Recognizing Truth

2003-12-31 08:55:00

My Friends,
I thought I would elaborate on the following scripture that was discussed a while back from First John.

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." I John 4:1 -3

So what is the test of a true spirit? Is it merely the fact that one confesses a belief that Jesus came in the flesh?

This cannot be, for when Jesus cast out devils and they possessed a herd of swine they spoke the following to him:

"And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?" Matt 8:29

If we go by the orthodox interpretation then those evil entities who possess men against their will would be from God for they confessed a belief in Jesus as the Son of God..

An examination of the Greek here can yield some light. The key phrase is: "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God..."

"Is come" comes from the Greek ERCHOMAI. The way this word is translated in the King James and most other translations gives the impression that the Spirit must confess to the coming of Christ as a man of Flesh 2000 years ago to signify he is of God, but is this what the scripture is saying?

Not quite, as evidenced by the use of this same word a verse later:

"and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come (ERCHOMAI); and even now already is it in the world."

So here we have this same word translated two different ways within the same scripture. First it is translated to sound as if it is referring to the coming of Christ in the past ("Jesus is come") and secondly it sounds as if it is referring to a future event ("it should come").

So how should this word be used? Does it refer to the past, present or future?

Literally, here ERCHOMAI refers to the present tense and if we were to make a black and white translation it would read: "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ IS COMING in the flesh is of God."

This certainly puts a different spin on the meaning as it seems to be referring to the second, rather than the first coming in this context.

But does this solve the whole problem of deciphering the meaning?

Not quite.

Biblical Greek scholars tell us that even though this word is literally "is coming," or present tense, that the true tense can only be deciphered by examining how the word is used in the context of the text itself.

Most Bible translators show their bias by rendering ERCHOMAI as if it signifies only the past coming of Jesus, even though a few words later it refers to a future event. In fact about half the modern Bibles do not translate the word at all, but just leave it our completely as if it never existed. To completely overlook a Greek word from the original is either very sloppy work or extreme bias indeed.

Why do they stick with a translation that is only weakly supported?

The answer is simple. Many Christian religions, and especially the Scholars, see the future coming of Christ in spiritual, rather than physical ramifications. They see Christ either coming as some spiritual ephemeral entity or as a spiritual revitalization of humankind. Few see the Christ appearing in an actual physical body that one can feel and touch. Few see him coming in the flesh.

Perhaps the greatest hint as to the meaning of this word is given in the Book of Revelation. God says:

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."

"Which is to come" is translated again from the Greek ERCHOMAI. But what is interesting here is that ERCHOMAI can refer to what is, what was or which is to come. In fact the word implies a continuity linking the past, present and future. Therefore this phrase describing God is a very appropriate expansion of ERCHOMAI in reference to either Christ or God.

Taking this into consideration then, what is the Key to recognizing a true spirit? What will he truly confess?

He will confess that Jesus Christ HAS appeared in the flesh 2000 years ago and walked among men. He will also acknowledge that the entity who is the Christ WILL again appear in the flesh on the earth during a future Second Coming. In addition he will also acknowledge that Christ is here in the flesh right here in our present.

How can this be?

Two ways:

As DK says the Christ currently inhabits a physical body and oversees a group of Masters who work for the spiritual progress of humanity.

Secondly, as Bryan said, within the tabernacles of our own flesh is the Christ within. From this viewpoint the Christ IS with us in the flesh.

What does this tell us then?

The true spirit or the true teacher will acknowledge that the Christ appeared in the flesh and blood body of Jesus 2000 years ago. He will also acknowledge that he still works through a body of flesh in the present as well as teaching that there is a "Christ in us." In addition to this he will teach that Christ will yet come again in the flesh and walk among us as he did back on the shores of Galilee.

How many religions teach this whole truth?

None that I can think of. Most of them are like the confessing devils that acknowledged his coming in the flesh 2000 years ago, but like the devils they do not see a Christ within, not do they believe that Christ has never left us as he promised, not do most believe that he will walk among us.

Most religions or spiritual movements believe a piece of the key. Orthodox Christians believe Christ came in the flesh 2000 years ago. New Agers believe Christ is in us. Mormons believe he will come again in the flesh. But few believe the whole package - that He IS, WAS, and IS TO COME on earth in the flesh and also that the inner Christ IS, WAS, and IS TO COME on earth in the flesh.

A teacher who teaches the whole principle is a teacher of light and truth.

Most of us are average, are we not? If we regard ourselves otherwise, we divorce ourselves from others and become guilty of the sin of separateness-the one real sin.
DK