to extract the oil, and then allowing the liquid to settle so the oil could separate from the water and pulp. The harvested olives were typically first crushed using stone mills or by hand, then the resulting pulp was placed into baskets and put under pressure from weights, a lever, or a large screw. The oil was collected in vats, and hot water was sometimes added to help wash out the last bits of oil."

Time, pressure, separation...

With taking up the cross comes resurrection. Baptism is the symbol of this principal. We die and are buried with Christ. We rise again and live with Christ. The arduous and important work of digging wells, and re-digging of wells that the enemy has filled with dirt, rewards us with refreshing water - and water is life. Jesus Christ is the Water of Life! We seek Him - grope for Him - although He is not far from us. This is important work! How much more we appreciate refreshing water after having worked for it. When too much comes too easily we can lack gratitude and take our Jesus - our Bridegroom - for granted, ultimately leaving us unprepared. This ought never be. 

We can expect to be crushed in the process of preparation for our Bridegroom... So we may have oil in our lamps. Allelujah! We can expect to seek (dig and re-dig wells), and expect to find Jesus, the water of life! We do it for the joy set before us. The joy of the Lord is my strength. "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Tend to those wells, Brothers and Sisters... Seek Jesus!

Why Forgive?

 

I listened to a teacher I trust and respect this morning. He was talking on why we forgive. He said that we forgive not for the benefit to ourself, but for the benefit to others. He said it is an expression of love in action, not necessarily based on how we feel. I believe he got it partly right.

I would like to say that we forgive as an act of obedience to the Father and for His glory. Any time our philosophy involves the veneration of man it is off the mark. Jesus said that our obedience is an expression of our love FOR THE FATHER. Jesus said that if we love Him (Jesus) we will obey Him. Obeying Jesus is obeying the Father. They are One. So, in that regard, to forgive is an act of love - not for the benefit of man (although all people involved benefit from forgiveness), but to the glory of the Father! Remember when Jesus asked Peter three times (as many times as Peter denied Him), "Do you love me?" When Peter acknowledged that he loved Jesus what did Jesus do next? He gave Peter something to DO. Jesus instructed Peter to care for His sheep. Jesus has commanded that we love God, first, and then love others. Love requires the actions of love. Forgiveness is an act of obedience to the Father for the one who loves Him, to the glory of the Father. The one in unforgiveness is the one in rebellion.

When Jesus was in distress over His impending death, he said (in John 12:27-28), "Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came out of heaven: "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again." What Jesus did He did for the glory of God the Father because He loves Him! Jesus' love for mankind was the second love.  Jesus' love for the Father was His first love and prompted His obedience for the glory of the Father. Jesus set the example for why and how we take up our cross, and forgive.

Isaiah 1 and Ezekiel 36 are the litmus test to what I am asserting here. Please read these chapters. They are so important to learn from in our perceptions as to "God so loved the world" in John 3:16. God loved the world 'in this manner' - to HIS GLORY!

In a portion of Isaiah 1, in verses 18-20, it says, "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool. IF you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land; But IF you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken. 

In verses 26-28 God goes on to say, "Then I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, a faithful city." Zion will be redeemed with justice and her repentant ones with righteousness. But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, and those who forsake the LORD will come to an end."

We see here God's deliberate plan of forgiveness and salvation for His people foretold. We see that it is conditional. In Ezekiel 36 God makes it very plain why He does this. Here is a portion of that scripture. 

Ezekiel 36:16-36 says:

Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds; their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity. Therefore I poured out My wrath on them for the blood which they had shed on the land, because they had defiled it with their idols. Also I scattered them among the nations and they were dispersed throughout the lands. According to their ways and their deeds I judged them. When they came to the nations where they went, they profaned My holy name, because it was said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD; yet they have come out of His land.' But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD," declares the Lord GOD, "when I prove Myself holy among you in their sight. For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. You will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you. I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations. I am not doing this for your sake," declares the Lord GOD, "let it be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel!" 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places will be rebuilt. The desolate land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. They will say, 'This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden; and the waste, desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.' Then the nations that are left round about you will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted that which was desolate; I, the LORD, have spoken and will do it."

Here God makes it clear that His forgiveness, redemption, and restoration of fallen people is for the vindication of His Name! It is for the sake of His Name. While He carries our sins away as far as the east is from the west and remembers them no more, we do not forget our sins. When we have been redeemed and restored to life we look back upon our sins and abominations and, in our own sight, we loathe ourselves for them! We are ashamed and confounded - deeply regretful. So, in obedience, we forgive others their sins for the love of God and for the glory of His Name. In this we express our love for others, as well. If we do not forgive we are not forgiven. We are among the transgressors and sinners who will be crushed.

Glory to God for His perfect justice, full of mercy and compassion! Glory, honor, and power to His Name! May His Name be vindicated in all the earth. He has glorified His Name, and He will do it again. Let us glorify the Name of our Father in Heaven! Praise be to Him that He has shown His love for us in this way! Hallelujah! To God be the glory forever and ever, Amen.

The One Who Is Spiritual

In Psalm 51:6 King David says, "Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom."

In John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

The scriptures say much about the importance of truth! Jesus Christ is the Word, and the Word is Truth. Jesus and truth cannot be separated. Jesus and truth cannot be dissected, meaning 'having a divided form or structure'. If one did dissect Jesus there would be found truth in every part of Him.

*In John 17:17 Jesus prays for His followers, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."

*In John 4:24 Jesus says, "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

It is not wise to minimize the importance of truth, nor to compromise with a lie. 

According to Ephesians 4:15 we are to 'speak the truth in love'. Jesus' command to His follower is to love. The first command is one command and plural in nature. It is found in both the Old and the New Testaments. In Mark 12:29-31, after being asked what the greatest command is, 'Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'Hear, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; and YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'" Jesus followed with the second greatest command saying, "The second is this, 'You SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

"Caritas" is the Latin word for charity, and it is used in biblical translations, specifically in the Latin Vulgate Bible to translate the Greek word agape, which is the word most commonly used when we speak of biblical, or godly, love. While modern English translations often use "love" instead of "charity" for agape, the term caritas and its derivatives are found in the Bible. A notable example is the opening phrase of Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical, "Deus caritas est," which translates to "God is love" and is directly from the Vulgate's translation of 1 John 4:8 (The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love). So while love and truth are not synonymous, in the concept of caritas (love or charity), love and truth are inseparable and mutually essential. The Catholic Church's social teaching, especially as articulated in Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical Caritas in Veritate ("Charity in Truth"), emphasizes that one cannot exist in its authentic, purest form without the other. Just as the Lord our God is One, the Son and the Father do not exist one without the other. Elohim is 'one', with plurality as in a unit. (*This is not an invitation for Catholic bashing.)

Regarding 1 Corinthians 2:15, I have listed in the photo six different translations I deem reliable. The verse says, "... he who is spiritual appraises (judges; discerns) all things, yet he himself is appraised (judged; discerned) by no one." Some translations say, "not subject to any man's judgment", or "rightly judged by no one".

The original word for 'appraise' used here in this verse is 'ἀνακρίνω', transliterated 'anakrinō', phonetically 'an-ak-ree'-no'. 

Strong's definition is: properly to scrutinize that is (by implication) investigate interrogate determine: - ask question discern examine judge search.

Thayer's definition is: examine or judge; to investigate, examine, enquire into, scrutinise, sift, question; specifically in a forensic sense of a judge to hold an investigation; to interrogate, examine the accused or witnesses; to judge of, estimate, determine (the excellence or defects of any person or thing)

It means 'to separate or divide up, hence, to examine carefully, investigate, then, to determine, judge of, estimate, make a distinction.

I have been feeling distressed in concern for the larger Christian community. This is not a new thing for me, but a common occurrence. I pray and weep much in concern over these. I, too, have been bringing to the Lord the painful feelings of the recent recognition that I am 'expendable' to that same community (not to all, but to most) - which, in love and truth (ONLY) should be my 'tribe', my 'family'. For quite some time I have recognized the solitary nature of God's people as testified about in the scriptures of both Old and New Testaments - frequently experiencing hostility, and finally ending up abandoned and alone, even martyred. Yet, to experience the same can be initially painful. So we pray, "Father, forgive them". They don't know. Jesus DID say that the Way is narrow and few will find it! Oh, that we would heed the words of Jesus and take them to heart.

As I read 1 Corinthians 2:15 this morning, after a time of prayer over all this (Jesus Christ is not only our Teacher but also our Wonderful Counselor) - begging God to see with His eyes, to have His heart, to have understanding that comes from Him, to receive His correction - I got stopped on this verse. What does Paul mean that while the spiritual person judges all things, that same person is judged by no one? Why did this lead me to the verses on truth and love? I believe it is this:

God is love - 'caritas'; 'agape'. Jesus proclaimed He is truth. If God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son (Who are ONE) are dissected, (divided; judged; separated; investigated; scrutinized, etc as per definitions of the word 'appraised/discerned/judged in 1 Corinthians 2:15), there would not be - nor is there - any part to be found separate from one another, nor separate from truth and love. The one 'who is spiritual' (belonging to the Divine Spirit of God the Holy Spirit; one who is filled with and governed by the Spirit of God), then, cannot be dissected and found separate from the same BY ANY MAN. They are subject to no man's judgment in that being dissected (divided; judged; separated; investigated; scrutinized) no part of that spiritual one is found separate from love and truth, nor any part found separate from God, nor any part found separate from another spiritual man. Therein, alone, is unity. The one who is not spiritual cannot (rightly) judge the one who is.