What does it mean to be "born again"?

What does it mean to be "born again"?

Truth did not come into the world naked but in symbols and images. The world cannot receive truth in any other way. There is rebirth and an image of rebirth, and it is by means of this image that one must be reborn. What image is this? It is resurrection. Image must arise through image. By means of this image the bridal chamber and the image must approach the truth. This is restoration.

Those who receive the name of the father, son, and holy spirit and have accepted them must do this. If someone does not accept them, the name will also be taken from that person. A person receives them in the chrism with the oil of the power of the cross. The apostles called this power the right and the left. This person is no longer a Christian but is Christ. (Gospel of Philip)

The "image of rebirth" which speaks of those who have obtained the perfect gnosis being born again into the power that is above all things. This rebirth has its heavenly counterpart (the 'image of rebirth' that is the resurrection) 

"There is rebirth and an image of rebirth" Christ's 3-fold "birth": (1) virgin birth (Luk 1:35), (2) baptism (Mat 3:17), and (3) resurrection (Rom 1:3,4).

Traditionally Baptism symbolizes acceptance of God. For Gnostic Christians, Baptism means to be born "as children of choice and knowledge". (Elaine Pagels, Adam, Eve, and the Serpent, p. 62.) 

In early Gnosticism, Baptism represents that instant when an initiate first understands Jesus' knowledge teachings. This understanding surfaces in Jn 3:7, "unless one is born anew…or from above [preferred to born again]…he cannot see [comprehend] the kingdom of God."

What does "born again" mean?

"Born Anew" (Jn 3:3 rsv) and "Born from above" (3:3 jbv) are closer to the first century Greek than "born again" (3:3 kjv). In Gnostic Christianity, Jesus' words "truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the Kingdom of God" (3:3 rsv) meant that unless one's reasoning mind/flesh is born anew in Christ consciousness (Stage IV), he cannot comprehend the possibility of a kingdom of God here on earth. If the jbv of 3:3, "born from above" is preferred, it, too, infers that the reasoning mind must be elevated to the same level as that of God. The kjv of 3:3, however, encourages us to understand that we must be reborn, in a mystical sense, through belief in Jesus. In effect, the kjv supports Orthodox Christianity's belief that Jesus is Lord and Savior, whereas the rsv and jbv support the idea that Jesus' logos/logic teachings renew our minds.

Born from above

The awakening of man to a consciousness of his unity with the Eternal Spirit; the change from carnal to spiritual consciousness through the begetting and quickening power of the word of Truth. It is the change that comes here and now. Jesus made no mention of resurrection after death as having any part in the new birth. "Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

Begetting and quickening take place in man's inner consciousness, but the process of being "born anew" (John 3:3) includes the whole man, spirit, soul, and body. To be born again is to be made "a new creature" (2 Cor. 5:17) having "this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5) and a body like unto His glorious body.

rebirth, change following--Moral regeneration: Tit 3:5; 1Pe 1:23-25; Gal 4:29; Rom 8:4-9. When man is begotten and born of the Word he is no longer "flesh . . . as grass" (I Pet. 1:24) but is eternal and abiding, not subject to death and corruption.

Nicodemus (John 3:1-15) was not acquainted with the power of Spirit, and had no understanding of regeneration although he was a "teacher of Israel " Israel meaning thoughts pertaining to the religious department of the mind:

The new birth is a vague uncertainty to the intellectual Christian, hence there has gradually been evolved a popular belief in a change to come to the soul after death in those who have accepted the church creed and been counted Christians. But in his instructions to Nicodemus, Jesus makes no mention of a postmortem resurrection. He cites the blowing of the wind as an example of those who are born of Spirit. The new birth is a change that comes here and now. It has to do with the present man, the "Son of man," the real I AM in each of us. "And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even BO must the Son of man be lifted up." This man in each of us is divine now, is in heaven now, but his manifestation is still in limbo. He must be lifted out of this condition into a spiritual one; this is being "born anew."

The two important factors in the new-birth process are to put away the old and to receive the new. Water is the natural and familiar symbol of cleansing from impurity, sin, and all its material filth. Spirit is the principle of the new life of harmony, the power from on high that puts in divine order both mind and body.

The Pharisees refused to be baptized by John. They did not consider that they needed the repentance that he demanded. They thought that they were good enough to take high places in the kingdom of God, because of their popularly accepted religious supremacy. Many people today refuse to deny their short-comings: they hold that they are now perfect in Divine Mind and that it is superfluous to deny that which has no existence. However, they are still subject to the appetites and passions of carnality, and will continue to be so until they are "born anew."

The new birth may be explained in a few words, as follows: It is the change from carnal to spiritual consciousness through the begetting and quickening power of the word of Truth. The begetting and quickening take place in man's inner consciousness, and the process of being born anew includes the whole of man--spirit, soul, and body. To be born again is to be made a "new creature," having "this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus," and a body like "the body of his glory."

James the Just

 James the Just, Apostle Brother of Jesus 

James (Ya'aqov) the Just was the Apostle brother of Jesus (Yeshua) the Nazarene who became the leader of the early Jewish-Christian community in Jerusalem. James and the other brothers initially didn't approve of Jesus' ministry. But they did become followers later, and were members of the early community of believers who lived in Jerusalem after Jesus departed. 

James was one of the three Apostles who were always with the Savior in the most intimate moments of His inner life and exaltation (James, John and Peter). Among the three he was the more learned on the formal side. James and the other early followers in Jerusalem still regarded themselves as Jewish and followers of The Way taught by Jesus. They worshiped regularly in the main Jewish Temple, and continued to adhere to many of the old Jewish laws and traditions. Outsiders regarded them as a new Jewish sect and refered to them as Nazarenes.

After Paul began to convert non-Jews to the faith, a dispute arose over whether these new converts had to follow the old Jewish religious laws and traditions. Around 48 CE, Paul traveled to Jerusalem to try to resolve the issue. According to the Canonical 'Book of Acts', it was James who made the final decision. The fact that James made the final decision indicates that at this time he was the highest authority in the existing Christian community in Jerusalem. 

According to Apostolic tradition, James was the author of the Canonical 'Epistle of James.'

Further evidence for the importance of his role was uncovered hidden in a cave in Egypt in 1945, with the discovery of 13 leather-bound codices containing 52 Apocryphal treatises buried in a sealed jar. Written in Coptic and Greek during the 3rd and 4th centuries the leather-bound codices became known as 'The Nag Hammadi Scriptures.' A passage found in 'The Gospel of Thomas', indicates that Jesus designated his brother James to take over the leadership after he departed. And 'The Secret Book of James' (Apocryphon of James) a letter attributed to James of esoteric revelations which Jesus made only to Peter and himself. Singled out at a time when the Apostles were together writing down their books of what they remembered of Christs words and life. 

But ultimately the overall leadership gradually shifted from James to Paul. This happened because the number of converts in other cities grew rapidly, and soon far outnumbered the members of the original group in Jerusalem. James died in 62 AD, as a result of conflicts with the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem. According to the 1st century Roman Jewish historian Flavis Josephus, a Jewish council condemned him 'on the charge of breaking the law,' then had him executed by stoning. Another account of James' death was reported by 3rd-4th century early Christian historian Eusebius of Caesarea. It says that the Pharisees, upset by his teachings, threw him from the summit of the Temple, stoned him, then broke his skull with a fuller's club. 

In 2002 an ancient ossuary (stone box which Jews used as a storage vessel for the bones of dead relatives) was discovered in Jerusalem bearing an Aramiac inscription 

'Ya'aqov bar Yosef akhui Yeshua' 

(James son of Joseph brother of Jesus) 

The ossuary was discovered empty and dates between the 1st century BC and 70 CE. And currently belongs to a private antiquities collector, its authenticity is still being questioned. If aithentic as indicated, the inscription would be the earliest surviving written reference to Jesus (Yeshua) the Nazarene. 

~“The Lord imparted the gnosis (knowledge) to James the Just, to John and Peter, after His Resurrection these delivered it to the rest of the Apostles, and they to the Seventy.”

-Clement of Alexandria

~"We are aware that you will depart from us, who will be our leader?"

Jesus answered "No matter where you come from, it is to James the Just that you shall go, for whose sake heaven and earth have come to exist." 

-The Gospel of Thomas

~You have asked me to send you a secret book revealed to Peter and me by the master, and I could not turn you down, nor could I speak to you, so I have written it in Hebrew and have sent it to you, and to you alone. But since you are a minister of the salvation of the saints, try to be careful not to reveal to many people this book that the savior did not want to reveal even to all of us, his twelve students. Nonetheless, those who will be saved through the faith of this treatise will be blessed.

~Now, the twelve students were all sitting together, recalling what the savior had said to each of them, whether in a hidden or an open manner, and organizing it in books. I was writing what is in my book. Look, the savior appeared, after he had left us, while we were watching for him. Five hundred fifty days after he rose from the dead, we said to him, 

“Did you depart and leave us?”

Jesus said, “No, but I shall return to the place from which I came. If you want to come with me, come.”

They all answered and said, 

“If you order us, we shall come.”

He said, “I tell you the truth, no one will ever enter the kingdom of heaven because I ordered it, but rather because you yourselves are filled. Leave James and Peter to me that I may fill them.”

When he called the two of them, he took them aside and commanded the rest to keep doing what they were doing.

~Again after this we wished to send our spirits up to the majesty. When we ascended, we were not allowed to see or hear anything. The other students called to us and asked us, 

“What did you hear from the teacher? What did he tell you? Where did he go?”

We answered them, “He ascended. He gave us his right hand, and promised all of us life. He showed us children coming after us, having commanded us to love them, since we are to be saved for their sakes.”

When they heard this, they believed the revelation, but they were angry about those who would be born. Not wishing to give them reason to take offense, I sent each of them to a different location. I myself went up to Jerusalem, praying that I might acquire a share with the loved ones who are to come.

I pray that the beginning may come from you. This is how I can be saved. They will be enlightened through me, by my faith, and through another’s that is better than mine. I wish mine to be the lesser.

-The Secret Book of James

~But after Paul, in consequence of his appeal to Cæsar, had been sent to Rome by Festus, the Jews, being frustrated in their hope of entrapping him by the snares which they had laid for him, turned against James, the brother of the Lord, to whom the episcopal seat at Jerusalem had been entrusted by the apostles.The following daring measures were undertaken by them against him.

Leading him into their midst they demanded of him that he should renounce faith in Christ in the presence of all the people. But, contrary to the opinion of all, with a clear voice, and with greater boldness than they had anticipated, he spoke out before the whole multitude and confessed that our Saviour and Lord Jesus is the Son of God. But they were unable to bear longer the testimony of the man who, on account of the excellence of ascetic virtue and of piety which he exhibited in his life, was esteemed by all as the most just of men, and consequently they slew him. Opportunity for this deed of violence was furnished by the prevailing anarchy, which was caused by the fact that Festus had died just at this time in Judea, and that the province was thus without a governor and head.

The manner of James’ death has been already indicated by the above-quoted words of Clement, who records that he was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple, and was beaten to death with a club. But Hegesippus, who lived immediately after the apostles, gives the most accurate account in the fifth book of his Memoirs. He writes as follows

“James, the brother of the Lord, succeeded to the government of the Church in conjunction with the apostles.He has been called the Just by all from the time of our Saviour to the present day for there were many that bore the name of James.

He was holy from his mother’s womb and he drank no wine nor strong drink, nor did he eat flesh. No razor came upon his head he did not anoint himself with oil, and he did not use the bath. He alone was permitted to enter into the holy place for he wore not woolen but linen garments. And he was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship of God, and asking forgiveness for the people."

Because of his exceeding great justice he was called the Just, and Oblias, which signifies in Greek, ‘Bulwark of the people’ and ‘Justice,’ in accordance with what the prophets declare concerning him.

Now some of the seven sects, which existed among the people and which have been mentioned by me in the Memoirs, asked him, ‘What is the gate of Jesus?’

and he replied that he was the Saviour.

On account of these words some believed that Jesus is the Christ. But the sects mentioned above did not believe either in a resurrection or in one’s coming to give to every man according to his works. But as many as believed did so on account of James.

Therefore when many even of the rulers believed, there was a commotion among the Jews and Scribes and Pharisees, who said that there was danger that the whole people would be looking for Jesus as the Christ. Coming therefore in a body to James they said, 

‘We entreat thee, restrain the people for they are gone astray in regard to Jesus, as if he were the Christ. We entreat thee to persuade all that have come to the feast of the Passover concerning Jesus for we all have confidence in thee. For we bear thee witness, as do all the people, that thou art just, and dost not respect persons. Do thou therefore persuade the multitude not to be led astray concerning Jesus. For the whole people, and all of us also, have confidence in thee. Stand therefore upon the pinnacle of the temple, that from that high position thou mayest be clearly seen, and that thy words may be readily heard by all the people. For all the tribes, with the Gentiles also, are come together on account of the Passover.’

The aforesaid Scribes and Pharisees therefore placed James upon the pinnacle of the temple, and cried out to him and said

‘Thou just one, in whom we ought all to have confidence, forasmuch as the people are led astray after Jesus, the crucified one, declare to us, what is the gate of Jesus.’

And he answered with a loud voice, 

‘Why do ye ask me concerning Jesus, the Son of Man? He himself sitteth in heaven at the right hand of the great Power, and is about to come upon the clouds of heaven.’

And when many were fully convinced and gloried in the testimony of James, and said, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ 

these same Scribes and Pharisees said again to one another, ‘We have done badly in supplying such testimony to Jesus. But let us go up and throw him down, in order that they may be afraid to believe him.’

And they cried out, saying, ‘Oh! oh! the just man is also in error.’ And they fulfilled the Scripture written in Isaiah, ‘Let us take away the just man, because he is troublesome to us therefore they shall eat the fruit of their doings.’

So they went up and threw down the just man, and said to each other, 

‘Let us stone James the Just.’ 

And they began to stone him, for he was not killed by the fall but he turned and knelt down and said, ‘I entreat thee, Lord God our Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’

And while they were thus stoning him one of the priests of the sons of Rechab, the son of the Rechabites, who are mentioned by Jeremiah the prophet, cried out, saying, 

‘Cease, what do ye? 

The just one prayeth for you.’

And one of them, who was a fuller, took the club with which he beat out clothes and struck the just man on the head. And thus he suffered martyrdom. And they buried him on the spot, by the temple, and his monument still remains by the temple. He became a true witness, both to Jews and Greeks, that Jesus is the Christ. And immediately Vespasian besieged them.

These things are related at length by Hegesippus, who is in agreement with Clement. James was so admirable a man and so celebrated among all for his justice, that the more sensible even of the Jews were of the opinion that this was the cause of the siege of Jerusalem, which happened to them immediately after his martyrdom for no other reason than their daring act against him.

Josephus, at least, has not hesitated to testify this in his writings, where he says,  

“These things happened to the Jews to avenge James the Just, who was a brother of Jesus, that is called the Christ. For the Jews slew him, although he was a most just man.”

And the same writer records his death also in the twentieth book of his Antiquities in the following words “But the emperor, when he learned of the death of Festus, sent Albinus to be procurator of Judea. But the younger Ananus, who, as we have already said, had obtained the high priesthood, was of an exceedingly bold and reckless disposition. He belonged, moreover, to the sect of the Sadducees, who are the most cruel of all the Jews in the execution of judgment, as we have already shown.

Ananus, therefore, being of this character, and supposing that he had a favorable opportunity on account of the fact that Festus was dead, and Albinus was still on the way, called together the Sanhedrim, and brought before them the brother of Jesus, the so-called Christ, James by name, together with some others, and accused them of violating the law, and condemned them to be stoned.

But those in the city who seemed most moderate and skilled in the law were very angry at this, and sent secretly to the king, requesting him to order Ananus to cease such proceedings. For he had not done right even this first time. And certain of them also went to meet Albinus, who was journeying from Alexandria, and reminded him that it was not lawful for Ananus to summon the Sanhedrim without his knowledge.

And Albinus, being persuaded by their representations, wrote in anger to Ananus, threatening him with punishment. And the king, Agrippa, in consequence, deprived him of the high priesthood, which he had held three months, and appointed Jesus, the son of Damnæus high priest.”

These things are recorded in regard to James, who is said to be the author of the first of the so-called catholic epistles. But it is to be observed that it is disputed at least, not many of the ancients have mentioned it, as is the case likewise with the epistle that bears the name of Jude, which is also one of the seven so-called catholic epistles. Nevertheless we know that these also, with the rest, have been read publicly in very many churches.

-Eusebius 

-Church History

The Initiations of the Pythagoreans

 The Initiations of the Pythagoreans

The ancient Mystery schools were renowned for their tightly guarded esoteric knowledge of the scared Mysteries and sciences, where all was taught orally, and the difficult levels of initations, which took many years to complete and an advanced level of education before being allowed acceptance. The great Greek philosopher Pythagoras (born around 500 BC) was initiated in all the Grecian, Barbarian and Phoenician sacred Mysteries during his youth, before being initiated in the Egyptian and Chaldean sacred Mysteries, spending 22 years in Egypt then a further 12 years in Babylon. Most notably in the Egyptian mystery schools Pythagoras had to win the respect of the priests before being allowed initiation and was given the most difficult precepts, which he performed so swiftly that he won their admiration and was granted initiation in all the most scared Egyptian sciences, a honor never before granted to a foreigner. He was 56 years old before he returned to Samos then onto Crotone, Italy were he founded his Mystery school most famously remembered for perfecting mathematics, geometry, astronomy, philosophy and metaphysics along with having a powerful political influence. 

The initiations of the Pythagorean Mystery school were among the most difficult of the ancient world and many failed or were rejected, (which ultimately lead to Pythagoras's death at the hands of some of those he did not accept as disciples). He did not allow his followers to attend his lectures and teachings in the person until they had successfully acomplished 7 years of initiations, beginning by examining the candidates judiciously and observed their mannerisms and disposition, neglecting

then for 3 years while subjecting trails and tests upon them. After this they were compelled to not speak a word for 5 years before becomig known as esoterics and deemed worthy to share in his doctrines in the person. Prior to this they were taught by the second hand teachings of his disciples. Those who failed initiations or were rejected were given double the wealth the came with and sent away, a tomb was then erected to symbolically represent their deaths and they were forbidden to associate with any Pythagoreans whom considered them as dead.

The following accounts of the initiations of the Pythagoreans and those prior of Pythagoras in Egypt and Babylon are sourced from the writings of Neoplatonic philosophers Porphyry, Iamblicus and Diogenes Laertius.

~As he was a young man, and devoted to learning, he quitted his country, and got initiated into all the Grecian and barbarian sacred mysteries. Accordingly, he went to Egypt, on which occasion Polycrates gave him a letter of introduction to Amasis, and he learnt the Egyptian language, as Antipho tells us, in his treatise on those men who have been conspicuous for virtue, and he associated with the Chaldaeans and with the Magi.

Afterwards he went to Crete, and in company with Epimenides, he descended into the Idaean cave, and in Egypt too, he entered into the holiest parts of their temples, and learned all the most secret mysteries that relate to their gods. Then he returned back again to Samos, and finding his country reduced under the absolute dominion of Polycrates, he set sail, and fled to Crotona in Italy. And there, having given laws to the Italians, he gained a very high reputation, together with his scholars, who were about three hundred in number, and governed the republic in a most excellent manner; so that the constitution was very nearly an aristocracy.

~He was the first person, as Timaeus says, who asserted that the property of friends is common, and that friendship is equality. And his disciples used to put all their possessions together into one store, and use them in common and for five years they kept silence, doing nothing but listen to discourses, and never once seeing Pythagoras, until they were approved, after that time they were admitted into his house, and allowed to see him. They also abstained from the use of cypress coffins, because the sceptre of Jupiter was made of that wood, as Hermippus tells us in the second book of his account of Pythagoras.

~And he was so greatly admired, that they used to say that his friends looked on all his sayings as the oracles of God. And he himself says in his writings, that he had come among men after having spent two hundred and seven years in the shades below. Therefore the Lucanians and the Peucetians, and the Messapians, and the Romans, flocked around him, coming with eagerness to hear his discourses; but until the time of Philolaus, there were no doctrines of Pythagoras ever divulged; and he was the first person who published the three celebrated books which Plato wrote to have purchased for him for a hundred minae. Nor were the number of his scholars who used to come to him by night fewer than six hundred. And if any of them had ever been permitted to see him, they wrote of it to their friends, as if they had gained some great advantage.

~Pythagoras died in this manner. When he was sitting with some of his companions in Milo's house, some one of those whom he did not think worthy of admission into it, was excited by envy to set fire to it. But some say that the people of Crotona themselves did this, being afraid lest he might aspire to the tyranny. And that Pythagoras was caught as he was trying to escape, and coming to a place full of beans (of which he considered scared), he stopped there, saying that it was better to be caught than to trample on the beans, and better to be slain than to speak, and so he was murdered by those who were pursuing him. And in this way, also, most of his companions were slain being in number about forty but that a very few did escape, among whom were Archippus, of Tarentum, and Lysis, whom I have mentioned before.

-Diogenes Laertius

-The lives and opinions of eminent philosophers

~Antiphon, in his book on illustrious Virtuous Men praises his perseverance while he was in Egypt, saying, Pythagoras desiring to become acquainted with the institutions of Egyptian priests, and diligently endeavoring to participate therein requested the Tyrant Polycrates to write to Amasis, the King of Egypt, his friend and former host, to procure him initiation. Coming to Amasis, he was given letters to the priests of Heliopolis, who sent him on to those of Memphis, on the pretense that they were the more ancient. On the same pretense, he was sent on from Memphis to Diospolis. From fear of the King the latter priests dared not make excuses but thinking that he would desist from his purpose as result of great difficulties, enjoined on him very hard precepts, entirely different from the institutions of the Greeks. These he performed so readily that he won their admiration, and they permitted him to sacrifice to the gods, and to acquaint himself with all their sciences, a favor theretofore never granted to a foreigner.

~Later he sent him to Anaximander at Miletus, to learn geometry and astronomy. Then Pythagoras visited the Egyptians, the Arabians, the Chaldeans and the Hebrews, from whom he acquired expertery in the interpretation of dreams, and acquired the of use frankincense in the worship of divinities. 

In Egypt he lived with the priests, and learned the language and wisdom of the Egyptians, and three kinds of letters, the epistolic, the hieroglyphic, and symbolic, whereof one imitates the common way of speaking, while the others express the sense by allegory and parable. In Arabia he conferred with the King. In Babylon he associated with the other Chaldeans, especially attaching himself to Zoroaster by whom he was purified from the pollutions of this past life, and taught the things which a virtuous man ought to be free. Likewise he heard lectures about Nature, and the principles of wholes. It was from his stay among these foreigners that Pythagoras acquired the greater part of his wisdom.

-Porphyry

-The Life of Pythagoras

~Here in Egypt he frequented all the temples with the greatest diligence, and most studious research, during which time he won the esteem and admiration of all the priests and prophets with whom he associated. Having most solicitously familiarized himself with every detail, he did not, nevertheless, neglect any contemporary celebrity, whether sage renowned for wisdom, or peculiarly performed mystery he did not fail to visit any place where he thought he might discover something worth while. That is how he visited all of the Egyptian priests, acquiring all the wisdom each possessed. He thus passed twenty-two years in the sanctuaries of temples, studying astronomy and geometry, and being initiated in no casual or superficial manner in all the mysteries of the gods. At length, however, he was taken captive by the soldiers of Cambyses, and carried off to Babylon. Here he was overjoyed to associate with the Magi, who instructed him in their venerable knowledge, and in the most perfect worship of the gods. Through their assistance, likewise, he studied and completed arithmetic, music, and all the other sciences. After twelve years, about the fifty-sixth year of his age, he returned to Samos.

It is said that while he was in Egypt he very much applied himself to geometry. For Egyptian life bristles with geometric problem since, from remote periods, when the gods were fabulously said to have reigned in Egypt, on account of the rising and falling of the Nile, the skillful have been copelled to measure all the Egyptian land which they cultivated, wherefrom indeed the science’s name, geometry, was derived. Besides, the Egyptians studied the theories of the celestial orbs, in

which Pythagoras also was skilled. All theorems about lines seem to have been derived from that country. All that relates to numbers and computation is said to have been discovered in Phoenicia. The theorems about the heavenly bodies have by some been referred to the Egyptians and Chaldeans in common. Whatever Pythagoras received, however, he developed further, he arranged them for learners, and personally demonstrated them with perspicuity and elegance. He was the first to give a name to philosophy, describing it as a desire for and love of wisdom, which latter he defined as the science of objectified truth. Beings he defined as immaterial and eternal natures, alone possessing a power that is efficacious, as are incorporeal essences.

~As he therefore thus prepared his disciples for culture, he did not immediately receive as an associate any who came to him for that purpose until he had tested them andexamined them judiciously. To begin with he inquired about their relation to their parents and kinsfolk. Next he surveyed their laughter, speech or silence, as to whether it was unreasonable further, about their desires, their associates, their conversation, how they employed their leisure, and what were the subjects of their joy or grief. He observed their form, their gait, and the whole motions of their body. He considered their frame’s natural indications physiognomically, rating them as visible exponents of the invisible tendencies of the soul. After subjecting a candidate to such trials, he allowed him to be neglected for three years, still covertly observing his disposition towards stability, and genuine studiousness, and whether he was sufficiently averse to glory, and ready to despise popular honors.  After, this the candidate was compelled to observe silence for five years, so as to have made definite experiments in continence of speech, inasmuch as the subjugation of the tongue is the most difficult of all victories, as has indeed been unfolded by those who have instituted the mysteries. During this probation, however, the property of each was disposed of in common, being committed to trustees, who were called politicians, economizers or legislators. Of these probationers, after the quinquennial silence, those who by modest dignity had won his approval as worthy to share in his doctrines, then became esoterics, and within the veil both heard and saw Pythagoras. Prior to this they participated in his words through the hearing alone, without seeing him who remained within the veil, and themselves offering to him a specimen of their manners. 

If rejected, they were given the double of the wealth they had brought, but the auditors raised to him a tomb, as if they were dead, the disciples being generally called auditors. Should these later happen to meet the rejected candidate, they would treat him as a stronger, declaring that he whom they had by education modeled had died, inasmuch as the object of these disciplines had been to be turned out good and honest men. Those who were slow in the acquisition of knowledge were considered to be badly organized or, we may say, deficient, and sterile. If, however, after Pythagoras had studied them physiognomically, their gait, motions and state of health, he conceived good hopes of them; and if, after the five years’ silence, and the emotions and initiations from so many disciplines together with the ablutions of the soul, and so many and so great purifications produced by such various theorems, through which sagacity and sanctity is ingrained into the soul, if after all this even, someone was found to be still sluggish and

dull, they would raise to such a candidate within the school a pillar or monument, such as was said to have been done to Perialus the Thurian, and Cylon the prince of the Sybarites, who were rejected, they expelled him from the auditorium, loading him down with silver and gold. This wealth had by them been deposited in common, in the care of certain custodians, aptly called Economics. Should any of the Pythagoreans later meet with the reject, they did not recognize him whom they accounted dead.

~Generally, however, it should be known, that Pythagoras discovered many paths of erudition, but that he communicated to each only that part of wisdom which was appropriate to the recipient’s nature and power, of which the following is an appropriate striking illustration. When Abaris the Scythian came from the Hyperboreans, he was already of an advanced age, and unskilled and uninitiated in the Greek learning. Pythagoras did not compel him to wade through introductory theorems, the period of silence, and long auscultation, not to mention other trials, but considered him to be fit for an immediate listener to his doctrines, and instructed him in the shortest way, in his treatise on Nature, and one on the god this Hyperborean Abaris was elderly, and most wise in sacred concerns, being a priest of the Apollo there worshipped. At that time he was returning from Greece to his country, in order to consecrate the gold which he had collected to the god in his temple among the Hyperboreans. As therefore he was passing through Italy, he saw Pythagoras, and identified him as the god of whom he was the priest.

~When Pythagoras tested a novice, he considered the latter’s ability to hold his counsel, “echemuthein” being his technical term for this. Namely, whether they could reserve and preserve what they had heard and learned. Next, he examined their modesty, for he was much more anxious that they should be silent, than that they should speak. Further, he tested every other quality, for instance, whether they were astonished by the energies of any immoderate desire or passion. His examination of their affectability by desire or anger, their contentiousness or ambition, their inclination to friendship or discord, was by no means superficial. If then after an accurate survey these novices were approved as of worthy manners, he then directed his attention to their facility in learning, and their memory. He examined their ability to follow what was said, with rapidity and perspicuity and then, whether they were impelled to the disciplines taught them by temperance and love. For he laid stress on natural gentleness. This he called culture. Ferocity he considered hostile to such a kind of education. For savage manners are attended by impudence, shamelessness, intemperance, sloth, stupidity, licentiousness, disgrace, and the like, while their opposite attend mildness and gentleness. These things then he considered in making trial of those that came to him, and in these the Learners were exercised. Those that were adapted to receive the goods of the wisdom he possessed he admitted to discipleship endeavoring to elevate them to scientific knowledge but if he perceived that any novice was unadapted to them, he expelled him as a stranger and a barbarian.

-Iamblichus 

-The life of Pythagoras

Salome

 Salome and The Gospel of the Egyptians

Salome is named as one of the female followers of Jesus (Yeshua) in the canonical Gospels, who was present at his crucifixion and more importantly as one of the three female disciples along with Mary Magdalene (Mariam of Magdala) and Joanna, who found his tomb empty. Salome (not to be confused with Salome the daughter of Herod) is identified as the wife of Zebedee, the mother of the Apostles James (the Great) and John. (And in some traditions the older sister of Jesus, or in medieval tradition as the sister of Mary the mother of Jesus). 

Her Importance as a disciple is further stressed in the Apocryphal and Gnostic Gospels were she features often among the 12 Apostles in conversations with Jesus. Including in the now lost 'Gospel according to the Egyptians' known by Apostolic literature to have been one of the earliest Gospels written in Greek in Egypt during the late 1st or early 2nd century CE and used by the Christian Gnostic sects the Naasenes and Sabellians. The Gospel survives today only in quotations by Egyptian Apostolic church father Clement of Alexandria (150 - 215 CE) followed by his own allegorizing interpretions. Salome is also mentioned by Clement as one of the disciples in Jericho in 'The Secret Gospel of Mark,' (another early lost Gospel quoted by Clement), and asks a question to Jesus in 'The Gospel of Thomas,' and in 'Pistis Sophia' along with Mary Magdalene who answers Salomes question with the approval of Jesus.

Salome appers as one of the Hebrew midwives present at the birth of Jesus in various Infancy Gospels including 'The Protoevangelium of James,' 'The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew' and 'The Latin Infancy Gospel.' Similar to the canonical account of doubting Thomas, she at first does not believe Mary being a virgin has given birth and refuses to believe until she inspects Mary herself. When she inspects Mary her hand immediately becomes disfigured from her lack of faith and she falls to her knees praying to God for forgiveness, when a angel appears and tells her to worship and touch the baby Jesus, which she does and her hand is instantly healed. Later on her journey back home a voice tells her not to talk about the miracles she witnessed until the child enters Jerusalem. 

~the words addressed to Salome which I mentioned earlier. They are handed down, as I believe, in the Gospel of the Egyptians. For they say the Saviour said,

"I have come to undo the works of the female."

by the female meaning lust, and by the works birth and decay.

~Salome asked correctly when the Logos spoke of the end, 

" How long will death prevail?"

 Wherefore the Lord very aptly answered,

"So long as women bear children."

~And why do not they who walk by anything rather than the true rule of the Gospel go on to quote the rest of that which was said to Salome for when she had said, 

"I have done well, then, in not bearing children?,' imagining that it is not permitted to bear children." 

the Lord answers and says,

"Eat of every herb, but the bitter one eat not."

~When Salome inquired when the things concerning which she asked should be known, the Lord said,

"When ye have trampled on the garment of shame, and when the two become one and the male with the female, neither male nor female." 

In the first place, then, we have not this saying in the four Gospels that have been delivered to us, but in that according to the Egyptians.

~For the Lord himself, being asked by someone (Salome) when his Kingdom would come, replied, 

"When two shall be one, that which is without as that which is within, and the male with the female, neither male nor female."

Now, two are one when we speak the truth one to another, and there is unfeignedly one soul in two bodies. And 'that which is without as that which is within,' means this. He calls the soul 'that which is within,' and the body 'that which is without.' As, then, your body is visible to sight, so also let your soul be manifest by good works. And 'the male with the female, neither male or female,' this he said, that brother seeing sister may have no thought concerning her as female, and that she have no thought concerning him as male. 'If you do these things,' he says, 'the Kingdom of my Father shall come.'

-Clement of Alexandria

-The Stromata

~Jesus said, 

"Two will recline on a couch, one will die, one will live."

Salome said, 

"Who are you mister? You have climbed onto my couch and eaten from my table as if you are from someone."

Jesus said to her, 

"I am the one who comes from what is whole. I was granted from the things of my Father."

"I am your disciple."

"For this reason I say, if one is whole, one will be filled with light, but if one is divided, one will be filled with darkness."

-The Gospel of Thomas

~"And he comes into Jericho," the secret Gospel adds only, "And the sister of the youth whom Jesus loved and his mother and Salome were there, and Jesus did not receive them." But many other things about which you wrote both seem to be and are falsifications. Now the true explanation and that which accords with the true philosophy...

-Clement of Alexandria

-The Secret Gospel of Mark

~And when the Saviour had said this, Salome started forward and said, 

"My Lord, if our parents are the rulers, how standeth it written in the Law of Moses, 'He who shall abandon his father and his mother, let him die the death'? Hath not thus the Law made statement thereon?"

And when Salome had said this, the light-power in Mary Magdalene bubbled up in her and she said to the Saviour, 

"My Lord, give commandment unto me that I discourse with my sister Salome to tell her the solution of the word which she hath spoken."

It came to pass then, when the Saviour had heard Mary say these words, that he called her most exceedingly blessed. The Saviour answered and said unto Mary, 

"I give commandment unto thee, Mary, that thou speak the solution of the word which Salome hath spoken."

Mary removeth the doubt of Salome. And when the Saviour had said this, Mary started forward to Salome, embraced her and said unto her, 

"My sister Salome, concerning the word which thou hast spoken, It standeth written in the Law of Moses, 'He who shall abandon his father and his mother, let him die the death,' now, therefore, my sister Salome, the Law hath not said this concerning the soul nor concerning the body nor concerning the counterfeiting spirit, for all these are sons of the rulers and are out of them. But the Law hath said this concerning the power which hath came forth out of the Saviour, and which is the light-man within us today. The Law hath moreover said, Every one who shall remain without the Saviour and all his mysteries, his parents, will not only die the death but go to ruin in destruction."

When then Mary had said this, Salome started forward to Mary and embraced her anew. Salome said, 

"The Saviour hath power to make me understanding like thyself."

-Pistis Sophia

~And the midwife cried out, and said,

"This is a great day to me, because I have seen this strange sight. And the midwife went forth out of the cave, and Salome met her. And she said to her,

"Salome, Salome, I have a strange sight to relate to you, a virgin has brought forth a thing which her nature admits not of."

Then said Salome,

"As the Lord my God lives, unless I thrust in my finger, and search the parts, I will not believe that a virgin has brought forth."

And the midwife went in, and said to Mary, "Show yourself for no small controversy has arisen about you."

And Salome put in her finger, and cried out, and said,

" Woe is me for mine iniquity and mine unbelief, because I have tempted the living God, and, behold, my hand is dropping off as if burned with fire."

And she bent her knees before the Lord, saying, "O God of my fathers, remember that I am the seed of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, do not make a show of me to the sons of Israel, but restore me to the poor, for You know, O Lord, that in Your name I have performed my services, and that I have received my reward at Your hand." 

And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by her, saying to her,

"Salome, Salome, the Lord has heard you. Put your hand to the infant, and carry it, and you will have safety and joy." 

And Salome went and carried it, saying,

"I will worship Him, because a great King has been born to Israel." 

And, behold, Salome was immediately cured, and she went forth out of the cave justified. And behold a voice saying,

"Salome, Salome, tell not the strange things you have seen, until the child has come into Jerusalem."

-The Protoevangelium of James

~And Joseph said to the blessed Mary,

"I have brought thee two midwives, Zelomi and Salome and they are standing outside before the entrance to the cave, not daring to come in hither, because of the exceeding brightness. And when the blessed Mary heard this, she smiled and Joseph said to her,

"Do not smile but prudently allow them to visit thee, in case thou shouldst require them for thy cure."

Then she ordered them to enter. And when Zelomi had come in, Salome having stayed without, Zelomi said to Mary,

"Allow me to touch thee."

And when she had permitted her to make an examination, the midwife cried out with a loud voice, and said,

"Lord, Lord Almighty, mercy on us! It has never been heard or thought of, that any one should have her breasts full of milk, and that the birth of a son should show his mother to be a virgin. But there has been no spilling of blood in his birth, no pain in bringing him forth. A virgin has conceived, a virgin has brought forth, and a virgin she remains."

And hearing these words, Salome said,

"Allow me to handle thee, and prove whether Zelomi have spoken the truth."

And the blessed Mary allowed her to handle her. And when she had withdrawn her hand from handling her, it dried up, and through excess of pain she began to weep bitterly, and to be in great distress, crying out, and saying,

"O Lord God, Thou knowest that I have always feared Thee, and that without recompense I have cared for all the poor, I have taken nothing from the widow and the orphan, and the needy have I not sent empty away. And, behold, I am made wretched because of mine unbelief, since without a cause I wished to try Thy virgin."

And while she was thus speaking, there stood by her a young man in shining garments, saying, 

"Go to the child, and adore Him, and touch Him with thy hand, and He will heal thee, because He is the Saviour of the world, and of all that hope in Him."

And she went to the child with haste, and adored Him, and touched the fringe of the cloths in which He was wrapped, and instantly her hand was cured. And going forth, she began to cry aloud, and to tell the wonderful things which she had seen, and which she had suffered, and how she had been cured, so that many through her statements believed.

-The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew

The Difference Between Gnosis and Epignosis?

 The Difference Between Gnosis and Epignosis?

As far as the words are concerned, they are both Greek nouns commonly translated “knowledge," gnosis and epignosis.

Both are related to the verb ginosko, which means “know; understand; perceive.” The way this verb is used in the Bible, though, shows that it can indicate a favorable relationship between the person and one he “knows.” (1Co 8:3; 2Ti 2:19) Knowledge (gnosis) is put in a very favorable light in the New Testament. 

For example, Peter exhorts us to "grow in knowledge" (2 Pet. 1:5-6), and the word is "gnosis". He assures us that if we follow his advice we will be "neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 8). But in this statement the word is "epignosis", and similar comparisons will be found elsewhere. The question is; What is the significance of these two words? And if we have "gnosis" (knowledge), when can we claim to have "epignosis" (deeper knowledge)?

Both words are derived from the verb "ginosko" which signifies the act of taking in knowledge, in such a way as to establish a relationship between the one knowing and the object known. For example: "This is life eternal to know (ginosko) Thee, the only true God and Jesus whom Thou hast sent" (John 17:3).

In such a context, the verb implies the one knowing, and not merely an academic knowledge.

When the preposition "epi" is added to the noun or verb, transforming it into "epignosis" or "epignosko", it suggests a fuller knowledge or recognition of the object known. Hence the question posed us: When does one reach "gnosis" to move on to "epignosis"?

The answer, of course, is a matter of interpretation. Our opinion is that "epignosis" does not indicate an increased quantity of knowledge, but a fuller quality of it. "Epignosis" is the absorbing and manifesting of whatever knowledge the capacity of the individual permits him to absorb.

And capacity varies with the individual. Christ declared: "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required" (Luke 13:48). The liquid capacity of a glass may be half a pint or litre, and when that amount is poured into it, it has reached its full capacity. It would be folly, wasteful, and perhaps disastrous to try and pour two litres of liquid into it. So with ourselves. When we have reached full capacity according to our limited ability and are using that knowledge effectively, we have "epignosis"; even though our grasp of a subject is more limited than that of others.

However, not all that men may call “knowledge” is to be sought, because philosophies and views exist that are “falsely called ‘knowledge.’” (1Ti 6:20) The recommended knowledge is about God and his purposes. (2Pe 1:5) This involves more than merely having facts, which many atheists have; a personal devotion to God and Christ is implied. (Joh 17:3; 6:68, 69) Whereas having knowledge (information alone) might result in a feeling of superiority, our knowing “the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge,” that is, knowing this love by experience because we are personally imitating his loving ways, will balance and give wholesome direction to our use of any information we may have gained.—Eph 3:19.

Epignosis, a strengthened form of gno´sis (epi´, meaning "deeper" or “additional”), can often be seen from the context to mean “exact, accurate, or full knowledge.” Thus Paul wrote about some who were learning (taking in knowledge) “yet never able to come to an accurate knowledge [“a real knowledge,” TC; “a personal knowledge,” Ro; “clear, full knowledge,” Da ftn] of truth.” (2Ti 3:6, 7) He also prayed that ones in the Colossian congregation, who obviously had some knowledge of God’s will, for they had become Christians, “be filled with the accurate knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension.” (Col 1:9) Such accurate knowledge should be sought by all Christians (Eph 1:15-17; Php 1:9; 1Ti 2:3, 4), it being important in putting on “the new personality” and in gaining peace.—Col 3:10; 2Pe 1:2.

"Epignosis" is full-knowledge, or the fulness of knowledge. It is applying the substance of knowledge. Like ordinary food, it is not the quantity that we take in that counts, but the absorption by the body of the goodness of that which we consume, and which contributes to physical growth.

Consider the basic doctrine that God is one, and that we should "love Him" with all our strength. If we love a person sufficiently, we will enjoy being in his company, and we will extol his virtues to others. We will be anxious that he is well-respected by our acquaintances, and to that end we will introduce him to others, so that they may share our pleasure. Moreover, if our love is real, we will be longing and yearning after his presence, and moulding our lives so that we may appear attractive to him. So with the love of God. A person who truly loves God will yearn for fellowship with Him. He will strive to reach His holiness, knowing that it will please Him, in the same manner as he would pursue any object for which he feels a strong passion. He will find pleasure in studying the things relating to His majesty and purpose, in uttering words of praise to His name; and in occupying himself with the messages he has received from Him for his benefit and guidance. His feelings towards God will be like those of a lover towards the wife of his youth, or those of a father towards his child.

History of Gnosticism

A history graph over Gnosticism. Note that neo-Gnosticism was essentially started up in the 19th century, generally keeping some of the false narratives of the Church Fathers when designing their theology. The Nag Hammadi Library was hidden in the desert in the 4th or 5th century. The Cathars that were Paulician (or perhaps Marcionite), rather than Gnostic, went extinct in the 13th century. Qabbalah was written down in the 11th century. The last Manichaeans disappeared some time after the 13th century but before the 18th century in China. The Mandeans are the only ones that have a real Gnostic heritage, but they will not accept converts. I suspect the first real Gnostics preceeded Jesus and John the Baptist. #gnosticdoctrine #gnosticteachings

 

Jesus and Satan

Good and bad, wrong and right. Love and hate, joy and suffering.

Duality is the crux of human being. The physical plane provides a canvas of contrast.

This is suitable for the mind's need to understand and define. Or the mind found suit in this paradigm.

Egg meet Chicken 🧠🥚🐔

Take a Divine step back, detaching from self interest and cognitive frameworks. See the Singularity that exists in totality.

Up implies down. Happy needs sad  ☯️

Reconforming then creates a clear understanding that we are the Creator of *our* existence, perception, and fate. We are subject to circumstances, but these evolve through our response.

All forms of Dieties and Spirit exist because we are interdimensional. But they are not us, nor do they control us. We as Light Beings maintain a power of presence that can always transcend. 

Pick your potion: subject to change 😊🌊♾

Namaste  🙏💖🕉

 

How to Reset Your Life

 How to Reset Your Life 

Reset your self get back on track 

Empathy Plato

 So many forget that whole suspension of ego part when trying to empathize with others

We must dream to change how man measures the needs of humanity.~GEG

The Mind of Christ

 

God has Breasts El Shaddai

 The Breasts of the Father Ode 19

In this study we will look at the feminine aspects of God but first we will start with an opening reading from the Odes of Solomon Ode 19:

Ode 19 
A cup of milk was offered to me, and I drank it in the sweetness of the Lord's kindness. 
The Son is the cup, and the Father is He who was milked; and the Holy Spirit is She who milked Him; 
Because His breasts were full, and it was undesirable that His milk should be ineffectually released. 
The Holy Spirit opened Her bosom, and mixed the milk of the two breasts of the Father. 
Then She gave the mixture to the generation without their knowing, and those who have received it are in the perfection of the right hand. 
The womb of the Virgin took it, and she received conception and gave birth. 
So the Virgin became a mother with great mercies. 
And she labored and bore the Son but without pain, because it did not occur without purpose. 
And she did not require a midwife, because He caused her to give life. 
She brought forth like a strong man with desire, and she bore according to the manifestation, and she acquired according to the Great Power. 
And she loved with redemption, and guarded with kindness, and declared with grandeur.
Hallelujah. 

Early Church Fathers' Understanding of God Having Breasts

The notion that God, or the Father, possesses feminine breasts may initially seem startling or unorthodox, yet it emerges within the early Christian writings as a profound theological metaphor. Early church fathers, particularly Irenæus of Lyons and Clement of Alexandria, frequently employed such imagery to express divine nurturing and life-giving attributes, often symbolizing the intimate relationship between God and humanity. This metaphorical understanding is rooted in the concept of God as both masculine and feminine, emphasizing the inclusive nature of divine care.

Irenæus, the bishop of Lyons in the late second century, is one of the earliest church fathers to employ this imagery. In his seminal work Against Heresies (ca. 180 CE), he speaks of the nurturing role of God, comparing divine sustenance to the act of a mother nursing her children. Irenæus writes, "Those who do not have a share in the Spirit are not nourished to life by the Mother's breasts" (Irenæus, Against Heresies, book 3, chapter 24:1). Here, the metaphor of the "Mother's breasts" refers to the nurturing aspect of the Spirit, which sustains and nourishes believers to spiritual life. This imagery is aligned with the broader Christian tradition of depicting God as a source of life and care, invoking maternal imagery to underscore the divine's role in spiritual rebirth.

Clement of Alexandria, another significant early church figure, is perhaps best known for his rich theological metaphors that portray God in both masculine and feminine terms. Clement, who flourished in the late second and early third centuries, frequently utilized the imagery of nurturing and mothering to describe the relationship between God and humanity. In his work Exhortation to the Greeks and other writings, he characterizes the divine Logos (Word) as a nourishing force, likening it to a mother who feeds her child. Clement writes, "The Word is everything to the child, both father and mother, teacher and nurse . . . The nutriment is the milk of the Father . . . and the Word alone supplies us children with the milk of love, and only those who suck at this breast are truly happy." (Clement of Alexandria, Exhortation to the Greeks).

For Clement, the "milk of the Father" is a symbol of the divine Word, which sustains and nourishes the soul. The act of "sucking" or "seeking" the Word is likened to a child feeding at the breast, an intimate act of reception and growth. This maternal metaphor aligns with the Christian understanding of salvation as a nurturing and life-giving process, where God, as both Father and Mother, provides the sustenance needed for spiritual growth.

Elaine Pagels, a renowned scholar of early Christianity, highlights the theological significance of Clement's use of maternal imagery. She notes that for Clement, "the Word alone supplies us children with the milk of love," presenting God as both a nurturing mother and a guiding father. The dual nature of God, encompassing both masculine and feminine qualities, is a recurring theme in Clement's thought, reflecting the early church's complex and evolving understanding of the divine. Pagels points out that, "seeking is called sucking; to those infants who seek the Word, the Father's loving breasts supply milk." This comparison underscores the tender and nourishing aspects of divine love, which are accessible to all believers who seek the Word in humility and faith.

Moreover, the metaphor of divine breasts in early Christian thought can be traced to the Old Testament, where God is sometimes portrayed in maternal terms. The Hebrew name El Shaddai, often translated as "God Almighty," is etymologically linked to the word "Shadd," which means "breast." This connection suggests that the biblical understanding of God includes an aspect of maternal care and sustenance, a theme that early Christian writers like Irenæus and Clement would later draw upon to express the fullness of God's nature.

Jerome, another prominent church father, acknowledged the complexity of gendered language in relation to the divine. In his commentary on the Bible, Jerome famously noted that "the word for Spirit is feminine in Hebrew, masculine in Latin, and neuter in Greek," reflecting the diversity of ways in which the divine Spirit was understood in different cultural and linguistic contexts. Jerome's observation indicates that debates surrounding the gendered language of God were taking place within the early church, particularly regarding the use of feminine language for the Spirit. While Jerome maintained that God transcends gender, his remarks suggest an awareness of the theological implications of feminine imagery in relation to the divine.

In conclusion, the use of maternal imagery to describe God, including the metaphor of divine breasts, is not a foreign or isolated concept within early Christian thought. Church fathers like Irenæus and Clement of Alexandria utilized this imagery to express the nurturing and life-giving aspects of God’s nature. By portraying God as both Father and Mother, they sought to convey the fullness of divine care and love, emphasizing God’s intimate relationship with humanity. This theological perspective, enriched by biblical tradition and the linguistic flexibility of early Christian writers, underscores the depth and complexity of the early church’s understanding of the divine..

**Shaddai and the Breasts of God**

The idea that God has breasts may sound surprising or even radical today, but it arises directly from ancient Hebrew language, biblical imagery, and early Jewish and Christian theological reflection. One of the key places this concept appears is in the name **El Shaddai**, a title for God in the Hebrew Bible, and its ancient etymological connections.

### The Meaning of El Shaddai

The main Hebrew lexicons, *Brown-Driver-Briggs* (BDB) and *The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament* (HALOT, also known as K-B for its editors Kohler and Baumgartner), offer various possibilities for the etymology of the word **Shaddai**. One suggestion is that it derives from the verb **שדד shadad**, meaning “to deal violently with,” but none of these sources suggest that **Shaddai** means “God of violence.” Another possibility listed in BDB is that it comes from **שדה shadah**, meaning “to pour out,” referring to God as “rain giver.” 

The *Kohler-Baumgartner lexicon (HALOT)* suggests that the word could be based on the **Akkadian shadu**, meaning “mountain.” Thus, **El Shaddai** would mean “The God of the Mountain(s).” This is the prevailing scholarly consensus today. HALOT also notes other suggestions, including the idea that **Shaddai** refers to one of the ancestral gods, though the exact meaning remains uncertain.

However, one compelling possibility not noted in BDB or HALOT but found in both *Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament (TDOT)* and *New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (NIDOTTE)* is that **Shaddai** comes from **שד shad**, the Hebrew word for “breast.” In Hebrew, the word **שד shad** means “breast,” and although the noun is masculine in form, it refers specifically to female breasts.

TDOT observes that **Shaddai** follows a pattern of divine names that pair a natural element with an adjectival suffix. TDOT mentions:  

> “One thinks of ‘Artsay, Tallay, and Pidray, wives of Ba`al, whose names mean ‘One of the Earth,’ ‘The Dewy One,’ and ‘The Misty One.’” (TDOT, I:256)  

Thus, **Shaddai** would naturally mean “The Breasted One.”

Although TDOT ultimately favors the interpretation “God of the Mountain,” it acknowledges “The God of Breasts” as a meaningful and significant alternative.  

TDOT notes:  

> “Despite several attempted and suggested explanations the etymology of שדי has still not been completely clarified.” (TDOT, I:257)

This ambiguity should caution against dismissing the “God of Breasts” interpretation simply because of later scholarly trends toward “God of the Mountain(s).”

### El Shaddai — The Strong Breasted One

The title **El Shaddai** can be literally understood as “The Strong Breasted One.” This maternal imagery is deeply linked to ideas of sustenance, provision, and intimate care, much like a mother nourishing her child.

The Hebrew Bible portrays God under this name as a Provider and Sustainer. God introduced Himself to Abraham saying:  

> “I am El Shaddai; walk before me and be blameless.” (Genesis 17:1)

In Deuteronomy, we read:  

> “He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye.” (Deut. 32:10)

These nurturing qualities resonate with the image of God having life-giving, sustaining “breasts.”

### Early Jewish Interpretation — Shaddai the All-Sufficer

Early Jewish thinkers often associated **Shaddai** with sufficiency and nourishment. El Shaddai was the “All-Sufficer,” the One who nourishes and sustains like a mother caring for her children.

Philo of Alexandria, a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, linked the name **Shaddai** with sufficiency:  

> “The name Shaddai signifies ‘one who is sufficient,’ meaning that God stands in need of nothing.” (*On the Change of Names* 5:23)

This echoes the idea of maternal abundance and provision, associating God’s sufficiency with nourishment.

### The Dual Nature of God — Father and Mother

Early Christians extended this imagery to describe God’s dual nature as both Father and Mother. The name **El Shaddai** hints at this duality. In its original Hebrew form:

- **El** means “God” or “Strength.”

- **Shaddai**, derived from **shad**, means “breast” — feminine and nurturing.

Some early Christian thinkers saw this as reflecting the unity of masculine and feminine within the Deity. The duality is beautifully expressed in *Genesis*:

> “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.” (Genesis 1:27)

This indicates that both male and female characteristics are found in the image of God — a reflection of both strength and nurturing.

### Clement of Alexandria on the Breasts of God

Clement of Alexandria is one of the most explicit early Church Fathers using maternal imagery for God. In his *Paedagogus*, Clement writes:  

> “The Word is everything to the child, both father and mother, teacher and nurse… The nutriment is the milk of the Father… and the Word alone supplies us children with the milk of love, and only those who suck at this breast are truly happy. For this reason, seeking is called sucking; to those infants who seek the Word, the Father's loving breasts supply milk.” (Paedagogus 1.6)

This passage illustrates how Clement envisions the Divine as possessing metaphorical breasts — nourishing believers with spiritual milk.

### Conclusion

Though the etymology of **El Shaddai** remains debated, the ancient possibility of it meaning **“The Breasted One”** is supported by Hebrew linguistics and early theological interpretation. This title highlights God’s nurturing, maternal aspects alongside strength and power. Far from being shocking, the image of God as possessing life-giving, sustaining breasts was meaningful to ancient Jewish and Christian thinkers alike, reflecting a more complete, encompassing image of the Divine.

The Breasts of the Father and Christ: Nurturing Divine Sustenance and Motherhood

The concept of divine nourishment in Christian esoteric thought is often portrayed through maternal imagery, especially in the context of Christ and the Father. The symbolism of breasts as sources of milk represents spiritual sustenance and care. The Odes of Solomon, an early Christian hymn collection, provides profound insights into the maternal and nurturing aspects of both Christ and the Father. These hymns articulate divine motherhood through imagery of the Father’s breasts and Christ’s role as the provider of spiritual nourishment. In this exploration, we will examine how these maternal symbols reflect the nurturing nature of Christ and the Father, and their connection to the Church, seen in passages like Ode 8 and Ode 19.

Christ as Mother in Ode 8

One of the most striking examples of Christ depicted as a mother appears in Ode 8: “My own breasts did I prepare for them” (8:14). In this verse, Christ is not only the giver of life but also the maternal provider of milk, which sustains the faithful. The idea of Christ as the nursing mother is a radical departure from traditional representations of God as exclusively paternal, emphasizing a nurturing, feminine role. The verse continues: “I fashioned their limbs / and my own breasts I prepared for them / that they might drink my holy milk and live by it.” This passage envisions Christ not only as a father figure but as one who cares for His followers in the most intimate and nurturing way, offering life-sustaining nourishment.

This maternal image is reinforced by the contrast between the physical nourishment of milk and its spiritual parallel: just as a mother’s milk nourishes the infant body, Christ’s spiritual nourishment sustains the soul. The faithful, drinking from Christ's milk, are imbued with life, symbolizing the life-giving relationship between Christ and His followers. The image of the divine as a mother providing for the people reflects both a compassionate and intimate relationship with humanity.

The Father as Source of Nourishment in Ode 19

In Ode 19, we encounter an even more striking portrayal of the Father as a nurturing figure. The text reads: "The Son is the cup, and the Father is He who was milked; and the Holy Spirit is She who milked Him; Because His breasts were full, and it was undesirable that His milk should be ineffectually released" (Ode 19:2). In this passage, the Father is described as having “breasts,” an image traditionally associated with femininity. The Father, often depicted in masculine terms in Scripture, is here portrayed in a wholly feminine light. This reversal of typical gender roles emphasizes the fullness of divine nurturing and care, further complicated by the Holy Spirit’s role in “milking” the Father, symbolizing her action of distributing divine sustenance.

The metaphor of divine milk being "ineffectively released" suggests that God’s nurturing energy must be properly channeled, ensuring that it reaches the people in a life-giving manner. This imagery of the Father as the milked one, the Son as the cup, and the Holy Spirit as the one who milks points to a harmonious, triune action that nourishes the faithful, further highlighting the maternal role within the divine relationship.

The Virgin as the Church in Ode 19

Another significant aspect of Ode 19 is the imagery of the Virgin. The Virgin is described as “becoming a Mother” and “laboring and bearing the Son but without pain, because it did not occur without purpose” (Ode 19:6). In this context, the Virgin is not referring to Mary, but rather to the Church, which is often symbolized as a virgin in Christian esoteric thought. 2 Corinthians 11:2 states: "For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ," emphasizing the purity and sanctity of the Church, the Bride of Christ.

Similarly, Ephesians 5:27 speaks of the Church as a “glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish,” reinforcing the idea that the Church is the Virgin that receives and nurtures the divine. Galatians 4:26 further adds, "Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all," symbolizing the heavenly, nurturing aspect of the Church as the mother of all believers. The Church, as the Virgin, receives the milk of divine sustenance and gives birth to spiritual life.

The Breasts of the Father as a Source of Spiritual Life

The Odes of Solomon make repeated references to the "milk" of the Father and the role of the Father’s "breasts" in the nourishment of the faithful. Ode 19 highlights this: “the milk from the two breasts of the Father” (Ode 19:4). The Father, traditionally envisioned as a powerful, authoritative figure, is here portrayed as a source of maternal care, providing spiritual sustenance through His “breasts.” The use of feminine imagery to describe the Father does not diminish His role as the Creator but rather expands the understanding of His nature to include both masculine and feminine aspects.

This imagery finds its roots in Old Testament metaphors of God as a nurturing figure. Psalm 22:9-10 portrays God as a midwife, taking a maternal role in the formation of the believer: “Yet You are He who took me out of the womb; You made me trust while on my mother’s breasts.” Similarly, Isaiah 49:15 and Isaiah 66:13 depict God as a comforting mother, nurturing and caring for His people. In Isaiah 42:14b, God is described as “travailing in the throes of divine labor pangs,” a vivid metaphor for God’s active participation in the birthing of new life, further emphasizing the maternal aspects of His nature.

Conclusion

The imagery of divine breasts and milk in the Odes of Solomon provides a profound theological vision of God as both Father and Mother, embodying a fullness of care and nurturing that transcends traditional gender roles. Christ, portrayed as a nursing mother in Ode 8, provides spiritual nourishment, while the Father, in Ode 19, is depicted with maternal breasts that sustain the faithful. The Virgin, symbolizing the Church, receives this divine milk and gives birth to new spiritual life. This rich imagery serves to deepen our understanding of the divine nature as one that is both strong and nurturing, offering life and sustenance to all who seek it. Through these poetic and symbolic representations, we encounter a more holistic vision of God’s love, care, and provision for His people.

Medieval Christian Mystics 

In exploring the maternal imagery in Christian theology, particularly the representation of Christ as both a father and a mother, we find numerous historical figures and writings that echo this theme. From medieval mystics to monastic teachings, the concept of divine motherly affection, nourishment, and protection takes center stage, offering a powerful understanding of divine love and care for humanity.

Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), a Cistercian monk, powerfully conveyed the need for spiritual leaders to embody both paternal authority and maternal tenderness. In his sermon to prelates, Bernard emphasizes the dual role of a leader: “Show affection as a mother would, correct like a father. Be gentle, avoid harshness, do not resort to blows, expose your breasts: let your bosoms swell with milk, not swell with passion.” This passage highlights the importance of gentle, nurturing care—representing the motherly aspect of Christ—while still maintaining the necessary discipline of a father. The metaphor of exposing one’s breasts and allowing the bosom to swell with milk emphasizes the nourishment and comfort leaders must provide to their spiritual charges. Furthermore, Bernard asks, “Why will the young man, bitten by the serpent, shy away from the judgment of the priest, to whom he ought to run as to the bosom of a mother?” This question illustrates how a priest, like Christ, is called to be a refuge, a nurturing presence, offering spiritual sustenance as a mother would to her child.

Similarly, Guerric of Igny, another Cistercian, reflects on Christ’s dual role as both father and mother. He writes, “Christ is a father in virtue of natural creation ... and authority. ... He is a mother too in the mildness of his affection, and a nurse. ... The Holy Spirit (is) like milk poured out from Christ's own breasts.” Here, Guerric acknowledges Christ’s nurturing role, comparing the Holy Spirit’s role to the milk that is poured out from the breasts of Christ. This divine nourishment is not only a sign of maternal affection but also a symbol of the life-giving and sustaining power of the divine.

In Clare of Assisi's vision, she experiences a deeply personal and spiritual encounter with St. Francis, which evokes the imagery of Christ as a mother. In her dream, “St. Francis bared his breast, saying ‘Come, take and drink.’ And she did so. Then St. Francis bid her suckle a second time.” The sweetness and delight Clare experiences in this vision further deepens the maternal metaphor, as she feels spiritually nourished by the divine presence. After the experience, she describes the nipple of the breast remaining between her lips, and what she finds in her mouth is "pure shining gold." The image of gold here symbolizes the purity and preciousness of the divine milk that Clare receives, reinforcing the notion of spiritual nourishment that transcends mere physical sustenance.

Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) also wrote about this intimate relationship with the divine through the imagery of Christ's milk. In her work, she reflects, “...the soul who has in truth entered the house of self-knowledge ... receives me, through affection of love, seeking to draw herself the milk of my sweetness from the breast of the doctrine of Christ crucified.” For Catherine, the “milk of sweetness” signifies the profound spiritual nourishment that comes from understanding and uniting with Christ’s sacrifice. She elaborates in another passage, describing how the soul “reposes on the breast of my divine charity, keeping in the mouth of holy desire the flesh of Christ crucified, ... the soul reposes at the breast of Christ crucified, who is the Truth, and thus draws to herself the milk of virtue.” Catherine’s writings depict a nurturing Christ who offers His milk as a source of spiritual life and sustenance, drawing those who approach Him into an intimate union.

In Julian of Norwich (1342-1413+), the image of Christ as a mother reaches its zenith. She writes, “Jesus is our true Mother in nature by our first Creation, and he is our true Mother in grace by his taking our created Nature.” Julian sees Christ not only as the nurturing mother who cares for us with tenderness but also as the mother who feeds us with His own flesh. She writes, “The mother can give her child suck of her milk, but our precious Mother Jesus can feed us with himself, and does most courteously and most tenderly with the blessed sacrament, which is the precious food of true life.” The motherly imagery of Christ feeding His children with Himself underscores the deep bond between Christ and the believer, one of complete self-giving and love.

In Christian folklore, the maternal imagery extends into stories of saints, such as St. Agatha, whose breasts were tortured during her martyrdom. Yet, she responded, “Know that in my soul I have other breasts, whose milk sustains all of my senses, which I have long since dedicated to God!” This powerful statement highlights how the nourishment of the soul transcends physical suffering. Agatha’s declaration of spiritual breasts points to the idea of divine sustenance available to the soul, independent of earthly tribulations.

The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine also includes a story about a woman martyr who, while suffering, continued to feed her children with “the sweetness of thy milk,” even as her flesh was torn. The miracle that followed—milk spurted forth from her wounds instead of blood—reinforces the symbolism of the spiritual nourishment that martyrs offer through their suffering.

Finally, the life of St. Bernard’s mother illustrates the maternal role of virtue and devotion. Bernard's mother, who bore seven children, is said to have imparted to her children “the nature of their mother's virtue” through her milk. This story links maternal love with moral and spiritual development, where the physical act of nursing becomes a metaphor for the transmission of virtue and devotion to God.

In all these accounts, the metaphor of divine milk and breasts serves as a rich image of nurturing, spiritual nourishment, and affection. Whether through the writings of mystics like Bernard, Guerric, and Catherine, or through visions like those of Clare and Julian, the figure of Christ as both Father and Mother offers profound insights into the divine care and affection that believers experience in their relationship with the sacred. These maternal images remind us that divine love is both a source of authority and of intimate, tender care, providing believers with the nourishment necessary for spiritual growth and salvation.

The Shakers

Shaker theology is based on the idea of the dualism of God as male and female: "So God created him; male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27). This passage was interpreted as showing the dual nature of the Creator

An all-important, sublime, and foundational doctrine of the Shakers is the Existence of an Eternal Father and an Eternal Mother in Deity — the Heavenly Parents of all angelical and human beings.


31. As Father, God is the infinite Fountain of intelligence, and the Source of all power — "the Almighty, great and terrible in majesty;" "the high and lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, dwelling in the high and holy place;" and "a consuming fire." 

32. But, as Mother, "God is love" and tenderness! If all the maternal affections of all the female or bearing spirits in animated nature were combined together, and then concentered in one individual human female, that person would be but as a type or image of our Eternal Heavenly Mother.