I liked that!
God Bless,
Robert Begnaud
----- Original Message -----
From: Ron Schwartz
To: Ron Schwartz
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 1:36 PM
Subject: Christianity and Higher Learning. Part 4, A Single Word of Understanding
Christianity and Higher Learning
Part 4, A Single Word of Understanding
Ron Schwartz
July 7, 2009
http://www.ronschwartz.net/Thoughts.htm
If I were to tell you that the difference between the New and Old Testament can be boiled down to a single word, what would you consider that word? Nine out of ten Christians would say the word is ""love."" If you selected love you would be in the majority, but you would also be wrong.
What are some things that the Old and New Testament have in common? They both have sacrifices (i.e. a lamb and the Lamb of God). They both require the shedding of blood for sin. They both have a priesthood (i.e. Levitical and Melchisedec) and a high priest. They both have a temple. And they both require love: remember when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment He said it was to ""love God."" The commandment to love God is found many times throughout the Old Testament.
There are certainly many similarities between the New and Old Testament, however is it really possible to boil down the difference between the two Testaments to a single word?
We are told the only difference between a chimpanzee and human are a few genes. Science tells us that 96% of our genetic makeup is the same. Yet with so much in common, consider how different these two species are. It''s not unlike the New and Old Testament. They share so much of the same, they have so much in common, but yet they are so different. What is it that makes them different?
The Greatest Commandment
Mark 12:28-33
28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Consider verse 30 carefully. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to ""love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength."" Many Christians don''t realize that Jesus was actually quoting a scripture from Deuteronomy. It goes as follows: ""Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).""
It is here that we find the one word of difference. Jesus added the word ""mind."" But when the scribe repeated what Jesus said he substituted the word ""understanding (i.e. with all thy understanding) for the word ""mind.""
In the Old Testament it wasn''t just expected, it was commanded that mankind should love God with passion and zeal (i.e. heart, soul, and strength). You didn''t need to understand revelation and mysteries to serve the Lord with heart. All you needed was unabashed and brazen love. But with the introduction of the New Testament a new requirement was added: ""understanding."" This is very different than simplistic fiery zeal and passion. In fact, ""understanding"" described in the New Testament, is very different than the intellectual education that was present during the days of Jesus and throughout the entire Old Testament.
What is Spiritual Understanding?
The Greek word for ""understanding"" is sunesis. It means, ""a running or flowing together; a mental putting together (i.e. intelligence or intellect); building and growing together through knowledge."" The analogy is of two rivers -- already of considerable size and depth -- coming together to produce a vast river of considerably more depth. It is conceptually similar to ""synergy"" and ""networking.""
Spiritual understanding is a convergence (i.e. ""flowing together"") of the mind of the Spirit with our spirit. Hence, it cannot be ascertained from educational material or lectures. This material will produce knowledge but not spiritual understanding. What you would lack is the convergence of the tributary of your education with that of the Spirit that together creates an understanding of greater depth than could ever be found through Christian education. If all you do is study through academia you will never find spiritual understanding and therefore will not love God with understanding.
One of the best examples of convergence is found in how God designed mankind. Eve was the ""help (help, aid, or succor) meet"" for Adam. Interestingly enough, the word ""meet"" means ""a part opposite, specifically a counterpart, or mate. It has the idea of something being set against something else."" The man could become better because he had a companion who provided balance. Eve was something that he could never become. If he merged with her, he could be better because of what she added. But no matter how hard he tried he could never replace what she could add to his life.
When God made man we find the following: ""So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them (Genesis 1:27)."" Did you catch it? ""God created man…… male and female."" Mankind is the summation of man and woman. With just one or the other mankind would end in a single generation. But together, Adam and Eve became more than they could be apart. They became the 6 billion people of today.
What we find in this example is the idea of synergy. It is the friction between two opposing forces that, as they cooperate together, creates synergy. Synergy is when 1+1=3. It''s when something is more than the sum of its parts. This is what is meant to happen to Christians when they grow in the Spirit. Their understanding is more than the sum of their education.
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
6 The God who in the beginning once proclaimed, ""Out of darkness light shall shine,"" has now shined in our hearts. It has resulted in illumination of our hearts to the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God - as was manifest in the person Jesus and now revealed to us by the Christ.
7 But we have this treasure [the illumination of our heart to the knowledge of God''s glory and majesty as revealed by His Spirit] in earthenware containers, in order that the conspicuous super eminence of Gods power might be known to all mankind as from Him and not from us. (Paraphrased. I took some liberty with this scripture)
When you meet a Christian teacher who spent 4-8 years in Bible College, another 2-4 years in seminary, and has the title Doctor in front of his name and a list of credentials following it, can you really say that the ""conspicuous super eminence of Gods power might be known to all mankind as from the Lord and not from"" his own education? Of course not! It is apparent to all that the education of the man is through academia.
Paul wrote, ""but we have this treasure in earthen vessels."" What treasure? ""The knowledge of God''s glory and majesty as revealed by His Spirit."" Paul describes this knowledge as an ""illumination of our hearts."" The reason why Christian men are more popular than Jesus is because it is not the Holy Spirit that is doing the illuminating, but men who are shining light on the accomplishments and wisdom of other men. It is no secret that people go to church, not to be in the presence of Jesus, but to hear their favorite teacher.
The Greatest Secret!
Colossians 1:26-28
Throughout all ages the whole world has been kept in the dark concerning this mystery, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you (and not just among you), therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. (Paraphrased)
The greatest mystery of all ages is not the coming reign of Christ, the battle of Armageddon, the end time rule of the Antichrist, or the new heaven and new earth. The greatest mystery of all is that Christ would amalgamize with His people in oneness to rule and reign in their hearts -- as if it were that two rivers merge together to form one mighty river. This is the ""treasure (Christ)"" ""in earthen vessels (in us)."" It is the greatest of all mysteries.
As long as Christ remained in His bodily form He could only be at one place at a time ministering to only those who were near Him. But now through death He has been released from the physics of this universe to live in each of our hearts, ministering not only to us but to all those me touch. This is where true ""understanding"" is meant to come from: the merging of our spirit with that of the Lord.
John 16:13-15
But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.
The profound nature of this concept has been lost since the first generation of Christians (around 100 AD). Contemporary Christians are not expected to be guided by the Spirit. Teaching and mentoring is the job of pastors and churches. Christians are beaten down by pastors and teachers who focus on the failures and limitations of those whom they teach. As a result, most Christians can''t see beyond the corporeal weakness and corruption of their ""earthen vessel."" So the idea that they can be guided ""into all truth"" by the Holy Spirit is beyond comprehension. After all, how could the Spirit function in someone who is so weak and frail?
Most Christians are honest enough with themselves to acknowledge their fleshly failure. They''re only too aware of their inadequacies and limitations, such that they no longer believe in the treasure within their hearts. They evaluate the ""earthen vessel"" of their flesh and assume that they are not qualified to hear from God. But then who is? Looking at Christian leaders whose impressive credentials and titles precede them, one assumes that they must be qualified. But God is not looking for perfect vessels in which to place His treasure. He''s looking for willing vessels that will allow the treasure to converge with their vessel in a spiritual transformation.
The analogy is that of a caterpillar in a cocoon. A transformation occurs in the inside and eventually the outer shell burst away to reveal the life inside. Yes, God understands that when the treasure of His Spirit is placed within you that you are not perfect. It is no longer question of whether or not you''re perfect, but a transformation by which you have the potential to become so.
When Christians are discouraged from trusting the Spirit within their hearts but look instead to men for answers and guidance, they don''t allow the Spirit to lead them into the [understanding of] truth, and as a result, they fail to grow in their understanding.
Loving God ""with all thy [understanding].""
Philippians 3:8-10
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection……
Here Paul provides one of the best examples of what it means to love God ""with all thy mind (or understanding)."" It is the endless lifelong pursuit to know God through a deepening and growing personal relationship. It is not the pursuit of reading what others have written about it, or listening to what others have experienced, but the pursuing of your own intimacy with God through the time you spend in the Spirit.
Ezekiel 47:1-5
Now he brought me back to the entrance to the Temple. I saw water pouring out from under the Temple porch to the east…… He walked to the east with a measuring tape and measured off fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet, leading me through water waist-deep. He measured off another fifteen hundred feet. By now it was a river over my head, water to swim in, water no one could possibly walk through.
When you first begin to develop a personal relationship with God the depth of that relationship seems so insignificant to that of other Christians you know. It''s seems barely enough to get your feet wet. But as you continue to pursue your relationship it becomes deeper and deeper.
We find in this account a parallel to what it''s like to grow spiritually. Discouragement is an initial obstacle. The river doesn''t simply drop off into the deep. Instead he had to walk out in the water a quarter mile before it was ankle deep. It took another quarter mile before it was merely knee deep. It took time, energy, and determination to continue on. However, because of his perseverance he eventually found water so deep that he could become lost in it. God rewards the determined who have resolve. If you are merely looking for knowledge to whet your appetite for information you will be discouraged. However, if you make seeking god a lifelong pursuit you will find yourself to eventually become lost in God''s Spirit. His nature and perspective will eventually swallow you up.
Most Christian leaders do not want to invest the time into developing a real relationship with God to obtain true spiritual understanding, so they opt out in favor of Christian education --education that pumps them up like an over inflated balloon. It gives them information about God but not the experience with God that should accompany that information. They may have knowledge, but what they lack is understanding.
Likewise most Christians who have started out in the river have concluded that after traveling a quarter mile and seeing next to no change in depth that there is nothing beyond their current experience. So they stop and go no farther. But there are the few who like Paul will never quit. They commit themselves to a lifetime pursuit of following the river to wherever it leads. Eventually, they become lost in the river. They find an endless depth to their relationship with God. They find that God''s Spirit is deep enough to swim in!
You may be a good Christian who tries to live right and keep God''s word. Many Christians believe that is what they are called to do, but that is only one aspect of their lives. By being obedient and living right you love God with heart, soul, and strength, but what about your mind? Are you pursuing the maturing of your relationship with God through the time you spend in the Spirit? If not then you do not love God with understanding. You may have knowledge, but you lack the one defining characteristic which demarcates the frontier of the New Testament. You lack understanding.
Understanding is the ability to grow into perfection or spiritual maturity. Though you can grow academically, you can't grow spiritually maturity through study or keeping the law. Christian education is not "the" answer. It must merge with the river of the Spirit. The only avenue for true spiritual growth is through an intimate relationship that comes about through time spent in the presence of God.
To say that the difference between the two Testaments boil down to a word like understanding seems both simplistic and shallow. But when you consider that this word implies a personal, aphoristic, and intimate relationship with the God of the entire universe... Well now, that does gives a whole new perspective to a single word of "understanding."
Psalms 47:7
For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.
Take care and be blessed my friends!
Ron
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