Christ's Own Need Of Salvation

Christ's Own Need Of Salvation

Now the angels were baptised in the beginning, in the redemption of the Name which descended upon Jesus in the dove and redeemed him. And redemption was necessary even for Jesus, in order that, approaching through Wisdom, he might not be detained by the Notion of the Deficiency in which he was inserted, as Theodotus says.

Not only do humans need redemption, but also the angels, too, need redemption, along with the image and the rest of the Pleromas of the aeons and the wondrous powers of illumination. So that we might not be in doubt in regard to the others, even the Son himself, who has the position of redeemer of the Totality, needed redemption as well, - he who had become man, - since he gave himself for each thing which we need, we in the flesh, who are his Church. Now, when he first received redemption from the word which had descended upon him, all the rest received redemption from him, namely those who had taken him to themselves. For those who received the one who had received (redemption) also received what was in him.

Gospel of philip

Jesus revealed himself [at the] Jordan River as the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven. He who was begotten before everything, was begotten anew. He who was once anointed, was anointed anew. He who was redeemed, in turn redeemed others.

This shows that the some gnostic groups understood that Jesus first needed redemption for himself before he could redeem those for whom he came to die for. Jesus is thus the redeemed redeemer coming in our sinful nature the savour himself was in need of redemption

78. The Lord was conceived (born again) from what is imperishable, from God. The [Lord arose] from among the dead. But [He did not come into being as he was. Rather [his body] was [completely] perfect. It was of flesh, and this [flesh is indeed] true flesh.¹ [Yet our flesh] is not true, but rather a mirror-image of the true [flesh]. (¹Jn 1:14, 20:27, II-Jn 7; NHS p. 174

This passage shows that the spiritual body is corporeal (tangible) and it has flesh and this flesh is true flesh, which is called spiritual flesh thus spiritual body but our flesh is only a shadow of the true like Adam who was only a type of him who was to come/

Ode 8
20) Pray and increase, and abide in the love of the Lord;
21) And the beloved ones in the Beloved, and those who are protected in Him Who liveth, and those who are saved in Him Who was saved.
22) And ye shall be found incorrupt in all ages, on account of the Name of your Father.

The interpretation of Knowledge::
 And through the one who was reproached and the one who was redeemed we receive grace.

Melchizedek:

He included himself in the living offering, together with your offspring. He offered them up as an offering to the All. For it is not cattle that you will offer up for sin(s) of unbelief, and for the ignorances, and (for) all the wicked deeds which they will do NHS p. 601

He included himself in the living offering, together with your offspring

Here this passage teaches that Christ the high - priest offered his own body for his own redemption He offered himself for himself and his brothers his offspring in the living offering that is his life as a living sacrifice


Adam was "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" (Clause 5);

Jesus Christ "though wearing the condemned nature, was to obtain a title to resurrection by perfect obedience, and, by dying, abolish the law of condemnation for himself, and all who should believe and obey him" (Clause 8);


Jesus was "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" (Clause 10); that the offering of Jesus’ body was "a propitiation to declare the righteousness of God, as a basis for the remission of sins" (Clause 12).

Because of his human nature, Jesus experienced minor illnesses, tiredness etc. just as we do. It therefore follows that if he had not died on the cross, he would have died any way, e.g. of old age.

In view of this, Jesus needed to be saved from death by God. Intensely recognizing this, Jesus "offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him (God) that was able to save him out of death, and was heard for his godly fear" (Heb. 5:7 A.V. mg.).

The fact that Christ had to plead with God to save him from death rules out any possibility of him being God in person.

“this body of death” (Rom. 6:24 mg.) needs 'redemption' (Rom. 8:23) which comes on the basis of Christ’s sacrifice (Rev. 5:9) when we are 'clothed upon' with our house from heaven (2 Cor. 5:2) which results in mortality being swallowed up of life (2 Cor. 5:4)"


(The Lord’s own body was redeemed on this same basis – (Heb. 9:12, 23 etc.).

After Christ's resurrection, death had "no more dominion over him" (Rom. 6:9), implying that beforehand it did.

Many of the Psalms are prophetic of Jesus; when some verses from a Psalm are quoted about Christ in the New Testament, it is reasonable to assume that many of the other verses in the Psalm are about him too. There are a number of occasions where Christ's need for salvation by God is emphasized:-

- Ps. 91:11,12 is quoted about Jesus in Matt. 4:6. Ps. 91:16 prophesies how God would give Jesus salvation: "With long life (i.e. eternal life) will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation."- Ps. 69:21 refers to Christ's crucifixion (Matt. 27:34); the whole Psalm describes Christ's thoughts on the cross: "Save me, O God...Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it...Let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high" (vs. 1,18,29).

- Ps. 89 is a commentary upon God's promise to David concerning Christ. Concerning Jesus, Ps. 89:26 prophesies: "He shall cry unto me (God), Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation."

Christ's prayers to God for salvation were heard; he was heard because of his personal spirituality, not because of his place in a 'trinity' (Heb. 5:7). That God resurrected Jesus and glorified him with immortality is a major New Testament theme:-

- "God...raised up Jesus...Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour" (Acts 5:30,31).

- "God...hath glorified his Son Jesus...whom God hath raised from the dead" (Acts 3:13,15).

- "This Jesus hath God raised up" (Acts 2:24,32,33).

- Jesus himself recognized all this when he asked God to glorify him (John 17:5 cp. 13:32; 8:54).

If Jesus was God Himself, then all this emphasis would be out of place, seeing that God cannot die. Jesus would not have needed saving if he were God. That it was God who exalted Jesus demonstrates God's superiority over him, and the separateness of God and Jesus.



We do not believe that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ was not required for the cleansing of his sin nature. [The Lord's sacrifice was necessary for his own redemption. His sacrifice was a public demonstration that his flesh was rightly related to death and a declaration of the righteousness of God that required the offering of his life in devotion to Him. By his sacrifice the ungodly propensities (diabolos) of his nature was destroyed (Heb. 2:14; 9:12; 7:27), thus providing for the granting of immortality

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The Symbolism of The Cherubim

The Symbolism of The Cherubim

Symbolical figures used in the Scriptures to represent the majesty and ruling power of God; also His attributes (Exod. 25:18-22).

The word "Cherubim" of Genesis 3:24 symbolise protection, or sacred life. The inner spiritual life is protected from the outward senses, the carnal mind. The "flame of a sword" is the divine logos or Word of God. Believers must unite with the inner Word, or sacred life, through spiritual thought, meditation, and prayer and bible study.

The Word is made flesh, or is brought into manifestation, when we transform our minds to the ideas of the Divine Mind and set up the activity of the divine will, which is perfect thought and corresponding perfect action. The "way of the tree of life" is the narrow path referred to by Jesus Christ; it is the way of unfolding the divine consciousness by studying the word of God the bible.

The fact that these cherubim had the face of a man to the front went nicely with the fact that they had the hands of a man under their wings and also that the cherubim had, in general, “likeness with the appearance of a man.” The heavenly cherubim also have the God-given quality or attribute of love, just the same as man has, the first man Adam having been created in the image and likeness of God. (Genesis 1:26-28) The face of a lion, in being on the right side of the head of each cherubim, emphasized the quality of rightousess, justice. This justice has power as its support, which is well pictured in that opposite the lion’s face there was, to the left, a bull’s face. In his later description of the cherubim, Ezekiel calls the bull’s face the “face of the cherub.” (Ezekiel 10:14) Doubtless, cherubim are creatures of great power, like that of the bull.

the eagle’s face to the rear of the cherub’s head points to wisdom, the heavenly wisdom, which corresponds with the heavens in which the high-flying eagle soars. This face fits in nicely with the fact that the cherubim had each four wings, enabling them to match the eagle in its flight. The eagle’s face, as well as the man’s face, the lion’s face and the bull’s face, is found among the faces of the four cherubim living creatures that were seen in vision about seven hundred years later by the John, these latter cherubim being located around the throne of God in heaven.—Revelation 4:6-9.

Thus, consistently, down through the centuries, the same symbols represent God’s wisdom (the eagle), power (the bull), justice (the lion) and love (the man). These four attributes, are in perfect balance with one another, Yahweh has gifted his heavenly creatures and his earthly human creatures with the suitable measure of these four attributes.

these attributes must always be present in the holy of holies within our minds. we have this holy place and these cherubim with their wings spread over the whole Ark. No matter how great a backslider you may be, the presence of the Spirit of God is not far away from your conscious mind.  engraved on the very substance of your being (two tables of stone).

If we do not have this higher realization before us constantly, we shall drop down to the physical plane and our religion will become a mere phenomenal display.

Christian Gnostic Views on Hell

Christian Gnostic Views on Hell

What do the Gnostic Gospels say about Hell?

Before we can answer this question it is best to find out what does the bible really say about Hell

Hell is not a word used in the original manuscript it is an old English word which has lost its original meaning over time

Webster's Third New International Dictionary, unabridged, under "Hell" says: "from 'helan' to conceal." The word "hell" thus originally conveyed no thought of heat or torment but simply of a 'covered over or concealed place.' In the old English dialect the expression "helling potatoes" meant, not to roast them, but simply to place the potatoes in the ground or in a cellar. In old English literature, we read "the helling of a house" – covering/thatching a house. Putting a thatch roof on a house was called “helling” the house, but it didn’t mean to set the house on fire.

Hell, to conceal, to hide, to cover. 
There are four words translated hell in the bible in this study we will look at Hades and Sheol 

Hades (Greek.)--not to be looked upon; outer darkness.
Sheol (Hebrew)--hollow; cavernous; empty; outer darkness; place of unquenchable, consuming desires.

Sheol

Sheol meaning “ask; request.” The common grave of mankind, gravedom; not an individual burial place or grave (Heb., qever, Jg 16:31; qevurah´, Ge 35:20), nor an individual tomb (Heb., gadhish´, Job 21:32). Sheol the grave, which is as it were always asking or craving more. This would indicate that Sheol is both a place and condition that asks for or demands all without distinction, as it receives the dead of mankind within it. —Ge 37:35, ftn; Pr 30:15, 16 (Insight into the Scriptures)

In the Authorized Version, in many places in the Old Testament sheol is interpreted grave or pit. For examples see Genesis 37:35; 42:38; I Samuel 2:6; I Kings 2:6; Job 14:13; 17:13, 16, and there are others. In the American Standard Version the word sheol is used in these texts. Please compare the two, and then look up the places where the translation hell is given.  (Charles Fillmore)

Hades

“Hades,” perhaps meaning “the unseen place,” appears 11 times in the Textus Receptus on which the King James Version is based , namely, in Mt 11:23; 16:18; Lu 10:15; 16:23; Ac 2:27, 31; 1Cor 15:55 Rev 1:18; 6:8; 20:13, 14.


In Acts 2:27, Peter’s quotation of Ps 16:10 shows Hades is the equivalent of Sheol and is applied to the common grave of mankind (in contrast with the Greek word ta´phos, an individual grave). The Latin word corresponding to Hades is in·fer´nus (sometimes in´fe·rus). It means “that which lies beneath; the lower region,” and well applies to the grave. It is thus a fitting approximation of the Greek and Hebrew terms. (Insight into the Scriptures)

The Bible record shows that Sheol refers to mankind’s common grave as a place where there is no consciousness. (Ec 9:4-6, 10) Those in Sheol neither praise God nor mention him. (Ps 6:4, 5; Isa 38:17-19) (Insight into the Scriptures)

Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (AVKJ)

Notice also that hell is not the same as the lake of fire but will be cast into the lake of fire.

Strange! Is hell itself to be tormented? And how can death, a condition, be thrown into a literal fire? 

Hell (Hades, Sheol) Is Not a literal place of fiery torment suffering Job prayed to go there. Job 14:12-14
it is a place of inactivity. Ps 6:5; Ec 9:10; Isa 38:18, 19
Jesus was raised from grave, hell. Ac 2:27, 31, 32; Ps 16:10
Hell will deliver up other dead, to be destroyed. Rev 20:13, 14
Fire is a symbol of annihilation Cutting off in death is symbolized by fire. Mt 25:41, 46; 13:30
Unrepentant wicked destroyed forever as by fire. Heb 10:26, 27

The Soul

In the Old Testament Hebrew, the original word for soul is nephesh. In the New Testament Greek it is psuche. Both mean the same thing and are used Interchangeably. One is used to translate the other.


The Hebrew word ‘Nephesh’ of the Old Testament has the same meaning as the Greek word ‘Psuche’ of the New Testament.  They mean “a living animal being” and are applied to both man and beast as shown from biblical quotations and notes given below.  The men who translated the original manuscripts into the English Bible believed in the immortality of man’s souls, and so translated these words to conform to their own belief wherever possible.  They translated ‘Nephesh’ 428 times “soul”; 119 times “life”; 15 times “body.” They translated ‘Psuche’ 58 times “soul”; 40 times “life”; 3 times “mind.”

Ezekiel 18:4 & 20:
"Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die."

"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself."

Matthew 10:29:
"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Heracleon a member of the Valentinian Christian Gnostic School did not believe in the teaching of the immortality of the soul

Fragment 40, on John 4:46-53 By the words “it was at the point of death,” the teaching of those who claim that the soul is immortal is refuted. In agreement with this is the statement that “the body and soul are destoyed in Hell.” (Matthew 10:28) The soul is not immortal, but is possessed only of a disposition towards salvation, for it is the perishable which puts on imperishability and the mortal which puts on immortality when “its death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:54) (Heracleon: Fragments from his Commentary on the Gospel of John)

The soul is temporary.

The Odes of Solomon not part of the nag hammadi library however it is an important document since it is a early christian hymn book from the second century CE

Ode 6:14) They have refreshed the parched lips, and have aroused the paralysed will. 
15) Even souls who were about to expire, they have seized from death. 

And when we heard these things, we became elated, for we had been depressed on account of what we had said earlier. Now when he saw our rejoicing, he said: "Woe to you who are in want of an advocate! Woe to you who are in need of grace! Blessed are those who have spoken freely and have produced grace for themselves. Make yourselves like strangers; of what sort are they in the estimation of your city? Why are you troubled when you oust yourselves of your own accord and depart from your city? Why do you abandon your dwelling place of your own accord, readying it for those who desire to dwell in it? O you exiles and fugitives! Woe to you, because you will be caught! Or perhaps you imagine that the Father is a lover of humanity? Or that he is persuaded by prayers? Or that he is gracious to one on behalf of another? Or that he bears with one who seeks? For he knows the desire and also that which the flesh needs. Because it is not the flesh which yearns for the soul. For without the soul the body does not sin, just as the soul is not saved without the Spirit. But if the soul is saved when it is without evil, and if the spirit also is saved, then the body becomes sinless. For it is the spirit which animates the soul, but it is the body which kills it - that is, it is the soul which kills itself. (The Apocryphon of James)

The Treatise of the Resurrection:
"From the savior we radiate beams, and we are held in his arms until our own sunset, our death in this life. We are drawn to heaven by him, like beams, by the sun, and nothing holds us down. This is the resurrection of the spirit, which swallows up the soul and the flesh."

Tripartite Tractate:
"They became flesh and soul, that is, eternally which (things) hold them and with corruptible things they die. "

The Gospel of Philip:
"Adam’s soul came from a breath. The soul’s companion is spirit, and the spirit given to him is his mother. His soul was [taken] from him and replaced with [spirit]. "

Apocalypse of Peter:
"For evil cannot produce good fruit. For the place from which each of them is produces that which is like itself; for not every soul is of the truth, nor of immortality"

Hell is this World

Origen and theologian Gregory of Nyssa thought of hell as a place of separation from God—of spiritual suffering

The Authors of the Nag Hammadi library have the same understanding that the world itself is Hell.

And he put to shame the ruler of Hades; he raised the dead, and he destroyed his dominion.
Then a great disturbance took place. The archons raised up their wrath against him. They wanted to hand him over to the ruler of Hades. Then they recognized one of his followers. A fire took hold of his soul. He (Judas?) handed him over, since no one knew him (Jesus?). They acted and seized him. They brought judgment upon themselves. And they delivered him up to the ruler of Hades.
And they handed him over to Sasabek for nine bronze coins. He prepared himself to go down and put them to shame. Then the ruler of Hades took him. And he found that the nature of his flesh could not be seized, in order to show it to the archons. But he was saying: "Who is this? What is it?
His word has abolished the law of the aeon. He is from the Logos of the power of life." And he was victorious over the command of the archons, and they were not able by their work to rule over him.

For the Son of Man clothed himself with their first-fruits; he went down to Hades and performed many mighty works. He raised the dead therein; and the world-rulers of darkness became envious of him, for they did not find sin in him. But he also destroyed their works from among men, so that the lame, the blind, the paralytic, the dumb, (and) the demon-possessed were granted healing.And he walked upon the waters of the sea. For this reason he destroyed his flesh from [...] which he [...]. And he became [...] salvation [...] his death ... ... (4 lines unrecoverable) [The Testimony of Truth]

In the book called Thomas the Contender fire is a symbol of the fiery lustful and sexual passions of the natural body that makes the mind drunk the the soul deranged. the main theme of the text is ascetic (the passions of the body versus the tranquility of wisdom and self control):

Then the savior continued and said, "O unsearchable love of the light! O bitterness of the fire that blazes in the bodies of men and in their marrow, kindling in them night and day, and burning the limbs of men and [making] their minds become drunk and their souls become deranged.

"Woe to you who hope in the flesh and in the prison that will perish! How long will you be oblivious? And how long will you suppose that the imperishables will perish too? Your hope is set upon the world, and your god is this life! You are corrupting your souls!
Do not fear the flesh nor love it.
If you fear the flesh it will gain mastery over you.
If you love the flesh it will paralyze and engulf you. (Gospel of Philip)

Hell is being trapped and controlled by your emotions

And so he dwells either in this world or in the resurrection or in the middle place. God forbid that I be found in there! In this world, there is good and evil. Its good things are not good, and its evil things not evil. But there is evil after this world which is truly evil – what is called “the middle”. It is death. While we are in this world, it is fitting for us to acquire the resurrection, so that when we strip off the flesh, we may be found in rest and not walk in the middle. (The Gospel of Philip)

Hell, to the Cathars, was not a remote place under the Earth. For them Hell was here and now. The world itself, the creation of the Bad God, was the only Hell they knew. Torture, pain and misery of this life was all the Hell they needed to contemplate.

Hell is a Condition of the Mind

As a condition Hell would symbolize consuming desires

One does not have to die in order to go to hell, any more than one has to die to go to heaven. Both are states of mind, and conditions, which people experience as a direct outworking of their thoughts, beliefs, words, and acts. If one's mental processes are out of harmony with the law of God, they result in trouble and sorrow; mental as well as bodily anguish overtakes one, and this is hell. (Charles Fillmore)

'Hell' is our separation from God's love, which leads us to reason judgmentally, and, in turn, live barren lives. 

"Hell is the fire that burns in our conscience, the fire of despair because of our separation from God." (Paul Tillich, A History of Christian Thought, (Harper & Row, 1967), p. XXVII, p. 64.) 

"Fire symbolizes consuming desires and ignorance of God." (Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Paul, p. 61) In effect, for Paul, hell is living in the thinking of the flesh our judgmental reasoning separates us from God and the understanding that we have fellowship with our heavenly father.

Hades refers to the outer darkness, the consciousness of the carnal mind, in contrast to the inner or spiritual consciousness of light. To live in the outer darkness is to live according to the flesh 

Hades denotes the burying out of sight, out of thought and mind, of that above which the overcomer has risen, of that which has become inactive in his consciousness. (Charles Fillmore)

What the Hell is Gehenna?

Logos the reasoning mind of God

Logos the reasoning mind of God

"In the Beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God. This was in the Beginning with God. Through it everything was done; and without it not even one thing was done, which has been done. In it was Life; and the LIFE was the LIGHT of MEN....
And the Logos became Flesh, and dwelt among us,--and we beheld his GLORY, a Glory as of an Only-begotten Son from the Father,--full of Grace and Truth" (John 1:1-4, 14).

Logos is the Greek word for the reasoning mind of the Deity. Corresponding Greek words which have a similar meaning to logos are spirit, will, mind, and wisdom. Wisdom is the practical equivalent of logos or word. The Greek speaking Jews saw wisdom has been virtually identical with God's will and word or reason that is (logos).

The Greek word Logos can be translated into many different English words

Account
Cause
Communication
Doctrine
Intent
Preaching
Reason
Saying
Tidings

Logos' can strictly refer to the inner thought which is expressed outwardly in words and other communication. The extent of the concept was that behind spoken words were thoughts.

Thoughts were mind. Mind has a close link with reason. Reason was the structure of orderly action…that ultimate reality was reasonable, was in fact reason itself."

And because human beings have the capacity to reason, it was taught by Jesus and the early Christians that our destiny is to "make contact with divine reason and, like God, discern ultimate truths

Logos also means man's ability to recognise reality. It is man's ability to reason.

Logos is the anointing power of the Father the divine light, the living Word, or Word of the Eternal Spirit, and it causes all things; all things were made by it. Jesus expressed the Logos in its fullness, and He became the Logos, or Word, made flesh. In other words, Jesus united Himself in thought, word, and deed with this Heavenly Christ, Logos, Word, creative principle of God, in which are all the ideas in the Divine Mind--life, light, love wisdom.  thus throughout His entire life Jesus showed forth the glory and perfection of the Father.

The Word, Logos, Thought of God, the anointing spirit or Christ, in which is the creative power of the Father-God, is the foundation principle, of the true inner self of every believer.

What the Hell is Gehenna?

What the Hell is Gehenna?

Gehenna” means “valley of Hinnom,” for it is the Greek form of the Hebrew geh hin·nom´. In Jos 18:16, where “valley of Hinnom” occurs, LXX reads “Gehenna.” It occurs 12 times in the New Testament, first appearing in Mt 5:22.

The valley of Hinnom lay to the west and south of ancient Jerusalem. (Jos 15:8; 18:16; Jer 19:2, 6) Under the later kings of Judah it was used for the false worship of a pagan god, to which human sacrifices were offered by fire. (2Ch 28:3; 33:6; Jer 7:31, 32; 32:35) To prevent its use again for such religious purposes, faithful King Josiah had the valley polluted.—2Ki 23:10.

The valley of Hinnom became the dumping place and burning waste material for the filth of Jerusalem. Bodies of dead animals were thrown in to be consumed in the fires to which sulphur, or brimstone, was added to assist the burning. Also bodies of executed criminals, who were considered undeserving of a decent burial in a memorial tomb, were thrown in. If such dead bodies landed in the fire they were consumed, but if their carcasses landed upon a ledge of the deep ravine their putrefying flesh became infested with worms, or maggots, which did not die until they had consumed the fleshy parts, leaving only the skeletons.

No living animals or human creatures were pitched into Gehenna to be burned alive or tormented. Hence, the place could never symbolize an invisible region where human souls are tormented eternally in literal fire or attacked forever by undying worms. Because the dead criminals cast there were denied a decent burial in a memorial tomb, the symbol of the hope of a resurrection, Gehenna was used by Jesus and his disciples to symbolize everlasting destruction, annihilation from God’s universe, or “second death,” an eternal punishment.

Therefore, to have one’s dead body cast into Gehenna was considered the worst kind of punishment. From the literal Gehenna and its significance, the symbol of the ‘lake burning with fire and sulphur’ was drawn.—Re 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15; 21:8.

The Biblical use of Gehenna as a symbol corresponds to that of “the lake of fire” in the book of Revelation

. It is evident that Jesus used Gehenna as a symbol of utter destruction resulting from judgement of God, hence with no resurrection to bodily life being possible. (Mt 10:28; Lu 12:4, 5) The scribes and Pharisees as a wicked class were denounced as ‘subjects for Gehenna.’ (Mt 23:13-15, 33) To avoid such destruction, Jesus’ followers were to get rid of anything causing spiritual stumbling, the ‘cutting off of a hand or foot’ and the ‘tearing out of an eye’ figuratively representing their deadening of these body members with reference to sin.—Mt 18:9; Mr 9:43-47; Col 3:5; compare Mt 5:27-30.

Jesus also quoted from Isaiah 66:24 in describing Gehenna as a place “where their maggot does not die and the fire is not put out.” (Mr 9:47, 48) That the symbolic picture here is not one of torture but, rather, of complete destruction is evident from the fact that the Isaiah text dealt, not with persons who were alive, but with “the carcasses of the men that were transgressing” against God. If, as the available evidence indicates, the Valley of Hinnom was a place for the disposal of garbage and carcasses, fire, perhaps increased in intensity by the addition of sulfur (compare Isa 30:33), would be the only suitable means to eliminate such refuse. Where the fire did not reach, worms, or maggots, would breed, consuming anything not destroyed by the fire. On this basis, Jesus’ words would mean that the destructive effect of God’s judgement would not cease until complete destruction was attained.

Gehenna means the place of purification 

James the brother of Jesus uses the word “Gehenna” to show that an unruly tongue is itself a world of unrighteousness and that one’s whole round of living can be affected by fiery words that defile the speaker’s body. The tongue of such a one, “full of death-dealing poison” and so giving evidence of a bad heart condition, can cause the person to be sentenced by God to go to the symbolic Gehenna.—Jas 3:6, 8; compare Mt 12:37; Ps 5:9; 140:3; Ro 3:13.

The purifying fires of the mind. Our God is a consuming fire, and when judgements, or times of tribulations take place in our consciousness, the wrong thought is utterly consumed, swallowed up, by the love and perfection and Truth of Spirit.

Solom 8:6 Set me as a seal on your heart, as a seal on your arm; for love is strong as death. Jealousy is as cruel as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a very flame of Yahweh.

There will be no termination of these cleansing, purifying processes until there is no more refuse to be burned, then this fire of God will express in us as eternal life.

1Cor 3:13-15 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Again, "Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings ?" Not the wicked, but "he that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly" (Isa. 33:14-16).



The purifying fires of the soul are symbolized by the fires of Gehenna.

Gehenna--Represents the cleansing fire of Spirit, which consumes all the dross of sense and materiality.




Our God is a consuming fire, and when judgments, or times of separation of the true from the false, take place in our consciousness, the error is utterly consumed, swallowed up, by the love and perfection and Truth of Spirit. There will be no cessation of these cleansing, purifying processes until there is no more refuse to be burned, then this fire of God will express in us as eternal life. "Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, whom ye desire, behold, he cometh, saith Jehovah of hosts. But who can abide the day of his coming ? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi" (Mal. 3:1-3). Again, "Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire ? who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings ?" Not the wicked, but "he that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly" (Isa. 33:14-16).

The sinners in Zion are afraid;
Fearfulness has seized the hypocrites:
“Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?
Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?”
15 He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
He who despises the gain of oppressions,
16 He will dwell on high;
His place of defense will be the fortress of rocks;
Bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.

Jesus is Our Representative not a substitute

Jesus as Our Representative


We have seen that the animal sacrifices were not completely representative of sinful men. Jesus was representative of us, being in all points "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. 2:17). "He tasted death for every man" (Heb. 2:9). When we commit a sin - e.g. we are angry - God can forgive us "for Christ's sake" (Eph. 4:32).


This is because God can compare us with Christ, a man like us who was tempted to sin - e.g. to be angry - but who overcame every temptation. Therefore God can forgive us our sin - of anger - on account of our being in Christ, covered by his righteousness. Christ being our representative is therefore the means by which God can show us His grace, whilst upholding His own righteous principles.

The popular view of orthodox Christianity is that man's sins placed him in a debt to God which of himself he could not pay. Christ then cleared the debt of each believer by his blood, shed on the cross. Many a Gospel Hall preacher has expressed it like this: "It was as if we were all lined up against a wall, about to be shot by the devil. Jesus then rushed in; the devil shot him instead of us, so we are now free."

These elaborate theories are without any firm Biblical support. There is the obvious contradiction that if Christ died instead of us, then we should not die. As we still have human nature, we must still die; salvation from sin and death will finally be revealed at the judgment (when we are granted immortality). We did not receive this at the time Christ died. Christ's death destroyed the devil (Heb. 2:14) rather than the devil destroying him.


The Bible teaches that salvation is possible through Christ's death AND resurrection, not just by his death. Christ "died for us" once. The theory of substitution would mean that he had to die for each of us personally.


If Christ paid off a debt with his blood, our salvation becomes something which we can expect as a right. The fact that salvation is a gift, brought about by God's mercy and forgiveness, is lost sight of if we understand Christ's sacrifice as being a debt payment.

It also makes out that an angry God was appeased once He saw the physical blood of Jesus. Yet what God sees when we repent is His Son as our representative, whom we are trying to copy, rather than we connecting ourselves with Christ's blood as a talisman.

Many 'Christian' hymns and songs contain an incredible amount of false doctrine in this area. Most false doctrine is drummed into people's minds by music, rather than rational, Biblical instruction. We must ever be on the watch for this kind of brain-washing.


Tragically, the simple words "Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8) have been grossly misunderstood as meaning that Christ died instead of us. There are a number of connections between Romans 5 and 1 Cor. 15 (e.g. v. 12 = 1 Cor. 15:21; v. 17 = 1 Cor. 15:22). "Christ died for us" (Rom. 5:8) is matched by "Christ died for our sins" (1 Cor. 15:3). His death was in order to make a way whereby we can gain forgiveness of our sins; it was in this sense that "Christ died for us". The word "for" does not necessarily mean 'instead of'; Christ died "for our sins", not 'instead of' them. Because of this, Christ can "make intercession" for us (Heb. 7:25) - not 'instead of' us. Neither does "for" mean 'instead of' in Heb. 10:12 and Gal. 1:4.


We do not believe that Christ was born free from original sin this may be called a “free life”. [A “free 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.]


We do not believe 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.]

Were there other human beings contemporary with Adam & Eve?

Were there other human beings contemporary with Adam & Eve?

There are at least four biblical hints that there were other human beings in existence at the time of Adam and Eve:

• Eve is told “I will greatly increase your labor pains” (Genesis 3:16).
The word “increase” implies one of two options: Either God had already *planned* for there to be pain in childbirth (remember that at this point Eve hadn’t had any children) but now God was going to increase it (hardly seems likely?), or else Eve was not the first to have had children (hence the increase, because others hadn’t had the pain before).

• Cain is afraid he would be killed (Genesis 4:14-15).
Who would Cain be afraid of if the only other people on earth are his parents, and perhaps a younger sibling or two that are not mentioned in the Bible? And the marking of Cain so that no-one would kill him hardly sounds necessary if it was only his family. The context of thought in these verse only makes sense if there are other people on the earth.

• Cain finds a wife and builds a city (Genesis 4:17).
There are two concepts to consider here:
Firstly, who was Cain’s wife? “God’s moral compass does not change” (1). In other words, God’s moral values would be constant. Leviticus is quite clear that relations with one’s sister (not to mention other close relatives) are expressly forbidden and wicked (Lev 18:6-18); are a disgrace (Lev 20:17); and a cause of His anger against the Canaanites - (Lev 20:23).

To imply this was Cain’s sister not only inserts a concept into the text that is not there, because the scriptures specifically do NOT say he took his sister, but it also requires God’s moral compass to do a 180-degree turn-around.
Secondly, who lived in his city? Surely more than Cain, his wife and son Enoch? The text appears to assume the existence of a large number of other people in the area.

• After Adam and Eve’s first grandchild was born, “people began to worship Yahweh” (Genesis 4:26). If the only human beings were Adam and Eve, their children and grandchildren, it makes no sense to say that, “people BEGAN to worship Yahweh”.

Abel had previously been faithful, and it appears that Adam and Eve remained faithful after they left Eden (see Genesis 4:25). So at least some of the family were already worshipping God. The verse only really makes sense if these “people” are those who were not part of the family of Adam and Eve.

So throughout the early chapters of Genesis, there are many hints of a wider human population that existed at the time.


Most of what is known of the Sabians comes from ibn Wahshiyya's The Nabatean Agriculture, translated in 904 CE from Syriac sources. The text discusses beliefs attributed to the Sabians, in particular that they were people who lived in Pre-Adamite times,

When Did the Logos become flesh? John 1:14

When Did the Logos become flesh? John 1:14

The moment that Yahweh speaks something it happens, that's for sure. So the moment of the conception is the moment that the Word of the Father became flesh.

The Word became flesh" is here a straightforward reference to Christ's nature, not merely his birth (cp 1Jo 4:2). God manifested Himself in the flesh of humanity (1Ti 3:16), not in stone (Exo 34:6). Jesus was of David's seed (Rom 1:3); under a curse (Gal 3:13); being born of a woman, under the law (Gal 4:4); and made "sin" (2Co 5:21). He was of sinful flesh (Rom 8:3); in the likeness of men, in the a form of a slave (Phi 2:7); and like his brethren (Heb 2:17).

The Word became flesh which is the body prepared of God" (Heb. 10:5).

Prepared for what prepared for the indwelling of the spirit

John 3:34 For the one whom God sent forth speaks the sayings of God, for he does not give the spirit by measure


The word also became flesh when Jesus began to teach it. He said his words or logos was not his but God's.

John 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my words [logos]: and the word [logos] which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me.

1 John 2:7 Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word [logos] which ye heard.


So the word also became flesh at the baptism.

John 1:15 - "Concerning him, John gave this testimony: 'This is the one about whom I said, Though he is coming behind me, he preceded me and he came before me!"

John 1:14  And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.


John 1:14 is referring to the time when the human Jesus came to "dwell among" his disciples after John the baptizer announced his "coming" (John 1:15). These things happened "in the beginning" of the public ministry of "the word" (John 1:1).

The "and" in John 1:14 connects the clause that says "the word became [was] flesh" with the clause that says "dwelt among us." There is no reason to insert a 30-year gap between these two clauses. This is also confirmed by the writer in 1 John 1:1 where he said that "the word (LOGOS) of life" is what the disciples "heard" and "saw with their eyes" and "handled with their hands."

The disciples did not have this "fellowship" (1 John 1:3) with Jesus Christ, or hear the message he proclaimed (1 John 1:5), until the time when he "went in and out among them, beginning with the baptism of John" (Acts 1:21-22).

Personal Angels Acts 12:14-15

Personal Angels

The Scriptures are clear as to the role of the Angels at Creation in response to the commandment of the Almighty:

“By the Word of Yahweh were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Psa. 33:6).

Yahweh gave the command, and the Angels obeyed. He said: “let there be light, and there was light” (Gen. 1:3). “He spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast” (cp. Psa. 33:9). So it was that the Angels (Hebrew: Elohim—see Psa. 8:5) were the agents through which the Almighty accomplished His Will in creating the Heavens and Earth. So it is that we read in Genesis chapter 1: “In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).

But after the 6 days of Creation, the Angels still have a creative role to play, for during the 6000 years of Creation, their working in human affairs is essential for the development of those called out for the Name of the Lord. As we read in Hebrews, they are “all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation”(Heb. 1:14).


We, who have been called out from the world to become Sons of the Living God are the “heirs of salvation” if we remain faithful. So, the Word of Yahweh is clear: the angels are our ministers! Their purpose is to ensure the outworking of God’s Will both in world affairs but also in us as individuals. The Angels have the charge of ministering to us, and our needs.

Right from the beginning, the Angels have been intimately involved with Human Affairs. Genesis 1:26 reads: “and Elohim said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”. The reference to “our” in this place shows this point. We are made after the physical and moral likeness of the Elohim. Again following the sin of the first human pair “Yahweh Elohim said, behold the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil”.

The Angels were then given the charge of ministering to those who took hold of the Almighty’s Plan of Redemption, keeping them in the way (cp. Exo. 23:20), bringing them through the trials of life (Gen. 48:16), that they might also attain to immortality, being made equal to them (Lu. 19:36) when restored to the friendship of the Deity.

As we have seen from Hebrews 1:10, the Angels are our ministers. That is, each saint has his/her own personal angel, which ministers to him/her. This is not merely a fairy story taught to children as the world would have us believe, but it is clear Scriptural teaching. Consider these words of Messiah:

“take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven, their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Mat. 18:10).

The disciples who become as children before their Father have their own angels. We must not despise one of these little ones, for their Angel stands in the presence of God in heaven.

The Lord had his own Angel, spoken of in the book of Revelation:

“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John (Rev. 1:1).

It is evident that the Apostles believed that they each had an Angel. When Peter was released from prison, he came to Mary’s house, and knocked on the gate. A young damsel “when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate.

And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, it is his Angel” (Acts 12:14-15). Thus, not believing that Peter had been released, in seeking for an explanation, they said “it is his Angel”. Mat. 18:10; 2:13, 19; Psa. 34:7; Heb. 1:14 (Diag.).

What does Gospel mean?

What does Gospel mean?

The gospel of truth is joy to those who have received from the Father of truth the grace of knowing him by the power of the Logos, who has come from the Pleroma and who is in the thought and the mind of the Father; he it is who is called "the Savior," since that is the name of the work which he must do for the redemption of those who have not known the Father. For the name of the gospel is the manifestation of hope, since that is the discovery of those who seek him, because the totality sought him from whom it had come forth. You see, the totality had been inside of him, the incomprehensible, inconceivable one who is superior to every thought

http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/got.html

gospel--An Anglo-Saxon word derived from good and spell (story, tidings). The Greek word means "good news". It is now universally identified with Jesus' mission and the doctrines that has grown out of it--that system of religious beliefs centered around the teachings of Jesus.

The gospel is not presented simply as an answer to religious questions by Jesus' listeners, but as a God-given announcement of an event whose meaning challenges those listeners.
The gospel challenged the existing ideas of the time the understandings of God, the human condition, and the means of dealing with it; the gospel called for a Repentance or reformation a total re-evaluation of existing ideas

"The world by wisdom," saith Paul, "knew not God . . . but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, 'the hidden', which none of the chiefs of this Aeon knew, for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Cor. 1: 21; 2:7, 8). Paul was sent to turn the Gentiles to the knowledge of the true and living Deity, and in so doing taught them the mystery which it was the glory of the declaration to explain or reveal. 

Hence the preaching is called, "the Revelation of the Mystery," and is thus alluded to by Paul (who taught "the gospel which God had promised through His prophets in the holy Scriptures") in Rom. 16:25 -- "To him that is of power," says he, "to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus anointed; according to the revelation of mystery concealed during ages of past times (chronois aeonios) but now made manifest also through the prophetic writings according to the commandment of the God of the age (tou aeoniou Theou) for obedience of faith made known to all the nations: to God only wise, through Jesus anointed, to him be the glory for the ages. Amen."

The gospel of Jesus is that every believer can become God manifestation. It is not alone a gospel of right living, but also shows the way into dominion and power equal to and surpassing that of Jesus of Nazareth. "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father" (John 14:12).

you have seen the spirit and have become spirit,
you have seen Christ and have become Christ,
you have seen the [father] and will become father. The Gospel of Philip

The Gospel is not just a message of right living, but it also shows the way into dominion and power equal and consubstantial with the Deity himself

John 17:20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;
21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:
23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

Gnostic Teaching Matter is Evil Romans 8:20

Matter is Evil and Impure

or

Matter is Sinful and Impure

First an opening reading from the Gospel of Philip and the first letter of John

The world came about through a mistake. For he who created it wanted to create it imperishable and immortal. He fell short of attaining his desire. For the world never was imperishable, nor, for that matter, was he who made the world. For things are not imperishable, but sons are. Nothing will be able to receive imperishability if it does not first become a son. But he who has not the ability to receive, how much more will he be unable to give? The Gospel of Philip 

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The Gospel of Philip informs us that the world "came about through a mistake"  and the first letter of John commands us not to love he world  but what is the world? 

kosmos

The "world," John referred to is the prevailing order or arrangement of things as it existed in the political, social and religious systems then and now extant. The Greek word is kosmos, and signifies "order," "arrangement," "ornament," and so forth. It was the prevailing order or system of things that they were not to love.

The Greek word kosmos

2889. kosmos, κόσμος, ου, ὁ

2889 kósmos (literally, "something ordered") – properly, an "ordered system" (like the universe, creation); the world.

Usage: the world, universe; worldly affairs; the inhabitants of the world; adornment.

As we have seen from the quotation from the Gospel of Philip the word "world" is used in the Coptic text the word for "world"   is the Greek word kósmos. The translation of the Gospel of Philip by Dr. Thomas Paterson Brown uses the word "system" instead of the word "world" 

The system began in a transgression, for he who made it had desired to make it imperishable and immortal. He fell away and did not attain (his) ambition. For there was no imperishability of the system, and there was no imperishability of him who has made the system. For there is no imperishability of things but rather of the Sons, and no one can obtain imperishability except by becoming (a) Son. Yet he who is unable to receive, how much (more) will he be unable to give! (The Annotated Gospel of Philip Dr. Thomas Paterson Brown)

The Annotated Gospel of Philip Dr. Thomas Paterson Brown

Hypertext interlinear of the Gospel according to Philip


From the Hypertext interlinear of the Gospel of Philip we can see that the word "world" is the Greek word Kosmos  

THE WORLD: Gr "kosmos", the order or arrangement of things: in this case, the nations of the earth (Gen 17:4-6). The word "world" is kosmos and refers to the current order of things; thus the world of flesh, comprising both Jew and Gentile. This implies not mere locality and area, but also legal jurisdiction and authority over the world.

The word kosmos refers to the orderly arrangement seen in the systems of mankind.

The order of things (kosmos) is also referred to as an age (aeon)

Galatians 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Eph 6:12  because we have not the wrestling with blood and flesh, but with the principalities, with the authorities, with the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, with the spiritual things of the evil in the heavenly places;

In some translations of the Bible the words kosmos and aeon are translated with the English word "world"

Galatians 1:4  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

The king James bible refers to the present order of things to be "this present evil world"

The Greek word translated "evil" Poneros´ often signifies that which is evil or wicked in a moral sense (Lu 6:45) and can apply to something that is bad or worthless in a physical in a physical sense: ὀφθαλμός, diseased or blind, Matthew 6:23; Matthew 7:17, 18; Luke 11:34

So the present ages of this order of things is both evil from a moral and a physical sense

Whoever sows in winter reaps in summer. Winter is the world, summer is the other age. Let us sow in the world to reap in summer. And for this reason we should not pray in winter. From winter comes summer. If someone reaps in winter, the person will not really reap but will pull out the young plants, and such do not produce a crop. [That person’s field] is barren not only [now] but also on the sabbath. (Gospel of Philip)

But why is this age or order of things evil?

The simple answer to this is because God cursed it

 

Evil

This may seem strange associating evil with God and creation but God’s plain statements concerning them are clear.

For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are ALL things: to whom be glory forever, Amen.” Romans 11:36

All is "of God” according to Romans 11:36,

God’s Word contains many passages that reveal the great truth that ALL things – the evil as well as the good – come from God, who alone can create it. 

Romans 11:22 Notice therefore the kindness and harshness of God--harshness toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness toward you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

Isa 45:7  I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Ec 7:13  Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?
Ec 7:14  In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

Am 3:6  Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?

Creation and the Fall

When God's work of creation was completed he saw the earth it was very good

Ge 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

It should be noted that "very good" does not mean perfect

However it would not stay that way for long

Gen 3:17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.”

After the fall the creation is no longer "very good" it is cursed

Cursed: Originally the earth was proclaimed "very good," but afterwards it sprouted thorns and thistles in abundance (Gen. 3:18). Its proneness so to do is similar to the proneness of the flesh to sin, producing moral thorns and thistles (see Heb. 6:8). 

Originally, the animals were vegetarian, and came tamely before Adam to be named (Gen. 2:19); but subsequently they became carnivorous and fierce; though ultimately they will be restored to their original state (Isa. 65:25). 

Man's physical state under the curse, his proneness to sin, is expressed in Scriptures such as Gen. 3:19; Rom. 7:5, 14, 17, 18, 20; Phil. 3:21, etc

Matter and Corruption

The whole creation desires a better state than that presently experienced, in which sin and death reign supreme (Rom. 5:12), and groans under existing conditions. There is no hope for a world facing destruction by its own hands (cp. Rev. 11:18, "destroy the earth"). As all nature was subjected to the curse, so all nature looks for alleviation of distresses under which it now labors. The animals prey upon each other, and the farmer labors to destroy the weeds that choke his land.

Romans 8:19 For the eager expectation of the creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God. 
20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will but through him that subjected it, on the basis of hope 
21 that the creation itself also will be set free from enslavement to corruption and have the glorious freedom of the children of God. 
22 For we know that all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now. 
23 Not only that, but we ourselves also who have the firstfruits, namely, the spirit, yes, we ourselves groan within ourselves, while we are earnestly waiting for adoption as sons

Paul tells us that the Creation was not subject to vanity (futility – sin) willingly (voluntarily). It has no will or choice in the matter. God is subjecting the Creation against its will!

“For the Creation was made subject to vanity (futility – sin), not willingly (voluntarily), but by reason of Him who has subjected it in hope (literally - expectation).

“Because the (entire) Creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption (sin and death) into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Romans 8:20,21

Creation is subjected to vanity or futility it is also subjected to the bondage of corruption therefore creation is no longer very good it is corrupted and sinful

For the wages of sin is death Romans 6:23

All matter is decaying: Because matter is temporary, changing and thus decaying it is sinful or unclean 

Sin

The power of death is held by 'sin' (Hebrews 2:14). Therefore in the absence of sin, mortality and its result, death, should not exist.
We are told in Genesis, "cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee" (Genesis 3:17-18). 
Death does not cause "thorns also and thistles" to grow. It is neither logical as a literal truth, or as a symbolic expression of death. But thorns and thistle that blight the earth are typical, or a good symbol, of indwelling sin that blights human life.
"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, p. 126)

"The clear evidence of Genesis 3 is that sin had a physical reaction on creation: the serpent crawled upon its belly; all other animal creation was cursed (v. 14 — above all cattle); the woman found her sorrow and conception multiplied; the earth brought forth thorns and thistles; man was made subject to death. (HP Mansfield, Atonement: Salvation Through the Blood of Christ, p. 243).

Of all creatures, only man has possession of the moral sentiments. "Where no 'moral sentiments' exist as part of 'the flesh', or brain, there is no ability in the creature to render an account for its aberrations from the requirements of moral, or spiritual, institutions." (Elpis Israel, p. 88)

Thus, there is no moral law under which the lower creation has been placed but it has been placed under the same sentence of death which works by the law of sin and death.

Uncleanness Caused Through Contact

Cleansing was generally carried out by the use of water and ashes of a red Heifer, and the ceremony was conducted in behalf of persons, places, and objects. (Nu 19:2-9)

Hebrews 9:22 and with blood almost all things are purified according to the law, and apart from blood-shedding forgiveness doth not come.

Ex 29:36  And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.

The word for "cleanse" is chata, a word used elsewhere for "sin." Accordingly, Rotherham renders the phrase: "and shalt make a sin-cleansing for the altar."

But why should the altar need "atoning," and why should the term "sin" be used in relation to it, seeing that it never transgressed in any respect? The altar was considered as "defiled" to identify it with a people who had sinned, and needed atonement therefrom. Therefore, it had to be cleansed first in order to provide the  means of the forgiveness of sins on the behalf of actual transgressors, who desired to reach unto God through its means. So with Christ our altar (Heb. 13:10).

Numbers 31:23 every thing which may go into fire, ye cause to pass over through fire, and it hath been clean; only, with the water of separation it is cleansed, and all that may not go into fire, ye cause to pass over through water;

The spoil was purified by fire, representing the spirit of Yahweh Who is described as a "consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29). But then it also had to go through the water, which represented the cleansing action of the Word (John 15:3; Eph. 5:2). Fire and water were also used in the parable of the heifer, the sacrifice designed for cleansing from the defilement of death (Num. 19:9; Lev. 11:32; 15:17).
As natural death came by sin, beasts which in life are treated as "clean", are considered "unclean" when they die.

Lev 11:25 And everyone carrying any of their dead bodies will wash his garments, and he must be unclean until the evening.

A person carrying the carcase of an unclean creature from place to place was regard as unclean. The impurity was passed on to his garments, and these also had to be purified. See the Letter of Jude 23: "Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh," and the constant exhortation to keep one's garments pure (Rev. 3:4; 16:15,16). The law taught that it is easier to pollute than to purify; it emphasised the need to keep separate from all polluting influences

This impurity comes from the Curse placed on creation the impurity is the pollution of sin

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am Yahweh, that doeth all these things.

By creating evil God cursed creation

note The word evil means calamity. A specific calamity may or may not be a sin, as will be illustrated

Sin and evil are as cause and effect. God is the author of evil, but not of sin; for the evil is the punishment of sin. "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I, Yahweh, do all these things." (Isa. 45:7) "Shall there be evil in a city, and Yahweh hath not done it?" (Amos 3:6) The evil then to which man is subjected is Yahweh's doing. War, famine, pestilence, flood, earthquake, disease, and death, are the terrible evils which God inflicts upon mankind for their transgressions. Nations cannot go to war when they please, any more than they can shake the earth at their will and pleasure; neither can they preserve peace, when He proclaims war. Evil is the artillery with which He combats the enemies of His law, and of His saints; consequently, there will be neither peace nor blessedness for the nations, until sin is put down, His people avenged, and truth and righteousness be established in the earth. Dr. John Thomas Elpis Israel

The Constitution of sin

You are not special. You're not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else

The word sin is used in two major ways in the scripture. It signifies in the first place, "the transgression of the law"; and in the next, it represents that physical principle of the animal nature, which is the cause of all its diseases, death, and resolution into dust. It is that in the flesh "which has the power of death" and it is called sin, because the development, or fixation, of this evil in the flesh, was the result of transgression. Inasmuch as this evil principle is present and apparent throughout every cell of the body or every part of the flesh, the animal nature is styled "sinful flesh," that is, "flesh full of sin"; Hence, sin according to the Holy Scriptures came to represent the substance called Man. Dr. John Thomas Elpis Israel

In human flesh "dwells no good thing" (Rom. 7:17,18); and all the evil a man does is the result of this principle dwelling in him. Operating upon 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'" (Eph. 4:18). Dr. John Thomas Elpis Israel

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.  Dr. John Thomas Elpis Israel

Humans, as they are physically constituted, are imperfect. This imperfection can be traced to their physical organization being based on the principle of decay and reproduction from the blood. When this system is acted upon by the [atmospheric nephesh or the] air, it becomes the life of the flesh. All the phenomena that pertain to this arrangement of things is summed up in the simple word “sin.” Therefore, sin is not a single abstraction. It is an assortment of relationships in all animal bodies constituting the source of all their physical infirmities Dr. John Thomas Elpis Israel