Friday, 23 June 2023

name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

19 Having gone your way therefore, make disciples of all the nations, baptising them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (matthew 28 KI).

Names given to the worldly are very deceptive, for they divert our thoughts from what is correct to what is incorrect [we are misguided by the names because we perceive what we have been taught by the powers of this world to be true when they are not in most cases - names are meaningless but the characteristics of those with them are paramount]. Thus one who hears the word "God" does not perceive what is correct, but perceives what is incorrect [the bible itself if written in a symbolic style or code and it takes a lot of effort to discern the true meanings of its length, width, depth and height. Many scriptures translate the word God from numerous variables that hide the true meaning of the original Hebrew or Greek term applied to the account such as “Elohim”, “El”, whereas they could mean a plurality of divine beings the elohim/angels, or simply “Power”, etc.. The rulers use the term often but are referring to a god other than the true God]. So also with "the Father" (Abraham) and "the Son" (Isaac) and "the Holy Spirit" (Israel) and "life" (soul is not immortal) and "light" and "resurrection" and "the Church (Ekklesia people called out for the name not a building)" and all the rest - people do not perceive what is correct but they perceive what is incorrect, unless they have come to know what is correct. The names which are heard are in the world [...] deceive. If they were in the Aeon (eternal realm), they would at no time be used as names in the world. Nor were they set among worldly things. They have an end in the Aeon. (Gospel of Philip)

"The Father" and "the Son" are single names; "the Holy Spirit" is a double name. ([The father (Abraham) and the son (Isaac) both are one salvation name. The holy spirit is the name we get when we are born again, ) For they are everywhere: they are above, they are below; they are in the concealed, they are in the revealed. The Holy Spirit is in the revealed: it is below. It is in the concealed: it is above. (Gospel of Philip)

All those baptised into Christ are adopted sons of Abraham for Peter said...

25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant which God covenanted with your forefathers, saying to Abraham: And in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed (Acts 3).

And Paul said likewise...

1...He is the father of us all
1just as it is written: I have appointed you a father of many nations. This was in the sight of the one in whom he had faith, even of God, who makes the dead alive and calls the things that are not as though they are (Romans 4).

Galatians 3:26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

baptising them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (matthew 28 KI).

Well in the initial meaning the Father is Abraham, the son is Isaac and the Holy Spirit is Israel or Jacob:

Exodus 3:14 And God said to Moses, “I SHALL BE WHO I SHALL BE.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I SHALL BE has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘Yahweh Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘Yahweh Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt;


As we have seen the name Ehyeh is in the future tense, and therefore prophetic of the Divine purpose, signifying: "He Who will be (manifested) in Mighty Ones of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." As with the longer definition given in the previous verse, it proclaimed the purpose of El to manifest Himself through the Seed (both singular and plural) promised to the fathers of Israel. The seed singular is not here particularly noted, but was more fully explained in succeeding revelations, and finally manifested as the Word made flesh, providing the pattern, or ideal, to which all other sons and daughters should aspire to attain (see John 1:14; Mat. 1:25; lTim.3:16). Concerning the name Yahweh, Thirtle wrote: "Yahweh is the third person, singular number, future tense of hava... Ehyeh and Yahweh have in their origin a meaning in common. The former is the first person, singular number, future tense of hayah, 'to be,' and the latter is the third person, singular number, future of havah, an older form of the same verb." Thus the Memorial Name as given in the statement we are considering is Yahweh Elohey abotheychim: "He who will be Mighty Ones of your Fathers." The latter section of the Name expresses that a selection, or choice, would be made from among Israelites as to who will constitute the "mighty ones" of the future. In his Hebrew Lexicon, Dr. Samuel Lee states regarding Ehyeh and Yahweh, "It seems to me that the terms, and more particularly the latter, were chosen in order to keep up... the memorial of His promised manifestation in the flesh." (See The Christadelphian, vol. 61, p. 290). Bro. C.C. Walker commented: "Rightly under-stood Yahweh is a prophetic name — a name predicting a purpose... The prophecy veiled in the Name did not find complete fulfilment in Jesus {Yahweh is Saviour) the Anointed. It will be accomplished when, as the Head of a multitudinous body Christ shall, in the midst ofIsrael, show forth the power and wisdom of the Eternal Father who has said, Ί am Yahweh, and beside Me, there is no saviour,' when the firstborn of all creation with 'a multitude which no man can number, glorified together with him', shall reign and exercise all authority in the earth for and in the name of Him who has said to Israel: Ί , Yahweh, am your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your king'; when the well beloved Son of the Most High, with his brethren and saints — under whom the world to come will be placed — shall be Elohim to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, — all, from the highest to the lowest embodiments of the Spirit and power of Him who said to Moses, Ί will be whom I will be,' Ί am He who will be.' The name and memorial will, in a word, be illustrated by the consummation of the divine purpose." "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you" — Significantly, the divine Name is here defined as Yahweh Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, denoting: "He who will be the Mighty Ones of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." As constituting the divine Name, it implies that only those associated with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob can worship Him in truth. That is the reason why Paul taught that, outside of the commonwealth of Israel, there is no hope (Eph. 2:11-12), and why the elect, drawn out of "all nations, kindreds, people, and tongues" (Rev. 7:9; 5:9-10), are identified with the true Israel of God (Rev. 7:4-8; Gal. 6:16). Seeing that the Name of God specifies His manifestation in full glory of mind, character and nature, its complete development, as far as saints are concerned, awaits the future, and is based upon a selection of mighty ones from all those claiming allegiance to the fathers of the Hebrew race. Notice how the names of the patriarchs find fulfilment in the description of the great, rejoicing, multitude of the redeemed of Revelation 7: • Abraham — The Father of a multitude: "I beheld a great multitude" (v. 9). • Isaac — Rejoicing: "Saying: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving" (v. 12). • Jacob — Supplanter: "These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes" (v. 14). • The God of the Hebrews (Ex. 3:18) or Mighty Ones who have crossed over: "A great multitude out of all nations" (v. 9). "This is My name for ever"— The word "ever" is olam in Hebrew, and signifies "a hidden period." It is frequently used to indicate the millennium. When the millennium is established in the earth, the divine Name will be comprehended in its fulness, and its manifestation will be apparent in the multitude of the redeemed. "And this is My memorial" — This word is the Heb. zeker from zakar, signifying to mark so as to remember, and by implication to mention. Reference to the memorial Name of God is found in Psa. 135:13; Hos. 12:5; Isa. 26:8 which the RSV renders: "Thy memorial Name is the desire of our soul." Israel had many memorials to mark, for remembrance, chief of which was the Passover (Ex. 12:14). This finds reflection in "Christ our passover" which constitutes the memorial of believers, for in the repudiation of flesh, and dedication of life to Yahweh, symbolised in the emblems, there are set forth the real principles of the divine Name. In introducing the feast, Paul repeated the words of the Lord: "This do in remembrance of me" (ICor. 1 1:24). But the Greek anamnesis signifies "memorial," not "remembrance." The "breaking of bread and drinking of wine" must point to the Memorial. The word signifies not a mere recalling to mind, but an awakening of the mind to the significance of the act of communion. So with the use of the divine Name. It is not unthinking repetition of the Name that Yahweh desires, but the constant awakening of the mind as to what is required of the one using it in order to fully manifest it. The Lord Jesus Christ, the prophet "like unto Moses," proclaimed and manifested the Name to the apostles (John 17:6, 26). His action in so doing, is a warning against those who, with mistaken zeal, cause God's people to "forget His name" (see Jer. 23:27). "Unto all generations" — This attachment to the divine Name signifies that it will have relationship to every generation; for there will be those out of every age who will be called to manifest it. See Psa. 45:17; 79:9, 13; 100:4-5; 102:12; 105:8; 135:13; Luke 1:48-49; Eph. 3:21. Moses is Given His Commission - vv.16-18.

The principle of the elohim of Abraham Isaac and Jacob is the key to the interpretation of the baptismal code

abraham = father = Yahweh isaac = the Son = Christ jacob = the Multitude = holy spirit baptism rlates to the work of salvation which God has accomplished through the dath of his son wwhich is extended to the multitudinous seed through the power of the holy spirit in empowering the spread of the gospel to all nations


  1. The names given to worldly things, including "God," "the Father," "the Son," and "the Holy Spirit," are considered deceptive and often lead to misconceptions. The interpretation suggests that these names, as commonly understood, do not convey the true essence or meaning behind them.

  2. The Gospel of Philip emphasizes the symbolic and concealed nature of these names. It suggests that understanding their true meaning requires effort and discernment beyond the surface level.

  3. In this interpretation, "the Father" represents Abraham, who is associated with the name Yahweh, signifying the true God.

  4. "The Son" is linked to Isaac and is seen as a representation of Christ. Isaac is considered to foreshadow the coming of Christ and His redemptive work.

  5. "The Holy Spirit" is connected to Israel or Jacob, representing the multitude or the chosen people. It is described as a double name, indicating its concealed and revealed nature. The Holy Spirit is believed to be present both above and below, emphasizing its universal and transformative role.

  6. The principle of the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is seen as the key to interpreting the baptismal code. Elohim, referring to divine beings or angels, is associated with the divine power and authority working in salvation.

  7. Baptism is understood to relate to the work of salvation accomplished by God through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is seen as a significant act that signifies identification with the principles represented by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

  8. The interpretation suggests that the power of the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in empowering the spread of the gospel to all nations. Through the Holy Spirit, the work of salvation accomplished by Jesus extends to the multitudinous seed, representing the believers.


  1. The Father is associated with Abraham, as indicated by the reference to Exodus 3:14-16. Abraham represents Yahweh, the God of the Hebrew patriarchs.

  2. The Son is connected to Isaac, who symbolizes Christ. This association suggests that Isaac foreshadows the coming of Jesus and His role in salvation.

  3. The Holy Spirit is linked to Israel or Jacob. In this interpretation, the Holy Spirit is considered a double name, signifying its presence both in the concealed and revealed aspects of existence. It is seen as a transformative force that is both above and below.

  4. The interpretation highlights the deceptive nature of names given to worldly things, including "God," "the Father," "the Son," and "the Holy Spirit." It suggests that these names often mislead people and divert them from the correct understanding of spiritual truths.

  5. According to the Gospel of Philip, the names used in the world are deceptive, and their true meanings require discernment and effort to uncover. The focus is on understanding the characteristics and essence behind the names rather than relying solely on their literal interpretation.

  6. The interpretation also emphasizes the symbolic nature of the Bible, suggesting that it is written in a style or code that requires deeper exploration to comprehend its true meanings.

  7. The principle of the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is presented as the key to interpreting the baptismal code. Elohim, which can refer to divine beings or angels, represents the divine power and authority involved in salvation.

  8. Baptism is understood to relate to the work of salvation accomplished by God through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. Through baptism, individuals are connected to the principles represented by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, signifying their identification with the divine plan of salvation.

  9. The interpretation suggests that baptism plays a role in the spread of the gospel to all nations. It is empowered by the Holy Spirit, which extends the work of salvation initiated by God through His Son, Jesus Christ, to the multitudinous seed, representing the believers.

Friday, 9 June 2023

The Genetics of Sin Romans 5:19

   The Genetics of Sin 

The biological understanding of Sin commonly referred to has original sin or inherited sin which is not a crime but a misfortune.

 


We will begin this study with an opening reading from Romans 5:19 (Literal Standard Version)  for as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners: so also through the obedience of the One, will the many be constituted righteous.

Sin its original meaning 

Romans 3:23 New King James Version for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Sin means to miss the mark, for all have missed the mark and fall short of the glory of God

The Greek noun hamartia (Strong's 264 and 266) and its cognates have been in use since Homer, and tracing the evolution of the use of the term up through Aristotle shows three main categories of meaning. First is the original, literal sense, commonly translated into English as “miss,” meaning physically to miss something, to fall short, or go astray of a goal or target. Homer used the word frequently in battle scenes, to conjure images of hitting or missing intended targets (Bremer 1969: 30-31).

Judges 20:16 Berean Standard Bible
Among all these soldiers there were 700 select left-handers, each of whom could sling a stone at a hair without missing

The words translated "without missing" is the Hebrew word for sin here the word is used physically 

20:16 Among all this people [there were] seven hundred chosen men lefthanded ; every one could sling stones at an hair [breadth], and not miss (Strong's 2398 8686).

It is interesting to see how the Hebrew word used in that verse, which is translated as "miss" or "not miss," aligns with the original literal sense of the Greek term "hamartia" as "miss" or "falling short."

Two principal acceptations

Sin, in it's most comprehensive definition is "to miss the mark" - whether morally (transgression) or physically. Mankind was initially created with the intention of sharing in God's glory, (Romans 3:23) both physically and morally. Mankind has "missed the mark" both physically and morally. Due to the events in Eden, we are created (in the womb) in that fallen state, and thus born in sin

Therefore sin has two major meanings (Two principal acceptations) the transgression of the law next that physical element of the animal nature which causes all diseases death and resolution into dust

With this understanding of sin being physical we can now understand the expressions: the sin in the flesh, the sin in my members, the law of sin and death, the sin that dwells in me, the sin that brings forth death, the body of sin.

 The origin of Sin

How did death enter the world:

Gen 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

Gen 3:17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’“Cursed is the ground because of you;through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,  and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return

Romasn 5:12 because of this, even as through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin—death; and thus to all men death passed through, for that all sinned;

The constitution of Sin

Romans 5:19 (Literal Standard Version)  for as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners: so also through the obedience of the One, will the many be constituted righteous.

That is to say: The one man Adam disobeyed God and became a sinner. As a consequence all his offspring inherited sin from him even before becoming actual transgressors or sinners. In that way many “were constituted sinners.” However, by the obedience of the one man Jesus Christ to God the means were provided for many to “be constituted righteous.”

This "constitution" is elsewhere termed "sinful flesh" or "sin's flesh"; that is, "flesh" under the dominion of a sinful constitution and therefore subject to death (ch. 8:3; 6:9).

sin is hereditary

So Adam broke God’s law, and was adjudged unworthy of immortality, and sentenced to return to the ground from whence he was taken-a sentence which defiled and became a physical law of his being, and was transmitted to all his posterity including Jesus. (BASF C5)

How was sin transmitted to all his posterity?

 Through the flesh, blood and dna:

Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother aconceive me

So sin would be rooted within our DNA?

Yes sin is hereditary it is part of our genetic structure you could says its programmed into our DNA

Most scientists agree that aging and death seem somehow programmed into our genes. The question is: When, how, and why did they enter our genetic code, as it were?

The Bible gives us the simple answer—even though it does not present it in terms of genetics or DNA. Romans 5:12 reads: “That is why, just as through one man sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men because they had all sinned.”


Sin and Death The physical law of decay 

If Sin bring forth death or has the power of death Hebrews 2;14 (the diabolos been an equivalent expression for sin.) Would this make sin a physical law of decay. 

Note the devil or diabolos is not a supernatural being but a personification of human nature abstract (transgression) and concrete (physical, sin in the flesh) manifested in individuals and collectively in the organisations and institutions of this present order of things


Yes sin is a physical law of decay see 1 cor 15:53-54 the Greek word translated corruption means Decay this corruptible body must put on in corruption so that the body of sin Romans 6:6 may be done away with

Decay Cognate: 5349 phthartós (an adjective, derived from 5351 /phtheírō) – perishable, what easily perishes disintegrates (corrupts) – like the break-down of the physical body during our natural lifetime. See 5351 (phteírō).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance phthartós corruptible. From phtheiro; decayed, i.e. (by implication) perishable -- corruptible

This suggests that sin is a physical law related to the decay and corruption of the body.

Sin that physical element of the animal nature which causes all diseases death and resolution into dust. In this sense, sin is seen as both physical and symbolic of cellular decay within the body.

Sin causes physical deterioration of the human body over time.

Dr thomas elpis israel chapter 4

Man in his physical constitution is imperfect; and this imperfection is traceable to the physical organization of his flesh, being based on the principle of decay (cellular decay) and reproduction from the blood; which, acted upon by the air, becomes the life of his flesh. All the phenomena which pertain to this arrangement of things are summed up in the simple word sin; which is, therefore, not an individual abstraction, but a concretion of relations in all animal bodies; and the source of all their physical infirmities. 

The nature of the lower animals is as full of this physical evil principle as the nature of man; though it cannot be styled sin with the same expressiveness; because it does not possess them as the result of their own transgression; the name, however, does not alter the nature of the thing. (Elpis Israel)

Sin originate within the Brain 🧠 

Where in the flesh does sin emanate from?

Sin emanates from brain-flesh

Romans 8 (Literal Standard Version) for the mind of the flesh [is] death, and the mind of the Spirit—life and peace because the mind of the flesh [is] enmity to God, for to the Law of God it does not subject itself

The mind of the flesh or the thinking of the flesh is the brain 

emanting from the brain [physical], it [indwelling sin] excites the 'propensities', and these set the 'intellect' [mental], and 'sentiments' [moral] to work. The propensities are blind, and so are the intellect and sentiments in a purely natural state; when therefore, the latter operate under the sole impulse of the propensities, 'the understanding is darkened through ignorance, because of the blindness of the heart'". (Elpis Israel)

Where does sin originate? 

Mark 7:21-23 (New King James Version) 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Sin originates within the human heart which is symbolic of the mind the mind is thinking produced by the brain  

The dictionary says, Brain: "That part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull". In other words it is the physical member of the body that controls the biological functions of the body in addition to producing thoughts, attitudes &c.

Mind: the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought

Thus the Mind is thinking produced by the brain 

sin is biological

So sin would be a biochemical Impulse produced by the brain

Yes it is a biochemical reaction produced by the brain

So sin is physical (biological)?

Yes sin is physical (biological) because it is thinking and feelings produced by the brain

mental states are actually only physical states, are they not? I mean, the brain is just a-a chemical supercomputer

What are thoughts made of? ... They're really just electro-chemical reactions

It is generally accepted that the basic components of emotion pertain to brain and body states generated by neurological impulses and the cellular release of biochemical substances

Like it or not, emotions share some very real biochemical links with your nervous system, immune system and digestive system.

Consciousness is a property of the brain, and the brain is a biochemical engine or its just a chemical super-computer.

Sin is transmitted to all human beings through Adam, our biological ancestor. It is considered to be rooted within our DNA as a result of Adam's disobedience. The concept of sin being written into our DNA is a metaphorical expression to describe its hereditary nature.

Sin emanates from the flesh, specifically the brain. The brain is considered the thinking substance or the seat of the propensities that lead to sinful thoughts, desires, and actions. Sin's influence on human nature is believed to affect the mind, emotions, and moral inclinations, which are interconnected with the physical brain.

Therefore, according to this perspective, sin is understood to have a physical manifestation in the flesh, specifically within the brain, and it is transmitted through the biological lineage from Adam to all of humanity.

The understanding that thoughts are electro-chemical reactions and emotions are associated with brain and body states generated by neurological impulses and the release of biochemical substances can be used to explain the physical nature of sin.

According to this perspective, sin can be seen as a product of the physical processes occurring within the human body, particularly the brain. Thoughts, being electro-chemical reactions, arise from the intricate workings of neurons, neurotransmitters, and electrical signals. Sinful thoughts, in this context, would be a result of the specific patterns and interactions of these electro-chemical reactions in the brain.

Emotions, on the other hand, are influenced by the interplay of neurological impulses and the release of biochemical substances. The brain and body states associated with emotions can affect one's disposition and actions. In the case of sin, it can be argued that certain emotional states, driven by the release of specific biochemical substances, may lead individuals to engage in behaviors that go against moral or ethical standards

Furthermore, sin can be understood as a disruption or distortion of the normal functioning of these physical processes. It can be seen as a deviation from the optimal patterns of electro-chemical reactions and neurological impulses, resulting in thoughts and behaviors that are morally or ethically problematic

In summary, viewing sin through the lens of the physical nature of thoughts and emotions suggests that it is rooted in the electro-chemical reactions of the brain and the interplay of neurological impulses and biochemical substances. Sin represents a deviation or disruption of these physical processes, leading to thoughts and actions that are contrary to moral or ethical standards

Sin as Biochemical Impulse: According to your perspective, sin is seen as a result of biochemical impulses produced by the brain. The brain creates chemicals that influence our thoughts, emotions, and actions. These biochemical processes are believed to play a significant role in the manifestation of sinful behaviour

Influence of the Brain: You argue that since the mind, which is responsible for thinking, is produced by the brain, sin originates within the brain itself. The brain, being a physical organ, governs the biological functions of the body and produces the impulses that lead to sinful actions.

Emotional and Biochemical Links: You have mentioned that emotions have real biochemical links with the nervous system, immune system, and digestive system. This suggests that emotional experiences, including those associated with sin, are intricately connected to physiological processes within the body.

Law of Sin and Death: You reference the concept of the law of sin and death, which suggests that sin leads to physical decay and death. This implies that sin has tangible consequences on the physical well-being of individuals, supporting the notion of sin being a physical phenomenon.

Decay and Cellular Impact: Sin is described as a physical law of decay within the body. The corruptible nature of the human body, subject to sin, leads to deterioration and ultimately death. This further emphasizes the physical aspect of sin and its effects on the body's cellular processes.


sin is viewed as a physical phenomenon rooted in the human body and brain. Here is a detailed explanation of how sin is seen as physical:

Sin originates within the human heart/mind: The heart, symbolizing the mind, is considered the source of sin. The mind is understood as a product of the brain, a physical organ responsible for generating thoughts, attitudes, and emotions.

Sin as a biochemical impulse: Sin is perceived as a biochemical reaction produced by the brain. The brain creates chemicals that give rise to feelings, emotions, and thoughts associated with sinful actions or desires. This biochemical process is seen as the physical manifestation of sin.

Mental states as physical states: Mental states, including emotions, are believed to have genuine biochemical connections with the nervous system, immune system, and digestive system. This suggests that mental states, including sinful thoughts or desires, are ultimately rooted in physical processes within the body

Sin and the physical body: Sin is associated with various biblical expressions such as "the sin in the flesh," "the sin in my members," and "the law of sin and death." These passages imply a connection between sin and the physical nature of the human body. Sin is seen as a physical element of the animal nature that leads to decay, diseases, and ultimately death.

Sin as a physical law of decay: Drawing from passages like 1 Corinthians 15:53-54, where "corruption" is interpreted as decay, sin is understood as a physical law associated with the decay and corruption of the body. Sin is believed to contribute to the physical deterioration of the human body over time.

Original sin is sometimes called inherited sin

Sin in the flesh is hereditary; and entailed upon mankind as the consequence of Adam's violation of the Eden law. The "original sin" was such as I have shown in previous pages. Adam and Eve committed it; and their posterity are suffering the consequence of it. The tribe of Levi paid tithes to Melchisedec many years before Levi was born. The apostle says, "Levi, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham". Upon the same federal principle, all mankind ate of the forbidden fruit, being in the loins of Adam when he transgressed. This is the only way men can by any possibility be guilty of the original sin. Because they sinned in Adam, therefore they return to the dust from which Adam came -- says the apostle, "in whom all sinned". There is much foolishness spoken and written about "original sin". Infants are made the subjects of a religious ceremony to regenerate them because of original sin; on account of which, acoording to Geneva philosophy they are liable to the flames of hell for ever! If original sin, which is in fact sin in the flesh, were neutralized, then all "baptismally regenerated" babes ought to live for ever, as Adam would have done had he eaten of the Tree of Life after he had sinned. But they die; which is a proof that the "regeneration" does not "cure their souls"; and is, therefore, mere theological quackery. (Elpis Israel)

In summary, your understanding of sin emphasizes its physical nature, rooted in the body and brain's biochemical processes. Sin is viewed as a result of the physical impulses and biochemical reactions generated by the brain, which manifest in sinful thoughts, emotions, and actions. It is seen as a physical law of decay that affects the human body and leads to various consequences, including diseases and death.


Wednesday, 31 May 2023

antilutron corresponding ransom

@everyone 


1timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all


what is the ransom of Jesus?


The term "ransom of Jesus" refers to the concept of redemption or atonement through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ 


what was the price paid for the ransom?


the price paid for the ransom of humanity is considered to be the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross.


who was paid?


How was the payment made to God? He created everything and needs nothing. The wage of Sin is death. Does not Sin need to be payed off?  


You raise an important point. In Christian theology, the concept of payment for sin is often understood in the context of God's justice and the consequences of sin. While God, as the creator of everything, is indeed self-sufficient and lacks nothing, the concept of payment serves as a way to address the issue of sin and its consequences.


According to Christian beliefs, sin has serious consequences, and the Bible teaches that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). This means that sin leads to physical death and separation from God. In order to address the problem of sin and provide a way for humanity to be reconciled with God, a payment or sacrifice was required.


The concept of payment is used metaphorically to convey the idea that Jesus' sacrifice satisfied the demands of justice and made reconciliation with God possible. It is not a literal transaction of paying off a debt to God, but rather a theological understanding of how Jesus' sacrifice provides redemption and salvation for humanity.


Jehovah's Witnesses and some Christadelphians claim Jesus had Adam's nature before the fall they interprte the word "corresponding" to mean Jesus had Adam's nature


According to the Bible Jesus's nature must correspond to fallen human nature after the fall see Hebrews 2:16,-18 Romans 6:9,10 Gal 4:4-6


16 For indeed He does not [a]give aid to angels, but He does [b]give aid to the seed of Abraham. 17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being [j]tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.


 How could God condemn sin in the flesh (Romans 8:3) if Jesus was not sin’s flesh Himself by physical constitution? To deny that Christ, born of woman, was not as unclean as the bodies He died for is to propound the doctrinal heresy of Antichrist or clean-flesh rampant even in Apostolic Times and resisted by the Apostles (1 John 2).


When God Himself proclaims Himself to be the Redeemer, He announces that He will become "next of kin" to those whom He will save. How did the great Creator become near of kin to us? By manifesting Himself in the flesh (2Co 5:19-21; Rom 8:3), through the birth of a Son who will bear the image and stamp of His character, while at the same time being a man.


That being so begotten of God, and inhabited and used by God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was Emmanuel, God with us, God manifested in the flesh-yet was, during his natural life, of like nature with mortal man, being made of a woman of the house and lineage of David, and therefore a sufferer, in the days of his flesh, from all the effects that came by Adam's transgression including the death that passed upon all men, which he shared by partaking of their physical nature.


That for delivering this message, he was put to death by the Jews and Romans who were, however, but instruments in the hands of God, for the doing of that which He had determined before to be done-namely, the condemnation of sin in the flesh, through the offering of the body of Jesus once for all, as a propitiation to declare the righteousness of God, as a basis for the remission of sins. All who approach God through this crucified, but risen, representative of Adam's disobedient race, are forgiven. Therefore, by a figure, his blood cleanseth from sin.


 Jesus, as God manifest in the flesh, fully participated in the human experience and shared in the physical consequences of Adam's sin. By affirming Jesus' full humanity, Christadelphians emphasize his ability to identify with and redeem humanity, bearing our sins in his own body.


The terms "commercial transaction" and "substitution" are neither scriptural words nor scriptural ideas.


3. If by virtue of the ransom paid to justice a transfer of man's account has been made to the Lord Jesus, then by reason of the purchase, Jesus, not God is the owner of the race.


4. If, as you understand, the sacrifice of Christ was a substitute, a payment, then how can there be real forgiveness with God. A creditor who releases his debtor because someone not his debtor pays the latter's debt, surely cannot claim to have forgiven the debt! If the debt is paid, then there is no longer need for forgiveness.


5. Your substitutionary theory demands the presentation of evidence that Christ himself had a free or unforfeited life by nature of which he would not have died, had he not willingly given his life for others. Such evidence could never come from scripture, for there is "one flesh of man" (1 Cor. 15:39) and Christ was "a man" (1 Tim. 2:5). He was identical with "the flesh and blood nature of his brethren" (Heb. 2:14). Because the life is contained in the blood (Lev. 17:11- 19) the same process of "dying thou shalt die," would have produced death in Christ just the same as it does in his brethren.


6. If Christ. died as "a unforfeited life," a "substitute" or "instead" of us, paying the penalty naturally due to us - death, then he ought not to have risen, (which he did) for his life was what he gave as the redemption price. (John 10:15-18). On a "commercial basis" how can one pay a debt and then get his money back? For Jesus paid his with life, and then received it back (John 10:18).


7. And further, if his death was a part of a commercial transaction, then the redeeming power lay in the death and not in the resurrection, but Paul declares "If Christ has not been raised up, your faith is useless; you are yet in your sins," (1 Cor.15:28).


8. If Jesus died as a substitute for me, paying my penalty, then why should I die? Why is it that for all visible appearances mankind seem to die the same today as they did before this supposed substitute took place? If I am sentenced to jail and a substitute takes my place instead of me, I do not then go to jail with,him!


9. On the basis of the sacrifice of Christ, God forgives sins; (Eph. 4:32). The scriptural language is that Christ died "for us", "tasted death for every man" (Heb. 2:9) and that "if we died together (with him, K.J.), we shall also live together" . (2 Tim. 2:11). This is the language of representation exhibited throughout the types of the Law of Moses; it is not the language of substitution understood as a "commercial transaction". God does not present himself in scripture as One who punishes the innocent instead of the guilty, but rather the wickedness of man will rest "upon his own self" (Ez. 18:20)..


6 who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all Verse 6: "Who gave himself a ransom for all": another "oncer", antilutron, implies the paying of a price for something to be released. It is true that the anti- gives an added meaning to lutron, the word for "ransom" in Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45, where the Lord Jesus describes himself as the Son of man who came "to give his life a ransom for many". But the prefix does not imply a substitutionary payment but an adequate one, an equivalent in value: all that Christ resigned in a life of obedience and a death as though he were a sinner since be bore the sins of many, is that which was given back to him, even honour, glory and life everlasting, and it is given also to all those who "die in him". It was his life he gave as a ransom for many: he made "his soul an offering for sin" (Isaiah 53:10). There is no contradiction between the Lord's "for many" and Paul's "for all"; the ransom has infinite value, but the benefits require appropriation (Guthrie, Tyndale Commentary), and not all are prepared to receive what God has offered.


In the phrase a ransom for all 'ransom' is from the Greek anti-lutron where anti means 'equivalent to... ', and lutron is 'the price paid to set a person free' (as in Leviticus 25:48). Christ bought us out of our bondage to "Sin";


However, Paul is referring to a ransom from the bondage of sin which results in eternal death -- "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, who is our Lord". Adam, the man, is the federal head of all natural mankind, including Jesus -- "in Adam all die". Jesus, the Christ, is the federal head, the first born, of mankind after the spirit "in Christ will all be made alive". If Jesus is our Lord, and not human nature, and if the law of Christ overcomes the law of sin in each of us, we shall be ransomed from the wages of sin which is not simply death, the death due to all of Adam's heritage -- but death in the final sense -- and we shall receive eternal life, the gift given to those who are truly, federally in Christ. The ransom paid was 'death' to sin -- to sin's flesh -- to human nature. This is accomplished in us through the forgiveness of our sins through the sacrifice of Christ. Just as by one man's sin, we all became sinners, by one man's righteousness can we all be made righteous. Our minds, hearts and lives must revolve around Christ, His Word, and His Father. Originally we have little choice in the inclination of our natures -- we inherit the tendencies of sin and human nature's consequence. Now, as men and women, we have a choice and we have a way of escape from the finality of death, through the 'ransom' of Christ. A ransom, something of equally-appraised value, was given -- Adam lived, failed and died; Christ died, succeeded and lived -- lives. Truly we may say we have been purchased by precious blood. Truly we can appreciate more than any others the sacrifice of Christ since we know him to have been one of us, yet without sin.


We must recognize the necessity on our part of a holy life and of an admittance and disavowal of our sins. And we must understand that God, by the death of His son, has shown His personal displeasure with sin, and the punishment due for it -- which should rightly fall without mercy upon each of us. We must see that we are saved, not by a bargain between Jesus and God, but only by God's mercy and forgiveness. All this, and more, is encompassed in the concept of Christ as a "ransom for all".


If Christ. died as "a unforfeited life," a "substitute" or "instead" of us, paying the penalty naturally due to us - death, then he ought not to have risen, (which he did) for his life was what he gave as the redemption price. (John 10:15-18). On a "commercial basis" how can one pay a debt and then get his money back? For Jesus paid his with life, and then received it back (John 10:18)


Sin, I say, is a synonym for human nature. Hence, the flesh is invariably regarded as unclean. It is therefore written, "How can he be clean who is born of a woman?" (Job 25:4) "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." (Job 14:4) "What is man that he should be clean? And he which is born of a woman that he should be righteous? Behold, God putteth no trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight. How much more abominable and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquity like water?" (Job 15:14-16) This view of sin in the flesh is enlightening in the things concerning Jesus. The apostle says, "God made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin" (2 Cor. 5:21); and this he explains in another place by saying, that "He sent his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh" (Rom. 8:3) in the offering of his body once (Heb. 10:10,12,14). Sin could not have been condemned in the body of Jesus, if it had not existed there. His body was as unclean as the bodies of those for whom he died; for he was born of a woman, and "not one" can bring a clean body out of a defiled body; for "that", says Jesus himself, "which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6).


We reject that Christ was born with a “unforfeited life”. [A “unforfeited life” signifies that Christ’s nature was not under Adamic condemnation as is that of all other members of the human race, and that therefore his sacrifice was a substitute for the “lives” of others. However, he needed to obtain redemption himself in order to redeem his “brethren” — Gal 4:4; 1Tim. 2:6; Heb. 9:12.]


5. We reject that Christ’s nature was immaculate, or that he was of a different nature from other men. [Through his birth he inherited a nature sin-affected, and destined to death, being mortal, as all others — Heb. 2:14.]

Sunday, 14 May 2023

The Figure of Error in the Odes of Solomon



The Figure of Error in Odes of Solomon







First a reading from Ode 38
1 I went up to the light of truth as if into a chariot:
2 And the Truth took me and led me: and carried me across pits and gulleys; and from the rocks and the waves it preserved me:
3 And it became to me a haven of Salvation: and set me on the arms of immortal life:
4 And it went with me and made me rest, and suffered me not to wander, because it was the Truth;
5 And I ran no risk, because I walked with Him;
6 And I did not make an error in anything because I obeyed the Truth.
7 For Error flees away from it, and meets it not: but the Truth proceeds in the right path, and
8 Whatever I did not know, it made clear to me, all the poisons of error, and the plagues of death which they think to be sweetness:
9 And I saw the destroyer of destruction, when the bride who is corrupted is adorned: and the bridegroom who corrupts and is corrupted;
10 And I asked the Truth 'Who are these?'; and He said to me, 'This is the deceiver and the error:
11 And they are alike in the beloved and in his bride: and they lead astray and corrupt the whole world:
12 And they invite many to the banquet, p. 138
13 And give them to drink of the wine of their intoxication, and remove their wisdom and knowledge, and so they make them without intelligence;
14 And then they leave them; and then these go about like madmen corrupting: seeing that-they are without heart, nor do they seek for it!
15 And I was made wise so as not to fall into the hands of the deceiver; and I congratulated myself because the Truth went with me,
16 And I was established and lived and was redeemed,
17 And my foundations were laid on the hand of the Lord: because He established me.
18 For He set the root and watered it and fixed it and blessed it; and its fruits are for ever.
19 It struck deep and sprung up and spread out, and was full and enlarged;
20 And the Lord alone was glorified in His planting and in His husbandry: by His care and by the blessing of His lips,
21 By the beautiful planting of His right hand: and by the discovery of His planting, and by the thought of His mind. Hallelujah.

Now we have read Ode 38 of the Odes of Solomon let us look at the word Error in the Bible


Error in the Bible
05771 עון ‘avon aw-vone’ or עוון ‘avown (#2Ki 7:9; Ps 51:5) aw-vone’ this Hebrew word is normally translated 1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity 1a) iniquity 1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition) 1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
However the new world translation (1983 edition) translates this Hebrew word 05771 עון ‘avon as Error the Watchtower writes this about the word 05771 עון ‘avon:

,`a·won´ is the Hebrew term most frequently linked with or used in parallel with chat·ta´th´ (sin, missing the mark)

Thus, `a·won´ basically relates to erring, acting crookedly or wrongly. The Hebrew term refers to a moral error or wrong, a distortion of what is right. (Job 10:6, 14, 15

The “error” (`awon´) may be intentional or unintentional, either a conscious deviation from what is right or an unknowing act, a “mistake” (shegha·ghah´), which, nevertheless, brings the person into error and guilt before God. (Le 4:13-35; 5:1-6, 14-19; Nu 15:22-29; Ps 19:12, 13) If intentional, then, of course, the error is of far graver consequence than if by mistake. (Nu 15:30, 31; compare La 4:6, 13, 22.)

Error is contrary to truth, and those willfully sinning pervert the truth, a course which only brings forth grosser sin. (Compare Isa 5:18-23.) The apostle Paul speaks of “the deceptive power of sin,” which has a hardening effect on human hearts. (Heb 3:13-15; compare Ex 9:27, 34, 35.)

In the Septuagint the Hebrew word 05771 עון ‘avon is translated by the word G4108 πλάνη plánē


Prov 14:8 ¶ The wisdom of the prudent will understand their ways; but the folly of fools leads astray. LXX

LXX Deut 29:19 Job 19:4 Job 35:13 Ec 5:6 Ec 10:5 Isa 19:14 Isa 30:28 Isa 32:6 Jer 4:11 Jer 23:17 Eze 44:13 Eze 48:11 Dan 6:4

G4108 πλάνη plánē, plan'-ay; feminine of G4108 (as abstractly); objectively, fraudulence; subjectively, a straying from orthodoxy or piety:—deceit, to deceive, delusion, error.

Thayer:
1) a wandering, a straying about
1a) one led astray from the right way, roams hither and thither
2) metaph.
2a) mental straying
2a1) error, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion
2b) error which shows itself in action, a wrong mode of acting
2c) error, that which leads into error, deceit or fraud




In the N. T. metaphorically, mental straying, i. e. error, wrong opinion relative to morals or religion Ephesians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 2:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:11; 2 Peter 2:18; 2 Peter 3:17; 1 John 4:6; Jude 1:11

Error has a mental condition That which is untrue. Error thoughts represent belief in thoughts and beliefs not of God. Error thoughts have no foundation in Truth. They originate in the intellect. They are eliminated by one's denying their reality and power, and affirming the Truth of Being.

The Odes of Solomon
In the Odes of Solomon Error means to go astray, mislead, deceive, to be deluded, to forget in the Odes Error parallel to nothingness Ode 18:9,10 and linked to knowing Leading astray is characteristic of Error as her own going astray Ode 31:2 Death is parallel to error Ode 15:6-9 Ode 42:11



Ode 15:6 I repudiated the way of error, and went towards Him and received salvation from Him abundantly.

ode 18

10 And You know not error; because neither does it know You.
11 And ignorance appeared like dust, and like the foam of the sea.
12 And vain people thought that it was great, and they became like its type and were impoverished.
13 But those who knew understood and contemplated, and were not polluted by their thoughts;
14 Because they were in the mind of the Most High, and mocked those who were walking in error.
15 Then they spoke the truth, from the breath which the Most High breathed into them.
Praise and great honor to His name.
Hallelujah.

Now with Ode 18 I have noticed a similarity with the Gospel of Truth in Ode 18 ignorance (which is linked to error in verse 10 and 14) appears "like dust and like the foam of the sea", and in the Gospel of Truth ignorance became dense like a fog. I think "dust like the foam of the sea" is a good description of fog



Acquaintance and ignorance The gospel of truth is joy for those who have received from the Father of truth the grace of knowing him, through the power of the Word that came forth from the pleroma, the one who is in the thought and the mind of the Father, that is, the one who is addressed as 'the Savior', (that) being the name of the work he is to perform for the redemption of those who were ignorant of the Father, while in the name of the gospel is the proclamation of hope, being discovery for those who search for him.

When the totality went about searching for the one from whom they had come forth - and the totality was inside of him, the incomprehensible, inconceivable one who is superior to every thought - ignorance of the Father brought about anguish and terror; and the anguish grew solid like a fog, so that no one was able to see. For this reason, error became powerful; it worked on its own matter foolishly, not having known the truth. It set about with a creation, preparing with power and beauty the substitute for the truth.

Acquaintance is gnosis Un-acquaintance is a lack of gnosis or "deficiency" lack is destroyed by the advent of gnosis.

the terms "error" and "lack" are used interchangeably in the Gospel of Truth

ignorance (Un-acquaintance) of the Father brought about Error through anxiety and fear






Ode 18
1 My heart was lifted up and enriched in the love of the Most High, so that I might praise Him with my name.
2 My members were strengthened, that they may not fall from His power.
3 Infirmities fled from my body, and it stood firm for the Lord by His will; because His kingdom is firm.
4 O Lord, for the sake of those who are in need, do not dismiss Your Word from me.
5 Nor, for the sake of their works, withhold Your perfection from me.
6 Let not light be conquered by darkness, nor let truth flee from falsehood.
7 Let Your right hand set our salvation to victory, and let it receive from every region, and preserve it on the side of everyone who is besieged by misfortunes.
8 You are my God, falsehood and death are not in Your mouth; only perfection is Your will.
9 And vanity You know not, because neither does it know You.





Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface.


And ignorance appeared like dust, and like the foam of the sea.
And vain people thought that it was great, and they became like its type and were impoverished.


This ignorance of the father brought about terror and fear. And terror became dense like a fog, so no one was able to see. Because of this, error became strong. But she worked on her material substance vainly, because she did not know the truth. She assumed a fashioned figure while she was preparing, in power and in beauty, the substitute for truth.

Error in the Gospel of Truth is not set in the primordial past, as for instance in the Apocryphon of John, but in the time of Jesus’ earthly mission and in the present time of the community

The personification of error represents the "state of consciousness of the Jewish Sanhedrin and the Roman authorities " For this reason error was angry with him, so she persecuted him. She was distressed by him, and she was made powerless. He was nailed to a tree."(Gospel of Truth 18:16-18).

Error is simultaneously a symbolic designation for the group of people that persecuted Jesus and a description of their mental state.

I have found a paraphrase translation of the Gospel of Truth which best explains this:

Ignorance of the Source of Life generates anguish and fear, which are like a fog clouding mortal vision so that mankind cannot perceive the realities of their existence. This is the reason Error is powerful. It has generated its own world, a world of illusions and falsehoods, in which mortal mind is trapped, unable to see the Divine Reality which is beyond those illusions. Error's illusions are often beautiful and desirable to mortal mind, but in the end they melt like the mists they are, and those who embrace them as their reality are left with only darkness in their place. The evils of mortal existence do not reflect the nature of the Parents. They take nothing from Divine perfection, for it has no part in them. The Parents are the Source of all Good, all Light, all Life. That which is not of these flows from Error's illusions. (A paraphrase of the Gospel of Truth: Truths Good News Church of the Pearl)

In the Odes of Solomon and the Gospel of Truth, Error is a personified power opposed to God. Error has characteristics of the human condition 31:25; 32:35


Ode 31:1 Chasms vanished before the Lord, and darkness dissipated before His appearance.
2 Error erred (Error went astray) and perished on account of Him; and contempt received no path, for it was submerged by the truth of the Lord.

Since error is frequently linked with or used in parallel with sin in the Bible it would be logical to conclude in the Odes of Solomon that error is equivalent to sin

Ode 31 a song of triumph sung by the church this Ode represents the victory of christ over sin and death :

Ode 31:1 The abysses [world's religious systems] were dissolved [the Old Covenant and its institutionalized way of things passed away] before the Lord [with the New Covenant]: and darkness [ignorance] was destroyed by His appearance [leaving no excuse]:
2 Error went astray [and tried to kill Him] and perished at His hand [by His power to overcome death]: and folly found no path to walk in [when the physical temple fell these were in great confusion], and was submerged [brought low] by the truth of the Lord [the hidden higher/inward (spiritual) meaning of the Word].

Again this Ode can be linked to the Error of the Gospel of Truth

Jesus the anointed. Through him he enlightened those who were in darkness because of forgetfulness. He enlightened them and gave them a path. And that path is the truth that he taught them. For this reason error was angry with him, so she persecuted him. She was distressed by him, and she was made powerless. He was nailed to a tree. (the Gospel of Truth)

(the Gospel of Truth) Error was upset, not knowing what to do; it was grieved, in mourning, afflicting itself because it knew nothing. When knowledge drew near it - this is the downfall of (error) and all its emanations - error is empty, having nothing inside. Truth appeared; all its emanations knew it. (Ode 18: Because they were in the mind of the Most High, and mocked those who were walking in error.)

Error hates him because he redeems those who are enmeshed in its chains. Error persecuted him but could not overcome him. It tried to destroy him, but its own state of nothingness was manifested in the attempt. He was nailed to a tree; he became a fruit of divine gnosis, (A paraphrase of the Gospel of Truth: Truths Good News Church of the Pearl)
Ode 38



And He went with me and caused me to rest and did not allow me to err; because He was and is the Truth.
And there was no danger for me because I constantly walked with Him; and I did not err in anything because I obeyed Him.
For Error fled from Him, and never met Him.
But Truth was proceeding on the upright way, and whatever I did not understand He exhibited to me:
All the poisons of error, and pains of death which are considered sweetness.
And the corrupting of the Corruptor, I saw when the bride who was corrupting was adorned, and the bridegroom who corrupts and is corrupted.
And I asked the Truth, Who are these? And He said to me: This is the Deceiver and the Error.
And they imitate the Beloved and His Bride, and they cause the world to err and corrupt it.
And they invite many to the wedding feast, and allow them to drink the wine of their intoxication;
So they cause them to vomit up their wisdom and their knowledge, and prepare for them mindlessness.
Then they abandon them; and so they stumble about like mad and corrupted men.
Since there is no understanding in them, neither do they seek it.
But I have been made wise so as not to fall into the hands of the Deceivers, and I myself rejoiced because the Truth had gone with me.
Ode 38 can be compared with Revelation 17 the Beast and the Harlot of Revelation 17 is the Deceiver and Error who resemble the Beloved and his bride. The beloved is Christ and his bride is the church. The counterfeits are the Antichrist (The Pope or papacy) and the harlot woman (the roman catholic church) Rev 17:4
The deceiver and Error are both personifications in Ode 38 of the Antichrist the Pope and the Roman Catholic system

[the word of error found in religious systems];


The feminine error is paired with the masculine deceiver this is the architect of all deception and his companion is Illusion (the illusory self)


and the false " Bride." These appear to mean the parody, or false image, or evil antitype, of the union that should join the true "Bridegroom" with the true "Bride" (Ode 38:69)





The passage in Ode 38:9 14 repeatedly mentions "corrupt" in various forms the Bride that is "corrupted" the Bridegroom that "corrupts and is corrupted" and then others who go about "corrupting."

we are told that the teachers of error operate upon their victims with intoxicating wine (Revelation 17:2) ; and the suggestion arises that the deadly poison has been introduced into the wine (false doctrine), and that the wine thus drugged has been sweetened with honey


The Antichrist is the bridegroom who corrupts and is corrupted ode 38:9 the Deceiver ode:38:10; 2 john 7 and his ally is error typified by the harlot gaily adorned. Christ with his church which is truth and Anitchrist with his companion error


They invite many to the wedding feast, and allow them to drink the wine of their intoxication rev 17:3 17:2 Gospel of Thomas saying 28


Who is the Deceiver? The Deceiver is a personification of sin. Sin is a deceiver (Rom. 7:11).

Human nature is the devil of the Bible, and is a great deceiver (see Heb. 2:14; 1 John 3:8; Rom. 7:11; Mark 7:20-23). Moreover, it is manifested in many forms. It can relate to the lust of the flesh, denote a person who incites to evil, describe a government, or an organisation, opposed to the truth, and so forth.
Sin, as the great deceiver of mankind, is there well spoken of as the Liar, the Accuser, the
Slanderer of God—alias the Devil. In its literal aspect, it is, of course, an impersonal thing,
tempting without being a conscious tempter, as expressed by James. "Every man is tempted
when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed; then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth

forth sin: and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death" (James 1:14).

1 I went up to [believed in and accepted] the light of truth [Christ] as if into a chariot [a vessel of (spiritual) war]:
2 And the Truth took me and led me [into more Truth]: and carried me across pits [falsehoods of religion] and gulleys [persecutions - "the shadow of death"]; and from the rocks [governments] and the waves [agitated or raging thoughts of political winds] it [Truth] preserved me:
3 And it [Truth] became to me a haven of Salvation [it set me free]: and set me [established me that I put my trust in] on the arms of immortal life [as opposed to "the arm of flesh"]:
4 And it went with me and made me rest [from my own works], and suffered me not to wander [out of the Way] because it was the Truth [and once you have it, you cannot away with it only throw it to the ground].
5 And I ran no risk [of failure], because I walked with Him [obeyed His Commandments];
5 And I did not make an error for anything [did not allow any errant thoughts to take hold of me] because I obeyed the Truth [which discovers our sins for us and helps us destroy them].
7 For Error [errant thoughts and intents] flees away from it [Truth] and meets it not: but the Truth proceeds in the right path [regardless of being surrounded by Error], and
8 What ever I did not know [in my ignorance in the flesh], it made clear to me [in the spirit of Truth], all the poisons [bitter waters] of error [the lower/outward (fleshly) forms (traditions, ordinances etc.) of religion, government], and the plagues of death [caused by the errant word ("the letter which kills") and has been the basis for unjust wars and killing for almost six thousand years] which they [the religious leaders and their adherents] think to be sweetness [sweet waters - they believe that they are doing a service to God and country]:
9 And I saw the destroyer of destruction [the Messiah], when the [Errant] bride [religion] who is corrupted is adorned [by the world as though she is in incorruption]: and the bridgegroom [the Antichrist, the Pope] who corrupts and is corrupted [from the beginning of her ways (as are all religions)];
10 And I asked the Truth, 'Who are these?'; and He said to me, 'This is the deceiver [the Antichrist, the Pope] and the error ["the mother of harlots" (Rev 17:5) and her daughters - the apostate churches of Christendom from Rome downwards]:
11 And they [the religious leaders] are alike in the beloved and in his bride [his ministers also "transform themselves into angels of light"]: and they lead astray [captive] and corrupt the whole world [under Roman Catholic Cult Laws even unto this day]:
12 And they invite many to the banquet [to eat of their poisoned food],
13 And give them to drink of the [worldly] wine of their intoxication [ignorant stupor], and remove their [ability to acquire] wisdom and knowledge, and so they make them without [spiritual] intelligence [these are clearly spoken of in Isaiah];
14 And then they leave them [to their own devices]; and then these go about like madmen corrupting [this is quite evident in how the rulers of the world are acting today]: seeing that they are with out heart [they have no love in them], nor do they seek for it [they only seek power and glory in the world].'
15 And I was made wise so as not to fall into the hands [under the power] of the deceiver; and I congratulated myself because the Truth went with me,
16 And I was established [in faith] and lived and was redeemed,
17 And my foundations [my conscious/subconscious mind and heart (soul)] were laid on [handed over to] the hand [power of] of the Lord: because He established me [by Grace].
18 For He set the root [the foundation of faith of the True Vine] and watered it [with the Words of Life] and fixed it [removed any spots from the world] and blessed it; and its fruits [of Righteousness] are for ever.
19 It [the root] struck deep [into the hearts of man] and sprung up [within them] and spread out [through their testimony] and was full and enlarged [filled the whole earth];
20 And the Lord alone was glorified in His planting [the Vine] and in His husbandry [the branches]: by His care and by the blessing of His lips,
21 By the beautiful planting of His right hand [the Power in Messiah]: and by the discovery of His planting [by those who found Him (or the lost sheep that He found!)], and by the thought of His mind [which they are being conformed to]. Hallelujah.


The Ode 38 above discussed describes the soul as going up to the region of Truth. Its meaning may be illustrated from another Ode which regards the soul not as going up above, but as being above: (34:4 5) "Whosoever is surrounded on every side by beauty in him there is nothing that is divided [against itself]. The pattern of that which is below is that which is above. For everything soever is above. Below is nothing soever. But it merely seems to be [seems] to those who have no knowledge."

reality of the authorities

 On account of the reality of the authorities, (inspired) by the spirit of the father of truth, the great apostle - referring to the "authorities of the darkness" [The blinding power of sin] - told us that "our contest is not against flesh and blood; rather, the authorities of the universe [the order of things] and the spirits of wickedness." [“the rulers of this dark world”, who at the time were the Romans “Principalities” is translated “magistrate” in Luke 12:11; human “rule”, in the sense of human government, in 1 Corinthians 15:24, and the “power” of the Roman governor in Luke 20:20. So it does not necessarily have reference to any power or prince in heaven. Note that the wrestling is spiritual wrestling to keep the faith (2 Cor. 10: 3-5). This time of evil had already begun as Paul was writing (Eph. 5:16)- “the days are evil’. ] I have sent this (to you) because you inquire about the reality of the authorities. 

This passage from the Hypostasis of the Archons is referencing the "authorities of the darkness," which is interpreted by some to mean the blinding power of sin. The "authorities of the universe" mentioned here are not necessarily referring to any power or prince in heaven, but rather to human government and those who hold power and rule over others. The wrestling mentioned is spiritual wrestling to keep the faith, not a physical struggle against other people. Overall, this passage is emphasizing the importance of recognizing the reality of the forces that can work against us in our spiritual journey and the need to remain steadfast in our faith.

Their chief [the roman empire, and the pontiff maxamus] is blind [SPIRITUAL ) The apostle Paul spoke to the Ephesian congregation about having the eyes of their heart enlightened. (Eph 1:16, 18) Jesus points out that those who profess to be Christians but who are not conscious of their spiritual need are blind and naked, not discerning their pitiful, groping condition. (Re 3:17) Just as being in darkness for a long period of time will cause blindness to the natural eyes, the apostle John points out that a Christian who hates his brother is walking aimlessly in a blinding darkness (1Jo 2:11); and Peter warns that one not developing Christian fruitage, the greatest of which is love, is “blind, shutting his eyes to the light.” (2Pe 1:5-9)]; because of his power and his ignorance [not knowing,] and his arrogance he said, with his power, "It is I who am God; there is none apart from me." When he said this, he sinned against the entirety. [No one you should delude by any turn; because, if not may come the falling away first, and may be revealed the man of the sin, the son of the destruction, 4  he opposing and lifting up himself above all being called a god or an august object, so that him into the temple of the God to be seated, openly showing himself, that he is a god.] And this speech got up to incorruptibility; then there was a voice that came forth from incorruptibility, saying, "You are mistaken, Samael" [It is said that he was the guardian angel of Esau and a patron of the Roman empire. Here he is the pontiff maxamus] - which is, "god of the blind." [the soul-merchants of the earth have been able to establish themselves as the spiritual guides of the people. Blind, intensely blind and intoxicated, they are leading the blind and reeling multitudes into an unfathomable abyss;]

This passage appears to be discussing the spiritual blindness of the chief of the Roman Empire and the pontiff Maxamus. The writer draws upon biblical references to highlight the importance of having spiritual insight and avoiding arrogance and ignorance, which can lead to blindness. The writer also warns against false teachings and false prophets who lead people astray.

The reference to the chief of the Roman Empire and the pontiff Maxamus being blind is likely symbolic of their spiritual blindness, rather than a physical ailment. The writer suggests that their blindness is due to their power, ignorance, and arrogance, which has led them to proclaim themselves as gods. This kind of hubris is seen as a sin against the entirety, suggesting that it goes against the natural order of things.

The passage also references Samael, who is identified as the guardian angel of Esau and a patron of the Roman Empire, and who is addressed as "god of the blind." This could be interpreted as a rebuke of Samael's role in supporting the blindness and arrogance of the Roman Empire and the pontiff Maxamus.

His thoughts became blind. [a blind leader of the blind into the ditch of perdition? The spiritual guides accepted of the people, are the "blind Pharisees" of our day, whose "light within" is the darkness of a "Christendom," apocalyptically designated, "the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt" (Apoc. 11:8)] And, having expelled his power - that is, the blasphemy he had spoken - he pursued it down to chaos and the abyss, his mother [MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH."--Revelation 17:5 ], at the instigation of Pistis Sophia. [Sophia is Isis ] And she established each of his offspring in conformity with its power - after the pattern of the realms that are above, for by starting from the invisible world the visible world was invented. 

As incorruptibility looked down into the region of the waters, her image appeared in the waters; and the authorities of the darkness became enamoured of her. But they could not lay hold of that image, which had appeared to them in the waters, because of their weakness - since beings that merely possess a soul cannot lay hold of those that possess a spirit - for they were from below, while it was from above. This is the reason why "incorruptibility looked down into the region (etc.)": so that, by the father's will, she might bring the entirety into union with the light. 

The rulers laid plans and said, "Come, let us create a man that will be soil from the earth." They modeled their creature as one wholly of the earth. Now the rulers [...] body [...] they have [...] female [...] is [...] with the face of a beast. They had taken some soil from the earth and modeled their man after their body and after the image of God that had appeared to them in the waters. They said, "Come, let us lay hold of it by means of the form that we have modeled, so that it may see its male counterpart [...], and we may seize it with the form that we have modeled" - not understanding the force of God, because of their powerlessness. And he breathed into his face; and the man came to have a soul (and remained) upon the ground many days. But they could not make him arise because of their powerlessness. Like storm winds they persisted (in blowing), that they might try to capture that image, which had appeared to them in the waters. And they did not know the identity of its power. 

Now all these things came to pass by the will of the father of the entirety. Afterwards, the spirit saw the soul-endowed man upon the ground. And the spirit came forth from the Adamantine Land; it descended and came to dwell within him, and that man became a living soul. It called his name Adam, since he was found moving upon the ground. A voice came forth from incorruptibility for the assistance of Adam; and the rulers gathered together all the animals of the earth and all the birds of heaven and brought them in to Adam to see what Adam would call them, that he might give a name to each of the birds and all the beasts. 

They took Adam and put him the garden, that he might cultivate it and keep watch over it. And the rulers issued a command to him, saying, "From every tree in the garden shall you eat; yet from the tree of recognizing good and evil do not eat, nor touch it; for the day you eat from it, with death you are going to die." 

They [...] this. They do not understand what they have said to him; rather, by the father's will, they said this in such a way that he might (in fact) eat, and that Adam might <not> regard them as would a man of an exclusively material nature. 

The rulers took counsel with one another and said, "Come, let us cause a deep sleep to fall upon Adam." And he slept. - Now the deep sleep that they "caused to fall upon him, and he slept" is Ignorance. - They opened his side like a living woman. And they built up his side with some flesh in place of her, and Adam came to be endowed only with soul. 

And the spirit-endowed woman came to him and spoke with him, saying, "Arise, Adam." And when he saw her, he said, "It is you who have given me life; you will be called 'mother of the living'. - For it is she who is my mother. It is she who is the physician, and the woman, and she who has given birth." 

Then the authorities came up to their Adam. And when they saw his female counterpart speaking with him, they became agitated with great agitation; and they became enamored of her. They said to one another, "Come, let us sow our seed in her," and they pursued her. And she laughed at them for their witlessness and their blindness; and in their clutches she became a tree, and left before them her shadowy reflection resembling herself; and they defiled it foully. - And they defiled the stamp of her voice, so that by the form they had modeled, together with their (own) image, they made themselves liable to condemnation. 

Then the female spiritual principle came in the snake, the instructor; and it taught them, saying, "What did he say to you? Was it, 'From every tree in the garden shall you eat; yet - from the tree of recognizing good and evil do not eat'?" 

The carnal woman said, "Not only did he say 'Do not eat', but even 'Do not touch it; for the day you eat from it, with death you are going to die.'" 

And the snake, the instructor, said, "With death you shall not die; for it was out of jealousy that he said this to you. Rather your eyes shall open and you shall come to be like gods, recognizing evil and good." And the female instructing principle was taken away from the snake, and she left it behind, merely a thing of the earth. 

And the carnal woman took from the tree and ate; and she gave to her husband as well as herself; and these beings that possessed only a soul, ate. And their imperfection became apparent in their lack of knowledge; and they recognized that they were naked of the spiritual element, and took fig leaves and bound them upon their loins. 

Then the chief ruler came; and he said, "Adam! Where are you?" - for he did not understand what had happened. And Adam said, "I heard your voice and was afraid because I was naked; and I hid." 

The ruler said, "Why did you hide, unless it is because you have eaten from the tree from which alone I commanded you not to eat? And you have eaten!" 

Adam said, "The woman that you gave me, she gave to me and I ate." And the arrogant ruler cursed the woman. 

The woman said, "It was the snake that led me astray and I ate." They turned to the snake and cursed its shadowy reflection, [...] powerless, not comprehending that it was a form they themselves had modeled. From that day, the snake came to be under the curse of the authorities; until the all-powerful man was to come, that curse fell upon the snake. 

They turned to their Adam and took him and expelled him from the garden along with his wife; for they have no blessing, since they too are beneath the curse. Moreover, they threw mankind into great distraction and into a life of toil, so that their mankind might be occupied by worldly affairs, and might not have the opportunity of being devoted to the holy spirit. 

Now afterwards, she bore Cain, their son; and Cain cultivated the land. Thereupon he knew his wife; again becoming pregnant, she bore Abel; and Abel was a herdsman of sheep. Now Cain brought in from the crops of his field, but Abel brought in an offering (from) among his lambs. God looked upon the votive offerings of Abel; but he did not accept the votive offerings of Cain. And carnal Cain pursued Abel, his brother. 

And God said to Cain, "Where is Abel, your brother?" 

He answered saying, "Am I, then, my brother's keeper?" 

God said to Cain, "Listen! The voice of your brother's blood is crying up to me! You have sinned with your mouth. It will return to you: anyone who kills Cain will let loose seven vengeances, and you will exist groaning and trembling upon the earth." 

And Adam knew his female counterpart Eve, and she became pregnant, and bore Seth to Adam. And she said, "I have borne another man through God, in place of Abel." Again Eve became pregnant, and she bore Norea. And she said, "He has begotten on me a virgin as an assistance for many generations of mankind." She is the virgin whom the forces did not defile. 

Then mankind began to multiply and improve. The rulers took counsel with one another and said, "Come, let us cause a deluge with our hands and obliterate all flesh, from man to beast." But when the ruler of the forces came to know of their decision, he said to Noah, "Make yourself an ark from some wood that does not rot and hide in it - you and your children and the beasts and the birds of heaven from small to large - and set it upon Mount Sir." 

Then Orea came to him, wanting to board the ark. And when he would not let her, she blew upon the ark and caused it to be consumed by fire. Again he made the ark, for a second time. 

The rulers went to meet her, intending to lead her astray. Their supreme chief said to her, "Your mother Eve came to us." But Norea turned to them and said to them, "It is you who are the rulers of the darkness; you are accursed. And you did not know my mother; instead it was your female counterpart that you knew. For I am not your descendant; rather it is from the world above that I am come." 

The arrogant ruler turned, with all his might, and his countenance came to be like (a) black [...]; he said to her presumptuously, "You must render service to us, as did also your mother Eve; for I have been given [...]." But Norea turned, with the might of [...]; and in a loud voice, she cried out up to the holy one, the God of the entirety, "Rescue me from the rulers of unrighteousness and save me from their clutches - forthwith!" 

The <great> angel came down from the heavens and said to her, "Why are you crying up to God? Why do you act so boldly towards the holy spirit?" 

Norea said, "Who are you?" The rulers of unrighteousness had withdrawn from her. 

He said, "It is I who am Eleleth, sagacity, the great angel who stands in the presence of the holy spirit. I have been sent to speak with you and save you from the grasp of the lawless. And I shall teach you about your root." 

(Norea apparently now speaking) Now as for that angel, I cannot speak of his power: his appearance is like fine gold and his raiment is like snow. No, truly, my mouth cannot bear to speak of his power and the appearance of his face! 

Eleleth, the great angel, spoke to me. "It is I," he said, "who am understanding. I am one of the four light-givers, who stand in the presence of the great invisible spirit. Do you think these rulers have any power over you? None of them can prevail against the root of truth; for on its account he appeared in the final ages; and these authorities will be restrained. And these authorities cannot defile you and that generation; for your abode is in incorruptibility, where the virgin spirit dwells, who is superior to the authorities of chaos and to their universe." 

But I said, "Sir, teach me about the faculty of these authorities - how did they come into being, and by what kind of genesis, and of what material, and who created them and their force?" 

And the great angel Eleleth, understanding, spoke to me: "Within limitless realms dwells incorruptibility. Sophia, who is called Pistis, wanted to create something, alone without her consort; and her product was a celestial thing. A veil exists between the world above and the realms that are below; and shadow came into being beneath the veil; and that shadow became matter; and that shadow was projected apart. And what she had created became a product in the matter, like an aborted fetus. And it assumed a plastic form molded out of shadow, and became an arrogant beast resembling a lion. It was androgynous, as I have already said, because it was from matter that it derived. 

Opening his eyes, he saw a vast quantity of matter without limit; and he became arrogant, saying, "It is I who am God, and there is none other apart from me". When he said this, he sinned against the entirety. And a voice came forth from above the realm of absolute power, saying, "You are mistaken, Samael" - which is, 'god of the blind'. 

And he said, "If any other thing exists before me, let it become visible to me!" And immediately Sophia stretched forth her finger and introduced light into matter; and she pursued it down to the region of chaos. And she returned up to her light; once again darkness [...] matter. 

This ruler, by being androgynous, made himself a vast realm, an extent without limit. And he contemplated creating offspring for himself, and created for himself seven offspring, androgynous just like their parent. And he said to his offspring, "It is I who am god of the entirety." 

And Zoe (Life), the daughter of Pistis Sophia, cried out and said to him, "You are mistaken, Sakla!" - for which the alternative name is Yaltabaoth. She breathed into his face, and her breath became a fiery angel for her; and that angel bound Yaldabaoth and cast him down into Tartaros below the abyss. 

Now when his offspring Sabaoth saw the force of that angel, he repented and condemned his father and his mother, matter. He loathed her, but he sang songs of praise up to Sophia and her daughter Zoe. And Sophia and Zoe caught him up and gave him charge of the seventh heaven, below the veil between above and below. And he is called 'God of the forces, Sabaoth', since he is up above the forces of chaos, for Sophia established him. 

Now when these (events) had come to pass, he made himself a huge four-faced chariot of cherubim, and infinitely many angels to act as ministers, and also harps and lyres. And Sophia took her daughter Zoe and had her sit upon his right to teach him about the things that exist in the eighth (heaven); and the angel of wrath she placed upon his left. Since that day, his right has been called 'life'; and the left has come to represent the unrighteousness of the realm of absolute power above. It was before your time that they came into being. 

Now when Yaldabaoth saw him (Sabaoth) in this great splendor and at this height, he envied him; and the envy became an androgynous product, and this was the origin of envy. And envy engendered death; and death engendered his offspring and gave each of them charge of its heaven; and all the heavens of chaos became full of their multitudes. But it was by the will of the father of the entirety that they all came into being - after the pattern of all the things above - so that the sum of chaos might be attained. 

"There, I have taught you about the pattern of the rulers; and the matter in which it was expressed; and their parent; and their universe." 

But I said, "Sir, am I also from their matter?" 

"You, together with your offspring, are from the primeval father; from above, out of the imperishable light, their souls are come. Thus the authorities cannot approach them, because of the spirit of truth present within them; and all who have become acquainted with this way exist deathless in the midst of dying mankind. Still, that sown element will not become known now. Instead, after three generations it will come to be known, and it has freed them from the bondage of the authorities' error." 

Then I said, "Sir, how much longer?" 

He said to me, "Until the moment when the true man, within a modeled form, reveals the existence of the spirit of truth, which the father has sent. 

Then he will teach them about everything, and he will anoint them with the unction of life eternal, given him from the undominated generation. 

Then they will be freed of blind thought, and they will trample underfoot death, which is of the authorities, and they will ascend into the limitless light where this sown element belongs. 

Then the authorities will relinquish their ages, and their angels will weep over their destruction, and their demons will lament their death. 

Then all the children of the light will be truly acquainted with the truth and their root, and the father of the entirety and the holy spirit. They will all say with a single voice, 'The father's truth is just, and the son presides over the entirety", and from everyone unto the ages of ages, "Holy - holy - holy! Amen!'" 

The Reality 

of the Rulers