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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe.
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This is the Epistle selection to be read aloud on the second Sunday after Christmas, Year C, according to the lectionary for the Episcopal Church. It will follow an Old Testament reading from Jeremiah, where the prophet wrote: “I will give the priests their fill of fatness, and my people shall be satisfied with my bounty, says Yahweh.” That will lead to a singing of Psalm 84, where one verse says: “Happy are they who dwell in your house! they will always be praising you.” All will accompany the Gospel read, which will be one of three options, two from Matthew 2 and one from Luke 2. Samples of those readings include the following:
· When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead."
· When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
· Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."
I wrote about Ephesians 1:15-23, when that selection was the reading choice for Christ the King Sunday in 2017 (Year A, Proper 29). I wrote about Ephesians 1:3-14, when it was the selection for the eighth Sunday after Pentecost in 2018 (Year B, Proper 10); and, I again wrote about the same verse selection this past year, when it came up as the seventh Sunday after Pentecost. This last time I entitled the commentary “Dearly Beloved we are gathered here today ...” and it has be read several times since. Therefore, I have posted my comments about all of the verses selected for today; but I have not yet addressed them as ‘cherry picked’ verses that were chosen for the purpose of presenting them together on this second Sunday after Christmas.
I will now make my views clear on this reading being relative to one’s soul having been reborn as Jesus Christ, which the Church recognizes on December 25th each year. We are not called to remember a baby Jesus in a manger for any other reason than seeing one’s soul-body as a trough for feeding livestock, unworthy of being anywhere special, other than in a cave shelter for stabling beasts of burden. To have the Son of Yahweh placed in that lowly place must be seen as how little oneself matters, if Jesus has not been born, so his soul can be laid upon your soul to bring forth righteousness in an otherwise sinful form.
To begin with, verse three’s first segment of words contains six capitalized words. Every capitalized word of the New Testament texts must be read with a divine elevation in meaning. Clearly, Christians immediately recognize this in “God, Father, Lord, Jesus and Christ.” There is less clarity that comes from a capitalized “Eulogētos,” which comes from the root Greek word from which the English “eulogy” comes. To translate this as “Blessed” is even more confusing, because few can answer the question correctly, which asks, “What does “Blessed” mean?”
Beyond that, the translation services (such as the NRSV) do nothing to recognize the word “kai” as something important to see; and, not some ‘stuttering John’ word of no significant meaning, as if Yahweh were pausing to clear His Mind, before continuing to dictate His Word to a prophet. The word “kai” must always be read as a symbol that lets the reader know: Importance to follow! Finally, there are five words written in a row, which includes the last three capitalized words in this segment, all of which are written in the Genitive case, which denotes the possessive. Almost none of that is indicated in the above translation. I will make this segment vividly clear in a moment.
Second, verse four ends with the word that says “love” (“agapē”). This cannot be seen as some The Beatles crap, where “All you need is love, love, love, love” is like singing, “All you need is to be blessed, blessed, blessed, blessed.” The meaning Paul wrote, using “love,” is he was making note of the Spiritual bond that leads to divine marriage between a soul and Yahweh. As far as the modern Episcopal Church can define “love,” its carnal definition bantered carelessly among same sexes, who would likely lead that satanic church to be like the Temple of Jerusalem once did and have naked blood sacrifices on the altars of their churches, with all in attendance required to join in an orgy. For selected verses on the second Sunday after Christmas, when the soul of Jesus can only be born after a divine marriage between Yahweh and wife-soul, “love” must be recognized as significant.
The first segment of words of verse three states this: “Blessed this God [meaning Yahweh] kai Father of this of Lord of us of Jesus of Christ”. This segment is then broken into two sections, based on the use of the word “kai.” This means the primary focus of this segment is that which is God’s Blessing. This is the same divine elevation (capitalization of “Eulogētos”) that was found when Elizabeth was divinely inspired to tell Mary, “Blessed are you among women.” It is the same divine elevation that was found when Zechariah broke into divinely inspired song about his son John: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel.” This means verse three’s primary intent is to state what a divine “Blessing by God” means to the ordinary Joe or Sally in Ephesus. From that, the same can be said of the ordinary Joe and Sally everywhere, at all times.
That “Blessing” is then when Yahweh becomes one’s “Father.” It is the word “Patēr” that follows the word “kai” and is not written in the possessive case (Genitive). This makes “Father” become a statement of the one who possesses, with possession based on a familial relationship, where that possessed came because of the “Father.”
In this regard, look at the two examples of Zechariah and Elizabeth, both of whom saw a divine “Blessing” being due to Yahweh generating sons in two (basically) virgins (one old and barren). This means the “Blessed this God” says “this” (use of “ho”) refers backwards in the text, to the greetings of Paul to the true Christians of Ephesus, all of whom had become related to Yahweh, knowing Him as “Father.” Therefore, Paul acknowledged those many transformations were not self-made or self-caused or in any way due to things people did that happened to be right and well-figured out, because a true “Blessing” like “this” known is only possible through “God.”
That brought about by “God,” as the “Father,” is then possession of a soul that Yahweh [“God”] has divinely married, such that Yahweh has become possessor “of this” soul, as its “Lord,” which means the relationship to the “Father” is relative to being “of Yahweh the Lord” over that soul.
From a soul being “of Lord” Yahweh, such that the soul has completely subjected itself (a “self” is a “soul”) to Him in divine marriage, it then becomes a family relationship that is not singular. Yahweh has many wives, all for the purpose of Him becoming fully possessive of those wife-souls, to also become the “Father” of all. This is why the Genitive possessive plural pronoun says “of us.” Paul was writing to the many in Ephesus, which prophesies to the many forevermore. The use of “hēmōn” says the same must be applied to all wife-souls of Yahweh, as they will all call Him “Father,” as their “Lord.”
This is then furthered by the capitalized name “Jesus,” written in the Genitive case. This says that “of us,” who are all whose souls have married Yahweh, becoming His possessions as subjects, “of His Lordship,” where that direct control of Yahweh is now said to be “of Jesus.” This is the name Gabriel told Mary to give to the divine child she was “Blessed” to hold in her womb. The name given means “Yah[weh] Will Save.” Thus, when Yahweh becomes the “Father” of a soul He possesses, each and every one (“of us”) takes on Yahweh’s control through the soul He created for the purpose of saving souls, making “of us” be “of Jesus.”
This is not a collection of souls (the many – “of us”) that only has one Jesus to see as his or her “Lord,” as the only singularity is Yahweh, as the “Father.” He is the “Father” of all, the “Lord” of all, with all being individually reborn “of Jesus,” as a possessing soul added by Yahweh (the “Father”) to a submissive soul-wife.
With this understood, where all souls married to Yahweh become His wife-souls, all submitting themselves (self-soul) to Him as their “Lord,” He will then “Father” His Son into each and every wife-soul His Son, as the soul of Jesus resurrected many times over, forever and ever, everyone of them becoming Jesus reborn. Because they have all become “of Jesus,” each possessing his soul with theirs, all wife-souls are then “Anointed ones” of Yahweh, where His Spirit has poured out upon their souls in the name of His Son Jesus reborn, so all are then equally a “Christ” – a word in Greek that means “anointed with oil or water,” but when capitalized it becomes divinely elevated as an act of “God-Yahweh.
This must be seen as key information to discern as a reading chosen for the second Sunday after Christmas, when Christmas is recognized as being the birth of Jesus within a soul, more than being the actual birthdate of Jesus (John the Baptists would be the one to be born at this time of year). The wealth of information that then follows in the rest of verse three and then in verses four, five and six all supports this basic information.
Verse three continues to says the “blessing of us is spiritual,” which means non-physical, so there will be no follow-up rebirths of a baby Jesus, or a full-bodies return of a man in flesh, as “spiritual blessing” has no material claim. The “spiritual" is “heavenly realms in Christ,” where (again) “Christ” is not some physical entity, but a “spirituality” that is an outpouring upon a soul by Yahweh. Nothing short of Yahweh can (capitalized) “Anoint” a soul, which is far greater than someone physically smearing oil on a forehead.
Verse four adds that such souls have to be “chosen,” which (again) is the doings of Yahweh. Yahweh chooses which souls He will marry and He chooses which souls He will Anoint from those marriages. The use of the Greek word “autō” needs to be read as meaning “same,” rather than simply “him,” because to become a “Christ” a soul must become “the same” as Jesus, which is pure and without sin. That is the meaning of “before foundation of world.” That says the “foundation” that is “the same” is when one shows the face of Yahweh “before” oneself, through submission in marriage and taking on His name [Israel]. To be in “the world” and return to Yahweh afterwards, one must be cleansed of all the worldly impurities. Those are removed through marriage and the outpouring of Yahweh’s Spirit, which comes (again) from “love.
Verse five then adds that this then “predestines” all souls to be “adopted sons.” In this, “sons” is an assumption of the reality of ancient Greece, as no females were ever “adopted.” That was called marriage. Still, “adopted sons” is another spiritual designation, as the soul-flesh entity that marries Yahweh is feminine essence, thus a soul-wife. The “adopted sons” become the infusion of a male son into one’s soul. That makes Yahweh become the Father, with the “adopted sons” all being Jesus resurrected in each soul-wife. The result is all are both (again) “of Jesus” and “of Christ,” where the two are separate, but come together. Once a soul has become an “adopted Jesus,” then that soul is also adopted as a “Christ,” with Yahweh the new “Father.”
Verse six then ends with the capitalized Greek word “Ēgapēmenō,” which translates as a divinely elevated “Beloved.” This is (again) repeating the “love” theme that goes beyond marriage, to the purpose of marriage – being to make a baby. Here, the capitalization makes the soul-wife become the “Beloved,” as the wife and mother, while also being the “Beloved” as Jesus reborn. This designation is ”of the same” (from “autou”), such that one and the other become one, as the “same.” This is a “gift” from Yahweh to the soul. Thus, when Gabriel visited Mary, she was told she was, “favored with grace” and “blessed among women.” Such “favor” and “blessing” must be seen as that “being freely given [by Yahweh] us in this Beloved.”
These selected verses must be seen as everything that came true on Christmas morning. Everything was expected. Everything was a gift from Yahweh to His brides. Everything is the truth of Christianity, where the soul of Jesus returned the day after it ascended, on Pentecost Sunday morning; and, it is what all saints are made of – the rebirth of the soul of Jesus in those who are likewise Anointed as Christs.
The reading then leaps forward to verse fifteen, which the NRSV calls “Paul’s Prayer." In these verses can be found two uses of “saints” [“hagious” in verses 15 and 18] and two references to “faith” [“pistin” in verse 15 and “pisteuontas” in verse 19a]. It must be understood that Paul was a “saint,” and the plural number he wrote refers to all who were like Paul; and, that means a soul in the flesh married to Yahweh and reborn as His Son Jesus is each a Christ as designated by Yahweh. This personal infusing of Spirit then creates knowledge of divine matters, not intelligence of such things never personally experienced, but said to have been by others. This is the difference between true “faith” and simple “belief.” Paul’s prayer was “giving thanks” [“eucharistōn”] to Yahweh for his having been led in divine ministry (as Jesus reborn) to pass on the Spirit to other souls-in-flesh, so they too would submit themselves (self-soul) in the same way.
It should be realized that Paul was not “praying” that Yahweh would hear his “prayers” and grant Paul his wish to do something to make Paul seem like some stand-up dude. Prayers should be made to Yahweh for personal strength as His servant. Paul mentioning his “prayers” in a letter should have no purpose other than Yahweh passing on to true Christians in Ephesus that Paul hopes they are doing the same for each other, “giving thanks” to Yahweh for all He has done for them. One does not “pray” to become a saint or have faith. One does whatever Yahweh leads one to do, with Him as one’s “Lord,” sent to one as the soul of “Jesus” resurrected, as one who is an “adopted son” as a “Christ.” Then, with all that “having been given” to oneself (self-soul), then it is only natural that all “prayers” are “giving thanks” to Yahweh for that having been done.
This means prayer has to be as Jesus explained, as a direct communication between one’s soul and Yahweh. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he told them to address Yahweh as “Father.” To truthfully call Yahweh “Father” means to be truly reborn as His Son Jesus, the only Son of Yahweh [Adam's soul reborn]. A prayer that calls out to the “Father,” when one selfishly worships self and not Yahweh, having no concept whatsoever of ever being the resurrection of Jesus’ soul within one’s own soul, means one slanders Yahweh and Jesus. Prayer is for giving thanks or begging for forgiveness for all the sins one’s soul is mired in. Until one has reached the depths of despair that one finally cuts loose of self-worship and fully submits to the Will of Yahweh, one has no one to thank but oneself. Your prayers then are your acts and deeds that do as one pleases.
As a reading hand-picked to be read aloud on the second Sunday after Christmas, one needs to see the message here is to have one’s soul be married to Yahweh and receive His Spirit as a Blessing, an Anointment. Then one needs to prepare for a new you to arrive, as promised. That new you will be the gift of Yahweh, which is adoption as His Son, so one’s soul is now led by the soul of Jesus. That brings about tremendous feelings that make one praise Yahweh. In that praise, one thanks Yahweh for his gift of Christmas. That then leads to the ministry of faith, where one becomes like Jesus (and like Paul), leading others to also become saints. One does not forget those whose souls touched in brotherhood (all as adopted sons of Yahweh), as one writes them notes that say, “I have not forgotten you.” That is the act of a “Beloved.”
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