The Greek transliteration 'ou mē', translated 'never' in the majority of our English Bibles simply implies just that, 'certainly not, not at all, by no means'. Because of the differentiation in usage here, with the additions of 'for ever' & 'to the age', the idea that Jesus simply re-iterated what He had stated previously has been proffered; while this explanation may bear further examination & the burden of proof, it by no means negates beyond all reasonable doubt the fact that Jesus said what He meant & meant what He said!
So, what did Jesus mean? Clearly those who live ( in Him ) & believe ( in Him ) still die, or do they?! Was Jesus misleading His disciples, Martha in particular, telling them that those living & believing in Him would never die, biologically ( physically ) speaking, or was He alluding to the fact that they were more than the humanity that served to house their true Self, their Innermost Being?
The traditional ( orthodox ) Christian belief ( doctrine ) of 'the resurrection of the dead' seems to be predicated on the notion that physicality is at the crux of redemption. In other words, that even though one dies ( physically expires ), that one will not stay dead forever ( see Douay-Rheims, above ), but that at the Resurrection, which is misplaced into our future, their physical body will be reanimated ( returned to life ). This is the notion that Martha, like most Jews, had about resurrection. However, look at what Jesus said in response, leading into our central theme; 'I am the resurrection and the life': He told her that, in Essence, the Resurrection had come, that it was happening even then, both for her brother & others who had died, as well as those who were presently alive, into Eternity!
So, when Jesus spoke those words of comfort to Martha, He wasn't telling her that one who believed in Him would inhabit this biology forever ( that's really kind of ridiculous, unless one believes that Jesus wasn't the Resurrection ( as He said ), but would simply BE the Resurrection at some future date ). In other words, since Christians still die physically, He couldn't have been referring to biological life!
We have always known that we were MORE than just human beings, just what we see on the surface, or what we can view through a microscope! For a multitude of varying reasons, though, this knowledge, to a large extent, has been all but lost. No Christian will deny the fact that we are made up of 'spirit, soul, and body' ( I Thessalonians 5:23 ), but most will cling voraciously to the notion that our physical bodies are somehow not yet redeemed, though our souls ( spirits? ) are? Are there TWO Resurrections? Most Christians believe, as they must, that there ARE two separate resurrections, that Jesus ( yes, as THE Resurrection ) must needs come again to redeem this biology, in particular, our physical bodies: talk about a 'Gap Theory'!
More time need not be spent showing from Scripture how biology HAS been redeemed & what Jesus meant when He said ( also recorded by John alone ), 'Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father'. Whether one takes Scripture literally ( at our English 'face-value' ), or recognizes the esoteric Gnosis in them, it should be clear that, just as there is more to us than meets the eye, so there is more to Scripture than what we have been used to reading with our Western understanding!
Charles Haddon Shank
1 comment:
Paul used the word mystery 21 times in his letters.
The Bible tells us that the mystery of God is Jesus Christ:
“My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” Colossians 2:2–3.
That is deep.
The Jews, for the most part, rejected Jesus as the Christ.
I'm sort of glad, for me, but sad for them.
As a Gentile, I was offered salvation as well.
But I do believe there is much more to Christ than we think we know.
So much has been altered, and yes, I agree with you, the Roman Catholic Church.......No need for words.
I believe He is coming again to claim His throne on Zion.
I believe the Jews will at that time realize just who He is, who He was, who they rejected and murdered.
They are His chosen people, the ones who believed but did not obey. (I fall into that category all the time, repentance therefore is a necessary part of my life)
Will I die? I should be dead now for all the nonsense I've put myself through.
But I'm not. So I figure He isn't quite done with me yet.
Will I lay in a grave until He reigns on earth?
I dunno, I've never been dead before.
Will I immediately rest in the arms of Jesus just because I believe?
I don't know. It's what I've been taught, yet even the devil believes.
What kind of God do we serve?
One who loves without condition.
One who sent His son to pay the price for our sins.
Which without Him, would be certain eternal death.
I'm glad to know that my physical body will remain in a grave, or ashes if I'm cremated. Because my physical body hurts, its broken, failing parts have been replaced, poorly I might add.
If I thought this was it, and this is what Gods intent is for His people.
What's the point?
When I was little, a thousand years ago......I was fascinated by the analogy of the mustard seed and moving mountains. That I was capable of moving a mountain because I had that kind of faith.
But my thoughts were always this 'why would I want to move a mountain?
I like them right where they are.'
I grew up at the base of Mt. Baldy in Ca. During the winter, a valley in the mountain would fill up with snow and stayed there for some time. Like a picture in the clouds, this valley had the perfect shape of a shepherd holding a staff. Watching carefully over the valley below. I would stand at the sliding glass doors of our living room and stare at it. It was special to me.
Although I pointed it out to others, their reaction was 'oh yea, I see it, that's cool.' It was there almost every winter for the 19 years I lived at home.
I wanted folks to be just as enamored by it as I was. They were not.
But it was an answer for me at the time. A special gift.
We are Spirit, Body and Soul. We have been given great spiritual gifts.
Why do we not use them, fully?
When Jesus died on the cross, the earth shook, the saints were released from captivity in Sheol. The veil was torn which kept the common folk from having a relationship with God. And on the third day, Jesus overcame death.
Satan lost.
What does that mean for me?
I believe that when my body expires, my spirit will live.
All the biology and energy that makes me what I am today won't matter.
The rapture? I don't believe like most do. I don't believe He is going to yank us up to heaven so we don't have to go through tribulation.
I believe He is coming again, and just before He destroys the earth, He will take His church home.
Pre Trib, Mid Trib, Post Trib.....
Again, I dunno.
But my adventurous side kinda wants to hang around and watch!
Post a Comment