Towards, unto, into and in Theos

It is an odd etymology in English that the two words seem to be related but when you consider the ideas in the Greek New Testament particularly it seems less so. We have already, in the previous post, considered the relation of the kaporeth figure to the idea of giving and receiving and the gift of Iesous’ soul as a release for many. So, we can see that giving can be associated with forgiveness of sins.

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened…If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give holy spirit to them that ask him? (Loukas 11.9,10,13)

Following on from looking at giving and receiving, we can see that this passage tells us exactly what it is that we will be given, i.e. holy spirit, and therefore what we should be asking for. The gift of Theos to us is himself, the revelation of his mind and that is what we should be asking for. This is the foundation for understanding the giving of forgiveness of sins.

But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold…He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has. (Math.13.8,11,12)

In the parable of the sower the seed is the word of Theos which is sown in a variety of different soils which represent the recipients who receive it and their ability to receive it with a view to being saved. The good soil are those who receive it with a good and honest heart and create a considerable increase on that original sowing. They ‘bring forth’ (give) fruit. So it is with the giving of the mind of Theos. It gives fruit in those in whom it is placed. They understand the revelation of the mystery of the kingdom and bear fruit. Iesous was the archetype of this pattern.

And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat. (Markos 5.43)

Iesous has just raised a little girl from the dead and his immediate injunction is to give food that causes that renewed life to persist. Life is premised on the giving of food by the representative of Theos.

He answered and said unto them, Give them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?… And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. (Markos 6.37,41)

Again Iesous is giving food to those who require it for the persistence of their lives. He causes the food to be given by the disciples. Iesous shares the food out to them and they divide it out to the multitude and the outcome of that sharing is the evidence of its multiplication – twelve baskets of leftovers. Here we see authority in action, just as the centurion had confessed to Iesous. Giving is done through agents, whether it be bread or the true bread from heaven, the word of Theos. This authority bestowed upon his disciples is seen in other manifestations:

And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them authority against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease…And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons: freely you have received, freely give. (Math.10.1,7,8)

Iesous sends out the twelve to engage in activity which we saw earlier on in Maththaios (and we referred to in an earlier post) was indicative of forgiveness of sins, that is the healing of the sick and the raising of the dead. It was a gift which was bestowed upon them, that is Iesous gave them the authority to do it just as his father had given him the authority to bestow such blessings. He, and then his disciples, had freely received and must now freely give. Understanding then that forgiveness of sins is a gift from Theos it is evident that it can be, and indeed must be, administered by his representatives whom he has sent. Thus:

For Theos so loved the kosmos, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes into him should not perish, but have aionian life… Iohannes answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven… For he whom Theos has sent speaks the words of Theos: for Theos gives not the spirit by measure unto him. (Ioh.3.16,27,34)

The gift is from Theos. Theos gives his son so that aionian life will be the outcome to those who believe into him. The gift of the spirit is from heaven. Theos gifts his spirit to the son without restraint and offers aionian salvation on account of that gift. The son must subject himself to the father and manifest that word himself to create that opportunity of salvation for himself and his people.

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his soul a release for many. (Markos 10.45)

We have already looked at this verse in a previous blog when considering what is a soul. It is clear that the disciples, like Iesous, were required to take (receive) the stake and follow him. This process of exchanging their own natural identity for the identity of Theos, by the process of supplanting the natural mind by the utterances of his spirit, is what leads to the release of many from the sentence of death. It is Theos that gifts this possibility. It is Iesous, and then his disciples, who must obey. The gift of Iesous’ identity, that is his manifestation of the soul of the father by ceding his own soul, is that which can release many others.

And this is the record, that Theos has given to us aionian life, and this life is in his son…These things have I written unto you that believe into (εις) the name of the son of Theos; that you may know that you have aionian life, and that you may believe into (εις) the name of the son of Theos…We know that whosoever is born of Theos sins not; but he that is begotten of Theos keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not…And we know that the son of Theos is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in (εν) him that is true, even in (εν) his son Iesous anointed. This is the true Theos, and aionian life. (1 Ioh.5.11,13,18,20)

Here we return to the theme of the blog – ‘into’ and ‘in’. Theos has given us aionian life by the revelation of himself in his son. These things are accessible to those that believe into the name of Iesous. Theos has given us this understanding so that we may become in his son and may become Theos having life for the ages. If we are born of Theos, as Iesous was, we do not sin. Iesous did not sin on account of the revelation of the father to him. We will not sin if we see that revelation of the father in him, receive it and reflect it. Ultimately, when we are finally in him, through the process of believing into him, we will become Theos we will possess aionian life. The life and Theos are indistinguishable.

The Theos of our fathers raised up Iesous, whom you slew and hanged on a tree. Him has Theos exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the holy spirit, which Theos has given to them that obey him. (Acts 5.30-32)

Petros is speaking to the council of the Ioudaioi that he cannot obey them and not speak in and about the name of Iesous as he must obey Theos. He then clearly shows the purpose of Theos in anointed in raising him up and exalting him in order to give the opportunity to Israel for repentance and subsequent forgiveness of their sins. The outcome of which is the giving of the spirit to those who are obedient. Repentance and subsequent forgiveness are conditional on the willing receiving of the revelation of Theos in Iesous.

A common theme, as seen above, is the giving of the spirit. This, in some places, is also juxtaposed with the idea of giving ‘grace’. Grace is a term intimately bound up with the meaning of the name of Yahweh:

And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will call the name Yahweh before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. (Ex.33.19)

It is also linked with the kindness that a man may have to his wife when she finds grace in his sight. It is linked with Noah who found grace in Yahweh’s eyes. This idea of favour is linked to revelation. Yahweh told Noah his plans for judgment on an iniquitous earth and a plan for the salvation of Noah and his house. In the New Testament we see grace being given as a regular theme:

For this cause I Paulos, the prisoner of Iesous anointed for you nations, If you have heard of the stewardship of the grace of Theos which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote before in few words, Whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of anointed) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in spirit; That the nations should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in anointed by the euangelion: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of Theos given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the nations the unsearchable riches of anointed; (Ephesians 3.1-8)

Paulos, like the centurion, is under authority by the word and has authority to minister the word. This position is referred to as a gift of grace because it is the favourable bestowing by the father of his revelation upon Paulos for his own salvation and that he might graciously bestow it upon others. This lies at the heart of the gift of forgiveness of sins. It is the favourable bestowing of his revelation, by the utterance of the spirit unto salvation.

This is seen quite beautifully in the construction of one of the words for ‘forgive’ – karizomai (χαριζομαι). It is far from the commonest word in the New Testament for forgive and is often translated ‘give’ but nevertheless it illuminates the relation of the two:

And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight…There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou has rightly judged. (Loukas 7.21,41-3)

In this passage Iesous is showing to Iohannes the baptist’s followers that he is fulfilling scripture that shows he is the anointed. We recall from looking at Maththaios 8.16-17 that the various acts of healing were to demonstrate his power to forgive and take away sins by his word. Here we have the same phenomenon: the sick are healed, the dead raised and the euangelion is preached. Things are taken away and things are added or given. Sight is given, blindness is taken away. In the same chapter but later on we read about his encounter with a Pharisaios called Simon and a woman who enters Simon’s house to anoint Iesous’ feet and wipe them with her tears and her hair. Simon considers the woman a sinner. Iesous tells him the parable of the two creditors to show him the difference between him and the woman. She has kissed Iesous, anointed his feet and wiped them. Simon did none of these hospitable actions. He loves little, she loves much. He is forgiven little, she is forgiven much. She is repentant and Simon is not. Therefore forgiveness is granted, or given, to her while it is not for Simon. At the conclusion of all this Iesous tells her, Your sins are forgiven you. He uses here the more common word to forgive, which is aphiemi (αφιημι) meaning ‘to take away’. She manifested love to her lord because he is the revelation of Theos, he gave her forgiveness of sins and her sins were taken away. It is a giving because it is based on gifting of the word of Theos which results in the taking away of sin.

And grieve not the holy spirit of Theos, in which you are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as Theos in anointed has forgiven you. Be therefore followers of Theos, as dear children; And walk in love, as anointed also has loved us, and has given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to Theos for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 4.30-32; 5.1-2)

The word for ‘grieve’ is mostly translated as ‘sorrow’ and depicts a state of contention. Thus we must not be at odds with the spirit as it is the spirit of Theos which will make sure that we will be redeemed and we can only be redeemed within the framework of a kerubic relationship. Redemption being from the word ‘to loose’ which forms the basis for the word for ‘release’ which was what Iesous gave his soul for. The behaviour of the believer is what is critical here and is premised upon the willing receipt of the spirit of Theos. By virtue of this we are able to forgive as we are forgiven. The receipt of the spirit and the ensuing imitation of Theos is what we must strive to accomplish as anointed accomplished and by this gift of spirit that leads to redemption we may be forgiven en route to that redemption and aionian life.