Renewed by Accurate Knowledge Colossians 3:10

Renewed by Accurate Knowledge 

or 

Salvation by Accurate Knowledge

Colossians 3:10

Strip off the old personality with its practices, 10 and clothe yourselves with the new personality, that is being renewed through accurate knowledge according to the image of the One who created it”​—Col. 3:9, 10

Salvation by knowledge is a general principle of absolute truth

Some Gnostics believed that in order to acquire salvation one must possess a certain knowledge, or gnosis, which must be interpreted from the sayings of Jesus

Gospel of Thomas Saying 1 And he said, "Whoever finds the correct interpretation of these sayings will never die." Translated by Stevan Davies

Now, what is faith? It is the express approval of the mind to definite points of information. Before faith can take place, the mind must be informed; that  is, it must first know or be aware of the subject of faith. Hence, knowledge  (though only in the limited sense of information) is the foundation of faith.

Exercising Faith in the Lord Jesus, and believing the gospel, are exactly the same thing; for the gospel is made up of glad tidings concerning the Lord Jesus Christ: and if a man believe the gospel, he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. If he is ignorant of the gospel, he cannot exercise Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, for "the Lord Jesus Christ" is not the mere name of the Saviour as a personage, but a grand doctrinal symbol, which can only be understood by those who are acquainted with the gospel in its full extent.

The first thing a person has to do, then, in order to gain salvation, is to exercise faith in the gospel. To do this he must know the gospel, for as Paul says, "How shall they put faith in him of whom they have not heard"? (Rom. 10:14). Knowledge must always precede faith; for a person cannot put faith in that of which he has not previously been informed.

Hence, the first inquiry on the part of a person anxious to be saved will be, WHAT IS THE GOSPEL? Until they know this, they cannot go on to the second stage of "faith unto salvation" ready to be revealed in the last time.
The gospel is styled "the one faith," because it is made up of things which require faith to receive them - the act of the mind by which these things are comprehended.

It is laid down as a principle, "Without faith IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE GOD" (Heb. 11:6), and it is affirmed of believers, "Ye are saved through faith" (Eph. 2:8), and " the just shall live by faith," (Heb. 10:38). Now this faith, in scriptural usage, is not a mere abstract reliance on the power of Yahweh, but the confidence of specific promise. It is said that "faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousness" (Rom. 4:9). Now let us note the character of this righteousness acquiring faith:-

20 But because of the promise of God he did not waver in a lack of faith, but became powerful by his faith, giving God glory 21 and being fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to do. 22 Hence “it was counted to him as righteousness (Rom. 4:20, 21). (Christendom Astray from the Bible by Robert Roberts)

You may say : But the Bible says, we are saved by “the renewing of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

It also says, we are renewed by knowledge” (Col. 3:10). In this, however, it does not contradict its self, but rather makes the one phrase explanatory of the other; as if he had said, “we are renewed by the Holy Spirit through knowledge.” The Holy Spirit renews or regenerates a person intellectually and morally by putting faith in the truth. “Sanctify them by thy truth,” says Jesus; “thy word, O Father, is truth” (John 17:17).

“Ye are clean,” said he to his apostles, “through the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). God’s power is manifested through agencies. His Spirit is His power by which He effects intellectual, moral, and physical results. When He wills to produce intellectual and moral effects, it is by knowledge revealed by His Spirit through the prophets and apostles.

This knowledge becomes power when received into “good and honest hearts”; and because God is the author of it, it is styled “the Knowledge of God” (2 Pet. 1:2), or “the word of truth” (James 1:18), by which He begets sinners to Himself as His sons and daughters. “The word of the truth of the gospel,”" the gospel of the kingdom.” “the incorruptible seed,” “the word,” “the truth as it is in Jesus,”" the word of the kingdom,”" the word of reconciliation,” “the law and the testimony,” “the word of faith,” “the sword of the spirit which is the word of God,” “the word of Christ,” “the perfection of liberty,” etc.-are all phrases richly demonstrating "the power of God” by which He saves His people from their sins, and translates them into the Hope of the kingdom and glory to which He invites them. The truth is the power that makes men free indeed (John 8:32, 36).

Hence Jesus says, “My words are spirit, and they are life.” The prophets, Jesus, and the apostles were the channels through which it was transmitted to mankind; and the spirit the agent by which the knowledge was conveyed to them. Hence, the knowledge or the truth being suggested to the prophets by the spirit is sometimes styled “the spirit” (Rom. 2:20). 

The spirit is to the truth as cause and effect; and by a very common figure of speech, the one is put for the other in speaking of them relatively to the mind and heart of man. So that the phrase “renewed by the holy spirit” is equivalent to renewed by putting faith in the truth testified by the Holy Spirit (John 15:26: 14:13-14).(Clerical Theology Unscriptural by Dr. John Thomas)

Paul also prayed that ones in the Colossian congregation, who obviously had some knowledge of God’s will, for they had become Christians, “be filled with the accurate knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension.” (Col 1:9) Such accurate knowledge should be sought by all Christians (Eph 1:15-17; Php 1:9; 1Ti 2:3, 4), it being important in putting on “the new personality” and in gaining peace.—Col 3:10; 2Pe 1:2.

Is it possible to come to a knowledge of the truth without applying it in our daily life? Quite possible. Such knowledge however is only an academic knowledge, the heart being left unenlightened. To be “where Christ is” is to be one with Christ and therefore to be about the Father's business.

How do we come to know God, the good? This knowledge comes as we learn to express active goodness. Praise, thanksgiving, loving-kindness, and faithfulness, each in degree reveals God to us as we give it active expression.

Col 3:10 And have put on the new self, which is being renewed in accurate knowledge after the image of its creator- Because in status we have 'put on the new man', "put on, therefore... mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind", i.e. bring forth in yourself the characteristics of Jesus, seeing you have 'put Him on' in baptism (Col. 3:10,12). Clothe your personality with Him, submerge yourself within Him, seeing you 'put on' Christ in baptism. We are to live out in practice how the Lord sees us by status.

Do religions ceremonies, or sacred locations have power to make God known to us? These things are unknown in scriptural teaching. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth. Jesus was instructing the woman at the well concerning the only locality where God can be contacted by the mind of man; that locality is within one's own soul. Jesus said, "The kingdom of God is within you." which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

Gnosis is to Know Thyself Gospel of Thomas Saying 3

Gnosis is to Know Thyself Gospel of Thomas Saying 3

The Gospel of Thomas Saying 3:

Jesus said, "[If] those who lead you [say to you, 'See], the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky [will precede you. If they say that] it is under the earth, then the fish of the sea [will enter it, preceding] you. And, the [kingdom of God] is inside of you, [and it is outside of you. Whoever] knows [himself] will discover this. [And when you] come to know yourselves, [you will realize that] you are [sons] of the [living] father. [But if you] will [not] know yourselves, [you dwell] in [poverty] and it is you who are that poverty." Oxyrhynchus Text


The first part of this saying is about the location of the Kingdom the second part of this saying is about how to find the kingdom by self knowledge:

Whoever] knows [himself] will discover this, (then you will be known). [And when you] come to know yourselves, [you will realize that] you are [sons] of the [living] father. [But if you] will [not] know yourselves, [you dwell] in [poverty] and it is you who are that poverty."


Philo of Alexandria defines self knowledge or knowing yourself as "Take heed to Thyself."
Philo On the Migration of Abraham: 

know yourself all your life, as Moses teaches us in many passages where he says, "Take heed to Thyself."{4}{#ex 34:12.}

Take heed to Thyself this is another re-occurring phrase throughout Deuteronomy, emphasising the personal responsibility (See Deut. 2:4; 4:9,15,23; 11:16; 12:13,19,30; 27:9.)

It is a believer's personal responsibility to learn the Gospel message its teachings these teachings are only of benefit if acknowledged and applied.

know thyself is a biblical exhortation about self-examination 


The Lord Jesus himself in the NT use the phrase “take heed to yourselves” or "pay attention to yourselves" see:

Luke 21:34 “But pay attention to yourselves that YOUR hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon YOU (NWT)

And so does Paul: Acts 20: 28 Pay attention to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the holy spirit has appointed YOU overseers, to shepherd the congregation of God, which he purchased with the blood of his own [Son]. (NWT)

1 Timothy 4:16 Pay attention to yourself, and to your teaching. Continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

And John use the phrase as well: 2Jo 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. (KJ)

know thyself may also have a mystical interpretation. 'Thyself', is not meant in reference to the egotist, but the ego within self, the Christ consciousness.

Gnosis is the fulfillment of faith realizing that in the secret unknown self the believer is one with the Father the fruit of that union is love

2 cor 13:5  examine your own selves if ye be in the faith; prove your own selves: do ye not recognise yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed ye be reprobates?

1 Cor. 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?


Colossians 1:27  To whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Lu 17:21  Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

Ga 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Saying 82 Jesus said, Whoever is near me is near fire, and whoever is far from me is far from the kingdom.

In Saying 82 fire and the kingdom are equivalent terms just as Jesus is equivalent with the Kingdom so here in saying 3 with the location of the Kingdom being inside of the believers it is the son of man who is inside us
This is confirmed in the The Testimony of Truth and the The Gospel of Mary

he has to come to know the Son of Man, that is, he has come to know himself. This is the perfect life, that man know himself by means of the All. (The Testimony of Truth)

33) When the Blessed One had said this, He greeted them all,saying, Peace be with you. Receive my peace unto yourselves.

34) Beware that no one lead you astray saying Lo here or lo there! For the Son of Man is within you.

35) Follow after Him!

36) Those who seek Him will find Him. (The Gospel of Mary chapter 4)


Yet there is one little caveat here; we must come to know our TRUE self. Our true self is not the person of THIS world, but the one who was born of God that came into this world. All of you Christians of traditional beliefs should read the words of the Bible more carefully. This teaching should not be foreign to you if you have been given the eyes to see it. Consider how this passage from Thomas spiritually aligns with what Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 13:9-12
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Paul is speaking about us becoming and knowing our true, perfect self. This is nearly identical to what Jesus said: “When you know yourselves, then you will be known, and you will understand that you are children of the living Father.” Do you understand the spiritual essence of what Jesus and Paul are saying here? They are saying we are spiritually maturing and growing in knowledge of who we are. 

We may not be clearly seeing our true self (who is Christ) right now, but we will once we come to fully know and BE our TRUE self! They are both saying that one day we shall fully know our true self, even as I AM (God) is fully known. We are God’s image that must become perfect like our Father to show God the image of Himself. This is our purpose- to reflect the glory and be the image of God! We can only do this in Christ where our true self (life) has been kept hidden and safe for ages and ages. So in this light, real “poverty” is when we don’t know our true self in Christ. 

This is spiritual poverty where the soul is lost in deception and the spirit feels homeless because he hasn’t returned to his Father’s house. Finally, Jesus says, “You are the poverty.” Paul said that nothing good could come from him. He said that “Paul” had died and CHRIST now lived in and through him. Paul knew that his true life was found in the spirit (in Christ), not in the natural (or worldly) Paul. 

Self-knowledge is the true self of the Christ consciousness. Without real self-knowledge other knowledge often becomes a kind of clutter in the mind. With correct self knowledge, however, other knowledge reveals its meaning and ripens into wisdom.

There is a contrast between “personal consciousness, self-will, self, me and I” and “spiritual awareness, the divine self, or the Christ consciousness”.

One of the most effective ways to gain greater self knowledge is to realize that you have a dimension of your mind that is even greater than your "thinking self." This greater level of your mind can actually OBSERVE your thinking self. It can evaluate what it observes. It can make decisions about what it observes. If it chooses it can control, change, and adjust what the thinking self is doing. It is from this higher level of your mind that true self knowledge is attained.

The key to self-knowledge is the awareness that true knowledge comes from within. We must keep in mind that the gaining of wisdom is not merely the result of pouring a sufficient number of facts into our heads; rather, it is the process of "remembering" or calling forth the spiritual truths that are written on our heart

Taking In Life-Giving Knowledge John 17:3

Taking in Knowledge of God and Jesus is Eternal Life

Or

Their Taking in Knowledge of You John 17:3 

John 17:3 This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ. NWT 1983

In the Gospel of John, knowledge is given an importance it has nowhere else in the New Testament. 

From John 8:32, " And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," it appears that Truth alone suffices to liberate from sin. 

It is explicitly declared in John 17:3 that eternal life consists in the knowledge of God: "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." In several passages the teaching of Jesus brings Salvation (cf. John 6:63, 15:3, 17:17, 26).

Agreeable to this emphasis upon knowledge is the constant repetition of words stressing the importance of Revelation. Such words are "light," "know," "declare," "bear witness," "see," "and" manifest." 

Taking In Life-Giving Knowledge

John 17:3 This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ. NWT 1983

John 17:3 This means everlasting life, their coming to know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. NWT 2013

The right knowledge or teachings of God and Jesus Christ gives endless life. it is also a life of acquaintance with God in Christ leading to a fullness of personal knowledge (Ephesians 4:13 Job 22:21)

It is both a personal relationship with God and the accurate knowledge in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension 

ἐπίγνωσις, εως, ἡ 1922. epignósis

epignosis “precise and correct knowledge.” it means “to become thoroughly acquainted with, to know thoroughly; to know accurately, know well


epignosis “also denotes exact or full knowledge and discernment (Philippians 1:9)

precise and correct knowledge; used in the N. T. of the knowledge of things ethical and divine: absolutely, with the genitive of the person known; — of God,

Paul also prayed that the believers, who obviously had some knowledge of God’s will, for they had become Christians, “be filled with the accurate knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual comprehension.” (Col 1:9)

Such accurate knowledge should be sought by all Christians (Eph 1:15-17; Php 1:9; 1Ti 2:3, 4), it is important in putting on “the new personality” and in gaining peace.—Col 3:10; 2Pe 1:2. (insight into the scriptures)

Duncan Heaster writes: 

When wisdom enters into your heart and knowledge itself becomes pleasant to your very soul, thinking ability itself will keep guard over you, discernment itself will safeguard you, to deliver you from the bad way.” (Proverbs 2:10-12)

These words imply that we must develop a intense desire for accurate knowledge, which can affect the heart and the very soul. Furthermore, it is a foundation for good thinking ability 

It is having the knowledge of God's ways that makes us responsible to Him for our actions and therefore necessitates our resurrection and appearance at the judgment seat. It should therefore be understood that it is not only the righteous or those baptized who will be resurrected, but all who are responsible to God by reason of their knowledge of Him. This is an oft repeated Scriptural theme:- 

John 15:22 shows that knowledge of the Word brings responsibility: "If I (Jesus) had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke ('excuse', A.V. mg.) for their sin". Romans 1:20-21 likewise says that knowing God leaves men "without excuse".

This knowledge makes men responsible to the judgement seat of Christ, However a person is only associated with the blood of Christ through baptism. (John 3:18-19; John 12:48; Mark 16:16; 2Th 1:8)

responsibility is based upon understanding, and therefore the statement "those who know the revealed will of God" 1 Corinthians 2:10

Salvation is based upon a reasonable and logical understanding of the Truth; those who are foreign to the gospel, who lack the capacity to perceive its responsibilities; or who are unable to comprehend, are outside the sphere of salvation — Acts 8:12.

Also man can not be saved by morality or sincerity, without the gospel.

[Morality and sincerity must be accompanied by an acknowledgement of the gospel for salvation — Acts 10:1-6.]

Knowledge of the gospel alone can not save a person, without the obedience of faith to Christ’s commandments.

 [Obedience to the commandments is a responsibility required of all believers; salvation will be determined upon the application of faith and obedience. Rev. 22:14; Mat. 7:26; 2Pet. 2:21; Mat. 28:20; Gal. 6:2]

Faith in the Gospel of the Kingdom and baptism into Christ is the only way to get into him, and be part of him, and get life through him. We must get into Christ — within him. Outside of him, the one perfect and divinely acceptable Man, we shall inevitably be destroyed by God’s righteous and necessary law of sin and death. Inside of him — covered by him — we are safe. None are his friends — none are truly in him — who do not devote their whole life to knowing and obeying him. “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:14).

In the NT, when the mind is mentioned along with the heart, “mind” refers to the intellect while “heart” refers to the emotions, desires, and feelings of the inner person. For example, Jesus said: “You must love Yahweh your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind.” (Mt 22:37) He thus showed that a person’s desires, feelings, and emotions must express his love for God, but he must also express that love by the way he uses his mental faculties, as by taking in knowledge of God and Christ.—John 17:3.

Right thinking leads to right Behaviour

Therefore Gnostic Christianity means being a seeker after accurate knowledge and believing that everything you need to know about God can be found through intellectual reasoning. That is what Gnosticism is

Thus salvation is intellectual knowledge or intellectual knowledge is needed for salvation

It was made very clear that  clarifies this matter. This is in accordance with the Scriptures. “We must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ” (2Cor. 5:10). “He that rejecteth me… the Word… shall judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

Therefore “atheist,” pagans, and all persons who are ignorant or lacking in understanding of the truth, including very young children will not be saved. Psalm 49

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Gnosis Co-Perception Human Perception and Spiritual Self Perception

Co-Perception human perception and spiritual self perception

self examination key to self knowledge

The word conscience comes from a Greek word meaning literally a co-perception. It implies that there are two types of perception within the believer- human perception, and spiritual self perception. The conscience that is cleansed in Christ, that is at peace, will be a conscience that keeps those two perceptions, of the real self and of the persona, in harmony.

What we know and perceive humanly, is in harmony with what we spiritually perceive. Our conscience, our co-perception, our real self, makes sense of the human perceptions and interprets them in a spiritual way. So, a young man sees an attractive girl. His human perception signals certain things to his brain- to lust, covet, etc. But his co-perception, his conscience, his real self, handles all that, and sees the girl’s beauty for just simply what it is- beauty.

Consider the connections between the following: " Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established" (4:26). " For the ways of man are before the eyes (Angels) of Yahweh, and he ponders all his paths." (5:21). " Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but Yahweh is pondering hearts" (21:2). "

Surely we are being taught that we ought to examine our path in life, bearing in mind that we will naturally think there is nothing wrong with it, because God examines it; our self-examination must mirror His. This is also taught in 1 Cor. 11:28-31; if we examine / judge / condemn ourselves now in our self-examination, God will not have to do this to us at the day of judgement. The spirit of man is in this sense the lamp of Yahweh, Searching all the innermost parts of his being. (Prov. 20:27); i.e. there is a link between a man's examination of his own conscience, and Yahweh's examination of him.

Real self-examination is painful- it has to be. It's no half hearted moment of self-analysis as , we prepare to partake of the bread and wine at communion. ultra-careful self-examination reveals ourselves to ourselves; and yet so do trials and "wounds". This is how tough real self-examination has to be- it should have the same effect as painful trials, revealing the same things which they do. Romans 5:1-6 heb 12:11

On the other hand, serious self-examination is part of the road to the Kingdom; it will characterize every successful believer: " The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way" (14:8); " the prudent man considers his steps" (14:15);

" whoso is preserving his soul, is watching his way" (16:17 YLT); " A wicked man puts up a bold front (" hardeneth his face" , AV); but an upright man gives thought to his ways" (21:29 NIV). This last reference suggests that a lack of self-examination is associated with a hardness, a brazenness, which is the result of a refusal to face up to the real issues of personal spirituality and our very personal relationship with God. It is more than possible to drift through the Christian experience with no thought at all for these things.

We live in a world without any sense of responsibility, with no fear of God and His judgment before their eyes.

Inevitably, we will be affected by this spirit. Self-examination is perhaps what we are most urgently in need of in these last days; a real self-knowledge, a true humility, a real sense of where we are going, and of the utter impossibility of travelling two roads.

" I am the way" , the Lord Jesus said, possibly with His mind on the one great way of Proverbs. The whole way of life which leads to the Kingdom, the things we do, our deepest thoughts, our daily decisions; these are all " the way" which leads to the Kingdom; and yet Christ is " the way" . This clearly means that all these things, the very essence of our being, the fibre of our thought processes, the basis of all our works; must be the Lord Jesus Christ.

The fact God’s ways and principles are unchanging encourage our self-examination; for there is always the rock of God and His way against which to compare our ways. The Lord Jesus is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

As a man or woman seriously contemplates the cross, they are inevitably led to a self-knowledge and self-examination which shakes them to the bone. A number of passages shed light on the way the cross leads to self-examination.

We have probably all realized that mere observation of one's own mental and emotional processes isn’t necessarily the same as fruitful self-perception / self-examination. In 1 Cor. 11:29,31 we are exhorted to both judge ourselves and also discern the body and person of Jesus in His time of dying. This is because our essential person is Him, crucified, covered in blood.


We are to thereby “reckon ourselves” to be dead to sin (Rom. 6:11).

The Greek word for “reckon” is that normally translated “impute”, in the context of imputing righteousness (Rom. 4:3,4,5,6,8,9- indeed, the word occurs in almost every verse of Romans 4).

 We are to search through our lives and perceive ourselves as in Christ, as men and women who don’t sin because we are in Christ. We are to impute that we are justified by faith (Rom. 3:28).
The Lord died to justify us (Rom. 4:25); yet we justify ourselves by our attitude to ourselves, in that we allow His death to so influence our self-perception.

We look in the mirror, and see Christ in us. This looking in the mirror is used by James as a figure for self-examination (James 1:18,22-25). By doing the word of the Gospel, we find we will live lives of looking in the mirror, of self-perception.

This is the essence of self-examination; to perceive the Christ-man within us, and that all other behaviour is our being unfaithful to our true self, living out a persona. We are to see ourselves as being Christ; we are to have a high view of ourselves in this sense, whilst despising and seeking to deconstruct the personas we so often act out which are unfaithful to Him.

The cross must change how we see ourselves. It must radically affect our self-perception and self understanding. For we are in Him. It was us who hung with Him there, and who hang with Him still in the tribulations of life.

We are Christ personified to this world. Therefore to be ourselves as God intends is to be Christ, to let the Christ-man within us show forth; the life that He lived and the death that He died becomes ours (Rom. 6:10,11). Paul could say, with reference to this, that he died daily (1 Cor. 15:31); and out of each death, there comes forth new life. For His resurrection life, the type of life that He lived and lives, becomes manifest in our mortal flesh right now (2 Cor. 4:11).


article taken and adapted from the writings of Duncan Heaster (Christadelphian)

Manmade Traditions Matthew 15:1-9

Manmade Traditions Matthew 15:1-9

Matthew 15:1-9

15:1Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying, 15:2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 15:3And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 15:4For God said, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death. 15:5But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is given to God; 15:6he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition. 15:7Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

15:8This people honoreth me with their lips;

But their heart is far from me.

15:9But in vain do they worship me,

Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.

TRADITION

What is Tradition?

Information, doctrines, or practices that have been handed down from parents to children or that have become the established way of thinking or acting. The Greek word pa·ra´do·sis means, literally, “a thing given beside” and hence “that which is transmitted by word of mouth or in writing.” (1Co 11:2, Int) The word as used in the Christian Greek Scriptures is applied to traditions that were proper or acceptable aspects of true worship, as well as to those that were in error or were followed or viewed in a way that made them harmful and objectionable

Manmade Tradition

Which is held in greater reverence, the divine law or manmade tradition? With the personal man, tradition holds the higher place, for back of it is the weight or authority of the race mind, and its hold on the race mind is unquestioned. The spiritual man has reverence for the divine law, not manmade tradition.

Which of the two does the Christ Consciousness observe? The divine law always. “I came not to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill.” Where tradition conflicts with the divine law, Jesus the Christ sets aside or disregards tradition. So should we as we follow Him.

Why should we not accept the wisdom of past ages, as handed down in tradition, as a guide to conduct? In following tradition we accept our beliefs and opinions ready-made instead of thinking things through and understanding them originally before accepting them. 

When we think things through for ourselves our mind lays hold of the formless stuff of divine substance and transforms it. By this thought process, which is the proper function of the mind in us, we discern the truth of the accumulated wisdom of mankind, and are enabled to discard what does not concern us.

Is defilement or infection primarily a physical or a mental phenomenon? It is first of all mental. Where faith in the protection of Divine Mind is absolute and complete, there is no fear and no infection. Perfect faith is the greatest prophylactic.

What evidence have we that tradition is not God-given? The fact that although tradition has the unquestioning acceptance of the race mind while the race believes it, every tradition sooner or later is superseded by something else. For example, the scientific truths of one age become the exploded superstitions of the next, and new so-called scientific truths take their place.

What is “the heart,” as used by Jesus in the text for today? The heart is the inner or emotional nature, which harbors will, desire, and the individual and personal thought.

Where should the chief cleansing of the individual take place? In the inner nature or the heart. We should learn to control our thought processes and think constructively. As we preserve the unity of the Spirit we lose our fear of contagion and become immune to outer contaminating influences. With the thought fixed on the purity and oneness of the Mind of God we become expressions of both purity and unity.

Do we make our life, or is it predestined without our volition? We make it by our habitual thought. Our security is also self-made. As we drill our soul in right principles we are ready to meet any emergency when it comes, with a stout, steadfast heart.

Christian Traditions

Viewing tradition in the sense of guidelines handed down orally or by example, the information that the apostle Paul received directly from Jesus could properly be passed on to the Christian congregations as acceptable Christian tradition. This was so, for example, regarding the celebration of the Lord’s Evening Meal. (1Co 11:2, 23) The teachings and example set by the apostles constituted valid tradition. Thus, Paul, who had personally toiled with his hands so as not to be a financial burden on his brothers (Ac 18:3; 20:34; 1Co 9:15; 1Th 2:9), could urge the Thessalonian Christians “to withdraw from every brother walking disorderly and not according to the tradition [pa·ra´do·sin]” they had received. One who would not work was plainly not following the fine example or tradition of the apostles.—2Th 3:6-11.

The “traditions” that are necessary for worship of God that is clean and undefiled were in time included as part of the inspired Scriptures. Hence, the traditions or precepts that were transmitted by Jesus and the apostles and that were vital for life were not left in oral form to be distorted by the passage of time but were accurately recorded in the Bible for the benefit of Christians living at later periods.—Joh 20:30, 31; Re 22:18.

The Carnal Mind?

THE CARNAL MIND.
"The thinking of the flesh is enmity against God."
When the Lord God bestowed the faculty of speech upon the serpent, He enabled it to give utterance to its thoughts. The possession of this power did not, however, confer upon it moral accountability. This depends on a different constitution of "the flesh." Where no "moral sentiments" exist as a 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. Speech only enabled it to utter the thinkings of its unsentimentalized intellect. It spoke like Balaam's ass, under the impulse of the sensations excited by what it had seen and heard. The thinkings of its flesh could not ascend to faith, being destitute of the organic ability to believe; therefore its speech could express only fleshly thoughts. Faith was too high an attainment for it. The light of God's law could not shine into it. Like all the inferior animals, it was a creature of mere sensation, and could utter only sentences formed of combinations resulting from the impressions of sensible objects transmitted to its sensorium by the five senses; it transcended them, however, in being more observant and reasoning than they.
The carnal mind is an expression used by Paul; or rather, it is the translation of words used by him, in his epistle to the Romans. It is not so explicit as the original. The words he wrote are to fronhma thV sarkoV the thinking of the flesh. In this phrase, he intimates to us, that the flesh is the thinking substance, that is, the brain; which, in another place, he terms "the fleshly tablet of the heart." The kind of thinking, therefore, depends upon the conformation of this organ. Hence, the more elaborate and perfect its mechanism, the more precise and comprehensive the thought; and vice versa. It is upon this principle such a diversity of mental manifestation is observable among men and other animals; but after all, how diverse soever they may be, they are all referable to one and the same thing -- the thinking of the flesh, whose elaborations are excited by the propensities, and the sensible phenomena of the world.

Now, the law of God is given, that the thinking of the flesh, instead of being excited by the propensities within, and the world without, may be conducted according to its direction. So long as Adam and Eve yielded to its guidance, they were happy and contented. Their thoughts were the result of right thinking, and obedience was the consequence. But when they adopted the serpent's reasonings as their own, these, being at variance with the truth, caused an "enmity" against it in their thinkings, which is equivalent to "enmity against God." When their sin was perfected, the propensities, or lusts, having been inflamed, became "a law in their members;" and because it was implanted in their flesh by transgression, it is styled "the law of sin;" and death being the wages of sin, it is also termed, "the law of sin and death;" but by philosophy, "the law of nature."

The old man and the new man

The old man is the outward senses, the carnal mind, the thinking of the flesh, the ego or personality. The old man is separate in consciousness from God. This is a believer before he or she receives the new life that is in Christ.

We must crucify the old man and remove him out of our consciousness so that the Christ may be resurrected in us. This we do by the renewing of our mind.

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind

and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him

The "new man" is born of the word of God.  A birth is a coming into a state of being. The "new birth" is the coming into a higher state of being. The realisation by the believer of his or her spiritual identity, the Christ consciousness the real seal.

The contrast between the old man and the new man is similar to that which Paul draws in 1 Cor. 15:45 between the “first man”, Adam, and the “last” man, Christ. Therefore I suggest that the “old man” here is a reference to our status in Adam; by baptism we pass from that status to that of the “new man”, Christ. Eph. 4:22-24 exhorts baptized believers to put off the old man and put on the new man- i.e. to live out in practice the change in status which occurred in baptism.

“The new man” is composed of both Jew and Gentile (Eph. 2:15; Col. 3:10,11)- connecting with how Gal. 3:27-29 explains that baptism into Christ likewise gives us a status of “in Christ” which thereby removes any difference between Jew and Gentile. If “the old man” refers to our status in Adam which has now ended, been crucified, then we need no longer be phased by the fact that no baptized believer manages to totally avoid sinning; none of us have put to death the old manner of life in totality. All our days we seek to respond to the change of status which has occurred, living appropriate to that change.

We must " put off the old man" (Eph. 4:22); and yet " ye have put off the old man" (Col. 3:9). Have we, or haven't we? In God's eyes we have, in that the new man has been created, and the old man died in the waters of baptism. But of course we are still in the flesh; and the old man must yet be put off. What happened at our baptism must be an ongoing process; of laying the old man to rest in death, and rising again in the newness of life. The Gospel 'instructs us to the intent that, having once and for all put away ungodliness (i.e. in baptism) and worldly lusts, we should live in a holy manner' (Tit. 2:12 Gk.). Having put these things off in baptism, we must live a life of putting them off.

The Birth of the Christ Consciousness Revelation 12

The Birth of the Christ Consciousness Revelation 12

12:1 And a great sign was seen in heaven, a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon was beneath her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars, 2 and she was pregnant. And she cries out in her pains and in her agony to give birth.3 And another sign was seen in heaven, and, look! a great fiery-colored dragon, with seven heads and ten horns and upon its heads seven diadems; 4 and its tail drags a third of the stars of heaven, and it hurled them down to the earth. And the dragon kept standing before the woman who was about to give birth, that, when she did give birth, it might devour her child. 5 And she gave birth to a son, a male, who is to shepherd all the nations with an iron rod. And her child was caught away to God and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and sixty days. 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled 8 but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. 9 So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him


John is shown a picture of the Church in its victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. The woman symbolizes the Church she is crowned with twelve stars, the twelve stars are the twelve attributes of the Christian faith which are the 12 aeons 1faith, 2hope, 3love, 4promises, 5grace, 6repentance, 7forgiveness, 8baptism, 9anointing,, 10wisdom, 11Eucharist 12logos

The child she bears is the Christ consciousness.

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you-- Galatians 4:19

The Dragon is Satan The outward senses of self-centeredness, self-gratification, self-indulgence, self-importance, self-righteousness, self-glorification, self-delusion, self, ego, the "false god," the "beast"

As the Christ consciousness is born, a rival force of the old self occurs, which brings about recurring periods of rebellion in a believer. Through divine intervention (daily readings of the scriptures the spirit-word), the Christ consciousness is protected while the carnal mind, is withdrawn below the conscious level.

Heaven is the realm of conscious harmony, a consciousness of peace in mind, body, and soul. Since man is free to think what he will, conflicting thoughts may enter heaven. When this takes place, man's harmony is disrupted and there is "war in heaven."?

War in heaven this represents the struggle that goes on in the believers mind while the believer tries to adjust his sinful nature to the requirements of Christ consciousness. It is a war which leads to Armageddon

What is symbolized by the "great voice in Heaven" acknowledging the salvation, power, and kingdom of God and the authority of his Christ? The "great voice" from Heaven symbolizes the beginning of the reign of Christ, through whom comes salvation. When we free the mind from Sin, salvation from the earth, or the carnal mind starts to takes place and the Christ consciousness comes into being a new life follows for Christ is "the resurrection and the life."

Why has the "Devil" but a short time in the earth”? In a literal sense the time is relatively short compared with eternity. Allegorically, man soon tires of disharmony, and longs for peace, that he may have by claiming his inheritance as a son of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. When he submits to the will of God, the Devil's reign over him is soon at an end.

The Mystically Afterlife

The Mystically Afterlife

There are two conceptions of afterlife: Metaphor and literal. After spiritual ego death, one's mortal corruptible self has been sacrificed and has died, and one is by definition in the afterlife, in the kingdom of god, ascended, beyond the last judgement.

This type of death and immortal life after death is certain and is the ultimate experience for which we have evidence. What about literal bodily death and some literalist type of eternal life in heaven? There's little support for it in Biblical scripture. Scripture lends itself more to the mystical, "awakening to the kingdom of god" approach, with "death" and "immortal life" is interpreted first mystically than we consider that eternal life is achieved through the resurrection of the body at the time of the second coming. The very same bodies that once constituted persons shall rise again, in order to be judged for the reward of immortal or eternal life in the kingdom of God or the second death .

The "mystery" of the scriptures is set up through deliberate, playful conflation of literal with mystical death. there is much more about the kingdom of god, than a future kingdom upon the earth and nothing about the traditional heavenly afterlife in the scriptures.

Mystically or spiritually it is certain that we are to awake to the newness of timeless life in the kingdom of God. This kind of eternal life is certain. Literal eternal life in heaven is an illusion entirely unfounded in the bible

The Mystically Afterlife is timeless rebirth after ego death.

There is also another literal eternal life which is also clearly shown to be a biblical teaching is bodily existence in the kingdom of god after the second coming resurrection and judgement of the dead

Know Thyself and the Devil Romans 7:18-21

Know Thyself and the Devil 

or 

Self Knowledge and the Devil 

Romans 7:18-21

Romans 7:18-21 New King James Version (NKJV)

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.

In the Gospel of Thomas Jesus tells us that finding the Kingdom is done by a person who "knows himself will discover this"

Gospel of Thomas Saying (3) Jesus said, "[If] those who lead you [say to you, 'See], the kingdom is in the sky,' then the birds of the sky [will precede you. If they say that] it is under the earth, then the fish of the sea [will enter it, preceding] you. And, the [kingdom of God] is inside of you, [and it is outside of you. Whoever] knows [himself] will discover this. [And when you] come to know yourselves, [you will realize that] you are [sons] of the [living] father. [But if you] will [not] know yourselves, [you dwell] in [poverty] and it is you who are that poverty."

Knowing yourself is part of self examination when We examine ourselves we come to an understanding that our natural self is unclean or full of sin it is referred to as sinful flesh our natural self is our real adversary or Satan. Satan or the Devil is our Ego or the natural propensities of the flesh, that is "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;" (Hebrews 2:14) and it is called sin, because the development, or fixation, of this evil in the flesh, was the result of transgression." (Elpis Israel) 

The Devil is limitation of mind. The Devil in flesh is the rationalist or uncomprised intellectual who sees the universe as a blind mechanical force, acting in an arbitrary fashion imposing upon mankind an infinite variety of hardships and dis- eases. The Devil is that agency within us which sows seeds of fear and confusion and declares in no uncertain terms that – this is how life is! The Devil is a speaker of lies. (Man Know Thyself: Hermetic Qabalistic Keys to the Bible)

Ecclesiastes 10:2 A wise man’s heart is at his right hand, but a fool’s heart at his left I have suggested on :1 and :3 that Solomon has himself in view, dissecting his own spiritual collapse as he does in the preceding verses of Ecc. 9. So I suggest this too is him stating that he was not really the true "wise man" but the fool, because wisdom had been "far from me" (Ecc. 7:23). Here he puts it another way, in saying that a truly wise man has his heart at his right hand, under his control, with his wisdom in his heart. 

Whereas Solomon sees himself as the fool whose heart was not under his control, spiritual mindedness and psychological self discipline had not been practiced by him at all. And despite realizing that, he still doesn't repent. The Old Testament frequently speaks of man as having two "sides" to his character; one that wished to serve God, and the other which was rebellious. Ecc. 10:2 shows how that the spiritual man is not only aware of this, but he consciously acts to control these two sides: "A wise man's heart is at his right hand; but a fool's heart at his left". 

This kind of self-knowledge is sadly lacking in most human beings, and Solomon is admitting it had been lacking in himself. Proverbs 7,8 likewise has the picture of two women, personifying the flesh and spirit (Prov. 7:12 cp. 8:2,3). Against this Old Testament background, there developed a strong Jewish tradition that the right hand side of a man was his spiritual side, and the left hand side was the equivalent of the New Testament 'devil'. The Lord Jesus referred to this understanding when He warned: "Let not your left hand know what your right hand does" (Mt. 6:3)- implying that the good deeds of the spiritual man would be misused by the 'devil', e.g. in using them as grounds for spiritual pride.

“The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left” (Ecc. 10:2 NIV) has been understood as referring not so much to right and wrong, good and evil, as to the highest good and lesser good (cp. how the left hand can stand for simply lesser blessing rather than outright evil, e.g. Gen. 48:13-20). The fool inclines to lower commitment. The wise will always incline to the maximum, wholehearted level. And Solomon realizes that this is how he has been.  

Paul laments: "In me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing...for the good that I would I do not...if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me" (Rom.7:18-21). Now he does not blame his sinning on an external being called the devil. He located his own evil nature as the real source of sin: "It is not I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law (within me), that, when I would do good, evil is present with (i.e. within) me". So he says that the opposition to being spiritual comes from something that he calls "sin dwelling in me". Every thoughtful, spiritually minded person will come to the same kind of self-knowledge. It should be noted that even a supreme Christian like Paul did not experience a change of nature after conversion, nor was he placed in a position whereby he did not and could not sin. The modern 'evangelical' movement claims that they are in such a position, and thereby place Paul well within the ranks of the 'unsaved' because of his statement here in Rom.7:15-21. These verses have proved a major difficulty for their claims. David, another undoubtedly righteous man,likewise commented upon the constant sinfulness of his very nature: "I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Ps.51:5).

Realizing who ‘the Devil’ really is inspires us to more concretely fight against him. 

For we are our own worst enemy our own devil and an enemy against God. If  we follow the thinking of the flesh, (). So to “know yourself” is to know that it is our own evil heart that is the devil. ()

Our ego catapults self-interest to the forefront of our attention. Daily readings, Bible study and prayer suppress the power of the ego. Over a period of time the reflective mind, remembering the pain of past ego-driven mistakes, will grow in wisdom. But ego never disappears. It can only be suppressed and its power limited by the constant reintroduction of spiritual thinking.

The doctrine of the fallen angel devil tells us that we are not truly to blame. The evil in the world comes from outside us and in reality it is God who is to blame, since He can’t control His own angels. We are told God either doesn’t have the power or the will to stop this fallen angel, and therefore we suffer. This doctrine elevates the flesh and degrades the spirit.

If we wish to partake of God’s nature, we have to recognize the uncleanness of our own nature and reject it.

We must come to know our true self. Our true self is not the person of this world, but the one who was born of God. We are spiritually maturing and growing in knowledge of who we are. We may not be clearly seeing our true self (who is Christ) right now, but we will once we come to fully know and be our True self. We are God’s image that must become perfect like our heavenly Father this is our purpose to reflect the identity, character and glory and become the image of Christ, who is the true image of God. We can only do this in Christ where our true self (life) will be kept hidden in Christ Col 3:3, 4.

So in this light real poverty is when we do not know our true self in Christ. The use of the term 'poverty' is meant for life outside of true knowledge This is spiritual poverty where our minds are lost in deception and our hearts feel homeless because we have not returned to our Father’s house 1Cor 3:16 6:19 Eph 2:20-22 1Pet 2:5. Finally, Jesus says, “you are that poverty” Paul says that nothing good could come from him Rom 7:18 He said that “Paul” had died and Christ now lived in and through him Gal 2:20. Paul knew that his true life was found when he had the spirit of Christ, which is the mind of Christ and not the natural or worldly Paul.

Paul rebuked Corinth for their inability to know whether they had the christ-consciousness developed within them: "Know ye not...that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1Cor. 3:16). We must reckon ourselves dead to sin (Rom. 6:11). The Greek for "reckon" is that translated "impute" or "count", and which often appears in the surrounding chapters in Romans, speaking of how God "counts" us to be perfect. We must reckon ourselves as God reckons us.

the christ-consciousness is first born at baptism, but it is quite possible for it to lie dormant or even die unless it is nurtured. Almost all of us have discovered the presence of our real spiritual man some time after baptism. The spiritual self is begotten by the word, leading to the birth at baptism (2Cor 5:17; James 1:18; 1Pet. 1:23); yet it is the word which makes the " man of God" perfect or mature (2Tim. 3:16,17). Note that the " man of God" here probably refers to our inner spiritual self, rather than just being an description for the believer. In this case, 1Tim. 6:11 records Paul speaking to Timothy's spiritual man: " Thou, O man of God, flee these things". "Man of God" was a term used to describe the Old Testament prophets; it is as if Paul is addressing himself to the word-developed man within Timothy. We must likewise relate to the spiritual man within our brethren.

Moreover, this is how we become “sons of the living Father” (compare Thomas 49-50), which is to become like Jesus himself our example. We must have the same faith as Jesus as well as the same self-control just as Jesus needed it to be saved, so do we Heb 5:7, 8 also in the gospel of John it is Jesus who empowered true believers, so #Ec 5:19, 6:2. He gave them the privilege, the liberty, the dignity, which refers to the legitimate entitlement to the position of being called and becoming the sons of God. Israel was once the son and the first-born, #Ex 4:22: but now the adoption of sons to God was open and free to all nations whatever. By believing, undeserving sinners can become full members of God's family.