-- and even the ravings of a nut!  But is this true?  Or, have these people ignored the warning of the Gospel that Spiritual Knowledge belongs only to those who are themselves Spiritual?   I recently answered this question in a discussion on the Nazirene Ebionite Disciple Forum:

The Knowing and enlightened biblical authors warned that you will not believe or accept a single thing that I will write and say to you (see Mystery Of The Gospel)!   The Lord himself warned that you would cast me out of your Churches.   In like manner, it has been predicted that your clergy and authorities will condemn me as a heretic.   And even suggest that killing me would be doing a good service.     Why?   Because we are all born ignorant and unknowing -- and in your present spiritually immature condition, the biblical authors have warned that you will reject the higher reality of your own soul and the mysteries of the Kingdom as utter "foolishness"!   And as the Apostle stated, so long as you remain in this immature and elementary condition -- adhering to the dogma and traditions of carnal men -- you will not be able to bring about the necessary state of spiritual maturity -- and therefore, you will be unable to fulfill the intended purpose and objectives of the Gospel message and teachings!
What are the Original Gospel objectives?  As the lost prodigal sons, the Gospel Message was given unto man in order to empower him -- enabling him to evolve to a state of spiritual maturity -- which self-empowerment would provide the means for the lost prodigal son to escape the clutches of what is portrayed as the Citizen of this, the Far Country -- thereby enabling the prodigal son to break free of the shackles of human suffering and spiritual ignorance, and return to the Edenic Kingdom of Origination from which he originally emerged (see GateOfEden.com).   
That the Good News of the Gospel is merely the beginning, is seen in Paul's statement that after personally teaching the congregation at Corinth -- stating that “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way -- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge -- because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” (1 Cor 1:4-7 NIV).   Which means that even though Paul taught and conveyed to the congregation of Christians all knowledge concerning what Paul portrayed as the "testimony of Christ" -- to the degree that he attested to the fact that they "...do not lack any spiritual gift" -- it is also clear that they were somehow awaiting for the "...Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed”.    Which invokes the question: If they had already been taught the Good News in the form of what Paul portrayed as the "testimony of Christ" -- and were not lacking in "...any spiritual gift" -- then what, exactly, were they still lacking?     
In the second chapter of the very same Epistle Paul warns these believers who he himself had personally given all knowledge and testimony of Christ: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14 NKJ).  Paul then goes on and warns these believers of a natural mind who were baptized and dedicated to Christ: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ” (1 Cor 3:1 NAS).  Thus, this congregation of confirmed believers who Paul personally taught the "testimony of Christ" and the Good News, could only be taught what Paul portrayed as the entry-level doctrine of Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2), because they were not yet spiritual men -- but rather, they were men of flesh and still very much “babes in Christ”.  Paul then explains that: “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able” (1 Cor 3:2 NAS). 
What should be troubling to the modern believer is that Paul openly admits that the baptized and confirmed Christians at Corinth -- people who had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and received the gifts of the laying on of hands and speaking in tongues -- people who were not taught by preachers and priests, but the Apostle himself -- were not yet able to understand and comprehend what Paul referred to as the Mysteries of the Gospel of God.   Moreover, Paul went as far as to state to the body of believers that if he was to even attempt to convey to them the true spiritual meaning of the Gospel, that they would utterly reject what he stated as "foolishness".   Why?   Paul states that the Christians who he had personally taught and instructed into the Good News of the Gospel, were too carnal to comprehend the higher reality of the soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God.   Thus, Paul stated: "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.   I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal..." (1 Cor 3:1-3 KJV).  
If it is true that Paul could not speak openly about the true meaning of the Gospel to the Christian who he had himself instructed because of their carnal condition of mind and being -- to the degree that these same Christians would reject what an enlightened Paul knew as "foolishness" from their carnal perspective of self and life -- would it be any less true that modern carnal Christians would be any different than those who Paul personally taught?    Could modern Christians who are carnal in their thinking, mindset and lifestyle, comprehend what the very people who Paul himself taught were incapable of understanding?   
To ignore the above fact drawn straight from the pages of the New Testament, is delusional self-deception on the part of the Christian world.   And based upon the spiritual ignorance of counterfeit shepherds such as Martin Luther who attempted to promote the idea that only the literal written word was valid, let me present another quotation out of one of the websites associated with this forum: 

From a biblical perspective: When Jesus taught the people using the enigma of parables that allegorically concealed what he called the Sacred Secrets of the Kingdom, his disciples who had received all truths revealed to them plainly, asked him: Why do you teach them with parables?   What they were asking Jesus is why he did not speak plainly to them?   And thus, Jesus answered his disciples and explained:“Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand” (Mark 4:11-12 KJV).   Those who are "without", are those who dwell in what Jesus called the "outer darkness" of mind and being (see Outer Darkness) -- and because they dwell "without [in the] outer darkness", they are incapable of perceiving and understanding anything beyond the base vibratory frequencies of the earth.    The disciples, on the other hand, had abandoned the ways of this world, and were able to spiritually receive the Knowledge of the Sacred Secrets of the Kingdom.    Instead of the word "mystery", the NIV Bible translates this word the "secret" of the Kingdom of God -- i.e., "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" (Mark 4:11-12 NIV).
What does it mean to "turn"?  From the perspective of the prodigal son, it is to turn away from the Far Country, and return to the Edenic Kingdom of Origination (see GateOfEden.com).   In the Gospel accounts, particular attention and importance is placed upon Children, who are often referred to as the “little ones”.   It is warned that if we do not “turn about”, and become as little children, we cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven (Mt 18:3; 19:14).  In Mark 10:24 Jesus refers to his disciples as children when he explains: “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (NIV).    The Gospel of Thomas saying 22 has the disciples asking Jesus: "Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?"   To which Jesus responded:"When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female female...".    Therefore, unless you understand and bring about the merger and marriage of opposites within you, it will remain impossible for you to bring about the next stage of birth that brings about the necessary Oneness with your higher soul-self -- and ultimately with the Indwelling Logos and God.  
 
Jesus did not -- and could not -- speak openly to those who were portrayed as being "without [in the] outer darkness".  Why?  Because, the "outer darkness" is this three-dimensional realm that can be thought of as a mental-womb intended to develop and bring about the next stage in the birth process -- and therefore, it would have been impossible for them to comprehend anything beyond the most mundane of earthly perceptions of self and life.   In the same way that we were initially conceived within the womb of our physical mothers -- where we were supplied all the nourishment necessary to evolve through the fetal stages and our birth into this world -- when the  womb of our mother was no longer sufficient for our progress beyond the initial stages of development, we were then born into what can be portrayed as the next-level of womb where our development can continue.   Therefore, one of the conceptual-realities that Paul had great difficulty in conveying to the entry-level Christians, is the reality that this world is the womb of mother-earth -- that each of us can be portrayed as a Cosmic Ovum Or Sperm -- and that if we understand the Natural Laws of Creation and the purpose of this world, that our earthly-mother will supply all that we need to achieve the next stage of the four-fold process of birth -- the final stage of which is allegorically portrayed in the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion.    Because we lack the necessary mental-development to comprehend this higher reality, it was therefore impossible for the biblical authors to write even the next level above elementary truths literally. 
When rightly understood it can be said that the religious world is presently drowning in intellectual and spiritual milk.   And with this fact in mind, what I am writing is not intended for milk-sucking babes in Christ who dismiss and reject becoming the "good ground" in the parable of the Sower and the Seed -- of which the Gospel account of Jesus warns that if you fail to become  the "good ground" and understand the meaning of this parable, that you will not understand ANYTHING: “And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” (Mark 4:13 KJV).   And to put this great biblical truth in the more modern language of the New Living Translation: “But if you can't understand this story, how will you understand all the others I am going to tell?”  You can’t!   If you fail to understand the meaning of this parable, then you can never comprehend a single truth of any great importance.   Moreover, I confirm this well defined biblical statement with respect to all of man’s endeavors in his quest to know himself and his true role in the vision of Creation.   It makes no difference if you are a man of faith, science, or philosophy, unless you understand the meaning of this parable in relation to your own life, then you can never know anything of a genuine value and significance.   

Quoting from The Key Of Knowledge: 
If it is true that there are higher realities of being that are totally inconceivable to the mind of the undeveloped faith-based believer (see  Mysteries Of The Gospel) -- and by virtue of their immaturity, the biblical authors were powerless to explain in detail many of the important Gospel teachings and concepts -- then the spiritually mature author's of the scriptures who do Know of these higher realities, remain virtually powerless to do anything more than to provide the people with a list of do's and don'ts, so that the immature Christians will be in a position where they are then better able to evolve to a mature understanding and comprehension of the teachings of Jesus and TheWay.  To totally ignore these do's and don'ts, without knowing the consequence of one's choices and actions, is paramount to walking out onto a freeway blindfolded. 
 
I always found it truly amazing that students of the scriptures could read the words of Paul where he states that the mind of the Christians who he had himself taught, would reject the truths pertaining to the higher reality of the soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom as utter "foolishness" -- portraying himself as an "ambassador in bonds" who was unable to speak plainly -- and yet the implications of these words when read by the majority of readers, remain ignored to their own detriment.   Further, from this perspective, the best that Paul could do for those who he portrayed as entry-level Christians who were "babes in Christ", was to provide them a series of do's and don'ts that would assist them in evolving through the stages of spiritual immaturity that made it impossible for them to comprehend the True Gospel Meaning and Objectives. 
It is Church dogma that Jesus nailed the Law to the cross -- dogma that is simply not supported by the Gospels.   And in accord with this man-made dogma, not only are Christians exempt from observing the Royal Law of God -- but they dwell under the delusion that they have completed all Gospel requirements by merely saying their Jesus-prayer -- after which they believe they have acquired eternal salvation apart from their actions thereafter.   And this dogma they embrace, even though it is totally rejected in the New Testament as seen in TheLie.org : "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who ...then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt.. For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries." (Heb 6:4-6;10:26-27 RSV).   And for these apostates to the Gospel to even imagine that they can understand the true meaning of the scriptures, is the second greatest accomplishment of that Power of the Left Hand which they call Satan.   The greatest accomplishment being the seduction of those who don't believe that the god of this world even exists.   

In the original biblical Greek the knowledge of man was portrayed differently than the Divine Manna of the Kingdom that could ONLY be imparted to man directly from the Logos -- i.e., this Heavenly Spiritual Knowledge was called Gnosis.   Quoting from the Mystery Of The Gospel: The early Christian Valentinius quoted Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians when he made reference to Gnosis Kardias -- or, the enlightened eyes of the heart.   "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" (Eph 1:18).   And that Paul wanted very much to speak about the Mystery of the Gospel to the Ephesians, but could not, is the reason he portrayed himself as an ambassador in bonds: "And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak" (see Eph 6:19-20).   And how did a seeker/disciple obtain these enlightened eyes of the heart?   Very briefly, by fulfilling the role of a virgin who awaits the Lord with the oil of purification -- and by becoming the "good ground" that permits the necessary expansion of the facilities of mind to be brought about, which enables the seeker/disciple to be taught by the Indwelling Logos/Son of God/True Prophet.   And in the same way that in the parable of the ten virgins it was said to those who had failed to prepair themselves with the oil of purification that "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you" -- even though they believed and had called upon the Lord and was awaiting his coming, this reality of the believer who has failed to prepare himself is futher explored in the early Christian scripture known as the Shepherd of Hermas.  
In the introduction of the early Christian writing known as the Shepard of Hermas, it is written: “The Pastor of Hermas was one of the most popular books, if not the most popular book, in the Christian Church during the second, third, and fourth centuries... In ancient times two opinions prevailed in regard to the authorship. The most widely spread was, that the Pastor of Hermas was the production of the Hermas mentioned in the Epistle to the Romans. Origen states this opinion distinctly, and it is repeated by Eusebius and Jerome”.   If, then, it is true that the Pastor of Hermas was one of the most important scriptural authorities over the first four centuries, then we can use it in our endeavor to better understand the essence of early Christian thought.   What the Shepherd of Hermas has to say is very important to us today, because it represents the scriptural tradition that was taught directly to the faithful flock by the Apostles of Christ.  Thus, on the nature of scripture, in the Shepherd we find: “I am senseless, sir, say I, and do not understand these parables. For how she can crush out, and on the other hand save, I do not perceive. Listen, says he. Those who have never searched for the truth, nor investigated the nature of the Divinity, but have simply believed, when they devote themselves to and become mixed up with business, and wealth, and heathen friendships, and many other actions of this world, do not perceive the parables of Divinity; for their minds are darkened by these actions, and they are corrupted and become dried up. Even as beautiful vines, when they are neglected, are withered up by thorns and divers plants, so men who have believed, and have afterwards fallen away into many of those actions above mentioned, go astray in their minds, and lose all understanding in regard to righteousness; for if they hear of righteousness, their minds are occupied with their business, and they give no heed at all. Those, on the other hand, who have the fear of God, and search after Godhead and truth, and have their hearts turned to the Lord, quickly perceive and understand what is said to them, because they have the fear of the Lord in them. For where the Lord dwells, there is much understanding. Cleave, then, to the Lord, and you will understand and perceive all things”.
The message that is very clear from this early Christian writing is that it is impossible to mature spiritually, while attempting to divide oneself between the two worlds.   In our present day culture we are living proof as to the validity of the wisdom that is portrayed in this writing -- i.e., one cannot perceive the true meaning of the parables and the inner significance of the historical narrative of the scriptures, while one devotes their lives to their “business, and wealth, and heathen friendships, and many other actions of this world” -- which would include the whole array of addictions provided by all the many leisure’s and entertainments that captivate and control our every-day lives.   Further, do we truly do unto others as we would want others to do unto us -- i.e., do we send our children (the souls who were placed in our care) off to government secularized schools to become imbued with the thinking, mindset and lifestyle of the heathen culture in which we presently live?   
In the Shepherd of Hermas a reference is made to a tower, of which it is written: “And the tower, I asked, what does it mean? This tower, he replied, is the Church. And these virgins, who are they? They are Holy Spirits, and men cannot otherwise be found in the kingdom of God unless these have put their clothing upon them: for if you receive the name only, and do not receive from them the clothing, they are of no advantage to you. For these virgins are the powers of the Son of God. If you bear His name but possess not His power, it will be in vain that you bear His name”.    In understanding what is written, it is most important for us to be aware of the continual message found in the words: “If you bear His name but possess not His power, it will be in vain that you bear His name”.   Thus, if you call yourselves Christian, but fail to purify and develop your mind and body from the defilements of this world -- and do not possess the true Knowledge of the Spiritual Christ -- and have not yourselves inherited the same higher powers of mind that the Son of God promised all his followers would possess -- then “it will be in vain that you bear His name”.   And again, this is demonstrated in the words spoken to those who believed upon the coming of the Lord, and even called upon his name, but had failed to bring with them the oil of purification, where it was stated: "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you"  
The problem that Paul is unsuccessfully attempting to convey to the reader is this: What was revealed to the True believers and disciples of Jesus and TheWay at the beginning of our Common Era, was truly the most Black Swan Event every to transpire.    Organic man -- whether he is a believer or unbeliever -- whether he is a scholar or an acclaimed intellectual genus by the standards of our culture -- those who are limited to man's organic senses and reasoning, are simply not prepared to even envision man's own higher soul and spiritual reality.   And in view of the fact that Jesus himself made reference to bringing about subsequent stages of birth, the vast majority of mankind who have chosen to ignore these crucial words of Jesus, and have not brought about these subsequent stages of birth, can no more envision their own higher soul and spiritual reality, than a sperm or ovum can envision the life of a child beyond the limitations of the womb where the development of a fetus takes place.  
Unlike the flock of believers at Corinth to whom the Epistle is written, the modern Christian was not taught directly by Paul -- and the very fact that the Christian world remains divided by an uncountable number of factions and manmade doctrines of belief based upon organic carnal reasoning, is proof of the deficiency of the modern dogma and doctrines that are promoted by the Churches.   In understanding man's human and often complacent nature, Paul even went as far to say that anyone who promotes a faction -- i.e., a doctrine of belief -- is a sinner who has been turned out of TheWay (see No Sects).   Why?    Because the primary objective of the teachings of Jesus and TheWay was to bring about the necessary subsequent stages of birth and transformation of the disciple/seeker -- a process of transformation that would enable them to Know All things, and find the Gospel being fulfilled within themselves in a manner that could not be understood by organic man.   Therefore, according to Paul, those who cling to manmade doctrines of belief, have already been turned out of TheWay.  
It is important to recognize that the believers at Corinth who Paul stated were too carnal to understand the higher reality of the soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom, existed at a time when these Gospel teachings were still in a pure and undefiled state.   This was in a timeframe that could truly be classified as "BC" -- i.e., Before Constantine and the Pagan Church of Rome that threw away and lost the spiritual essence of the teachings of TheWay.   Therefore it must be acknowledged that whatever the modern believer views as the Gospel requirements with respect to faith, saying the proper prayer accepting the Lord as their personal savior, or any other such requirement, no modern believer can even suggest that Paul did not know the Gospel requirements when he personally taught and baptized the Corinth flock of believers.   Yet, Paul then goes on and warns these believers of a yet untransformed "natural" mind who were committed and dedicated to Christ: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ” (1 Cor 3:1 NAS).   Thus, these believers who were taught personally by Paul -- in a time of greater spiritual purity, B.C. -- could only be taught the doctrine of Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2), because they were not yet spiritual men -- but rather, they were men of flesh and still very much “babes in Christ”.   Paul then explains that: “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able” (1 Cor 3:2 NAS).  
What should be troubling to the modern believer is that Paul openly admits that the baptized and confirmed Christians at Corinth -- people who had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and received the gifts of the laying on of hands and speaking in tongues -- people who were not taught by preachers and priests, but the Apostle himself -- were not yet able to understand and comprehend what Paul referred to as the Mysteries of the Gospel of God.    When it is recognized that Paul confessed that if he attempted to convey to this congregation of believers the true spiritual meaning of the allegorical scriptures, or the esoteric knowledge which is preparatory to comprehending what Paul portrays as the higher reality of the soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom -- that these same believers would condemn and reject these higher spiritual concepts as "foolishness" -- then only a fool would claim that they know what is spiritually true and false by virtue of their study of the written words of the scriptures.
Speaking of the Disciples and what they experienced in order to learn and know the Truth that other men were blind to, Paul writes that they were "caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (2 Cor 12:4-5 NKJ).   Why?   Every sincere Christian and intelligent reader of the Gospels must ask the questions: Why can't the experience of being brought up into Paradise be expressed in words?   And perhaps even more important is the question as to why "...it is not lawful for a man to utter" what a Disciple who enters the Kingdom experiences?   Moreover, if this witness to the inconceivable higher realities of the Kingdom is true, then why can't Christians gain access to the same spiritual experience of entering the Kingdom as Jesus' disciples did?    When Jesus stated that those who walk in TheWay will find revealed to them the "Truth that sets them free", he was not making reference to the "milk" fed to those Christians who Paul portrayed as “babes in Christ” -- but rather, the mature disciples who had brought about the necessary transformation of their lower animal earthly nature, brought about the subsequent stages of birth, and emerging out of what Jesus portrayed as the"outer darkness" of mind and being, was able to begin to receive the revelation of Gnosis directly from the Logos of God -- which is incomprehensible to the organic mind of man, even when they are committed and baptized believers who Paul states, had received the initial gifts of the spirit.   These are serious questions, that can only be addressed by very serious seekers who truly seek not only to Know the Lord, but to Know anything beyond the temporal mundane of this world which fades like the cycle of leaves falling off a tree before the winter.    
The most profound statement which is all but ignored by seekers today, is found in the Epistle of Peter And James where it is written: "Hear me, brethren and fellow-servants. If we should give the books to all indiscriminately, and they should be corrupted by any daring men, or be perverted by interpretations, as you have heard that some have already done, it will remain even for those who really seek the truth, always to wander in error.   Wherefore it is better that they should be with us, and that we should  communicate them with all the fore-mentioned care to those who wish to live piously, and to save others."   Why would it be stated that, if the esoteric wisdom and knowledge of the teachings of Jesus and TheWay were to be lost, that it "...will remain even for those who really seek the truth, always to wander in error"???   And while many people think they know, in truth these words represent a reality that they have yet to come to terms with: “If any one imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know” (1 Cor 8:2 RSV).  
When Paul warns the baptized and committed Christians at Corinth that, because they were of an organic and "natural" mind, they were yet too carnal in their understanding to comprehend the spiritual meaning of the Gospel -- which is often referred to as the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God -- he conveyed to them the reality that they would judge and even condemn this higher reality of the Spirit as absolute "foolishness" -- i.e., “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14 NKJ).    Thus, it is imperative to ask the question: What is the "natural man"?     The condition of mankind that Paul is making reference to, would just as well be portrayed as "organic" -- or, of the physical body.   The "natural man" , is the "organic" human being.   And what Paul warns is that the mere act of turning to belief in Jesus does not in any manner enable the believer to understand the true Gospel Teachings that can only be grasped by those who have undergone the necessary spiritual transformation of mind and being of truly walking in TheWay.
It is said that human consciousness is like the tip of an iceberg -- and in the same way that only a very small tip which is supported by an immense foundation of ice protrudes above the water where it can be seen -- organic man who Paul portrays as of a natural mind, can only utilize a very small portion of his potential of mind.   Like an ovum that is released into a woman's womb, without the proper and balanced fertilization, and the necessary environment that initiated growth and development, the mind of organic man remains earthbound in it's thinking -- simply because those higher areas of mind that are not necessary to the support of the physical body and the culture of this world, do not develop!    Because these areas of mind are rarely to ever  used, they not only fail to develop, but they remain mentally atrophied.    Therefore, it is not a question of how smart a person is from the perspective of man's way of measuring intelligence.   But rather, it is a reality that if these higher areas of mind that do not correspond to the vibration of the earth are not properly stimulated and developed in the proper environment that initiates growth and maturation, then the very spheres of mind required to contemplate and understand anything beyond the physical and mundane, simply fail to develop.   And when Paul states that the wisdom of this world will come to naught (1 Cor 2:6-8), it is because of these organic limitations that inhibit all of mankind who are of a "natural mind", from understanding anything beyond the forms of this physical world.   And as I will demonstrate in the below, even the most brilliant of secular intellectuals do not in any manner possess any real understanding of even the forms they see, as they look out into the world in which they presently dwell.    In fact, you could enroll in all the most esteemed colleges and universities that man has created -- you could endlessly study the volumes of books composed and written by men considered wise throughout the ages -- and your wisdom and knowledge would pale in comparison to the Disciples of Jesus and the earliest of Spiritual Christians who were sincere Disciples of TheWay.  
The average modern believer who reads these words would probably reply: If this is true, then the Disciples of Jesus were set apart from the rest of mankind, and we cannot expect to know what they knew.   Yet, nothing could be further from the truth! The flock of Christian believers have in fact been robbed of their inheritance -- like the lost prodigal son -- by embracing the consciousness of the earth over the spiritual -- which Paul portrayed as the way of the god of this world -- which Jesus portrayed as the Citizen of the Far Country.     That early Christians, other than the disciples themselves, also inherited the promise of the teachings of Jesus and TheWay, is demonstrated in the writings of the first century elder Ignatius, who personally knew both Paul and the other Disciples.   And in his Epistle to the Trallaus he speaks of the Mysteries of the Gospel and the Kingdom in the same exact manner that Paul does, and writes: “Might I not write to you things more full of mystery?  But I fear to do so, lest I should inflict injury on you who are babes.  Pardon me in this respect, lest, as not being able to receive their weighty import, ye should be strangled by them”.  The only way that Ignatius could have written these words, was if he, himself, understood what was beyond the comprehension of the organic mind of the believers of the simple faith.   And while he states that he understood what was incomprehensible to the organic mind of man, he also confesses that though he is aware of the mysteries, he is not yet “by any means perfect, nor am I such a disciple as Paul or Peter”.   
Thus, Paul writes to the congregation at Corinth -- who being babes in Christ, only knew Jesus and him crucified -- where he wrote: "We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought" (1 Cor 2:6 ASV).   In other translations the word fullgrown, is translated either mature or perfect.   Yet, in not even understanding the primary objectives of the Gospel, modern believers study and learn the wisdom of this world and the opinions of men, failing to move on to maturity and learn directly from God -- i.e., "It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me" (John 6:45 NIV).   Not in belief, doctrine, or to a manmade church -- but rather, the objective of the teachings of TheWay is to enter in at the inner "narrow gate", and learn directly from God in the Kingdom.   And to accomplish this, it is necessary to disregard that which we see without our physical eyes and understanding, and seek and learn via our spiritual eyes that is able to perceive beyond the limits of this world -- i.e., "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor 4:18 KJV).
The folly of the Christian world is seen in the fact that they learn from the teachers of this world who proclaim that there is no unseen -- and only what is seen with one's physical eyes is valid.   Christians send their children to learn about what is temporal, while alienating themselves from what is eternal.   Christians flock to churches which are temporal and built with the hands of men, while rejecting the Temple of their soul which is Eternal and Sustaining.
With respect to the witness of Ignatius: What preacher of the Gospel today would stand before his congregation and state to the people in their pews, that if he was to reveal the true teachings of the New Covenant -- the Mysteries of the Gospel of God -- he would “inflict injury on you who are babes” in Christ?   What teaching of the Lord could a present-day preacher of the gospel reveal that the congregation of believers are not “able to receive their weighty import”?  If Ignatius or the other early Church Fathers who knew the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God were with us today, what profound mystery could they speak regarding the true teachings of Jesus that believers today would be “strangled by them”?  
Throughout the history of mankind those who have openly claimed to possess the Secret Knowledge which is called Gnosis, were condemned as elitists and heretics.   Yet, what the rest of mankind totally fails to understand, is the fact that it is not that a more advanced spiritual soul wishes to conceal higher knowledge from others -- but rather, in the same way that kindergarteners are not prepared to study and comprehend at a university level -- neither are the organic minded earth-bound people of this world, prepared to understand the higher reality of the soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God.   In the same way that the mind of the kindergartener must develop and mature, so too must the mind of man begin the process of expansion beyond organic limits that are supported by the physical body-vessel.    And this is exactly what Paul states when he writes: "However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing" (1 Cor 2:6 NKJ).   The King James Version reads that wisdom can only be revealed to those who are "perfect" -- but what must be understood is that each soul can only perceive and comprehend in accordance with their own level of soul-evolution and spiritual development.    
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Opening The Eyes Of The Heart

The vast majority of faith-based Christians, as well as the opponents of the Church, will immediately reject what is presented on the websites associated with this Blog as "far out" -- and even the ravings of a nut!  But is this true?  Or, have these people ignored the warning of the Gospel that Spiritual Knowledge belongs only to those who are themselves Spiritual?   I recently answered this question in a discussion on the Nazirene Ebionite Disciple Forum:

The Knowing and enlightened biblical authors warned that you will not believe or accept a single thing that I will write and say to you (see Mystery Of The Gospel)!   The Lord himself warned that you would cast me out of your Churches.   In like manner, it has been predicted that your clergy and authorities will condemn me as a heretic.   And even suggest that killing me would be doing a good service.     Why?   Because we are all born ignorant and unknowing -- and in your present spiritually immature condition, the biblical authors have warned that you will reject the higher reality of your own soul and the mysteries of the Kingdom as utter "foolishness"!   And as the Apostle stated, so long as you remain in this immature and elementary condition -- adhering to the dogma and traditions of carnal men -- you will not be able to bring about the necessary state of spiritual maturity -- and therefore, you will be unable to fulfill the intended purpose and objectives of the Gospel message and teachings!
What are the Original Gospel objectives?  As the lost prodigal sons, the Gospel Message was given unto man in order to empower him -- enabling him to evolve to a state of spiritual maturity -- which self-empowerment would provide the means for the lost prodigal son to escape the clutches of what is portrayed as the Citizen of this, the Far Country -- thereby enabling the prodigal son to break free of the shackles of human suffering and spiritual ignorance, and return to the Edenic Kingdom of Origination from which he originally emerged (see GateOfEden.com).   
That the Good News of the Gospel is merely the beginning, is seen in Paul's statement that after personally teaching the congregation at Corinth -- stating that “I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way -- in all your speaking and in all your knowledge -- because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed” (1 Cor 1:4-7 NIV).   Which means that even though Paul taught and conveyed to the congregation of Christians all knowledge concerning what Paul portrayed as the "testimony of Christ" -- to the degree that he attested to the fact that they "...do not lack any spiritual gift" -- it is also clear that they were somehow awaiting for the "...Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed”.    Which invokes the question: If they had already been taught the Good News in the form of what Paul portrayed as the "testimony of Christ" -- and were not lacking in "...any spiritual gift" -- then what, exactly, were they still lacking?     
In the second chapter of the very same Epistle Paul warns these believers who he himself had personally given all knowledge and testimony of Christ: “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14 NKJ).  Paul then goes on and warns these believers of a natural mind who were baptized and dedicated to Christ: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ” (1 Cor 3:1 NAS).  Thus, this congregation of confirmed believers who Paul personally taught the "testimony of Christ" and the Good News, could only be taught what Paul portrayed as the entry-level doctrine of Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2), because they were not yet spiritual men -- but rather, they were men of flesh and still very much “babes in Christ”.  Paul then explains that: “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able” (1 Cor 3:2 NAS). 
What should be troubling to the modern believer is that Paul openly admits that the baptized and confirmed Christians at Corinth -- people who had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and received the gifts of the laying on of hands and speaking in tongues -- people who were not taught by preachers and priests, but the Apostle himself -- were not yet able to understand and comprehend what Paul referred to as the Mysteries of the Gospel of God.   Moreover, Paul went as far as to state to the body of believers that if he was to even attempt to convey to them the true spiritual meaning of the Gospel, that they would utterly reject what he stated as "foolishness".   Why?   Paul states that the Christians who he had personally taught and instructed into the Good News of the Gospel, were too carnal to comprehend the higher reality of the soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God.   Thus, Paul stated: "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.   I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal..." (1 Cor 3:1-3 KJV).  
If it is true that Paul could not speak openly about the true meaning of the Gospel to the Christian who he had himself instructed because of their carnal condition of mind and being -- to the degree that these same Christians would reject what an enlightened Paul knew as "foolishness" from their carnal perspective of self and life -- would it be any less true that modern carnal Christians would be any different than those who Paul personally taught?    Could modern Christians who are carnal in their thinking, mindset and lifestyle, comprehend what the very people who Paul himself taught were incapable of understanding?   
To ignore the above fact drawn straight from the pages of the New Testament, is delusional self-deception on the part of the Christian world.   And based upon the spiritual ignorance of counterfeit shepherds such as Martin Luther who attempted to promote the idea that only the literal written word was valid, let me present another quotation out of one of the websites associated with this forum: 

From a biblical perspective: When Jesus taught the people using the enigma of parables that allegorically concealed what he called the Sacred Secrets of the Kingdom, his disciples who had received all truths revealed to them plainly, asked him: Why do you teach them with parables?   What they were asking Jesus is why he did not speak plainly to them?   And thus, Jesus answered his disciples and explained:“Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand” (Mark 4:11-12 KJV).   Those who are "without", are those who dwell in what Jesus called the "outer darkness" of mind and being (see Outer Darkness) -- and because they dwell "without [in the] outer darkness", they are incapable of perceiving and understanding anything beyond the base vibratory frequencies of the earth.    The disciples, on the other hand, had abandoned the ways of this world, and were able to spiritually receive the Knowledge of the Sacred Secrets of the Kingdom.    Instead of the word "mystery", the NIV Bible translates this word the "secret" of the Kingdom of God -- i.e., "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" (Mark 4:11-12 NIV).
What does it mean to "turn"?  From the perspective of the prodigal son, it is to turn away from the Far Country, and return to the Edenic Kingdom of Origination (see GateOfEden.com).   In the Gospel accounts, particular attention and importance is placed upon Children, who are often referred to as the “little ones”.   It is warned that if we do not “turn about”, and become as little children, we cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven (Mt 18:3; 19:14).  In Mark 10:24 Jesus refers to his disciples as children when he explains: “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (NIV).    The Gospel of Thomas saying 22 has the disciples asking Jesus: "Shall we then, as children, enter the kingdom?"   To which Jesus responded:"When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female female...".    Therefore, unless you understand and bring about the merger and marriage of opposites within you, it will remain impossible for you to bring about the next stage of birth that brings about the necessary Oneness with your higher soul-self -- and ultimately with the Indwelling Logos and God.  
 
Jesus did not -- and could not -- speak openly to those who were portrayed as being "without [in the] outer darkness".  Why?  Because, the "outer darkness" is this three-dimensional realm that can be thought of as a mental-womb intended to develop and bring about the next stage in the birth process -- and therefore, it would have been impossible for them to comprehend anything beyond the most mundane of earthly perceptions of self and life.   In the same way that we were initially conceived within the womb of our physical mothers -- where we were supplied all the nourishment necessary to evolve through the fetal stages and our birth into this world -- when the  womb of our mother was no longer sufficient for our progress beyond the initial stages of development, we were then born into what can be portrayed as the next-level of womb where our development can continue.   Therefore, one of the conceptual-realities that Paul had great difficulty in conveying to the entry-level Christians, is the reality that this world is the womb of mother-earth -- that each of us can be portrayed as a Cosmic Ovum Or Sperm -- and that if we understand the Natural Laws of Creation and the purpose of this world, that our earthly-mother will supply all that we need to achieve the next stage of the four-fold process of birth -- the final stage of which is allegorically portrayed in the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion.    Because we lack the necessary mental-development to comprehend this higher reality, it was therefore impossible for the biblical authors to write even the next level above elementary truths literally. 
When rightly understood it can be said that the religious world is presently drowning in intellectual and spiritual milk.   And with this fact in mind, what I am writing is not intended for milk-sucking babes in Christ who dismiss and reject becoming the "good ground" in the parable of the Sower and the Seed -- of which the Gospel account of Jesus warns that if you fail to become  the "good ground" and understand the meaning of this parable, that you will not understand ANYTHING: “And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?” (Mark 4:13 KJV).   And to put this great biblical truth in the more modern language of the New Living Translation: “But if you can't understand this story, how will you understand all the others I am going to tell?”  You can’t!   If you fail to understand the meaning of this parable, then you can never comprehend a single truth of any great importance.   Moreover, I confirm this well defined biblical statement with respect to all of man’s endeavors in his quest to know himself and his true role in the vision of Creation.   It makes no difference if you are a man of faith, science, or philosophy, unless you understand the meaning of this parable in relation to your own life, then you can never know anything of a genuine value and significance.   

Quoting from The Key Of Knowledge: 
If it is true that there are higher realities of being that are totally inconceivable to the mind of the undeveloped faith-based believer (see  Mysteries Of The Gospel) -- and by virtue of their immaturity, the biblical authors were powerless to explain in detail many of the important Gospel teachings and concepts -- then the spiritually mature author's of the scriptures who do Know of these higher realities, remain virtually powerless to do anything more than to provide the people with a list of do's and don'ts, so that the immature Christians will be in a position where they are then better able to evolve to a mature understanding and comprehension of the teachings of Jesus and TheWay.  To totally ignore these do's and don'ts, without knowing the consequence of one's choices and actions, is paramount to walking out onto a freeway blindfolded. 
 
I always found it truly amazing that students of the scriptures could read the words of Paul where he states that the mind of the Christians who he had himself taught, would reject the truths pertaining to the higher reality of the soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom as utter "foolishness" -- portraying himself as an "ambassador in bonds" who was unable to speak plainly -- and yet the implications of these words when read by the majority of readers, remain ignored to their own detriment.   Further, from this perspective, the best that Paul could do for those who he portrayed as entry-level Christians who were "babes in Christ", was to provide them a series of do's and don'ts that would assist them in evolving through the stages of spiritual immaturity that made it impossible for them to comprehend the True Gospel Meaning and Objectives. 
It is Church dogma that Jesus nailed the Law to the cross -- dogma that is simply not supported by the Gospels.   And in accord with this man-made dogma, not only are Christians exempt from observing the Royal Law of God -- but they dwell under the delusion that they have completed all Gospel requirements by merely saying their Jesus-prayer -- after which they believe they have acquired eternal salvation apart from their actions thereafter.   And this dogma they embrace, even though it is totally rejected in the New Testament as seen in TheLie.org : "For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who ...then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt.. For if we sin deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire which will consume the adversaries." (Heb 6:4-6;10:26-27 RSV).   And for these apostates to the Gospel to even imagine that they can understand the true meaning of the scriptures, is the second greatest accomplishment of that Power of the Left Hand which they call Satan.   The greatest accomplishment being the seduction of those who don't believe that the god of this world even exists.   

In the original biblical Greek the knowledge of man was portrayed differently than the Divine Manna of the Kingdom that could ONLY be imparted to man directly from the Logos -- i.e., this Heavenly Spiritual Knowledge was called Gnosis.   Quoting from the Mystery Of The Gospel: The early Christian Valentinius quoted Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians when he made reference to Gnosis Kardias -- or, the enlightened eyes of the heart.   "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" (Eph 1:18).   And that Paul wanted very much to speak about the Mystery of the Gospel to the Ephesians, but could not, is the reason he portrayed himself as an ambassador in bonds: "And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak" (see Eph 6:19-20).   And how did a seeker/disciple obtain these enlightened eyes of the heart?   Very briefly, by fulfilling the role of a virgin who awaits the Lord with the oil of purification -- and by becoming the "good ground" that permits the necessary expansion of the facilities of mind to be brought about, which enables the seeker/disciple to be taught by the Indwelling Logos/Son of God/True Prophet.   And in the same way that in the parable of the ten virgins it was said to those who had failed to prepair themselves with the oil of purification that "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you" -- even though they believed and had called upon the Lord and was awaiting his coming, this reality of the believer who has failed to prepare himself is futher explored in the early Christian scripture known as the Shepherd of Hermas.  
In the introduction of the early Christian writing known as the Shepard of Hermas, it is written: “The Pastor of Hermas was one of the most popular books, if not the most popular book, in the Christian Church during the second, third, and fourth centuries... In ancient times two opinions prevailed in regard to the authorship. The most widely spread was, that the Pastor of Hermas was the production of the Hermas mentioned in the Epistle to the Romans. Origen states this opinion distinctly, and it is repeated by Eusebius and Jerome”.   If, then, it is true that the Pastor of Hermas was one of the most important scriptural authorities over the first four centuries, then we can use it in our endeavor to better understand the essence of early Christian thought.   What the Shepherd of Hermas has to say is very important to us today, because it represents the scriptural tradition that was taught directly to the faithful flock by the Apostles of Christ.  Thus, on the nature of scripture, in the Shepherd we find: “I am senseless, sir, say I, and do not understand these parables. For how she can crush out, and on the other hand save, I do not perceive. Listen, says he. Those who have never searched for the truth, nor investigated the nature of the Divinity, but have simply believed, when they devote themselves to and become mixed up with business, and wealth, and heathen friendships, and many other actions of this world, do not perceive the parables of Divinity; for their minds are darkened by these actions, and they are corrupted and become dried up. Even as beautiful vines, when they are neglected, are withered up by thorns and divers plants, so men who have believed, and have afterwards fallen away into many of those actions above mentioned, go astray in their minds, and lose all understanding in regard to righteousness; for if they hear of righteousness, their minds are occupied with their business, and they give no heed at all. Those, on the other hand, who have the fear of God, and search after Godhead and truth, and have their hearts turned to the Lord, quickly perceive and understand what is said to them, because they have the fear of the Lord in them. For where the Lord dwells, there is much understanding. Cleave, then, to the Lord, and you will understand and perceive all things”.
The message that is very clear from this early Christian writing is that it is impossible to mature spiritually, while attempting to divide oneself between the two worlds.   In our present day culture we are living proof as to the validity of the wisdom that is portrayed in this writing -- i.e., one cannot perceive the true meaning of the parables and the inner significance of the historical narrative of the scriptures, while one devotes their lives to their “business, and wealth, and heathen friendships, and many other actions of this world” -- which would include the whole array of addictions provided by all the many leisure’s and entertainments that captivate and control our every-day lives.   Further, do we truly do unto others as we would want others to do unto us -- i.e., do we send our children (the souls who were placed in our care) off to government secularized schools to become imbued with the thinking, mindset and lifestyle of the heathen culture in which we presently live?   
In the Shepherd of Hermas a reference is made to a tower, of which it is written: “And the tower, I asked, what does it mean? This tower, he replied, is the Church. And these virgins, who are they? They are Holy Spirits, and men cannot otherwise be found in the kingdom of God unless these have put their clothing upon them: for if you receive the name only, and do not receive from them the clothing, they are of no advantage to you. For these virgins are the powers of the Son of God. If you bear His name but possess not His power, it will be in vain that you bear His name”.    In understanding what is written, it is most important for us to be aware of the continual message found in the words: “If you bear His name but possess not His power, it will be in vain that you bear His name”.   Thus, if you call yourselves Christian, but fail to purify and develop your mind and body from the defilements of this world -- and do not possess the true Knowledge of the Spiritual Christ -- and have not yourselves inherited the same higher powers of mind that the Son of God promised all his followers would possess -- then “it will be in vain that you bear His name”.   And again, this is demonstrated in the words spoken to those who believed upon the coming of the Lord, and even called upon his name, but had failed to bring with them the oil of purification, where it was stated: "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you"  
The problem that Paul is unsuccessfully attempting to convey to the reader is this: What was revealed to the True believers and disciples of Jesus and TheWay at the beginning of our Common Era, was truly the most Black Swan Event every to transpire.    Organic man -- whether he is a believer or unbeliever -- whether he is a scholar or an acclaimed intellectual genus by the standards of our culture -- those who are limited to man's organic senses and reasoning, are simply not prepared to even envision man's own higher soul and spiritual reality.   And in view of the fact that Jesus himself made reference to bringing about subsequent stages of birth, the vast majority of mankind who have chosen to ignore these crucial words of Jesus, and have not brought about these subsequent stages of birth, can no more envision their own higher soul and spiritual reality, than a sperm or ovum can envision the life of a child beyond the limitations of the womb where the development of a fetus takes place.  
Unlike the flock of believers at Corinth to whom the Epistle is written, the modern Christian was not taught directly by Paul -- and the very fact that the Christian world remains divided by an uncountable number of factions and manmade doctrines of belief based upon organic carnal reasoning, is proof of the deficiency of the modern dogma and doctrines that are promoted by the Churches.   In understanding man's human and often complacent nature, Paul even went as far to say that anyone who promotes a faction -- i.e., a doctrine of belief -- is a sinner who has been turned out of TheWay (see No Sects).   Why?    Because the primary objective of the teachings of Jesus and TheWay was to bring about the necessary subsequent stages of birth and transformation of the disciple/seeker -- a process of transformation that would enable them to Know All things, and find the Gospel being fulfilled within themselves in a manner that could not be understood by organic man.   Therefore, according to Paul, those who cling to manmade doctrines of belief, have already been turned out of TheWay.  
It is important to recognize that the believers at Corinth who Paul stated were too carnal to understand the higher reality of the soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom, existed at a time when these Gospel teachings were still in a pure and undefiled state.   This was in a timeframe that could truly be classified as "BC" -- i.e., Before Constantine and the Pagan Church of Rome that threw away and lost the spiritual essence of the teachings of TheWay.   Therefore it must be acknowledged that whatever the modern believer views as the Gospel requirements with respect to faith, saying the proper prayer accepting the Lord as their personal savior, or any other such requirement, no modern believer can even suggest that Paul did not know the Gospel requirements when he personally taught and baptized the Corinth flock of believers.   Yet, Paul then goes on and warns these believers of a yet untransformed "natural" mind who were committed and dedicated to Christ: “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ” (1 Cor 3:1 NAS).   Thus, these believers who were taught personally by Paul -- in a time of greater spiritual purity, B.C. -- could only be taught the doctrine of Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Cor 2:2), because they were not yet spiritual men -- but rather, they were men of flesh and still very much “babes in Christ”.   Paul then explains that: “I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able” (1 Cor 3:2 NAS).  
What should be troubling to the modern believer is that Paul openly admits that the baptized and confirmed Christians at Corinth -- people who had accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and received the gifts of the laying on of hands and speaking in tongues -- people who were not taught by preachers and priests, but the Apostle himself -- were not yet able to understand and comprehend what Paul referred to as the Mysteries of the Gospel of God.    When it is recognized that Paul confessed that if he attempted to convey to this congregation of believers the true spiritual meaning of the allegorical scriptures, or the esoteric knowledge which is preparatory to comprehending what Paul portrays as the higher reality of the soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom -- that these same believers would condemn and reject these higher spiritual concepts as "foolishness" -- then only a fool would claim that they know what is spiritually true and false by virtue of their study of the written words of the scriptures.
Speaking of the Disciples and what they experienced in order to learn and know the Truth that other men were blind to, Paul writes that they were "caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter" (2 Cor 12:4-5 NKJ).   Why?   Every sincere Christian and intelligent reader of the Gospels must ask the questions: Why can't the experience of being brought up into Paradise be expressed in words?   And perhaps even more important is the question as to why "...it is not lawful for a man to utter" what a Disciple who enters the Kingdom experiences?   Moreover, if this witness to the inconceivable higher realities of the Kingdom is true, then why can't Christians gain access to the same spiritual experience of entering the Kingdom as Jesus' disciples did?    When Jesus stated that those who walk in TheWay will find revealed to them the "Truth that sets them free", he was not making reference to the "milk" fed to those Christians who Paul portrayed as “babes in Christ” -- but rather, the mature disciples who had brought about the necessary transformation of their lower animal earthly nature, brought about the subsequent stages of birth, and emerging out of what Jesus portrayed as the"outer darkness" of mind and being, was able to begin to receive the revelation of Gnosis directly from the Logos of God -- which is incomprehensible to the organic mind of man, even when they are committed and baptized believers who Paul states, had received the initial gifts of the spirit.   These are serious questions, that can only be addressed by very serious seekers who truly seek not only to Know the Lord, but to Know anything beyond the temporal mundane of this world which fades like the cycle of leaves falling off a tree before the winter.    
The most profound statement which is all but ignored by seekers today, is found in the Epistle of Peter And James where it is written: "Hear me, brethren and fellow-servants. If we should give the books to all indiscriminately, and they should be corrupted by any daring men, or be perverted by interpretations, as you have heard that some have already done, it will remain even for those who really seek the truth, always to wander in error.   Wherefore it is better that they should be with us, and that we should  communicate them with all the fore-mentioned care to those who wish to live piously, and to save others."   Why would it be stated that, if the esoteric wisdom and knowledge of the teachings of Jesus and TheWay were to be lost, that it "...will remain even for those who really seek the truth, always to wander in error"???   And while many people think they know, in truth these words represent a reality that they have yet to come to terms with: “If any one imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know” (1 Cor 8:2 RSV).  
When Paul warns the baptized and committed Christians at Corinth that, because they were of an organic and "natural" mind, they were yet too carnal in their understanding to comprehend the spiritual meaning of the Gospel -- which is often referred to as the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God -- he conveyed to them the reality that they would judge and even condemn this higher reality of the Spirit as absolute "foolishness" -- i.e., “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14 NKJ).    Thus, it is imperative to ask the question: What is the "natural man"?     The condition of mankind that Paul is making reference to, would just as well be portrayed as "organic" -- or, of the physical body.   The "natural man" , is the "organic" human being.   And what Paul warns is that the mere act of turning to belief in Jesus does not in any manner enable the believer to understand the true Gospel Teachings that can only be grasped by those who have undergone the necessary spiritual transformation of mind and being of truly walking in TheWay.
It is said that human consciousness is like the tip of an iceberg -- and in the same way that only a very small tip which is supported by an immense foundation of ice protrudes above the water where it can be seen -- organic man who Paul portrays as of a natural mind, can only utilize a very small portion of his potential of mind.   Like an ovum that is released into a woman's womb, without the proper and balanced fertilization, and the necessary environment that initiated growth and development, the mind of organic man remains earthbound in it's thinking -- simply because those higher areas of mind that are not necessary to the support of the physical body and the culture of this world, do not develop!    Because these areas of mind are rarely to ever  used, they not only fail to develop, but they remain mentally atrophied.    Therefore, it is not a question of how smart a person is from the perspective of man's way of measuring intelligence.   But rather, it is a reality that if these higher areas of mind that do not correspond to the vibration of the earth are not properly stimulated and developed in the proper environment that initiates growth and maturation, then the very spheres of mind required to contemplate and understand anything beyond the physical and mundane, simply fail to develop.   And when Paul states that the wisdom of this world will come to naught (1 Cor 2:6-8), it is because of these organic limitations that inhibit all of mankind who are of a "natural mind", from understanding anything beyond the forms of this physical world.   And as I will demonstrate in the below, even the most brilliant of secular intellectuals do not in any manner possess any real understanding of even the forms they see, as they look out into the world in which they presently dwell.    In fact, you could enroll in all the most esteemed colleges and universities that man has created -- you could endlessly study the volumes of books composed and written by men considered wise throughout the ages -- and your wisdom and knowledge would pale in comparison to the Disciples of Jesus and the earliest of Spiritual Christians who were sincere Disciples of TheWay.  
The average modern believer who reads these words would probably reply: If this is true, then the Disciples of Jesus were set apart from the rest of mankind, and we cannot expect to know what they knew.   Yet, nothing could be further from the truth! The flock of Christian believers have in fact been robbed of their inheritance -- like the lost prodigal son -- by embracing the consciousness of the earth over the spiritual -- which Paul portrayed as the way of the god of this world -- which Jesus portrayed as the Citizen of the Far Country.     That early Christians, other than the disciples themselves, also inherited the promise of the teachings of Jesus and TheWay, is demonstrated in the writings of the first century elder Ignatius, who personally knew both Paul and the other Disciples.   And in his Epistle to the Trallaus he speaks of the Mysteries of the Gospel and the Kingdom in the same exact manner that Paul does, and writes: “Might I not write to you things more full of mystery?  But I fear to do so, lest I should inflict injury on you who are babes.  Pardon me in this respect, lest, as not being able to receive their weighty import, ye should be strangled by them”.  The only way that Ignatius could have written these words, was if he, himself, understood what was beyond the comprehension of the organic mind of the believers of the simple faith.   And while he states that he understood what was incomprehensible to the organic mind of man, he also confesses that though he is aware of the mysteries, he is not yet “by any means perfect, nor am I such a disciple as Paul or Peter”.   
Thus, Paul writes to the congregation at Corinth -- who being babes in Christ, only knew Jesus and him crucified -- where he wrote: "We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought" (1 Cor 2:6 ASV).   In other translations the word fullgrown, is translated either mature or perfect.   Yet, in not even understanding the primary objectives of the Gospel, modern believers study and learn the wisdom of this world and the opinions of men, failing to move on to maturity and learn directly from God -- i.e., "It is written in the Prophets: 'They will all be taught by God.' Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me" (John 6:45 NIV).   Not in belief, doctrine, or to a manmade church -- but rather, the objective of the teachings of TheWay is to enter in at the inner "narrow gate", and learn directly from God in the Kingdom.   And to accomplish this, it is necessary to disregard that which we see without our physical eyes and understanding, and seek and learn via our spiritual eyes that is able to perceive beyond the limits of this world -- i.e., "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor 4:18 KJV).
The folly of the Christian world is seen in the fact that they learn from the teachers of this world who proclaim that there is no unseen -- and only what is seen with one's physical eyes is valid.   Christians send their children to learn about what is temporal, while alienating themselves from what is eternal.   Christians flock to churches which are temporal and built with the hands of men, while rejecting the Temple of their soul which is Eternal and Sustaining.
With respect to the witness of Ignatius: What preacher of the Gospel today would stand before his congregation and state to the people in their pews, that if he was to reveal the true teachings of the New Covenant -- the Mysteries of the Gospel of God -- he would “inflict injury on you who are babes” in Christ?   What teaching of the Lord could a present-day preacher of the gospel reveal that the congregation of believers are not “able to receive their weighty import”?  If Ignatius or the other early Church Fathers who knew the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God were with us today, what profound mystery could they speak regarding the true teachings of Jesus that believers today would be “strangled by them”?  
Throughout the history of mankind those who have openly claimed to possess the Secret Knowledge which is called Gnosis, were condemned as elitists and heretics.   Yet, what the rest of mankind totally fails to understand, is the fact that it is not that a more advanced spiritual soul wishes to conceal higher knowledge from others -- but rather, in the same way that kindergarteners are not prepared to study and comprehend at a university level -- neither are the organic minded earth-bound people of this world, prepared to understand the higher reality of the soul and the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God.   In the same way that the mind of the kindergartener must develop and mature, so too must the mind of man begin the process of expansion beyond organic limits that are supported by the physical body-vessel.    And this is exactly what Paul states when he writes: "However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing" (1 Cor 2:6 NKJ).   The King James Version reads that wisdom can only be revealed to those who are "perfect" -- but what must be understood is that each soul can only perceive and comprehend in accordance with their own level of soul-evolution and spiritual development.    

 

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Posted by on Jul 1, 2014 in the Headlines category • Trackback


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