W’s PS: “Be Spirit’s Light-bearers — Born from Above!
Monday, February 4th, 2019
W's Post Scripts: Be Spirit's Light-bearing Witness from Above! (#7a, #8)
Insights from Cobbey Crisler, Ken Cooper, Warren Huff (#14) and others
on select citations for “Spirit”—
the Christian Science Bible Lesson for February 10, 2019
Warren’s (W’s) PS#1— John 4:24 tells us that "God is Spirit. Therefore worshiping Spirit can only be done spiritually." There's no other way to do it. How basic. By the way, when you see "a Spirit" in there. It shouldn’t be there.
Listen to what God says about it. Notice the strong tenor of his words. To translate "God is a Spirit" is the most gross perversion of the meaning. "A Spirit" implies one of a class of "pneumata," the Greek word for it. There is no trace, in the fourth gospel, of the vulgar conception of a multitude of spirits. “God is Spirit.” Mathematically one can only derive from Spirit included in it. Namely, spirituality is the derivation. Worship must be that.
“Book of John, A Walk with the Beloved Disciple,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#2—Cobbey Crisler on John 6:62 and 6:63 (B5) “the flesh profits nothing”
(prequel) John 6:62, "What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was before?" Nativity in the Spirit. There can't be the magnetic pull back to earth if that connection has been severed or proved never to have been a real connection.
In John 6:63, Jesus impinges upon what has been considered laws of physics because he views matter in a radical way. He makes the statement, "It is the spirit that quickeneth.” That is where you find life. So if you want to talk about nativity anywhere, you better deal with origin and Spirit. "The flesh profiteth nothing.”
You see how close one needs to be to Jesus in thought to understand what has been referred to as the Communion Supper. If he is accurate in saying, "the flesh profiteth nothing, "neither would symbolically eating it profit anything. So, it must not be the flesh he is talking about, but that great transformation that he is proving in his life to be possible to the Son of Man. John 1:14 refers to it as "the Word that was made flesh.” The Word connects us to Spirit, not flesh. Here is part of that Word underscoring the message that, "It is the Spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing.”
“Book of John, A Walk with the Beloved Disciple,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#3— Cobbey Crisler on John 1:3 “without the Logos… was not anything made that was made” referenced by Mary Baker Eddy in citation S3, S&H 335.8:
“Is there a scientific connotation, then, that "In the beginning,” "In the first principle of things,” there is a scientific unvarying, inalienable, order that's ruling. And that it's not only being uttered as an expression or word, but behind it is the immense thought that also must be based on the same principle. Notice in Verse 1of Chapter 1 that it all related with and to God.
“John 1:3 continues with a statement that is quite absolute, "All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Is there any reservation for qualifications? "All things were made by him. That is [an] enormous commitment to make at the beginning of a book. The theology of this book is therefore committed right squarely on what principle if we're now defining the theological principle on which the Bible is based? Not only oneness of God, but the fact He's one, also means He's all. "All things were made by Him.” Everything is created by Him. That also poses problems, because all we have to do is open our eyes and look around us. And what we see, we'd rather not think was created by God. But as of now, we've just started the book. So, let's see what the style of the author is and his theological commitments. "All things were made by Him.”
“He doesn't leave it there. The very next sentence adds, “Without him was not any thing made that was made." Why is he saying that? Why Him,” doesn’t that take care of the other part? What is the difference? What’s the distinction that he is implanting in his readers' thought right at the beginning of the book? "All things were made by Him.” What would you call that? That kind of statement is an absolute, but is it also an affirmation. It's a real solid plus. This is a plus of the theological view of John. "All things were made by Him."
“What have we got now? Denial. Here is how we're going to deal with the minus element. The minus element is without Him, "without him was not any thing made that was made.” Any hint of a minus existing after the all-things-were-made-by him being declared, is removed, because it is the other side of the same coin.
“The plus, the minus, the affirmation, the denial is a mathematical approach. Dealing with the plus, dealing with the minus and ending up with one, not dualism. One, so there’s no doubt that the key to the gospel is monotheism. It challenges the reader’s thought to see if he’s there at that altitude before he continues any further in the gospel. It forces the reader to get to that height in order to remotely communicate with what's in the gospel.”
"Book of John, A Walk with the Beloved Disciple," by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#4—Cobbey Crisler on on the end of Genesis 1 and “male and female” referenced by Mary Baker Eddy in citation S5, S&H 249:
“Searching the scriptures does require scuba diving or at least snorkeling because there’s a need for both clear vision and inspiration.
Verse 26 Here in a book noted for its monotheism we find plural words relative to God. (“Let US make man in OUR likeness…”) Father-Mother (F-M) must be together indivisibly or we have more than one God. If there’s indivisibility in the original there must be indivisibility in the product.
Verse 27. To have Male-Female (M-F) in the product means that it’s in the original.
On IMAGE, Clemet of Alexandria wrote: “In our view, image of God is not an object of sense, but a mental object, perceived not by the senses, but by the mind.” But in Genesis 2:7 the mental model is dropped and in the material account of creation God forms man out of dust—the very OPPOSITE view.
This mimics the opposite view of male and female that is widely promoted in which sex promises us all satisfaction in physical unity—but does it deliver? The very definition of sex is division, not indivisibility. “The sensualist’s affections… and pleasures” would put one through lots of fitful, mental contortions that Mary Baker Eddy describes as “imaginary, whimsical, and unreal” (Science and Health, 241: 8).
(Just Transcribed from notes taken by Warren Huff during several Cobbey Crisler talks from the margins of W’s Bible.)
W’s PS#5—"Whither Shall I Go from Thy Spirit" from Psalm 139 (B8) comforts us with assurance of the uplifting ever-presence of Spirit, even if circumstances seem to have us thrown down to the depths of hell. We can sing together of this in Hymn 599, "Whither Shall I Go from Thy Spirit", in the 2017 Christian Science Hymnal.
This psalm is a favorite song at several camps and is especially lovely when sung with the descant. You can hear another version of it (and buy a 50th Anniversary trilogy of CedarS CDs all for $25 to go totally to camperships) at http://blog.cedarscamps.org/2011/07/16/order-around-the-clock-a-collection-of-3-cds-with-camp-songs-you-love-created-just-for-cedars/
W’s PS#6—Cobbey Crisler on Psalms 17:15 (B6): Find satisfaction and health only in the original!
“Verse 15 of Psalms 17 [tells us] that God’s prescriptions, precisely filled, bring satisfaction. Satisfaction because “we awake in God’s likeness.” But that results first from the prerequisite of “beholding God’s face in righteousness.” That requires us to go back to the theology of Genesis 1 [GT and B1] to comprehend what that means. If we indeed are image, or likeness, and God is the original, the only way we can find out about our nature is to spend our time studying the original. Then we know the image. We also know what’s not the image by studying the original.
Just as Treasury Department experts know counterfeit bills, not because they have studied all the many thousands of counterfeit attempts, from poor work to expert work, but rather, simply study the original and you will know the counterfeit immediately. That’s in a sense akin to surgically removing in a mental way, or taking the purgative cathartic Word of God to remove what does not belong to our nature. Imagine the joy of letting go what has burdened us for so long. It’s part of that darkness that is ignorance, that the light, the laser beam of revealed truth, simply removes, and not painfully at all. It just does what light is supposed to do. It removes any rationale for the existence of darkness.”
“Leaves of the Tree: Prescriptions from Psalms” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#7a—Cobbey Crisler on “you must be born from above” as in John 3:1-8 (B11).
“John 3:1 begins with an introduction to "Nicodemus." Nicodemus was a rather cautious man that ran around back alleys after twilight. He didn't want to be seen by his daytime friends. Sort of like one of those captions in the Charlie Chaplin movie, where Charlie was a waiter during the day, but dressed up in the finest tuxedo at night. The caption simply said, "Charlie's friends of the evening didn't know Charlie's friends of the day." I think this is probably true of Nicodemus.
“John 3:2, "He comes to Jesus by night.” He's in a rather awkward position because he is a member of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of Jews, that later convicts Jesus. If what he says is accurate, it is an unfortunate commentary on the motives that led to the crucifixion of Jesus. If he is really speaking for the Sanhedrin when he says, "We know that thou art a teacher came from God,” then that is a tremendous commitment. If we know that you are a teacher come from God, where is the evidence? What evidence do they use as proof? Such semeia, or signs, or significant results, can’t happen unless God is with you.
“John 3:3, “Jesus makes this comment, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” You know how popular that particular verse has become in our century. Yet it’s based on a misapprehension of the original word. We really don’t find John here using the Greek word “anothen” here in the sense of “again”. It can suggest the idea of “again.” But John uses it more in these terms, “from above."
"Anothen” means "from above." Now look at that statement that Jesus is making,
"Except a man be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom, or dominion, of God." This is a theological breakthrough that’s incalculable. You can’t see the kingdom, which, by the way, he told us was not only within, but here, right here. It wasn't a future far-off thing. "But to see it one must be born from above.” This is a definition of nativity which sounds totally impractical for us as human beings, and yet it's apparently something that Jesus based his whole theology upon. And he got the results from the concept that man is born from above
“We ran into that in the first chapter of John, Verses 12 and 13, when he said, "We all, if we will receive it, have the authority to become the sons of God.” But to be God's son means you've got to cut the animal connection, those links or roots in "blood, will of the flesh, and will of man.” Sever those links.
“A nativity higher, is that practical?
“John 3:4. Nicodemus wonders about that himself. He even goes to the extreme of saying, "How do you do that? Do you climb back into your mother’s womb, and get born all over again?” This is obviously a negatively impossible event, so Nicodemus is somewhat laughing up his sleeve.
“John 3:5. Then Jesus says, "Except a man be born of water, which was the usual way by which children were born in the presence of water, "and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The normal, natural biological birth is not going to do anything. In order to enter the kingdom or dominion of God, something about nativity has to be understood. A nativity that is higher and not tied into biology. Why?
“Because of John 3:6 one of the most practical statements ever made in the Bible, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” And it's not going to rise any high er than its source. Should we be doing something about recognizing origin in Spirit? Is this what is behind the meaning, again, logos? Get to the meaning. Nativity in Spirit. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh.” It's never going to go anywhere else. That's pretty clear cut.
“We've got to get out of that concept of flesh. Again, is this really practical theology? Or is it, again, pie in the sky? If we have any concept of arising at some spiritual goal, then we've got to start as if we originated there.
“John 3:9, "Nicodemus says, How can these things be?"
“John 3:10, "Jesus said, You're a teacher in Israel, and you haven't grasped these things?" Think of the average point of view when you've been dealing with the Bible all your life. Then in John 3:13 he makes one of those magnificent statements that requires almost a lifetime search.
"No man hath ascended up to heaven." Isn't that what practically every religion puts in the heart of its communicants? Doesn't everybody want to get to a destination labeled heaven? "Ascended up to heaven," but no one gets there, except "he that came down from heaven.” The same thing, "That which is born of the Spirit is spirit," John 3:6. You can't get there via flesh.
“Apparently this critical awareness of man's nativity as God's child free from "blood, will of flesh, lust of the will of man," is not just a nice theory. Jesus is introducing it as the prerequisite for comprehending the kingdom of God and seeing it here and now. The son of Man sees it humanly, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the son of Man which is in heaven.” Is it possible for humanhood to experience the kind of harmony on earth as it is in heaven? There is the major challenge.
“It's almost the same question that God asks Job 38:33, after all the mental argument is through for forty chapters or so, when God says to Job, "Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth?" Imagine being able to express the dominion of heaven right on earth. Is that possible for the son of Man? Or must we wait for some future event where we float up to the sky on a pink cloud somewhere with a harp from Angel Rent-A-Harp, Incorporated? That's a problem. We often try to rent a harp instead of earn it.
“How practical this is, "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man already there." Never moved. That claim, then, of heavenly nativity. It has to have something that is of major importance, John including it, and giving it so much space.”
In John 3:27, John the Baptist is confronted again. John, usingcommunication terms, says, “A man can receive nothing, except it be given to him from heaven.” That’s almost the same concept in a way. Receptivity is what’s already been communicated to us. We’re not doing the communicating. We’re tuning in to what’s been communicated.”
“Book of John, A Walk with the Beloved Disciple,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#7b— Please find attached as a Download (in the upper right of CedarS online Met) Ken Cooper’s new contribution for this week— a soliloquy "by" Nicodemus based on John 3:1-8 (B11).
Ken added: “What we don’t witness we can’t experience, and conversely what we do witness can fill our lives. Nicodemus had witnessed what Jesus was doing and recognised his miracles were born of God. But he could not see at first that they included him. It is only when we drop all sense of the flesh that our true nature and witness shines through. Too many try to make God man-like, when the real message is that man is God-like. When we pray “Our Father” we are confirming Spirit is our Father, for God is Spirit. We are the children, not of matter, flesh, but of Spirit. What a joy to bear witness to God, to be the seed, bud and blossom!
The soliloquy is available to listen on https://youtu.be/yxFsPEg29GQ while the full range of videos is shown on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv6edwM4E2y4wJ98jGEPUOw/videos
W’s PS#8—Cobbey Crisler on Paul’s discussion of manifesting divine freedom from the flesh in Romans 8 (B12) and 2 Cor. 3.7
[Romans 8] ”In Verse 19 would you agree with Paul that “the earnest expectation of the whole human race is waiting for this manifestation of the sons of God”? That it could be manifested, this sense of glory?
“Verse 21 mentions “the creature itself.” Look what is going to happen to the human body as the result of the evangelization of our mentality. As our mentality becomes more and more like God, the human body, “the creature itself, also shall be delivered.” There’s freedom, freedom from “every ill that flesh is heir to,” as Shakespeare says. “Delivered from the slavery,” literally in Greek, “the bondage of corruption,” “the slavery of decay into,” literally, “the freedom of the children of God.” The divine mode of being, as one dictionary says glory is, “into the freedom of the glory of the divine mode of being, of the divine nature, of the radiant thought of the children of God.”
If (only) all our thoughts could be at the level of such radiance. [and reflect "the beatific presence,illuming the universe with light" SH 266:28, (S26)] We’ve seen light come out from a human expression. We’ve met people who radiate a sense of insight. That’s just simply “the ministration of death,” as Paul says [in 2 Corinthians 3.7]. That’s in the fleshly. That’s simply an outward manifestation of what’s going on within. More should be going on within. And we’re spending most of our time trying to dress the without.”
“Glory: Divine Nature in The Bible,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#9—Cobbey Crisler on Acts. 3.1-8 (B13, and third Download down at "Look on Us" a poem by Ken Cooper) in which Peter lifts up a lame man who leaps as prophesied in Isaiah 35.6
“Acts, Chapter 3, we find that the introduction of the public lecture and ministry technique is increasing. We’re now going into a renewed phased; it’s becoming part of church activity.
And “Peter and John together give a combined lecture” beginning in Chapter 3. (See below, Paraphrased)
Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
And first, preceding that, look what else identifies the church? Right. “Coming to the temple.” (See above, Acts 2:46 “in the temple daily”)
Probably, as the Anchor Bible suggests at the second daily hour of prayer, which is three P.M.
There at the temple – now notice the juxtaposition here of the “physical structure that’s represented the worship of one God, the temple here, and outside it, a man needing help.” (See below, Paraphrased)
Religion had not been able to address itself to his problems, as yet. “He had been lame from the moment of birth, and every single day, his outlook was merely to survive through other’s charity.” (See below, Paraphrased)
Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
So, Peter and John were just two other faces. And they walked by, and “he asked for alms.” (See above, Paraphrased)
Now, for some the highest view of religion is social service and would give such alms. And often such alms are helpful and humanitarian. He didn’t ask for healing. Perhaps he might have given up on that, or considered it just wasn’t possible.
“But, Peter, fastening his eyes upon him” – now that kind of focus is something, probably, more than physical, wouldn’t you say? (See below)
Acts 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
You remember when the woman who had the infirmity of eighteen years? Jesus looked on that woman, and everyone else had looked on that woman, but Jesus looked at that woman and said…(he) found something apparently already there that no one else had seen, namely that that “Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.” (See below, Luke 13:12)
Luke 13:11 And, behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself.
Luke 13:12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity.
Luke 13:13 And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
How did Jesus look at people? How did he see them that enabled him to get such tremendous results – just the opposite of the human sympathy that religion had felt was virtually the highest contribution it could make to the ills of mankind?
If Peter and John, having witnessed Jesus healing in many cases, “fastens his eyes upon him on John, said, Look on us.” (See below, Paraphrased)
Acts 3:4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
Now, immediately, he got his attention. Now, to study the sequence that led to the healing that the text often gives you. What’s needed in human mentality to bring the healing into the experience of the individual?
“Look on us,” is apparently requirement one – away from the alms, the masses, the crowds, the helpless condition – “look on us.” (See above)
You know the story about – if you want the donkey to move, you have to get his attention first. You know (the story), you hit him between the eyes. You know, in a way, this is getting the attention of the patient.
“Look on us.” (See above)
“He gave heed unto them….” (See below) So, we have the condition of what? Receptivity and expectation, expecting to receive – there are your two words. (He was) expecting to receive something of them.
Acts 3:5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
“Then Peter said, Disabuse yourself of any hope that I’m going to hand you out the coin of the realm, but what I have I’m going to give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” (See below, Paraphrased partially)
Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Peter, to encourage his thought and the possibility of it, for that man had sat there daily in that condition, to help him separate himself from that condition, he “takes him by the right hand, lifts him up: and immediately on his feet, he feels his feet and ankle bones receiving the strength” – simply an endorsement of what Peter and John had already seen was there. (See below, Paraphrased)
Acts 3:7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
So, I thought you might be interested in seeing this first, specific miracle, so-called, that occurs after Jesus’s departure – the first specific one. We’d been told that “signs and wonders” had occurred. (Samples below of “signs and wonders wrought by the apostles)
Acts 3:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Acts 5:12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
Here’s how the Anchor Bible has described the concept of miracle: “Of course, one may assume such miracles cannot occur, but it cannot be doubted that they were of decisive importance to primitive Christianity. We shall not be able to understand the latter unless we take the accounts of these healings seriously.”
The first thing this man does, before he even walks, is what? In verse eight? (“his feet and ankle bones” — Murmurs) Before he walks, “he leaps.” (See below, paraphrased) Not that’s even harder than walking for someone who has been in that condition. (Laughter) “He leaping up stood, and walked…” – those are three different things requiring his feet and ankle bones to support that activity — “leaping first, standing, walking and entering into the temple,” a relationship now between church and mankind healed, a church that can bring results! (See below, paraphrased)
Acts 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
“Walking, and leaping, and praising God.” (See above)
Remember this is the same temple the man at the pool of Bethesda enters after Jesus had healed him. (See John 5:7-9)
And also, this – if we’re going to understand the scripture in terms of prophecy – if God indicates to humanity through His inspired word through prophecy that this is exactly what humanity should be doing – increasing their understanding of divinity to such a point that these obstacles, these ills that have plagued mankind for centuries unchallenged, should be wiped out of human experience.
Well, I don’t think the mention of the word, “leaping” in verse eight is a coincidence. (See below, repeated here for convenience)
Acts 3:8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
Turn to Isaiah 35, verse 6, Isa 35:6 and you will see that prophecy embraces healing the sick. Now, you know, we could almost say the same thing as Paul said about the villainous of those who went every Sabbath Day and heard the prophets and then went away and instead fulfills the prophets by condemning Jesus.
Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Every day of our worship in the week, be it one day or more, if we were hearing the prophets about healing the sick and then walking away and forgetting it, wouldn’t we be more or less in the same category as those who ignored prophecy in the days of Jesus?
Isa 35, verse 3, actually in a form of command – it says “strengthen ye the weak hands, confirm the feeble knees.” (See below)
Isa 35:3 Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
And Isa 35, verse 5, talks about “the eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.”
Isa 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
And then in Isa 35, verse 6, “shall the lame…” do what? “Leap as an hart….” (See below)
Isa 35:6 Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
The contrast between lame and leaping, even greater than lameness and walking.
Now, that becomes/is a prophecy. We can’t ignore it. The fact that we perhaps aren’t doing that kind of healing work has no relationship to the fact that prophecy says it will be done and implies that it should be done.
And Isa 35, verse 10, shows you the results when humanity begins to comprehend the scope of prophecy. And it begins to look very close to the definition of church, doesn’t it? “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (See below)
Isa 35:10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
It’s a collective thing, isn’t it? Collectively together, you and I, can obliterate sorrow and sighing and ills of mankind’s experience. And the church is designed to get us together to accomplish that result.
And what are we doing about the very instrument will bring it about? Are we supporting it? Or are we finding that we have grave doubts about the church?”
“After the Master What? – The Book of Acts”, by B. Cobbey Crisler** [transcribed by Sue Merrill from the CD series]
W’s PS#10—Five words from citation S18 –"Spirit will form you anew." (425:26) — are the basis for a key line in Hymn 565 by Peter B Allen in the gray 2017 Hymnal
W’s PS#11—Cobbey Crisler on Acts 10.1-35 (B16)
“Now let’s turn to Acts, Chapter 10. Here we’re introduced to Cornelius. Cornelius sounds like he was a musician of some sort, at least the way the King James Version translates it. We are told that “Cornelius belonged to the Italian band, a devout man, and one apparently who had despite his heathen background, been impressed by monotheism and was used to praying.” (See below, paraphrased)
Acts 10:1 There was a certain man in Cæsarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
Acts 10:2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
“He receives a vision.” (See below, paraphrased)
Acts 10:3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
“Peter himself, (is) going to pray on the house top,” (verse 9 of Acts, Chapter 10) “about the sixth hour (or our noon time).” (See below, paraphrased)
Acts 10:9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
“Although he is very hungry, he begins to fall into a trancelike state, and he begins to get a vision.” (See below, paraphrased)
Acts 10:10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
“In this vision we see a sheet knit at four corners is let down to the earth.”
Acts 10:11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
“And within that sheet we find varieties of animals.” (See below, paraphrased)
Acts 10:12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
Many of these animals are forbidden as far as the Levitical restrictions against certain items of food are concerned.
“They were unclean animals.” (See below, paraphrased)
Acts 10:13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
Acts 10:14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
“But in Peter’s vision, he hears an emphatic voice telling him to kill and eat.” (See above, paraphrased)
And Peter, true to his training even in his vision, says, “Not so, Lord; I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” (See above, paraphrased)
The response to Peter in the vision reads in verse 15, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” (See below)
Acts 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
“Three times this message is given to Peter, “ which is rather interesting when we remember that Peter usually takes three times in order to get a message. (See below, paraphrased)
Now, lest we think that’s peculiar to Peter, I think if we look back at over some of our own lives and experiences, we make take more than three times sometimes to get a message.
Acts 10:16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Now, Peter, really not knowing what this vision means yet, he’s thinking about it and suddenly the men from Cornelius have arrived.” (See below, paraphrased)
Acts 10:17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon’s house, and stood before the gate,
He takes with him six Jewish Christians from Joppa, and they come to Caesarea.
23Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
24And the morrow after they entered into Cæsarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.
Entering into Cornelius’s house, he finds he is surrounded by all Gentiles and a large group.
Peter is being faced now with a major challenge, because it is his training, as you can see in Acts 10, verse 28, that “it is unlawful for him to enter in and eat and keep company with Gentiles.” (See below, paraphrased)
Acts 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean
Then it is Peter’s vision comes clear. If God had told him in that vision that , “what God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” (See below, repeated)
Acts 10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
And that applied to animals, what about men? Is it possible that Christianity is designed for anyone and everyone? If that’s what the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost has revealed to Peter, let’s see what the result is.
Acts 10, verse 34, begins a lecture or sermon to the first group of Gentiles. And the opening statement that Peter makes is one that could be well considered by every denomination of Christianity today. “Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons.”
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Here Peter expressed his new view of God, that God is no respecter of persons, that God speaks to receptivity.
Acts 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
This new view of God, of course, leads to this next question: Should man as well be no respecter of persons? This is a tradition-shattering concept.
And Acts 10, verse 35, Peter summarizes it by saying “in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” (See below)
Acts 10:35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
“After the Master What? – The Book of Acts”, by B. Cobbey Crisler** [transcribed by Sue Merrill from the CD series]
W’s PS#12—Citation S23 this week cites "the Scriptural command: "Let this Mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (SH 276.4-9) Mary Baker Eddy is quoting Phillipians 2:5. Click in CedarS Newsletter Downloads section (upper right online) for a sharing from The Mary Baker Eddy Library FOR THE BETTERMENT OF HUMANITY of the evolution of revisions to Mary Baker Eddy's SIXTH TENET in Science & Health, p. 497
"6. And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure."
W’s PS#13—Cobbey Crisler on II Corinthians 3.13-18 (B20)
“In Verse 13 it says that Moses had to “put a veil on his face,” because… they weren’t really ready to face the abolition of so much that we trust right now that doesn’t deserve our trust, so much that we depend upon, other than God.”
Are we going to be changed into shame? No, the more we look at our Original, the more we will be "changed." It's passive again; we're not doing the changing. Our focus on God changes us. The more light we face, the more transparent we become for that light. We "are changed into the same image."
Does it happen over night, all at once? No, "from glory to glory." Here we have the word glory expressing the very steps of our way, not from crisis to crisis, but from "glory," that's victory. There is an identity that is showing its supremacy over everything that the world has calculated to suppress it. It's "from glory to glory" that we go down the way, making visible spiritual progress, because it's happening from "the Spirit of the Lord."
This verse has caused the Interpreter's Bible Dictionary to say that glory to Paul is "a partly fulfilled reality, although it is also a future expectation into which we enter by degrees."
We know when we've progressed just as we know when we've been inspired. We have already found glory palpable to our spiritual senses right here. Here is the link the human has with the divine, the link that we can tug on in the midst of kinds of bad news. This is why the gospel, or good news, elevates, uplifts our human experience because it is linked to facts that are quite applicable now, even though only partly fulfilled, perhaps some even tenuously based on what we think is hope rather than present fulfillment.”
just transcribed from “Glory: Divine Nature in The Bible,” by B. Cobbey Crisler**
W’s PS#14—Four elements of “God’s being” and yours carved in 5-ft. signs at CedarS Cable Ski launch
[To see these large signs promoting “INFINITY, FREEDOM, HARMONY, BOUNDLESS BLISS” (from citation S27), click the top upper-right Download. Have fun applying them to yourself as noted below!
One-line, word equations in Science & Health are “textbook” illustrations of the “Transitive Property of Equality” (www.mathwords.com) (See page 470:23 and 481:3)
470:23 (citation S9 in the recent Soul lesson) the first of two simple, one-line, word equations under review states: “Man (a) is (=) the expression of God’s being.” (b)
Science & Health citation S27 this week (p. 481:23) the second of two, simple, one-line, word equations under review states: “God’s being (b) is (=) infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.” (c)
By the Transitive Property of Equality: If a = b and b = c, then a = c
Therefore, “Man or YOU (a) is (=) the expression of infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss.” (c)
Like CedarS Cable Ski system, its skiers and the “Energizer Bunny,” YOU express the synonyms for Infinity including: inexhaustibility, eternity, limitlessness, immeasurability, perpetuity (See https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/rodule )
Like CedarS Cable Skiers and the Statue of Liberty, YOU express the synonyms for freedom including: opportunity, power, ability, exemption, flexibility, immunity, privilege, right, discretion, facility, leeway, liberty, prerogative, range, scope, unrestraint, carte blanche, elbowroom, free rein, full play, full swing, plenty of rope
Like CedarS Cable Skiers and Band, Chorus, Cabin or Family members, YOU express the synonyms for harmony including: cooperation, friendship, consistency, good will, kinship, peace, rapport, tranquility, unanimity, understanding, unity, accord, amicability, compatibility, concord, like-mindedness
Like CedarS Cable Skiers, Happy Campers and Stress-free Reflections, YOU express the synonyms for boundless bliss including: unchangeable blessedness, inexhaustible happiness, unlimited gladness, untold joy…
- The reign of “infinity, freedom, harmony, and boundless bliss” rules out of you all their opposites (antonyms) of limitation; restraint, restriction, slavery; Inharmony, Strife, disagreement, discord, fighting; depression, sadness, sorrow, unhappiness, grief, upset…
**You can buy your own transcripts of most of Cobbey Crisler’s 28 talks at this website: www.crislerlibrary.co.uk Email your order or inquiry to office@crislerlibrary.co.uk, or directly to Janet Crisler, at janetcrisler7@gmail.com