Scripture Interpretations?
 

Occasionally, I'll read a scripture & discover a new meaning (new to me :wink: ).
Like John 3:5...
I've always interpreted this to refer to baptism & the spirit & I can see the symbolism & possible related resonance/feeling associated with baptism. Yet, just now, I thought about how our bodies are mostly made of water & how we are nurtured & born of our mother's water or amniotic fluid.

Also considering the many who never are baptized (& yes there is the argument about lds temple work)... Everyone in a sense is "born of water"... then it's up to us to be born of the Spirit...

Now what does that mean?

Anyway... I would like to know if you have or come across any new interpretations of scripture. I realize there are countless perspectives, so it's fun to learn new ways of seeing things.

I was thinking aloud to my son about this & meanings of the Christmas story. (Lucky him! :wink: lol)
Luke 17;20-21:Consider that ^ scripture in relation to this one (mentioned before)...These births are within, or necessary parts of us, both physical birth (born of water) & spiritual birth (awareness & getting in touch with divinity already within?).
So the story of baby Jesus can also be related to us... to our physical & spiritual births. I always wondered why such focus on Jesus' birth & then not much else, until the last few years of his life. Really, would an elightened one (Jesus or whoever wrote the 4 gospels) want us to worship & adore his particular birth, or was there a moral to the story, as usual? Parable! People will interpret & resonate based on each one's level of understanding.

It also implies that we must have been physically born (to have had a body) to enter the kingdom of God.
Any thoughts?

I think you are on to something! I believe the churches have interpreted scriptures incorrectly. Eckhart Tolle has some very interesting interpretations as well that really resonate with me that are wholly different than what the churches teach

Hi SeaZen,
Thanks for your encouragement.
I bought & started reading Eckhart Tolle's book, "The Power of Now" - & it's good, but I haven't finished it yet... I keep getting distracted with other good books.

One thing he wrote that created a perspective change is his explanation of "I am"... It really hit me when I was preparing to teach about how Jesus taught "I am the truth, the way, the light"... & I thought, yeah, "I am!" Not to be self-righteous, but going along with what Jesus said about the kingdom of God being within.
If you remember or think of any new ways of resonating, please share.

I will venture a guess coming from a mystical background. Considering that we are Spirit, mind and body... Spirit can be experienced from a space of Christ Consciousness which is the highest form of energy. And energy can be likened to three states of water - vapour, liquid and ice - H20 in various stages of vibration. To get to the finest vibration, vapour, we need to pass from body-consciousness (solid), through mind (liquid) to the highest causal space of Christ Consciousness (vapour) to be able to experience Spirit (which is beyond all three).

In Matthew, we have the same great truth put more simply and more vividly, 'Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven' (Matthew 18:3).

Let's start with the kingdom of heaven. We get our best definition of it from the Lord's Prayer.

Your kingdom come:
Your will be done in earth as it is in heaven.

The kingdom of heaven is a society where God's will is as perfectly done on earth as it is in heaven. To be in the kingdom of heaven is therefore to lead a life in which we have willingly submitted everything to the will of God; it is to have arrived at a stage when we perfectly and completely accept the will of God.

The idea of being a child of God; in one sense, this is a tremendous privilege. To those who believe, there is given the power to become God's children (John 1:12). The very essence of being a child of God is necessarily obedience. We cannot without any reality say that we love a person and then do things which hurt and grieve that person's heart. This relationship is a privilege, but a privilege which is entered into only when full obedience is given.

The idea behind eternal life is the idea of a certain quality of life. What kind? Eternal life is the kind of life that God lives; it is God's life. To enter into eternal life is to enter into possession of that kind of life which is the life of God. It is to be lifted up above merely human, transient things into that joy and peace which belong only to God. This close fellowship with God we only render to him when we enter into that love, that reverence, that devotion and that obedience which truly brings us into fellowship with him.

Here then, we have three great related conceptions-- entry into the kingdom of heaven, becoming children of God and eternal life-- and all are dependent on and are the products of perfect obedience to the will of God. It is just here that the idea of being reborn comes in. It is quite clear that, as we are and in our own strength, we are quite unable to render to God this perfect obedience; it is only when God's grace enters into us and takes possession of us and changes us that we can give to him the reverence and the devotion we ought to give. It is through Jesus Christ that we are reborn; it is when he enters into possession of our hearts and lives that the change comes.

Water and the Spirit stand for the cleansing and the strengthening power of Christ, which wipes out the past and gives victory in the future.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is the spirit. Human beings by themselves are flesh, and their power is limited to what the flesh can do. The very essence of the Spirit is power and life which are beyond human power and human life.

Consider water. Consider fire.
It is like saying, if one is born to purity, and one is born to love, one will find God. It means nothing more than this.
Baptism is a ritual. And is only as meaningful as the meaning to the receiver.
What is important is love. Not ritual. But if the ritual helps one, it helps, if it does not help one, it does not help. What is important is love.
So when God said, 'you offer me sacrifices and incense, but where is your love'.

But those who are bound to ritual are bound to belief in their own love. But if love were upon them they would need no ritual. It is like training wheels to love, is setting your clock and going to church on time. When love is and never was religion, but just a formulated way of discovering love for some who require the bell to ring and the hymn to sing. Yet those that follow A, fight with those that follow B. So this is neither love.

When you will understand, is when you will love. As love unlocks the key to truth. Yet those that do not understand will say they understand for fear of love. For love opens doors to pain as it opens also doors to joy.

Uma,
I'd never thought of it that way before... Energy like 3 states of water: vapour (spirit), liquid (mind) & ice (body)... Thanks for that insight.
It also reminds me of something else... Have you heard the saying, "Many are called, but few are chosen... & why are they not chosen, because they set their hearts on the things of men instead of God." (or something like that)
I heard a quote that kindof goes with what you wrote, "Many are cold, but few are frozen." :smile:

Shim,
I like what you mentioned, makes the kingdom of God more real, not some place in the sky.
I also like the scripture about becoming as children... to live in & enjoy each moment & love more freely.

Whiteride,
Your analogy of training wheels makes sense. Thanks. I'm trying to appreciate & respect this ritual-filled religion that I no longer completely believe in, & your analogy helps.
I believe that love (& learning to love well) is our purpose.
Would you clarify & expand on what you mentioned about love unlocking the key to truth... & fear of love?

Dear perspective,

Thank you for being the way you are.
Thank you for your question:
This also might help you, in not being anti-anything. Even though it is better to not be anti-human, it is better to be anti-human before anti-subject.
So once you can focus narrower to just sort people by people, as they come, without prejudice, then you can work on trying to love the people you are anti to as well, as per the darkness in them.
Forget the religion. Feel the energy of the person.
Forget the colour. Feel the energy of the person.
Forget the policeman. Feel the energy of the policeman.
Forget the politics. Feel the energy of the politician.
Forget the general. Feel the energy of the soldier, but do not shoot him down, throw hot or cold water over him.

The more you find love inside you. The more you will become a target to those who fear love. You will be picked on. Abused. Etc. So you build up an amour. And become like them to a degree. Those that abuse your love.

If you were pure love and a man. You would turn straight men gay.
Innocence attracts the sexual desire out of the best of men.

Now this gives you an idea for how love is a danger.

However, if you take upon the fear of your love, that others have, you can hold a fear within you that repels them.

Everybody fears love. God is love.
Yet everybody wants love. God is love.

Truth comes from love. Truth comes from God.
So when you love what is love, in loving those around you.
Truth is opened to you.
When your mind is clear, and peace is in your heart.
Truth knocks on the door.
It sees what it has seen.
It sees what should have been.
It sees what should be.

So as the light is reflected with love, love being a key to peace, the peace to find a clear reflection, you can see the light.

You see the dark light of the past. And can reflect the light into a coloured window, to change that light. By seeing the light of the past through the cloud of tears, and turn into a rainbow, you can see the pot of gold of the future. In knowing that the true way to act and be.

With love inside you, you may put your eye on anything and everything and look at it in a new light.

You may look at the sun even. And say this does me no harm, as this is my glorious light.

You might look at the wind and wonder about it. And consider what it is. It is not just wind. What is wind?

You might think about when you were a child and you feared the dark, so much to you shivered and became cold.

You might also think about how now you walk through the dark yet with tension in your muscles to fight off the cold.

Which is different? I see none, but a child's view and an adult's view.

A child lives and knows their fears. They love yet are protected.
Adults must find their own protection, by living and forgetting much of what is true, and making complex ideas to protect themselves from others. This happens automatically, subconsciously.

If you can find the love within you, yet also the strength to fight the fear of what the love must make you face. Any truth can be known to you.

You eat from the tree of knowledge.
But the tree of life is love, and faith in love. Strength to face fear of love.
And never will you get to the top of either tree unless you love.
Yet, strength is a part of love, faith is a part of love, truth is a part of love.
All is within love.
Yet definitions of one person fly far from the other person.
For they consider themselves truth and love.
So with humility you begin.

I am nothing before love.
Before the spirit of love.
Love that which is God.

That is how I began.
I love God.
And God loves me.

The love I find is the love I receive.
Through love do I ask for love.
Through love do I begin.

Through love I fear others, yet love them anyway through that fear.

Love is fear.
Fear is love.
Until love is love.
And fear is fun.

Yet what is Good?
And what is Bad?

A little fear is good.
Much love is good.

God is not so simple. Is love, is fear.

God is what God will be.

Ultimately, truth begins by ending the truth as you see.
By being born again into a love of knowing.

Not knowing money.
Not knowing culture.
Not knowing greed.
Not knowing envy.
Not knowing jealousy.
Not knowing yesterday.
Not knowing today.
Not knowing tomorrow.

But knowing the spirit of God.
The spirit of God knowing you.
So that you are one with God.
And God one with you.
Then you are Good and eternal.

Knowing no time.
No night.
No day.

Being a vessel of good, a chalice of God, the water within, waving as you wish to wave, twirling as you wish to swirl, flowing as you wish to row, surfing as you wish to breeze.

To being I am who I am. By knowing who is love, who was love, and who will be love. That love being you inside. As that love being me inside. And all that love being God.

Those who project much fear and hate upon love, fear to face their wrongs. Fear losing their power. Fear being at the bottom, for when now they are high.

Love is kept low by fear.

Yet a little fear is Good. As God is not one colour.

I hope you find something in my answers. I try to give as much as I can, without giving so much, as to not be heard at all.

Peace.

Thank you for your kindness, Whiteride - touched my heart. :smile:
Whiteride, that's so timely - a lot of what you wrote is what I needed to hear, actually. For a while, I've been subtly upset about the idea that everything is illusion, & yet it feels needed. You helped me reconcile that some & I appreciate it.
I'd guess this fight or repelling against love is based on misunderstandings of love. Love can be defined, expressed & interpreted countless ways.

I never really realized it, but i think you're right - how ironic, but it's true, that we both fear & want love. We fear the truth, which unconditional love (God) is... yet we want to feel loved & to love.

Beautiful! It's like when you're in love & everything looks so beautiful!
There's a philosopher (don't remember which one) that said something like "Children wouldn't know 'good' or 'evil' if they could somehow continue as they start." Yet I think that they do need some instruction & guidance. Our nature is to survive, to look out for ourselves. If left to ourselves, we'd only care for ourselves.

I like what you mentioned about using love to face fears.

We're created physically (& I'd guess spiritually too) litterally, by love.
Wow - I never realized how intertwined love & fear are.
Good & bad is relative... & would likely change, when we see the big picture. IMO, God is inspiration, resonating, progress... which can involve both love & fear.

Like story of Moses, God said, "I am that I am"... & Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth & the light" - & also that the kingdom of God is within, not externally.
I don't like to be wrong... especially in the eyes of others, because I give myself enough of a hard time, besides receiving someone else's evil eye...
I've often fought or denied so much about me, especially negative feelings. But I'm learning that these uncomfortable feelings can be keys to peace, by compassionately exploring the thoughts that produce them.

At first when I read your post, I kindof argued it mentally, thinking about the scripture, "Perfect love casteth out fear" - so I thought, how could fear & love co-exist? But it is perfect, unconditional love that doesn't involve fear. I don't know anyone capable of that yet. I do, however know many who love as well as they can, because of, or in spite of fear.
Yes, I did, thank you. :smile: