James Simmons wrote:Because men and women are of differing levels of spiritual maturity scripture is written with layered meanings. A certain quote from Matthew will tell the younger soul that a sword and thus killing is OK sometimes. The older soul sees this too but, in addition, the older soul sees an additional esoteric meaning. The sword symbolizes the personal struggle of the human being to overcome the self interest in life and to concentrate, instead, on the higher attributes such as harmlessness towards everything and everyone in life.
I have found in all scriptures whether Christian, Jewish or Muslim this to be true. A good example of God's wisdom yes? So those who insist that a particular meaning is the correct one are failing to understand God's purpose in ministering to humanity. The reason this is true is because, simply, creation continues even now. There are people who are very advanced and others who are just beginning to work towards what Christianity calls salvation. There are others yet who have long since achieved that goal.
We might remember this when debating scripture. There are parables and stories and stories within stories and meanings within meanings. This is the difference between the Word of God and the word of man. Is this so hard to agree with?
What I am saying is "each of us is different and we may err by abiding in the meaning of a passage as derived by another person". Ministers are not always correct. First they have to have a certain level of understanding which is not easy to attain.
You say that everyone seems to receive different insights from the same passags in scripture.
The bible is seen as the spiritual food from heaven (The Manna) that we are to feed on while here, wandering in the wilderness on our journey to our true promised home. Concerning the Manna that fell in the desert, which is representative of the spiritual Manna Solomon has this to say: "The Wisdom of Solomon" 16: 20.
“Instead whereof thou gavest thy people angels food to eat, and bread ready for use didst thou provide from heaven without their toil, bread having the virtue of every pleasant savour, and agreeing to every taste: for thy substance manifested thy sweetness toward thy children ministering to the desire of the eater, and transforming itself according to every mans choice.�
From the heavenly Manna, every person received the taste that they desired, but the Manna, which looked like coriander seed did have one genuine flavour which Moses tasted as biscuits cooked in olive oil.
Jesus was the first to win the victory and receive the true taste of the spiritual Manna, and we, who like our brother Jesus, also win the victory are invited to sit with him in our Father’s throne of Godhead to the entire creation visible and invisible.
Jesus was the first fruits to be harvested from the body of mankind: Jesus was the first of many brothers to be raised from the dead past of the "Son of Man," The spirit that is currently devloping within the body of mankind, and is born into the invisible dimension that co-exists within this visible three dimension, with the death of the body in which he is curently developing and the spiritual umbilical cord that binds him to this world is severed. The "Son of Man," the most high in the creation who descended through time and chose Jesus as the man through whom he would reveal himself to the world.
Jesus was the first to win the victory and to receive a share of the glorious immortal body of light that was torn asunder and poured out as little tongues of fire for our salvation. In his new glorious body of brilliant and blinding light, He, on the road to Damascus, answered Saul's question, "Who are you Lord?" with these words, "I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you persecute."
And Jesus our brother, was given divine glory and now sits in the throne of our Father. We the chosen ones who currently bear the image of the first Adam, shall also bear THE IMAGE OF Jesus the second Adam, a new creation of bodies of Glorious and blinding Light that is the Temple that is to replace God’s old tabernacle (Mankind) on this earth.
First,
MAN was created a little lower than the angels, then he is crowned with glory and all creation is placed beneath his feet. All creation is placed beneath the feet of
MAN WHO IS CROWNED WITH GLORY, we have not yet seen this happen. But we have seen Jesus, the first born from the dead, who has won the victory and was given divine glory by our heavenly Father and saviour, and now sits in His heavenly throne of Godhead: and who, in Revelation 3: 21; invites we; who win the victory also, to sit with him in our Father’s throne of Godhead within the creation. And all creation Visible and invisible, which includes even the angels, will bow at our feet.
