The Mystic Way by Jay Forrest

Who Wrote the Bible?

The first thing to realize, is that God did not write the Bible. It contains words attributed to God, but it is not words directly from God.

They Said God Said

It’s important to understand the distinction. Is the difference between what I say my mother said, and what my mother actually said. I hear things through a filter.

It is the same with the authors of the Bible. God may have truly spoke to them, but it is filtered through their personality and cultural context. It is just like light through stained glass, the stained glass changes the hue and color of the light.

If we don’t keep this in mind, we can interpret the Bible literally. Which is going to cause all kinds of problems. The Bible constantly counterdicts itself. How can that be if it was written by God.

God Did Not Write It

The truth is that God did not write the Bible. Men wrote the Bible. They wrote it from their perspective, their limited understanding, and they’re biased and prejudiced viewpoints. And these come through in the text.

So he must read the Bible as the words of men about the message of God. The message of God is sometimes blurred, sometimes distorted, and sometimes insightful.

The Bible is Not Univocal

We should take the Bible seriously, but not literally. We have to interpret each author within their own cultural and historical context. The Bible is not univocal. It doesn’t have one author, it has many. Therefore one author should not interpret another.

This is important. Too often a uniformity is forced upon the text. And this uniformity distorts the text, causing it to be misunderstood. Only the author can interpret the author. Only Paul can interpret Paul. So it’s important to know which letters are from Paul, and which ones are not.

I say that because we know that 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus were not written by the apostle Paul. We can call the author pseudo-Paul. Whoever it was, he wrote after Paul was already long dead. His language and style of writing is different. Therefore, these letters should not be used to interpret the other Epistles of Paul.

Rethinking Our Interpretation

This is only the beginning of rethinking our interpretation and understanding the Bible. It’s important to realize that the Bible is not a book, but a library of books written by different men, in different situations, at different times, with different historical and cultural contexts, and woth different agendas.

The Bible was not written by God. It is written by men. Therefore they should be used and interpreted carefully. We should honor the differences and not negate them with a uniformity they never had.

Praying in the Spirit

“Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18).

Pentecostals misunderstand this phrase, pray in the spirit. They think it is referring to speaking in tongues. It is not.

Pray in Union with the Spirit

To pray in the Spirit is to pray in union with the Spirit. That is, to pray according to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides the prayer through an inward urging.

And yes, this does include speaking in tongues. But it just not exclusive to that. As it is clear in the context of the passage. It includes every prayer and supplication.

Practical Guidance

And praying in the Spirit does not mean that the words are necessarily given to you. Sometimes it’s more like a prayer list. Somebody will come to mind, or some situation, and that is what the Spirit wants you to pray about.

So next time someone pops into your mind, maybe you should try praying for that person. Or if a situation comes into your mind, pray for that situation. In both cases, this is praying in the Spirit.

Childish Ways of Christians

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways” (1 Cor. 13:11).

Many Christians are very childish in the way they think and reason. They think that God is some big answer guy in the sky, who’s going to solve all their problems for them. God’s not that mean.

Part of growing up is thinking for yourself. Part of it is making reasonable choices. Another part is taking responsibility for your choices. If God did everything for you, you would never learn anything. So God doesn’t do that.

Divine Principles

God gives you principles of how to act, speak and behave yourself. He expects you to do your own thinking, to come to your own conclusions. But he also expects you to accept the consequences of your choices.

Growing Up Spiritually

Growing up is hard to do. And growing up spiritually can be even harder. We want everything to be easy for us. God will not do that. God will take us into the valley of doubt and confusion, so that we can grow.

Just like muscles require resistance, so does the will. For a strong will, we need to have a strong force to push against. That strong force is the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The Bible

We need to approach the Bible differently than we do. We need to see how the people in the Bible related to God. Learn about their relationship. And apply the principles of that relationship to our own relationship with God. That’s why the Bible was given. Not as an answer book, but as a guide to building a relationship with God.

Are Ecumenical Councils Infallible?

Three Views

The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church hold that the Ecumenical Councils are infallible. That means that there were no errors in what the council proclaimed.

The Protestants, on the other hand, only accept the Ecumenical Councils insofar as they declare doctrines that can be found in the Bible. Bible. In other words, Ecumenical Councils, in the Protestants view, cannot dictate new doctrines.

As a progressive Christian, I take a middle path. I take the Ecumenical Councils as authoritative, but not infallible. That is, an Ecumenical Council hold sway until or unless it clearly contradicts other doctrines proclaimed by other sources of evidence.

Four Sources

To recap what I’ve said before, I take four sources of authority for determining Doctrine. They are scripture, tradition, reason, and personal experience. I hold all four of equal authority. The truth is found in their Harmony. When all all four sources agree, we have the truth.

Ecumenical Council Can Be Corrected

Ecumenical councils are the highest authority within this source. What I’m calling Tradition is also known as sacred tradition in the Roman Catholic Church, but I prefer to call it Ecumenical Tradition.

Now an Ecumenical Council can be corrected, if there is strong evidence that the Ecumenical Council is wrong from other sources of authority. An Ecumenical Council should not, however, be contradicted too readily. To do so requires an ecumenical agreement of a multitude of qualified leaders and scholars.

Individual theologians have the right to offer evidence that a Ecumenical Council is wrong, and even offer a corrected version. But only the ecumenical consent of the church can make the change authoritative.

A Habit is Unnecessary for Hermits

A religious habit, as I am using it here, refers to a distinctive set of clothing worn by members of a religious order. Certain monastic orders have standardized their color and style.

Hermit Habit

Throughout history, many hermits also wore habits, but this was never required or standardized. Personally, I would advise against wearing a habit for modern hermits. At least those not associated with an official organization.

Rather I think we should follow the advice of a desert father known as Abba Muthues. He said:

“Wherever you dwell conduct yourself in a simple manner like every one else, and what you see those who fear God do, that is, those whom you have confidence in, that do also, and you will be at ease. For to be as all other men are is true humility, and the men who see that you are like all other men will regard you as they regard every one else, and you will not be troubled.”

Plain and Simple

I am not your bishop, superior or abbot. This is just my advice, you can take it or leave it. But I think you might see some wisdom in what I suggest.

Dress plainly, without designer clothes or clothing with brands on it. Plain and simple should be the rule. No flashy clothes, bright colors, or anything to attract attention. Blend it, don’t stand out.

This is all in harmony with the idea of hiddenness. You are fleeing the world, therefore flee their fashions and fads. Think practical, high quality, long lasting, and multipurpose. Not just in clothing, but in all things. Think minimalism and simplicity and practicality.

Hidden Habit

I do wear a hidden habit, that most people never see. It is the symbol of my dedication to the hermit life. It is a simple rope necklace with a small wooden cross on it. It has been blessed with holy water and prayer.

It is helpful to carry with you a symbol of your vocation. What you choose should match your calling. Some might want to wear a necklace like the metal of St. Benedict or another saint. Others might wear a ring, have a bracelet, or carry something in their pocket. It’s up to you.