Dr. Jay Forrest

The Congress of Messina, meeting in 1966, made a huge mistake by defining “gnosis” as “knowledge of the divine mysteries reserved for an elite.”[1] Following their lead, many have continued to repeat this mistake. Gnosis, writes Elaine Pagels, “is not primarily rational knowledge.” Rather, it is “an intuitive process of knowing.”[2] It is, in the words of Bentley Layton, a “personal acquaintance with an object.”[3] In other words, gnosis is a mystical experience. As such, it is ineffable, that is, it is “more like states of feeling than like states of intellect.”[4] It is not the knowledge of anything, it is rather a direct encounter with God. But, gnosis also has a noetic quality. As William James rightly states, “Although so similar to states of feeling, mystical states seem to those who experience them to be also states of knowledge.”[5] They produce intuitions, a knowing beyond knowing. Two others things about gnosis. First, such experiences cannot be sustained for long. And s

Subject: Therapeutae and Therapeutrides Author: Philo Judaeus Date: 30 CE Editor's Introduction As is evident from the writings of Seneca, Epictetus and others, philosophy in the West ceased to be purely speculative, and dealt with moral and religious questions. This tendency toward the moral and religious was strengthened by the spread of Jewish and Christian teachings, together with the development of the Neo-Platonists toward mysticism, and the consequent mingling of western and eastern thought. Philo Judaeus lived in Alexandria, Egypt, from 20 B.C. to 40 A.D. He was a Jew in religion but a Greek in philosophy, and did much to promote this fusion of thought. The selection below describes the pre-Christian ascetics of Egypt. lt is important because it shows that asceticism was common in the deserts of Egypt even before the Christian monks and thus by no means peculiarly Christian. Therapeutae and Therapeutrides I. Having mentioned the Essenes, who in all respects selected fo

There are a number of people beginning the awakening process. This is a painful process of deconstruction of old belief systems. The story your parents, church, or society have told you begin to fall apart. It is helpful to know this is normal for those awakening from the Matrix. There are four stages of faith. First is simplicity, here everything is right or wrong. The main motive is about being right. The world seems simple, there is us who are good and them that are evil. The second stage is complexity. The clarity has blurred, and the focus is now on success and failure. The world is divided between winners and losers, and we are the winners. There is also an increasing independence. Doubt is a problem to be solved. The third stage is perplexity. Honesty opens one up to the complexities of the faith. One begins to see their own bias, and begin facing inconvenient truths. Black and white has blended into shades of gray. Life has now become a quest for the true and the real, wit

Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense, but the one who has understanding holds their tongue. (Proverbs 11:12) The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues. (Proverbs 17:27-28) Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity. (Proverbs 21:23) “Keep silence for the most part, and speak only when you must, and then briefly.” —Epictetus “Speak only if it improves upon the silence.” —Mahatma Gandhi “Once you’ve matured, you realize silence is more powerful than proving a point.” —Unknown “Silence is the best answer for all questions. Smiling is the best reaction to all situations.” —Unknown “LAW 4: Always Say Less Than Necessary. When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will seem origin

A popular meme says: So if guns kill people, I guess pencils misspell words, cars drive drunk, and spoons make people fat.  Guns are designed to kill, pencils are not designed to misspell words, cars are not designed to drive drunk, and spoons are not designed to make people fat. But guns are designed to kill. That's their purpose. These things are not equivalent.  When guns are used to kill people it is a crime. When a pencil is used to misspell a word it is a mistake. When cars are operated by drunk drivers it's a crime. And when spoons are used to overeat it's an unwise choice. Notice that only two of these things kill people, and therefore are crimes. But only one of these things is designed to do so  Just as you need to have a license to drive a car, you should need to have a license to own a gun. And for the same reason. Both can kill people if they are misused. And just as drunk drivers lose their license if they drive drunk, people who are mentally or criminall

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). Most Christians don’t understand grace. Grace is not unmerited favor. You can’t grow in unmerited favor, you either have it or you don’t. Grace is the special influence of God upon a person.. You can grow in the special influence of God in your life. The more you surrender to God, the more you die to self, the more God fills your life. You cannot reap a harvest if you don’t plant seeds. And the seeds won’t grow if you don’t water them. But if you plant and water the seeds, they will grow and produce fruit. The seeds are your resolutions, the water is the spiritual disciplines, and the fruit is the result in one’s life in the form of thoughts, words, and deeds. The sun is God’s grace, it is his influence that works in and with you, enabling you to live a holy life. God’s grace is already given, it is in the very presence of God as the Ground of Being. We are God’s offspring, our existence

You are born alone, and you die alone. Yet, how we fight against this reality.  Before you begin a deeper walk with God, know that that walk will be a lonely one. The closer you get to God, the further you'll be from people. Leonard Ravenhill said it well: Great eagles fly alone; great lions hunt alone; great souls walk alone-alone with God. Such loneliness is hard to endure, and impossible to enjoy unless God accompanies them. Prophets are lone men; they walk alone, pray alone and God makes them alone.

Before we talk about Gnosticism, we must define it. But defining Gnosticism has become one of the leading problems in the field. Whole books have been dedicated to the subject (See books by Karen L. King and Michael Allen Williams). The problem is that Western scholars see religion as something dealing with beliefs. So, naturally, they think that Gnosticism should have something to do with doctrines and beliefs. I think this is a mistake. In fact, I think it is the mistake. Gnosticism, in my opinion, should refer to the orientation by which groups deal with their religion. Not the content of what they believe, but how they believe. Not concepts in the mind, but practices and actions in dealing with living their religion. In a recent book of mine, I gave the following definition: Gnosticism is an orientation towards religion that approaches Scripture as myths, interprets Scripture allegorically, has mysteries ( musterion ) reserved for the initiated, aims for salvation through mys

The four gospels of the New Testament were originally written anonymously. They were only later given the names: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Scholars do not believe that these are eyewitness accounts. And the gospel of Thomas, which is not included in the New Testament, maybe the oldest of all of them (60 CE). The first time we have a list of the four gospels is in the Muratorian Canon that was written as early as the late 2nd century or as late as the fourth century according to Helmet Koester. The earliest fragments exist from about the middle of the second century. So the gospels must have been written before then.  Most scholars date the gospels from the end of the first century. But this is based upon the presupposition that they are historical biographies. As the search for the historical Jesus demonstrates, they are not historical biographies. They are either elaborations of a historical Jesus or a allegorical myth. Now if we lay aside the presupposition that they are

This is the oldest creed of Christianity. It is recorded in the first epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the [Jewish] scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the [Jewish] scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brothers at once; of whom the greater part remain to this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. (1 Corinthians 15:3-8)

Chapter 17. Philo's Account of the Ascetics of Egypt. 1. It is also said that Philo in the reign of Claudius became acquainted at Rome with Peter, who was then preaching there. Nor is this indeed improbable, for the work of which we have spoken, and which was composed by him some years later, clearly contains those rules of the Church which are even to this day observed among us. 2. And since he describes as accurately as possible the life of our ascetics, it is clear that he not only knew, but that he also approved, while he venerated and extolled, the apostolic men of his time, who were as it seems of the Hebrew race, and hence observed, after the manner of the Jews, the most of the customs of the ancients. 3. In the work to which he gave the title, On a Contemplative Life or on Suppliants , after affirming in the first place that he will add to those things which he is about to relate nothing contrary to truth or of his own invention, he says that these men were called

I believe in God the Father almighty. And in Christ Jesus, His only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Holy Spirit from the Virgin Mary, who under Pontius Pilate was crucified and buried, on the third day rose from the dead, ascended into the heavens, he sits at the right hand of the Father, from which He will come to judge the living and the dead. And in the Holy Spirit, the holy Ecclesia, the remission of sins, the resurrection of the body (the life everlasting). ____________ This is an early version of what later became the Apostles’ Creed, called the “Old Roman Creed.” It was in use as early as the second century (Kelly, Creeds, 101). It was the only doctrinal requirement in the early church. It was confessed before batism. Translated from the Latin by Jay N. Forrest

“We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us.” - Pogo (Walt Kelly) As an Evangelical Christian, I was warned about liberal theology. It was of the devil. I am told that the enemy is the Liberal. I have met the enemy and it is me. When you actually look up the word liberal , you find out it is not a bad word at all. The Oxford English Dictionary defines liberal as "relating to or denoting a political and social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise." What's so bad about that? Maybe because it interferes with big money, political power, and corporate greed. John F. Kennedy once said, "But if by a ‘Liberal’ they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people—their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties—someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and

The most common translation of 2 Timothy 3:16 is similar to the King James Version, which reads, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 KJV). But is this really correct? The English Revised Version of 1885 corrected this to read: “Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.” The American Standard Version of 1901 did the same: “Every scripture inspired of God [is] also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.” Because of the fundamentalist backlash, the Revised Standard Version of 1952 decided to return to “All scripture is inspired by God.” They moved the correct translation to the notes, where it reads: “Every scripture inspired by God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in

By calling ourselves Progressive Christians we mean we are Christians who: 1. Believe that following the way and teachings of Jesus can lead to experiencing sacredness, wholeness, and unity of all life, even as we recognize that the Spirit moves in beneficial ways in many faith traditions. 2. Seek community that is inclusive of all people, honoring differences in theological perspective, age, race, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, class, or ability. 3. Strive for peace and justice among all people, knowing that behaving with compassion and selfless love towards one another is the fullest expression of what we believe. 4. Embrace the insights of contemporary science and strive to protect the Earth and ensure its integrity and sustainability. 5. Commit to a path of life-long learning, believing there is more value in questioning than in absolutes. Source: https://progressivechristianity.org/

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Rom 1:20). First, lets defines two terms. The first term is materialism. Materialism is “the doctrine that nothing exists except matter and its movements and modifications” (OED). This term has gone out of favor with many others because it also means “a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values.” And this latter definition is what people usually think of when they hear the word materialism. The second word is naturalism. Naturalism is “the philosophical belief that everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations are excluded or discounted” (OED). This has become the more common word for this belief system. Of course, they try to hide the fact that it is a belief system by adding

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you shall go: I will guide you with my eye" (Psalm 32:8). I'm afraid that most people have been told a lie. God's plan is not to make you happy and healthy. God's plan is to test you and form you into the image of Christ. God's plan is to give you the tools and then let you learn to apply them yourself. These tools include a Divine purpose, Divine principles, and a Divine prototype. I might stop to emphasize this again. God's plan is not a ready-made path. God wants you to make your own path. God wants you to walk your own way. God wants you to live your life according to his principles. Many people mistakenly think God has a ready-made plan for them. And all they need to do is discover that plan, and walk that path. That is false. God wants you to take his Divine purpose, his Divine principles and his Divine prototype and apply those to your life. He wants you to learn to live godly. He wants you to

"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matt 3: 4). Many people act as if after the Bible was completed, God stopped speaking. This is because a lot of people misunderstand the Bible's true purpose. And this, in turn, has led many people to lose faith in the Bible. The Bible was never meant to be a substitute for a personal relationship with God. The Bible is to point you to a relationship with God. But most evangelicals have a relationship with the Bible and know nothing of God. The Bible is not God's word to you. God can speak through the Bible, but the Bible is not God's word to you. Yes, it's for you, but not to you. God is not telling you to sacrifice your son Isaac. Be careful about applying specific directions to your own life, not everyone should quote, go and sell all you have and give to the poor. The Bible is not a message from God, it's a message about God. It records people's exper

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: And if we know that he hear us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” ( 1 John 5:14-15). Prayer is usually thought of as a petition addressed to God asking for his help and intervention. Oxford English Dictionary defines a petition as “an appeal or request, especially a solemn or humble one to a deity or a superior.” Yet, how many Christians will tell you that they pray and pray and yet nothing happens. Why is that? In the above passage, we see that the key to answered prayer is to ask according to God’s will. Usually our problem is not knowing God’s will in the matter. In that case, our first step is for wisdom into God’s will (James 1:5). And even when we receive that answers to our prayers, they usually don’t get answered they way we expected. Pray for patience, and you will quickly learn what I mean. But prayer is not just asking

"Avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called" (1 Tim 6:20). Carl Sagan once claimed that "The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be." This is not a statement of fact but a statement of faith First, he never tried to prove the statement. Which makes it a mere assertion. And just because a scientist says it doesn't make it true. It is asserted without evidence, and it can be ignored without evidence. Second, how did he know that "the Cosmos is all that is?" You would first have to know "all that is" before you could know that the Cosmos is it. The fact that physicists populated a multiverse means that many cosmos'. Third, if Carl didn't exist from the beginning of time, how could he know that the "Cosmos is all that... was." This is very unscientific. He has no evidence to support it, no experiments to prove it, and no testimony to verify it. It is a mere assertion. Fourth, unl

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). A claim is a statement that is either true or false. If the statement is neither true nor false, it is not a claim. Truth is the description of the quality of a claim. A claim is true when the statement being made matches the way things actually are. Truth refers to a claim or group of claims in which the statements of the claim correspond to reality. In other words, the statement really does express the reality of the matter. If someone makes the claim that I am a man, and I really am a man, then the claim is true. It is true because it matches or corresponds to the way things really are. Truth is the name of a claim that matches reality. Truth is the correspondence between a claim and reality. All other attempted definitions must assume this one. All other definitions claim that their definition corresponds to reality, and therefore is true. Which means that all other definitions are false. You can’t

"The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom." (Prov. 4:7 NIV). In order to get wisdom, you need to first know what wisdom is. Unfortunately, this is harder than you might think. There is no agreement on what wisdom is. Wisdom is not knowledge. Knowledge is the acquisition of facts and information. Wisdom is not experience. Wisdom is not the right use of knowledge, that's prudence. Rather, wisdom is the proper perspective of reality. Experience is the practical application of knowledge in real-world situations. Wisdom is not understanding. Understanding is the ability to comprehend and interpret information. And wisdom is not prudence. Prudence is the right use of knowledge. Wisdom is the proper perspective of Reality. It is the result of the skillful integration of knowledge, experience, and understanding. A proper perspective is God's perspective. The closer we get to his perspective, the wiser we are. Worldly wisdom is a distorted perspective of Reality. It is

"Conversion is conversion from a self-centered person to a God-centered person." - E. Stanley Jones Conversion is not optional. Jesus was clear, “Truly I say to you, Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:3). The Apostle Peter said the same thing, “Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). Conversion means to turn around. We can illustrate it by imagining a person heading in one direction and then turning around and heading in a completely different direction. That is conversion. Repentance is changing your mind, conversion is changing your direction in life. And this is what E. Stanley Jones is pointing to. Before conversion, everyone is self-centered. They are living their life on their own terms, they are doing what they want when they want. They are lord of their lives. Conversion is turning from selfishness and surrendering to God. Now you are liv

For this reason,      I bow my knees to you Father of my Lord Jesus Christ,      from whom the whole family      in Heaven and Earth is named, that you would grant me,      according to the riches of your glory, to be strengthened with might      through your Spirit in the inner being, that Christ may dwell in my heart      through faith; that I, being rooted and grounded in love,      may be able to comprehend with all the saints      what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ      which passes knowledge;      that I may be filled with all of your fullness. In Jesus' name, amen. (Eph 3:14-19)