Letter
Twelve
Dear brethren
it is written that Jesus Christ spoke these words: a I have yet
many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the
Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not
speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and
he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of
mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father has are
mine: therefore I said, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it
unto you.
The Spirit of truth’s coming is not as the
nonspiritual mind thinks. It is not in a chronological order as some think. But
rather like a child of every generation; that learns: two and one are three
anew, again and again. For there are those that are from the families of the
north: that are of the wrath of God; as prophesied by Jeremiah: b Then the
LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the
inhabitants of the land. For, lo, I
will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, says the LORD; and
they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entering of the
gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against
all the cities of Judah. And I will utter my judgments against them touching
all their wickedness, who have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other
gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands. This is what Jesus Christ is saying about these
families in Matthew : c
“Woe to you, teachers
of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in
men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are
trying to. “Woe to you,
teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea
to win a single convert, and when that one becomes one, you make them twice as
much a child of hell as you are.
For there are many of
those who have exalted themselves to the ranks of teaching Gods people, but
they need to be taught themselves, hence Hebrews: d Jesus Christ called of God an high priest after the order of
Melchisedec. Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing
you are dull of hearing. For when for the time you ought to be teachers, you
have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the
oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong
meat. For every one that uses milk is unskillful in the word of
righteousness: for he is a babe. But
strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by
reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us
go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead
works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on
of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this
will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible for those who were once
enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of
the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the
world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance;
seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to
an open shame. And as you read, you see the real crucifixion ¾ the one
in the spirit. The earthy crucifixion is an image of the crucifixion in the
spirit.
What an honor it
is to be part of these things, for it is written: eye and ear has not seen or
heard the things that God has prepared for them that love him, but he has
revealed them to the Elect of God. For as Jesus Christ said: e For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous
ones have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them;
and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them. He is telling his people of those
things that the Godhead ordained before the foundation of the world. It is a table for the Elect of God, that
their enemies cannot partake of nor see. Hence the 23rd Psalm: f The Lord
is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green
pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake. Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff
they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of mine
enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
It is written by the apostle Paul:
g Now
this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;
neither does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We
shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall
be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put
on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this
corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on
immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is
swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is
your victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is
the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ.
In Romans concerning the law, our
beloved Paul speaks on this wise: h For we know that the law is spiritual: but I
am carnal, sold under sin.
And it is true, it was always spiritual,
for it came from God. f Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you pay tithes of mint and
anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law,
judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought you to have done, and not to leave the
other undone. As
the law is spiritual, so then is the sin.
This is the beginning of the
second death. For sin is the transgression of the law and when it is finished
it brings death the second time. When it has had it’s perfect work, two thirds
of those called to the election die.
J And take the
helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching
thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. The
tip of the sword consist of faith which is spiritual; that is why faith for
fleshy things cannot have hope for Godly substance. That is why the kingdoms of
this world are worthless. k If any gain the whole world and lose their own soul,
what is the gain? It is written: They
that lose their life for Jesus Christ shall gain it. L The
riches of unrighteous mammon are the things thought to be of faith and loved by
those of the flesh who failed: esteeming these fleshy things to be the
treasures of a spiritual God’s inheritance to the Elect: this is an
abomination to God.
Here our Lord spoke of these
riches and commended those that fail: ll
And Jesus said to His
disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich person to enter the
kingdom of heaven. “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of
God.” And when the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and
said, “Then who can be saved?” And looking upon them Jesus said to them,
“With any person this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” And
the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the
children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of
light. And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of
unrighteousness; that, when you fail, they may receive you into everlasting
habitations.
I have somewhat to say, but what
our beloved Paul says, I could not say it better: m Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things
that accompany salvation, though we thus speak: for God is not unrighteous to
forget your work and the love which you showed toward his name, in that you
ministered unto the saints, and still do minister. And we desire that each one
of you may show the same diligence unto the fullness of hope even to the end:
that you be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience
inherit the promises.
Remember brethren of what our
beloved Paul is saying: n
For he is our peace, who
has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of partition between
us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of two one
new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in
one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which
were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access
by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore you are no more strangers and
foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
And you are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the
building fitly framed together grows unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom
you also are built together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
a John 16:12-15,
b Jeremiah
1: 14-16, c Matthew 23: 13, 15, d Hebrews 5:10 – 6:6, e Matthew 13:17, f Psalms 23, g 1
Corinthians 15: 50-57,
h Romans 7:14, i Matthew 23:23, j Ephesians 6:17-18, k Matthew 16:24-26,
l Luke 16:8-9, ll Matthew
19:23-26, Luke 16:8-9, m Hebrews 6:9-12
. n Ephesians 2:14-21.
Amen,