God Beyond Religion: The Three Voices of the Apostle Paul

Modern scholarship has rightly determined that not all the letters attributed to Paul were likely written by Paul. That is "much ado about nothing" in my view. What is more important in rightly understanding Paul is to be able to discern the three voices of Paul. Now there may be more but these three are the most obvious in my view. There is Paul the mystic, Paul the rabbi, and Paul the clerical apologist. For me, Paul the mystic is the only voice worth listening too. This is precisely the reason that humanity is given the Holy Spirit. It is to be able to discern mystical revelatory truth from God.

Paul the Mystic:

Paul the mystic is the Paul that was blinded on the Damascus road. Paul the mystic is the Paul that was taken in a vision to the third heaven. Paul the mystic is the Paul that wrote to the one new humanity. Paul the mystic is the Paul that wrote of universal reconciliation. Paul the mystic is the one who wrote about a plan that was set in motion before creation. Paul the mystic is the one who knew the universal Christ or Christ consciousness. Paul the mystic showed that the Messiah had a spiritual ministry to all humanity. Here is an example of Paul the mystic: 2Co 5:18-19  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;  (19)  that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. God reconciled the entire cosmos to himself which surely includes every human being. It should be easily discerned what voice is Paul the mystic. In order to discern Paul the mystic, one needs to listen to the Spirit that was promised to guide one into all truth. 

A second example of Paul the mystic is this: 2Co 4:18  because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. Paul the mystic here describes the invisible world that is the true nature of reality. It is spiritual and pure consciousness. Paul here is describing the esoteric nature of reality in metaphysical terms.

Another example of Paul the mystic is as follows: Col 1:23-27  if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.  (24)  Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.  (25)  I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—  (26)  the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people.  (27)  To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. This passage explains in detail the gospel and it equates the gospel with the word of God, meaning that for Paul, the phrase word of God was synonymous with the gospel. What was the gospel? That Christ is in each person. It is Christ in YOU!

Paul the Rabbi:

Paul the rabbi is the source of the schizophrenia found in all of his writings. Paul would show multiple personalities in his writing. Paul the rabbi would throw shade on the mystical revelation of Paul the mystic because he was afraid that his mystical revelation would do irrevocable harm to the law and in that he was conflicted. An example of Paul the rabbi is his many "God forbid" comments. When it was revealed to him that grace trumps sin, the rabbi said "should we sin so grace may abound? God forbid!" In that statement Paul the rabbi did violence to the mystical revelation he received. The concept that sin trumps grace, leads to a new understanding of God that develops love for God that results in self control when grace is truly understood and believed. Paul the rabbi never gave the mystical revelation of Paul the mystic a chance.

Paul the Clergy Apologist:

Paul the clergy apologist is a pseudo Paul from a later period that tried to use Paul's authority to establish a clerical hierarchy. However, in that capacity this pseudo Paul also interspersed the mystical teachings of Paul in his writing. The pastorals fall into this category. During the first and second century it was common for one to write in the name of a revered authority. And example of Paul the clergy apologist is this: 1Ti 2:12-15  I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.  (13)  For Adam was formed first, then Eve;  (14)  and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.  (15)  Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty. This was very likely not taught by Paul although it may have have been by Paul the rabbi. It is most definitely not mystical revelation from the creative source.

The Bottom Line:

Paul the mystic received revelation about the New Humanity, the body of Christ, the fact that the Christ indwells humanity, the fact that there is no wall of separation, no favoritism on the part of God. There is no distinction between male and female when it comes to God's love. It is pointed out by John in his gospel that the purpose of the Holy Spirit is to give discernment, and to clarify teaching. It does not matter that Paul did not write everything his name is attached too. Nor, is it important to adhere to everything that his name was attached too in perpetuity. What is important is to spiritually recognize the mystical revelation Paul received especially the definition of love and the description of the fruit of the spirit. It is far less important who wrote it and much more important what was written.

God Beyond Religion: The Ultimate Big Brother

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation;

There is no doubt that Colossians 1:15-23 is referring to the Logos, the Word of God. The image of the invisible God is of necessity consciousness. When it said the firstborn of all creation, it means exactly what was stated in the Hermetica. "My Guide asked: 'Do you understand the secrets of this vision? I am that Light — the Mind of God, which exists before the chaotic dark waters of potentiality. My calming Word is the Son of God — the idea of beautiful order; the harmony of all things with all things. Primal Mind is parent of the Word, just as, in your own experience, your human mind gives birth to speech. They cannot be divided, one from the other, for life is the union of Mind and Word. Now, fix your attention upon the Light, and become One with it." [Freke, Tim. The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs (p. 33). Tim Freke Publications. Kindle Edition.] However, Jesus was the first to claim that he was the Logos/Word incarnate. This in my view makes him very special indeed and thereby big brother to all of humanity. Now while I will not contend that all need to acknowledge Jesus as such, I will say that there is a definite benefit for those who come to know and understand him in this light.

He taught the apostle John that as Jesus was in the world so are we humans. What exactly does that mean? Well, it means that we too are the Logos/Word incarnate, and that as such we are the daughters and sons of God. The verse in Colossians written at the beginning of this post states that Jesus, the Christ is the image of the invisible God. That means that like God we are consciousness. One cannot see consciousness; one can only see or hear what consciousness produces. To add to this idea, the Old Testament in the first chapter of Genesis says that God, the creative source, created humanity in his own image. It is probably more accurate to say in its own image as consciousness is neither male nor female. Within in it is both genders. But since the bible says in his image, it will be sufficient to say the same. The reality is that God the creative source is androgynous, a parent that is both mother and father.

Looking at Jesus as the ultimate big brother, gives an inciteful look into how I view him and the relationship I have with him. A big brother is a caring, loving, close friend. A big brother watches out and protects his younger siblings. A big brother acts as a teacher. A big brother sets an example. In all of these traits Jesus is the ultimate big brother. I have experienced that he is a friend that actually sticks closer than a brother. I have received a wealth of positive information from him over the years. His teachings are truly timeless, and during his earthly sojourn he set the ultimate example of loving. But according to the apostle Paul or one of his students he is also a mediator between God and humanity. I believe this to be true and receive comfort from it. It is not necessary that all see it that way. I can also mediate on my own behalf being the incarnate word of God as well. It depends on what you’re comfortable with.

There is a sense in which I know that Jesus is my higher self. That is, the Christ is our higher self. The Christ is the true mediator and source of all mystical revelation. I certainly have a mystical bent and receive multiple spiritual downloads via mystical channels. I am writing this because I want to let some people know that one can be radically spiritually awakened and still maintain a relationship with Jesus. People can suggest that Jesus is just my imaginary friend, and I am not offended, but I know that he is more than that. I am not saying that I feel the need to evangelize the world to get them to see it my way. I merely want to encourage anyone on a path of deconstruction who feels a close affinity to Jesus need not feel pressure to abandon that relationship thinking it primitive or a show of lack of spiritual knowledge.

 

God Beyond Religion: Re-imagining Salvation

As I stated in the previous post, I am reading a book entitled “The Hermetica, the Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs by Tim Freke and Peter Gandy. I should also state that the message found in the Hermetica was found on hieroglyphs in Egypt that were dated to 5,000 BCE. The Greeks claimed that the Hermetica was of Egyptian origin and dated to 3,000 BCE, so the hieroglyphs substantiate that claim. There are ideas in John’s gospel that coincide with the teaching of the Hermetica. This should lead one to conclude that either Jesus was familiar with the Hermetica, or the Hermetica contained mystical revelation from God. In my view, coincidence is not an acceptable explanation.

Being born again or born from above is not the only overlapping similarity. Both the Hermetica and John’s gospel speak of the creative source as Father and the word of God as the Son of God. It is also important to say, that in the Hermetica the name given God, the one and only supreme creative source of the universe and all that is in it, is Atum. So when you see the name Atum in the quotes from the Hermetica you can understand that it refers to God. The one that both Hermes Trismegistus, and Jesus of Nazareth referred to as Father. 

I have added two quotations in this post. One from the Hermetica and one from John's gospel. I believe that Jesus brought clarity to something that was a bit more shrouded in mystery in the Hermetica. I also believe that Paul added understanding to the operation of rebirth. In the Hermetica, it appears that for one to be born again, born from above, one has to rid oneself of the twelve torments of matter. However if you look at the quote from below, I have underscored and emboldened a sentence that gets us closer to what Jesus revealed. It reads, but by Atum's mercy, they may all depart and be replaced by understanding. Understanding what? 

REBIRTH (from the Hermetica)

“No one can be saved, until he is born again. If you want to be reborn, purify yourself of the irrational torments of matter. The first of these is ignorance. The second is grief. Third is lack of self-control. Fourth is desire. Fifth is injustice. Sixth is greed. Seventh is deceit. Eighth is envy. Ninth is treachery. Tenth is anger. Eleventh is rashness. Twelfth is malice. Under these twelve are many more, which force the man who is bound to the prison of the body to suffer from the torments they inflict. But by Atum's mercy, they may all depart and be replaced by understanding. This is the nature of rebirth.

This is the only road to reality. It is the way our ancestors trod to discover Primal Goodness. It is sacred and divine, but a hard highway for the soul to travel in a body. For the soul's first step is to struggle against itself — stirring up a civil war. It is a feud of unity against duality. The one seeking to unite and the other seeking to divide. He who is reborn communes with the All-Father who is Light and Life. You will only experience this supreme vision when you stop talking about it, for this knowledge is deep silence and tranquillity of the senses. He who knows the beauty of Primal Goodness perceives nothing else.

The above quotation in italics is from Freke, Tim. The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs (p. 112-114). Tim Freke Publications. Kindle Edition.

In the Gospel of John, chapter three, verses sixteen through twenty-one is quite probably the most familiar passage in Christianity. It reads, John 3:3, 16-21 NRSV Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above."… "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."

Let me again repeat the question from above the quotes, understanding what? It will be instructive to examine these two passages as I believe that they relate closely with one another. The first is from the Hermetica, claimed to be written by Thoth an ancient Egyptian, at latest 3,000 BCE, and the second is from the Apostle John, a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth of the first century CE. In answer to my question, I believe that it is understanding what Jesus was really teaching in John’s gospel, and I think it is far more simple than it has been made with 2,000 plus years of orthodox dogma. Jesus was teaching that he was the word of God incarnate. This made him the son of God according to the ancient Hermetic text. But he also taught that we too were the incarnate word of God. This is the understanding that leads to salvation from the irrational torments of matter.

Salvation for Jesus was never salvation from eternal torture in hell. That was a hyperbolic metaphor for the impending catastrophic result of Roman occupation, and their fixation of a literal earthly Messiah that would rid them of Roman rule, and once and for all establish the kingdom of God in Jerusalem for Jews. All of the references to Gehenna, a smoldering garbage dump outside the city was a metaphor for Rome’s reaction to their false belief in prophecy.

However, in the passage in John’s gospel Jesus widened the opportunity for being born from above, becoming spiritually awakened. It was available for anyone who would believe that the word of God, the son of God, indwelt humanity by default. Jesus was simply awakening people to the reality. He was awakening them to the fact that they were divine and thus children of God by virtue of the indwelling Logos the consciousness of God. The crucifixion of the flesh was a metaphor for awakening to the knowledge that one was first and foremost mental creative spirit.

Paul’s mystical understanding added to this by letting people know that their life was hidden in God. This in my view meant that the true spiritual nature of all was hidden in the universal mind of God the realm of the Spirit.

 

God Beyond Religion: The Hermetica and Eclectic Spirituality

I am becoming increasingly convinced that Hermetic teaching is foundational to all spirituality and especially eclectic spirituality. It is made somewhat popular and better known by the Kybalion. However, the teaching that undergirds the Kybalion is very ancient. I think it is safe to say that it is much older than any of the other major religions. I have discovered an easy to read book entitled "The Hermetica, The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs" by Tim Freke and Peter Gandy. It gives an excellent look into ancient hermetic teaching and places it squarely within ancient Egyptian history. While under King James I, the Greek Scholar Casaubon, cast a shadow on the ancient origin of hermetic teaching, but that has since been refuted.

"When Casaubon was writing, very little was actually known about ancient Egypt. The hieroglyphs themselves were not translated until two centuries after his death. Consequently many modern scholars now believe that he was wrong to see the Hermetic philosophy as a second-century invention, especially since the discovery of the pyramid texts of Saqquara at the end of the last century. These hieroglyphs are over 5000 years old and yet contain doctrines that are identical to those expounded in the Hermetica.”

Freke, Tim. The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs (p. 16). Tim Freke Publications. Kindle Edition.

Therefore one can rest assured that Hermetic Teaching is ancient and precedes all other world religions by at least 1,500 to 2,000 years. This is why I believe that it is foundational to eclectic spirituality. It is interesting because in the Hermetica, the one true God is portrayed as a loving Father and the word of the Father is a son, or the Son of God. The Father is the one great creative conscious mind and the word, Son is the creative force whereby the Father speaks his thoughts into material existence. 

"My Guide asked: 'Do you understand the secrets of this vision? I am that Light — the Mind of God, which exists before the chaotic dark waters of potentiality. My calming Word is the Son of God — the idea of beautiful order; the harmony of all things with all things. Primal Mind is parent of the Word, just as, in your own experience, your human mind gives birth to speech. They cannot be divided, one from the other, for life is the union of Mind and Word. Now, fix your attention upon the Light, and become One with it."

Freke, Tim. The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs (p. 33). Tim Freke Publications. Kindle Edition.

The above quote concerning the word of God being the Son of God is interesting indeed considering that the Greeks claimed that it was Egyptian from at least 3,000 BCE. And when you see that there were hieroglyphics found to be from 5,000 BCE with essentially the same teachings, it becomes even more intriguing. The above quote bears a great resemblance to the first chapter of John's gospel and substantiates my view of John 1:10-13. I had stated in a previous blog post that I no longer believe that passage was referring to Jesus Jewish contemporaries. Rather it was referring to the fact that the Logos, God's word was in the world all along in the form of God consciousness. When John writes he came unto his own and was not received, he meant conscious souls, not contemporary Jews. The many that received were the mystics over the years. The unique thing that Jesus taught was that the word became incarnate in him, or in other words, he realized that he possessed the word as a human. He did not stop there however, he also proclaimed that we too could be the word incarnate.

It is easy for me to see that much of what Jesus taught was of hermetic origin. There is a hermetic teaching about spiritual rebirth and being born again.

“No one can be saved, until he is born again… He who is reborn communes with the All-Father who is Light and Life.”  

Freke, Tim. The Hermetica: The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs (p. 97-98). Tim Freke Publications. Kindle Edition.

The concept of being born from above and born from the spirit was first in the Hermetica. The concept was ancient. It was the way in which humans could be in community with the Father, and the father was light and life. You see here repeating themes that were present in the gospel of John. This is one of the reasons that I believe that the gospel of John is much more mystical and esoteric than the other gospels. Jesus said that unless one is born from above or in other words, born again spiritually she/he could not even see the kingdom of God. What he meant was that one has to be awakened to the fact that they are spiritually and mentally children of God. The thing that makes them God’s children is that they are created in the image of God, in other words, they are a conscious creative mind. There is no magic prayer one has to pray, but one must believe that they are truly divine and children of God to be able to take advantage of their heirship.

It should be apparent that being a Christ follower, and understanding and believing in hermetic principles are very compatible.

 

God Beyond Religion: The Paradox of Freewill and Determinism and Eclectic Spirituality

There is an age old debate within Christianity between the concept of freewill and determinism. Depending on ones position, one can find scripture passages that prove one or the other and conversely, one can find passages that contradict each position. For this reason the debates have raged on with different champions and different schools of thought over the history of Christianity. In adopting eclectic spirituality, I have found a way in which both can be true. It is resolved in understanding Hermetic Teaching. Since Christianity teaches that Jesus realized his divinity being the incarnation of the Logos, and since he taught that all of us are like him in that regard, one can believe that the All is mind, consciousness, and that we are egoic points of consciousness within the All. It is here that my view is the most eclectic as I see the Logos, the All, the Creative Source, the Tao, God as different descriptions of the same thing.

I am a Christ follower that places a lot of stock in the Hermetic principles. While I realize that the Kybalion is a very recent document in historical terms, I have a strong spiritual sense that it is correct. I would say that the author, who I believe to be William Walker Atkinson, received mystical illumination when writing the Kybalion. It is the second hermetic principle that I believe solves the paradox of freewill and determinism. It is the principle of correspondence. It states as above so below and as below so above. It speaks of three planes of existence. They are the physical plane, the mental plane and the spiritual plane. One can believe that the same rules apply in all planes according to the principle of correspondence. In other words, one can see the way the mental and spiritual planes operate by observing the physical plane. On the physical plane, cycles are everywhere. There is the water cycle, there is the daily cycle of the day and night, the planets cycle around the sun. there is the cycle of the seasons. Leaves grow, then die and fall to the ground and end up being fertilizer for the trees that produce more leaves the next season. In essence, there is cycles everywhere in the material plane.

So then, using the principle of correspondence, as above so below and as below so above, one can be fairly certain that there are cycles in the mental and spiritual planes as well. This strongly suggests that reincarnation and the transmigration of souls is a principle that one can count on. This would mean that we cycle through different lives.  If this is true, and I believe it is, then this principle alone can adequately explain the appearance of both free will and determinism as existing simultaneously. According to Hermetic teaching, the All is the creative source. It is mental and spiritual in nature. Further, within the All are individual conscious egos. We humans are those individual conscious egos. Free will comes into play with the choices we make. We choose our life path, our lessons etc. Perhaps it is based on criteria set by the All, or a collective of conscious egos, and quite possibly both. I sense that each individual conscious ego has a lot of input into the plan. That is the place of free will. Our conscious egos can choose the time and place for incarnating. Determinism enters within the plan once the choice is made. It is important to realize that we are a part of the creative source, the All. This is what Peter referred to as the divine nature. We are indeed participants with the creative source.

 

If this is the case, then it is possible that the entire Christian experience is a plan that was set in motion that each of us chose to play a role in. Paul’s mystical revelation in Ephesians chapter one lays out the overall framework of the plan. The source, in this case, God chose those who participate in the plan before creation, and therefore, we too chose that plan and that is why we were born into Christianity. What to do with the plan is a choice. I would look at it as a subplot drama in the overall drama of material existence. There are those who embrace and believe the plan. There are those who question the plan and leave. There are those that try to understand the plan in a contemporary way. But, what if this plan is integral in eclectic spirituality? What if there are many plans? What if Buddhism is a plan; Taoism is a plan; Hinduism, Islam, Mentalism, New Age, are all plans? What if all of the various plans make up eclectic spirituality, and the mystical revelation in Christianity plays an integral part in the upward spiral of spiritual awareness? What if, in the Christ, Christ Consciousness, the Cosmic Christ, the concept of a new humanity is an integral part of the spiritual advancement of humanity?

 

While I realize that there is so much toxic about Christianity, especially evangelicalism, and while there is a lot of toxic teaching in the Pauline scripture, there is also a substantial amount of mystical revelation that includes but is not limited to, Paul’s vision of a New Humanity. There is also his definition of love and the fruit of the spirit. There is John’s revelation that God is love, and that Jesus taught that humans are in fact also partakers of divinity. While those born into Christianity are part of a predetermined plan, each of us within that reality have the freedom of choice to embrace what is good and beneficial and reject out of hand the toxicity. The most toxic of all is the view of scripture that it is all equally the word of the creative source and that is patently false!